Bert it will be a sad day for all when you leave, your input will be sorely missed. I wish you success and happiness on what ever future endeavours you wish to pursue.
Best wishes for you and yours in the future best regards Martin.

+1

+2, Really sorry to see you go Bert. All the very best in the future for you and your family. At least you can now stop looking down under seeing what we do. Take care.
Cheers Tom

I've been half-expecting this. Family wins out every time - I hope it improves and all goes well for you, Bert.

Bert sorry to read this. Still sending you puddings though.

This is bad news for so many.  Well, it was a wonderful ride during your stewardship.  Best of luck.
Man, the shocks just keep on coming.  2020 is shaping up to be quite a year, full of unwelcome news....

Thanks to all for your kind words.
The decision to resign has not been an easy one. I was thinking of it for the last 4 months.
I want to see this forum and particularly this community to stay well and vibrant.
As I consider a lot of you as friends, I will talk about my situation (I have never made it public before).

It has been very difficult for me to focus on anything else other than my wife health and wealth.
Let’s get the cat out of the bag: She has Alzheimer and after taking care of her for 4 years, I had to resign myself to place her in a nursing home. Because of the confinement, I haven’t been able to see her for 4 months.
As a result I am mentally wrecked and cannot focus on anything else.
I hope that you will understand that my partner of 35 years is and will always be my priority.
I am not abandoning you, I am just taking a needed break.
It could also be good to have new people steeping in and revamp the forum with new ideas. I will still help the new administrator as best as I can.
Cheers to all.
Yours, CF

Bert,
Such sad news to hear about your wife.

From a selfish perspective, fixing and riding my K has been an unexpected bonus in my retirement. It is unlikely I would have survived the learning curve were it not for you, this forum, and the community you fathered.

I wish the best for both of you. Stu.

All the best for you Bert and your wife.
I fully understand!

Best regards

Bert,

Sad to read, altough saw it coming.
Alzheimer is a real bugger, shouldn't be part of anyones life.

Stay strong, hold on, doing the best for yourself and wife, we're already grateful for what you did for us

Bert, I'm so sorry to read your words.

I was in a similar situation myself as my best friend and wife of 30 years.. Ahhh, I cant go on. It was 31 years ago yesterday I met her actually.

Anyway. Yes, family first always. Everything else is just stuff that will work itself out.

I wish you and your wife all the best mate.

I don't know if you know it yet, Bert, but you've done the best thing you possibly can. My wife is a stroke nurse and sometimes has to deal with Alzheimers patients; she always says that the best place is a nursing/care home where 24 hour care can be provided.

sad news indeed Bert

look after yourself as a priority ...please , without your health and sanity no one can expect things to improve going forward .

take that break as soon as possible , hoping that the restrictions ease soon so that some form of normality can return to your life .

cheers from down here and I know that the many contributors across the globe will be wishing the best outcome for you and family

Bert, prayers for you and your wife.  I hope this forced isolation will end soon for all of us, especially those in your situation.   You can retire with the full knowledge that you have created the very best site for these fine old machines along with one of the best international communities on the internet. 

Thank you and best wishes.

So sorry to hear. Thoughts and prayers to you and your family. You are truly a person of dedication and devotion to family and community. 
If it wasn't for this forum, I would be lost as a K rider, and especially lost when taking care of my beloved ride. I wish I had the organizational skills to maintain such a forum, for in my heart is all the good intention with very little skill. I don't really know what all goes into admin-ing a forum such as this, but is it possible that if one person cannot take on all the tasks, then a small team divide up tasks to keep things going?

MartinW wrote:Bert it will be a sad day for all when you leave, your input will be sorely missed. I wish you success and happiness on what ever future endeavours you wish to pursue.
Best wishes for you and yours in the future best regards Martin.

+1.

Thank you for the commitment and all the time invested, CF ! I'm one of the newbies that has benefited greatly from this fantastic forum full of friendly and knowledgeable people. You leave behind a great thing that will still be there when you decide to return.

Be strong and know you're making the right decision.

I hate the idea of losing Bert. I have also had the privilege of meeting him in France and an amazingly interesting man.

He has been like a big brother to us all here. 

Somehow we have to find a new admin, this forum is much too good to lose it. I don't have the skills or knowledge to do it and I know it takes time and has some costs. I am happy to contribute to a fund to see if there is a means of getting someone to take on the role.

I have more than an idea it might mean 2 or 3 people need to do this together, scattered across 3 time zones might be helpful?

We're not losing Bert, he only steps back from his administrator position, making time and space for himself and the wife.

I've been a moderator on a forum like this for 14 years, took a load of time from me.
But it was worth it
Too bad the owner took it down

I think I could handle this, loads of good guys here  
Will send Bert a PM.

Well done Arlina. Maybe I could help? 
although I have no idea how.
Stu

Really sorry to hear about this Bert - it is painful and trying on so many levels.  You created a community that touches so many places in this world and it is a benchmark for all forums. Having benefited from so much knowledge here I am completely confident that someone will be able to pick up where you leave off.  

I'm still hoping to be able to meet up with you at some point and share a ride.  The proposed Ontario ride now seems like it was floated so very long ago.  I hope that you will soon be reunited with your wife and friend.

Woodie wrote:I'm still hoping to be able to meet up with you at some point and share a ride.  The proposed Ontario ride now seems like it was floated so very long ago.  I hope that you will soon be reunited with your wife and friend.

Thanks Woodie.

I was really planning a trip to Quebec/Ontario last spring, but Covid came and it went down the drain.
Travel outside the province doesn't look good for this summer/fall.
Even if the pandemic is in decline on the East Cost, NS, NB and PEI are still planning to enforce the quarantine if you travel outside the province.

tinyspuds wrote:Well done Arlina. Maybe I could help? 
although I have no idea how.
Stu

Thanks Tiny

In my short time on this forum Bert AKA CF solved the problems i was having,many thanks for that.Health,Family and love of Ks is what holds us all together my heartfelt best wishes to you Bert and your lady.

Arlina wrote:We're not losing Bert, he only steps back from his administrator position, making time and space for himself and the wife.

I've been a moderator on a forum like this for 14 years, took a load of time from me.
But it was worth it
Too bad the owner took it down

I think I could handle this, loads of good guys here  
Will send Bert a PM.

Old Lady my foot,more Super Woman,count me in for a  subscription if needed

moriarti wrote:

Arlina wrote:We're not losing Bert, he only steps back from his administrator position, making time and space for himself and the wife.

I've been a moderator on a forum like this for 14 years, took a load of time from me.
But it was worth it
Too bad the owner took it down

I think I could handle this, loads of good guys here  
Will send Bert a PM.

Old Lady my foot,more Super Woman,count me in for a  subscription if needed

 

Bert confirmed me he's already got a line-up of volunteers

Imagine a world without this forum. Where would we go for the vital information, companionship we seek, camaraderie we find, and perhaps take for granted? 

I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting many of you, and in some cases becoming friends, over the decade-plus I've been involved with the forum. I have also had the pleasure of sitting down for brekky and having a good laugh with Crazy Frog.

I agree, he needs to focus on his own family's immediate needs. I'm eternally grateful, and applaud him for the effort he's made and for his generous contribution to the continuation of our little corner of the world of BMW motorbikes.

Now who's up to the challenge of keeping our beloved forum strong going forward, whether group consensus or single admin? It has had the best start and is too precious to let falter in CF's absence.

Thank you for this forum from the bottom of my heart, Bert, and all the best to you and your wife!

This says it all...such a lovely meeting and some nice chats with Penny but didn't get to meet her. Best profiteroles I have ever tasted and the best company too.

The forum has been a lifesaver for quite a few of us.

Bert on the left....

Burt,
Please don't worry about us and take care of yours. Even if the forum crashes it's been a good ride and that is what it's all about.

Great help and information for the initial K-bike, and then an infection of K-pox. Its been a great ride, hopefully not over.

More important, some great friends made through the forum, which extends way beyond the common interest in the bikes.

Thanks so much, Bert, for your time and commitment, and best wishes in your family situation.

Regards,
Bill

Take another helping of goodwill from me too Bert 
And you too Arlina for stepping up 

So sorry to read about your decision Bert, but as everyone else has said, you’ve really done us proud, you’ve brought a global community of K bikers (riders, maintainers and even hackers) together through your forum and your incredible and selfless efforts over so many years.

Like many, I found the forum by accident following a simple “ how do I” search on the internet. As I’ve said before, it was with some trepidation and after a few weeks of lurking, that I registered - who the heck was this Crazy Frog and what on Earth was I letting myself in for? However, not only has it unravelled the mysteries of the k bikes for me and given me the confidence and knowledge to fix my bikes myself, but it has enabled me to meet and ride with Some of the amazing forum members around the world...all with a shared common interest. 

Unlike many hereabouts, you’ll recall that I had the immense pleasure of meeting both you and your gorgeous Penny during a work related visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia back in Apr 15. I cherish that memory and the memories of all my meets. I’m so deeply saddened for you and Penny, Alzheimer’s is such a cruel and unforgiving disease and I am not surprised that these last 4 years have taken their toll on you. 

So, hand over the reins and let others worry about keeping the forum running. You have done us proud and created an incredible legacy. We will always be here for you.

Vive le forum et bonne chance Bert & Penny.

From my heart Bert, thank you for my sanity. The help and friendship gathered here has been uplifting indeed.
We wish you and your family all the best.
RT

Bert, as all above, thanks for your efforts in maintaining this truly great forum. I have made many wonderful friends through this place. Other forums that I have joined, eg, BMW R1200RT, Visual Basic programmers etc are feeble compared to yours. It must continue.

Please accept my best and heartfelt wishes to you and your bride and family.

Rickmeister.

Bert, Our ’s are with you and your family. And PLEASE take care of yourself!