My latest BMWSportTouring post

For those of you not reading the greatest Discussion Board on BMW’s period….. 

 

….. By myself mainly.

Why?

Because for some reason unbeknown to me – really ! – I haven’t been riding anymore like I used to do. And I really don’t know why, although I have been trying to analyze the situation. This has been going on for some 2 years now. It also sort of kept me away from these boards. I used to write ride tales and post pictures, but without riding there ain’t much to tell.

So….. any of you hit the same problem somewhere during your riding ‘career’?

I know it is not because not having the equipment. Until a year ago I had my trusted 1150 RT and the 2007 GS. And although I had to sell both last July, I got me a brand spanking new liquid cooled 1200 GS here in Italy. Although I still lack some things like a coolvest and a tankbag, that’s not the problem.
One of the reasons we moved south was the improved riding weather and environment. The fact that the roads here in Umbria are mostly bad is not a real problem ever, the GS copes fine. And the vistas are awesome here!
Nor is the fact that my Nikon camera broke down a real reason… the Galaxy smartphone works wonders while on the road.

So what is it then?

My get-off 2 years ago at Gunnison ? For sure I have been riding a bit more apprehensive since and haven’t been wearing summer (mesh) gear since, which IS a problem here in Italy where we are experiencing the second summer with extreme heatwaves. So maybe I should just shrug and ride in shirtsleeves like so many Italians? I am very hesitant about that, being an ATGATT ambassador.

Or is it the fact that ever since Nina stopped working she now needs LOTS more attention, i.e. we constantly need to do things together now and we have very different interests. Nina also is less enthusiastic about riding because it ruins her hair every time *cough*. But surely I cannot put the blame on her.
Related to that….. I officially retired last October because it was too much of a hassle to move the business to Italy, and besides I was hardly making any money out of it anymore. Now being retired there is definitely WAY LESS TIME for anything for some reason.

Or maybe it is just all the hours lost on Facebook that’s eating up my riding time? I have been heavily reporting our life’s adventures there for the past 5 or 6 years already, which does take a toll. It most certainly has taken time away from my own blogs AND these boards because it is so much quicker and easier ?. (maybe we can change that in future).

Or am I just getting old and above all LAZY (it is true I am not particularly fun of very high temperatures…. yeah, yeah, I know, Italy), and it is so much easier to hop in the little Volkswagen, turn on the air I and go exploring the country. Getting on the GS for some reason always takes an HOUR for me, old fussy guy. Gettig my gear together, rucksack ready, food and drinks prepared, getting the bike out the garage AFTER getting he car out first, getting dressed…….oh, and getting Nina ready, because she doesn’t want to stay home alone anymore…… So much fuss…. I haven’t been able to change those routines, but they seem to have gotten longer since we moved from Holland.

One last issue…. the Netherlands don’t have the best of climates all year ’round, often cold in the long winters and wet in the summers (although that seems to be changing fast now
). So I figured France of Italy would greatly improve my riding conditions. Well, turns out not everything is as ideal as it may seem.
For sure the environment for riding is more beautiful here (or at least I think so), and winter days are longer and less cold, less wet, hardly any ice. But summer is a problem. Turns out it is too hot and the daylight is LESS, and on the roads here you don’t want to ride in the dark.

Anyway…… thanks for bearing with me….. I sorta hope that returning to the boards and writing again may somehow also help me get riding again…… Who knows!?

Wishing you all fun and safe miles !
Ye Old Grumpy