cjmitchell5
Adventurer
So last June or July while I'm getting 18 mpgish in my F250, I think, "hey, I should try to find a BMW Dakar, I've always liked those and they get like 60mpg!" Onto eBay I go, find a very nice example in Ohio, low miles, factory bags, couple other goodies, and I proceed to win it. Yay me! I pay $500 to have it shipped lovingly by a motorcycle only shipper and it arrives to me shortly thereafter.
So happy is me as I ride my shiny new to me BMW and prepare to PCS to my new duty station (I was hoping for Colorado or Alaska). So then I get my orders to Korea (Korea? al qaeda is there too?) and I learn my unit doesn't allow anyone to ride a motorcycle. (******) So I guess I'll be apart from my beloved BMW for the next year. I decide to have my best friend watch my bike while I'm in Korea for two reasons: 1) he's way more responsible and neater than me so he'll take care of it. 2) his wife doesn't let him ride anymore so I know he won't be allowed out of his subdivision with it. So I get to do some great riding taking it to his house consisting of Great Smokey Mtn NP, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Riding through southern PA and WV, and urban riding in Atlanta and DC. A couple 12hr days convinces me this is bar none the best bike I've ever ridden.
Fast forward to now, I'm going to Hawaii in November and gas prices are at $5/gal, yay me again, I've an awesome bike! I've an air of superiority as I watch people hash out fuel prices, whether or not to buy a bike, which bike to buy, etc etc whilst knowing I already own the best bike in the world. In three weeks I'm going home on leave and was going to fly up and do my friends reenlistment oath as he reups for the final time before retiring. My dad was going to come down and meet me there and then we were going to ride from Wright Patterson AFB back to Birmingham for a family get together. Awesome, eh?
ANYHOW, I wake up this morning (Sunday morn, I'm Zulu +9 here) to an email from my best friend.....
Sigh........when does the F800GS come out?
RIP 2005-2008 "You're my boy Blue!"
So happy is me as I ride my shiny new to me BMW and prepare to PCS to my new duty station (I was hoping for Colorado or Alaska). So then I get my orders to Korea (Korea? al qaeda is there too?) and I learn my unit doesn't allow anyone to ride a motorcycle. (******) So I guess I'll be apart from my beloved BMW for the next year. I decide to have my best friend watch my bike while I'm in Korea for two reasons: 1) he's way more responsible and neater than me so he'll take care of it. 2) his wife doesn't let him ride anymore so I know he won't be allowed out of his subdivision with it. So I get to do some great riding taking it to his house consisting of Great Smokey Mtn NP, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Riding through southern PA and WV, and urban riding in Atlanta and DC. A couple 12hr days convinces me this is bar none the best bike I've ever ridden.
Fast forward to now, I'm going to Hawaii in November and gas prices are at $5/gal, yay me again, I've an awesome bike! I've an air of superiority as I watch people hash out fuel prices, whether or not to buy a bike, which bike to buy, etc etc whilst knowing I already own the best bike in the world. In three weeks I'm going home on leave and was going to fly up and do my friends reenlistment oath as he reups for the final time before retiring. My dad was going to come down and meet me there and then we were going to ride from Wright Patterson AFB back to Birmingham for a family get together. Awesome, eh?
ANYHOW, I wake up this morning (Sunday morn, I'm Zulu +9 here) to an email from my best friend.....
Chris,
I just wanted to let you know that our garage caught on fire Thursday night and that your Bike was destroyed. We also lost all of cars and our house is going to have to be rebuilt. We are all ok and only I have have a few burns on my hands and legs when I was trying to put the fire out. Our insurance company said your insurance is going to have to pay for your bike. Please contact me as soon as you can. You can get me on my cell xxx or 2251. Talk to you later.
Scott
Sigh........when does the F800GS come out?
RIP 2005-2008 "You're my boy Blue!"

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