12 MAY 07 - Beer and Friends

I think the idea of getting a bike predates my son's interest. My wife and I have a passion for good German food, beer and friends.

There are only a couple of places in the area that offer that and each is wonderful in its own way. Foremost for an energetic evening in a wonderful crowd is the Biergarten in Portsmouth Virginia. It is located in the historic downtown area and has been open for about 10 years under the ownership of the Osfolk family. If you are new to the area, have not met any friends yet or only one evening to have some fun, this is the place. May I suggest an Aventinus doppelbock and some schnitzel (made with pork, not veal). Aventinus and the Biergarten enjoy a wonderful relationship. The Biergarten has the distinction of being the 43rd best place in America to drink beer according to the Beer Advocate. But it is the #1 place to drink Aventinus. This wonderful family restaurant serves more Aventinus than any other place in the world. That could be the reason that Aventinus has been spotted in the last few years showing up on shelves around town. Just remember, if you buy one, you had better buy two. And you had darn well better stop at three. One note on Aventinus etiquette - never buy the last bottle, in case someone else needs one real bad. If you don't feel like being adventurous you might find you favorite on their Beer List.

So, back to it. The Biergarten has a wonderful mix of people including some that ride motorcycles. Just like the rest of America these tend to be Harley-Davidsons. Since most of the people you are going to meet at the Biergarten are professionals, these bikes tend to be 'real nice' - just like their owners. As it happened about a year ago I was talking with Kevin, the owner's son, and the conversation turned to bikes. He rides a H-D and was trying to convince me of their virtues. I will admit that I considered one, but at the same time admitted that I wanted something different. That led to the discussion turning to 'old bikes that are cool'.

Kevin suggested that there are two bikes you can't go wrong with if you want to make a statement. A Ducati and a BMW. Both speak to 'out of the box' engineering and exclusivity. I had to agree since I always thought BMW was a cool bike. Maybe because the Boxer engine seemed so different, and by different I meant practical.

Well, today I finally had a chance to show Kevin pictures of the bike and I know he approved. What surprised me more was the reaction of his father who immediately told me how much he admired the /7 series. It was all good. Now I can show up to my favorite watering hole and hold my head up a little higher because "I have a BMW". (Actually all those who helped me come to this decision have a bit of that bike since I was able to achieve this only through them.