The great ride that never was

12 replies [Last post]
Cloudgazer Steven's picture
Offline
Joined: 2007/10/03
OK, so i got my Dakar last week monday. and since I've never actually riden a bike that big, in fact, never even been on a Dakar until I took possession of it. (no test rides, nothing) I was kinda nervous riding it out of Atlantic Motorrad's showroom, but within seconds i was hooked. I didn't get to ride much during the week. The furthest I got was camps bay. But I figured I had the whole weekend to ride everywhere. On sat I was gonna hit the winelands and on Sunday do the toy run. Sat morning dawns, and I had to run a few errands, before hitting the road. En route to a friends place, on a really narrow road, some woman almost ploughed into me, I hit brakes and down I went. Man, was i pissed off. I only broke an indicator cap, so not the end of the world. I went passed Atlantic for a new one, but the workshop was already closed. I had to stop off at one other place before my first long ride. I was with my friends for maybe 40 min. I left their apartment, went to my bike, and tried to start it. No go. I couldn't get the key into the ignition. On a closer look the whole ignition was f**ked. Looks like some twat stuck a screwdriver in there and twisted. So a few phone calls, and an hour and half later BMW on call tows my bike away. And thats my sad story... no long ride, no Toy Run, no nothing. Don't know when I'll be getting it back.
There are so many problems in this world. Luckily there's a wristband available for almost all of them.
Geoff Russell's picture
Offline
Joined: 2007/09/25
Eish!!!!!!!!! What way to start ownership. Where is the bike? Call them and ask when you can get it. They are normally good at giving you an indication as to parts availability fitting time, etc.

Committee: Ride Captain

ckloppers (not verified)
Eish! Sorry about than man... it really SUCKS!! NEVER LEAVE YOUR BABY ALONE!! Park it somewhere safe or pay somebody to look after it. Corné Kloppers 0849130391 ckloppers@gmail.com
Cloudgazer Steven's picture
Offline
Joined: 2007/10/03
ckloppers wrote:
NEVER LEAVE YOUR BABY ALONE!! Park it somewhere safe or pay somebody to look after it.
that's ridiculous. I parked my vespa in the same spot countless times even overnight. I dunno if someone actually tried to steal it or was just a malacious asswipe. Who the hell is stupid enough to think you could possibly start a bike fucking with the ignition?
There are so many problems in this world. Luckily there's a wristband available for almost all of them.
Frank Thomas (not verified)
Shame mann.....hell that is just no good mann.....sorry to hear about that..
ckloppers (not verified)
No disrespect but a Vespa is not a BMW... and you have to look after it accordingly. If somebody wanted to steal it they would have put it on a trailer and tow it away. I think you where the victim of a malicious act by a jealous passerby that couldn't take the fact that somebody else had a shiny new BMW Dakar! Heart- brother heart- :-) Corné Kloppers 0849130391 ckloppers@gmail.com
Andyman's picture
Offline
Joined: 2007/06/22
Hell Cloudgazer, Now that all sounds like the most ornery bit of bad luck. It would ruin my weekend. Big time. I park my bike under a camera whenever I can. In 20years I've never been thorugh what you just went through. I have left my bikes at the airport arrivals for years, and still do, sometimes for 4 days at a time and never ever found anything amiss with it. I think you hit a bad day and thats it forthe next 10 years. Hope you get the bike back soon. See you on the road. Andyman Yup that's me. Standing up in the traffic on the 1150GSA.

Andyman
Anyone can ride a bike fast....   But can you ride your bike real slow???

Charles Oertel's picture
Offline
Joined: 2007/04/14
For all you know, you just experienced good luck! That *sswipe saved you from being taken out by a pantechnicon on Sir Lowrie's, or some other equally dire fate. You admitted yourself that you had a little 'sidestand issue' with a car - a portent of things to come perhaps?

Committee: Webmaster / Ride Captain

Andyman's picture
Offline
Joined: 2007/06/22
Charles! Balls, what about all the +ve attitude going around. Like "live on the limit, live for 2day, Do it now there may be no tomorrow, I ride threfor I am" etc and all that. Shame Cloudgazer, you missed out on many lekker rides this weekend. No pantech is anywhere near you bum in the saddle and get out there......... Andyman Yup that's me. Standing up in the traffic on the 1150GSA.

Andyman
Anyone can ride a bike fast....   But can you ride your bike real slow???

Charles Oertel's picture
Offline
Joined: 2007/04/14
andyman wrote:
Charles! Balls, what about all the +ve attitude going around. Like "live on the limit, live for 2day, Do it now there may be no tomorrow, I ride threfor I am" etc and all that.
My point exactly. Cloudgazer, stop being angry about your misfortune, know that it was for the best and 'live for 2day, Do it now there may be no tomorrow etc etc blah-di-blah fishpaste'. :) Just because you cannot do what you wanted to doesn't mean you cannot seize the day! (Oh, and don't do as I do, do as I say - I know exactly how you feel and struggle not to lose it when things don't go my way occasionally ;-) )

Committee: Webmaster / Ride Captain

pietpetoors's picture
Offline
Joined: 2007/09/04
Hi Cloudgazer. I surely hope that things will go better when you get her back. When you get her back, you must use her more often. Since I got my Dakar the Hilux is standing in the garage 90% of the time. I am hooked on the Dakar. www.bmw-dakar.co.za
Cloudgazer Steven's picture
Offline
Joined: 2007/10/03
Hi Pietpetoors I will be using the dakar permannentely. It is my only mode of transport at the moment. I'll probably buy a car at the end of the summer, but for now i'll be using the dakar for everything. In fact, it was the same with my Vespa.
There are so many problems in this world. Luckily there's a wristband available for almost all of them.
Hermanator's picture
Offline
Joined: 2007/06/25
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Bike theft in SA is quite infrequent and is, in my opinion, the opportnist more so than the professional. It's sad that you're one of the few victims. I did hear, though, that the Dakkies and other DS bikes are the highest risk as they're whipped and then sent off to Angola, Congo, Uganda and other countries. I recently heard of Dakkies being sold in the Congo for next to nothing, but equally with nothing - no papers, no keys, nought. I think Braam related a similar story from colleagues in Angola. Be grateful though that you're not in the UK. Frankly, if your bike isn't chained down, it'll be gone. Professional thieves clone the bike recovery vans which means wen they're picking up a bike, nobody thinks twice about it. My RT is fitted with one of the most advanced alam and immobiliser systems which, in the UK, held a phone card to send me an sms whenever my bike was fiddled with. Half a dozen sms's while attending a client meeting near Portobello Road almost drove me nuts. I ended up buying a ratty 500cc scooter which had slid down the road a couple of times, was never washed and really looked quite sorry for itself. Of course, it made the shiny bikes next to mine look much more appealing. Cheers Lawrence