December 15th

More preparations for the bike today. The ABS warning light had been flashing for so long that I had grown used to it but it was time to get the problem resolved. The bike was booked into Ocean BMW Motorrad in Plymouth for 11.00 am this morning. Another opportunity to test my heated clothing on the cold hour-long ride south. The roads were very wet, dirty and slippery so by the time I arrived at Ocean it looked as if I had ridden over Dartmoor to get there. The bike dealership had changed a bit since I last visited and it was noticeably quieter than previously. They soon had my filthy bike in their nice clean workshop and began to diagnose the problem with the anti-lock braking system. Unfortunately it was not a simple reset and instead I would have to leave the bike with them for a new sensor to be fitted. They provided me with a new "59" plated R1200GS to return home on which was surprisingly pleasant to ride. The newer machine is lighter, more powerful and has sharper brakes than my older model 1100. Bill, the After Sales Manager advised me to return the bike with the same amount of fuel in and noted that it had approximately one third of a tank left. After riding around 15 miles, the fuel light lit up and flashed dire warnings that I must refuel within the next 40 miles. I was surprised when I stop in Okehampton and it only took 15 litres of normal unleaded to fill it to the brim. By comparison, my 1100 is fitted with the large capacity Touratech fuel tank that holds an enormous 41 litres and offers over 400 miles range.

Just past Okehampton, I called on my very good friend Proff who is a great fan of all things two wheeled BMW provided it was made before the early 1980s. I tried to fool him that I had bought the new 1200 but he was only concerned for a few seconds before quickly realising it was only a loan bike.

By the time I got the new 1200 back in my workshop, it looked as filthy as my 1100 had been. Not long after I arrived home, Bill phoned to tell me that they had managed to complete all the work on my bike and it was 100% fixed and ready for collection.

Thats another box ticked on my "to do" list and one less thing to worry about.