Hello to all the readers !   
First of all I'd like to say: great forum !
I already noticed members from Australia, the Netherlands, the States (of course..) and even from Russia ?! Wow...
Truly an international community, and all of that thank's to the internet and our beloved K-series !

My first name is Jos, age 58. I'm still working, and as far as I can overlook the facts: will have to stay in that 'mode' for another 9 or so years.   (but not really..)
I'm -still happy- married for almost 40 years now; father of 3 sons and grandfather of 1 granddaughter (she's a real joy !)
We live in a small village, called Simpelveld, in the south of the Netherlands.
One of the benefits of this part of our country is the fact that the border to either Belgium or Germany is, at most, about 15 kilometers away. Regions, very suitable for biking, as the Ardennen (Belgium) or Eifel (Germany) ar, as a matter of speaking, in my back-yard...

My bikingdays started way back, in 1973, aged 18.
Since than I always owned and rode a bike, in average about 5-6000 km's a year.

My very first -in 1973- was a Suzuki GT550 twostroke. In 1977 I sold that bike and bought my first (and only...) new machine: also a Suzuki, but a fourstroke: a GS750, B-model (1977). 
In '83: sold the GS and switched back to a twostroke, a second-hand Suzuki GT750, J-model (1973). (Still in my garage, never to go away...)
In fact, and to be honest: that brand and type of motor -Suzuki twostroke- has a special place in my hart.
In the past years I collected about 4 GT's 750 (Waterbuffalo's), all in more or less driveable condition, as well as a GT500 (in restoration at this time). Beside those twostrokes: yes: a 1987 BMW K100RT. The beamer is my every-day ride, the 'smokers' are more collector's items, for short trips with twostroke-friends.
The Suzi's all are at least 37 years old and, although I take good care of them: they need more attention during a tour than the K.

The brick has never failed; always starts at first touch and she takes us wherever we like to go. Be it a short trip around the churchtower or a 7-days tour to France with full campinggear mounted on it's back: it has never been a problem.
For comfort I mounted a K1100-windshield and for safety-reasons: the side- and mainstand of that 1100 also. (I find the original round-bended mainstand of the K100 the only weak point of the bike.) 

The 'beamer' is in our garage since 1993; I purchased it in Germany from the first owner and imported it to the Netherlands. Since it's intro in 1983 I liked the K's; they already seemed to be kind of iconic from the start.
No self-respecting biker could deny that the K's are the ultimate in reliability, driveability and comfort. Sure: they have their little failures, but in general ? Checking tires, brakes, lights, oil and gas is all it takes to start a 3000 km, no-worries trip to any place you want. Even nowadays; and that is seldom seen with other brands !

Importing my K from Germany just had one reason: money... 
In those days even the second-hand K's still were very expensive in the Netherlands, due to all kinds of surrealistic taxes.    
In Germany the price of second-hand BMW's was very attractive for us, Dutchy's living near the border. I simply loaded the bike on to my trailer, took her home, filled in a form and took her to a registration-office. There the bike and the documents where inspected, all aproved and within 14 days I had my Dutch registration. Import-taxes ? Peanuts; added up with the purchase-price I made a profit of about $ 3000,- compared to a Dutch bike.  :pirat: Never regretted that step !

Yes... well... 
I see that -for now- this could be enough information for the community   It's getting late (far after midnight over here...) and I'm getting sleepy !

Hope that this gives you a picture of your new member, and even more: I hope to meet some of you 'on the road' in near future !

Stay healthy, enjoy the forum and drive your K's as often as you can !

Greetings...

Jos.

Hi Jos and a warm welcome from Australia. I had a water cooled J model from new, it was a green one. I held out for green as I really didnt want one of the purple things. It was one of the best touring bikes I have had would cruise at well over 100mph 2 up for hours on end and got 40mpg (not at 100mph) which was good for a smoker. I trades it on the Kawasaki Z1300 which I still have.

RicK G wrote:Hi Jos and a warm welcome from Australia. I had a water cooled J model from new, it was a green one. I held out for green as I really didnt want one of the purple things. It was one of the best touring bikes I have had would cruise at well over 100mph 2 up for hours on end and got 40mpg (not at 100mph) which was good for a smoker. I trades it on the Kawasaki Z1300 which I still have.

GTJos: thank's mate ! Hope I pushed the right button to 'quote' you; I'm having trouble getting out of this quote-box, but hey... whatever ?I'm really amazed by the speed of the reaction(s) from all over the world; really great !
Yes: my J is green too (in fact: candy jackal blue.) I now know that Suzuki delivered different colours with the same name to some parts of the world. In Europe 'candy jackal blue' is more blue, in the States it tended to be more green. Great bike indeed, lot's of bottompower for a smoker... I'm shutting down now, really have to go to bed... My granddoughter of 1,5 is coming over in a few hours, and that means: lot's of    Cheers and: I'll be back...  

Welcome!

Hi Jos

Welcome from Ireland too. You have some nice bikes there.

Maybe you might come visit us some time. I must admit I was very impressed with the Suzuki 750, both the 2 stroke and the later 4 stroke.

Goodmorning all... Had a short night of sleep, but am fit. (The little one has not yet arrived, so I have a few minutes to thank you for welcoming me.) I can't say it often enough: this forum is really alive and kicking !

A trip to Ireland ? Oh yes, please... That is one of the countries I still hope to visit one day !
Actually I'm meeting an English friend this evening; we already agreed to make a trip to GB and Schotland in near future. I'll throw in the suggestion to repeat that excersize to Ireland for another year, OK ?

Thanks also for the compliments about the bikes; the older I get the more presious they become to me. I'll try and find out how I can put in a few recent pic's. But first: some attention for my wife and granddaughter, I just see them coming !
Tada... have to go !!

Welcome - I rode to Terneuzen in Holland this year via Brugges and Antwerp, always good to know K riders en route. Wanted to take the "bridge" to Middleburg, but was too windy.
Would like to visit Schottland before their independence - hopefully next summer...my missus is put off by rain tho. She informs me that riding pillion leaves her more exposed to the elements. I've not not noticed a problem myself.
I also want to visit Bavaria - the plan would be I ride, and Jane gets Easyjet to Munich. It does help the mpg...
Happy riding
Colin

A trip to Ireland ? Oh yes, please... That is one of the countries I still hope to visit one day !
Actually I'm meeting an English friend this evening; we already agreed to make a trip to GB and Schotland in near future. I'll throw in the suggestion to repeat that excersize to Ireland for another year, OK ?

Depending on the time of your trip there is a very short ferry trip from Scotland to Larne, its on the north Antrim Coast and there is a stunning route around that coast, including Torr Head, Ballycastle, Giants Causeway and Bushmills Distillery. A day trip would probably even do it for you. Comberjohn here is a real foundation of knowledge on the roads around there and with a bit of coordination I am sure a few of us would love to meet up....actually all we need is an excuse and a chance to meet a few fellow K bikes could be just what's needed.

 

Hi Jos welcome to the forum, that's a nice list of bikes you had there I liked the GT 750's myself or Kettles as we in the UK called them, Hollands a nice place I sometimes get chance to visit my brothers and sister in Apeldoorn and the Hague, Great bikes the K and this forum will be the best tool in your tool box.

BIG D

welcome jos

Welcome here, and throw us a picture  

colinijohnson wrote:Welcome - I rode to Terneuzen in Holland this year via Brugges and Antwerp, always good to know K riders en route. Wanted to take the "bridge" to Middleburg, but was too windy.
Would like to visit Schottland before their independence - hopefully next summer...my missus is put off by rain tho. She informs me that riding pillion leaves her more exposed to the elements. I've not not noticed a problem myself.
I also want to visit Bavaria - the plan would be I ride, and Jane gets Easyjet to Munich. It does help the mpg...
Happy riding
Colin

Thank you, thank you ! Your missus is right, Colin... No fun sitting in the rain behind our back.
On the other hand: I've been told that the scenery in Scotland is breathtaking, rain or no rain. So it's worth the efford !
Munich is a long trip, but no problem for a K ? On cruisingspeed (say a steady 120-130 km/h) you should be able to get there with an average of about 15:1 (km's per liter, that is...) Have fun, hope to meet you someday, somewhere !

Jos. 

BIG D wrote: 

Hi Jos welcome to the forum, that's a nice list of bikes you had there I liked the GT 750's myself or Kettles as we in the UK called them, Hollands a nice place I sometimes get chance to visit my brothers and sister in Apeldoorn and the Hague, Great bikes the K and this forum will be the best tool in your tool box.

BIG D

Hi Big D ! Thank's a lot for the kind words !
Indeed a nice country to live in; only our speedregulations seem to get weirder day by day... That is confusing even for us, let alone the foreigner who visits our country every once and a while ?
But OK; with the bike I try to avoid the highway as much as possible anyway; like the country-road a lot better !

Kettles.. your right ! There is a very vivid community -the guys from the Kettle club- in the UK; some of them build very nice Kettles, based on GSX-R frames, complete with the Tokico-brakes and USD-frontsuspension... awsome stuff.
Here's a link to one of those Kettle member's Flickr-photostream (Richard Lindoe): Richard Lindoe's photostream

Hope you enjoy...
Jos.

Wheeldigger wrote:Welcome here, and throw us a picture  

GTJos:
thank's, Wheeldigger ! A photo ? Hmmmm....let's see.... This one ? 1975, the missus and me on the green GT550, ready for 'take-off' to a raceweekend at Francorchamps ?


Or more recent stuff, 2011 on the K at a trip to Lake Annecy, France ?




And finally, to have my stable more or less covered: a 'selfie' on the GS750, near Krauthausen (LOL) in Bavaria, year 2012:




More to come at other places in the forum, perhaps ?

Greetings
Jos

henkozzy wrote:Hoi Jos welcome

GTJos:
ha... een landgenoot ! Mooi man, ik heb volgens mij al ergens een bericht over een eerdere meeting gelezen; was jij dat ?!
Ik probeer een volgende keer acte de presence te geven, OK ?!
(I wrote: nice, a fellow countryman. I mean to have read a topic about an earlier meeting over here, in the Netherlands, from his hand and that I'll try to be present the next time.)
Hou je haaks en wellicht tot gauw !

charlie99 wrote:welcome jos

GTJos:
thank's Charlie ! Take care and I hope to chat/meet in future.

A little help on quoting; https://www.k100-forum.com/t7184-problems-with-the-quote-facility

I had a GS750, drove like my old Zündapp mopeds (KS50) bigger and faster, but the easy handling is the same.
Had a X7, and 2 GT380's.    Bugger me I sold them.....must had a mental ilness....  

Wheeldigger wrote:A little help on quoting; https://www.k100-forum.com/t7184-problems-with-the-quote-facility

I had a GS750, drove like my old Zündapp mopeds (KS50) bigger and faster, but the easy handling is the same.
Had a X7, and 2 GT380's.    Bugger me I sold them.....must had a mental ilness....  

Hee wheeldigger ! Great man, thank's a lot   Much better this way !
You're a Dutchy too, I see. Must have been you who wrote about that meeting ?
It would be nice to make another try-out next season; I'll do my best to be there !

Yeah... shame on you, selling those poor old smokers  Come on over, some day, I'll let you ride the '76 750 in this picture:



Thanks once again for the help; much obliged !

A while ago I setup a K-meeting in Beekbergen (NL), put it on the BMWK site, but the owner deleted the post, suspicious that it came from the banned ones.
I'm a half-banned one, they check everything I do.

Next year I will setup a new one, around april, will make it bigger and better   

The banned ones, better to say the good and nice ones, are here;

https://www.facebook.com/groups/bmwkvriendengroep/
https://www.facebook.com/Kklassekletsgro?hc_location=stream

I have my non-smoker inside  :smoke: 

GTJos wrote:Hello to all the readers !   
First of all I'd like to say: great forum !
I already noticed members from Australia, the Netherlands, the States (of course..) and even from Russia ?! Wow...
Truly an international community, and all of that thank's to the internet and our beloved K-series !

My first name is Jos, age 58. I'm still working, and as far as I can overlook the facts: will have to stay in that 'mode' for another 9 or so years.   (but not really..)
I'm -still happy- married for almost 40 years now; father of 3 sons and grandfather of 1 granddaughter (she's a real joy !)
We live in a small village, called Simpelveld, in the south of the Netherlands.
One of the benefits of this part of our country is the fact that the border to either Belgium or Germany is, at most, about 15 kilometers away. Regions, very suitable for biking, as the Ardennen (Belgium) or Eifel (Germany) ar, as a matter of speaking, in my back-yard...

My bikingdays started way back, in 1973, aged 18.
Since than I always owned and rode a bike, in average about 5-6000 km's a year.

My very first -in 1973- was a Suzuki GT550 twostroke. In 1977 I sold that bike and bought my first (and only...) new machine: also a Suzuki, but a fourstroke: a GS750, B-model (1977). 
In '83: sold the GS and switched back to a twostroke, a second-hand Suzuki GT750, J-model (1973). (Still in my garage, never to go away...)
In fact, and to be honest: that brand and type of motor -Suzuki twostroke- has a special place in my hart.
In the past years I collected about 4 GT's 750 (Waterbuffalo's), all in more or less driveable condition, as well as a GT500 (in restoration at this time). Beside those twostrokes: yes: a 1987 BMW K100RT. The beamer is my every-day ride, the 'smokers' are more collector's items, for short trips with twostroke-friends.
The Suzi's all are at least 37 years old and, although I take good care of them: they need more attention during a tour than the K.

The brick has never failed; always starts at first touch and she takes us wherever we like to go. Be it a short trip around the churchtower or a 7-days tour to France with full campinggear mounted on it's back: it has never been a problem.
For comfort I mounted a K1100-windshield and for safety-reasons: the side- and mainstand of that 1100 also. (I find the original round-bended mainstand of the K100 the only weak point of the bike.) 

The 'beamer' is in our garage since 1993; I purchased it in Germany from the first owner and imported it to the Netherlands. Since it's intro in 1983 I liked the K's; they already seemed to be kind of iconic from the start.
No self-respecting biker could deny that the K's are the ultimate in reliability, driveability and comfort. Sure: they have their little failures, but in general ? Checking tires, brakes, lights, oil and gas is all it takes to start a 3000 km, no-worries trip to any place you want. Even nowadays; and that is seldom seen with other brands !

Importing my K from Germany just had one reason: money... 
In those days even the second-hand K's still were very expensive in the Netherlands, due to all kinds of surrealistic taxes.    
In Germany the price of second-hand BMW's was very attractive for us, Dutchy's living near the border. I simply loaded the bike on to my trailer, took her home, filled in a form and took her to a registration-office. There the bike and the documents where inspected, all aproved and within 14 days I had my Dutch registration. Import-taxes ? Peanuts; added up with the purchase-price I made a profit of about $ 3000,- compared to a Dutch bike.  :pirat: Never regretted that step !

Yes... well... 
I see that -for now- this could be enough information for the community   It's getting late (far after midnight over here...) and I'm getting sleepy !

Hope that this gives you a picture of your new member, and even more: I hope to meet some of you 'on the road' in near future !

Stay healthy, enjoy the forum and drive your K's as often as you can !

Greetings...

Jos.

Gidday from Oz, welcome. I used to have a GT550 triple what a grunt machine I wish I still had it, have fun. I am going to Scotland and bits of the UK next September.....

Welcome Jos,

Your GT750 revived memories of my first motorcycle, a red 1975 GT750A.  I bought it new in 1975 when I got my job as a Police Officer, and it was a really smooth tourer.  I put a Piper 3 into 1 expansion chamber exhaust on it, and it made the most beautiful noise.  I wish that it was still in the garage, like yours.

Wheeldigger wrote:A while ago I setup a K-meeting in Beekbergen (NL), put it on the BMWK site, but the owner deleted the post, suspicious that it came from the banned ones.
I'm a half-banned one, they check everything I do.

Next year I will setup a new one, around april, will make it bigger and better   

The banned ones, better to say the good and nice ones, are here;

https://www.facebook.com/groups/bmwkvriendengroep/
https://www.facebook.com/Kklassekletsgro?hc_location=stream

I have my non-smoker inside  :smoke: 

Banned ? Half-banned ?  
My opinion in picture:



In other words: you're welcome and: I'll be there in Beekbergen, next year...
(I don't have an appearence at Facebook, though..)

Take care...
Jos.

richarde1605 wrote:Gidday from Oz, welcome. I used to have a GT550 triple what a grunt machine I wish I still had it, have fun. I am going to Scotland and bits of the UK next September.....

  Hi ! Thank's ! Indeed: good bike, that 550. I have some smoker-friends who ride them; still goiing strong, I can asure you that !
Getting crowded in Schotland, next year ?!    Who knows... maybe we can put up something, I have been reading reactions from Ireland in this threat also. My own plans are not very certain though, but hey ? We'll see...

xpc316e wrote:Welcome Jos,

Your GT750 revived memories of my first motorcycle, a red 1975 GT750A.  I bought it new in 1975 when I got my job as a Police Officer, and it was a really smooth tourer.  I put a Piper 3 into 1 expansion chamber exhaust on it, and it made the most beautiful noise.  I wish that it was still in the garage, like yours.

  Thanks xpc316e ! You're so right: smooth tourer, that's exactly what those bikes where made for. No screeming revver's like Kawa's H1, but reliable bulky bottompower. The fact is that my grey '76 (look up in the treath for a picture) took me to France and back, fully packed and with a windscreen, some 1600 km's in 4 days time. And not in 1977, no: 2011... My tourmates all drove modern stuff (Suzuki GSX1400, Yamaha FJR1300) but the smoker never missed a stroke keeping up with the big boys. (Thank's to modern 2stroke-oil, an electronic ignition, NGK's Irridium sparkplugs, Electrex RR70 regulator and a Scott-oiler for the chain). I love the sound of the described 3-into-1 you owned; have one hanging in my garage but the chrome is all messed up !

And hereby: sorry to all the K-community; it's not my plan to bring in off-topic-items, just following my hart   
I garanty you that I like my K as much as the smokers !

Hi and welcome Jos.....from a former GS750B owner.
    
Nice area of Netherland you live in...have visited Simpelveld 3 or 4 times some years back,
did stay at a bikers place called "Jack's place", I think this place got other owners
and a different name today.

Inge K. wrote:Hi and welcome Jos.....from a former GS750B owner.
    
Nice area of Netherland you live in...have visited Simpelveld 3 or 4 times some years back,
did stay at a bikers place called "Jack's place", I think this place got other owners
and a different name today.

Hi Inge ! Small world ? Yes, I'm happy living here, thank you...(for the warm welcome also !)
Sorry to disapoint you, but Jack's place doesn't exist anymore; totaly vanished from the earth since summer 2013, to make place for even more fancy bungalows. (Maybe you remember that hollidaypark -and old swimmingpool- behind Jack's small campingground ? That swimmingpool also has gone.)
You're welcome for a coffeebreak, next time you visit this region !
Regards
Jos

GTJos wrote:

Sorry to disapoint you, but Jack's place doesn't exist anymore; totaly vanished from the earth since summer 2013,

Thanks for this info.....better to know it now.....than one evening, down there...
tired and thirsty.

About New name and owners, I think it changed the name to "Het ijselen pfard"
(or something like that) after my last visit...but that maybe just remained for
a short time.............

Inge K. wrote:...I think it changed the name to "Het ijselen pfard"
(or something like that) after my last visit...

  Hi Inge ! Yes, almost correct ! "Het ijzeren paard", that's Dutch for 'The iron horse'...
Doesn't matter anymore, it's over and out for the owners.
Whenever you're in this region again and get thirsty or hungry though: let me know, we'll have a chance to meet at my place and shake hands !
Best wishes for 2014, happy riding !!

Jos.

GTJos wrote:

Whenever you're in this region again and get thirsty or hungry though: let me know, we'll have a chance to meet at my place and shake hands !
Best wishes for 2014, happy riding !!

Jos.

Thank you very much...same to you...if you happen to be in this part of Europe.

GTJos, welcome aboard some nice pics there - I like the Bavarian one, I drove there by car back in '97 and would love to do it on the K. If you (or any other forum members) decide to come
to Ireland we'll be happy to ride along!

Safe motoring for 2014.

Will

88KE wrote:GTJos, welcome aboard some nice pics there - I like the Bavarian one, I drove there by car back in '97 and would love to do it on the K. If you (or any other forum members) decide to come
to Ireland we'll be happy to ride along!

Safe motoring for 2014.

Will

   Hi Will ! Great, thank's a lot ! 
Bavaria is our backyard actually, so there is little excuse needed to make a nice tour.
Ireland sure is on my wishlist, I hope that we are able to meet in near future ! On the other hand: feel free to give notice whenever you are in our neighbourhood again ?!

Take care and happy riding to you and all the guys over there !

Jos.

Warm Welcome GTJos,

It seems that a lot of us owned a triple 2 strokes in our previous life.
Check this post

Cheers,

CF (soon back on the forum)  

Hi Jos,
Good to have you with us and thanks for the great introduction.
Regards,
K-BIKE