Back On The Road

It’s been a long ten days since the Landy incident, and in the mean time I have been too-ing and fro-ing with the insurance companies mainly just trying to get a straight answer out of them.

Getting myself to jobs has been a bit of a pain in the ass what with living in a village and having to either borrow cars, cadge lifts or use public transport..

That is until now..

Today I set out in search of a cheap car only to return with a not so cheap motorbike.

I have always had motorbikes of one type or another but this is my first BMW.

For those that are really interested it is a BMW F650GS.. I bought it with the money I have put aside for the tax man in the hope that my insurance company will reimburse me for my Land Rover. It’s a gamble I know, but I really need transport now so I can get on with my photographic assignments.

The F650GS‘s engine has won the Dakar Rally at least twice and with a listed fuel consumption of 74.3 miles per gallon it is one of the most environmentally friendly motorbikes of it’s size on the road. I calculated that if I can keep the bike and myself in one piece for two years, the money I would have saved on fuel compared to driving the Land Rover would cover the cost of the bike.

So why a motorbike..?

Free parking.
No congestion charge to pay in London.
Easy to negotiate traffic jams.
Cheep road tax and insurance.
Low fuel consumption.
Good on and off road.
Hold their value.
Fun to drive.

On the downside there is the weather issue.. But when needed I have waterproofs and there is alway a car not to far away to borrow should I need to take the dog to the vet etc etc.. Yes I miss the versatility of having a truck that I can throw all kinds of crap in and not worry about a muddy dog etc.. But for all the other times where I am trundling along in a 5 mile tailback I would much rather be on a bike.. Lets face it, our roads in the UK are getting busier and busier, this is the ultimate congestion beater.

That said.. I will be realistic and see how the next few months go before I decide if this is just going to be a spring/summer thing. This bike with it’s ABS and it’s heated grips should do me well in all seasons. We will just have to see what the British summer decides to throw at us.