San Diego BMW Motorcycles

K1600GTL Launch

2011-05-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

The time has finally come ! The long awaited K1600GTL has arrived on our showroom floor, and it is a Demonstrator. You can ride this bike until you get crazy enough, like Gary, and want to ride non-stop across the country, and LOVE it !

This Saturday, May 7, from 10am until 5pm, we are officially launching the start of the K1600GTL Demonstrator program. This will be the first time that everybody will be able to walk up to any of our Sales staff and ask for the keys to a K1600GTL, and they will gladly hand them over for a test ride.

In anticipation of the desire of so many people to want to ride this awesome new BMW machine, we will be holding a BBQ lunch, free of charge as usual, and sodas and water will be available all day long.

The weather will be beautiful (as it always is in San Diego), so come on down and give this bike a piece of your mind !

I hope to see you there !

Michael O'Keefe

Event Info
5673 Kearny Villa Road
San Diego, California 92123
May 7, 2011
10:00AM-5:00PM

Daytona Wrap Up - AMA Pro Racing

2011-03-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

The 2011 AMA road-racing season begins in Daytona Florida with several races including the Daytona 200. Our team went to compete in the AMA Pro superbike class races.

The Daytona trip started out wet. We observed the Harley Davidson and sport bike crowd ducking for cover under any available highway overpass to avoid a down right proper rain storm. There were of course those crazy ones that choose to riding though the deluge. This storm brought more intense rain than we experienced during the Dunlop tire test held in Daytona a month ago.

First day of practice, our 10:00am-start time was a joke. The poor, wet weather has forced a delay. Perfect! Just what we really needed, less track time; our new AMA chassis and motor combo had never been ridden. We’re talking about a new frame, AMA spec motor, new brakes, new wheels and Ohlin’s suspension. At least the bodywork and seat were the same and fortunately those two items are easy to dial in, the rest needs time on the track to properly set up. This left us facing our first time on the track without any prior practice time. We went straight to 1st qualifying with what we had.

The Daytona track staff worked efficiently with the jet dryers and had the track ready to ride by 2pm. Although the track appeared dry, moisture left in the pores of the asphalt, the cold temperatures and a track washed clean of any prior laid rubber made for a first session that was insanely slippery.

Jeremy Toye #57 opted to only do 4 laps and come in for an adjustment. The good news was that his bike wasn't handling all that bad. The very bad news was that teammate, Gary Orr #51 suffered a rear end slip followed by a nasty high-side that chucked him hard to the pavement. The session was red flagged to clean up Gary's bike and transport him off the track and subsequently to the hospital. Wow! Our first practice was cut out and now we have an injured teammate. This day had not starting off the way we had planned. Gary suffered numerous orthopedic injuries. Although it appears he has a long recovery ahead of him, the good news is that he’s expected to make a full recovery!

We had no choice but to make the best of it and that’s just what the team did. After the first qualifying we came away with a good direction for the chassis and an satisfactory lap time, all things considered. The next morning the crew was at work performing a gearing change, a re-valve the shock, and different fork settings. Again we made forward progress and ended up with a good direction and improved lap times. Never the less, this is AMA, and in many languages it translates to "Times up!" No more changes hope for the best with what you have, it’s time for race one.

Race one started with a good launch off the line, but only lasted till turn 5. This is where I got a front seat view of BMW pilot Larry Pegram #72 torpedo sinking the little Canadian battle ship of Chris Peris #10; a battle between two BMW S1000RR riders that wasn’t meant to be. This race now was red flagged. We were able to get a good launch after the re-start that would get us up to 7th (position) in the first lap. Toye was able to race with Martin Cardenas #36 and hold onto the leaders the first quarter of the race. Slowly our good setup gave way to their great setup and they would inch away. We would eventually end up 8th overall. Not bad considering how our weekend had started off.

Saturday morning warm up again, saw us making some major changes: Gearing, wheelbase, rear shock re-valving, shock spring and fork spring changes. Even with the morning practice being extremely cold, we saw benefits from these changes. In race two we opted to go with a different front tire that we did not get to test due to the very short AM practice. How should I put this? "All good things must come to an end”, "should have left well enough alone”, "shoulda, woulda, coulda". Let’s just say, it was a bad move. Race two was not as favorable. I still would have to say, for the teams’ first outing it was a very positive one. We can't wait for Infineon.

More 2011 BMW S1000RR racing action coming your way in the near future. Stay tuned.

Alan's customized F800R

2011-03-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

Our own Alan Frischman, Proffesional Salesman and all around great guy, has recently revealed his newly customized F800R complete with HID headlamp, fog lamps, and self designed, proffesional paint work to his bike.

Note the additions of a passenger seat cowl and windscreen he had painted to match the factory scheme!

It looks awesome and I highly reccomend a closer look as the attention to detail was meticulously carrried out by the worksmanship of Rocky at Custom Auto Body and mechanical/electrical by our own Rich Flores, top Master Certified BMW technician.

Personal thank you to Alan for patiently guiding us thru the project, and of course, being such a pleasure and honor to work nearby. In my wonderfull first year here I have gained so much knowledge and wisdom shared by Alan Frischman.

Happy riding,

Tony DeAngelis

Gary Orr out of contention, Jeremy Toye presses on!

2011-03-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

The San Diego BMW racing team was in Daytona, Florida for the season opener of the AMA race season.

Gary Orr took and unfortunate spill during practice Thursday. He has been hospitalized with some serious injuries but is well on the way to recovery and is going to be O.K. Our thoughts are with him and his family.

Jeremy Toye on the #57 BMW S1000RR finished Superbike round 1 in 8th place earning 13 points, round 2 in 13th place earning 8 points putting him in 11th position series points standings.

Best wishes to Gary for a speedy recovery!

THE COUNTDOWN TO DAYTONA 2011!

2011-02-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

Hello race fans!

I, Tony DeAngelis, legendary racer, employee extraordinaire and all around decent model American citizen, am stepping up to the plate to bring you fresh news and personal info of the mighty Gary Orr 2011 AMA Superbike racing season!!!!!!

The shop is in full throttle prep for the upcoming ROUND 1 , MARCH 10-12, DAYTONA 200 at DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, Daytona Beach, FL. The full schedule is available at amaproracing.com

Gary's ride is coming together after a right side road rashing thrashing of his awesome S1000RR at Vegas WERA event back in late January. The race trailer is almost finished with a few improvements for the trip, and Gary is almost completely finished with the rigorous physical training preparation (Gary:"Man, I am not gonna drink beer anymore") and mental prep ( Gary:"Dude, I am really phsyched for Daytona") and strict budgetary commitments(Gary: "I knew I was getting ripped off on those trailer lights but I said *uck it").

So there you have it. Our aging superhero is throwing all caution to the wind, committing to selfless acts of rigorous commitment,preparation, meeting strict budgetary and corporate compliance. All in an attempt to bring home a winning season, not for himself, but for YOU: customers, fans, friends, family and employees!

Why not take a moment and reflect the gratitude this man deserves and drop him a line wishing him GOOD LUCK on a winning 2011 AMA racing season!

Tony DeAngelis

Guess who's back!

2011-02-16T16:02:00.000-08:00

Back again! Just when you thought you were gonna miss all of Sean DeAngelis' entertaining writings, I, Senior DeAngelis, also known as: Pappa D. , P Diddy, P Dizzle, PD, rapper D Domenico, have decided to step up to the plate! It's like having Sean Deangelis back, but only a older, slower, obsolete version, you know, like Windows 98.

Racing result from Qualcomm Supermoto racing 2-13-2011: With the help and support of principal Gary Orr, I was lucky enough to pull together a ride for this Sunday race on Gary's personal pet project, the awesome G450X custom one-off modified for racing, BMW motorcycle! Gary spent fall and winter dialing in this very special bike transforming it from a street legal full on dirt bike to a AWESOME Supermoto weapon. (We happen to have 1 more for sale and the parts formula for conversion) So I, Tony D., went racing. I had never raced Supermoto before, or really ever ridden one for that matter. I did enjoy motocrossing back in Ohio up until 2004 when a bad landing reduced my right shoulder into rubble. After that I hung up motocross racing and focused more on my drinking and cigar smoking.
So off I went! Gary's ride. New Helmet (thanks to the boys in parts dept.). Don't need no stinkin' 1 piece full leather, Rally Pro 2 works just fine.
Took first in street tires class, fifth in slick class, on street tires.
So I'm back! The bug has bitten! I secured a ride for the season and will be running mostly the Qualcomm stadium racing events, the next one is scheduled for Sunday March 13 2011 , the racing is mixed with Go Kart racers all day (boring), the Main Supermoto is usually in the 3-4 o'clock hour and that's when the serious action happens so always feel free to swing on by and show some BMW support!
Peace and Love, Tony D.

F800R

2011-01-10T17:11:00.000-08:00

The F800R is here!

Just came today and it's already set up and ready to ride. Yes, ready to ride as in the one pictured is our 24 hour demo.

Screw the 600 sport bikes that are weak under 10,000 revs, this bike has power and torque! And all the unique BMW features like ABS, heated grips, on board computer and more.

Come help us break this one in...

Mike

The New K1600GT-L Is Here! And We've Got The First One!

2010-12-17T15:03:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to the most exciting blog post of 2010! Today I'm proud to present to you the arrival of our FIRST K1600GT-L!

Both the K 1600 GT and the K 1600 GTL fulfil their Gran Turismo promise with a fascinating blend of supremacy, dynamic performance and comfort to a virtually perfect degree even in standard trim. In addition, BMW Motorrad offers its usual extensive range of special equipment features and special accessories for further optimisation.

This includes such features as the Electronic Suspension Adjustment II (ESA II), traction control DTC, the tyre pressure control system RDC, the adaptive xenon headlight and (for the K 1600 GT) the audio system.

We did not realize they were going to be available in "tanken gruhn" which I'm told translates to "tank green" but regardless of color it truly is a work of engineering art! Come on by and take a demo ride...

What We Want For You For Christmas

2010-12-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

No more layering 2 t-shirts, a thermal, Long John's, a turtle neck sweater and your favorite rain jacket under your riding gear! We want you to do less layering

and get yourself into Gerbings latest Microwire heated gear.

You can go with the traditional vest, a jacket liner, pants liner, gloves, glove liners, in-soles for boots or any combination of the above! Make your riding season truly year round by adding a touch of heat!

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

What We Want For You For Christmas

2010-11-30T14:47:00.000-08:00

For fingerless glove rider:
These are for you oh-mutilator of the metacarpals. Your complete lack desire to keep those digits firmly affixed to your hands inspires our desires to sell you these BMW Allround 2 gloves:

- A waterproof touring glove
- Leather/textile outer with climate membrane
- Leather fingers with understated pattern and embossed lines
- Cordura® knuckles with Suprotec® foam underlay
- Doubled leather in vulnerable areas of the palm
- Ball of the thumb reinforced with Keprotec®
- Rubber visor wiper on forefinger
- Light quilting
- Long reflective strips along edge of hand
- Wind and waterproof
- “BMW” lettering on the Velcro fastener
- Colour: black
- Sizes: 6/6½–12/12½

For the novelty egg-shell helmet rider:
This is for you oh-neglector of the noggin. You say "gives me a better field peripheral vision. We say "makes face ragged like Ben Roethlisberger." So throw away that old skull cap you call a D.O.T. lid and we'll get one of these under your christmas tree:

-N103 - a versatile and functional flip front helmet with internal sun visor and various communications options! Will work as rider to pillion intercom via wire or Bluetooth (optional extras).
-A very plush, SAFE and comfortable lid with a host of features that has made it a hit with Ride Magazine. The communications options are sure to make it a great success!

And for you leather vest over long sleeved Bon Jovi t-shirt rider, perhaps self preservation's biggest nose-thumber. Your disinterest in skin wellness has the rest of us dry heaving in our helmets because your forearms look like burned steak!

We suggest you let Santa send you the BMW Airshell Jacket:

•Excellent visibility on account of signal yellow fabric.
•Equipped with the BMW’s NP protectors at elbows and shoulders.
•Width adjustments at the elbows, cuffs and hem.
•Velcro flaps at the front zipper.
•Two zip pockets on the front.
•Waterproof inner pocket.
•BMW Motorrad embroidery on the left front.
•BMW rubber batch at the right sleeve.
•Connecting zipper: 40 cm/15.7 in.
•Good shape, pattern identical to the existing Boulder jacket.
•Good fitting of the body protection.
•Removable climate insert. Insert makes jacket wind and waterproof.
•Most price competitive jacket value within the BMW Riders’ Apparel collection.
•Shell: Cordura 500, airy Polyamide mesh.
•Lining: 100% Polyester.
•Climate insert: Polyester with PU membrane and thermal lining. The insert can be attached to the jacket by zippers.
•Color: Black / signal yellow / grey mesh.

Merry almost Christmas!

Black Friday Sale and FOOD!

2010-11-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,
Today, Friday Nevember 26th we are having our annual Black Friday super sale. Come on by for great savings on all your favorite toys! We'll also be cooking burgers and hot dogs for all you motorcyclists that are burned out on turkey.

The San Diego GS Riders

2010-11-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

We started a GS rider Group to get together and do some off road rides and promote the under-estimated capabilities of the GS. After all having a GS and not riding off road is like having a boat and hanging out tied off to the dock. We are hosting rides, training and clinics. Check us out on our Facebook page: "SD GS Riders" for ride dates, and posts about our great adventures.

Our first ride was to the top of Otay Mountain October 30th, a day that started out very wet. I was on my way to the shop from Oceanside in the morning and it was absolutely pouring rain. I thought the ride was going to be a bust but I was really impressed with the 24 riders that showed up for the ride in the pouring rain. If this was a street bike ride there would have been maybe 5 guys show up. GS riders are REAL MEN, hardcore riders. We did some training for a few hours and then the rain stopped. It ended up being great weather for the ride because it was not hot and there was no dust on the trail.

The ride was not too difficult making it a fun day for all. We traversed up the mountain putting our new found skills to the test. We ended up a the top of the mountain with some spectacular views like far south into Mexico, the Otay reservoir to the west, and far west you could see down town San Diego. I was told on a clear day you can see San Clemete Island. There are three WWII bunkers just off the main trail that we explored as well. After descending down the other side of the mountain we stopped just before Barrett Junction to gather the group and share some stories. I have never see so many helmets filled with bigger smiles. A handful of riders who could not get enough, broke off and took a more difficult trail out to 94. What a great day!

The best part of Adventure riding is, no traffic. How many times have you had your favorite road ruined by cars trying to kill you, slow moving RVs towing trailers, and 18 wheelers. We didn't see any of those on the trail. The few Jeeps we did encounter were pulled off to the side waving us past them. How often does that happen on your street ride! Reason #2 to own an adventure bike is 98 percent of the world is unpaved. Why limit your options.The GS can take you places most people don't ever see. (like the beautiful view we had a the top of the Otay Mountain). I get a sense much like a climber who uses his ropes and other tools to conquer a mountain. I rode a 500-600 lb beast up this mountain, how cool is that. A great experience and it only cost a tank of gas.

Hope to see you on the next adventure ride.
Thanks for reading,
-Scott Coakley

These Moto Weekends

2010-11-21T09:35:00.000-08:00

These Moto Weekends

Hello from Las Vegas! I'm sitting in my hotel room at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino updating you all from the 10th floor. I had an interesting thought this morning: I might be the only person in Vegas that didn't come to gamble. Matter of fact I haven't played so much as one slot machine. I stopped here last night to see a favorite comedian (Kevin James) after 2 days spend dirt riding with an old friend. At the same time Gary Orr, Mark Pohlson, Ed Bell and Sergio Rico are at Willow Springs racing an assortment of S1000RR's and one very tuned R1200S. Jason Turner, Jeremy Toye and company are in China of all places for a TT style race! Our good friend and client Sondra Lagnado is somewhere along the Baja Peninsula.
You can follow her here:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0SQl8BRPYJfS1aBGLudWL4oWuYV6WHYPW

And certainly other friends are enjoying weekend rides in various places. Where am I going with all this? Well it occurred to me that San Diego BMW Motorcycles has become something of a hub for a living, breathing wheel that is our moto lifestyle.

On any given Thursday the shop is a bee hive of activity with various employee's, clients and friends gathering gear, bikes and picking up last minute moto-goodies before a weekend of riding. The race team guys fire up the forklift and load the trailer with slicks, generators, tire warmers, etc. The dirt guys (Myself included) are throwing gear bags, tents and gas cans into the pickup trucks. The travelers are stopping in for a new tire plug kit, spare quart of oil or a new visor for a helmet. The Romeo's are taking in a cup of coffee before stepping off in search of fine Southern California cuisine. Then, as if someone tossed a firecracker right in the middle of the madness, vehicles, motorcycles and riders head off in every direction from the hub like so many spokes. Each spoke ending at a favorite or sometimes new riding spot.

This time yesterday I was exploring a friends tiny, home made motocross track in Indian Springs. At that same time Jason Turner was swapping out a set of slicks on Jeremy's race bike on the other side of the globe. Gary, Mark and the guys were exchanging pointers in a garage at Big Willow. And Sondra was negotiating sand washes in Mexico.

Today (Sunday) bikes will be loaded back into trucks and trailers. Proper dual sport riders will strap tents and gear back onto GS's. Baja explorers will turn 180 degree's and head back north toward the US / Mexico border. I'll spend the next 6 hours behind the wheel of an F150 driving southwest on I-15. Jason and Jeremy will sit 13 hours on an international flight. Gary and the race guys will drag the race trailer south from Lancaster. Each traveling along their spoke from the outer reaches of the rim back toward the hub. Some of us nursing wounds (I managed to sprain my right foot), some reliving near crash moments (Mark is always good for one or two of those!), still others smiling all the way home with trophy's nestled safely at their feet.

Tomorrow (Monday) the entire proceedings come to a proper close. Monday mornings at the greatest BMW Motorcycle Dealership in the nation are something not to be missed after moto weekends. Gary will most certainly be giving all those with a willing ear the Cliff's Notes from a successful weekend at Wilow Springs. Clients who have arrived for an early morning service appointment will take turns at the coffee counter while Gary's play by play holds their interest. The Romeo's will be there too filling Scott, Geoff and I in on the local roads (and restaurants). Sondra promised to stop by and tell us all about her first solo Baja dual sport adventure...also mentioned she's probably need a couple new turn signals. Jason Turner will probably have an entire book worth of stories from his international travels but no one ever listens to him. I keep telling him it's all about the delivery!

So if You had a good, great or epic moto weekend travel back toward the center along your spoke and tell us about it. Because after all, it all starts and ends at the hub. You might even get mentioned on the ever prestigious San Diego BMW Motorcycle blog!

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

Product Tested: The Shoei Qwest Helmet

2010-11-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

Finally a full face helmet built for sport touring! Most of us are familiar with the typical full face helmet: Lighter, faster, more expensive and cooler graphics. You can expect to spend $600-$700 dollars for a real high end full face helmet. Aria's RX series, Shoei's X12 series, Nolan's X-Lite series...the list goes on. Problem is these high end full face helmets evolved to encompass performance. They are light, look incredible, vent air very well and the liners are often the best (moisture wicking, different sized pads offered, etc...)

Then there are the "middle of the road" full face helmets that each manufacturer offer as a cheaper alternative to their flagship models. These more reasonably priced helmets often look the part of their higher priced brothers and sisters but seldom perform as well. Often times much heavier, noisier and less comfortable.

Enter Greg from Helmet House and his newest offering from Shoei. The Shoei Qwest full face helmet has sport touring written all over it. The main focus of this newest generation Shoei as mentioned earlier: QUIET, well ventilated, uber-comfortable liner and guts and VERY large peripheral visor and cutaway. Shoei scored BIG on every single one of these points. Here is a link to Shoei's sales pump in the Qwest:
http://www.shoei-helmets.com/qwest/
But since all too often the hype doesn't match the performance I'll give you my personal run down.

My riding over the past two years has really gotten away from the mileage side of things. 90% of my rides are 300 miles or less, at a spirited pace on my sportier bikes and almost never at night. 50% of these remaining miles are racked up at track days. This pretty much eliminated my need for a modular helmet which although convenient are always a lot heavier than a full face helmet.
I have been a long time user of the Arai brand of helmets. Problem is the Arai that fits me best and performs the way I like was the Quantum. And every 2 years I could expect to drop $600 on a new one. It was a considerable expense but one I chalked up along side sticky tires...over the top but absolutely imperative. But despite my love of the Quantum helmets there were a few nagging issues that left me unsatisfied. 1 - You need a degree in mechanical engineering, a lamp with a genie in it and no less than 10 Our Fathers to change the damned visors. 2 - The inner liner feels like a 12 cent roll of toilet paper against the skin.
The Qwest uses the typical Shoei visor replacement method: open visor, pull little release tab, remove visor, place new visor over pivots, close visor and relax. The liner also typical Shoei: Soft, smooth, replaceable, adjustable and above all comfortable. The peripheral vision is incredible. The inner shell tapers up and out from the user's face giving a huge view left, right, up and down. The gasket that runs around the visor seat is super soft and thick giving the lockable shield a perfect seal. The price was a VERY reasonable $369. Lastly, my personal favorite point, the helmet is QUIET. Extremely quiet...like, flea's sneeze quiet. Not ONE of my motorcycles has a windshield and this helmet manages to keep the ambient noise levels well within reason.

In keeping with tradition I got the pink one:

So if you're in the market for a full face helmet and a tired of the same old offering from the usual suspects look no further than the Qwest.

Thanks for reading,
-Sean DeAngelis

2010 Day In The Desert Recap - Part 1

2010-11-08T16:01:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another update to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Today I'm going to recap the events of October's "Day In The Desert" GS instructional class held in Ocotillo Wells OHV Park.

Friday night Aaron Klein and myself loaded up our gear, the grill, the pop tent and a cooler of delicious brats from Busher's Meats in Ramona. We headed east on 78 all the way out to Ocotillo Wells OHV area to set up camp for the following day's GS Instructional class. Aaron, Andrew Hursch and myself were going to use the dry lake bead just north of Ocotillo Airport to give 30 or so BMW GS riders a few tips and tricks before last weekends GS Dual Sport Ride with Jim Hyde and his crew. On our way out we ran into Tudor Tomas on his new F800GS. Tudor planned on meeting up with us out at Ocotillo but was going to ride dirt trails from Ramona all the way to Scissors Crossing. After a few quick "hello's and goodbye's and see-ya-later's" Aaron and I contunied east toward the desert. Oh. And the Day In The Desert went really well too. Here are some pics:

At about 5:00pm we arrived at the OHV Park and picked a great spot with an overhead, fire pit and a coal grill. We were in view of the highway but far enough in that dust and ambient noise from the passing vehicles would not be an issue. We quickly unloaded and set up camp the hopped on the bikes for a pre ride of the next day's loop. Other than some really slick mud in a few washes the ride was uneventful and I was confident the loop we had in mind would make a great post-class ride to finish the class.

Back at the truck for about 30 minutes I'm about to light the grill and cook dinner when Tudor pulls up. Had had put together Rodrigues Canyon, Grapevine and a few other trails out of Ramona and was all smiles with the performance of his new ride. After a little more small talk Tudor asks if Aaron and I want to go for a quick ride as the sun is setting. Reluctantly, only because we had just been out g, we agree to show him the next day's loop. Again the ride is uneventful until we dive into San Felipe wash. The sides of the wash are pretty reasonable with some rain packed sand and sediment. The centerline through the wash however is full of the aforementioned mud slicks. Aaron and Tudor take off ahead on their skinnier bikes and I put along on the 1200GS working on being smooth and NOT getting mud caked in every crevasse of my shop loaner. The sun had set by now and we were all riding solely on our headlights. Except in Tudors case he was slightly out-riding his headlight. I rounded a curve in the wash only to find Tudor's bike on it's side facing me and Tudor laying next to it. Aaron was working on getting his bike parked to help Tudor:

Me: Tudor, what's up?
Tudor (dead pan): My leg is broken. Both tib and fib, compound fracture. I can't move.
Aaron: Your leg is broken? Are you sure dude...because...you're awfully calm right now.
Tudor: Ooooh yeah. It's broke. It's facing hte wrong way.
(Aaron and I pan our eyes down slightly further only to confirm Tudor's words. His right leg is facing the wrong way)
Me (trying to hold back dry heaving) : Ok bud. We gotta lift you back on your bike. Can you ride back if we get you on your bike?
Aaron: I don't think that's a good idea.
Me: It's a fine idea. Tudor, if we get you on your bike can you ride it back? We're only about a mile from camp.
Tudor: Yeah I think so

So Aaron and I get under each of Tudor's arms, lift him up rocking chair style and get him situated on the seat of his bike. Tudor pretty much screamed in agony through that particular part of the operation.

Aaron: Ok dude. You're on your bike, you need help getting your helmet back on?
Tudor: Um. What am I doing?
Me: You're gonna follow me back to camp
Aaron: He doesn't look so good.
Me: Tudor, are you ok?
Tudor: I'm gonna pass out.

So now Aaron and I run around the bike fire-drill style and get a shoulder under each of Tudor's arms and lift him BACK off the bike and onto the ground.

The decision is made at this point that I'm going to leave Aaron with Tudor and ride the 1200GS back to the van. I unload everything out of the back of the van and drive down Shell Reef expressway to San Felipe wash. I turn into the darkness of the wash and was able to navigate the van to within 20 feet of Aaron and Tudor. Aaron makes a sort of bed / leg stabilizer out of sleeping bags and 2 fold out cushions that he brought. We lift Tudor into the back of the van, Aaron gets back on his bike and we drive back to the campsite. Tudor is using his arms and good leg to brace himself against the van's bumping along the rocky trail. Once back at camp I hop on the back of Aaron's bike and he rides me back pillion to the crash site to retrieve Tudor's F800GS. FINALLY back at camp with all bikes we ask the family in the next camp to keep an eye on our gear while we run Tudor to the hospital. Tudor's girlfriend works as a nurse at Scripps in La Jolla so we had about a four hour drive ahead of us.

At 8:30pm I park the van at the ambulance entrance of the Scripps in La Jolla and Aaron and I jump out. We're covered in dirt, driving a van that has S1000RR race bikes painted all over it and are frantically trying to get help form the two EMT's parked next to us. All the comotion got the attention of the receptionist who came walking out and asked "What IS this? I mean, I know it's a van but what is it doing HERE?!?!" Aaron looks at her plainly as says simply as he slides open the side door "It's an ambulance tonight. We Oh. And the Day In The Desert went really well too. Here are some pics:got a broken guy in here."

Well that gets the two EMT's, the receptionist, a passing doctor and another nurse from inside the ER moving like fire ants over a melting Popsicle. Aaron and I can only stand back and let the pro's get Tudor into the hospital and taken care of. Once he was inside and the nurse assured us we could not go back there because we were not family we left rather unceremoniously. At 11:45pm we pull back into our campsite exhausted, cook a quick dinner and crashed out (no pun intended).

"What happened to Tudor in the wash?" you ask? Well I'll tell ya! Seems Aaron decided to pick up the pace a bit running through San Felipe and Tudor took off in chase. The two of the diced back and forth for a bit before Tudor really dropped the hammer on the 85hp F800GS. All was going pretty well until he rounded the bend in the wash and right there in front of his headlight (which he was out-riding) was A BIG SLIPPERY PATCH OF STUPID! Tudor's front wheel washed out slightly in the stupid but he was able to catch it and right the bike. But just he got things gathered back together the rear tire lost traction in the stupid and pitched bike and rider to the ground. As the bike slid along the desert floor Tudor's leg got caught under it and twisted around the wrong direction.

So all in all it was a pretty rough start to the weekend. I promise part 2 has a much happier ending. Tudor's leg is going to be fine...in 4 month's....and everyone who attended the GS training class had a blast. That ride report to follow!

SD GS Riders

2010-10-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
San Diego BMW Motorcycles in conjunction with Rawhyde Adventures has assembled the SD GS Riders. You can follow and join us on facebook.com.
www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/SD-GS-Riders/158334934199977

Here is what we are all about (trying out a new blog feature here):

-Thanks for reading...er....watching
Sean DeAngelis

Some Updates From San Diego BMW Motorcycles

2010-09-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! Sorry the blog has been a bit stale lately we've all been really busy. So I figure while I got a few free minutes I'll get you caught up on everything that has been going on here at San Diego BMW Motorcycles.

First some new from the supermoto front. Gary Orr hopped aboard our recently completed (though some dialing-in will be needed) G450X Supermoto bike:

Sunday and absolutely destroyed the field in the Street Legal class at Qualcomm stadium. He also managed to finish 8th overall despite low siding and losing 11 seconds.

Gary sucking less:

Our close friend Cesar Gannod took 2nd on his bike which I guess technically gives SDBMWMC the 1-2 results in the street legal class. Cesar swapped places with another friend, Luis for the better part of the race so he was exhausted after the checkered flag came out.

Next up we have a brief overview of Andy Sills' endeavors on our Demo S1000RR. Andy hopped on our S1000RR demonstrator 2 weekends ago and rode to the Bonneville salt flats. After setting up camp he proceeded to break the old 1000cc production bike speed record leaving the new mark at 196.117 miles per hour. This with stock everything! Turn signals, mirrors, license plate holder...BONE STOCK and Andy of course rode the bike there. Official results available here:
http://www.saltflats.com/2010_WOS.htm

On Thursday September 23rd Eddie Frowiss, Greg Dietrick, Bill and Analein Taylor, Sondra Lagnado and a few of us SDBMWMC employee's did a full moon ride to Borrego Springs. We had sandwiches and cookies here at 7PM and headed for the desert at 7:30. The weather was perfect, the sky was clear, the entire ride was amazing. Highland Valley, Old Julian, Wynola, Banner Grade, S2, S1 (down Montezuma Grade), Jaqui Pass, back up Banner Grade and home via 78 and 67. All that under the light of a full moon and not a car on the road! Be sure to check our website and email blasts for next month's ride under the October harvest moon!

A New Land Speed Record Too

2010-09-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the theme of the weekend:

We have just confirmed a new
world land speed record on the BMW S1000RR. I just
got off the phone with Andy Sills, who is still at Bonneville. It's official.
The new world record for a 1000cc production motorcycle
is 196.117 mph, and was set on our San Diego BMW Motorcycles S1000RR
... demo bike. This bike is completely stock! Stock exhaust, mirrors, turn
signals, license plate.... Stock! And he rode the bike there from San Diego!

BMW Motorcycles That Need Attention

2010-09-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

In the last six months, we have seen a variety of recalls and service campaigns affecting nearly every recent BMW Motorcycle model. While many of these campaigns address minor aspects of the affected vehicle, others should be dealt with a greater sense of urgency.

Sample of BMW Motorcycle Models Affected By Recalls or Service Campaigns:

F650GS - charcoal cannister vent line extension, chain and sprocket replacement
F800GS - charcoal cannister vent line extension, chain and sprocket replacement
K1200GT - brake line conversion
K1300GT - handle bar switch(es) malfunction
K1300S - handle bar switch(es) malfunction
R1200RT - brake line conversion
R1200GS - brake line conversion
R1200GS Adventure - brake line conversion
S1000RR - new owner's manual, replacing crankcase breather, retrofitting drop sensor
G650X - take-up roller bracket for the drive chain, front brake pipe distributor bracket

Grab your VIN (the last 7 digits) and call Mark, Stan, or Tony at 858-633-2481, so that they can run your vehicle history to see if your specific vehicle is affected by any open campaigns. If your bike is not affected, you're in great shape and you can keep on riding. If your bike is affected, they will schedule an appointment for you. Should you prefer email correspondence, just send a short note with your VIN included in the body of the text to service@sdbmwmc.com and we will be more than happy to respond.

Remember, if you have a BMW Motorcycle that won't start and is still within the original factory warranty (36 months/36,000 miles) you can call BMW Roadside Assistance at 877.680.2176 and they will pick up your motorcycle and bring to the nearest BMW Motorcycle dealership for troubleshooting and repair.

10 In 10. Insanity In Distance. Sore Butt Indifference

2010-09-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone welcome to another jaw dropping addition to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Today's post is just a quick update on our fearless (and seemingly insane) leader Gary Orr. Gary is currently on day six of a "10 in 10." What is a 10 in 10 you ask? Let me sum it up:
1-Grab your favorite touring bike
2-Meet 20 or so other maniacs in Salt Lake City, UT
3-Obtain list of destinations all over the United States (not the continental US either, there are destinations in the Florida Key's and Alaska). Each destination is worth a number of points and some destinations only award points within certain time windows.
4-Score the most points in 10 days and ride no LESS than 10,000 miles in that time.
5-Remember to wave at Sanity as you blow past it standing on the side of the freeway because sanity is NOT on board your motorcycle.

You read all that correctly, a nation wide scavenger hunt covering at least 10,000 miles in 10 days and Gary is on day 6. You can track him via his SPOT system here:

http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=6662

Gary is the "OG" icon which stands for Original Gangsta in case you we wondering. The points totals are not released until after the rally so we're not sure where he sits in the standings but if I had to guess I'd say he sits comfortably in OUTSIDE HIS EVER LOVING MIND! 10,000 miles in 10 days?!?! Is this some mission to ensure you don't EVER want to sit on your motorcycle again? What kind of person would play this madness driven game of moto-twister? "Left hand red" Mr Orr!

Hell, I'll give you 10 things I'd rather do in the same 10 days:
1-Slam finger in door of a Ralph Nader edition Chevy Corvair
2-Re-grow my wisdom teeth only to have a Navy "surgeon" remove them again aided only by novocaine and a shop towel.
3-Three words: The English Patient
4-Slam remaining nine fingers in car door of Ralph Nader edition Chevy Corvair
5-Listen to Geoff King sing his lounge act version of Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" album in it's horrific entirety.
6-Charles Sutter hangover
7-Toes! Car door! Now!
8-go vegan
9-seek out that patch of stupid someone left on the highway 163 on-ramp and smear my elbow skin across the tarmac like Country Crock over wheat bread
and the number 10 thing I would rather do than a 10 In 10...
10-Dangle bacon strips from my ear lobes and hop in the ring with Mike Tyson

In closing, if anyone had one of those inflatable butt-donut things lying around I'm sure Gary's is gonna need it when he returns.

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

Welcome Aboard Scott Coakley!!!

2010-08-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another addition to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Today it is our distinct pleasure to introduce Scott Coakley, our newest parts, apparel and accessories guru! Easiest hire ever? You bet! It's as if he was constructed into a BMW super nerd out of part from lesser nerds. Scott comes fully loaded with every available option:

-Saphire schwartz metallic goatee
-HID contact lenses
-Anti lock Nike's
-Docker brand pleated slacks! No, really, he's not wearing jeans.

We can't really start in with the new guy jokes and hazing because Scott already has almost 10 years experience with BMW motorcycles. So instead we'll just continue making fun of Jason Turner (S1000RR slayer) until we get another actual new guy.

Thanks for reading
Sean DeAngelis

"Hey Jason! Go get me a burrito. Here's $1.50, make it enough."

Wanna Go Racing? Tight Budget? Got a Dual Sport Bike?

2010-08-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another fabulous post to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog! Today I'm going to highlite this past Sunday's events held in the Qualcomm stadium parking lot.

First a little background:

A close friend of San Diego BMW Motorcycles, Cesar Gannod, owns and runs Fastkeys (www.fastkeys.com) a key, locksmith and engraving service right around the corner on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. We use Cesar exclusively for his key cutting services on our exceptionally tricky BMW ignition and luggage keys and locks. Cesar it turns out is an avid Supermoto (or supermotard) enthusiast with friends throughout the motorcycle industry in San Diego and beyond. Cesar rides a Suzuki DRZ400SM that he's tricked out with all the right toys. We mentioned to him that we were building a G450X into a proper supermoto bike for our race team and track days. Needless to say his interest was peaked and he's kept steady tabs on the project's progress. The bike is near completion completion but a few suspension and brake components still needed some tweaking so the G450 was out of the picture for Sunday.

Enter the greatest dual sport bike man has ever created! That's right kids, I still had a Bridgestone Trailwing 21 inch front tire and a Bridgestone BT45 Spitfire 18 inch rear mounted on the mighty G650X Challenge from our Buttonwillow track day last month. Saturday night I loaded the SDBMWMC pop-up, some water and my leathers in the shop truck. Sunday morning 0800 I met Cesar in the "pits" set up at Qualcomm stadium.

The races are organized by the San Diego Karting Association (SDKA). The kart guys have been using the stadium parking lot one Sunday a month for the last five years since El Cajon speedway was closed. The SDKA invited in the supermoto bikes 2 months ago as a trial run to curb some of the massive costs associated with using the Qualcomm parking lot and insuring their racing. These karts I'm talking about are NOT the typical go karts you see at family fun centers across the country. They are purpose built racing karts with zippy little 2 stroke engines rocketing the drivers around the 1.1 mile course in just over a minute! That's about a 60MPH average speed. There are small children that pilot the 50cc machines, medium children that pilot what looked like 80cc machines, and large kids (in their 30's, 40's and 50's) that shred around the track in 100 and 125cc machines. The racing is pretty spec'd meaning the karts are all VERY similarly built which provides for some really tight racing action. Between the races competing drivers scurry about the pits offering tools, parts and a helping hand to their competitors! It's a real sportsman type environment which also keeps the "intimidating" feeling for newcomers like myself to a minimum. After signing up for the street legal class and a quick riders meeting where to explain ho things would run we retreated to the shade of the pop-up. Local photographers, kart drivers, bike riders, spectators, children and passers by all circulated through the pits and stopped to say hello.

At 0930 the street legal bikes got to take our first of three 5 minute practice sessions. We all pushed out bikes to the staging area and once the grid boss waved us onto the track it was legal speeding for everyone! The track is marked by chalk and cones which takes a little getting used to at first. Once I figured out how to leave the cones in my peripheral vision so they'd sort of melt into an orange line at speed I was fine. But on the initial 2 laps it must have looked like I was practicing the slalom out there. Something like this:
Left turn, Right turn, Tight left turn, CONE! Sweeping right tu...CONE! Straightaway, left turn, CONE, oops...hit that one...oops...almost hit that other rider...CONE!
But after 2 laps the course markers began to make sense and I was cruising around very comfortably on the parking lot tarmac.

We got another two practice sessions over the course of the morning followed by a break for lunch. The first heat race was at 12:50. Each rider pulled a number out of a hat and this was your starting position for the qualifier. Your finishing position in the 10 lap qualifier determined your starting position for the 15 lap main event. My number put me exactly middle of the pack on the start. Cesar was lucky enough to draw the absolute last spot on the grid...jokes were made.

The starter held the flag up in the air, waited a second, then dropped his arms and we were off. I got a great launch (ok, most of the field was riding bikes 450cc's or less) and was 3rd going into the first turn. As we shot down the front straightaway Pete, Cesar and I lead the pack in that order. Over the next 6 of 10 laps Pete gapped us a bit while Cesar and I traded positions countless times. The G650 was quicker getting out of the turns and down each of the 2 straightaways but Cesar is BRAVE on the brakes! He was able to grab the binders later in essentially all over the hard braking zones. This, from my vantage point, was awesome to watch. These more skilled supermoto riders go into the turns as fast as possible then at the last second sit up, drop the bike 2 gears, dump the clutch and SLIDE the bike crossed up into the turn. So you can imagine as I'm setting up for a direction change Cesar comes flying past on the inside, handlebars at near full lock the wrong direction, smoke and dust trail coming up off his rear tire. It took some mental doing to not target fixate on his "controlled crash" of sorts every time we rounded a corner. This cat and mouse routine last till about lap 8. I settled in behind Cesar on his DRZ and as we rounded an off camber chicane at the far end of the track I saw a bit of smoke further up the track out of the corner of my eye. A second later Pete was in view laying on the ground having low sided his DRZ. "Hey! I'm in second place!" my brain shouted inside my helmet. Out of another chicane and across the start finish line on the fastest straight on the track. I tucked in behind my locksmith friend as we rocketed south. Again I sit up before Cesar and begin hauling the BMW down from 80MPH. This time though he started his deceleration just a little too late and after sliding, locking up and sliding again he overcooked the left hander and missed the turn threading the needle between 2 cones as he exited the track. I'm in first place now! Cesar meanwhile saw the track was clear over his shoulder and re-entered but with only a lap to go there was not time to pass me again. The might G650 and I had won the 10 lap qualifier!

In the cool down zone there were congratulations and fist bumping going all around and I was phyched. We walked our bikes back to the pits were Pete was checking out a couple new scratches on his DRZ. We took a minutes to make fun of him throwing away what would have been a sure.victory. We took a few more minutes to make fun of the new scratches on his bike. Then a few more minutes still to re-make fun of throwing away the victory.

So at this point it's 2:30pm and our main event (which I and the mighty G650 have pole position for) is not until 5:15pm. It's Sunday and I've been at the stadium since 0800. Hmmmm, there were a few things I wanted to do today. Well, I live 4 miles away in North Park SO:
I traded out my leathers and boots for shorts and flip flops, hopped in the truck and headed home. In the two hours the kart guys were finishing their qualifiers I did a load of laundry, gave my hound dog a bath:

Stopped at the grocery store to pick up steaks for dinner and headed back to Qualcomm. You can't do THAT from Willow Springs!

Once back I put my leathers back on and about 20 minutes later it was time for our main event. I lined up on pole as the others fell in at their respective starting positions. Once again the starting official raised his flag then threw his arms downward sending us drag racing to the first turn. The G650 motor once again pulled me to the first turn in first place but as I exited turn one both Cesar and Pete shot past on the inside. This was shaping up a lot like the qualifier. I settled in behind those two hoping for a repeat of my earlier fortune as it was evident there was no way I was going to be able to play the late breaking game with them. Unfortunately, lady luck was busy elsewhere this race. Pete and Cesar battled back and forth for the first 10 laps or so while steadily pulling away from me. On lap 12 Cesar over cooked a turn which allowed Pete to check out. Then, on the last lap, just as I was putting the final touches on my podium speech from inside my helmet Ross from San Diego House of Motorcycles came out of nowhere and blew past me on the inside of turn 5! I tried frantically for the rest of the lap to get back around but no dice. I think he was sand bagging the earlier moto's!

So, all in all, I had an absolute blast. 75 bucks very well spend. We got a ton of track time, I made new friends and people were pretty impressed with the mighty G650. Huge kudos to the SDKA for bringing us moto guys on board and taking every opportunity to make sure we were happy with the way things were running. SDKA really catered to the supermoto riders and were outstanding hosts the entire day. I'm 100% in for next month. Also huge thanks to Jon Litchfield for taking all these great pictures:
http://www.wix.com/DirtyhuckerPhoto/Litchfield_Shutter_Works
Facebook/dirtyhuckerphoto

and Matt Finley, matt@amusingscribe.com, www.amusingscribe.com:

In keeping with tradition photographer snaps a picture of me making a really dumb face:

-Thanks for reading,
Sean DeAngelis

We Have The Best Customers

2010-08-02T12:03:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another update to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Today we're going to give big praise our local Mexico touring/riding expert Dan Toporoski. San Diego BMW Motorcycles is essentially the last service, parts and accessories stop for travelers headed south of the border. That said we see a LOT of international adventure riders headed to Mexico and beyond. During the warm summer months it's not uncommon for 2 or 3 pairs or groups of travelers weekly stop by for a quick service on their BMW motorcycles to grab that last piece of gear needed before continuing south.
In nearly every instance the globe trotters will have questions for the staff here regarding traveling in Mexico and South America. Safety, routes, conduct, customs and lodging are just a few. The staff here is fairly seasoned on the "where and what" regarding travel in Mexico but for the REAL scoop we look only one place...Dan Toporoski:

We've called on Dan dozens of times over the last 5 or 6 years to come in, meet with travelers give his valuable input regarding the next leg of their travels. No matter what he's got going on, if Dan is within 100 miles of San Diego he has made a point of getting here and giving his pre-ride brief. Complete with maps, charts and waypoints. Here is Dan with last Friday's adventurers. These two gentlemen have been on the road for over 6 months and have already ridden Russia, Japan, Korea, Canada and The United States:

Dan does these pre-rider briefs entirely of his own accord and receives no monetary compensation for his efforts. Simply, he likes to make sure each person he gives his guidance to has an epic trip down south! Often staying in phone and email contact with the travelers for the following weeks and months as they continue their travels. Dan is without question THE best resource regarding adventure touring in Mexico available locally. A million thanks to you Dan, keep up the outstanding work!

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

Toye Runs Away With Monterey Challenge Race Win At Laguna Seca News Article // RoadracingWorld.com

2010-07-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

An Update From the Shop's Race Team via Roadracingworld.com
Toye Runs Away With Monterey Challenge Race Win At Laguna Seca News Article // RoadracingWorld.com

Alan Is Right, We Have The Best Customers

2010-07-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to my short weekend ride report. The powers that be here at San Diego BMW Motorcycles we nice enough to let me put a cool 800 miles on out 2009 K1200LT Demo over the weekend. So given the time of year and ambient temperatures I decided it would be fun to ride an over-nighter to Phoenix. OK the destination might have had more to do with a free hotel stay voucher at the Wyndham hotel downtown Phoenix. So I grabbed my vented riding apparel...ALL of it (see earlier post "Coverleaf-1, DeAngelis-0) filled up my Camelback and hit the road Saturday 3pm.

Immediately upon descending to the desert floor on I-8 I was greeted with 109 degrees Fahrenheit. 109 seemed to be the magic number on the trip as the ambient air temperature gauge stayed there about 3.5 of the 5 hour trip. At times the heat let up and I was treated to a brisk 105 for about 6 minutes. Other times, just east of Yuma to be exact, the LT and I saw 119 degrees. Liter after liter I chugged from my Camelback as staying hydrated is probably the most important safety precaution you can take on these hot rides.

A few notes on the K1200LT: First off the wind protection using all stock components is OUTSTANDING. Like the Herm says "If the air outside is hotter than my body temperature, more of it certainly isn't going to help." Voice 2 system and stereo/CD player were a welcome comfort as I was able to rock out to my favorite Jackson Browne songs (there, I said it, I like Jackson Browne and I'm not ashamed of it!) hour after care free hour. Probably looked quite the sight for passing motorists really...little guy on a huge touring bike in a pink helmet. Given the singing along to "Somebody's Baby" and the ambient temperatures they probably weren't convinced that was water in the Camelback. The fuel range is incredible. But the seat...oooooohhhhh the seat. Sometimes you hop on a bike and for whatever reason the seat just does NOT agree with your hind quarters. I just could NOT find a comfortable position in the seat. I'd stand on the pegs for a bit, sit back on the passengers seat for a few minutes, the old left cheek-right cheek maneuver. But each time I'd return to the saddle it was more discomfort. At about mile 300 I started wondering if perhaps it was the boxers I was wearing or my textile pants were the problem. But I pressed on eventually making it to my hotel and settling in for the night.

Sunday morning I was on the road by 7am and the temperatures were already well over 100. Again the overall ride quality was outstanding but the seat continued it's beat down on my sit muscles. Mile after mile I neared home (and a cold beer) Jackson Browne doing his best to keep my mind off the discomfort below. Finally just after 1300 hours I arrived at my house in North Park and dismounted the steed. Mission accomplished.

Fast forward to work Monday morning. Tony Carpenter is in to have the shock replaced on his K1200LT. We get to talking about the features and toys on the bike etc. Another customer comes in who has been struggling a bit with his iPhone cooperating with the communication system on his K1200LT. I try a few tricks to no avail so Tony steps in. He's toggling through a few settings on the Voice 2 system when he picks his head up and says "Ahhh! There's your problem right there...The microphone sensitivity is so low it's essentially turned off." Tony adjusts the digital setting, gives the phone input lead a jiggle and presto! All is working as it should. My customer says "thank you" about 50 times and hits the road.

Back at the counter Tony and I pick up where we left off (though I'm making notes to 1099 him for the sublet labor!) talking about the trip. He mentions that I could have turned the wind spoiler inward to get a little more airflow. I mention that really my only complaint was the damned seat. He rears back in surprise. "Surely after all the dirtbike riding you've done you can't find the LT seat uncomfortable?" I reiterate to him that I just could NOT seem to find a comfortable riding position. "It just felt like I was sitting on a heated blanket the whole time." I tell him. Tony stares back at me shocked and asks that I follow him outside to the demo K1200LT.

"Mr DeAngelis, is this the LT you were riding over the weekend?" he says pointing to the culprit machine.
"Yes..." I reply somewhat puzzled.
Tony reaches down below the right side of the seat, looks back at me and smiles "Mr DeAngelis, the heated seat is in the 'high' position. You rode to Phoenix and back in July with the heated seat on full tilt."

Like Alan says: We have the best customers. If anyone want to come down and take a nice long demo ride on this Demo K1200LT I'll have Tony show you how to operate it's various accessories. Tony, that 1099 aught to arrive in the mail tomorrow or Friday.

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

Tuesday trade In of the Week

2010-06-29T16:34:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to this weeks featured trade in motorcycle. This weeks bike comes in the form of one VERY subtle 2005 Harley Davidson Electra Glide FLHTCSE2. We have yet to decode that last part but in short this is a really big Harley touring bike. Equipped with the finest in middle 1970's technology you can rack up mile after carefree mile in comfort, safety, performance and style! The odometer reads a respectable 2950 miles which means the top end has barely even reached half life!
Apparently the alternator makes some serious power too:

But it's not just the fantastic ride you can look forward to. Pull over to the curb for a quick break and children will actually try and board the motorcycle for rides to school! June gloom got you down? Park this baby in your back yard and get a tan? Nearsighted? Stare at this paint job long enough and your pupils will dilate down to the size of pin points.

OK, ok enough goofing around. The bike if FULLY loaded, nearly new and in perfect condition. From what I know of Harley's it's got the good handlebars, windscreen, floorboards and gauge console. I'm as vertically challenged as they come and I can flat foot this thing with both feet. Best of all the engine is still OEM spec so it's not going to ping and miss on pump gas in the summer heat. The weather is just starting to break so if large cruisers are your thing come on down and take this one for a ride.

Big Bear Run 2010...or...I Must Hate My Well Being

2010-06-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another exciting blog post here at the San Diego BMW Motorcycles e-circus.

Today is Sunday June 27th, 2010. It's 1340 hours and I feel absolutely HORRIBLE. Friday night Rich Amiton, Mike Moore, Gary Kepple, Chris Mohnke (certain I misspelled that), some crazy fast dude named Remus (complete with uber-intimidating Eastern Block accent) and myself headed to Big Bear, CA for the 2010 Big Bear Trail Rider's "Big Bear Run." The Big Bear Run is held every June and is pretty much the hardest dual sport event in Southern California. The BBTR guys take pride in making sure those few brave souls that enter the "A" route of their event leave with that warm and fuzzy "I'm never doing this again, not for a million dollars" feeling. As I sit hunched over on my back patio typing this I wonder to myself: How many trucks did it take to gather every single rock in the country and deposit them along the OHV GOAT trails of the San Bernardino mountains? I wonder if the residents of those other 49 states miss their rocks? Rest assured residents of those other 49 states, your rocks are living comfortably under the tires, motorcycles and helmets of those that entered this years Big Bear Run.

I've attempted this ride 3 times now. The first year I exploded the radiator on a G650XC less than 70 miles into the 180-220 mile event. It was a sad end to the day. Not surprisingly I dropped the bike on a ROCK while knocking the fillings out of my teeth negotiating a ridge near Holcomb Valley. The second year I came back on my G650 and became the first BMW ever to finish the ride. It was an amazing feeling but I was fairly sure I did not want to try EVER again. The BBTR's give you a plaque for completing the entire "A" route in under 13 hours. It's a pretty significant accomplishment given that in any given year they don't give out more than 40 plaques despite over 100 entries. But enough of this horn blowing!

My cell phone rings last Monday:
Kepple: Hey dude, you riding the Trail Run this year?
Me: Um...no. No thank you. Matter of fact HELL no, thank you.
Kepple: Shoot, I'm gonna ride the 250 and was hoping you wanted to ride with.
Me: Nope.
Kepple: Yeah I got this new toy hauler so we won't have to pay for a hotel.
Me: OK sweet count me in.

Skipping forward to Friday night Rich, Kepple and I are sleeping comfortably in our pull out beds in the toy hauler. That is until Rich starts snoring. I mean, REAL snoring. Not that stuffy, intermittent, having a sinus issue snoring. In the aluminum confines of the toy hauler it sounds like god is running a Texas sized Shop-Vac and dangling the sucking hose into Big Bear Lake. Not a lot of sleep Friday night.

0500 we "wake" and get ready for the ride. The 6 of us rendezvous at the starting gate at 0600 and head for the first trail guided by our GPS's. Now it is at this point in the story that I'd usually be writing something along the lines of "Sean incorrectly reads his GPS at gets the entire group headed in the wrong direction thus adding an hour to our finish time." BUT...I let Kepple lead the way this time. I have learned from my last 35 attempts to lead riding buddies into the wilderness that a cactus wearing a helmet is more suited to GPS navigation than I am. The route takes us to the southern side of the mountain range where rocks and hills and rock covered hills await.

The first leg of the ride was 80 miles and other than losing Rich was fairly uneventful. Actually I'd say the first 80 miles were "easy" as compared to the first 80 miles of last years route. There is a reason for this that I'll touch on later. In any case Kepple and I reached the first gas stop without incident but minus one Rich. Turns out Rich's KTM sheared a few bolts off the tail section and his rear rack, light and fender needed strap tied back on. After a quick field repair Rich got back underway and made it to first gas but the bike was not up to the rest of the ride. His day ended there and he headed back to camp. Chris and Mike were still making good progress a little further back while Remus had taken off on his own. Kepple and I got back underway feeling confident and none the worse for wear.

Miles 81-140 were brutal right from the get go. No sooner do we pull off the pavement then we're greeted with a nasty, rocky climb up a ridge. At one point I lost momentum and came to a stop after chugging the engine. I looked up the hill to see Kepple spinning the rear tire and bouncing from rock to rock to rock generally pointed up the trail. Being stopped actually allowed me to take in how steep the terrain really was. My head was cocked so far back that my helmet was actually pressing against my back protector. These BBTR guys can really find some steep climbs. The next 3 hours were essentially lather, rinse, repeat of the previous 6 sentences.

Water.
I think there is a defense mechanism in my brain that is actually keeping me from remembering exactly where the "Devil's Punchbowl" was in the ride but the mileage is unimportant. We exited an exhausting stretch of single track the wound along the mountainside at a creek. The creek had dammed up at the exit of the trail and there in front of us is a collection of 20 riders, their bikes and one very excited photographer. 18 of 20 motorcycles were in some stage of disassembly/reassembly. Some riders had their fuel tanks off and were pouring water out of them. Other riders were walking around pouring out exhaust pipes full of the Devil's "Punch." Still others were going from stranded rider to stranded rider asking to borrow spark plug sockets, towels, bibles, etc.
Kepple attempted crossing the 4 foot deep lagoon first. Engine revving, tire spinning he bounced along the rocky bottom like a gas powered Plinko chip until one fatefull rock in the punch sent him over the left side of the motorcycle. As though it were in slow motion I watched as he attempted to keep the bike from falling over, failed epically, thus completely submerging the machine in the drink. Kepple disappeared beneath the surface and the 250 followed. A second later he burst to the surface wild eyed and frantically trying to get his steed topside. It was too late, the bike's engine had coughed to a stop and there was water gushing out of the tail pipe. The entire cove fell silent for a moment until one particularly witty rider yelled out "You're doing it wrong!" Many laughed including myself...Kepple only dragged the bike step by step from the drink, leaned the swamped Husky against a tree and took a seat on a rock. Now, it was my turn.
Having been fortunate enough to see what line NOT to take I navigated the crossing more slowly even though that meant keeping both soaked feet paddling along the bottom from rock to rock. All went well until I was about 5 feet from the other side and I chugged the motor and the engine quit. Lucky for me the punch was shallow at this point and I was able to hold myself upright until I could get the engine lit off again. Once running I just dropped the hammer and rode to a shady spot to take a breather.
I walk over to Kepple and the amphibious 250.
Kepple: Dude, I don't have a spark plug socket for this bike.
Me: Oh that fails.
Kepple: Yeah, we have an award for this sort of thing.
Me: Dude, we WILL get that bike running. (I point to and incredibly steep, not surprisingly rocky stretch of trail that is the ONLY way out of the punch bowl.) you see that hill? There are no rescue trucks coming down that hill. So unless you have a helicopter pilots license we need to make that motorcycle vroom vroom.
Kepple: Did you see me fall in?
Me: Yes, it was awesome. Did you see me NOT fall in?
Kepple: Bite me.
Long story short we stood the bike up vertical on the rear wheel and watched water run out of the exhaust. Then we removed the air filter and watched water run out of the throttle body and air box. Then Kepple rang out the air filter like a sponge. Then we kicked and kicked and kicked and pressed the starter and kicked and kicked while pressing the starter. Then we said the f-word 5 or 6 times a piece. Then we did the Hokey Pokey and turned it all about. Then FINALLY the bike lit off stayed running.
Me: That sucked, lets not do that again.
Kepple: Yeah I'm kind of tired from that.
Me: Kind of tired? If you shook my hand right now it'd feel like I handed you a dead fish!
Kepple: Your handshakes always feel like that.
Me: Bite me.

OK, in an effort to save time I'm going to summarize miles 140-165. Rocks, climb, rocks, downhill, rocks, the seat on my bike is beginning to feel like a 2X4, rocks, why has Phil Collins "I Can't Dance" been playing in a loop in my brain for the last 2 hours? Rock, WATCH OUT FOR THAT SQUIRREL! Rock, more Phil Collins, rock, I wonder if I remembered to zip my tail bag shut...who cares I can buy more tools, rock, DAMN YOU PHIL COLLINS, rock, haha Kepple fell over again, rock, I just fell over again, rock, Iiiii can't dance. Iiiii can't talk. Oooonly thing about me is the way I walk... Rock, haha Kepple fell over again, rock, I just fell over again trying not to run over Kepple, rock...

Mile 166. Kepple and I stop for a breather next to some official looking guys on Japanese 450's.
Kepple: You guys with the Big Bear Trail Riders?
Official looking guy #1: Yup.
Kepple: I think that asshole at the start lied, there's GOTTA be an easier way to the convention center.
Official looking guy #2: HAHA. You've still got your sense of humor! That's good, you're gonna need it.
Kepple: Why? There should only be about 15 more miles until the finish?
Official looking guy #1: That's right chappy. But there are a LOT of rocks in that 15 miles. If I were you guys I'd get as much rest as I could on the fire roads cause the trail gets really nasty in about 2 miles.
Me: Wow, how very Big Bear Trail Riders of you.
Official looking guy's #1 and 2: Cheers.
Kepple: OK Sean, I know I told you friends till the end. Well...this is the end.

I've run marathons. I was in the Marine Corps for 5 years. I once got hit by a car, not like I was in a car that got hit by a car, I, I once physically got struck by a moving automobile. I've skipped across Lake Erie like a flat stone after falling off my water ski's going 45 MPH. None of the aforementioned brutality made me feel a fraction of how bad I feel right now. And 90% of how bad I feel right not is because of the last 15 miles of the 2010 Big Bear Run. Without question, beyond all doubt, all kidding aside, the HARDEST thing I have ever done on a motorcycle. And you know what? That is EXACTLY why Kepple and I will be entering the 2011 Big Bear Run.

Rich's day ended early on a mechanical failure. Remus finished on his own from what I've gathered. Just after mile 160 Chris got bad info that Mike had crashed and was hurt. After turning back he found Mike very much OK but another hurt rider begged the two of them for help back to camp. Had it not been getting dark I'm fairly certain the two of them would have told the rider to wait for the sweepers and completed all 183 miles. But, being the better men they got the injured participant back to camp safely and you really can't fault them for that. You CAN however rub it in their faces that Kepple and I got finishers plaques and THEY did not.

Thanks for reading.
-Sean DeAngelis

Lap Records Broken At WSMC

2010-06-24T16:33:00.001-07:00

WSMC: Toye, BMW Shatter Lap Record At Streets Of Willow News Article // RoadracingWorld.com

More On Lap Records At WSMC

2010-06-24T16:32:00.001-07:00

More On Lap Records Falling With WSMC At Streets Of Willow Last Weekend News Article // RoadracingWorld.com

Mark Pohlson's Customized S1000RR

2010-06-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Meet Mark Pohlson:

Mark is our service manager. He smiles a lot. Mark has an S1000RR that looked like this:

While riding a track day at Buttonwillow Raceway a road cone jumped into Mark's path of travel and demolished the lower fairing. Mark was not smiling:

Mark put the bike back together good as new and Mark was smiling again. Then 2 weeks ago Mark was riding a track day at Miller Motorsports Park and ran over a patch of:

This time the right side of the motorcycle suffered scratches to most of the fairings. Mark was not smiling:

So Mark pulled the bike apart and decided to make it a full time track bike. Race bodywork from Catalyst, frame sliders, Akrapovic full exhaust system, case savers, and custom paint job. Mark is smiling again:

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

Cloverleaf-1 : DeAngelis - 0

2010-06-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to this, my most humble blog post EVER. Last Friday I decided that I'd do a little local dirt riding Saturday morning so I rode the 450 home from work. The tires, while DOT approved, are VERY knobby and don't provide a lot of traction on paved surfaces. Well the unthinkable happened. While rounding the cloverleaf getting on 163 south I hit a big, slippery spot of stupid that was in the road and lowsided. Lucky for me I was wearing all my protective gear...except that...other than my helmet I was wearing NONE of the proper protective gear. Turns out that motocross gear, while it looks cool, does not provide a lot of protection from the abrasive surfaces of the modern roadway. I'm a fairly seasoned dirt and street rider but I had never run over a patch of stupid before and had no idea how slick it could be! Ive seen stupid on the road many times in the past but have always been able to navigate around the stupid thus keeping myself road rash free. Had I been wearing all the correct protective gear I'm certain the stupid would not have been in the road that evening. Probably would have been replaced by a slightly less slippery and relatively safer spot of over-confidence. So given my ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) epic FAIL I left the better part of my elbow skin on the freeway onramp.

A few years ago while riding a track day at Willow Springs I hit a very large spot of over-confidence in turn four and highsided down the hill. I was a bit bruised up but my leather suit spared me a LOT of pain and embarrassment. The incident proves beyond reasonable doubt that running over a patch of over-confidence is not as likely to injure the rider as an equal sized patch of stupid.

This past winter some friends and I were riding our dirtbikes around Superstition Mountain when the engine on my CR125 ingested a piece of shoddy maintenance and blew up. My friend Gary towed me back to the truck and was nice enough to let me ride his Husky TE510 for the rest of the afternoon. A couple hours later I decided to try and climb a steep, rocky hill on the borrowed bike. Well about 1/2 way up the hill I ran over a large pile of carelessness which sent the bike swapping left to right. Just as I was getting things back under control I hit a larger pile of showing off and flipped over backwards. Lucky for me my helmet took the brunt of the impact and other than a mild concussion and repeatedly asking my friends what time it was for the next hour and a half I was none the worse for wear.

So let's review:
Shoddy maintenance can lead to showing off or carelessness. Showing off is not as dangerous as carelessness but should be carefully avoided most of the time. Over-confidence is not as likely to cause injury as stupid because stupid ALWAYS hurts.

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

Another Quick Update From The Race Team

2010-05-31T09:10:00.001-07:00

Toye Holds On To GTO Pole Position At Lucas Oil Superbike Challenge At Miller News Article // RoadracingWorld.com

Quick Update From The SDBMWMC Race Team...

2010-05-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Toye On Provisional Pole For GTO Class Of Lucas Oil Superbike Challenge At Miller News Article // RoadracingWorld.com

Also follow The San Diego BMW Motorcycles // Lee's Cycle race team efforts here:
www.sdbmwracing.blogspot.com

Hey Y'all!

2010-05-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have not met our new office manager, I present to you Jennie Silver. Jennie has been an indispensable asset for about a year now and today, she purchased a 2006 Yamaha Warrior.

Congratulations Jennie on the new motorcycle purchase. All you are missing is the haircut:

Thanks for reading,

-Stan Lundeen

Tuesday Trade In of the Week

2010-05-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another Trade in of the week segment on the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Before I start let me apologize for the delay in posts. We've been extra busy with our race efforts which can be tracked over at our sister blog:
www.sdbmwracing.blogspot.com

Moving on...

This weeks highlite is a PERFECT condition 2006 BMW K1200R. The K1200R was quite the subject of excitement when it was released in 2006. We immediately took a bone stock model off the showroom floor and ran it down the drag strip at Qualcomm stadium thanks to the great people at Racelegal.com. That evening we beat every other motorcycle on the track including a very fast GSXR built by National City Motorcycles and a privately owned, heavily modified Suzuki Hayabusa. Later that year Ed Bell loaded up his personal K1200R and headed to the Bonneville Salt Flats for the BUB motorcycle speed trials. Ed set the speed record in the Stock Unfaired Motorcycle class on a nearly "off the assembly line" bike at just over 169MPH. The rest quite simply is history.

Last year BMW released the 1300cc version of this very motorcycle but it is not imported into the United States leaving the few remaining available K1200R models highly sought after. This particular bike comes nicely equipped with:
* Western Service Warranty until July 31, 2012
o Zero Deductible and Unlimited Mileage
* 24,585 Original Miles
* Fresh 24k Service with Annual
* And New Tires Too!
o ABS
o ESA
o Heated Grips
o On Board Computer
o BMW Expandable Sport Side Bags
o Luggage Grid

So if it's been too long since you threw a leg over a bike that will gladly stretch your arms out of the sockets come on down and take a demo ride!

-Thanks for reading
Sean DeAngelis

We Needed A Pit Bike

2010-05-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

San Diego BMW Motorcycles needed a pit bike. Walking around the pits is totally unacceptable. You don't seriously expect a dealer principal of the greatest BMW Motorcycle Dealership in the United States to WALK from the Sprinter Van to the starting grid? Certainly not. Gary Orr took a walk down the street to most desolate motorcycle showroom in town, Fun Bike Center, and picked up this little beauty for a song. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the Honda Ruckus:

Too sweet right? We looked at our options and Ruckus was the most cost effective solution really. We tried to convince Joe that he could simply piggy-back Gary around the WSMC pits but no dice. I had recommended that we could get a pit unicorn but none of the staff could figure out what you feed a unicorn. We tried that Harley Road King that got traded in but other racers were raising concerns about the amount of oil it kept leaving along the pit walls. So that leaves us the proud new owners of this really angry scooter looking thing from Japan.

Gary and Jason testing out the Ruckus' pillion capabilities:

Soon we'll have an entire following of scooter awesomeness:

Sadly we did NOT opt to use a Segway. Fun Bike Center is not a Segway dealer and we're always happy to help out where we can.

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

Monday Trade In of the Week

2010-05-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to this weeks highlighted trade in motorcycle. This week we have a beautiful 2005 BMW R1200ST. The R1200ST was only built in 2005 and despite somewhat weak sales initially they have become one of the most sought after sport touring bikes in BMW's lineup. Under the one of a kind bodywork is a chassis not all that dissimilar from the BMW R1200RT. The luggage is the same, the frame is nearly identical, the engine electronics are spot on and the options packages all ran parallel. Where the ST set's itself apart from the RT is ergonomics and handling. The ST has a slightly more aggressive sitting position and footpeg location. It's a lot like riding an angrier, more raw, potentially more street capable version of the R1200RT. Best of both worlds really: You can carve your favorite roads apart while at the same time carrying the full size BMW system luggage and a comfortable passenger. This particular bike has the optional tall windscreen, Anti Lock Brakes, fold-out highway pegs, cylinder protectors and Leo Vince slip on exhaust. 28,491 miles on the odometer means this bike is barely even broke in! Come on down and take it for 24 hours...priced at $10,942 we're pretty sure you'll fall in love with this R1200ST.

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

Bill Edwards: 100,000 Mile Man!

2010-04-30T11:54:00.001-07:00

Today we congratulate Bill Edwards for achieving 100,000 miles on BMW Motorcycles. Bill has owned a LOT of BMW motorcycles. I'm browsing through his service history and I see an F650CS, an R1200C, an F800ST, an R1100R and his current ride a K1300S. Bill has been road captain of the BMW Owners Club of San Diego and is an active participant in the Romeo's riding club (the ladder of those 2 doesn't so much rack up the miles as they do the calories).

Congratulations Bill reaching 100,000 miles and probably spending a LOT of money on tires here at San Diego BMW Motorcycles.

Meet Geoff King, The Best Loser

2010-04-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
I want to introduce you all to Geoff King. You've probably seen Geoff working the parts counter here at San Diego BMW Motorcycles. He's been working in motorcycle parts and accessories for over 20 years, has owned more than 30 motorcycles and is an accomplished WSMC racer in the late 1990's. He's racked up miles on motorcycles of every make and style around California and beyond. He's been president of the Red Hot Riders Honda Motorcycle Club. Point is Geoff has accomplished a LOT. Geoff has excelled at nearly ALL things motorcycle. I say "nearly" all things because as it turns out Geoff fails HARD at rally's.

Last weekend San Diego BMW Motorcycles in cooperation with San Diego Adventure Riders put on the 4th annual Lo-Cal 250 San Diego county rally. Geoff requested the time off to ride the event months ago so we arranged for him to ride the demo R1200GS. Geoff knows just about every road in the county and I expected, rightfully so, that he'd finish really well and make the shop proud. Turns out that I was wrong. If you finished the Lo-Cal you sucked less than Geoff. No single entrant into the Lo Cal 250 sucked as much as Geoff. Geoff sucked more at Rally than any other rally rider (including that dude on the Vespa). Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the absolute, no questions asked, zero exceptions, LAST PLACE FINISHER of the Lo-Cal 250:

Wednesday Trade In of the Week

2010-04-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

Bond, James Bond (cue the music),
Ever dreamed of being a secret double-O-seven agent? Want to get into boat and car chases on every continent? Use a silenced pistol to knock off an arch villain? HAVE WE GOT THE MOTORCYCLE FOR YOU! A mint condition 2001 BMW R1200C. It's a lot like your traditional cruiser without the suck! 1200cc boxer engine rumbles along on this beauty making great torque and noise. Telelever front suspension ensures that this is the only cruiser on the market that does not handle like you have an albino sea otter strapped to the fork tubes. Anti lock brakes inspire the confidence to ride mile after care free mile. Lastly, and MOST IMPORTANT, there is a 007 decal on the gas tank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"So what to do with a cruiser?" you ask. To be honest I have no idea. Dirt riding, nope. Twisties, not so much. Drag racing, not on your life. Iron butt, not without adding a windshield.

OK I just asked Alan what you do with a cruiser. He recommends that you cruise.

Come on by and take a ride on what could be your next BMW motorcycle. Ask for Alan, he's owned a lot of cruisers and to be honest the rest of us don't know a lot about them.

Saturday Trade In of the Week

2010-04-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to this weeks Trade In of the Week segment here on the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Today's motorcycle is a nice 2006 Ural Gear Up 2Wheel Drive side hack! That's right 2 wheel drive means this is about the angriest sidecar rig you can buy. It handles....like a side car with an Earles Fork. You see Ural brand side cars come stock with the very BEST 1930's handling and performance technology! It's true what they say: "You really DO have more fun in a side car!" Who says that??? Stan and I...that's about it.

Just think of some of the fun things you can do with this baby:
-Set up a barricade at the end of your street and ask every driver that tries to gain access to the road for "Photo identification and zee registration faw zee vehicle."

-Ride through downtown La Mesa in full WWII era french resistance costume. Stop, get out and low crawl from light post to light post.

-Sit on the local highway on ramp with your best friend in the sidecar. Have best friend point a hair dryer (unless you have an actual radar gun) at cars as they drive past and watch the panic breaking.

Zee Ural comes all sweetened up with:
# 3,312 Original Miles
# Outstanding Condition
# Two Wheel Drive Model
# Superior Off Road Performance
# Includes: Books, Manuals, Covers
# Shovel and Aux Gas Tank Too!
# Too Much Fun on Three Wheels
# Own a Modern Retro Classic Sidecar Rig!

Happy Easter,
-Sean DeAngelis

5 Best April Fools Jokes at the Shop Today

2010-04-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
Well today is April 1st and like every year the crew here at San Diego BMW Motorcycles was up to no good while on the clock. Here is a list of today's best pranks:

1 - My sister made me a huge pasta bowl for lunch back in February. I ate about 50% of it and left the leftover 50% rotting in the Tupperware container, behind the dumpsters ever since. Simply removed the lid, hid the rank concoction behind the service managers computer tower and ran for safety.

2 - Gave unnamed CHP officer a snickers if he'd walk up to Alan's desk and claim to have seen him run a stop sign on the way to work. Even wrote him a fake ticket. Priceless.

3 - Told Gary I was really sad to hear about the trash truck driver backing over his K1200LT. No further explanation necessary.

4 - Six little words: Ghost chilli in the coffee pot.

5 - Wrapped a zip tie around the trigger on the veggie sprayer on the sink upstairs. Aimed the sprayer where the would be user would be standing. Waited, listened and laughed.

Tuesday Trade In of the Week

2010-03-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another Trade In of the Week segment here on the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Today's subject is a near PERFECT condition ABS model G650 Cross Challenge. Despite most people asking me to blog up the Ural sidehack we just had traded in I could not resist showcasing the G650X/Ch because well, I OWN one of these and simply can't say enough good things about it.

The G650X/Ch was, until recent unveiling of the BMW G450X, simply the BEST dual sport motorcycle ever built. You can do all things dual sport with these bikes. Bulletproof and proven Rotax designed 650cc single cylinder engine. Electric start and fuel injection for easy reboots after tipping over in the desert. BMW's touted air shock in the rear and Marzocchi inverted front forks up front. These bikes will do it all. They climb better than any other 650 on the market and better than a lot of 450's for that matter. Enjoy riding out to your favorite trails? No problem this bike will go 70MPH all day on the pavement (or dirt if you're brave enough). Hard luggage available, rally style fairing available, additional 5 gallon fuel tank available you can farkle these bikes into full on adventure tourers or leave em naked for the more technical stuff. First BMW to ever complete the Big Bear Trail Run? Absolutely!

A few specifics:
- 1,097 Original Miles
- Excellent Condition
- 600 Mile Service Completed
- BMW Factory Warranty until Oct 20, 2012
- ABS - Push Button On/Off
- Leo Vince slip on exhaust with approved spark arrestor (stock pipe also included)
- PLATED, STREET LEGAL DIRTBIKE!!!

Sean show off action shot (don't worry this is on my personal G650X/Ch):

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

New Employee Alert!

2010-03-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone and welcome to another exciting addition to the San Diego BMW motorcycles blog.
Today we welcome YET ANOTHER new member to our team here at the shop. With growth comes expansion and with demand comes supply. Our stellar service department has found themselves a bit short handed at the service counter with the spring season coming in fast. Add in the fact that our sales department is sending new BMW motorcycle owners out the door faster than Apolo Ohno shredding laps on his skates (sorry....obligatory Olympics mention) and you got a genuine need for more staffing. Gary and Mike began weighing their options calculating just what kind of employee would continue our tradition of success and customer satisfaction. The answer? Another Sean DeAngelis OF COURSE! But with congress slow to approve any cloning techniques and Your's Truly not fathering any offspring in the immediate future we had to get a little creative. Without further adieu, all the way from warm tropical Cleveland Ohio, I present you the NEWEST addition to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles team:

My father, Domenico "Tony" DeAngelis

Yes Ladies and Gentlemen not since Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid has a more dynamic duo lead the charge! "What's it like working side by side with my father?" you ask. Epic! Just read some of these reactions by our staff:

- "Hey Sean, we've decided to start calling you Tony 2.0"
- "Wow, you're Dad is MUCH taller than you are."
- "So Sean, you're the oldest child? Like, the R & D phase of having kids?"
- "Does he break a lot of demo bikes too?"
- "Your father has less gray hair than you do?!?!?!?!"

Quick shot of Papa De being welcomed aboard by service manager Mark Pohlson:

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

2010-03-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

I met Sean from SD BMW Motorcycles at Corral Canyon this morning. I was looking forward to breaking my "mud" duck and it was drizzling hard but not really raining. That would change.

So we unloaded the bikes, my '96 XR400R and Sean's 2010 BMW G450X.

Old school and new school:

Then Sean realized he, um, forgot something so he had to head back. I decided to ride a loop while I was waiting for Sean to come back. Did Trail One to Trail Two. I had never ridden in the mud and just could NOT get the hang of it. I felt totally lost and out of control. I've also had a problem with my wrists and hands recently and by the time I got to the campground I could hardly hold the bars so I took the road back and loaded the XR into the truck.

It was wet and muddy out there:

Sean rolled up right then so we had a quick chat. Now Sean's from Ohio (right?) and loves to ride in mud. So he said to me, "Are you keeping your elbows up? Let your chest and shoulders do the work. Are you just letting the bike move below you? Just ride it like it's deep sand." He convinced me so we unloaded the XR again and went off.

We mistakenly ended up on Trail 8 (I think) in a big granite garden when was really techinical, especially in the rain. It was tough, for me, and we got to a point where we had to turn around. After that, we played on Trail 1 and rode it back to four corners.

Sean did a couple awesome wheelies which I couldn't get the damn picture:

Then we switched bikes and I led us through Trail 1 and the plan was to go over to Trail 2. Except I screwed up and we ended up in yet another granite garden. Eventually we made it back to Trail 2 and slipped and slid our way around.

The review: I only got to ride it in the mud BUT, the G450X is an awesome bike! It is soooooo easy to ride. The thing that most amazed me was how well it handled, it was literally a "point and shoot." The ergos were pretty good too, although my big Yeti ass would like some bar risers and wider pegs. I cannot emphasize enough how well behaved and easy this bike is to ride. I'm still relatively inexperienced in the dirt and a bike that gives me confidence is the ticket. I've ridden KTM 530's, 300s, CRF450x, etc. This bike is far and away the easiest to ride and most FUN bike I've ever ridden.

The only complaint I have was that it didn't have a ton of low end grunt. It got the job done but when your last two bikes have been an XR650R and an XR400R you develop a style of riding that uses low revs and grunt. I had to adapt my riding style to it but it's a testament to the G450X that I was able to do so as easily as I did.

So here's the end result of the day:

As we were getting ready to head home it started snowing!!! Big huge soft flakes. I forced the flash on the camera to catch the flakes for ya:

So a big huge thank you to Sean for teaching me how to ride in mud and letting me play with the G450X.

A great day!!
-Scott Barber

The 2010 Wildcat Canyon Ride!!!

2010-03-10T21:12:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,
Just a reminder that this years Wildcat Canyon ride leaves Giovanni's parking lot (9353 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard) at 9AM Sunday morning April 11th. Every year the BMW Owners Club San Diego and dozens of our best friends escort John "King of the Alps" Hermann from Giovanni's through Wildcat Canyon, down Old Julian Highway, over Mesa Grande (after a stop at Santa Ysabel) and up to Mothers Cafe atop Mount Palomar. Follow up all those great roads with a MASSIVE feast at San Diego BMW Motorcycles after the ride and you've got an epic Sunday ride.
So be sure to come on out for the 2010 Wildcat Canyon ride and earn your 1st, 2nd or even 26th escort certificate from the King himself! If nothing else, you'll leave our dealership fat and happy having stuffed your belly with yummy goodness....and all on Gary Orr's dime!!!!

-Sean DeAngelis

Meet The 2010 BMW Rally 3 Suit!

2010-03-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another exciting addition to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Today we're proud to announce the arrival of the 2010 BMW Rally 3 suit. Deigned for both on and off road use the Rally line of BMW apparel has long been the industry standard in high end four season functionality. For 2010 a specific change to the waterproof inner liners of the jacket and pants is to be noted. While previous models of this suit have used Gore-Tex brand thermal / waterproof elements this new suit uses BMW's very own C.A.R.E climate membranes. This ultra high tech material allows the inner layer to provide a breathable (when warm) yet waterproof layer between the rider and the elements. However, when temperatures drop the sophisticated C.A.R.E. material reacts but contracting and closing the pores that would otherwise allow air to flow through. BMW pioneered this functional material in it's highly successful Comfortshell suit in 2009.

The Rally 3 suit comes equipped with adjustable and removable NP protectors in the shoulders, elbows, back, hips and knees. The NP technology protectors are the absolute most impact absorbant protectors available on the market today. Also retained from the Rallye 2 suit are the removable sleeves allowing a rider to take a short walk around while still able to conveniently carry some necessities in the multitude of pockets on the vest. This brings me to my next and possible favorite part of the new Rally 3 suit...

The chest and lower torso pockets have been angled in along the tops for ease of reaching in for items stowed inside. In 2003 while serving in the United States Marine Corps the Commandant and Washington authorized a new Utility (camoflag) uniform that integrated angled pockets in the same places. The newer designed pockets are FAR easier to use and access especially when in a hurry. I was immediately impressed with the revised design and amazed at how such a simple change could make a very impressive garment even better. Kudos to BMW for realizing the advantages and making this change.

The Rallye 3 pants have retained the leather inserts along the inner side of the knees allowing the rider a sure grip on the tank while weighting pegs or hanging off a bit. Kevlar stretch zones above the knees and pelvis combined with stretch material on the lower legs, provide incredible freedom of movement.

Air flow is still handled by removal zippers at the front of the sleeves, the sides around the waist and on the upper legs. Additional ventilation provided by vent surfaces on the chest opening and closing with hook-and-loop fasteners and two generous exit vents at the back.

The new Rallye 3 boots are completely designed from earlier models. Finally, the buckles are located entirely on the outside of the calf eliminating the possibility of hanging a strap up on a footpeg. Considerably more "motocross" in design the boots still offer the most walkable sole and ankle articulation of any off road boot on the market. The inner sole is now made of elastic and neoprene and the laces that existed on the previous versions have been done away with completely. An intermediate sole with steel spring integrated prevent crushing or hyperextension injuries to the ankles or feet.

And finally the Rally 3 gloves. The "superfabric" used for 2010 brings together the protection of leather with the comfort and function of high tech textiles. "The bone shell made of hard plastic and featuring special ventilation holes interacting with 5 millimeters thick Suprotec® protector foam serves to enhance the riders level of safety. The rider’s fingers are protected by light foam at the top, his finger hands by stretched leather zones. While the complete upper hand is padded, the inner hand remains unpadded for better grip and feeling even under the most demanding off-road riding conditions. The kangaroo leather on the inner hand is resistant to sweat and is extra-strong for enhanced safety both on and off the road. The fingertips come with double layers and are printed with silicon."

The new Rally 3 retails as follows:
Jacket $799.00
Pants $549.00
Boots $399.00
Gloves $89.00

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

It's Raining, I'm going Riding

2010-03-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

It just started raining outside. It's supposed to rain for the next 48 hours here in San Diego County. SO, I'm going riding. A little insight to my madness:

I'm going dual sport riding at Corral Canyon. Having grown up in Northeast Ohio I'm no stranger to mud and slippery conditions. Having lived in San Diego for the last 10 years I cannot remember a single winter that offered so many opportunities to ride in any condition short of dry and dry. Sadly, I cannot remember a winter that required so much overtime here at the shop! But tomorrow, I have no plans and I'm taking our Demo G450X and my G650X/Ch to Corral Canyou OHV area to put in some time and let YOU the BMW enthusiast take a few laps on the G450X. I'll have demo forms on hand all you need to bring is a valid California motorcycle license and a credit card! I expect to arrive just before noon so any time between 12 and 3 feel free to stop by the truck and shred a few miles on the new greatest dual sport bike man has ever created:

Doesn't Anybody Realize It's Winter?...

2010-02-22T19:05:00.001-08:00

Busy, busy weekend, five different events had BMWOCSD and SDBMW folks scattered all over. Doesn't anybody realize that it's winter? Give 'em a rain suit and heated grips and nobody seems to care.

Speaking of heated grips, Gary Orr and his heated grip R1200S tore up The Streets of Willow this weekend with 3 first places in the heat races and a second in open superbike. Not bad for a novice........

Meanwhile yours truly, Mike Lynch, led the New Members Ride over all the name brand roads close and low, Highland Valley, Wildcat Canyon, La Cresta, Harbison Canyon, Dehesa, Japatul, Lyons Valley, Honey Springs and Otay Lakes. T'was good to stay close and low as the roads were wet most of the way. And we actually had one genuine new member.

Desert Dash folks included Gary Kepple, Sean DeAngelis, Rich Amitron, Ron Spicer (for awhile anyway) and more, some beautiful scenery.

Another large group was at Death Valley, Rich Kapushinski, Andrea, Dick Sackett, Gene Calbow and more!

And finally our own SDBMW Santee City Councilman, Brian Jones, was at the Lakeside Off Road Exposition.

Congratulations to all for showing the BMW spirit and all weather capability. Wait'll the sun comes out!

Bob Shellum: 400,000 Mile Man

2010-02-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to our good friend and loyal San Diego BMW Motorcycles client Bob Shellum. Bob just clipped off mile 400,001! A little "small world" background on Bob. About three years ago Bob stopped in for a routine service on his K100RS. Our then newly hired service advisor Stan Lundeen and Bob got to talking and it turns out Bob Shellum is a retired Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps (Stan and I were Marine Corps sergeants only a few short years ago). Furthermore, Bob was close friends with one Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Harold G. Overstreet (a name very familiar to Stan and I from our active duty years). Needless to say Stan and I have been terrified of Sergeant Major Shellum ever since.

Bob has since started racking up the miles on a beautiful 2003 K1200GT and I wouldn't be at all surprised if we're handing over a 500,000 mile award in a few years. Congratulations Bob, beers on us tonight!

-Thanks for reading,
Sean DeAngelis

We FINALLY Got Em!! The BMW G450X!!

2010-02-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone and welcome to the best blog post of 2010. Today we have officially received the 2010 BMW G450X! We received 3 and to my chagrin one of them is a DEMO BIKE! Just in time for the Desert dash this weekend and I got the go-ahead to bring it with me. Of course, I'll be riding most of my favorite dual sport ride on my trusty G650X/Ch (now the 2nd best dual sport bike man has ever created). I'm psyched that BMW finally put the factory blue, white and red graphics on the bike for 2010. All new ignition and fuel mapping, updated fork cartridges and a slew of other minor mods made the extra year wait for us California residents WELL worth it. OEM tires are Metzeler Competitions which I'm not familiar with but the knob spacing looks ideal for sand (no shortage of that in Anza). I'll have a full ride report on Monday after the dirt session but my initial impression is this bike will easily wheelie from the corner to FBC's driveway after 6pm on a Tuesday.

-Thanks for reading
Sean DeAngelis

Kevin Stevens, You Win, Epic Ride!

2010-02-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

That's right kids, Kevin Stevens wins hands down. Picked up his new S1000RR on Wednesday, goes riding today, 37 miles on the odometer and:

Trade In of the Week

2010-02-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another "Trade In of the Week" segment here on the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blogosphere. This weeks contender a great condition, 47,000 mile, 2002 1150cc Moto Serpico! The ultimate commuter: A retired CHP motorcycle. Why does everyone in front of me keep slowing down?!?!? I'll tell you why, because when you ride an RT-P motorists everywhere lift the foot off the accelerator, hands at 10 and 2, hang up the cell phone and pray to the wallet gods that you're headed to Krispy Kreme.

A few more of the perks:
New Clutch Installed Here at SDBMWMC
Factory Police Model (RT-P)
Nicely Equipped Inlcuding
* ABS
* Heated Grips
* Throttlemeister
Easy BMW Financing - Terms to 66 Months
Use For Work, Escorts, Funerals, Parades
Or Just Have People Move Over
40 + Smiles Per Gallon!

So if you're looking for an affordable way to enjoy San Diego County's great roads while spiking the heart rates of car drivers everywhere come on down and take this beauty for a ride.

-Thanks for reading,
Sean DeAngelis

Saturday's Featured Product, 905's Race Armor

2010-02-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

Stunt, Track or Tip-Over, 905 Racing has developed an incredibly useful bolt-on accessory for the S1000RR in your life. Made from durable 4130 Chromemoly tubing and rigid mounted to the main frame member of the bike, these function over form bars protect your motorcycle from "rubber side down" fails. San Diego BMW Motorcycles in conjunction with the sport bike enthusiasts at 905 Racing have developed this slim cage kit with the bikes best interests in mind. Retails for an affordable $189.00. Mounted on the outer most bend of the bars are two replaceable nylon sliders.

"Slim cages" like these were first made popular in the late 90's when stunting was starting to gain momentum among sportbike riders. Just like the cylinder protectors on your boxer or the frame slider kit on your K-bike these bars are intended to keep those acid green fairings in pristine condition should you find yourself sliding along the tarmac alongside your motorcycle. Had to hop off the high side after landing that 100 foot stoppie-180? No problem! Neighbor failed to look in the rear view before backing into your S1000RR? No problem! Tucked the front exiting turn 9 at Big Willow and sent your S1000RR into the dirt tumbling and cartwheeling gracefully toward the concrete pit wall at over 100mph? You're gonna need a LOT more than some Race Armor.

Nonetheless 905 Racing's Race Armor kit for the S1000RR is cheap insurance should you tip over sensor find itself activated at some point.

-Thanks for reading,
Sean DeAngelis

More S1000RR Deliveries! Christmas in February

2010-02-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

Today the Motorrad Santa dropped off 7 more S1000RR's! These are all pre-sold as well as the next 11 that arrive. BUT, just as soon as those deliveries are handled you yes YOU can have the very next one that arrives.

Even as the driver was setting the parking brake our highly skilled technicians were sprinting out the doors, crowbars in hand, ready to pry the lids off these sweet machines. Like Oprah Winfrey devouring a plate of Swiss Cake Rolls the crates were reduced to sniveling piles of wood scraps and plastic. The pain barometer in my shoulder is predicting rain so we wanted these 1000cc beauties under safe cover of our sales floor as soon as possible.

-Thanks for reading,
Sean DeAngelis

Congratulations to Gary Orr!

2010-02-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another update to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Today we're congratulating Gary Orr on completing his first ever marathon in 4 hours, 28 minutes, 8 seconds. This all started just over a year ago when Gary went on his weight loss mission and dropped 75lbs. Stew King and Todd Hockensmith, our resident Iron Man, Triathalon and Century runners (yes that means a 100 mile trail run) started after Gary about running a marathon. Gary refused time and time again until finally, in August of last year we all threw in 10 bucks and entered the bossman in the Huntington Beach "Surf City" marathon. The final selling point on his participation was that Rob Danner, Todd Hockensmith, Stew King and Myself would pace and encourage him on the final 13.1 miles.

The old man set a blistering pace the first half of the run and rounded the halfway point in just over 2 hours. This is where we met up with our fearless leader, still in good spirits, stepping it out toward the finish line. From 13.1 to mile marker 16 laughing and joking abounded! We had a raw nipple situation arise that required Teddy to sprint ahead a mile and score some vaseline. Chaffing handled we pressed on. At mile 18 Gary mentioned some discomfort and numbing in his left foot at his 2nd toe. Quick stop and removed his shoe confirmed there was some swelling but no popped blisters or bruising. Shoe back on, quick hit of water and we were underway again.

Now, the 4 minions (Tedd, Stew, Rob and I) have run several marathons. We're all pretty familiar with the "mile 19 wall" that a runner hits. EVERYONE hits said wall and the success of your run depends on how you handle it. I believe in the existence of 3 possibilities:

1 - You impact the mile 19 wall with the grace of a Pontiac Fiero, smash the front clip clear into the rear axle, call the wrecker and leave the race at the local junk yard.

2 - At mile 19 you convince your self that you can walk 1/4 of every other mile and not loose too much time. This in fact will add at least 1 hour to your overall and is considered an epic fail.

3 - A few of your friends climb the wall, anchor down, toss over a rope and drag your ass kicking and screaming over the top and along the last 7.2 in a respectable amount of time!

We chose option three. At mile 19 the pace slowed dramatically and the bossman was running out of steam. The 4:10 pacer passed us and the 4:20 pacer was rapidly approaching. We hit the next fuel table and forced Gary to chuck 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a Cliff bar, cup of gatorade and a cookie and started off again. A few mentions of "How the $@*& did I let you &*#@'s talk me into this?" in between dry heaves but otherwise he was a trooper. Finally, after passing mile 22 the calories found their way into his system and he was back in the zone. Todd and Stew at the front of our formation yelling back words of encouragement, Gary a few paces behind them putting 2 thumbs way up in the air and Me bringing up the rear yelling "grind it out!" periodically. Mile 23, 24 and finally 25 took us right through downtown Huntington Beach and thousands of people had gathered to watch the runners enter the final 1.2 mile stretch. Left, right, left, right, left, right, to the country sounds of his ipod as Gary entered the final mile long, taped off corridor to the finish line. Todd, Stew and I had to duck out and let the boss handle the final half mile on his own. We sprinted along the boardwalk toward finishers corral just in time to see Gary get his award for completion and throw his head back in relief. Exhausted, sore and limping slightly he proclaimed: "This is my LAST marathon ever! Where did you clowns park the car?"

So that's our story and unless North County BMW Motorcycles excepts our challenge to run the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on June 6th man for man I'm not sure we'll be seeing our fearless leader hammering out another 26.2 miles in the NEAR future. And yes that's me calling out the "other guys" in front of everyone reading. Loser buy the other shop pizza and beer! Bring it!

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

First S1000RR Deliveries #2

2010-02-04T14:37:00.000-08:00

Kushan Peykarian Come On Down!

Now this is a little more like it. Not to say Hugo's reactions were dull but come on! Our friend Kushan here has been waiting 4 months for his S1000RR.

Congratulations on your new S1000RR Kushan!

The First S1000RR Deliveries

2010-02-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

Hugo Schreiner, come on down!

Just look at the excitement on this mans face! Tim Geithner isn't this excited on April 15th. Pure anticipation oozes from his every pore. A full acre of cowhyde leather covers his freakishly tall physique. Track scuffed tires mounted in place of the OEM Metzeler Racetech K-3's.

They're Heeeeeeeeeeere

2010-02-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another exciting addition to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles Blog. Today I'm pleased to announce that our first S1000RR's for sale to the public JUST arrived. The truck had barely set the parking brake before Gary was on the forklift trying to unload em! Alan Jackson isn't this fast capitalizing on world crisis events via bad pop-country music. Of course these two bikes, as well as the next 18 that arrive are pre sold. HOWEVER, just as soon as those 20 sales are fulfilled YOU yes YOU can have the very next one that arrives!

Thanks for visiting!
-Sean DeAngelis

Mike Lynch In Full Race Attire

2010-01-31T10:06:00.000-08:00

Coming soon to a straight, flat section of freeway near you: Mike Lynch in full leathers on the S1000RR. He looks like the love child of Max Biaggi and a bad 1980's situational comedy. That SWEET profile view! Looks like someone took two fine Christmas hams and stuffed them down the back of those leathers.

I Finally Got to Ride It.

2010-01-31T09:39:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another exciting post to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Yesterday evening I, Sean DeAngelis, FINALLY got to ride the demo S1000RR a few street miles! I know, I know. You're thinking "Sean, how did you talk Gary into letting you ride the S1000? You ruined 3 of the last 4 bikes you demo(lished)'d?" It was simple really...Mike left the key on his desk and someone else left the bike in the parking lot facing out! Stealthy like a ninja cat I swiped the key, threw on my helmet and ran out the door.

Verdict: It's an evil, evil machine. I actually started off in rain mode and things felt great. You need to twist the throttle quite a ways to get really moving but overall it's glass smooth in the rain setting.

Made a left onto 52 west and dialed up sport mode. TONS of power everywhere in sport mode. Sport mode will probably be the most popular mode among S1000RR street riders. It's got torque, revs and will go 90+ in first gear.

Exited the freeway and got turned back around heading east. Race mode? Absolutely. Low revs: lots of go go. Middle revs: lots more go go. High revs and whack the throttle open: sphincter factor 9, Christ on a pogo-stick, gonna be a few seconds before the sound of your screaming catches up with you fast. I've ridden several 1000cc sport bikes in the last year or so and I'm certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, without question that THIS is the single fastest motorcycle I've ever ridden.

We're giving free Demo rides on the S1000RR all day today (Sunday) and through next week. So if you want to see and feel what all the hype is about come on by and sign up for a spin. You will NOT be disappointed.

Jennie Silver and the S1000RR

2010-01-30T17:36:00.001-08:00

Hey Y'all it's the s#!t!

More S1000RR Shenanigans at SDBMWMC

2010-01-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

Brian "Burgundy" Jones and the S1000RR

2010-01-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

Waiting on a Key

2010-01-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

There is a key, in an envelope, in a FedEx Express overnight delivery van, somewhere in San Diego, headed to our door. That key starts the S1000RR you see pictured above. The DEMO S100RR you see pictured above. More importantly that key starts BMW's participation, dominance and revolution of the fabled "Litre Bike" classification of motorcycle. This is not to say BMW is letting it's enduro, sport touting and touring focus diminish. Far from it. BMW is simply looking a worried Big-4, Ducati and KTM in the face and declaring: "The game is about to change. Try and keep up..."

Big Bike Snow Day!!!

2010-01-25T12:38:00.000-08:00

What to do on a Sunday when the Chargers are not in the playoffs?...Go to the snow.

Gary Eidsmoe and I took off around noon from the Shell station on Los Coches Rd. The weather was absolutely great. Gary was his 2009 BMW 1200 GS Adventure and I was on 2009 1200 GS with after market exhaust (Akrapovic) and suspension (Elka), and Heidenau tires. As we climbed toward Sunrise Highway the temperature consistently dropped, but was never under 44 degrees. However, adding in that fuzzy math for wind chill, humidity, barometric pressure...blah, blah, blah...it still felt cold.

We were going to get off the 8 at Sunrise Highway and take Old 80 the rest of the way to Mc Cain Valley. Only two problems with that idea- number 1, Sunrise Highway was CLOSED and number 2- we realized as we passed the Pine Valley exit that everyone in San Diego all the same idea at the same time...LET'S GO TO THE SNOW!. Cars were backed up on the highway at least half mile back from the exit. Cars were parked on both sides of the freeway so “responsible” adults could let their kids and dogs play in the snow. I kid you not- both shoulders of Hwy 8 East. I would have stopped to take a picture of this snow induced euphoria (read circus), but I would have also been one of those “responsible” adults. Needless to say we skipped that exit and got off at Buckman Springs.

The roads were dry and clear all the way out to McCain valley. We headed out passed the OHV park and stopped at the Corrizo over-look. The skies were clear out the Colo River. We got back on the road and headed toward Cottonwood campground. We went over a couple of rises in the road and as we descended toward the campground, the snow started to accumulate and the tracks were getting slipperier (is that a word). We were doing pretty good slogging through the mud, but then we made a left turn into the campground. The snow had melted and then refrozen...guess what? It doesn't matter what kind of tires you have...you can't get traction on ice! We eventually got turned around, out of the campground and back on McCain Valley Rd.

We went about another half mile, and I think we ended up about half mile short of the end. The ruts were getting deeper, the mud thicker, and the time later. I told Gary I didn't want to wait for the ruts to refreeze to get better traction- meaning I didn't want to be out there past dark. He agreed so we turned around. Coming out was a little better and we were thankful for packed DG freshly dampened.

The bikes did great. Every time I ride one of these GS's in the “outback” I am amazed at their capabilities and reliability. We had a great time and joked that if we keep riding like this together that we will eventually be ready for “The Long Way...something or other”.

Thanks for reading,
-Brian Jones

S1000RR! The Adler...er...Eagle Has Landed!

2010-01-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to the most exciting blog post of the new year. Today we are proud to announce the arrival of San Diego BMW Motorcycles' DEMO S1000RR! It's the Red White and Blue paint scheme also known as "The Awesome One." The S1000 actually arrived here yesterday but we had to uncrate, assemble, clear floor space, push Gary up and down the street on it (we don't receive the key for another couple days), polish and prep it. I'll skip my typical new bike arrival story about why I'm not allowed to ride it (see Novembers update: "Top 10 bikes Gary owns that Sean has trashed") and go straight into why YOU can ride it. This is a no joke BMW DEMO bike. Come on in, we've got a list started, sign up on that list and as soon as the fabled key arrives YOU, yes YOU get to take this evil machine for a demo ride.

What We Got For Christmas

2010-01-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

Mike Lynch got this new toy for Christmas. I have no idea what it is supposed to be but it make the most horrific sounds. He's been giving demonstrations of it's audio annoyance to anyone with a mildly open ear. Through gnashed teeth they typically congratulate him on the re-gift.

Alan got a new iPhone. He can now use his windows based Spider Solitaire skills on Mac's OS.

Brian Jones got a vacation. One day 2 the Jones' family station wagon suffered a fuel pump failure stranding them in a Holiday Inn. I guess technically, Jones got back on the road for Christmas.

Gary Orr got new running shoes. He then pulled tendon in his leg. Gary got frustrated for Christmas.

Mike O'Keefe got golf stuff for Christmas. I know nothing about golf and despite Mike taking 20 minutes to explain what all that golf schwag was I didn't retain one word. Does anyone actually golf anymore? Then made a joke....something about Tiger Woods' best 18 holes.

Geoff got the usual summer sausage from his sister. Geoff hates summer sausage. Works out well for me as I received it as a re-gift.

Joey scored an original copy of The Goonies on VHS. I don't even know where to start with this one. If I myself didn't still have and USE a functional VCR I'd go right into the 80's jokes.

Phil has been seen sporting a new lunch box around the shop. Keeps the lettuce sandwiches and fish oil pills colder than ever before.

Jim insists he received new eye glasses for Christmas but he's still sporting the old birth control ones he's been wearing for years. I'm sceptical but Buddy Holly would be proud.

Stan's kids got new bikes for Christmas. That said, Stan got to run two miles behind his four year old son for Christmas.

Mark still has yet to get a haircut since retiring from Naval Service. Mark is a hippy for Christmas.

Jennie got moon boots. I thought they were for snowboarding. Turns out I was wrong, they're "in" currently. I've been wearing jeans and t-shirts for the better part of 30 years. I couldn't tell you what was "in" if what was "in" punched me in the sternum.

The technicians got left out of the blog for Christmas because they wouldn't tell me what they actually got between Tiger Woods jokes.

What did Sean get? Well let me tell you. I got the best gift of all. "From: Me To: Me" A shiny new guitar slide and timer for my stove. Now I can suck on the guitar country-western style AND retire that K series fire extinguisher I been getting so much use out of.

Thanks for reading,
-Sean DeAngelis

Brian Jones Rawhyde Outing December 2009

2009-12-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

Is it possible to take nine brand new R1200GS riders that have never been off-road and turn them into expert off-road riders in one weekend? The answer with the BMW Off-Road Academy is a resounding “YES”.

I had the opportunity to take nine of our clients to the BMW Off-Road Academy on Dec 4-7. On Saturday morning these nine riders had never been off-road on their R1200GS's. By Sunday evening they were ready to ride in extreme conditions such as these.

The training involves two days of intensive training beginning with the fundamentals of balance, muscle memory, and clutch and throttle control. By Sunday evening the trainees are accomplishing off-camber turns in both directions, high speed whoops, long hill ascents and descents, sand washes, and trails with logs, rocks and other obstacles. It is truly “wow” inspiring what these bikes can ride through with trained riders. Your GS has the ability to continually amaze you.

On Monday morning (you remember the Monday- the wet one, the one with the most rain we've had in one day in the last several years...yea, that Monday)...

...a group of us headed out from Castaic to Trona for a 400 mile GS dual-sport ride. After riding two hours in the rain on I-5, Hwy 138 and The Aqueduct Rd we made it to the Mojave Desert near Burro Schmidt's Tunnel for the best part of the day. Riding in the snow. We were slightly concerned about flash floods and riding in the snow, but we all made it safe and sound. And yes, coming down the snow is the only time we had our outriggers (feet) down. The rest of the time we were out of the saddle on the pegs as we learned in the class.

Everyone in the class had a great time and learned valuable riding skills they will have for the rest of their lives. The training and curriculum is coupled with world class trainers and coaches. These guys, under the leadership Jim Hyde, pour their heart and soul into developing novice riders into well prepared and trained GS Adventure riders.

And the food...let me tell you about the food- we ate like kings and queens. The menu included honey glazed salmon, garlic Parmesan chicken, caramel apple cheesecake bars with streusel topping, plus much more.

I've had the opportunity to attend the BMW Off-Road Academy at RawHyde Adventures twice- once in July when it was 115 degrees and this time when it ranged from 27-47 degrees. I'm determined to get up there one of these times when the temperature is realistic. But as we all agreed the temperature and conditions are part of the “Adventure”.

One more thing...just because you know how to sell BMW GS's, it doesn't necessarily mean you know how to ride them.

Uh...I was trying to climb the hill, not come down it.

Thanks to all the San Diego BMW Motorcycle customers that trusted me to take them on a great adventure. I can't wait to do it again.

Gary, Trevor, Brian, Darren, Peter outside Burro Schmidt's Tunnel

San Diego group (Pepe, Chantel, Siggi, Franz) plus others

Craig was there too...

Meet The Newest Member of out Team

2009-12-17T11:00:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another exciting update to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Today we welcome the newest addition to the team here at SDBMWMC. Just in time for the winter weather and the holiday rush. Obviously, the shop has been undergoing some changes as of recent (not to mention yours truly pulling a Bret Favre at the end of November) and one of the most notable of those changes is this newest member of our family. Obviously, there is a "probationary" period involved in which we evaluate performance and efficiency of the new additions but I'm fairly confident things will work out. I mean, the position only requires performing one real task any given day! So, ladies and gentlemen, without further adieu, I give you: The San Diego BMW Motorcycles Christmas Tree! Sorry about the poor photo, the freaking new guy got in the way.

Thanks for reading.
-Sean DeAngelis

It's Back! Thursday Trade In of the Week

2009-12-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another Thursday Trade In of the Week segment here on the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. I apologize, we haven't run this feature in a few weeks but frankly we haven't had any epic trade in's. UNTIL NOW! You're looking, staring, lusting after, a 100% original VERY FAIR CONDITION 1982 Suzuki GS1100. You're wondering: "Where did you guys find this beauty?" The answer: The guitarist from The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The tall guy from Miami Vice and the talking car from Knight Rider traded it to us for a SDBMWMC coffee mug straight across! Their loss = your gain!

But it does not end there. This gem comes loaded with chrome mufflers and shock springs, current registration, newer tires (burnout approved by Gary Orr in the parking lot last night) and swoopy (yes that's a word) handlebars. We're even throwing in the rattle can the previous trio of owners used to custom paint the old girl.

The first $1240.00 takes this "vintage" "rare" "collectible" and of course "RAD" motorcycle home! Call 858-560-2453 ext 1 and ask for MARK POHLSON if you have any questions on this bike or just want to take a test ride.

Thanks for reading.
-Sean DeAngelis

Hi-Viz Is In!

2009-12-15T18:35:00.000-08:00

Whether you can handle the aesthetics of it or not "Hi-Viz" or "fluorescent" gear is the new black. BMW Motorrad introduced it's new Airshell hi-viz jacket earlier this year with phenomenal results. Safety, comfort and all season usefulness all contributed to overwhelming success of this US-market-only garment. The United States leads the world in left turn collisions involving motorcyclists. That is, MANY motorcycle-on-vehicle collisions involve a vehicle turning left in front of a motorcyclist or a motorcyclist making a left turn and being hit by another vehicle. An overwhelming majority of these accidents were attributed to motorists not seeing the motorcyclist. The reasoning behind the new hi-viz trend obviously...increased visibility. You'll recall headlight modulators, moto-lights, reflective sticker kits for your luggage, HID headlight conversions and Run-n-Light turn signal conversions ALL shared this same purpose and all were highly successful here in the United States...increased visibility of the motorcycle. Well now that same principal is being applied to the rider and wile I don't have hard numbers as to the effectiveness of the new flashy gear I think we can all agree on the "every little bit counts" philosophy when it comes to accident avoidance.

So weather it's BMW's Airshell four season jacket, Scorpions Commander 3/4 length dual sport style jacket, an EXO900 modular hi-viz helmet, ICON Mil-Spec backpack or vest be sure to come on by the shop and check out your options.

Thanks for reading.
-Sean DeAngelis

SDBMWMC's Top Ten

2009-12-11T16:07:00.001-08:00

Sorry about the blurry picture. The "click" of the camera startled Alan from his dream-like state. Today's update is the Top Ten Things Sales Guys Do When It's Raining Outside:

#10 Walk in, say your "good mornings" and try to reach the end of the internet.
#9 Try for the 224th time to convince Sean that Martha Stewart could beat up Hillary Clinton.
#8 Build a post-it house on your desk and simulate rain using a Camel Bak(tm).
#8 Harass the parts department employees who actually have something to do when it's raining.
#7 Two words: Spider Solitaire.
#6 Find 'The one that got away' on Facebook and send a creepy message.
#5 Yes Alan I got my wisdom teeth pulled last month. No Alan, I don't have any more vicodin.
#4 Tell Sean about the Texas Holdem app you downloaded for your iphone and what a great poker face you have when people cannot actually see you.
#3 Pick up random part and ask Sean what it is and what bike it fits. Get offended when Sean tells you it's a "put it the hell down."
#2 Revisit the 1980's in the form of "Your Mama jokes"
And the number one thing Sales guys do when it's raining outside....
#1 Shop poll: Who's hotter, Derek Jeter or Tony Romo?

Thanks for reading.
-Sean DeAngelis

Rob and Dan's Land Speed Bike, Part Two

2009-12-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another very exciting update to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles Blog. Today's post comes in the form of an update on the go-fast bike that Rob Danner and Dan Soltero are in the process of dialing in for a Bonneville speed run. Since we last checked in on our dynamic duo a few mods have been made primarily to the frame:

-The overall length of the bike has been increased 18 inches. Most of this achieved by cutting off the headtube and welding in intermediate tubes from the lower and upper main frame members. These new extensions also allow for a longer rake of the front forks. This increased rake should result in increased stability at speed....Ironic because Harley Davidson motorcycles tend to have big rake numbers but at speed are about as stable as Whitney Houston after a Las Vegas coke bender.

-The fuel tank has been removed and replaced with a flat fuel cell mounted between the parallel upper frame tubes. The cell had to be manufactured completely from hand which by my tally puts the man hours invested at 44 JUST for this piece. Also regarding the fuel cell Dan and Rob realized that the fueling problems experienced on the base run were NOT due to the filter getting clogged by Rob's ebay tank but rather, the petcocks were far too small for the amount of fuel required to keep the mildly built 1000cc opposed twin running at peak RPM. That said, the taps have been replaced with 6mm bore units. 6mm taps are similar to paying 2 gremlins to stand on each cylinder while pouring half gallon jugs of fuel directly into the carbs. When it comes to the land speed bike San Diego BMW Motorcycles is NOT going green this year.

-The OEM /7 seat (a term I'm using VERY loosely here) has been replaced with a slighty less comfortable 4" X 5" piece of rolled aluminum. Not to worry, they've de-burred the edges that way the "pucker factor" doesn't result in any ill placed lacerations. TMI anyone?

-Lastly, though I'm sure I'm probably missing a few mods, Rob and Dan have completely removed the SOSPACS (Sense Of Self Preservation And Common Sense) system from the motorcycle. This modification in and of itself should be worth 6-7mph through the traps.

As always thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

Los Angeles to Barstow to Vegas, 2009.

2009-12-01T17:42:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another exciting update to The San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. Today's update is my personal account of an AMA sanctioned dual sport ride we took part in over the weekend: The "LA to B to V" or Los Angeles to Barstow to Vegas.

I joined local HP2 hero Gary Kepple and his family for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday afternoon. After stuffing ourselves thoroughly make fun of also present Rich Amiton to not participating in the ride we loaded our bikes and headed north...destination Lancaster for the official Friday morning start. On the way up the turnsignal shorted out on my G650X Challenge and took the fuse for the instrument cluster with it. I typically use my GPS as a speedo on the 650 so I didn't realize the lack of display until about 100 miles into the journey the bike sputtered and quit running. As I was frantically trying to pull to the shoulder I noticed that the gas light was not illuminated. Once stopped a quick glance at the gauge cluster informed me that I had lost the fuse, therefore had no idiot light for low fuel, therefore I had run out of gas. Luckily Kepple is good about checking his mirrors and realizing that I had dropped off pulled off the highway, got around the guardrail and back to me. This next part we're getting really good at: We were only the length of the offramp and about 1 mile down the road from a gas station. Without a word Kepple maneuvered his bike behind and to the left of mine, put his right foot against my bike's muffler, a little gas and a little clutch work, smooth shift into second gear and we were off. Down the ramp, a right turn and the aforementioned mile down the road to the gas station. Gassed up, put on the rest of our cold weather gear for the trip up Cajon pass and we were on our way again. The rest of the trip to the starting line was uneventful. Our friend Tudor met up with us at the Holiday Inn later that evening after dropping his truck off in Victorville.

Friday morning 0600 hours. We tech out bikes, load our roll charts, load our GPS's with the provided tracks and hit the trail. Day one was 250 miles for the hard route and took us out of Lancaster via some jeep trails. We rode this two track for roughly 30 miles before getting dropped into a bit of a sand wash and a graded road the took us all the way to first fuel at 80 miles. The sand wash portion was probably more work for the 5 guys on HP2's than it was for Tudor Thomas and myself on our G650's. Loamy, dry, sediment sand rather than the traditional white stuff. The wash gave way to a graded road that ran along the old water culvert. High speed for the most part with the occasional panic brake due to random wash-outs, chicanes and a set of poorly marked railroad tracks.

After fueling we were back on the trail east bound. Whoops. Lots and lots of sand whoops. Again, Tudor and I were thankful to be on the skinny bikes while Gary Kepple, Gary Orr, Mike O'keefe, Del Christianson and Roger Eggers had to gut it out on the big HP2 Enduro's. Funny thing is all five of those guys got in front of and gapped us through most of this section. Upon arriving in Ridgecrest for lunch Kepple spotted an Albertsons with a sandwich deli. Kepple, Tudor and myself quickly parked our bikes, stripped off our gear and ran for the ordering counter. Despite a bit of heartbreak over Kepple NOT being able to order a Subway "Veggie Delight" from the grocer's deli we were all very satisfied with the grub. Sitting out front of the store swapping stories about the previous 4 hours with our mouth's half full of tri tip sandwich's. "Another crummy day on motorcycles with friends." as Kepple always puts it. Then Gary Orr and Mike O'keefe pulled up. Gary's bike looking pretty thrashed. Apparently he had gotten off at pretty good speed about an hour earlier. The headlight on his HP2 was bent down, some rash on the cylinder protectors and the game ender: no front brake reservoir left to speak of. Gary's LA-B-to-V was over.

And then there were six. Another unknown rider confirmed that Del and Roger were still on the trail so Mike, Kepple, Tudor and I mounted back up for the final half of Day one's ride. The only real news from the rest of day one was a cool rocky climb with a dry creek bad and more sediment sand involved. Also noteworthy Roger had a fancy aftermarket for cartridge on his HP2 snap and lost all fluid dampening in his front end. This ended his day and he headed back to the truck where his CRF450X was waiting to take him through day two. Tudor, Kepple, O'keefe and I arrived in Barstow just before dark. Mission accomplished as none of us wanted to be on the trail after the sun was gone.

Day two 0600 hours. Gary Orr called to inform us the Mike O'keefe was in no shape to ride the second day. Roger had not planned to ride day two after a wad up on his Husaberg a couple weeks earlier. So then there were four. Tudor and I were late to the starting point as always and Kepple and Del had already taken off. No worries we checked out and hit the trail at about 0630 cold and a bit sore from the previous day's riding. Day two was 290 miles on the hard routes and we knew we'd have to keep moving to reach Red Rock Canyon in the daylight. Neither Tudor or I had ever ridden through the famed canyon that completes day two's mileage but we'd been told enough times that we did NOT want to be navigating it after dark.

This second day was more of the same. Sand / sediment mix, lots of whoops and a bit of graded road. Just before Sandy Valley we ran into some light hail and rain but nothing to get worked up about. Tudor and I came to an intersection with pavement and decided to take the asphalt to Sandy Valley Elemantary rather than continue along the graded (we were feeling tires and a bit Nancy-esque). Quick fuel splash and lunch at the elementary school and we were back on the trail toward Red Rock Canyon. From Sandy Valley to Red Rock was LOTS of actual sand...the white slightly moist kind....THE BEST KIND. I absolutely LOVE riding in smooth whooped out sand where the emphasis is on smooth-is-fast and quick-is-slow. Tudor was having a blast as well despite having a bit of a yard sale at about halfway through the wash. Finally after about an hour we hit the asphalt again. About 15 miles of road riding (yes this is a TRUE dual sport ride) to the mouth of Red Rock. We were one section of navigating away from the finish line.

I took the lead and quickly checked out on Tudor who was taking time to setup his helmet camera and let the dust settle. Along the way I passed a few guys on DRZ's that had stopped to take pictures of the scenic red rocks and the setting son. Red Rock Canyon is mostly a mildly technical jeep trail with a few creek wash outs thrown in for good measure. A few miles later I happened on a guy who's KTM was all but upside down venting fuel at a rather alarming rate. I side-stand the G650 and helped him right his horse before continuing on. Once I had crested the highest point, the trail wound back down the mountain in a series of off camber 180 degree turns. Saw a few hikers and mountain bikers who's evenings were seemed to be ruining with our traffic and dust but I didn't care. Lastly, just as my GPS clipped off mile 281 of that second day, I exited the trail into the parking area at the bottom and waited for Tudor. He was only a few minutes behind and seemed to have enjoyed himself.

In closing...the LA-B to V is still the premier dual sport ride in the west. Though not as technical as years last the added distance certainly made up for any exhaustion we were missing. Hope to see more of you out there next year and as always: Thanks for reading.

-Sean DeAngelis

You Meet The Nicest People in Tazmania

2009-11-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

It's funny how the motorcycling world fits together. In December 2005 Kit and I were touring Tazmania, the island below Australia, with our friends Lin and Prue when we encountered this gal on her way back over to mainland Australia to sell the R100RT she was riding. Her name was Margaret Peart a.k.a. Beemerbird and she told us she was planning a trip to the states and I said look us up when you pass through. Sure enough Margaret has stayed with us 4 times how on her travels in the Americas.

Her website is Riding to Extremes http://www.ridingtoextremes.com/ and there are some upcoming updates on her travels the length of North and South America. Most recently she was a finisher in the storied Iron Butt, the big one, the real deal.

Kit and I so enjoy Margaret's company. Any woman who not only rides by herself, but from the extemes of the world, has an interesting outlook. She makes us not only want to explore the world more ourselves, but just as importantly guests on the road really make you appreciate the home cooked meals and normally mundane household routines, like going to Costco or tending the garden.

Margaret and her mighty Iron Butt R1200GS are on thier way back to Australia next week to prepare for her next extreme adventure, the top of Norway to the tip of South Africa. And coincidentally we might get hooked up next year in Europe as Kit and I plan on a late June early July European trip agian with our Australian friends Lin and Prue finishing up at the BMW Rally in Garmisch.

All packed and ready for transport home to Australia her GS has quite a load, in fact it has a mailbox so it may even have it's own ZIP code. As John Hermann says, 'till we meet again in the Alps.

Hey, It's for Charity Right?

2009-11-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone and welcome to another exciting San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog update. Today's post is a recap of an event that Rob Danner and I took part in over the weekend. Saturday morning to be exact. A friend of a friend had put together a benefit for Toys For Tots. The objective: Run two miles as fast as you can. Eat one dozen Krispy Kreme glaze donuts. Then run another two miles to the finish line. The following is this participants account of that mornings activities:

-7:15am. Rob and I are stretching in preparation for the start. Carefully eyeing the competition, making mental notes of waist lines. A taller gentleman to my left looks like he might be a problem. He's wearing a $200 pair of Puma running shoes and looks hungry...real hungry. We're gonna need to get out to a big lead early in the run because I can tell by the look in this mans eyes he can crush the 12 donuts NO problem.

-7:30 am. The starter says "Go" and the run is on. I start out at a pretty good clip which settles me comfortably in 7th place. Rob is a few runners back. I'm running faster than my marathon pace and feeling more winded because of it. It's been 4 loooong years since Sergeant DeAngelis was running 3 mile PFT's for time and score....It shows. Last night's 3 Dewers on the rocks and that cigar are flashing through my mind. Nonetheless I clip off 6th and 5th place runners by the close of the first mile. The first 3 participants are long gone....ultra runners: can't beat em, can't join em (that means you Bill Siebold).

-7:14am. I cross the halfway line and make my way over to the "Consumption Station" (huge table stacked with Krispy Kreme donut boxes). I recall Tedd and Rob, while talking me into this idiotic event, explaining how light and airy KK's donuts are and that "One Krispy Kreme donut is like eating glazed air." As I'm handed my box with a big number "8" markered on the lid I realize that no....this box of 12 donuts feels every bit as heavy as any other box of 12 donuts I've ever carried. As I slip open the lid I'm confronted with 12 average sized donuts COVERED in glaze. I have NEVER seen this much glaze on donuts. These little suckers must be 400 calories a piece! Hey, it's for charity right? Aggravated, I sit down on the ground with 2 cups of water, remove the first donut from my box and begin.

The first bite is poison. The preceding two mile sprint has dropped my blood sugar level. Now, as though giving my metabolism the adventure salute, I'm taking a bite of this hellish pastry. My face contorts into that familiar "I just did a double shot of grocery store tequila" shape and I frantically reach for the water. The H2O chaser helps slightly. Hey, it's for charity right? About this time Rob sits down next to me with his box of Mc Yucky, opens it and:

Rob: "Dude....that's a lot of glazing"
Me: "Yeah, I see that. Light n airy. Jerk"
Rob: "No really, I worked at a Krispy Kreme back in high school...we didn't make em like this"
Me: "Really? Probably a health issue. You're still a jerk."
Rob: "How many have you eaten?"
Me: "THIS, my friend" holding up the remaining half donut "is my first one. You actually think you can eat 12 of these crap cakes?"
Rob: "Gotta bro...or get DQ'd"

Rob picks up one of his Mc Yuckys and jams the entire thing in his mouth. The other hand reaches for the water and in one smooth motion he chases the donut with a water shooter. He lets out a grunt, clears his throat and goes in for a second donut. His wife, Melanie makes her way over with another cup of water. I'm calling him an idiot between dry-heaves, still eyeing what remains of my first donut.

Another minute passes and now the runners are coming in rapid like. Each one grabbing his or her box of Krappy Kreme and going to work. I'm staring down number 3 with contempt. Suddenly a cheer erupts from the crowd and I see the lead guy (Tracy) dash off. HE'S FINISHED! Tracy runs 100 mile ultra marathons in the mountains, is probably 45 years old and SOMEHOW just powered down 12 of these god awful things. And NOW, as if that all wasn't enough, he's in a dead sprint down the course.

Rob lets out another grunt and to my horror as I turn back his direction I see that he only has 3 of his hell-bagels left. My temper flares. I reach down, grab my water, shove the remainder of my 2nd donut in my face, chew, swallow, chase.

Rob: "There you go Sean. Give em hell."
Me: "I'm about to hit you. These are the nastiest things I've ever eaten."
Rob: "They're not that bad. Just don't focus on the taste."
Me: "Rob, we've know each other a long time..but really, I'm gonna hit you if you say another word about these donuts."
Rob: "Does 'This is my last one' count as talking about the donuts?"

AHHH! I stand up, grab my box of fried, glazed yuck and head for the trash can toss it in and walk straight over to the scoring table. I let the man with the clipboard know that I'm disqualified fall in pace next to Rob as he sets off on the second 2 mile loop.

Rob: "Dude. I feel bad....like...really bad."
Me: "Really, that's surprising, it was only 12 light and airy, delicious, heavily glazed Krispy Kreme donuts.
Rob: "DON'T talk about them." he burps "Oh god...they're fighting me."
Me: "Easy Rob...go easy man."

I feel like I'm talking down a hostage situation now. Me versus Rob's gigantic stomach. I look back and can see other runners departing the consumption station. They look like hungover high schoolers doing the panic exodus from some unsuspecting parents home the morning after a kegger. Somehow, Rob is managing a pretty good pace despite the gluttony. We continue the remainder of the run and upon finishing Rob is declared 7th place.

In retrospect, all the toys we collected (the entry fee was one new, unwrapped toy and $7 to cover the dirty dozen) went to Toys for Tots San Diego chapter so I can't be completely bummed. But in the future I'm gonna recommend Keith substitute taco's or egg nog or hard boiled eggs or ANYTHING but those double original glazed Krispy Kreme roundies.

300,000 Mile Gentleman - Henri Warren Sr.

2009-11-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Henri Warren Sr. on his 300,000 miles plaque and badge from BMW Motorrad USA. I was feelin' pretty good about 100,000 miles myself, but I'll have to up my annual pace to catch Henri. Couldn't happen to a nicer fella', a real gentleman. Catch up to Henri on his 75th birthday present to himself, an R1200R.

Mike Lynch

Thursday Trade In of the Week - Italian Moto Hooligan

2009-11-12T10:25:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to this weeks "Trade In of the Week" segment here on the SDBMWMC blog. Today's bike is a 2003 Moto Guzzi V11 Sport. If you've never heard one of these engines run it's worth the trip down here just to turn the key and wrap the throttle open a few times. Sort of a cross between that 340 Cuda your neighbor had growing up and a dry clutch desmo. Whatever the description of the operational audio the visual is all Italian Hooligan at it's absolute finest.

Guzzi annodized all the aluminum frame members on these bikes which adds a nice touch to the otherwise raw rigid members. The paint is a maroon that I can assure you has NEVER graced the fairings to another motorcycle. There is a carbon fiber front clip which I'm not typically a fan of but in this RARE instance it was done correctly. Just enough of the gray-n-black weave to set off the cafe style headlight (round, chrome...the way it should be). The clip-ons are swept back also in keeping with the cafe ergo's but not so much as to give you that Triumph feel.

Come on by the shop this weekend (swap meet Saturday!) and have a look, listen or even ride this beauty. Thanks for reading as always.
-Sean DeAngelis

Hammer of Thor Gets a Facelift

2009-11-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

Race bike. Race bike. Race bike. Gary's race bike looks a whole lot cooler as of this morning. Combine the new aesthetics with a few....um....penny mods he had done to engine and we've got a serious contender here. The pictures really don't do the bike justice so you probably should just come on down here and see it in person. Coffee is fresh and there are still a few donuts left! Unfortunately I'm told the manikin is the only one allowed to sit on it. Well....the actual verbiage was "SEAN! You, you specifically, are not allowed to sit on it."

Thanks for reading
-Sean DeAngelis

Mike Lynch. A 100,000 Mile Man

2009-11-06T12:42:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog update. Today's post comes in the form of a HUGE congratulations to our sales manager Mike Lynch for getting his 100,000 mile award from BMW Motorrad. Mike put 92,000 of those miles on old Zelda The Green Hornet (R1100RT), the remainder of them on his 2008 R1200RT. Here is Mike accepting his accolade from the bossman:
It would appear the while 100,000 miles might make you a rather savvy motorcycle rider it does NOT guarantee a savvy sense of dress. Hey Mike, the 1980's are on the phone and want that shirt back.

So when you stop by the shop this weekend (You are stopping by the shop this weekend...Aren't you?) be sure to congratulate big Mike in his technicolor dreamcoat for hitting the "ton" mark.

Thursday Trade In of the Week-SOLD!!!

2009-11-04T15:26:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another Thursday edition of Thursday's Trade In of the Week. This weeks ripper is a mint condition 2003 Ducati ST4S. The ST4S is Ducati's distance friendly version their popular and stunningly beautiful 4 valve per cylinder 996. The bike marked a new level of performance to be expected out of a day to day sport-tourer and commuter. It's 996cc V Twin, liquid cooled powerplant produces 117 horsepower and 72 foot pounds of torque. Motorcyclist online raves: "This ferocious, quick-revving motor is an adrenaline factory on fast, open roads, pulling with authority well into double-digit revs." Our trade comes loaded with:

10,365 Original Miles
Outstanding Condition
Ohlins Suspension
Factory Cases
All Available Carbon Fiber Trim Pieces
Italian Style and Thunder

For $7505.00 you can have one of the best all around sport and touring machines Ducati has ever produced. And while we can't say this bike is as much fun as say......a K1300GT...it's sure to put a smile on your face mile after mile for a few less dollars.

Rob and Dan's Land Speed Bike - Chapter One

2009-10-26T21:04:00.001-07:00

Rob and Dan set out earlier this year on an interesting senior thesis to complete their BA degrees in mechanical engineering. Take a bone stock R100RT and set a land speed record. You read that correctly. After much toil and essentially stripping every possible non-necessity piece off the old 2 valve boxer they set off last weekend for El Mirage dry lake bed for the base run. Essentially what they're trying to do is get raw data from the stripped bike, stretch the frame, built a streamliner body, heavily modify the engine and do another run. As it pertains to the thesis they'll need to document what modifications resulted in what gains / losses and why.

Save for spending a few nights over the last 6 months drinking beer in the garage while Rob and Dan worked I've done nothing in support of the operation. So it comes as no surprise that I had to be present for the fruits of the labor. Sunday morning after an interesting (to say the least) night of camping we packed up and headed for the lake bed. Rob and Dan already had the bike staged in the rookie lane and were first in line to run. Then the wind started. A steady 40mph crosswind that seemed to pick up every available grit of sand and lodge it comfortable between our incisors, eyelids, inner ear and um...

Finally, after 90 minutes delay the promoters deemed conditions fit for fast. The wind didn't seem to have died down in the least but the massive dust clouds we no longer sweeping across the track. Probably because there was no more loose sediment lest to be picked up and hurled into any available crack or crevice. In any case Rob suited up and began giving the bike the once over. It is at this point in the blog post that I'm going to illustrate a few important facts:

1. If you've got dreams of grandeur that Rob and Dan have built the next "Worlds Fastest Indian" you should probably close your browser window and go back to Law and Order. The R100 in question is about as mechanically sound as one of those Ralph Nader edition Corvairs. The "tech inspection" the bike was put through consisted of a salty looking 60 year old man in an "I'm with ugly" T-shirt asking Rob if he was "bored and rich" or "poor and stupid?" The "insider scoop" was one of the veterans (I assume he was a veteran because he didn't look a day under 80) asking me for a cigarette and mention something about not hitting any birds. Deadman kill switch: yarn tied from the zipper of Rob's leathers to the ignition coil wire.

2. The chase vehicle. 1977 Dodge Tradesman van with optional CB radio, 312,000 miles (didn't look a day over 400,000) and creepy 70's curtains on the side windows. All the character this classic holds doesn't stop Donny from dropping the hammer when the starter says "go" and blitzing a whoops section that runs parallel to the marked course with a trailer in tow. As soon as the 340lb sliding side door on this baby opens Steely Dan's Aja album starts playing from somewhere in the heavens.

The way the SCCA runs the event, every participating vehicle must have a chase vehicle, typically a pickup truck, that drives to the end of the speed trap and retrieves the bikes and cars that are actually participating in the races. In our case Donny Angel of Sonny Angel Motorcycle fame volunteered his van, time and experience at El Mirage. Rob fired up the bike, 6 of us piled in the van, Rob stabbed the R100 into gear, dropped the hammer, Donny did the same in the van and we were off.

First gear seemed relatively uneventful. The bike has almost no muffler to speak of so we were easily able to hear the missed shift into second. On his second try Rob got found the gear and grabbed a wristfull of throttle. His roost cloud started hitting the van windshield so Donny pointed the van off to the left. About the time Rob got 3rd gear he was quickly gapping the chase wagon off our starboard bow. As Rob shrank into the distance we could hear the boxer raising hell. A con-trail of dust rising from behind as bike and rider began to resemble a Bavarian asteroid streaking across the horizon. Seconds later, as Rob reached the 1.3 miles mark of the 2.6 mile course he disappeared from view. Donny continued along the parallel access road toward the catch area at the end of the lake. Not a word was spoken as we all listened intently to the CB for a speed announcement from the control tower. No announcement came and as we approached the end of the lake with no word on the run over the citizens band and no sign of Rob a nervous atmosphere formed among the Mopar's disco interior. Then, just as another chase vehicle pulled off the course and out of our view, there was Rob. Sitting atop the R100, a grin on his face, helmet resting on the gas tank, time ticket in his hand.

"Well? How fast?" the 6 of us inquired in unison. Rob's smile took on more of a wince. "68 miles an hour. The bike started breaking up REAL bad as I was entering the trap. By the time I got to the far end it was barley running." Everyone jumps to action and gets the bike on the trailer. We had set up a secondary camp at about the 1/2 way mark and had Donny drop Tedd and I off there to retrieve tools, another car and the timing light. Tedd began running through a list of possible causes as I drove back to the starting line. "It's gotta be fuel." he said. "I fired the bike up this morning on the trailer and the timing was good. It revved to the moon on the trailer without a problem. It's gotta be fuel." I slid the car to a stop in the parking area and we too off on foot for the starting line. Donny had Rob and Dan pulling air tubes and checking for blockage or a collapsed air filter. Todd set up the timing light, popped the plug and fired the bike. "Timing's spot on bro. Pull the fuel lines." Rob chimed in "Air filters fine and we can't run in this dust without a filter." Donny confirmed we'd need the air filter and checked that the fuel cap was venting. "Cap's fine kids." Dan pulled the fuel line off the carb on the right side and not a drop came out. Nada. Todd puled the left inline filter and open it. Upon finding it completely blocked he said: "Rob. Where did you get this tank? This filter is packed with sediment." The action stops and all eyes are on Rob... Rob lowers his head and mutters one word "Ebay."

All is still for a few seconds until the announcer chimes in "First call all bikes. This will be your final run as the winds are picking up again. First call all bikes." Another mad scramble ensues. Tedd tosses the screens from the fuel filter housings in the tool box and reassembles fuel lines. Rob and Josh are jamming the air tubes back into the airbox and carbs. Donny is hooking the ramp back on the trailer and pulling off the tie downs. Dan shoehorning himself into the leathers. Me, I found Rob's cooler and was pulling nervously at a Tecate.

Once the bike was off the trailer and Dan was suited up in the leathers Todd and I headed back to out mid-course secondary camp. We arrived to find the wives and girlfriends tuned into the CB waiting for Dan's number to be called. Todd filled the girls in on the repairs and how poorly the bike worked on Rob's run but that Dan was about to make a second and final run. Minutes later Dan's number was called and everyone turned toward the starting line. From where we were now standing we should see Dan pass by about 300 feet before the start of the speed trap. If the bike was going to start breaking up we'd definitely be able to hear it.

With a cloud of dust from the starting line we could see Dan make his launch. The Dodge in hot pursuit confirmed it was our guy. Poof. Another cloud marked a much cleaner shift into second than the previous run. Now the van was headed off the course in our direction toward the parallel road. A break in the wind gave an opportunity for us to hear the firsts sounds of the 1000cc boxer winding and churning it's way toward another shift. The third dust little dust cloud confirmed 3rd gear and now the con-trail was forming nicely. The engine spooling up was becoming more audible as the bike drew nearer to our point on the track. RPM's climbing, climbing, climbing.... Each millisecond creating more anticipation for the money shift into 4th gear. The gear that would carry Rob and Dan's Motorrad Rocket through the timed trap. Dan is almost directly in front of us right now and the engine is at it's full and terrifying roar. The Dyna ignition, fuel feed and slightly modified intake working together perfectly. Nay a spudder, only the smooth and precise audibles of the now pristine running boxer. As smooth as if it were electronically assisted and just as he passes in front of us Dan pops the transmission into 4th. The RPM's drop back into the meat of the powerband and in a final grunt toward the speed traps. Dan is folded up tighter than a Marine Barracks bed linen, his helmet nearly resting on the fuel tank. The dust rises furiously with every inch he streaks along forming a wedge into the sky with the R100 on the bleeding tip. Now as he slips into the speed trap the cloud begins to obscure him from view. Less than a second later the only sign that the bike is still powering along is the scream from the engine emitting from the megaphone exhaust.

Donny and Josh blaze past in the chase van.

5 minutes go by and no sign of our guys. 10 minutes still nothing. I find another Tecate. Finally after 15 minutes the van appears in the blowing dust, a smiling Donny seen through the windshield. Before they're even stopped the sliding door is open and Dan announces "96.77 miles an hour! Not a bad starting point considering the wind." "Well" Donny follows up "You didn't break the ton mark but I'd say it was a pretty respectable first time."

Stay tuned to the blog for updates on this little endeavor and as always thanks for reading.
-Sean DeAngelis

Zelda II - Trade in of the week

2009-10-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

Many of you are familiar with Zelda the Green Hornet, my previous 1999 R1100RT in Boston Green. I put 90,000 miles on her, most with Kit on the back, and in many way she's responsible for me getting the job here at San Diego BMW as riding experience is definitely a consideration here. Well Zelda sold to a mechanic at BMW of San Diego, the car place, because I had the gone through the check list of mechanical ills that afflict RT's, gearbox and clutch, ABS pump, service history and she was in pretty nice cosmetic shape for 90k even if I do say so myself. Here she is after her last big trip to Guadalajara.

Well Zelda II was traded in last week built 155 bikes after mine, same year, same bike but with only 22,007 miles and in outstanding condition, fresh major 24k/annual service, unmolested, that is bone stock. And it's not going for four times the price either with only 1/4 of the miles.

So come on over and snap her up and you too may be lucky enough to land the best job in the world after 6 or 7 years and 70,000 miles as I'm not gonna' be around forever, not that I'm not gonna' try and be around forever, it's just too much fun here.

All time great bruises....

2009-10-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

From Mark and Hannah,

"We got rear ended in a small town (loreto) right when you think your riding smart, trying to turn off to find a room beautiful spot on the Cortez side a day ride away from la Paz and the ferry to the mainland. And then things changed. Unbelievable!!!
We're both ok, 18 hours of Mexican healthcare. 2 broken ribs, some stifffff necks, some road rash and a BRUISE to write home about. Oh and 700$ dollars.... Going to try to get the bike running after a day of rest. To be continued...."

Mike

Epic Forklift FAIL!

2009-10-16T10:23:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to a spontaneous addition to the SDBMWMC blog. This is Stan Lundeen failing in a big way. How NOT to operate a forklift. You see, a 7500lb forklift, with smooth urethane tires, doesn't exactly have a lot of off-road prowess. Matter or fact, it would appear that if so much as one wheel slips off the paved surface you get stuck, in Gary's flowers.

So now, as I type this, we've got 200 feet of tow straps and tie-downs wraped around every conceivable place on the forklift and at the other end, our pickup that has needed a new transmission for ....oh.....2 years. I think what Stan is going for here is 2 fails in one morning. High center forklift in Gary's beloved flowers - check. Grenade tranny in Gary's beloved shop truck - check. Or perhaps a "TRIFECTA of FAIL" if he's able to spring the forklift loose only to clean out the 3 demo bikes parked just off to the left in the last picture!

Thursday Trade In of the Week

2009-10-14T12:45:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone and welcome to another exciting edition of our "Trade In of the Week" segment here on the SDBMWMC blog. Today's feature comes a day early because, quite frankly, this bike will probably be sold before the sun rises tomorrow morning. What you're seeing here is a MINT condition 2006 Harley V-Rod VRSCSE2 Screamin' Eagle!

Lets pretend for a moment the you were tired of turning heads wherever you ride. You have the polar opposite of "Look at me" syndrome. You crave stealth, a low profile, less-is-more. You want to depict that strong, silent type of motorcycle rider. Well then THIS is the flaming chicken for you! From the subtle "surface of the sun" yellow to orange paint scheme to the ninja-quiet 472lbs of chrome....whatever, this bike was designed to walk softly and carry a big tow strap. But it does not stop there. Owning a Harley Davidson means you own the very LATEST in 1970's technology, handling, ergonomics and design. That's right, look out Bultaco...there's a new king of motorcycle innovation and design prowess...and it's called the VRSCSE2.1-Alpha;YT2X(charlie) dot-dot-dash sierra victor!

This bike comes fully loaded with:
-windscreen
-a seat
-4 turn signals
-decorative rear shocks (Harley Davidson and it's affiliates make no claim the these shocks will dampen or in any way improve ride quality or control of the motorcycle. Hit bumps at your own risk. Always wear a helmet and approved safety gear.)

You all (or Y'all as Jenni and Gary say) better hurry down here and get a look for yourselves because like I stated earlier, I can't imagine this bike is gonna last long. The first $16,977 takes this chic magnet on down the road! .38 Special 8-track cassette not included with this sale.

Thanks for reading,
-Sean DeAngelis

Meet Igor Brezovar

2009-10-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

Meet Igor "Mans Game" Brezovar. Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor look like choir boys commuting to grade school on Puch mopeds compared to this guy. The closest thing to a chase vehicle Igor has is his girlfriend riding pillion for the Alaska to San Diego portion of his journey. Igor is a native of the Czech Republic and he set out 3 years ago on a round the world trip on his 1999 BMW R1100GS. It had been a lifelong dream of his to travel earth on a motorcycle and now he's San Diego to the southern tip of Argentina away from completion. Hey Igor! Jed Clampett called, he'd like you to help him pack his rig next time.

As for the gory details of his travels I don't have a whole lot as my Czech isn't what it used to be. I was able to figure out that in 96,000 miles he has not had a single mechanical failure, Americans pay way to much for a pack of Marlboro Light's and that apparently, people in Oregon call the highway patrol when you urinate on the side of the freeway. Mans Game has been through a LOT of countries in his travels but unless you care to count the stickers we'll not know the exact number. Here's to you Igor! For sucking less and doing more.

Thanks for reading,
-Sean DeAngelis

See You at the Crosswinds

2009-10-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another SDBMWMC blog update. Today's post is a simple ride report from yesterday.

1800 hours Saturday. A quick glance at the www.wunderground.com showed PERFECT conditions in the desert. Time to break out the G650X/C for the first of many Superstition Mountain visits. I quickly threw together the logistics. Get home, load gear and tent on bike, hit ATM machine, get to the desert before 2300 hours and prepare for a Sunday filled with rocks and sand.

1832 hours Saturday. Gear, tent and smaller belongings strewn about the living room floor. Amos, my 14 year old bassett hound has made himself a nice nap pad out of my iso-mat and sleeping bag. Ruggy, my 2 year old korgy-shepherd (no joke on that one, odd doesn't begin to describe what this mutt looks like) is making an effective chew toy out of my tent poles. Clearly, I'm rusty at getting it together last minute for these trips. In between wiping bassett hound drool off of my sleeping bag and locating an actual dog toy for Mr. Ruggy my phone rings.

"Hey Sean it's Cormac. Your cousin's best friend from college!"
"Um...oh hey Cormac. Long time no see. What's up?"
"I'm in San Diego for a Ear Nose and Throat Convention downtown. Figured I'd call and see if you want to hang out."
-Quick notice here to all you doctors reading this: While the vast majority of the Medi-ignorant public typically leap at the chance to spend time with you and hammer away questions about our aches, pains, growth's and eligibility of medicinal marijuana prescription...LEAPING AT THAT CHANCE WILL NEVER HAPPEN ON THE FIRST DESERT WEEKEND OF THE SEASON. Refer to the aforementioned shameless link to my favorite weather site for that information.
"Um...Yeah Cormac. What day were you wanting to get together?" I already know the answer to this one. He's a doctor, he deals with punctuality and appointments EVERY DAY, of course he wants an on the spot, unannounced consult with his best friends cousin.
"TONIGHT BRO! I love this town! Wooooooooo!!!!!!!! We're already at the bar bro!"

1945 hours Saturday. I'm navigating my Madza 3 around downtown looking for parking.
2038 hours Saturday. Actually find a spot a mere 3.25 miles from where Cormac is staying.

0600 hours Sunday. At home throwing all my overnight gear back in the spare room and gathering the bare necessities for a same day desert trip. Hop on the bike hit the gas station and head east.

0900 hours Sunday. I meet up with Gary Kepple and we set off for the Tecate divide. Gary has been playing around with google earth and loaded some exploration tracks into his GPS. We're looking for a GS-able route from roughly the Boulevard area down to the desert floor without getting on the freeway. As we near Golden Acorn Casino we're greeted by a 40-50mph crosswind from the south. This tie of year this crosswind is expected and not really an issue for me. I normal slow down a bit and keep cruising. But, because Kepple is in front of me I'm able to actually see just how FAR out bikes are being blow off line and what kind of lean angles the wind is creating I start to worry.

1030 hours Sunday. We've been down a few trails and washes but the underlying theme of this gusting crosswind is ever prevalent. It's just NOT letting up. Each time we crest a rock formation or ridge we're struggling to keep the bikes upright while doing our best NOT to slip off the trail into a gorge or heaven forbid over the cliff. It's pucker factor 8 nearly the entire trip down toward the desert floor. At one point we're riding on the old highway through the mountains which takes us along a cliff overlooking the current freeway and the cars heading west back toward San Diego. Kepple is standing tall on the footpegs of his HP2 riding along and looking over the edge. My brain raises pucker factor 8 to 8.59 and makes ready at the kill switch. I on the ther hand am riding as far from the edge as I can get pretending to also be taking in the view to avoid the ridicule that accompanies a terror of heights, or rather falling from them. That old familiar panic is setting in as I watch the Kepple weave left to right along the drop. My brain initiates Lamaze breathing to control the heart rate and assist is preventing me from pooping myself.

1310 hours Sunday. We've ridden through a drainage culvert under the eastbound Interstate 8 and stopped at the Texaco for fuel and snacks. Wind, still blowin!

I'll sum up the rest of the ride in a few short words as I'm told these blog posts are supposed to be brief. It was windy. Particularly crossing the Pine Valley bridge where the wind sock was at full suck. In closing, these early weeks of desert season are much anticipated, and help shake the cobwebs off the knobbies. But the weather...while unable to squash the fun factor....can make for some tense moments.

Thanks for reading,
-Sean DeAngelis

My Best Gear Purchase Ever

2009-09-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another SDBMWMC blog update. Today I'm showcasing a particular piece of riding apparel I own rather than a motorcycle. This is the BMW Coverall Suit and it's, without question, the best piece of riding apparel I've ever owned. I've been waiting for MONTHS for the weather to break and the cooler temperatures to creep back in just so I can wear this thing again and showcase it here on the web.

The Coverall suit has huge, waterproof zippers along the front and up the length of each leg which means I can throw it over my work clothes (with my boots already on) in seconds and hop on the bike. I chose to size mine a little on the snug side because in the fall, winter and spring I use it as my riding suit. That is, I wear only thermal pants and shirt underneath. The entire suit is 100% waterproof and windproof which unfortunately renders it too warm for the summer months but 90% of my street riding is done from October to May. Here are some of the bullet points from BMW:

One-piece suit
Three-layer laminate with breathable water and windproof
Mesh lining for inner pockets
Removable SC protectors for shoulders, elbows, hips and knees (two height positions)
NP ProAir back protector can be retrofitted in back protector pocket
3M® reflective print on shoulders and back
Water and windproof Storm® zips
Long front zip and two leg zips for convenience
Adjustable waist
One waterproof exterior chest pocket, one interior chest pocket, one sleeve pocket on the right forearm, and two pant pockets
Sizes (unisex): XS-XXXL
Color: black

Like I said, this is the BEST piece of riding gear I've ever purchased. I looked at buying an Aerostitch in spring of last year but the price tag put me off. I hunted around for a used one, looked at the closeouts but still wasn't comfortable with the price. Finally in May BMW released the Coverall Suit in the U.S. $750.00 got me a waterproof, easy, comfortable, good looking textile that folds up small enough to fit in a side case. Thanks for reading.

-Sean DeAngelis

Thursday Trade In of the Week

2009-09-24T11:43:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another Thursday segment here on the blog. Our Trade In of the Week is a 2008 Kawasaki KLR 650. Go anywhere, cheap! That's pretty much the sales pitch of the tried and true KLR line. Dae Woo cars would think these things are built on a budget. But the KLR has proven successful for Kawasaki for over a decade. In this case, $4195.00 gets you on board an entry level adventure and dual sport bike with just over 12,000 miles, Bar risers, rear luggage rack and Pro Taper handle bars. All that at 50+ miles per gallon at cruising speeds make the KLR a really sensible commuter or dual sport machine. Come on down and ride our KLR.

Yes That is a Race Bike

2009-09-18T13:52:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone and welcome to another exciting update to the coolest blog in the motorcycle industry! Tall claim? Read on.

What you see in this picture is the most terrifying "S" bike on the planet. It comes equipped with an equally terrifying name: Hammer of Thor II. Full titanium exhaust system? Yup. Race spec Ohlins suspension? Yup. One off race bodywork and belly pan? Yup. Miles of safety wire? Oh yeah. ABS? Nope.

Earlier this week I mentioned that Gary Orr, having recently turned 40, might be experiencing symptoms common with midlife crisis. But all the doubters hushed my e-psychoanalysis and ridiculed me for five long days. Well who among you doubts me now? I mean, LOOK AT THIS THING! If I had to guess what the love child of Mike Tyson and a Sherman tank would look like this would be my first guess.

But I'm not worried. Gary is no stranger to club racing. Back in the 1990's he could be seen piloting a Honda Hawk around road courses in the midwest on his was to a class championship. And we've all come to realize he's usually the fast guy at the track days we attend. No I'm guessing the worst is in store for the competition. I can almost picture it now: Some kid on a 749 gets blown off by a 40 something on bike that had 2 giant biceps sticking out the sides.

So Joe and Gary are loading up the van now headed for Willow Springs. Mike O'keefe is on vacation is Australia. Safe to say "When the cats are away...." we're having a pizza party tomorrow. Best of luck to our fearless leader in his race Sunday!

Thanks for reading,
-Sean DeAngelis

Thursday Trade In of the Week

2009-09-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

This week's winner is a mint condition 2002 BMW R1150RT. Even without having ever ridden one we're all very familiar with these machines. Gracing the rear view mirrors of our motorcycles and cars, piloted buy California's finest. That's right kids we've all opened our wallets, courtesy of the California Highway Patrol, after being stopped by the weapon of choice in the war on speeding.

Even a CHP motor officer might jump at a chance to own this one because it comes with every available BMW option for 2002 and additionally:

Ohlins Suspension
ABS
Heated Grips
Electrically Adjustable Windscreen
Throttlemeister Cruise Control
Givi Top Box

These R1150RT's are the industry landmark when it comes to touring and commuting. Enough luggage to pack a week's worth of goods, enough torque to get you and said gear up even the steepest mountain road and enough BMW reliability to keep you clipping away the miles for years to come. The ergonomics alone inspire track day confidence and control in even the most novice tourer. Plan on carrying a passenger? Come on by and ride this machine two-up so that person can realize what pillion riding is supposed to feel like.

Priced at $5808, this bikes qualifies for BMW Financial Services current great rates making it easier than ever to own your first, or even fifth, BMW motorcycle.

The Big Four Oh

2009-09-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

See this guy here in the picture? That's Gary Orr and yesterday he turned the ripe old age of 40! You read that correctly. If you've been a Brattin Motors and now SDBMWMC customer for a number of years you might remember the awkward, pony tail sporting, pseudo-grunge rocker that used to manage your bike's service appointments. Well that skinny kid with the earrings and Frank Zappa hair-do has grown up and jumped headlong into a new and exciting world of the early-to-mid-40-something! Decisions like: "What bar to hit up this Friday?" or: "Will Heather dig these boots or should I go with Sketchers?" Have been replaced with: "What flavor Metamucil best defines me as a person?" and "Icy Hot patch or cream?"

But don't let the gray hair and large button cell phone fool you. Age hasn't slowed this guy down one iota. His latest age defying uber-stunt? Gary is going road racing. We've race prepared a cherry R1200S, scored some tire warmers on ebay and washed the bug stains off the pop-up. Our fearless leader is making his triumphant return to club racing at Willow Springs this fall. 40+ class consider yourselves warned. From the producers of such esteemed films as "How NOT to Ride an F650GS Across Alaska" and "Breaking Your Ankle for Dummies" comes 2009's signature blockbuster..."Hope He Doesn't wad the Demo Bike."

So you're wondering: "What kind of prep goes into an endeavor like this?" It was fairly simple actually. We had his leathers tailored (Bret Farve thinks Gary's waist line has a hard time making up it's mind!), threw a set of Michelin Pilot Power Race compound tires on the demo bike (good one owner, available for sale this December!) and had Joe Bowman (resident club racer guru) create an all inclusive list of new and innovative ways NOT to end up in the hospital while remaining competitive.

So with that I'll close by asking all of you, our faithful followers, to wish our fearless leader the best of luck in his upcoming race season. And always remember: It's not about doing better...It's about sucking less.

Thanks for reading,
-Sean DeAngelis

Thursday Trade In of the Week

2009-09-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another Trade In of the Week segment here on the blog. This week's bike is a very clean 1999 BMW R1100S. You'll remember BMW's highly successful "Boxer Cup" race series that toured the globe showcasing former pro racers dicing it out around world race circuits on these highly sought after machines. While this bike is not a "Boxer Cup" replica it is the far more practical sport and touring version of the exact same platform. This bike has just over 30,000 miles and is loaded with every available option for 1999. ABS, heated grips, paint matched rear seat cowl, cylinder protectors and the all important, easy on-and-off BMW System luggage. These bikes were bred to eat miles of twisty roads while providing a nimble, comfortable and practical way to arrive at your favorite destinations. Further adding to this bike's sex appeal is the black on black bodywork and $6565.00 price tag.

Sign up for a local trackday or join the San Diego BMW Owners Club for a Saturday ride through North and East counties on this machine and you'll know immediately why so many have chosen the boxer "S" machines for hard cornering thrills. These bikes live to be heeled over.

This is a perfect first BMW for those who have always wanted BMW boxer reliability and performance at a convenient price. This bike also qualifies for BMW Financial Services financing and the incredible rates they are offering.

Thanks for reading.
-Sean DeAngelis

But They Won't Let Me Ride It...

2009-09-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

Be it a total lack of butt kissing prowess, the fact that we only have ONE orange one or the brass here at San Diego BMW Motorcycles still have visions of the Sean-asteroid I made a year ago in turn four at Willow Springs....I'm not allowed to ride the new K1300S. I mean I get it, the last time I was loaned a rig off the showroom floor I returned it sans a functional final drive and drive shaft. Then there was that time I aired out Mike's HP2 and the cylinder protectors and skid plate exploded like a ground hog ate an M80.

Point is, you're not going to hear me talking about the K1300S's incredible new clutchless shifting option and how flawlessly it performs. I'm not able to tell you that the power curve is so linear that 4000-6000 rpm's pull EXACTLY the same as 7000-9000rpm's. There is NO WAY I'd know that this bike is more at home blazing up Sunrise Highway at 0700 Sunday morning than any other motorcycle I've never ridden! No ladies and gentlemen the only way I'll ever get to ride the new K1300S is if I were to sneak one out of here very early one Sunday morning and ride in total stealth mode carefully avoiding the BMWOCSD members and anyone else familiar with my place of employment.

BMW Financial is offering 3.9% financing on these evil, evil machines right now. So perhaps, one of you will pick one up and tell me how incredible they are from a first person perspective. Cause after all, I'm not allowed to ride one.

The S1000RR Sneaks In

2009-09-04T15:37:00.001-07:00

A certain BMW S1000RR has found it's way onto our showroom floor for the weekend. Come on by an check it out! Touch, feel, look, sit and start BMW's latest offering in the highly competitive superbike class.

2009-09-02T23:23:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone and welcome to another update to the San Diego BMW Motorcycles blog. This "Trade in of the Week" segment is going to be a recurring spot here on the blog. This week's subject is a phenomenally clean Ducati 996S Limited Edition #256. So you're wondering: "Is that a bloodied sea otter strapped to the head tube?" Well the answer is 'no' that really is the front clip and 'yes,' those headlights are DOT approved. In earliest portion of the new century, Honda had finally retired it's 900RR for the updated 929 and at the same time stepped back to their earlier goals of dominant "V" configurations in the newly released RC51. Suzuki and Kawasaki were still not totally comfortable with abandoning the horsepower war for lighter configurations in their GSXR and ZX lines respectively; And Yamaha insisted on gutting out carburetion on their class leading R1 model. Along came a single sided swing-arm, undertail exhaust, carbon fiber clad machine from within the darkest recesses of the Italian Alps in the 996S. The "S" was the top of the line option package for the 996 line and included such amenities as Marchesini cast magnesium wheels, race bred cockpit and oh yeah, it was red...very red.

Throw a leg over this bike and you're greeted with an all too familiar Italian reach for the clip-ons. Your last pair of Nike's probably came in a more ergonomically correct box than what was loosely termed the "gas tank" on this machine and the hood ornament on you fathers Buick had better wind protection the any pilot of a 996. Not the greatest sales pitch you've heard as of recent? Turn the key and hit the 'Go' button. Immediately the sound of 124 very, very pissed off horses greet the inner recesses of your cochlea's and 94 Pirelli shredding foot pounds of torque are available at the riders beck-and -call.

So your wondering: "How does it actually ride?" Truth is I'll probably never know. In a straight line this bike is an absolute rocket ship. Heeled over, the Ohlins bouncers combined with a set of Metzeller Rennsport race 2 compound tires make this bike entirely too confidence inspiring for a novice like yours truly. No, to realize the true potential of something like the 996S will require a far more seasoned pilot. I can say that compared to any other early 2K sportbike I've ridden this thing absolutely stomps. And while most other bikes of the same era look a bit like 1985 Trans Am's to even the most aesthetically challenged, the 996 still turns heads everywhere it goes. Sure, for $9999.00 you can buy a pretty nice mini van but practicality won't ever be this much fun.

Seen here: http://www.sdbmwmc.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_26&products_id=5078

Thanks for visiting.
-Sean DeAngelis

Welcome to the New San Diego BMW Motorcycles Blog

2009-09-02T11:58:00.001-07:00

Well Hello All,
Thanks for visiting this, our very first post, on the newly established San Diego BMW Motorcycles Blog! You read that correctly, after taking the magic leap into the 1980's earlier this year by moving to a building that has actual air conditioning, we made yet another ground breaking move toward staying California's BEST BMW motorcycle dealer. But we're not stopping there. By visiting this blog you can stay informed of all the goings on here at the shop as well as keep tabs the latest offerings of BMW Motorrad.

Last weekend was the annual BMWOCSD Big Bear Rally. We had a ride report submitted by those that participated in the black diamond dirt ride on Saturday:
Thanks to all 14 riders that participated in this years Big Bear Rally, Black Diamond dirt ride. A great time was had by most. Three riders on DRZ400's also get honorable mention for asking “Does the trail get easier up ahead?” the most times. Turns out the answer was “no” and they were seen heading home on the graded road after mile 3 (1 hour).

A huge kudos to the two gentlemen that joined us for the first 14 miles (3.5 hours) on their....wait for it.....R100GS's. After successfully navigating the 3rd of 8 rocky climbs an injury forced them back to the graded road.
Edward “Mans Game” Bell gets the prize for most times seen picking himself up off the mountain. Be it high speed low side, bike stall and auger in, kicker bump and over the bars or simply knocking over a sizable tree with his foot, that guy can crash with the best of them. Unfortunately nagging injuries forced Edward out of the ride at mile 36 (6 hours).

Noah and Gary Kepple rode point for the entire ride and set a perfect pace throughout. Gary Kepple did however manage to crash his bike on both sides in a span of about 9 seconds. Epic balance fail. After a couple pointers from his 13 year old son he got his head right and moving again. Noah on the other hand, does not fall...ever...scientists have yet to figure out why.

Chris Moehnke and Mike Moore made the trip up for the ride and as always, they were the prevailing cooler heads. The “Zen Masters” Moehnke and Moore were not seen on the ground all day save for one rest stop when Mike fell over while frantically grabbing for his last water bottle. Consequently the water was spilled and the incident facilitated muscle cramps later in the ride. Epic hydration fail.

Tudor Thomas gets “Most Improved Rider” award for sucking less in general. Young Tudor who, just 18 short months ago, was rescued by two pre-teens combing the desert in a Polaris Razr after Tudor had gone missing from Kepple's annual Day in the Desert. Tudor's day was not without incident however as he was seen picking his GPS up off the mountain not once but twice!

A newcomer to the group we have only identified as “Steve” complete this, his FIRST organized dual sport ride! Helmets off to Steve and we look forward to seeing him on future rides. Sean DeAngelis got to watch Steve drop the hammer while navigating White Mountain. There was a 90 degree kink in the climb and Steve went full motocross using a boulder as a berm and railing his way to the top. Only to stop, toss his bike on the ground and help the struggling Edward crawl out from under his G650. Epic stop-and-make-fun-of-your-buddy fail.

Gary Orr, principal here at San Diego BMW Motorcycles, was in attendance on his newly acquired HP2 Enduro. Over the course of the first 36 miles he showed everyone that 1200cc's is NOT too much BMW for a proper dual sport ride. Gary graciously escorted Edward back to camp allowing the remaining of us to complete all 87 miles of the ride. Out of water, he did NOT look bummed to be departing early.

Sean DeAngelis was charged with assembling and leading this ride but was demoted to dust choking sweep rider after loading the tracks into his GPS backwards and adding 15 road miles to the beginning of the ride. The added mileage caused Steve to run out of gas. It should be noted here that Sean is 0 for 3 on correctly leading a ride by GPS. Epic navigation fail. Sean made it through the day with only one fall but did manage to put a small ding in the fender of a stranded jeep while thread the needle on a rock step with his G650.

Thanks again to everyone involved and we look forward to seeing more of you on the upcoming LA-to-Barstow–to-Vegas (www.labarstowvegas.com) and the Anza Borrego Desert Dash.

Well we'll get some more content on here sooner than later. Be sure to stop by this weekend to see the new BMW S1000RR superbike on our showroom floor. Also, we'll be taking the S1000 up the hill to Mothers Restaurant atop Palomar Mountain, Sunday September 6th from 10:30am to 3:00pm. Feel free to ride up and hang out.

Thanks for reading. Visit again soon.
-Sean DeAngelis