Last Updated on: April 13, 2017

indeed! This winter has been one of the mildest and snow-poor ever in my area. Normally I’d be over the moon with the opportunity and possibility to get out skiing. For sure, there’s been some sporadic tendencies that, given more time and initiative, could have led me out.

But it hasn’t. Between work, mundane life but above all, lack of snow, I’ve not had skis on me feet even once this year. As it now looks, not likely too happen either. So this years winter will, like any winter, go down in history but probably not remembered well. Like below illustrated year, a tad better.

From my local route, perhaps not the most scenic of areas but it works for me 🙂

Soon March(ing) into Spring time mode

Which in my case means, very much looking forwards to getting back in the saddle, motorcycle riding.  Experience stuff, adventures, the sort where you don’t spend a tremendous amount of time, effort and energy on planning. Something like last year but with more time on my hands.  I simply love it.

Spring time trip with the R1150RT. Middle of May and still snow in the woods high up!

Below from an expedition during later half of may. It was my last long trip with the old RT. We did around 650 kilometers that day.

Picture from somewhere in Sweden and my previous bike, a BMW R1150RT 2003.

One can plan all one likes but nothing is better remembered than the ad-hoc events.  Expeditions and adventures will take place in Norway but also bring me down through Europe again. After having been away from MC riding as long as I have, the feeling, sensation, of liberty, of possibilities and potential for adventures, feels limitless.

Riding between two valleys in Norway with the RT. There’s a lot of cool routes about, but you might have to expect to spend an hour or two out from Oslo

BMW R1200 RT – a true enjoyment

I swapped out the older 1150RT with 1200RT June last year. Partially because I wanted something with more oomph, bells and whistles. But also because of better handling, plus some electronics I believed to be good to have, for safety as well as ride enjoyment.

Ended up doing nearly 15,000 kilometers on the 1200RT, from June 4th to November 2nd. Around 4,500 of those kilometers on my trip down to the Alps and northern Italy. Which truly was an adventure.

Along the road or a road, in Austria.

This year I’ll have much more time on my hands, some plans or ideas have surfaced. But then it was this about NOT making plans, play it by ear,  and navigate by weather. Last year I had one of the wettest longest and most torrential experiences ever.  I rode through heavy rain for 5+ hours! An endurance test for sure, one I’d be happy to not experience again!

A big decision – new bike, again!

Yep, gotta keep it up! Since I began riding again I’ve now had 3 bikes, in a little less than two years. There’s a reason to it. Mine now has 52k plus kilometers on it. If I ride it for another season it will near 75k. At which point the value will drop, significantly. That, and the desire for something newer, more in the Adventure direction possible, have led me to the decision.

Have done a fair bit of research,  but ultimately it will come down to some crucial aspects that are important to me. One is comfort and that makes it really difficult to find something to beat the BMW R1200RT. Last year I had the 2016 model packed with bells and whistles on trial for many hours.  I like the RT, as it is one of the very few bikes that combines things that matters to me better than most.

Plus, the RT is sporty enough to ride, and not too heavy.

But I also want something that makes for better handling on poor roads, on gravel and some dirt. While it is possible to do it with the RT, mainly gravel, it doesn’t take long before the fish out of water sensation arrives. So i am considering BMW R1200GS (Adventure version too), Yamaha XT1200 Super Tènerè. Then there’s Triumph, which I’ve not tried. KTM which don’t know and finally, Ducati’s new Multistrada Enduro. The Ducati and the BMW will be the most expensive ones.

It’s not going to be easy, and I don’t want to spend weeks and weeks on trials. Because I like the boxer and the BMW riding style it seems a safe bet.

Come April/May March I might have made a choice, we shall see!