[atractaspis]

She finally got here! I got to be the first one to start here.. And I am already in love! Have not even ridden her yet.. There was ice on the roads when she got here.

Here she is: freshly out of the crate

And look who else was there: f800gt!

 

[Dave]

Looking good, atractaspis. Bet you can't wait for some better weather.

I didn't realise they made a F800gt, it looks a lot like my f800s with and AC Schnitzer fairing.

 

[glenn schkeeper]

:clap: Glad to hear it .I got my Montego blue R12R in October and can't stay off it. Plan some mild mods and to purchase the detachable bags by springtime. What will be the primary way you ride yours?

 

[las]

She's a beauty! Good luck and good riding!

 

[atractaspis]

Looking good, atractaspis. Bet you can't wait for some better weather.

I didn't realise they made a F800gt, it looks a lot like my f800s with and AC Schnitzer fairing.

The gt just came out. This might be one of the first ones to make it to the US. The 800gt replaces the 800st. I sat on it... Nice bike

Like your s as well!

 

[atractaspis]

:clap: Glad to hear it .I got my Montego blue R12R in October and can't stay off it. Plan some mild mods and to purchase the detachable bags by springtime. What will be the primary way you ride yours?

Already got the side bags and trunk bag . Can't wait to ride the bike..

Hoping to do some longer trips with it this spring. Was planning to ride to Arizona but am not sure I have enough time off to do that

Else I will ride her whenever I go anywhere and it is not snowing or icy..

 

[yonderbob]

A thing of great beauty, indeed! :10:

 

[BMWLOU]

There is nothing like putting the first mile on a new bike. She is a beauty and I can see you now sitting on her in a cold garage dreaming of warm weather.

 

[atractaspis]

There is nothing like putting the first mile on a new bike. She is a beauty and I can see you now sitting on her in a cold garage dreaming of warm weather.

I already got to take her out for a spin today.. it was about 37 degrees and no more ice on the road... I am even more in love now :001_tt1:

and now I know one thing for sure: I need hand guards if I want to ride in cold weather ever! The hand grip heater was nice and toasty warm and I had to turn it off eventually (it got too hot), but the back of my hands was freezing..

 

[las]

I already got to take her out for a spin today.. it was about 37 degrees and no more ice on the road... I am even more in love now :001_tt1:

and now I know one thing for sure: I need hand guards if I want to ride in cold weather ever! The hand grip heater was nice and toasty warm and I had to turn it off eventually (it got too hot), but the back of my hands was freezing..

May I recommend warmer gloves before you go to handguards.

 

[atractaspis]

May I recommend warmer gloves before you go to handguards.

I will give that a try first! I was wearing fairly thin gloves for 37 degrees. I haven't seen any hand guards yet that I like.. Besides the clear ones from wunderlich that they don't make for my bike yet anyways.

What I was wondering about thicker gloves though: can you still feel much of the warmth from the hand grip heaters? Does it still help to have them on when I wear thick gloves?

 

[Ninja Dave]

I will give that a try first! I was wearing fairly thin gloves for 37 degrees. I haven't seen any hand guards yet that I like.. Besides the clear ones from wunderlich that they don't make for my bike yet anyways.

What I was wondering about thicker gloves though: can you still feel much of the warmth from the hand grip heaters? Does it still help to have them on when I wear thick gloves?

I wear some fairly thick gloves if i need to ride in the cold, but you can still feel the warmth from the heated grips and they still make that extra bit of difference in the freezing cold. Congrats on the new bike!

 

[hemiwes]

I'm wearing snow boarding gloves right now. they make a HUGE difference in the cold weather. I definately still feel the warmth of the heated grips though them as well.

 

[Clem]

We are all very happy for you. The long wait is finally over. Let the fun begin.

 

[Dave]

If anything thick gloves work better with heated grips. They retain the heat more and spread it out across the glove. I still get cold thumbs though.

 

[BMWLOU]

I ride all year round and found there is nothing that will take the place of the Gerbing heated jacket and gloves. I have ridden in weather well below freezing and with silk long johns, good boots, electric gloves and electric jacket or liner. A full face helmet and a thin silk balaclava keeps the head warm. One of the tricks with the electric jacket liner is to wear a light long sleeve T shirt under it. Also, dual controls so you can control the gloves separate from the liner. All you need over the liner is a wind proof jacket with a light liner. Properly set up, you will stay warm with very little bulk.

 

[las]

If anything thick gloves work better with heated grips. They retain the heat more and spread it out across the glove. I still get cold thumbs though.

I have Gerbings g3 gloves but the first time I used them, they burned my hands. Since then, in really cold weather ( under 30 degrees), I ride with the Gerbings but not plugged in. The heated grips do add to keeping my hands warm on those trips; but as Dave pointed out, at those temps, the tips of my thumbs that are not able to touch the grips get a tad cold. At temps over 30 degrees, I ride with Lee Parks outlast gloves. They have thinner palms than the uppers so the heated grips work better and working other accessories like a Scla Rider is easier. Also, the outlast feature allows the heat from the grips to travel to the back of the gloves.
Another option is the thin gloves with Powerlet heated liners. I love my Powerlet Rapid Fire jacket liner; not a big fan of Gerbings, with all its problems lately- a quick Googke search of the company will provide an explanation.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Get the handguards.
I've done both with and without and with good winter gloves. Yes the heated grips work, but not enough when it's really cold and if you take your hand off the grip they will cool down quickly. Add rain or fog to the mix and it is one of Dante's levels of He!!.
get the guards.
I have the GS guards on my bike now, and I did over 500 miles in mid 30s weather heading due north on I 55 at interstate speeds with a strong N wind. I think at the end I was hypothermic--even with multiple layers and a Gerbings heated vest, but my hands, though cold, were NOT numb and they were not what was chilling me. the guards did that.

BMWs are all about function. Get the guards; get some that are protective, and any concern you have about looks will disappear.
I rode my Stella! nearly 100k miles without guards and the measly 2500 I've put on Blanche have made me a believer.

You might consider ski mittens also.

John

 

[Hoshiko]

hand guards are a most.

Congrats, that might even be the first light gray bike in the states.

BTW light gray is a water down version of the matte one, O N E V E R Y T H I N G Sorry:001_tt2::001_tt2:



Priceless pic

 

[atractaspis]

hand guards are a most.

Congrats, that might even be the first light gray bike in the states.

BTW light gray is a water down version of the matte one, O N E V E R Y T H I N G Sorry:001_tt2::001_tt2:

I have been looking at what is dealers are selling across the US.. and I have only a few times seen a light-grey one. There was one in California (Ventura I believe) that I was following for a while..don't see it anymore...so maybe someone snatched a light-grey one before me :closedeyes:

Did you not hear about the latest BMW news? They found out that the matte grey paint actually slows the R down.. there was a manufacturing error and they had to re-design the paint based on the newest scientific findings.. organic chemists, rocket scientists, resistance study specialists, Spock, and even Data all got together to make this new revolutionary paint for this bike.. that makes it so fast that you will not even notice them pass you... Actually for all we know there are thousands of them all over the US, but they are so fast we just can't see them without a special cameras (about 2000 frames per second). :001_tt2:

Can't wait for this nasty weather to stop so I can ride her around.

Oh.. I am in the process now of looking for some hand guards.. if I end up not liking them I can still take them off when it gets warmer..