2024 on an R27

[pmtremblay]

Lots of great rides now that the weather is compliant. I’ve ridden to work more than driven for the past two weeks, and last Friday I had an exceptional 200 mile loop for lunch.

There’s a MotoGiro next month in the Poconos, and I’ve decided to ride the bike there. 450 miles each way, plus about 300 miles during the event. To get ready I’ve been testing luggage options, and have cobbled together a nice aluminum rack that fits some small panniers perfectly. With this setup I’ll be good for the six day, 1,200 mile ride.

Here are some photos from fun rides, luggage testing and even an oil change! Lucky you.

I had this aluminum rack laying around for years, a little work and it fits perfect.

Panniers are used Aerostich tank panniers.
The old Eclipse tank bag looks the part, found locally on Facebook.

Petersburg, Va., is a beautiful old city if you love patina.

Lunch in Farmville, Va., on a long ride-to-eat.

I had the engine rebuilt last year, and I'm now going with 800-1,000 mile oil changes. Everything looks good. My next service will be a big one - all fluids, valves, torque everything, new rear tire.

I've changed the oil in this guy 15 times during my ownership. I keep the old crush washers for posterity.

15,620 showing, that's about 1,250 for the calendar year and 400+ for the BMW MOA mileage contest.

[nigelorr4@gmail.com]

Hi Patrick, Hope to see you at the Giro in Pa. Do you use a Sigma type speedo for Motogiro routes? Godspeed on your trip.
Best regards, Frank Lineberry

[pmtremblay]

Do you use a Sigma type speedo for Motogiro routes?

Hi Frank, hope to see you there, too. It's a highlight of the year for me!

For the Motogiro I use a cheap bicycle speedometer/odometer that uses GPS, link below. It doesn’t do any navigation, just speed and distance. My R27 has an accurate trip meter, but it only does full miles and the Giro directions are given in tenths.

There was some discussion on the Motogiro Facebook page last month about whether GPS is allowed, and they determined it’s not against the rules. Using a device like mine in place of an old-school bicycle odometer is within the spirit of the event to me, especially since most entrees don’t have trip meters, or maybe even an accurate speedo. Using GPS for actual navigation makes no sense, plugging the route sheet info into a GPS device would take a long time, with no benefit, and would kill the fun.

Here’s my view from the last Giro:
1. Route sheet scroll
2. Digital trip meter
3. Bike’s trip meter
4. Beeline device - actual GPS navigation, not used during the event but how I get around normally
5. GoPro - I won’t bother with that again

https://www.amazon.com/MEILAN-Computer- ... 08762L4QG/

[Flx48]

When I got into running the MotoGiro, I mounted a Trail Tech speedometer, which uses a wheel sensor; simple, and quite accurate.
But have found my preference is using the BMW's stock speedo/odo; for me much easier to read on the fly, and has also proven itself remarkably accurate.
When stopping for whatever reason, will often double check with readings on the TT as backup.

As Patrick says, the drawback of the stock instrument is it doesn't read tenths of a mile, but only found that a head scratcher if a multitude of possible turn options were present in the same 1/4 or 1/2 mile or so. (not that often)

For me, a hiccup that crops up every once in a while on the Giro is a difference in the mileage as written on the route sheet compared with mileage found riding the actual course.
This where a routemaster has developed a course using a speedo deemed close enough, but the small errors tend to multiply as they accumulate; and usually confirmed by coming across other riders on the side of the road, and the conversation starts with "Hey, is your mileage off?..".
It's something one must accept as part of the game, and then compensate for. (and I've nothing but respect for the guys developing these routes; it's a tremendous amount of time consuming work that needs double and triple checking, and then proving)

And that's how I view running in the Giro; as if playing a board game, where we've been shrunk, and we ride our game piece around on the board.

Hope to see you guys there.
Best-
George

[pmtremblay]

I went down yesterday, not bad at all but still scary. It was carrying too much speed into a tight right at the end of a long straight, with just enough gravel to throw me off. I braked hard but didn’t slow enough, and decided to go straight into the grass rather than risk a low-side slide. The ground was soft and I thought I’d saved it, but fell over on the right side at about 5 mph.

Very little damage, I have a crease in my front fender and the handlebars were bent a few degrees. I got a quarter-size bruise/scrape on my shin, but am otherwise totally fine. The bike started right up and I rode home no problem, and even rode to work today. The handlebars are the worst of it - rideable but bad enough they need to be switched out, which is a pain on the R27 with its weird clamps. Luckily (!) mine have no chrome left so I don’t have to be as careful.

Two good things: A super-nice couple who live near the corner saw me go down and came screaming up in a truck to check on me. This was a very rural area, so it was nice to have them stop. They said people always miscalculate the turn, and gave me props for wearing all my gear.

The other good thing is I was wearing all my gear. When I stood up I was really surprised at how not-bad the fall was. Then I realized my airbag vest had gone off, and saw the dirt marks along the right side of my riding jacket.

Airbags are taking a while to catch on, because they’re expensive and “not cool.” Mine worked yesterday as designed, and probably saved me at least some soreness, if not some bruises or worse. It’s a Helite e-Turtle, in high-vis. It cost me $800 but who knows how much pain it saved me yesterday.

Anyway, it was a very enjoyable 140 miles, minus the 10 minutes of spill and recovery! Also, I hit an honest 71 on a flat straight. That's my fastest non-gravity aided top speed so far.

The blue line is my path through the corner, with a short stop in the field. The GPS track makes it look like it was intentional - it was just bad riding on my part.

Creased fender. It’s straight and not rubbing, so it’ll stay this way. If anyone restores this bike in the future it will be the least of the cosmetic challenges.

[cwf]

There's an R26 on ebay UK at the moment. Either BMW detuned their 250s for the American market or someone has got a little overexcited in their description :

'This sleek black BMW R26 250 single motorcycle is a must-have for any avid rider. With a submodel of R, this sports touring vehicle boasts a capacity of 225 to 374 cc and is perfect for fast and thrilling rides. Previous owners (excl. current) have enjoyed this motorcycle for its speed and agility, making it a top choice for adrenaline junkies. This BMW R26 250 single motorcycle is in excellent shape and has been well-maintained by its previous owners. Its black colour adds a touch of elegance to its already impressive design. Don't miss out on the chance to own this stunning piece of machinery.'

[nigelorr4@gmail.com]

Good to hear you're alright Patrick. Glad you were geared up and bike is OK.