NOT A RUBBER COW

Ian Carter wanted a BMW that would do it all, but he ended up with a bike focused on only one thing — putting a great big grin on his face whenever he rides it.

After learning to ride on Japanese 2-strokes, Ian Carter’s first big motorcycle was a BMW R100RS. “It was a high-mileage bike and the engine and suspension were bit tired but I loved it,” says Ian. “I’ve been hooked on Boxers ever since.” The RS was followed by an Earles-forked R60, and then a new Funduro. “The single was a mistake,” reflects Ian. “It wasn’t fun and I hated it.” He went back to a Boxer for his next bike, an R1100RS bought with only 5,000 miles on the clock. He went touring around France on that one, while his friend rode an R75/6. “There was a lot of banter between us — I told him that he should have got something a bit newer for the trip instead of an old air-head, and he slagged off my oil-head as being too clinical and with too much plastic. I had to admit that my 1,100 felt a bit of a porker going up the passes, but when I tried his/6 I felt