Now I've done it, and its all Daves fault

[Deans BMW]

Mz Pam is going to kill both Darth and me and not necessarily in that order...........:embarassed:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c276/LilManInDaBoat/HPIM0073.jpg

I have been thinking about a dual purpose bike for some time now and because of Dave's impending retirement and his plan to buy a new Kawasaki KLR650 just to go exploring the fantastic dirt and fire roads old mines and ghost towns in the 4 corners area, Az., NM., Co., and Ut. He and I have been talking back and forth about some explorations along the Contential Divide, mentioned it in passing on another thread and Lo and Behold, Collyers joined in. Looks like we have an adventure in the making.:eusa_clap: :eusa_clap: :eusa_clap:

Well today, an add just popped up in the classifieds on Adventure rider, sounded intresting so gave a call. :028: Turns out that it is at the new Beemer Dealer in Albuquerque, NM. essentially the next town going east, (280 miles). The sales Mgr there named Dean BTW had just moved there from Houston where he sold my sisters R1150RS on consignment working at BMW of North Houston. To make a long story short, Dean and I hit it off very well and I bought the '05 KLR650 with 900 miles plus accessories sight unseen. Got a very good deal due to..........well you know..........:eusa_drool: . Have to figure out a way to go and pick it up.

The Adventure begins.......... How about border to border....along the Contential Divide or, I found out today about a place on the Indian Reservation east north east of Canyon de Chelly near Lakuchukai Pass and Roof Butte just west of the New Mexico border. All dirt roads and old stage trails to an area that according to my friend from Chinle and Many Farms is breathtaking beyond belief, according to him, identical to the Swiss Alps with very few visitors. Don't you just love all these Indian Names. This area totally transforms you back in time with the locals living exactly as they did 100 years ago.

Darth, Collyers and perhaps a few other intreped adventures, the time is approaching :028:

[BobFV1]

Dean -

Congrats and what a coincidence! I called Victory today and dropped my deposit on a new K12GT and ordered a brand spankin-ass new R1200GS Adventure!

Great minds think alike!

Look forward to riding on and off road!

[DarthRider]

Way to go Dean-O...that's even the color I like!
I wish it was a year from now...

Dave

[socalrob]

Way to Go Bob & Dean, fighting terrorism by keeping our economy humming!:eusa_clap:

Dean - That bike looks like alot of fun for more dirt oriented DS. First thing I would look at would be an adjustable steering damper if its not stock. Will help out alot in sandy AZ. My little XR400 has no steering damper & it is a fight sometimes on sandy washes, just where its convienent to cross country. If I didn't dirt bike with my 13yo son I would thinka 600 or so dual sport would be the best - ride to the dirt & ride on it.:028:

Bob - That GSA 1200 looks like a fantastik tourer with a dash of dual sport thrown in. I'm definately planning on looking at that bike as a possible R1150R replacement. Long tank range, great visibility, versatility, whats not to like? Any word on what type of brakes the GSA will have, the new non servo ABS or the old servo ABS? At least on the GSA you will be able to shut off ABS if it comes that way. Only negative I've heard is possibly first gear is too high for good dirt action. Too bad BMW doesn't have a High/Low transmission like a good 4WD truck. That would be the ticket. Or at minimum I would think an after market company would fabricate a different gear for the rear. The new GSA looks like the hummer of bikes:)

[Deans BMW]

Dave, its entirely your fault.

Bob, the first shipment of R1200GS ADV's will NOT have ABS, I repeat, WILL NOT have ABS. Just FYI.

[BobFV1]

Bob, the first shipment of R1200GS ADV's will NOT have ABS, I repeat, WILL NOT have ABS. Just FYI.

Thanks Dean-O, you made my day. Now if I could just get them to leave the kill switch off, I would have a bike similar to the one I learned on....

[supermotoC]

I've been shopping for the perfect Adventure bike for about 4months now......
LC4 640 Adventure, 950 Adventure, XR650R, the choices are getting narrow...
If only the KTM 950R Super Enduro were here.....

click once you've positioned the drool bucket....

http://img102.imagevenue.com/loc108/th_77641_10034_415ba2f6d90e79_o.jpg (http://img102.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc108&image=77641_10034_415ba2f6d90e79_o.jpg)

[Bones]

Good go guys!

Bob, you are gonna love that GS. You must be longer than me from groin to instep if you can get astride the GSA.

I have some thoughts on transforming my dirt bike inventory, but won't steal this thread. Will start another.

Dean and Darth....we expect pics of that first adventure. Lot of them.

Jeff

[Deans BMW]

Collyer, that thing looks wicked.

ADVENTURES JUST OVER THE HORIZON

[socalrob]

Dean,

I've poked around the web some, & seems to me for serious dirt use, decent tank range, low weight, dual purpose, the 2 best choices are your Kawasaki & the KTM 640. The Honda has a tiny gas tank & weighs more, the BMW 650 is priced high, is heavy, and has a smaller tank. The BMW HP has a really little tank, & looks to be intended more for track or camp use, not for extended rides where you need the tank range. The Suzuki looks like it would cost a fortune if dropped. I've talked to guys with KTMs & they pretty much all say KTMs are high maintenance & fussy ('course many BMW owners say the same). The KTM 900's look too heavy to me, more in the class of the GS 1200's. Looks to me your Kawasaki is the best of the lot for the real world. IMO you want a dirt bike to be lower tech & stone reliable. When off road it could be a real pain to break down. As cool as the GS1200's are, they arnen't going to be as fun in the dirt as a 350lb thumper.

[supermotoC]

I find the same results Rob does. I think the KTM 950 is probably fine, except for the tightest of trails, and for fire roads & pavement......woo-hoo!
http://img21.imagevenue.com/loc21/th_18658_08.jpg (http://img21.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc21&image=18658_08.jpg)

the 640 Adventure is probably the best of all things, when involving serious off-roadness andhigh speed dirt/paved road travel.

http://img128.imagevenue.com/loc219/th_18790_F_1024.jpg (http://img128.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc219&image=18790_F_1024.jpg)

[Optimus Prime]

Dave, its entirely your fault.

Bob, the first shipment of R1200GS ADV's will NOT have ABS, I repeat, WILL NOT have ABS. Just FYI.

Any chance they'll have the non-servo style ABS when they start arriving with the ABS option?

[wayno]

Dean O, Dont forget to fix the doo-hickey if it hasnt already been
done...:eusa_clap:
KLR 650 is what I had before the R and have missed it ever since and
I do see another DualSport in my future.:041:

Ride Safe
Wayno

[Deans BMW]

Wayno, I plan to fix the Do. I have not had a chain drive bike since I bought a brand new .......BSA Lightning in ........'68.

I hear you have to lube them or something like that. I think that I got a good deal, '05 model, Red, Corbin seat, Cee Bailys wind shield, some sort of head lite guard and only 900 miles, and a complete 600 mile service. Was previously owned by some very anal military guy and traded it on a Beemer at Sandia BMW in Albuquerque, NM. $4,200.00.

Now all I have to do is to figure out how to go and get it, 280 miles away and it is suppose to snow again this weekend. Come on springtime..................

[DarthRider]

Dean-O!

You stole that KLR and should be repenent.
I will give you $4300 and you will feel much better.

Dave

[Dallara]

Gee, Darth...

Dean's snowed in. Ya' think maybe you and I can get to that dealer in New Mexico before Dean does?

Be just terrible if Dean got there and the dealer had to tell him that two crazy Texans showed up and bought the thing out from under him, wouldn't it? :037:

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NACD)

[Optimus Prime]

Gee, Darth...

Dean's snowed in. Ya' think maybe you and I can get to that dealer in New Mexico before Dean does?

Be just terrible if Dean got there and the dealer had to tell him that two crazy Texans showed up and bought the thing out from under him, wouldn't it? :037:

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NACD)

:082:
But what would you do when Deano catches you... :028:

[Dallara]

Optimus said:




But what would you do when Deano catches you... :028:



Laugh uproariously! Dance a jig with glee! :eusa_dance:

Besides, Dean knows he can't catch me...

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NACD)

[supermotoC]

After skulking around at ADVrider, I have no idea what the "doohickey" fix is on the KLR. Anyone?

[Dallara]

Collyer...

I'd be willing to bet he's talking about the balancer chain tensioner. Was a pretty big problem that could crack cases and all sorts of other mayhem... All caused by a small, cheap part.

There were some aftermarket fixes that were exceptional, but IIRC Kawasaki actually *fixed* the problem a few years ago with an updated piece and since then it hasn't been an issue.

But I'm just guessing... One man's "doohickey" is another man's knibbler pin, or muffler bearing, backup bushing, swingarm injector, fork muffler, shock condenser, exhaust fuse, etc.

BTW, did anyone know that all Kawasaki KLR650's are built in Malaysia? That's where they've all been built for a couple of years now... That's one of the ways Kawasaki has kept them so cheap. Quality control doesn't seem to be an issue, though my dealer told me the first ones coming from there had some issues with the decals coming off the bodywork and other little minor niggles.

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NACD)

[Tipstall]

Dean,

Excellent choice. That is a great bike for the money. I expect pictures when you pick it up.

Ken

[DarthRider]

Dallara -

Pick me up on your way to Albuquerque.
If we beat Dean-O there we can flip for the bike.
We'll do d Dohickie test in the way back!
He should be ashamed for buying that bike that cheap!

Dave

[Dallara]

Dave...

I think we should just fly in to New Mexico, buy the bike, ship it to Kerrville, and then sell raffle tickets to all the riders at the Hill Country Ride except for Dean... And of course you and I can *buy* more tickets than anybody else! :037:

That we one of us still *wins* it, but there's still an element of chance... And Dean don't get it! :eusa_clap:

BTW, that is certainly a good deal, but it seems there are lots of good deals on KLR's all over the place. My accountant bought one not that long ago... It was a 2001 model with only 600 miles on it - completely 100% stock and without a flaw. Guy was asking $3,500 for it. Ended up selling it for $3,000 to my bean counter. I have seen them for even lower than that from time to time, and it was only a year or so ago one of our employees bought from a an outfit that had to repossess one... 1,800 miles and he got it for $2,200!

There are enough good ones out there that there really is no reason ot buy one new.

Me, I want one of the *olive drab* or *silver-and-olive-drab* ones anyway! That way when I put the olive drab 7 gallon plastic "military" tank on it the tank won't look out of place... Might even do the damn thing up with camo! :104:

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NACD)

[DarthRider]

It will be a red one for me...my 2nd favorite bike color.
Black is 1st...4 of 'em in the shop right now.
I guess we could offer poor Dean-O a ride now & again...

Dave

[Deans BMW]

You guys make me nervous..........................

I am leaving about 3 in the AM, pulling a small trailer behind the Jeep Cherokee and heading for ABQ. Bike was paid for this afternoon, with a credit card, $4250.00 out the door, all the origional equipment comes with it al plus a Clymer manual can't wait.

[Acacia]

Grandpa Hoon,

You are as excited as a kid in a candy store!!! :eusa_clap:

Taking it to Bonneville too?