Delray
Well-known member
Just bought a gorgeous 2022 BMW CE 04. Here's my tale ....
Five weeks ago, I went down for the first time. Never had a close call in 45 years. Then a guy jumps into my lane during low speed, rush hour traffic and it was move or get hit. With the sudden change in direction and deceleration, I flopped over like a pancake. I sat on US-1 and watched as the offending vehicle pulled over to the shoulder ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... and hit the gas so hard gravel spun up from the rear tires. The scumbag fled the scene.
Several good souls stopped to help. A guy picked up the bike and walked it off the road. A woman called an ambulance, which took me to the emergency room. Spent the night in the hospital with three broken ribs, my shoulder blade separated from its joint and road rash from shoulder to ankle. I was wearing a Schuberth helmet and it had new scrapes, so I may have dodged a bullet by protecting my head. All this from a two-mile run to swim laps at LA Fitness.
For a few weeks, as I slowly recovered, I became convinced I'd never be on two wheels again. Sold the '09 Burgman 400 I was riding within a week (broke even on it; it had scrapes but was functionally sound). I started to think if I had been riding one of the six BMW C 650 GT's I've owned, with traction control and ABS, I might have stayed upright.
Last Sunday, I decided a lane-invading, flee-the-scene lowlife was not going to determine my riding future. Riding remains a childlike thrill, the equivalent of zooming down a big hill on a bicycle you never have to pedal. I shopped online for a 7th BMW GT but found nothing. But there was a BMW CE 04 fifty miles away in South Miami -- an electric maxi-scooter -- that was loaded with extras and had a great price. I bought it and rode it home, my first ride since the accident.
It's an amazing motorcycle. My helmet is bluetoothed to a 10-inch display that lets me navigate, play music, make phone calls and more. It's 509 lbs. so it's planted. Cornering and handling are first-rate, with enhanced ABS and traction control. Barely any maintenance. And it's soooooo quiet and smooth. On top of that, my town's city hall has free 24/7 charging stations two blocks from my house. It takes less than one hour to go from 10% to 100% (one downside: range is around 80 miles. I won't be touring, but for grocery-getting, going to a golf course or making a ten-mile run to see the grandkids, it's perfect).
I figure this, or its descendants, is my bike for the future. I loved every second of my Burgman 400's and 650's and BMW GT's and Honda Silver Wings, but this combination of tech, safety and fun is unbeatable. Cool fact: CE 04 has a "4" to symbolize the equivalent of 450cc's (with 42 hp). But with full electric power available instantly, it feels WAY faster. I accidentally goosed it twice on the ride home from Miami, while adjusting my sitting position, and the response was eyebrow-raising.
At 71, I am riding the most fascinating and fun bike I ever had the pleasure to sit on. That is the direct result of a painful motorcycle mishap. The Chinese use the same symbol to represent "crisis" and "opportunity." Your interpretation depends on how you view the situation. I'm choosing to keep smiling and riding.
Ever Onward! (state motto of New York)
Mike
Five weeks ago, I went down for the first time. Never had a close call in 45 years. Then a guy jumps into my lane during low speed, rush hour traffic and it was move or get hit. With the sudden change in direction and deceleration, I flopped over like a pancake. I sat on US-1 and watched as the offending vehicle pulled over to the shoulder ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... and hit the gas so hard gravel spun up from the rear tires. The scumbag fled the scene.
Several good souls stopped to help. A guy picked up the bike and walked it off the road. A woman called an ambulance, which took me to the emergency room. Spent the night in the hospital with three broken ribs, my shoulder blade separated from its joint and road rash from shoulder to ankle. I was wearing a Schuberth helmet and it had new scrapes, so I may have dodged a bullet by protecting my head. All this from a two-mile run to swim laps at LA Fitness.
For a few weeks, as I slowly recovered, I became convinced I'd never be on two wheels again. Sold the '09 Burgman 400 I was riding within a week (broke even on it; it had scrapes but was functionally sound). I started to think if I had been riding one of the six BMW C 650 GT's I've owned, with traction control and ABS, I might have stayed upright.
Last Sunday, I decided a lane-invading, flee-the-scene lowlife was not going to determine my riding future. Riding remains a childlike thrill, the equivalent of zooming down a big hill on a bicycle you never have to pedal. I shopped online for a 7th BMW GT but found nothing. But there was a BMW CE 04 fifty miles away in South Miami -- an electric maxi-scooter -- that was loaded with extras and had a great price. I bought it and rode it home, my first ride since the accident.
It's an amazing motorcycle. My helmet is bluetoothed to a 10-inch display that lets me navigate, play music, make phone calls and more. It's 509 lbs. so it's planted. Cornering and handling are first-rate, with enhanced ABS and traction control. Barely any maintenance. And it's soooooo quiet and smooth. On top of that, my town's city hall has free 24/7 charging stations two blocks from my house. It takes less than one hour to go from 10% to 100% (one downside: range is around 80 miles. I won't be touring, but for grocery-getting, going to a golf course or making a ten-mile run to see the grandkids, it's perfect).
I figure this, or its descendants, is my bike for the future. I loved every second of my Burgman 400's and 650's and BMW GT's and Honda Silver Wings, but this combination of tech, safety and fun is unbeatable. Cool fact: CE 04 has a "4" to symbolize the equivalent of 450cc's (with 42 hp). But with full electric power available instantly, it feels WAY faster. I accidentally goosed it twice on the ride home from Miami, while adjusting my sitting position, and the response was eyebrow-raising.
At 71, I am riding the most fascinating and fun bike I ever had the pleasure to sit on. That is the direct result of a painful motorcycle mishap. The Chinese use the same symbol to represent "crisis" and "opportunity." Your interpretation depends on how you view the situation. I'm choosing to keep smiling and riding.
Ever Onward! (state motto of New York)
Mike
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