how many ride all year?

General discussion of the BMW R1200RT/R1250RT
User avatar
Doctor T
Posts: 1664
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2021 10:21 pm
Location: west sussex
Bike Model and Year: 2007 R1200RT SE
Has liked: 905 times
Been liked: 239 times
Great Britain

how many ride all year?

Post by Doctor T »

How many of you ride your RT all year round. Personally ive always ridden bikes right through the year. The only times i don't ride is when it's Snowing/icy or chucking it down. The cold doesn't bother me. Am lucky as i took early retirement 9 years ago at the tender age of 50 so i can get out more. Last 2 years my mileage was down due to covid but it's usually around 14 thousand.
Trust me I am a retired Doctor and lecturer at Oxford University of Structural and Mechanical/Electrical engineering.
User avatar
smileymiley
Posts: 391
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:24 am
Location: Grantham
Bike Model and Year: R1200RT 17MY
Has liked: 4 times
Been liked: 11 times
Great Britain

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by smileymiley »

I ride all year round,  'cept snow, like you the madness has reduced my mileage somewhat.

Retired early in 2019 thinking that Mrs smileymiley & I would be travelling all over the place. Usually had 2 to 3 holidays a year!
But idiotic politicians & unscientific scientists seem to have put paid to that!
Vini, Vidi, Velcro....... I came, I saw, I stuck around.
jackronner
Posts: 506
Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2017 4:45 am
Location: Oakland, California
Has liked: 1 time
Been liked: 9 times
United States of America

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by jackronner »

Well, I live in Northern California, so it's not so impressive that I do.  Plus, it's legal to lane share (only state in the US), so I can't move anywhere else!  Haven't had a car for the last 14 yrs.  Even before then, my friends always asked why I even had one, since I never used it.  I answered "Chicks and rain";  but since there had been a long-ass drought for both, I just gave it up.  Plus the drivers in Cali are so timid/inept, driving a car aggravated me so much it endangered my mental health.  Did ride in the snow once on a ski trip in a freak April snow storm, but it didn't stick to the roadway.  BTW, I feel your pain Smiley:  in 2019 I was all set up to buy and store a bike in France for my own retirement plan of yearly trips thru Europe.  I think I'll make it this year, and plan to visit my aging British cousins (one of whom died this past year) whilst they're still alive! Right on, ride on!

User avatar
Steve398
Posts: 726
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2019 8:41 pm
Location: West Sussex, UK
Bike Model and Year: R1200RTLC, 2018
Has liked: 276 times
Been liked: 234 times
Isle of Wight

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by Steve398 »

For many years it was what I did as part of my job, so I had little choice.

Now in retirement I don’t mind riding in the winter, be it chilly, raining, or windy, but draw the line at riding in ice and snow which I've done occasionally in the past but no longer have to.

What I do hate is washing the bike down afterwards in that weather.



Last edited by Steve398 on Fri Mar 04, 2022 6:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
emlevy
Posts: 74
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 1:38 am
Location: Evergreen, CO
Bike Model and Year: 2015 R1200RT
Been liked: 2 times
United States of America

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by emlevy »

I was able to ride year ‘round when I lived in San Diego but since moving to Colorado twenty years ago, I’m now lucky if I can get to ride 4 months out of the year. It’s simply too cold and snowy / icy to ride here any more than that.
2015 R1200RT | 2012 R1200R Classic
simbo
Posts: 1377
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 10:33 pm
Location: Greater Manchester
Bike Model and Year: RT 2011
Has liked: 68 times
Been liked: 98 times
Great Britain

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by simbo »

+2 and above and I'm commuting on the RT.. I don't mind light to moderate rain, but when it's coming down heavy the M66 gets pretty flooded in places so I go in the car.
The GS 'is' the better bike :-)
Casbar
Posts: 2670
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2016 6:25 am
Been liked: 45 times
Great Britain

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by Casbar »

Ride all year around except if snow or ice abounds. Been blood biking for the last 7 years, so do a lot of mileage in all weathers.
User avatar
Doctor T
Posts: 1664
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2021 10:21 pm
Location: west sussex
Bike Model and Year: 2007 R1200RT SE
Has liked: 905 times
Been liked: 239 times
Great Britain

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by Doctor T »

That would drive me mad only being able to ride 4 months of the year.
Trust me I am a retired Doctor and lecturer at Oxford University of Structural and Mechanical/Electrical engineering.
BoB21
Posts: 766
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2017 11:38 am
Has liked: 39 times
Been liked: 37 times
Great Britain

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by BoB21 »

All year for pleasure. Can't understand why not if safe.
User avatar
Randyjaco
Posts: 185
Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2021 3:18 am
Location: Friendswood, Texas, USA
Bike Model and Year: R1200RT 2017
Has liked: 36 times
Been liked: 38 times
United States of America

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by Randyjaco »

I live in Texas, so I can pretty much ride year round. I tend not to ride in the rain and snow/ice. I also tend not to ride when the temperature rises above 90 F 8)
User avatar
Grumpy
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2021 4:49 pm

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by Grumpy »

Ride year round in Colorado. But not with ice or snow on the road. Though I have been caught in the snow a few times.
I am very cold natured but layer up and go anyway. I do not own a car anymore so I do have to borrow the wife's car sometimes.
Never engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man.
User avatar
Levisp
Posts: 1114
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2014 12:57 pm

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by Levisp »

Steve398 wrote: For many years it was what I did as part of my job, so I had little choice.

Now in retirement I don’t mind riding in the winter, be it chilly, raining, or windy, but draw the line at riding in ice and snow which I've done occasionally in the past but no longer have to.

What I do hate is washing the bike down afterwards in that weather.
.
Ditto.


Never rode for work but do like to ride all year round. Draw the line at snow and ice. Do about 12k a year now. A little down on the past due to not like washing the bike in winter. As I get older seem to feel the cold more. Get a good day in winter and it blows the cobwebs away. Sometimes it can be better than summer.
User avatar
Doctor T
Posts: 1664
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2021 10:21 pm
Location: west sussex
Bike Model and Year: 2007 R1200RT SE
Has liked: 905 times
Been liked: 239 times
Great Britain

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by Doctor T »

Winter weekends can be better than summer days as Levisp said. Less traffic on the roads. Am not too bothered about washing the bike with every trip out in the winter. With age, i seem to wash my car and bike a lot less. My RE Himalayan hasn't been washed in 2 years. A bit of dirt and dust seems to suit the bike and unlike some reports, i have no rust on the frame and the head bearing are in perfect. I come to the conclusion that washing a bike every week can cause more trouble than it's worth.
Trust me I am a retired Doctor and lecturer at Oxford University of Structural and Mechanical/Electrical engineering.
hammo
Posts: 379
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2018 11:43 am
Location: UK
Bike Model and Year: 2019 1250rtle
Been liked: 20 times
Great Britain

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by hammo »

I ride all year cannot see the point of forking out a load of cash to "winter up " the bike , i also think that it is worse for the bike leaving it stood .Aye its grim up north !!!!!!
User avatar
Sharkfighter
Posts: 132
Joined: Mon Sep 16, 2019 4:40 pm
Location: Dawlish
Bike Model and Year: 2013 1200RT
Been liked: 16 times
Great Britain

Re: how many ride all year?

Post by Sharkfighter »

I ride all year, both with my former, prior to retirement, employer, been riding when the snow has been horizontal, not a nice experience! Blood biker so the weather is not an excuse not to ride, unless it’s really bad then it’s usually a case of shopping tow wheels for four.
The only pain is ensuring that the bike is given a good wash after each ride.
Post Reply