I finally pulled the trigger. It must not have been an easy thing to do, considering I’ve talked about it for the last several years. Many of you know that I have been a dyed in the wool Suzuki Bandit rider for about 120Ks worth of pavement and even a few hundred miles of not so nice road. 😉

Well, after riding southern Spain on a rented F650GS, I had the flame reignited, but with the usual cheap wine budget, I opted to try a 650 Versys last year and yep, that was a mistake. My husband sold his FZ1 and took over my 1250 Bandit, but as the story goes, I, not being a fan of the Versys, would simply “borrow” the Bandit and take off on my roadtrips. It was fickle love, and the newer younger Versys just wasn’t up to the job. There wasn’t anything I really liked about the bike, except the color which simply wasn’t enough. Part of my dismay was the power band since I am used to riding a 1250CC engine. So after lots of self-talk or self-beration, I returned to searching out a BMW that would meet my needs and my budget. It wasn’t easy as one would imagine.

First I tried to sell the Versys. Well, I did discover it is well loved, but by cheap elderly men and I mean this in all fondness. 😉 I discovered it’s an old mans sport bike or some such and very few other people inquired except one young man who had just passed the MSF and he offered me $1500 under my asking price pleading “no lowball offers”. I didn’t get an offer even close to what I wanted. I needed enough to pay off the remaining loan and have enough cash left over to buy another bike. Uhh, nice idea. So I decided trading it in was the path of least resistance knowing full well, I’d never get its real value.

Well my friend Gail Weaver the sales manager, at Cycle Specialities BMW did what he could to not only look for a bike I could afford and that would meet my needs (as illusive as they may be) and give me a price I could actually entertain. He also did the best he could possibly do on my trade in, so all in all it was a perfect match. I had decided on an R1200R and he found a real beauty and as of today it is MINE!!

I rode the Versys for one last time, and actually felt a small amount of fondness for the bike. Here it is now, in all it’s Kawasaki glory, hanging with the big bad boys.

I gotta say, it’s a LOVELY color…

Now here were’re talking…I can easily see me on this with white go go boots and a white 3/4 helmet.

Camera clowning while waiting for paperwork completion. Looks like I’m being sucked into the Vespa Vortex.

Note that sold sign…

One of my friends mentioned his disdain of the WIDE pin or not so pin stripe, but after careful consideration today, I think it’s actually quite nice and befitting to the large German lad.

Me and Gail Weaver, my friend and salesman.

My amazing husband, Gary. Now what’s being sold here? 😉

Except for the windscreen, it’s a mighty fine machine. As miserably hot as I was on the ride home, I found myself well stimulated and I felt like it was already finding its place in my heart and mind. Which brought me the decision of a name. Calling him Hugo, which means “heart mind spirit” in German seems more than appropriate. It’s an energetic name for a strong and energetic lad of a bike.

Now, I can’t wait to get on the road with the new man in my life. 😉