After around nine months of not riding a motorcycle and some six months after the R1200GS was sold I decided to get on a bike again so Gina and I took a BMW R1200RT out for a decent 85 mile demo ride........certainly better than the last bikes we owned & even a great improvement over Big Sylvia (BMW R1150RT)....
 |
Sneek preview of Chris & Gina's new bike, already christened 'Big Saffy'.... followed by the first pics of the new BMW at home.......
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Almost a week after taking delivery of the new bike, I finally got a chance to get out on it for the first time today. First there is the morning route using the GPS track facility which shows exactly where I've been....
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Then there is the afternoon ride....
 |
 |
 |
 |
Saturday 3rd-Sunday 4th May 2008
Our first two-up weekend away was to Morayshire via Spittal of Glenshee where we met up with Iain & Jane for lunch & the remainder of the ride to their home.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The satellite navigation device of choice for our BMW R1200RT SE is the Garmin Zumo 550. Full details of which may be found here.
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The centre of the communications system on our BMW 1200RT SE is the Baehr Ultima XL specifically adapted to fully integrate with the BMW factory fit stereo radio/CD/MP3 system. Full details may be found here.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Courtesy of BMW Motorrad AG reproduced below and here are images & full descriptions of the advanced technloogies incorporated into the latest BMW R1200RT SE:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
452 mile round trip to North Yorkshire Moors in fine dry weather. Longest day out on the bike for a couple of years! Not much time to take photo's today....breakfast in Whitby, lunch in Rosedale Abbey, home in time for tea....MapSource tracklog shows today's recorded route.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
353 mile round trip across Rannoch Moor, Glencoe, Kinlochleven, through Oban & Lochgilphead before heading home via Loch Fyne & Loch Lomond.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Fire & Refurbishment-June 2008
Following the small fire upstairs on the evening of 8th June, the dense smoke from which caused more damage than the fire itself, a concerted cleanup from professional fire salvage experts was followed by a complete refurbishment or replacement of everything affected by this event. Everyone involved from Lothian & Borders Fire & Rescue, RBS Insurance and the various contractors employed were absolutely superb at minimising the damage and expediting all aspects of the refurbishment. This in turn helped minimise the overall traumatic effect on the family, none of whom were injured except from minor smoke inhalation and abrasions suffered whilst escaping via a first floor window. Sincere thanks to all involved especially our immediate neighbours who did everything possible to support us on the evening of the fire & in the immediate aftermath. The following images were taken immediately after the fire & then after everything damaged was removed prior to refurbishment....
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Refurbishment started on Sunday 22nd June and we have a deadline of Wednesday 2nd July, the start of the Scottish school holidays, to get the work completed....just 11 days & the amount of work to be done is incredible....we elected to to all the work ourselves as the contractors employed by the insurance company couldn't even start the job for at least two weeks....
Needless to say the project proved to be a lot more involved than at first sight & works were finally completed, by us, on Sunday 13th July some 5 weeks after the fire.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |