It followed me home dear - '99 Triumph Trophy 900

[bluehwy]

Always more room!

Yep, saw the picture, you definitely have more room in that garage...

[dpep]

Good question...I am not altogether sure, I just know I haven't fallen in love with it.
It's a great looking bike, just beautiful, but it didn't translate well when riding.
The motor never won me over. Sure the torque is nice when riding to work, red light to red light, but beyond that, nothing.

But more important, after almost 3K miles, I never got confident with it cornering...just could never lay it over without a little twinge of worry. I thought that was due to the two crashes, but yesterday bringing home the Triumph, I tossed it over easy, and liked it.
Maybe it was that telelever setup...I don't know.

Oh...and the turn signals quit working Saturday...So I decided to check the fuses...
First step in the instructions? Remove the left fairing...Really? To get to the fuses?

Hey Bob, I am a little late to this thread but I want to congratulate you on the fantastic looking new bike and to also say that I can relate to your points about your Beemer Oilhead S.

I will be keeping the R1100RT I got around the same time you got your S, but I have some of the same observations. I got mine primarily to have something better for two up touring and it serves that mission well, particularly with its Sargents upgraded seating. From that perspective and living in Florida anyway I have not found any issue with the handling. In fact I consider it pretty good for a 630 lb machine though I can see where someone leaning more to the 'S' side might feel differently, even with your bike's much lower weight.

But the maintenance access as dictated by the fairing design is unforgivable. I went to put in a new battery and found the process involved a list of steps, ONE of which was "Take off the left side panel". That step involved another list of steps which included the removal of the left mirror/turn signal housing followed by the removal of nineteen (19) screws, some of different lengths. I made cardboard template and punched holes in it to keep the screws in order.

By contrast with my GS850s all I have to do is turn the key in the seat lock, flip the seat up, and grab the battery. And to remove an entire Winjammer fairing, designed in the 1970s, you only have to remove the nuts from four accessible bolts which hold it to a bracket.

German engineering at its finest? I can only guess that the design was intended to discourage owner maintenance and create more profit for BMW dealers' service departments. I had posted earlier that my quote for a 24000 mile 'inspection' was $1056.

The gas mileage for the beemer is generally better than my GS bikes, but having to use premium fuel down here at sea level offsets some of that economy.

All that said, I like the bike. The removable luggage works very well and the 6+ gallon tank provides good range and peace of mind over long stretches. At the same time it works well as a standard in non touring roles. But I don't think I would buy another BMW, certainly never a new one.
...

[earlfor]

But the maintenance access as dictated by the fairing design is unforgivable. I went to put in a new battery and found the process involved a list of steps, ONE of which was "Take off the left side panel". That step involved another list of steps which included the removal of the left mirror/turn signal housing followed by the removal of nineteen (19) screws, some of different lengths. I made cardboard template and punched holes in it to keep the screws in order.


...

I've considered going to a BMW many times, but ease of maintenance is a primary requirement for any bike I might own. The reason I sold my CBR929 was lack of access for maintenance. To do a valve adjustment was a all day job and required taking half the bike apart to get to the valves. The dealer quoted $950 to do a valve adjustment, so that was a no go. With the same shortcomings, I guess a BMW is not going to be on my list either. The B12 on the other hand, shines in that department.

[salty_monk]

Valve adjustment is probably one of the easiest maintenance items.. probably less hassle than changing the battery

[Allie]

Beautiful, Bob! You keep that thing between the ditches now, y'hear?