Cracked BMW Engine

This is a photograph of my motorcycle engine back in May 2008, after getting home from an encounter with a boulder near Kirkwood Ski Resort. This is viewed from the right side, which took the brunt of the impact.

Note the cracks in the engine casing! Not only did I not get thrown off my bike, the guys at the shop were amazed at how close the crack came to being ruptured, thus puking oil and leaving me stranded, or worse yet, seizing the engine if I did not heed the warning to pull over and hang it up.

All I can say is that there must have been a guardian angel watching over me, and a testimonial to my longstanding faith in BMW motorcycles. Would I have fared better or worse on another brand? Don't know, and not planning to find out anytime soon... or ever.

It's toast. A new engine replacement will come close to the estimated value of my R1200C Cruiser, 9 years old with 76,000 miles on the clock, so the insurance people are writing it off. It is a shame, since it has become my all-time favorite ride and I had planned on keeping it forever.

Here is a photograph from one of my last rides before the fateful mishap. It was on a road near Chili Bar canyon just outside Placerville, California... a road which I have never before traversed, and the reason why many of us motorcyclists choose to ride.

It's an adventure. I have a pretty good idea that my Cruiser's replacement will be more aptly suited for that description, and time will soon tell.