It is still Daves fault..continued

[Deans BMW]

:028: Yesterday, Sat. morning, hooked up a small trailer to my trusty 188,000 mile Jeep Cherokee for the 285 mile trip to Sandia BMW in Albuquerque, NM to pick up my latest Adult toy...........no not that kind Bob. Arrived about 9:30 just in time for them to open. Very nice dealership, part of a BMW complex cars in their own separate building on the right side and the Minis in their own building on the left with the bikes in their own bldg in the center of the complex.

The KLR was better than I expected, it even had trick foot pegs, shift and brake levers installed plus all the other goodies also had all the origional equipment.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/60540909-M.jpg

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/60545198-M.jpg

Had a great time there in the morning, loaded the bike in the trailer ready for the trip home.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/60540915-M.jpg

What is that thing following me at 85 MPH?

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/60540916-M.jpg

Already looks at home, started snowing about 10 min. after unloading, made a quick run up my drive and back...........perfect for these roads up here.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/60540917-M.jpg

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/60540918-M.jpg

[DJ Down Under]

Nice Dean-O....congrats...and great pics....next we need action shots...:icon_mrgreen:

DJ

[BobFV1]

Dean-O,

Very sweet adult toy! Congrats! Man you must have left the old hacienda early to get to Duke City by 0930!

Ride safe.

BTW-who snapped the shot out the back window?

[DarthRider]

Dean-O, what a bike...what a deal!
A friend of mine has had two of these (never should have sold the first one, etc.) and said to tell you to load it down with everything you can strap on there and get ready to run happily down the road all day at 80MPH. Get where you're going and have some real fun!
This bike may just be the "bang for the buck" champ of all time.
I can't wait...I must wait...I must wait...I can't wait...

Dave

[Deans BMW]

Bob, just held the camera up with my right hand, pointed backwards and snapped, also, us old farts in the country get up mighty early. The trip only took about 4 hrs and 15 min. stop to stop, 40 miles our place to Holbrook and 245 miles on I40 to ABQ. Cruising at 80-85. I think it will be perfect for all the dirt roads up here. The owners manual even has the 600 mile service stamped by the Kaw dealer in ABQ. The plate on it is even good until Sept '06.Ready to go out and have some fun

How fast will it go?

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/59928296-M.jpg.

How good will it get air?

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/59928286-M.jpg

More than likely, my riding technique.

http://r1150r.smugmug.com/photos/59928293-M.jpg

[arkline]

Dean,

Since I'll likely be stopping by that dealership on my way back from Texas, I'd be interested in your impressions of the place.

[Wild Will]

Well, nobody asked me, but...
practice slow speed riding, standing on the pegs, going around turns in the dirt, on unpaved roads, not single track.
When you corner a street bike, you shift your weight to the inside of the turn (hanging off, more or less); in the dirt, you shift your weight to the outside of the turn, just the opposite of street. DON"T FORGET WHERE YOU ARE!
There's scant traction while turning in dirt, so take it easy as we AARP bastages don't heal like we used to.
Get a nive set of "tar arns" and a spare tube, because sooner or later you'll need 'em. Practice how you'll dismount front or rear tire without a center stand and repair the flat.
Familiarize yourself with the dual sport tires available, and try the ones that sound like (from your peers of course) they'll have traction on street and pavement.
The bike is a workhorse; it's heavy for a dirt bike; don't drop it! Have a blast and learn how to turn using the throttle in the dirt, but watch out!
On a trip to Me-Hico a year or so ago, a pal was running flat out on the dirt roads and suddenly came upon a dip in the road, about 12 feet deep and 30 feet across. He tried to power over it on his desert sled XR 650 R Baja Killa, but hit the edge of the other side of the "hole" and had a most painful trek back home, with the broken ribs that make it impossible to cough, laugh or breath without crying. They're going to Copper Cyn. again in late April. Now we take a riding orthopedic surgeon with us, and he's already saved the arm of one of the guys.
Keep all the SM antics on a track or in a parking lot, and dress for the crash. Modern riding gear contains lots of low dise protection, but scant armor for when you hit the hard parts; I hate it when that happens.
I know you didn't need to hear any of this, Dean. Congrats and stay out of trouble.

[Deans BMW]

WW, thanks for the advice, not to worry, I tend not to get crazy in the dirt.

Next time I am in Northern Cal, plan to look you up

Note to Ron, they are a great dealership, all the employees are long time Beemer riders riders. They will take very good care of you, very personable.

[Dallara]

Hey, Dean...

Congratulations on the new scoot. Looks like a sweet deal. You were lucky all those flights were all booked up or Darth and I would'a had that thing to raffle as a door prize at the Hill Country Ride! :037:

And remember, if it doesn't work out for you riding the KLR off-road, you can always do a little shopping and turn that Kawasaki into something more like this:


http://www.1200bandit.de/KLR650C_ARMPAS.jpg


You can see more of this KLR650 here: http://www.1200bandit.de/KLR650C.htm

But you'll have to speak German to figure out what all he's done to it. You might want to check out his instrument panel:

http://www.1200bandit.de/KLR_KOSO.jpg


And one day a rear shock like his could come in handy:

http://www.1200bandit.de/KTM%20FB.jpg


I was able to gather that the White Power shock he got was one spec'ed for a KTM, since White Power doesn't list a shock specifically for a Kawasaki KLR650.

Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NACD)

[Deans BMW]

Just returned from my first ride, only about 35 miles, 42 F outside with scattered flurries. Split evenly between the dirt roads around where I live, wow able to easily ride a bike where I would only take the ATV before. On the road an 80 MPH cruise, no sweat also suprisingly good wind protection, need a little more thump in the exhaust though. Allan, those pics of the German KLR's are something else. A great bike for trhe price, even at full retail.

[supermotoC]

apparently, these are making a big hit with people who move around on the bike, adventure-style:

http://www.pivotpegz.net/pp.nsf/SITEPAGES/US:Products:theproduct


didn't see them for the KLR, but I'll bet soemone's done it.

[DarthRider]

Pretty damn cool!

Dave

[supermotoC]

The doohickey "fixitectomy":

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97019


also nicked from AdvRider.porn

The Phases of KLR Ownership:

1) Honeymoon. Joy. Adventure is on the horizon; what fun! Those 'nutty' brakes- wow, this is entertaining!

2) Exploration. Find sites like Adventure Riders and become one of 'them'

3) Trouble in Paradise. Realize that sites like Adventure Riders are chock full of bikes like KTM and BMW, and frankly the KLR is the mutt in the purebred's midst. Try to retain pride.

4) Dismay. Spending time on sites like KLR650.net 'enlightens' you and all of a sudden you need everything from new rubber, to a new saddle, replacing everthing in-between. Everything fails no matter what, all the time.

5) Anger. You're angry at Kawasaki for selling a bike that needs this much work. You're angry at the dealer for not just giving it to you, with five bucks for gas. You're angry at yourself for not realizing this bike is for suckers... YOU JUST BOUGHT AN EDSEL!

6) Separation. Your sportbike friends and HDs are having sport with you at red lights. You've been out accellerated by a Hundai. You put it up for sale and stop riding it.

7) Loathing acceptance. You're never going to get all the money you put into the KLR back out of it. Might as well keep it and go shopping for a 'real' bike. You start to take it out again since, you've resigned yourself to the fact that you're tied to the KLR for life.

8) New Dawn. One day, for no particular reason, you realize that you've been having fun riding it (at least alone) the whole time. Thinking about it a little more, you realize that you can go everywhere a GS1200 can get to (just maybe not as quickly), that you're more offroad capable than a GS650 Dakar, and probably just as on-road capable, and all for several thousand less dollars. It can do more highway miles than a DR without having to spend $250 on a Corbin saddle to avoid picking it out of your backside after half an hour on the highway, and you can have it serviced anywhere on the planet unlike a KTM (which was also a lot more). Whoa, hold on, this bike is pretty cool!

9) Farkle time! You've just realized that you can accessorize the KLR with just about every possible modification you've ever imagined (except extra horsepower). Spend away young rider! Hold on, is a set of decent tires less than I used to pay for just a rear?

10) Happily deluded. The KLR rocks! Yeah, it still sux, but it rocks!