XTreme

You need a nice Beemer to go with your Bogs @Tym!

Wellies for us in the Winter with the horses!

Aching like fuck after yesterday Alan. Still a lot more polishing of the pipes to do.......but it'll take time. Polish.....ride a week or two so they get hot......then repolish! I'm going to need more Solvol by the look of it.

And the bad news is the older they get the more they fucking whinge and moan!

Looks like the contents of your pants have exploded Yen!

Are they feeling ill with it Fred?

Early 70's in my case!

Loads of space in them for shagging as I recall!

Well I'll throw number 64 in for good measure!

Yes......twin plugs Bob! All the later models of these that I've seen have mag wheels......apart from the Sertao.

Stroms have brilliant engines........the 650 V-Twin is one of the best motors ever made.

Absolutely Pedro! Got to give it a really good clean up this week.......try and get all the metal shining again. Lazy Dago obviously never kept on top of that element......cos polishing is too much like hard work for them.

The day arrived to take the Strom to Granada (160kms/100 miles) for part exchange.......left at 10AM and it was a bit bloody nippy. Even had to wear a jumper! It was basically all motorway then getting round a city centre with a lot of traffic and a lot of people. Lot of Covid too! Not my ideal environment but it had to be done! Got there 11.45.......left at 12.30.....home by 2.30. So what's the G650GS like compared to the Strom because they're always classed in the same group for magazine reviews? The reality is they're poles apart. Apples and oranges! The Strom is a road bike with a very limited degree of offroad ability, while the GS is a Dualsport/Enduro......simple as that. Sure it's not a hardcore offroad machine because compromises have been made in order to make it useable on the road. And it certainly is......it really surprised me how competent it was. It's physically a lot smaller and about 70lbs lighter than the Strom, with a much lower centre of gravity due to the underseat tank. And you can feel the difference straight away. You can literally turn it on the spot it's just so easy to ride. I pulled away and it was like being back on XT's......but much, much more refined. Usual Beemer crunch going into first and second, but after that it was very slick. It really amazed me on the motorway.......because I thought it would be a bit of a slog. But it's not. I stuck it at 120kph and it was quite happy with it......took it up to 140kph......and it was quite happy with that as well. As usual with BMW the handling, brakes, and suspension were excellent. It was actually a much more comfortable ride home on it, than the earlier journey up on the Strom. Put it like this......I couldn't wait for the journey up there on the Strom to end! Coming back on the Beemer I didn't want the journey to end because I was enjoying it so much. And I got off much fresher than I expected. In fact I was ready for more! Obviously motorways are not really the perfect environment for it......but it handled it superbly! And returned over 70mpg! Seriously, if it's this good on the main roads, I'm interested to see how good it's going to be on the back roads and trails which is more it's natural environment. To sum up.....I absolutely love it! It feels to me so much like the XT's......but considerably more refined. It's still early days with it......but all I can say at the moment is this thing could well be the perfect fit for me! Here's a vid and some pics......including inside the dealer! And yes.....I know I'm going the wrong way up a one way street......and on the pavement. But I'm from Swansea......and I'm a Pensioner! So it's too late in the day now for rational thinking!

Yeh I know! The only thing I ever managed to achieve was getting out of Britain!

We never got to do anything Clive.......the years just flew by!

Brilliant shots @Earache That place looks like a Dark Motorcycling paradise! But why are those cars embedded in the ground?

I should have retired a year ago.......but I never will!

How many you still got @DesmoDog?

It'll never happen Eric.......my work and family commitments prevent it......plus I'm too bloody old now. I think the thing with Route 66 for Brits of my age is we were brought up hearing about it in films, TV programmes, songs etc......it sort of acquired this mythical status to us. Bit like Americans who go to Britain always want to see Buckingham Palace and castles.......whereas we wouldn't give them a second glance.

I've been saying for 45+ years that I want to ride Route 66.......but I think large stretches of it are now closed?

Very impressive! What's the weight on that?

My 1965 Bantam that I had in 1971 was a horrible piece of shit......so I'd lob that in! Without a second thought. Terminate with extreme prejudice! And also any bike previously owned by @yen_powell! That'll save a few fucking rain forests for sure!

Right on both counts! I'd love to spend less time online but that's my line of work......so I have no choice! I think he's pretty much sidelined now with the seasons changing! But me in Spain and @Pedro in Portugal will keep his spirits up over the long Winter months while we Style and Profile!

Hi! ?