Did you exchange
A walk-on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?
– Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
Motorbikes
My last three bikes, oldest to newest.
BMW F800R
This is the second F800R I owned, which I bought in Canberra in 2018. I chose red because red bikes go faster. I used the bike as a commuter and it was nearly perfect for the task. Balanced, relatively light, wide bars, lots of torque. For longer trips it’s not so great – no wind protection and heavy vibration through the bars. I sold it in early 2025, before moving to Japan.
BMW R1200R
I bought this bike for the year that I was in Kyoto, in 2025. I guess I dreamed I’d go on longer trips but I ended up using it for commuting. For the first six weeks it felt like a mistake. And yet I ended up loving it. The bike is heavy but the weight is all low to the ground and the 1170cc boxer is really smooth, with masses of lazy power. A low center of mass and seat height of 800mm makes for easy riding at low speeds. Every day was an adventure, weaving my way from south to north Kyoto, dodging lorries, dump trucks, cement mixers, buses, angry taxi drivers, hooligans on motorcycles, scooters, bicycles and tourists staring at their phones. My favor part was the bridge over the Uji river, where suddenly you’re surrounded by mountains – and then back down into the mayhem. At the end of the year I sold the bike rather than trying to ship it to Australia. It makes me feel like crying now I think about it. One of those times where you don’t realize just how much you love something until its gone.
BMW F900R
In 2026 I bought a BMW F900R. I’m still adjusting to it. It has masses of torque, amazing brakes, great suspension. But the bike is twitchy relative to the R1200R, especially in the faster engine mappings. The weight also sits much higher, and the wheelbase is shorter. This helps with cornering but makes the bike less stable, especially at low speeds. We are slowly becoming friends.