R1150RSCourier
18-06-2011, 03:43 PM
I joined up for some info, so best introduce myself
I'm Dave, a serial bike & van courier for most of the last 12 years based in London, and have worked for many different companies, and had quite a few different bikes, both owned and rented, my newest is my 4th BMW either owned or rented, and its an 04 R1150RS is Blue n Silver (pics will follow, once I've repainted some bits a previous owner has painted luminous yellow :( )
my bike history
Yam SR125
bought new, despatched for a year doing 22,000 miles on L plates
Honda Bros 400
Rented whilst looking for bigger bike after passing test
Suzuki VX800
owned, despatched , did 17,000 miles before its unreliability and a stint working for a Motorbike rental & insurance repair company for 2 years ended my early courier years
BMW K75 (with 315K on the clock)
rented for a few weeks as VX awaiting parts from Japan
Honda CBR400 (streetfightered, flat bars, speedo, no rev counter) communted till it dropped its valves at silly engine speeds :mad:
Kawa ZZR600 Cat C 18 months old, bought direct from insurance company for silly money and commuted for a few months before selling for a decent profit
Went back to courier work in vans for a bit
BMW R850R
Rented, Despatched showing 120K when I got it, gave it them back with 145K on it
BMW K1100LT
Owned, Despatched, ex-police got showing about 85k, ran till back problems forced me back into a van for a while, with it showing 116K
3 years in vans followed
Honda CB500 & CBF500
Rented, despatched, oddly, don't recall the mileages, busted my ankle on the CBF500, after back tyre lost grip on a man hole cover during some "spirited cornering" , was quicker back earning if I went in a van, so back in the vans
But now I'm back on a bike :D
The bikes currently got 36K on it, I've done 1K in my first week back on 2 wheels. It came with the full BMW luggage system, but the top box was too small, so swapped for a Givi E45 (AKA Standard courier top box), and am swapping the lids on the panniers for the narrower city lids.
First impressions, utterly, utterly stable, has the same great low speed balance the R850R had, despite the clip ons, easy cruising at UK motorway speeds (I think my days of cruising at silly speeds are behind me, the stories you hear about despatch riders are all true, but not for all despatch riders, I'd probably be locked up today for the antics I got upto in my mid to late 20s).
I wouldn't mind a bigger screen, but its not an urgent neccesity.
Mods I'd like to make, and accessories to add
Baglux cover n bag
Sat Nav
Lower pegs
Bigger screen
Intercom for tunes, and talking to the other half (who gets a lift to and from work on the back)
I'd also like it to have the overdrive top its supposed to (see thread in techincal section)
I'm Dave, a serial bike & van courier for most of the last 12 years based in London, and have worked for many different companies, and had quite a few different bikes, both owned and rented, my newest is my 4th BMW either owned or rented, and its an 04 R1150RS is Blue n Silver (pics will follow, once I've repainted some bits a previous owner has painted luminous yellow :( )
my bike history
Yam SR125
bought new, despatched for a year doing 22,000 miles on L plates
Honda Bros 400
Rented whilst looking for bigger bike after passing test
Suzuki VX800
owned, despatched , did 17,000 miles before its unreliability and a stint working for a Motorbike rental & insurance repair company for 2 years ended my early courier years
BMW K75 (with 315K on the clock)
rented for a few weeks as VX awaiting parts from Japan
Honda CBR400 (streetfightered, flat bars, speedo, no rev counter) communted till it dropped its valves at silly engine speeds :mad:
Kawa ZZR600 Cat C 18 months old, bought direct from insurance company for silly money and commuted for a few months before selling for a decent profit
Went back to courier work in vans for a bit
BMW R850R
Rented, Despatched showing 120K when I got it, gave it them back with 145K on it
BMW K1100LT
Owned, Despatched, ex-police got showing about 85k, ran till back problems forced me back into a van for a while, with it showing 116K
3 years in vans followed
Honda CB500 & CBF500
Rented, despatched, oddly, don't recall the mileages, busted my ankle on the CBF500, after back tyre lost grip on a man hole cover during some "spirited cornering" , was quicker back earning if I went in a van, so back in the vans
But now I'm back on a bike :D
The bikes currently got 36K on it, I've done 1K in my first week back on 2 wheels. It came with the full BMW luggage system, but the top box was too small, so swapped for a Givi E45 (AKA Standard courier top box), and am swapping the lids on the panniers for the narrower city lids.
First impressions, utterly, utterly stable, has the same great low speed balance the R850R had, despite the clip ons, easy cruising at UK motorway speeds (I think my days of cruising at silly speeds are behind me, the stories you hear about despatch riders are all true, but not for all despatch riders, I'd probably be locked up today for the antics I got upto in my mid to late 20s).
I wouldn't mind a bigger screen, but its not an urgent neccesity.
Mods I'd like to make, and accessories to add
Baglux cover n bag
Sat Nav
Lower pegs
Bigger screen
Intercom for tunes, and talking to the other half (who gets a lift to and from work on the back)
I'd also like it to have the overdrive top its supposed to (see thread in techincal section)