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Even if we don't always understand or realize it, for those of us who are into their late 60's or early 70's, we were in a forgiving driving world. People were actually trying to drive properly, and paying attention. Today, driving is like breathing, a reflex that you don't need to focus upon because it takes time away from texting or talking with your phone on your hand. Turn indicators? who use them nowadays anyway. Today's bikes have better brakes, riding equipment is no longer the usual leather paper thin or Barbour jacket but becomes incompatible with the weather systems we are experiencing almost everywhere in the world. To the point where you cannot ride during summer to avoid getting a heat stroke, or ride during thunderstorms because roads flood, or you do not have any kind of visibility. Crazy!

I agree about lack of sympathy for people doing stupid shit... as well as my own luck in surviving doing stupid shit and 50-mile lane-splitting commutes through Los Angeles. For the record I do not count lane-splitting as stupid shit. I think it should be legal nation-wide. But it's cool how this topic has turned to parenting. My dad once said (in a threatening/controlling way) that I could have a motorcycle the day I moved out of his house. So I left. I had some small Hondas for my daughters. XR70 and 100 when they were younger. I've taken them all on street rides on various bikes, and now we have a TW200 that they ride with me on dirt roads. It's always been safety first and full gear even for short trips or hot days when gear is inconvenient. They no longer ask "Do I really have to wear the boots." My two youngest daughters still enjoy riding in the dirt with me and I have encouraged both of them to get their permits and licenses. Mostly so we can legally ride on dirt roads or into town for gas and lunch. But so far they have not done that and I don't push it. However, when we are in a car together, I enjoy their banter about other motorcyclists' attire or behavior. They always start with "My dad would never..." and then go on with things like: ...let me wear sandals. ...go that fast between lanes. ...ride in shorts and t-shirt. ...let that ho-bag on his motorcycle. They get brutal. They're so funny.

The GS contributed to create a completely new genre of Motorcycles; right up to the 1250 GS. 2023 1300 GS seems to have taken a new direction from the long running spirit of what the GS was, is? It now looks more like a Moto Guzzi V100 than a GS. But still with the BMW innovative technology. From what I understood, they have finally gotten the Telelever front suspension to work so you could get all the perks of the system, without its major inconvenient: the lack of front feeling. According to the journalists that rode it, including on terrain, it feels like a conventional suspension, but provides the rigorousness and precision of a Telelever. They also have tweaked the engine, so the response is a lot more linear than it used to be. For those of us who like their torque at low rpm, well the new 1300 GS no more. Or no longer the same would be probably more accurate. I never liked BMW motorcycles, so it is all the same to me. The Quota initially and Stelvio now are what appeal to me for a second bike, whenever I get the space if I ever get it.

A week or so ago someone on WG linked up a YouTube vid of some 24 carat dunce who decided to film himself riding from Denver to Colorado Springs on his Gixxer. T-shirt and tennis shoes + helmet. I looked up how far that was on Giggle Maps. The trip took him 20 minutes or so I think. Hopefully his distinctively painted bike could be identified and some things will happen to him. It was f*cking insane.

Thanks, that's about what I expected.

Running a 170 would likely give a rounder, more natural, profile on the 5.5" rim offering a smooth, predictable turn-in and more even wear. Probably somewhat easier to mount and a little lighter than the 180. Cons? It won't look as big and wide. I have the early Sport with the even narrower 4.5" rim, so perhaps members with the later V11 will chime in with more experienced feedback . . .

What with the surprising results I got from simply cleaning my leaking fork seals, I added this to The Checklist . . . [edit June 2022: This lasted 5,000 miles/ 8.000 km before having to repeat. Surprisingly good outcome!]