BMW's & Baby Boomers

[KMACR]

Most of us have been inspired at some precise point in our lives to ride motorcycles and in particular, BMW's. Perhaps it was by someone we knew, or something we read, or saw. It may have been ingrained in the family genes or for others, was an acquired trait. You might have had already made the decision but not yet pulled the trigger of commitment... needing that one last little thing, incident, or encouragement to finally send you running to your BMW dealer or answering that classified ad. For me, that last little bit of inspiration turned out to be the British documentary, Long Way Round.

Seeing that film confirmed my already set-in-motion path to BMW motorcycles. I was finally convinced that I too, as regular a fella as I was, could "adventure" to places I've never been or even thought of going to before. Granted, I may not ever wind up in Mongolia, but my domestic moto-adventures are every bit as thrilling to me. That film lit the spark of discovery as I approached 50 years of age and was the last push I needed for me to act on acquiring my motorcycle.

I'm working on a book based on this Boomer-to-Bikes phenomenon and wondered if any of the forum born in the golden boomer years of 1946 to 1964 had those epiphanies and divine moments of insight that brought you back to motorcycling after a long hiatus or even to decide for the first time to ride. I'd enjoy hearing your stories and adding to my database of research. Perhaps a snippet could even wind up in print one day.

Post or PM, Im looking forward to hearing what inspired you.

[riceburner]

Neither my father nor I are Baby-boomers but we both own/ride BMWs. (He pre-dates the boom by over a decade, and I'm the other way!)

We both chose BMWs because they offer the best overal/all-round solution for long-term, high mileage road use. IE All day riding with minimal maintenance and longevity of parts with ease of servicing.

He's had an R65LS since new, and I can't see myself changing from BMW usage for my main transport for some years to come (that's not to say that we both don't have other bikes for more specific uses).

[gel9001]

What sealed it for me was watching the sequal to Romancing the Stone, with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. Actually it was the sequal with MD rides off the pier on the South of France in a Red Boxer, that scence sealed it for me, from then on I was committed to owning a motorcycle and had to be a BMW, loved the mystique and status that goes with such an exotic beast. Now I've had 3 and the love is still alive, if someone GAVE me any bike, I would not accept it, I love BMW bikes and would never even get on anything else. But thats my story, I respect the other bikes.

Gene

[KMACR]

Hi everyone...

Thanks for the replies so far. Have received some nice PM's as well. One thing that really brought me back to riding---after 24 years--was just the sense of freedom and the idea that I didn't have to have a destination to ride. Often I wind up somewhere I would have never thought to go to. Spontaneity rules the day sometimes and it's usually a pleasant experience. Also when on the bike you're in your own head...almost detached from the rest of the world other than the necessary road attention you're attending to. You can solve the day's, and occasionally the world's problems on a bike. And it's only better on a BMW.

But the inspiration to ride boils down, for me, to the Long Way Round documentary that confirmed in my mind that "I can do this too". I also had a gallery of BMW and other brand-riding friends that were instrumental in getting me fired up to ride again.

I look forward to your thoughts and stories.

[Hogan's Hero]

I grew up riding my Honda minitrail 50 as I terrorized our rural neighborhood. I graduated to a Hodaka 100 and later a Penton 100 which I raced while in Junior High. By the time I got to college, I purchased a 72 R60/5 and rode cross country with a buddy of mine. Life happened and I did not have a bike in my garage until last January. It had been some 25 years and I had forgotten what theropy my motorcycles had given me. I had raced karts and sprint cars and even that exhilliration was minimal compared to the first real ride on my RR. I rode to work the first day at 24 degrees and all smiles. As the snow has been here in Pa. for some time, I am counting down the days until I can get the beast out of it's stall and back on the road. I will not be without a bike again. As for the marque; my father reccommended the BMW in 1980 and I was hooked. I cannot envision being happy on anything else.

[Trapper]

I got hooked on beemers as a kid when, whilst on my paper round, I had the regular pleasure of walking past -and drooling over - an immaculate black r50/5 parked outside someone's house. Living in the industrial town of Leigh, Lancashire this piece of Germany was impossibly exotic, and I guess quite rare, because I never saw another like it.

If you lived on Diamond Street in the early/mid 70s and had a black r50/5 then I'm indebted to you for the memory of it, and the bike rides I imagined.

It's only now that I think about it, but thirty-odd years on, my black r1150r is probably the modern day equivalent of that model.

Thanks for reviving the memory, and good luck with the project.

[KMACR]

You can really tell how much motorcycling means to riders in these posts. After not riding for almost a quarter century (yikes), when the opportunity arose, I decided to start again and at the time felt it was an unusual approach to reclaiming mis-placed priorities I had all those years. But I was soon to discover a whole lot of people out here just like me and it's been great. What is it about two wheels and wind in your face---or hopefully rushing past your helmet (ATGATT), that makes riding so meditative and thrilling at the same time? Would love your insight and any background info/stories you wish to share as a baby boomer (born 1946 - 1964), or non. Let me know which you are though...

Post or PM. Look forward to more.

[mad1150]

My first experience with a BMW was riding on back of a friends. I believe it was an R100, and I can remember thinking "man... this thing rides like a Cadillac" "If I ever get a MC, it should be a BMW"

(Come to think of it KMACR, he lives on OKC and is a BMW Master Tech at BMW MC of OK)

Well, fast forward many years, my wife is riding a Suzuki 650, I'm going through some really hectic, stressfull stuff at work even broke out in a rash) during 1st Qtr 2006. My son now has a 4-wheeler, and I'm realizing everyone is having fun but me.

In April 1006, I checked out new BMW's, just to expensive, so decided to look for a used one. Meanwhile my wife decides she wants a new Yamaha V-Star 650. So, we ended up getting two, only when I get home she tells me she got me the 1100! Cool! What a wife, huh?

So Sept. 2006 rolls around, managed to put 8000 plus, very theraputic, miles on our V-Stars, when Yikes! the BMW Dealer in Iowa City, IA has a used R1150R. I go test ride it, my wife says you should get it! (What a wife again!) I did, my wife's now riding the 1100, and here I am waiting for Motorcycle Therapy Season 2007 to start.

[yjleesvrr]

I was born in 1968, so I'm on the leading edge of Gen-X. As such, I grew up in the shadow of you indulgent baby boomers!

Motorcycling is one of the two most important hobby/sports I have. Only music (I've played the piano since the age of 7, and got my hands on a Hammond organ last Nov) holds a more cherished place in my life.

There are things my SV650 offers that is unique to the bike, as does my Harley. But my R1150R gives me the most complete experience of the three bikes I own. With shaft drive and a durable engine that competes favorably with cars in terms of longevity, my Roadster is my companion on long trips and in adverse weather conditions.

The seed that eventually bloomed into my relationship with my Roadster began during the Tour Dupont days in the early 90s. During the time when Lance Armstrong was just a brash neophyte in the world of cycling and I was a poor student at VA Tech, Tour Dupont cameramen rode on the back of motorcycles piloted by some great riders onto campus as one of the mountain stages ended each year in Blacksburg. I took note of the motorcycles they were riding, and they were all BMWs. They were funky looking, but you could tell they were built to an uncommon standard. I knew I eventually wanted to ride motorcycles, and that I would one day ride BMWs.

Fast forward to 2002 - I had just bought a new SV650 the previous winter and was enjoying my first real functional motorcycle (my first bike was a very worn '86 Honda CB450 I bought for 70 bucks in 1998). On a spring day while out riding, I laid my eyes on a R1150R at a Japanese dealership. I was practically thunderstruck by its functional yet beautiful form. I couldn't take my eyes off it. I knew then that I wanted one bad. I'm always a careful researcher, so I collected info and lurked this site for two months. When I read the stellar review Motorcycle Online had of the bike, I had all the info I needed. I laid claim to a new Roadster being assembled on the factory line in Germany in May and took delivery in mid-June at Hammersley BMW in Lynchburg, VA.

I still enjoy the Roadster as much as I got it the first day.

[KMACR]

So what is it everyone "gets" out of riding motorcycles? Especially for baby boomers, it seems the reaction from parts of society think "we should know better" at our age to be involved with something as "dangerous" as motorcycles. Our just-as-cool younger counterparts at least get the back-handed tolerance/exception of "They're young. That's expected."

I have an orthopedic surgeon friend who rides a 1200RT as well as a pack of restored vintage BMW's. I asked him one day how he reconciled being a surgeon, especially an orthopedic one, and him riding motorcycles. After all he puts riders back together who fall victim to themselves or the road. All he could say was "I know it may not make sense to some people but it's something I just HAVE to do.".

I'm never at more peace than when I'm enjoying the time of my life in the saddle of my R. It's a difficult concept to articulate to a non-rider, or even a rider who hasn't quite had the divining moment. So often, I sense, life events--- sometimes good and sometimes bad--- precede that revelation of riding. How do you guys explain why you ride to friends or family?



(P.S.: Hey Mark, I hang with those guys at BMW of OK all the time. A great bunch. They've been quite supportive of my project.)

[yjleesvrr]

It's a spiritual thing. Seriously. I honestly feel closer to God riding a motorcycle through the mountains than I do in church.

[BoiseBeemer]

Post or PM, Im looking forward to hearing what inspired you.

In 1978 I was in a doctoral program studying art theory. We just happened to be knee-deep in Aristotle when I came across "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", still the greatest motorcycle-related novel ever written. The protagonist's comprehensive attempt to synthesize the classical-romantic philosophical split in the context of simple activities like motorcycle maintenance drives most readers crazy, but, since I was already immersed in the philosophy it was a perfect-storm moment in my life. Even in that seminal work from the 1970's, BMW's reputation for stone reliability has a starring role. More importantly, however, Pirsig's choice of a motorcycle trip as a metaphor (and mechanism) for self-discovery rang all the right bells for me. It took me two years to acquire and equip my own touring bike and another 24 years to make the bike a BMW, but if I had to cite one influence for my ongoing passion for motorcycling, it would be that literary work.

[mad1150]

For me, while I'm riding, I'm focusing primarily on one thing - riding. Although there are a lot of smaller pieces that go into that level of concentration, they all add up to - riding. (you can say riding well or riding safe)

I find that after a day or week of constant interruptions from e:mail, IM, Nextel 2-Ways, phone calls, and drive-buys (thats when someone stops at my cube and says "quick question 4 ya) ... I can almost feel my blood pressure drop the minute I hit the starter button. Because from that point forward I can and must focus on the one thing that I am doing at that moment.

(PS KMACR: Next time your at the shop, tell Sunny: "Mark Des Rocher said hello, and it's about time he takes a ride to Illinois"

[Just-Beeming]

Kmacr

We have talked of this at length before but thought I would add some things....

So what is it I 'Get' From motorcycling...what is it that would be missing from my baby boomer life without the bike?

There is so many aspects....but one that I really 'get' is that I am un-defined in my world; anonymous.

I think Ewan MacGreggor eludes to this in Long Way Round....That on a bike under a helmet and gear he is just another rider. He can experience the world without filters, cultural nuance, fame etc.

As a middle age Female, I ride in a ageless, genderless world. A riders world, one is not defined by such things. It is ironic when you think about it, as there is this anonimity of riding, yet riding is such a part my personal identity hmmmmm?

other stuff I get....

I get the huge sence of accomplishment, validation of my capable but always growing skill level. Humility as well.

Also I am metophoricly still that kid on a Honda 90 ripping up the dirt trail. A sence of 'serious playtime'.

Healthy denial....I am 50 this year, a Grandma x 2....That will not define me.

Danger....yep, It's there. Danger + Suvival = Fun...(Neil Peart)

Then there is always the (black) R 1150 R that continues to thrill me... time and time again, like no other aspect of my life.

Huge pay off on the spiritual side and the ability to go places in my mind that I would not otherwise give myself permission to do. To really open and ponder...to meditate.

Oh yes, and then there is music....sweet music...

I'll take a desolate, straight, boring 100 mile trip accross southern Nevada without complaint....My ipod and me....
Waving at the occasional cow in rhythm to the music.

'Beemng

[wncbmw]

Great thread! Here is my contribution.

I would have riding since I was 16, except my parents were adament about not letting me buy that leaky Honda 300 Dream I kept eyeing at the local dealer! So I got a Mustang instead. Settled for riding with some buddies on their small Hondas! In those days, everything was Hondas or Harleys to us!

Then in college I used to walk past the motorcycle parking area, barely noticing one older bike, until one day the rider was leaving. I stopped and watched as he mounted this old bike, gave it one kick and purred off! I saw the BMW roundel and knew I would have one someday!

Someday got put off until my younger brother bought a bike and I couldn't be outdone! Found an old BMW R90/6, put 20,000 miles on it the first year and haven't looked back! Mileage slacked off during the kid-raising years but as the empty nest approaches, the mileage is building back up!

While I love to ride just to ride, (the twistier the better!) and it is invigorating to concentrate on nothing but the bike and road, I believe my greatest pleasure is traveling by bike. Finding that road you haven't been on that is wonderful, the stop in the small town discussing bikes with the old-timer in the diner, enduring horrible weather only to be rewarded later with a glorious view and all the other sensations that travel brings but is intensified by doing it on two wheels.

And then there are the good friends you meet on the trips. Like some of the ones on this board. You know who you are. Come to a Bash or other gathering and you will see what I mean!

[Biff's R]

It's a spiritual thing. Seriously. I honestly feel closer to God riding a motorcycle through the mountains than I do in church.

I totally agree with that my fellow Gen Xer.

[MIXR]

I started serious bike riding in the very early seventies. I've never really stopped, except for a few short bikeless breaks for various reasons.

In my early days, bikes were an escape, a mode of transport, a path to adventure and excitement, a thrill to ride and test their limits, and a hobby to play with on non-riding weekends.

Then I grew up and had a family to think about. My bikes became a means to commute, an occasional means to escape the drudgery of suburban life, and a way to just get away, clear the head and think about life. I rode much more carefully for a lot of years in case I left a young family fatherless, or worse, with me brain dead in some hospital somewhere. That's the reality we all face when we ride.

Kids grown, wife independent - Back to the fun and games. I probably ride faster, longer and harder that ever these days, because I have no concerns about leaving my family in a financial quagmire. My skills and reflexes may not be as sharp as they were in my youth, but I've survived for a long time and many, many miles on a bike. I enjoy my rides. I no longer need the bike to commute, so it's a weekend toy. I minimise my risks and wear the best gear I can afford, and don't do stupid things, but I tend to push along at a reasonable clip.

I can smell the sickly sweet smell of wattles and eucalypts in flower, and get close to the stench of a dead roo or wombat by the side of the road. You miss that in a car. There is nothing like seeing the sun rise after a cold and early start to a ride. Makes you appreciate life and the whole concept of motorcycling.

I ride long hours whenever I can. Few people like riding with me because I don't stop. I want a bigger tank so I can stop less often. As the saying goes, I live for the journey and not the destination. If you just want to get there, take an aeroplane ride. My next bike will be a GS with a big tank. There are a lot of unridden dirt roads in australia for me to explore. I'm running out of tarmac.

I watched Long Way Round (several times) and could relate to almost all of it. Different levels, contexts and environments, but I was there, doing and saying it all. For me, LWR was my history in a different setting. Now that's a strange feeling!

I wish I'd found a bike like the R many years ago. It would probably have cost me a marriage and I wouldn't have been home long enough to even have kids! I've been married a long time and have a couple of wonderful kids. BUT - I often wonder where I'd be if I had purchased that R90S I was offered all those years ago. This time of life is the most fun I've ever had on a bike. Thank you Mr BMW.

[geothepencil]

After my wife purchased a Roadster in 02, I rode it and decided my CB750 was not going to do anymore, so I bought a Roadster too. I've always had at least one bike but not always ridden it often. The last five years starting with the Roadster have been the best as I have made the time to enjoy the rides. I think you have to start there. I have just as much fun on the back roads practicing my Steve McQueen imitation on my XS650 twin as I do touring the country with Mary on the Beemers. For the rest of it, JB says it pretty well.

geo

[tor1150r]

Got off to a late start. I was 40 when I decided to buy and ride a motorcycle. It was a dream for many years. Like many others I just never got around to it or my S.O. was dead against it... excuse, excuse....

I was single at 40 and actually made a list of things I wanted to get into or back into. So I bought a bike with never before even sitting on one, signed up for the courses and purchased some riding gear.

This decision was made even easier while reading Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. At the start of the book Persig describes the feeling of riding as 'being in' the picture as opposed to 'watching' the picture go by while in a car. He also described the speeding pavement rushing by inches below his foot. I put the book down at that point and began researching bikes.

And here I am. Counting the days until I take my R out of winter hibernation...

[KMACR]

The responses are great. Everyone seems to be taking a moment to reflect and put into words how they really feel about motorcycling. It's really fantastic.

My driving force came down to realizing that in my business life I traveled all over this country, yet saw so little of it. Like alot of business travelers, I shuffled from airport to hotels to production studios (was an advertising director overseeing filming of commercials and photo shoots) and restaurants---never really seeing THE LAND. I decided I wanted to correct that and there's no better way than by bike. You not only see the country, you experience it...at ground level. There's so much rich history in this country and the bike can take you to virtually every inch of it. You also get alot more out of the places you ride to...most of it, along the way. I figure at 50 I have plenty good years left to enjoy life more--and the R is an integral part.

Boomers don't seem to want to settle for their parents' idea of retirement...or retirement planning. We're looking for more places to go, more things to do, more ways to stay active. Hold off on that rocking chair, lads, there's some adventuring yet to do!

Dealerships seem to be swamped these days with boomers wanting to start or restart motorcycling. Any boomers nearing retirement or shifting focus from work a little more toward touring? And if so, why?