K11 Owners Group

[Shoganai]

So a month ago I saw an odd site.

It was a good sized, trim young man wearing a skull cap helmet, a leather HD jacket, jeans and heavy work boots riding a K100 with no wind shield or lower fairing and bits looking patched together all over.


I was in the Subie and honked in the parking lot to get his attention.


He pulled over and we stood around the bike and talked. It seems he had an HD but wanted to spread his wings and try a older BMW. After about 30 minutes we each needed to finish our missions for the day so I gave him my phone number and tool him if he ever needed help with his K such as finding parts, or a place to work on it or what ever, just give me a call.


Today I needed to pick up the Subie form the shop and at the same I needed to get the K1200S inspected.


So I rode the K1200 there, got it OK’d but then neither me nor the shop man could find the VIN plate. We spent 20 minutes looking and I decided to drive home to get the registration.


As I drove the Subie home to get it, I saw the young man again, this time he was carrying two heavy bags of groceries on his left elbow while riding the K100. I again honked to say hello and asked where was his panniers. He said he didn’t have any.


I learned he lived only 2-3 miles from me so I asked if he had time to follow me home so I could show him something. He agreed.


After we arrived I gave him a tour of the garage and showed him my two K1100RS’s and we talked bike talk. I learned he was out of a job and was looking hard. His wife worked at a local plant nursery and he had 13 month old daughter. As they could no longer afford to stay in the trailer park, they were in the process of moving in with his wife’s parents 10 miles from here.


Also the bike was his only transportation as his wife needed the car for work and hauling his daughter to daycare.


My heart went out to him. He was doing the best he could with what he had to work with and didn’t complain about having to make some hard choices.


I offered him my panniers off the Shop Whore aka 1993 K1100 for an indefinite period of time. I told him I wouldn’t be needing then for at least a year and the were black and beat up, so they’ll match his bike like they came with it.


He was stunned, but after I told him I was serious and I wanted him to use them, he agreed.


I showed him how to mount and dismount them. The latches worked but there were no key cylinders in them and I told him they were not water tight either.
He was still very joyful and grateful for them.


Since he had the z-rails at home because he didn’t have panniers to hang on them, I loaded them in the Subie along with his groceries and followed him home. He brought his daughter out to meet me.


I told him she looked JUST like an Elf! She was without a doubt the most beautiful child I think I’ve ever seen outside a fairy tale. I could tell how proud he was of her and she was very happy Daddy was home.


We exchanged contact info and he stuck out his hand and gave me firm, grateful shake, smiled huge and thanked me several more times.


As I drove home I thought, I really don’t care if I ever get them back as long as he needs them, he can keep them.


All because we couldn’t find the VIN.

Life is so cool that way.



_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki

[Jim]

First, what K1200?

Second - that was totally cool of you, Gwen. But then, you are very cool!
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - still has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repaired!
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

[Shoganai]

[Ted]

That is a very cool looking stealth K-bike - good on ya Gwen
_________________
Ted
KOG#1

[bmwtf]

Agree about the stealth bike, maybe "retro rat"...meant as a compliment. Love the story. The harder life is the greater the impact of a small kindness. The phrase, "Even to the least of these" comes to mind from somewhere. Good will come of this...if the panniers don't infect his bike with thier "old Shop Whorein'" ways.

[jpberens1994K1100RS]

Great true life story, good on ya for helping out.

Sweet 1200. Gotta be a story bout that too, long winter is looming ahead, maybe we will here about it later.
_________________
1993 K1100RS that I'd rather be riding FAST!
2014 Moto Guzzi Norge

[SugarHillCTD]

Gwen,

You are 1 in a million. This world needs many more people like you.

Great story. Even greater action on your part. ("pay it forward, eh?")

And you helped a H-D rider see a wider world of bikes.

Nice.

John


BTW, the K1200S picture made me drool into the keyboard
_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

[Shoganai]

I sent my Father this link because he doen't really know much about my motorcycle-life.

This was his reply.

"There are no Co –incidences only God- incidences.
Nothing happens by accident
Proud to be your dad."


:real tears of happiness
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki

[DaveVoorhis]

Gwen = saint.
_________________
'93 K1100RS
Dave #3

[Shoganai]

[Ted]

Looking at that bike again I half expect Milla Jojovich to be riding it in the next Resident Evil movie - that K12R looks like it is just trying too hard. I bet he'd get a kick out of me salivating over that cool, retro look!

[Shoganai]

Thank you Ted, that means a lot to me. Truly.


I don’t really have a good reason to have posted this other than it was a cool set of events that lead to me cresting a hill just in time see him two blocks away.
He and the bike make a remarkable and unforgettable pair.


I was cleaning the house when Steve called and asked if I would take care of the bike and car. So he’s really a part of this tell as well.


I honestly didn’t feel I had the time but it needed to be done.


So what started out as my own personal inconvenience lead to an interesting encounter.


But I don’t think it’s about kindness so much as compassion.
Or maybe it’s about taking risks to touch a life?
Or just maybe it’s really is about the bike, any bike?


The players are the least important. He and I became momentarily entangled and we were both blessed and changed, if even briefly for it.


So many times I want to stop my pointless busy haste and talk to strangers or give a hand and I don’t. I don’t because I feel that what I’m doing is more important when in truth, it really isn’t.


I’m fascinated by the events that bring people into our lives.
I guess those events make for good story telling.
_________________
1993 K1100RS aka The Shop Whore
1994 K1100RS aka Blue Streak

The long road is a rainbow and the pot of gold lies there.
So slip the chain and I'm off again,
You'll find me everywhere. I'm a Rover. - JT


Nana korobi ya oki

[drikko]

Well done Shogs, it's just doing the right thing at the time. I have no doubt you would have done it whether the guy was down and out or not. People like him and his missus will turn out alright as they don't complain about their fate but work hard to sort it out. Most of all their beautiful girl will see how to keep a head on her shoulders and survive well.

I would like to relay a story from my dad from about 10 years ago, no acts of kindness really but an incredible coincidence. Mum and dad were doing the Siberian Railway trip from China to St Petersburg. In Mongolia the train broke down in some little village. They were told it would take many hours to fix it, so they wandered around the village finally finding a cafe type place which looked like it may have food, they went in and sat down, dad ordered a beer and mum a lemonade (didn't trust the wine) and some sandwiches and out from the back of the cafe boomed "DAVE WHAT THE F%^K ARE YOU DOING HERE!!!"

Now dad was 68 ish at the time and here was one of his Uni mates from Engineering from nearly 50 years earlier in the same cafe. They hadn't seen each other since Uni!! The other guy whose name I have forgotten was there as an Engineer helping one of the charity organisations. How much of a co-incidence is that! Had the train not broken down it wouldn't have happened! True story, Dad, keeps telling us about it ad nauseum but it is amazing! He's now helping them in his retirement with advice re irrigation etc.
_________________
K1100RS '97
Laverda RGS 1000 '84
Jim Young Trailer Sailer 5.7M WB

DISCLAIMER:- Anything I say may have been when I was drunk so please don't take it personally.

'Bigamy is having one wife/husband too many. Monogamy is the same.'
Oscar Wilde

[Geoff]

Shogs, nice move.
_________________
2000 R1100RT
2008 H-D Electra Glide Ultra Classic

[Milton]

Ripples in the web of life.

I'd sure like to meet you someday Shogs.

You are a good person.

Milton S.
_________________
Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick!

1992 K100RS 48K. Dead for now.
1998 Triumph Tiger 43K->56K. Doin it in the dirt.
1978 Honda CB400T 32.5K. For my boys.

[Flying Duck]

This thread is ghey. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)



The rat K bike part is cool though.
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

[merlin geikie]

Drake opines;

[Shoganai]