For the past few weeks, I was running thru the Craigs List in Portland, Seattle, even San Francisco and parts of Montana looking for a dream. My search expanded to those other areas as I wasn't finding just what I wanted locally. However, my strategy change a bit as I returned to the local market, but much smaller ones. Sitting in the Eugene Craigs List appeared to be one of the perfect motorcycles meant just for me.
1979 BMW R100T $xxxx.00 or OBO
28,470 Miles
New Battery
Excellent Tires
Progressive Fork Springs
Dual Disc Brakes with Stainless Steel Brake Lines
Dual Horns
Many Stainless Steel Fastners
The photographs looked too good to be true, but I had to have a look... A few days later, a 2 hour drive south, the light of the day going fast, I found the address to the seller as the bike sat in the driveway... Just as the photographs showed, the bike was pristine. I quickly sized up the owner and the bike and felt really good about both. The moment came when he gave me the keys to take a test ride. All it took was a ride 4 miles out and 4 miles back. The bike rode like an arrow, shifting like butter, pulling hard thru all the gears and riding smoothly thru the turns, just as I remember my first BMW, a 1976 R75/6 did for over 12 years and 75,000 miles.
8 years have gone by since my original BMW was sold and I've been dreaming of having another for almost as long... The timing of various events have lined up that has given me the opportunity to put in an offer for one of my dreams to come back into my life. With an agreed upon price, transaction made, I walked out with a set of keys and title in hand. Because I had to drive my car back, I had to leave the bike back at a friends until 2 days later.
My 3 hour ride home thru the back roads to Portland was filled with stimuli. Though I felt right at home sitting on the familiar but not exact ride of the BMW, listening to the sweet sound of the engine accelerate thru the gears, it was chilly. Not bone chilling chilly, but enough to let me know my fingers weren't quite working the way they should. I love driving thru small towns and seeing their Main Street personalities, but I knew I needed to make time. My plans changed to the Interstate and though the cold became colder with wind chill factors, I felt great knowing I'd be home with my new baby soon...
As per usual, my rest stops turned into a conversation with a fellow BMW biker who was driving his cage, yearning so much to be out there like me on his bike. I'm sure we could have talked for much longer than we did, but I had to cut him short as I was loosing daylight.
Familiar I5 exits came to pass as I drew nearer to home. My new machine performed brilliantly thru our maiden voyage together. 120 miles and a new home, where new adventures and new dreams will be created!!!
...at a rest stop between Salem and Portland
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