My Best Gear Purchase Ever

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
Cordura® 500 outer material
• 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

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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.

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

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