Alphabet Soup!

I ride a motorcycle, a thing with 2 wheels; a mechanized horse.
Yes, it has a motor and 2 wheels and I like what I ride.
The machine is called a BMW R-1150-GS Adventure. When people ask me what I ride I tell them I ride a BMW. When I believe they know something about bikes I will tell them I ride an Adventure. For experts I will have to add the year 02 so that they get a better picture in their minds of what I ride.
Now let me see: 1) BMW
2) Adventure
3) 02
So to make it easy for most riders and non riders to understand what I ride the bike should be called a “BMW 02 Adventure” That it is made by BMW is for the moment beside the point. Do I really need the R ? R stands for ? Road ? Well, hello, what else would it be made for ? Roadster ? What is a roadster? Wikkipedia lists a roadster as a car. R like in Racing ? Can not be, the GS ( Gelände Straße ) is not a racing bike. So what is the R for ?
Do I really need the 1150 ?
I know that 1150 is close to the cc’s but not really, so why call it 1150?

I just read an article in Backroads magazine ( February 07 ) written by Mike Stackhouse in which he mentions a few bikes he had. A great magazine, by the way.
Ducati 860 GT * BMW R 100/7 * BSA 441 Victor * Ossa Desert Phantom * XS650 Special * SR 500 Yamaha.
He talks about other bikes he is looking at:
02 Triumph Bonneville * ST4 Ducati * K75 BMW * ZX6 Kawasaki * FJR 1200 Yamaha * ZX 12.
Other bikes he mentions in the article are:
BMW F650 * KLR 250 * 67 250 Ducati * 72 450 Ducati * VFR Honda * Kawasaki 650 * KLR 650 * 350Mark 3D * Harley Panhead * Z 750 Kawasaki * Sportster 883 * and finally the word GIVI.
Now if you know all these bikes, wow ! My hat off to you!
But most of us have no clue as to what all these bikes look like. It’s total Alphabet soup!
What is ST ? ZX? VFR? 3D? F? SR? X?
Is X extra ? does it mean X-tra expensive, extra loud, extra what ?
VFR is what ? Very Fast Racing?

I believe it’s nice to know the numbers. 250 cc is small, 1200 is large.
I believe it’s nice to know who makes the bike. Honda is good. Kawasaki is good. Harley is good. ( Do they still need ‘Davidson’? BMW is good, etc.
The year ? Sure a 90’s bike is now considered old.
But yes, add that to the name.
Since all manufacturers come out with new models each year they could give it the number of the year. 07/650
But then BMW now makes a few 650’s for 07, all with X’s
G-650Xcountry
G-650Xchallenge
G-650Xmoto
What is this ? Am I supposed to remember the difference between country, challenge and moto ?
Talking about BMW’s new bikes:
We now have a bunch of 650’s, 800’s and 1200’s.

F800S
R1200S
K1200S
K1200R
F800ST
R1200RT
R1200ST
K1200GT
K1200LT
G650Xcountry
G650Xmoto
R1200R
K1200R
F650GS
F650GS Dakar
G650Xchallenge
R1200GS
R1200GS Adventure
HP-2 Enduro

So basically 3 motors, all tuned differently for Sport, Country, Enduro, Adventure or Challenges.
Well folks, I am challenged here to understand all these models.
And that is only for 2007, forget the models from the past, forget the models of other manufacturers. Never mind what the future will bring.
My mind is on over load with S, K, RT, ST, GT, G, R1, F, HP, LT, X
It’s all Alphabet soup to me !

Besides all of the above I have to remember ATM, PIN, GPS, WiFi, BP and my SS#. Never mind that I now have to remember all kinds of email addresses, too.

Do we have to make naming a bike that complicated? Or is it, that if I confuse the people with enough gibberish they will think I am smart?
Why so many different bikes from one Manufacturer? How many bikes does Honda make this year? How many are really needed? Is it like buying food? For each taste Honda will make a different bike? Today I will eat Japanese, tomorrow maybe German and in the future Chinese?
Its overload…….I am going over the edge with all these choices.

A tribute to Petra

I just learned through Norm Smith that Petra Knopf, the wife of Stefan Knopf, passed away this evening on January 8th, in Heidelberg, Germany.

Petra was in her very early 40th and leaves 4 Children on this earth. Her colon Cancer was discovered too late and could not be treated.
I am angry that this happened to such a fine woman in the prime of her life.
Petra was so full of life, so naturally nice and a charming addition to Stefan.
It is incomprehensible.
I am shocked!

Petra, Rest in Peace !


Hans