Well, folks, it has been over a year since the last entry I made here… Shame on me!  I added this blog to the site as a way to share information, tips, site guidance, and more.

With this post I am going to begin a habit of regular updates.  Why now?  Well, there has been a LOT going on, and I am so excited about it that I need to share this with you.    

We have acquired a LARGE amount of great NEW parts and supplies, and we are expanding beyond only the BMW LT.  The LT will still remain our primary line, but there are so many other great BMW’s that we decided to carry some things for them as well.   

In this latest acquisition, we added a bunch of Vespa parts to our inventory, and we are working furiously to get everything added to the site.  For the Vespa, we have a lot of service parts as well as some brand new topcases, back rest pads, case liners, and much more.

We have added mew tires, oil, transmission and brake fluids, brake rotors, springs, shocks and much, much more.  Besides re-structuring our categories to make things easier to find, we have enhanced our search and have built a Search Tips page to help you make the most of the search feature to find what you are looking for as quickly as possible.

So many changes, so much more in store.  I look forward to sharing this exciting adventure with you, and i encourage you to join in the dialog both posting and commenting here and sharing your ideas. 

Until next time (which will be soon)…

All the best.
Tony 

That is the title of a safety and security training program that I have been providing to various community group and organizations.

So… What has that got to do with my LT, you might ask.  Think about it.  You lock your motorbike and take your key.  You may even install some supplemental security device such as a lock and cable.  Goodonya for that.  Would you care to add some extra oritection?

We have several BMW K1200LT alarm/security systems to take your LT to the next level.  Several of you have purchased your LTs used and have no idea whether your LT has an alarm system or not.

One way to tell is to remove the top case and the plastic cover that rides beneath it.  Look in the rearmost compartment and you will see several electronic “packages” mounted there.  If your compartment is more barren, such as in this photo  , then you probably do not have a system installed .  No worries… as we have written above, we have several systems avaiable.

Safety and Security are everyone’s responsibility. Have you done everything that you can reasonably do to protect your investment?  This is a good question, one to ponder in the light of the totality of the circumstances, your circumstances.

By the way…  While you have the top case off is a good time to consider whether you want to reinstall the topcase in the rearmost position.  This will give your passenger a little over an extra inch of room between you and their back rest.  This extra space will make you even more popular if you use a rider back rest.  Cost: zero    Benefit: Priceless. 

Do you need more information, or perhaps you have an idea to share?  Please post a reply to this topic or any other one where you feel you can makr a positive impact.

Anyone who knows me even a little bit, knows that I have quite a collection of gadgets. Some of them i buy for some crazy reason, and often never even unpack them from the box. I will either try to return them, but usually do not get around to that, so here they sit, until someone comes along and notices it and voila! the gadget has a new home.

That won’t happen with my latest find, the Park-n-Move™ from Legal Speeding Enterprises. A few of us have been talking about just such an invention, but Aaron over at Legal Speeding beat us to the punch! And good for us that he did, for this is a first-class device all the way

Quite simply, the Park-n-Move™ is a dolly for your LT, or any bike with a center stand. We’ve tested them here with both manual and powered versions on the LT, and both work great. I was so impressed that I signed LTParts.com up as a dealer. Of the first batch I had, I sold two on the way home, one more when I got home, and two more the next day. I have already placed a refill order, and will have more come in this week.

Here is a brief description from the Legal Speeding web site, reproduced with Aaron’s permission: “The Park-n-Move™ is the ‘must have’ product for all motorcycle owners needing to easily move their motorcycle around the garage. When space is an issue the Park-n-Move™ allows one person to easily park their motorcycle in any location they desire in the garage.”

If you are interested in one and live in the D/FW area, come on by and save yourself the shipping cost. If you live elsewhere, you still owe it to yourself to get yourself one, and at under $200, the Park-n-Move™ is probably the least expensive BMW “farkle” you have ever bought, and maybe just the most useful one too!

You can find the Park-n-Move™ in our eCommerce shop by clicking right here. If you have any questions, drop me an email or ring me up.

If you have been thinging about upgrading/replacing the shocks on your K1200LT, there may be no better time than the present.  Make sure that you check out the thread on http://www.BMWLT.com regarding the group buy.   Once there, simply do a search on HyperPro Group Buy to find the details.  You won’t find a better price anywhere!

If you want in, you had better hurry, the window of opportunity closes in the next few days and, in the words of Steve Larson of HyperPro USA “No whining on the 16th!” 

Recently, we leased some warehouse space to move the business out of our home.  It sure was convenient being able to work any time of the day or night, but this new space provides for better organization for inventory and shipping.  Right now we have one lift table over there, and another one will be there later thus week. 

In addition to dismantling the bikes we will soon be offering some installation services for items like BMW Co-Pilot Shelves,  HID kits, intercoms systems, replaceand more.  Our facility will also be open for upcoming meetings of the Munster Garage, the North Texas version of tech session where people come to have service done on their motorbikes, with a twist.  Someone will guide you through the process so you will know how to do it for yourself next time. Better yet, you will take that knowledge and use all or part of it to help someone else learn how to do something on thier bike, thereby paying it forward!  We are truly an extended family and we take care of our own.

Need a place to work on your bike?  Call us!  Need a part for your bike?  Call us?  Need a part that you do not see listed on out web  site?  Call us!  Need a part shipped in a hurry?   Call us!  Whenever possible, we will try to find a way to say yes to your requests.  At LTParts.com, The Answer is Yes  is not just a slogan on a piece of paper, it is a principle that guides us in our dealings with our customers and our trading partners. 

Put us to the test; we won’t be satisfied until you are! 

It has been about a month since I have posted here, or anywhere for that matter.  I hope everyone had joyous holiday and the opportunity to celebrate them with family and friends.

I have recently had surgery on my right hand as a result of my motorcycle crash back in March 2007.  Of course, as my luck would have it, I am right handed!

I really cannot complain, though.  Yes, the meds are brutal, and it is hard doing many things that many of us have come to take for granted, thinks like tying my own shoes, tucking in my own shirt, and various other things that we don’t normally think about.  As I said, many of us take these little things for granted.  As you go through your daily reoutines, think about how your life would change if you lost the use of one hand for a week or a month.  The little things can become mountains.  I am humbled by my experience, and I am grateful for even the little things.

On the humourous side, one thing I find particularly ironic is that the many medications  my doctors have prescribed to help me through my injuries, my surgeries, and ultimatey, my recovery, come in “child-proof bottles.”  As a parent of three, I appreciate that.  I would be mortified to come home and find that one of my children was harmed because they mistakenly got into some of my meds.  The irony, however, is that with my throttle hand out of commission, I have to rely on my children to open the bottles for me.  I have tried using my teeth (I bite through the label and/or bottle), the nook of my ellbow (can you say “indian burn”), and other ways to hold the bottle whilst I try to press and turn to release the lid, no luck.  I suppose that I am safer from my meds than my kids are.  But this post is about being grateful.  To keep with that theme, I am grateful that my (older) children are able to open the child-proof medicine bottles for me.

 I deal with a fair amount of physical pain daily, pain that is still with me nine, almost ten, months after the crash. It is what it is, and it could be much worse.  As I said above, this involves frequent doctor appointments with various doctors, and let’s not forget all of the prescriptions.  But yet I strive to remain humble, grateful, and ever-seeking a positive outlook and state of grace.  I am grateful that science, medicine, and technology have evolved to where they have in this day and age.  I am grateful that I have a group of talented and caring group of health care professionals caring for me.  I am grateful for my strong faith.  I truly feel that I am in good hands.

Pain, irony, and inconvenience surround us, but there is much to be thankful for.  My outlook is subatantially more positive than before, despite all of the setbacks.  I strive to help others, and to spread a smile wherever I can.  Apparently I must look like I am in pain, because people regularly ask me how I can be so happy and jovial when I am obviously in such physical pain.  This usually comes after we shared a simple laugh.  I wondered about it myself at first, but no more.  Some of you may have heard me say that that the solution to every problem is obvious, once you know and understand the answer; hindsight has 20/20 vision.  

The answer became obvious to me, and now I share it with as many people as I can.  Simply put, I was blessed with the gift of yet another new day, a precious gift that I have been entrusted with.  I must be my best and do my best to be worthy of this gift of life.  I strive to do a good enough job in the hope that I will awaken again tomorrow, entrusted with yet another new day.  

I saw my crash, I saw my motorbike after the crash, and I am feeling the aches and pains still today.  As a law enforcement veteran, I have seen people perish under less severe circumstances.  I am pleasantly surprised that I am still alive, that I have survived that crash.  My faith runs deep, and I am convinced that my life was spared for a purpose. 

This is not my first brush with potentially fatal circumstances.  I amd even less likely now  not to take life, or tomorrow, for granted.  I appreciate the simple act of being able to brush my own teeth, to be able to brush my own hair (the few that still remain on my head).  I appreciate the kindness, prayers, and support shown by my family, my friends, my customers, and even total strangers.  Most people can be pretty amazing, given the opportunity to shine.

Who are you going to help today?  How can you make the world slightly better for someone else through a random act of kindness.  We all have been recipients of these from time to time.  How will you give back?  How will you show yourself worthy of the new day that was entrusted to you?  Will you, like many of us, put is off until tomorrow.  Will you assume, like many of us at various points in our lives, that we are entitled to tomorrow and cannot imagine that we will not be aroud to wake up ever day?

Join me, my friends.  Let us each one of us resolve to share at least one smile with someone today, perhaps perform a random act of kindness, try to do something that will benefit someone without necessarily deriving a benefit for ourselves.  One never knows when they might be the person on the other side of the equation, when we are the ones that need that lift, that smile, that warm feeling knowing that a total stranger did something kind for us.

I know that I never expected that other person to be me.  Despite the physical and emotional pain of my circumstances, I find myself gratefule in many ways.  This time in my life has allowed me to personally experience the good side of our society.  My heartfelt thanks to each of you for your heartwarmiing kindness, calls, assistance,  emails, inspiration, and your thoughts and your prayers.  These, along with other factors, have helped provide me with the opportunity to reach inside myself and bring forth the wherewithall to continue to look for ways to help others despite my own physical limitations.

And for all of that, and to each of you, I am truly grateful. 
As always, I’d like to hear your thoughts on this subject.  Please post your comments by clicking on the appropriate button, below.

(By the way, If I’ve babbled, made spelling, grammatical, or punctuation errors, let’s agree to blame it on the meds and a lack of good quality REM sleep.  Frankly, I am surprised that I stayed awake long enough and was able to type this out one-handed!)

As we work to add parts to our online store here at LTParts.com, we find that we are lagging behind in listing the parts that you want.  When we respond to one users request to list a part or series of parts for their BMW K1200LT, we seem to miss adding the quality used part(s) that another user was wanting.

As much as we would like to please everyone at once, we realize that it is going to take time to build the inventory listed online here at the site.  That’s why we created this BLOG entry.  It is our hope that you will post a reply to this column to indicate just what you are looking for.  Once we see your reply, we can add the item(s) to our online inventory, and will post a response that we have done so.

So. . . think if this post, and the replies to it, as a sort of electronic wish list.  Working together, we will add the items you want to the online catalog and the process of determining what gets added next will be driven by you, our users.  After all, with four bikes in various stages of dismantling and more on the way, we are bound to have that quality used part that you are looking for.

Give it a try and reply with the name(s) and/or description(s) and/or part number of the part that you need for your BMW K1200LT motorcycle.  If the part varies with the model year or range of years, that would also be important information.

This blog entry was created at the request of friend George Koppmann to discuss E85 and alternate fuels on our beloved LTs.  This post starts the thread, and now users may reply with comments to share information regarding their experiences, ask questions of others, and generally hold a public dialog on the subject.

A great idea for a thread.  Thank you, George.

In addition to blogging updates to this web site, I am pondering the idea of adding posts about various technical projects related to the LT. Topics might include technical tips and how-to articles. I hope that you will use the comments facility of this software to add your experiences or tips about any given blog post. For example, I may do a post on the importance of cleaning electrical contacts. If you notice that I did not include a tip in the article about applying dielectric grease to the contacts before re-assembly, and if you felt that was an important part of the process,  the reply/comment option gives you a good way to add that important information.

My goal in taking this approach is to not only provide a place for me to sell used parts for the BMW K1200LT motorcycle, but to also provide an informational resource for the BMW LT community. I want to provide a forum for user to help user.

Working together, there is almost nothing that we cannot achieve.

I did some modification to the blog programming in an effort to make the blog pages look more like the rest of the site. Now the headers and footers are similar, and the background matches. I am amazed at the number of hours this took, but then, changing someone else’s programming is often harder than just building from scratch.

There is still some more work that can be done, but it’s way late, or actually early in the morning. No matter how you phrase it, it’s time to get some sleep. Tomorrow (later this morning, actually) is the big RTE to the Hard 8 in Stephenville for some good “Q.” Of course, we’ll be stopping for pie as well!

Goodnight.

We have installed the interface to allow you to use Google Checkout to pay for your purchases. This is in addition to the emailed invoice option, which allows you to send a money order or check via postal mail, and the PayPal option.

Why did we add Google Checkout when you can use your credit card to pay us via PayPal? Easy, we want your experience to be a positive one, and this includes giving you more ways to pay. Like the old expression says: some people drive Fords and others prefer Chevys. Let’s face it, some people just don’t like PayPal. Personally, I think it’s great, but you may not. This store exists to serve you.

As always, I welcome any suggestions for further improving your buying experience at our site.

Anthony

Today we saw some changes to our site, and are excited that new things are happening. First off, we removed the roundel from the top left corner of our pages. While it looks very nice in that position, BMW does own that as a trademark and we should not use it without their permission. Fair is fair and right is right. Besides, it saves us from the possibility of getting a nasty letter from their attorneys. Thank you to the friend who pointed this out to us.

MONEY. We all use it, we all have it albeit to varying degrees. Until now, when you wanted to exchange some of your money for one or more of our quality parts, you either had to go to the post office and get a money order and mail it to us. You had to wait a little while for the money to get from you to us, and then we shipped your product once we got your payment. Others decided to send a personal or company check. No problems here. . . you still had to wait for the postal service to get it to us, and then we held your shipment for up to ten business days while we waited for the check to clear, and then we shipped your item(s) to you.

Our interface to PayPal has been tested and appears to be running properly, and so you may have noticed that “Online payments via PayPal” has been moved from our “Coming Soon” area to the left border of our pages under the banner “we welcome.” You still have to wait for UPS or USPS to get your item(s) to you, but the dreaded wait for your payment to reach us is gone if you choose to pay online. Should you prefer to mail a check or money order, we are just as happy to continues to accept these.

More changes are coming over the days and weeks ahead, and I look forward to sharing them with you as they come closer to implementation. Until then, here’s wishing you many miles of smiles.

Sunday, 28 October 2007
Today I installed WordPress blogging software onto LTParts.com to provide a way to share events and information with you, our valued customers and friends.

I will be learning this new application right along with you, as I have never had a web log before. Your ideas, insights, and suggestions to improve this new feature will be greatly appreciated.