The Beast goes to Canada

Henry, new owner, loading up the Beast

A few weeks ago my beautiful blue 2008 BMW R1200GS touched my driveway for the last time.  I didn't get my farewell ride as the funds were deposited into the bank earlier than I'd anticipated.  Maybe that's a good thing as I wasn't able to have any last minute doubts about saying farewell to the machine that made me love riding even more than I'd thought possible.  My last memories of the Beast will have to be watching it being latched down into the back of it's new owner's truck.  Henry and his wife drove from Canada to pick up the bike.  As I watched Henry prepping the back of the truck for the bike I realized there was probably no place safer than in Henry's arms for the Beast to be.  Six tie downs, a block drilled behind each tire, carpet laid out on the plywood flooring used to extend the truck bed...the Beast had finally found anal-retentive heaven.  I imagined it was at that moment of passing from my hands to Henry's that the bike would be it's dirtiest.  I'm sure it will be well ridden but I'm confident that every ride "after party" will involves a toothbrush, Q-tips and copious amounts of buffing and waxing.

The Beast got love from me but my rule was to only wash when I was trying to impress.  Luckily I don't abide by that in my everyday personal hygiene.   I think I washed the Beast twice during the two years I owned it.  Once was before a long trip because I thought it only fair that was started on a good note.  I think the second time was three days before Henry picked it up.   And trust me, that wash job was quick and ineffective for the most part.

The Beast is now simply one of those things I can say I used to have.  Like the 1964 Vespa I once owned, the Beast will forever remain one of my favorite things.

I was at BMW Motorcycles of Western Oregon, Tigard (http://www.bmwor.com/) talking to a woman who's husband had just bought a new RT the other day when I mentioned I used to have a 1200GS.  She looked at me and asked why I got rid of it.  I smiled and said the bike was just too darned good for me.  And that it was.