Morning everyone. Last Friday I decided to buy a ‘new’ leftover 2020 FE. Should get it early August ( pic will follow). I’m 53 next month and have been riding since I was a teenager. Had lots of bikes over the years of all styles, all the Jap brands, Triumphs and even Guzzi’s. In relation to the R18 I’ve had a Goldwing, 1800 Valkyrie and a few HD’s in years gone by so big bikes don’t bother me. TBH I am taking a leap of faith into BMW ownership, it’s not a brand that I automatically warm to but I want to give it a go and be open minded. I live in the UK and increasingly find it hard to enjoy riding with all the congestion, roadworks, speed cameras, potholes, restricted road speeds and so on. Euro5 killed off a lot of choice here and there’s hardly any new bike that excites me. Royal Enfield have hit the nail on the head with their classic styled bikes but i want a physically bigger bike ( to suit my size). I’ve never been a speed freak but it’s clear (to me anyway) that if I want to keep riding I have to try something different. I’ve done my due diligence and went to look at one in person last week, it really blew me away, much more so than in pictures where it sometimes looks awkward from certain angles. The 3 year warranty is very good and there are dealers all over the place. Honda (my long time go to) have been closing down dealers a lot and that concerned me. I used to commute years ago but don’t anymore, far too grim, use the car nowadays instead. The R18 will be a pure sunny day pleasure bike and I hope it delivers on that. I was very tempted by HD but there’s no dealer anywhere nearby plus I’ve been there done that. I love the throwback style of the R18, it looks very ‘Gentlemenly’, looks like nothing else, it is what it is. I like that. Anyway, sorry for the ramble, just thought I would pad my journey here out a bit.
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