G'day, people
My intro is probably rather odd compared to most, the only thing I've got at the moment is the determination to go touring on a K bike, I don't even have a motorcycle licence!
I've been a BMW owner for years and for the last few have been lucky enough to drive an M3, so I'm comfortable with the quality of the technology. The trigger came for me from digging around for info to help technically challenged bil do some minor work on his K100. I discovered I've had a latent and previously unrecognised desire to get on a decent machine and go touring.
About me? I've just retired after just shy of 40 years doing the electronics for aviation ground infrastructure- G'day Rick Grabau if you're reading this... I'm also a sailor, pushbike rider and I fly model helicopters.
Watch this space!
Cheers
JM

g'day john

wow ...that is a sweet ambition ...welcome to the "k" appreciators playground ...

you better look up some of the folks down your way soon enough i guess ...

the k doesn't cost a great deal these days and i guess like most, i have held off my purchase for many years ...and pleasently surpised when i did finally take the plunge.

a great mob of blokes here ...hope you enjoy

and hope you find the help that you need, in the forum

cheers

"the k doesn't cost a great deal these days and i guess like most, i
have held off my purchase for many years ...and pleasantly surprised when
i did finally take the plunge."

Charlie's observation is spot on!

Welcome John.

Welcome to the forum John. Don't forget to get a RED bike when you finally decide.

Welcome John, it all starts with a dream! You'll get plenty of help about what questions to ask etc when you find one you like the cut of.

88KE

Hi John & welcome to the forum.

good to see another Taswegian the numbers are slowly growing.

K bikes are great as we all know and with the aid of the members here thier repair and restorations are all the more attainable for the average home diy.

All the best with your latest interest

Bushy

G'day John, and welcome to the forum where we Tasmanian lunatics try to help with support and the solving of problems in our own Aussie way, complete with humour. Great people here, as you will find. Grab yourself a K bike and you'll be hooked, I guarantee it, ask me how I know. Cheers, and best of luck in the K world, Dennis

Welcome aboard John. I hope you realize your dream soon.

Welcome John from Branxholm NE Tassie . As others have already indicated this forum is a tremendous source of tech info, troubleshooting and humour . Our Qld cousins have set very high standards in supporting each other (5 stars guys ) so in that spirit contact me if you want a bike inspected 2nd opinion etc. especially up north here .

Cheers Gordo

Welcome to the forum John - loads of info here

Hey people, thanks for the great welcome, it certainly confirms my initial impression that this is great place for lots of info and to just 'hang out'. I wonder if it's because most of us are shall we say past the first flush of youth and have a bit of time to ponder life etc?

Realistically I guess I'm about 12 to18 months away from getting serious about buying a K bike, I've got to put in my penance on something far less interesting and desirable first. In anticipation of getting my learners in the next week or so I'll probably have a look tomorrow at one of the local places who have a '99 SV650S and a '95 GSX250S for not huge quantities of cash, dare I ask for comment and opinion on these as a learners/ first year P rider's bike.

As far as K bikes go, I'm thinking more towards K75, as it's a little lighter than the 100's and 1100's, performance seems not at all dissimilar, and in fact quite comparable to the M car so I'm not really interested in the odd tenth of extra performance. I'm also thinking of the LT range, as that seems in line with my currently intended use. Am I over thinking it all?

I've got a bazillion and one questions but that'll do for the moment.

Cheers
JM

john ...whatever you learn on, is all experience ...the jump up to a bike that emotes "touring pleasure " is a step in another direction ...smaller bikes ...whilst quick to change direction and low on torque ..do have their own little nuances and peculiarities and are a joy for many .

but there is nothing like something that holds the road in all sorts of conditions, road surfaces, longetivity. reliability and distance like a "k".... it is a peticular awearness and appreciation that many have experienced here

and the owners keep comming back for more ....that must speak volumes in itself

cheers !

Well, I've done it. The journey begins...

http://bikedealers.bikesales.com.au/Tig/UI/PagePopup.aspx?R=12530120&PhotoID=bd5258179113382185570&h_mid=&f_mid=&c_mid=4415423&pid=521989&tabID=2207735

Cheers
JM

cheers mate ....a "faired" bike ...but should be light and frisky

congradulations

charlie99 wrote:cheers mate ....a "faired" bike ...but should be light and frisky

congradulations

Thanks (with heart in mouth!) I wanted a faired bike so the BMW wouldn't seem so different when I transition.

Cheers
JM

In the spirit of welcoming someone new into the fold, I want to say that although some of us may be known as Queenslanders, and called a whole lot more sometimes, that some of us also got their start in that divine little place known affectionately as Tassie. Yep, that's right, from age five to early teens I resided there. In Trevallyn, Kingston and later on, Dilston. It was a great place to be a natural boy in the '60s. I learnt to ride on two wheels there, and didn't we go barefoot nine months of the year!? Poverty had only a little bit to do with it.

Nice bike!

Thought I might add a little update, I got my learners licence at the end of June then immediately went overseas for 6 weeks, before I could even sit on the bike. How frustrated was I?

Anyway back now and into it, I'm extending my envelope every day, been doing somewhere between 2 and 6 hours a day for the 3 or so weeks since I started riding.

I've promised myself I'll shout myself a learner legal BMW of some sort when I get my provisional licence in about six months, then it's just a 12 month wait for an open licence and I can start looking at K bikes.

The journey continues. I'm off to practice some low speed maneuvering

Cheers
JM

Good to see you still on track JM.
Enjoy the ride.

Cheers,

Good progress JM. Lots of slow riding practice is time well spent even for those who have been at it a while.

Do the ruling classes there allow the fitting of a restrictor kit to a bigger/older bike to make it learner legal?

88KE

G'Day John and welcome, i thought that once you had a black licence you just did your p test and reverted to a black as in HR+R rather than being on a provisional. In which case in 3mth's you should be fine to play

Good work John , keep at it soon be there .

In reply to 88, here in OZ most states have the Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme , LAMS , ( lambs, get it ?) which is a power to weight ratio rating . Many , but not all , 650 s qualify indeed the major manufacturers are making models to suit . This was a long time coming partly cos Honda etc wanted to protect the 250 market . W ith the increased no. of efi bikes now it's not as simple as strangling the intake so reverting to full power versions takes some extra effort and $s.

Here in Tas have never heard of the " black " thingmy . If you have previously held a m/c
licence you have a case to go unrestricted i have "heard " , most older guys just ride what they want if they are too .. is macho the word i'm looking for ?

Yeh, unfortunately I don't think we've got any mechanism in place here to restrict a bigger bike to make it lams legal, and, having never held a bike licence before, I've got to do the whole L's (6 months minimum) and P's for 12 months before I can (legally) ride a bigger bike. The only concession I get for being over 25 (really?) and holding an open car licence is that I go straight to open bike after 12 months on P's. In the meantime I'm having a lot of fun on the 250 and looking forward to a nice christmas present in 2013.

Cheers
JM

Great attitude Jon , 2 wheels is 2 wheels ! The thrill , the buzz , is not cc related . This is often forgotten as we naturally go for more power torque or features .
Come up to Branxholm sometime and I'll give you a spin on the K75 , who knows ? you may hate it ! ha ha ha ha ha. Only joking !

Ps . just ask for Gordon .

Good to have you with us John, the K 75 is a great bike. All K's tend to have a highish centre of gravity so it takes a bit of extra care if this is a first bike, but they are fantastic bikes.
Regards,
K-BIKE

Welcome John. Ride safe and have fun. kf