BMW R65 1986

by Krysta
(Milwaukee, WI)

I don't actually own a motorcycle any more, but my fiancee owns 4 that I ride (all BMW: 1986 R65, 1995 R100RT classic, 1982 R100RT w/ sidecar, 2003 R1150R). In fact, he bought the R65 just for my use, and the R100RT classic is mostly mine, too. They each have their own personality, and are better for some types of riding than for others.

Betty, the R65 shown here, is my favorite both for around town (commuting & shopping) and non-highway long-distance travel. She's peppy, responsive, fairly light (handles nicely), and is a comfortable height (I don't feel like I'm scrunched or on tiptoe). She has no problem carrying both of us, and together we weigh about as much as she does.

She likes higher RPM, and is happy running at mumblety MPH (a safe and reasonable speed which usually happens to be slightly above the posted speed limit) for long distances at 5000-5500 RPM (which is nowhere near redline). If I'm not being a knob & doing jackrabbit acceleration, she gets close to 50mpg.

Betty is an airhead (air-cooled), and I'm slowly learning to do maintenance. In fact, Karl says that if she's what I want as a wedding present / dowry, I have to learn to do all the maintenance... or get a great-paying job so I can pay the shop to do it!

The only thing that really throws me is crosswinds. She's light enough that sometimes I need the whole lane. For long-distance highway stints, I prefer the R100 or R1150. Travelling together, we often take the sidecar so one of us can drive while the other rests or sleeps.