Beemer R65

[Jap_rider_Jim]

Hi Thrang, I never owned any Suzuki motorcycles so I can't comment on them. However I owned a couple of shaft driven Hondas that never gave me that much trouble. I remember having to change the stator and rotor in the charging system in my old cb900 custom but that was it,other than that the bike was a dream to ride and own. I put 70K trouble free miles on that bike.
 I had an old Sportster for my first street bike when I was 18 and that bike was a nightmare. I had to wrench that bike constantly and broke down often. Since then I've owned mostly Hondas and never looked back. I do my own maitainance but I don't like to tinker if I don't have to.
 BMW is a great bike, but for a kid with little cash I think he would be better off with a late 80's nighthawk. They have shaft drive with and inline four DOHC engine. The bike can take a bit before needing any major attention.

[thrang]

I'll not argue with you there, as the Nighthawks got a good reputation.

It was my old Maggot (slang for a Honda CX500) that sold me on the shaft drive long before I rode my first BMW (a K100, which I did not like one bit). The only reason why I bought the Bimbo in 1990, was a climbing trip to the Alps that summer. I needed a bike that would a) get me there,  b) carry the load of me, camping gear, climbing gear, ropes, all at for price I could afford (under 2 grand).

I would not have looked at a BMW except a bloke I knew called Leo the Head who had an R100, and saw the R65 for sale at Doug Hackings in Bolton, and dragged me to see it.

If I was a 19, 20 year old today having grown up on modern very reliable learner bikes, and 400cc restricted performance machines, about the only reason why I go for the Beemer would be the insurance. Not that many 19 20 year old lads in the UK could afford a 650 these days even with the low insurance bracket of an R65!

For me once I had got used to the idiosyncrasy and quirks of the Beemer and learned how to ride her, it was as much her flaws, as her advantages that attracted me. A 2 valve BMW needs to be looked after or she'll turn in to a right bitch on you, but if you don't mind or enjoy getting your hands dirty for an afternoon of bike tinkering now and then, plus regular once overs which are really only what they told us we were meant to be doing when we passed our tests, then a Beemer makes sense.