{"id":368,"date":"2011-09-16T15:19:43","date_gmt":"2011-09-16T22:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/?page_id=368"},"modified":"2015-08-13T09:23:42","modified_gmt":"2015-08-13T16:23:42","slug":"news-feed","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/?page_id=368","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s New?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>August 13, 2015<\/h2>\n<p>Been doing a few upgrades to the FJ-09.\u00a0 Among the few things that needed improvement were the windshield and the seat.\u00a0 A new CalSci medium windshield replaced the inadequate stocker and new seat foam and covers from Seat Concepts replaced the plank that came with the bike from the factory.\u00a0 Jury&#8217;s still out on the seat because I haven&#8217;t taken any long rides, but I&#8217;ll find out in October when I do my annual ride to Ohio.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve also added racks and side cases as well as a new top box, all from Shad.\u00a0 I really like the top case, but not so sure about the side cases.\u00a0 They seem a little on the small side.\u00a0 They&#8217;ll get a thorough testing on the Ohio trip.<\/p>\n<p>I guess the most significant upgrade I have performed is the addition of electronic cruise control to the FJ.\u00a0 That I know of, no one has done this on this particular motorcycle to date.\u00a0 I am the first.\u00a0 This addition will be very much appreciated on those long rides.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a little video of the first road test of the system after the installation.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xcifxI223UA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re interested in what it takes to do this installation, follow this link to look at my installation thread on FJ-09.org:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/fj-09.org\/thread\/1847\/rostra-electronic-cruise-control-installation\"> Cruise Control installation<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>March 27, 2015<\/h2>\n<p>Well, apparently it&#8217;s been a year since I updated this thing!\u00a0 Lots going on.\u00a0 Unfortunately, very little of it having to do with motorcycles.<\/p>\n<p>The main consumers of my time have been domestic issues.\u00a0 Bought a new\u00a0house, moved, and situated my elderly in-laws in my old house.\u00a0 Within a few months, my father-in-law passed away, so we were dealing with\u00a0his death\u00a0and subsequently\u00a0relocating my mother-in-law to our new house with us.\u00a0 Of course, with the old house empty and not wanting to keep it as a rental property, we prepared it to put it on the market.\u00a0 It sold yesterday.\u00a0 Yay!\u00a0 Maybe I&#8217;ll have some time now.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve been out trail riding on the KTM a few times in the past year.\u00a0 Such a fine machine.\u00a0 I was initially\u00a0concerned that the 500 might be a little too much bike for me, both in size and power, but after having the suspension lowered 2&#8243; (I&#8217;m 5&#8217;8&#8243;) I found it to be a great fit with superior handling and loads of power that is easily modulated.\u00a0 Hope to get out on it again soon.<\/p>\n<p>Did my annual ride to Ohio and back in October, with the customary layover in Asheville, NC for some mountain riding.\u00a0 All was well until I was 40 miles from home on the return trip and dropped the BMW in the parking lot of a gas station.\u00a0 Ouch!\u00a0 Scraped up the left pannier, crash bar, part of the upper fairing and mirror.\u00a0 My insurance company was very accommodating, however,\u00a0and paid to replace all of the damaged parts with new, factory BMW pieces.\u00a0 She&#8217;s as good as new now.<\/p>\n<p>Somehow, I did find time to start lusting after a new bike in the last couple of months and picked up a new Yamaha FJ-09 a couple of weeks ago.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/FJ-Home.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-620\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/FJ-Home-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"FJ Home\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/FJ-Home-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/FJ-Home.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is a great bike and an awesome value for the money.\u00a0 Lightweight (compared to the BMW) and very well equipped, with ABS, traction control and 3 driving modes.\u00a0 Precise handling and a willing &amp; smooth 3-cylinder engine complete the package.\u00a0 This bike is billed as a Sport-Tourer, so you can bet that it will see some long rides.\u00a0 In fact, the Beemer may be unnecessary once the FJ is properly farkled.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>March 28, 2014<\/h2>\n<p>Good lord!\u00a0 Where has the time gone?\u00a0 Seems my motorcycling related time has diminished a bit and there have been a few changes since last update.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/500-b.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-611\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/500-b-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"500 b\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/500-b-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/500-b.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Gone is the WR250X.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve been having so much fun off-roading with my friends that I decided to upgrade to\u00a0a Big Boy Toy: a new 2014 KTM 500 EXC.\u00a0 Between my lack of skill off-road and not having the right tool for the job, I found myself picking the WR up a lot after failing to negotiate a turn or other obstacle, and then having to catch up with the better riders.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll still have two of those issues, I&#8217;m sure, but catching up won&#8217;t be so much of a problem on the 500.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p>So, in order to finance the purchase of the new KTM, I have reduced my inventory of bikes by two.\u00a0 Both the WR and the KLR have gone to new owners.\u00a0 I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ll miss the WR much, but the KLR was a favorite of mine and I&#8217;ll probably have some regret about letting it go.<\/p>\n<h2>January 29, 2014<\/h2>\n<p>Happy new year!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Dirt-Wheels.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-602\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Dirt-Wheels-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Dirt Wheels\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Dirt-Wheels-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Dirt-Wheels.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>While I have been working on the new (to me) boat quite a bit, with the urging of a friend I did find time to slap a proper set of dirt wheels and tires on the WR, figuring that if I had trail riding capability with that bike I might ride it more.<\/p>\n<p>The friend, Rich, took me out for some trail riding last weekend, and all I can say is Wow!\u00a0 It turns out that this bike has been languishing in my garage in supermoto trim for the past 3 years just waiting for its true purpose to be revealed.\u00a0 One day on the trails with proper wheels and rubber has renewed and amplified my affection for this bike.\u00a0 Double track, single track, deep sugar sand, fallen trees, whoops, you name it, we went over it.\u00a0 It was a blast.<\/p>\n<p>The WR felt very good for my skill level offroad, but I know there are better tools for the job.\u00a0 If I am still enamored of the activity in a year or so, I may step it up to a more serious trail bike.\u00a0 The KTMs are very nice.<\/p>\n<h2>December 27, 2013<\/h2>\n<p>Hey!\u00a0 I&#8217;m still here!\u00a0 Just been busy with other things.\u00a0 Not much riding or tinkering with the bikes to speak of, although I did do what is becoming an annual ride to Ohio and back in October on the GT.\u00a0 As on previous trips, I stopped in Asheville for a few days of mountain riding on the way up.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Cobia-1a.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-597\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Cobia-1a-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Cobia 1a\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Cobia-1a-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Cobia-1a.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Something new has recently entered my life and I suspect that it will impact my motorcycling time even more.\u00a0 Damn.\u00a0 I wish I had two of me!<\/p>\n<p>Looks like I&#8217;m goin&#8217; fishin&#8217;! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<h2>June 16, 2013<\/h2>\n<p>Damn, half way through June already and I&#8217;m still not done with the house rehab.\u00a0 Have to admit that I&#8217;m getting a little wary of the process.\u00a0 It seems that there is always\u00a0something unexpected that hinders progress.<\/p>\n<p>Right now, it doesn&#8217;t look like I&#8217;ll have time for motorcycles until late summer\/early fall.\u00a0 Got to get at least one trip in this year.\u00a0 There&#8217;s also the valve adjustment on the KLR that is overdue and the new big bore kit for the WR that is still in the box.\u00a0 Ugh.<\/p>\n<p>My only consolation is that the house is looking fantastic.\u00a0 I&#8217;m doing a lot of griping now, but it will be well worth the time and effort I am investing in it in the end.<\/p>\n<h2>January 17, 2013<\/h2>\n<p>Another overdue update&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>As far as\u00a0motorcycling goes, there is absolutely no new activity to report, except for having a cylinder sleeved and bored for the WR.\u00a0 Not installed yet.\u00a0 There were many problems with the Athena big bore kit, so I bit the bullet and had Thumper Racing work their magic on a spare cylinder that I got from eBay.\u00a0 We&#8217;ll see when I have a free weekend to do the installation.<\/p>\n<p>Otherwise, I have a new mission:\u00a0 Finally finish all of the rehab on my house so that I may consider selling this year or the next.\u00a0 Literally every spare moment since the beginning of November\u00a0has been spent tearing things apart, rebuilding and refinishing some section of the house.\u00a0 I&#8217;m nearing the finish line though, having completely rehabbed every room except the master suite.\u00a0 That is next.<\/p>\n<p>Hope to have something more interesting to report next update!<\/p>\n<h2>November 10, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s been a while since I updated.\u00a0 I haven&#8217;t done much with the bikes since last update.\u00a0 Work and life in general have monopolized my time.\u00a0 I did manage to squeeze in a trip on the K1600 a little over a month ago, however.<\/p>\n<p>My company has an annual banquet in Ohio every October.\u00a0 My attendance is mandatory, so what better excuse do I need to take a few days extra and ride to Ohio with a layover in Asheville for some mountain riding fun?\u00a0 Absolutely none. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p>I took of from my home base in FL on October 2nd and rode the 600 or so miles to Asheville, NC.\u00a0 Took the interstate because I wanted to get in at a reasonable hour, so you can imagine that the trip up was unremarkable, which it was except for the flat that I experienced just north of Jacksonville.<\/p>\n<p>Among the bevy of electronic goodies packaged with the new GT is a tire pressure monitor, with a very noticeable alert when tire pressure reaches a critical low.\u00a0 I just happened to look down at the display at the right time and saw an alert for the tires that I hadn&#8217;t seen before, which was indicating that my rear tire was loosing pressure fast.\u00a0 Down to 25 psi from a normal 42.<\/p>\n<p>What the hell?\u00a0 Pull over, dismount and look at the rear.\u00a0 It didn&#8217;t take much investigation to spot the screw that had pierced the tire, it was right there in plain view.<\/p>\n<p>Now, there is a second dilemma.\u00a0 A few K1600 owners from a forum that I visit have reported finding their bikes on their sides after parking them on their side stands, not knowing that the rear tire was loosing pressure due to a puncture.\u00a0 Tire goes flat, the bike becomes more upright and finally passes the tipping point, falling over on its right side.<\/p>\n<p>Being aware of this looming disaster, I had to find a place to park where I would have maximum lean against the side stand.\u00a0 Hard to do on the side of I-95, but I managed.\u00a0 Center stand was not an option as the ground was too soft and uneven.<\/p>\n<p>Situated, I broke out my tire plugging kit, pulled out the screw and shoved a plug in.\u00a0 My tire repair kit has a couple of Co2 cartridges and a tire inflater that attaches to them.\u00a0 I was able to get the pressure up to about 30 psi, which was good enough to get me to the next exit where I could dump quarters into gas station inflater and top off the pressure.<\/p>\n<p>I arrived in Asheville at about 4:30 pm and waited for my riding buddy, Alan,\u00a0to arrive from Ohio on his K1200GT.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_526\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Mt-Mitchell-1.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-526\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-526\" title=\"Mt Mitchell 1\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Mt-Mitchell-1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Mt-Mitchell-1-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Mt-Mitchell-1.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-526\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Mt. Mitchell State Park<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The next couple of days were the best that I have had riding in that area.\u00a0 The weather was perfect.\u00a0 Mid 70&#8217;s temps and clear skies.\u00a0 Leaves just beginning to turn.\u00a0 On previous excursions to the area, the higher elevations had been obscured by clouds and fog.\u00a0 This time, it was gloriously clear, even at the peak of Mount Mitchell.\u00a0 Wonderful.<\/p>\n<p>I took a little video with my GoPro. Enjoy!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B-1b6HJi5A8?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>After a couple of days of great riding north and\u00a0east of Asheville, we headed to Ohio.\u00a0 Alan needed to break off to head to Columbus about 2\/3rds of the way up and I continued to Salt Fork State Park.<\/p>\n<p>The weather was changing as I arrived.\u00a0 Clouds were moving in and the forecast included falling temps and precipitation.\u00a0 The morning that I left, it was 46 degrees and rain was threatening.\u00a0 So it was for the trip back to Florida.\u00a0 Rain and\u00a0very cool temps.\u00a0 At one point, I witnessed an accident on I-26.\u00a0 Traffic was backed up for about a mile, and when I finally reach the scene, it was a one-vehicle accident &#8211; a motorcycle &#8211; a BMW &#8211; and he was not moving when I passed.\u00a0 Lots of people attending to the scene, but neither highway patrol nor EMTs had arrived yet.\u00a0 I didn&#8217;t stop as there were plenty of folks in attendance, but\u00a0I hope the guy made out alright.\u00a0 There was heavy rain at the time and I suspect that he was riding in excess of conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Made it to Statesville, NC\u00a0that evening, where I replenished my cigar supply at JR Cigar and found a hotel for the night.<\/p>\n<p>The next day, I super-slabbed it back home.\u00a0 Weather was crappy &#8211; rain, wind, but I made it and I&#8217;m always happy to get back home after a trip like this.<\/p>\n<h2>September 16, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s mid-September in hot, humid Florida and we&#8217;re starting to see a break in the stifling heat.\u00a0 A cold front actually passed through last week, which is unusual this early in the year.\u00a0 Doesn&#8217;t usually happen until mid to late October.\u00a0 No complaints.\u00a0 The humidity has lessened somewhat and temps are in the high 80&#8217;s instead of the mid 90&#8217;s.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll take it.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the heat, my riding has been limited to early Saturday mornings.\u00a0 Out by 7:00, and back by 10:00.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Big-brake.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-514\" title=\"Big brake\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Big-brake-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Big-brake-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Big-brake.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>The KLR received a brake upgrade yesterday.\u00a0 Stopping power with the stock binders is woefully inadequate, especially when loaded up for touring, so I sprung for a larger\u00a0EBC 320mm \u00a0rotor and caliper relocation bracket from Eagle Manufacturing.\u00a0 Stops much better now.<\/p>\n<p>The next semi-grand adventure will occur early next month when I ride the K1600GT to Ohio and back, with a stopover in Asheville to enjoy some mountain riding and fall colors.\u00a0 Our company has an annual awards banquet in October in OH.\u00a0 What better excuse to get some saddle time?<\/p>\n<h2>August 12, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>Took the GT for a spin Saturday morning to see if\u00a0my BMW dealer had a plug that would fit the one on the bike that connects to the BMW top case for brake lights and interior lighting of the top case.\u00a0 Picked it up ($25) and brought it home only to find that it&#8217;s not the right one.\u00a0 Apparently the correct plug isn&#8217;t available for sale individually, you have to buy the whole BMW top case to get it.\u00a0 Not gonna happen, so it looks like I&#8217;ll hack into the wiring harness to provide power to the brake light on my Shad case.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_509\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Crash-bars-L.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-509\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-509\" title=\"Crash bars L\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Crash-bars-L-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Crash-bars-L-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Crash-bars-L.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-509\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wunderlich crash bars<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I ordered crash bars for the GT about a week ago.\u00a0 Worrying about dropping the bike and replacing expensive parts as a result is enough to keep you awake at night, so I decided to install some protection against that eventual oops moment in a parking lot.<\/p>\n<p>The bars are beefy, but not too obtrusive.\u00a0 It looks like they will be a good place to mount some auxiliary lighting in the future.\u00a0 The manufacturer says that they will have a highway peg retrofit kit for the bars by the end of the year, which will make long days in the saddle so much easier to bear.\u00a0 The KLR that I have came with them from the previous owner\u00a0and now I&#8217;m a believer.<\/p>\n<h2>July 28, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>The trip to Asheville was very nice, as it always is.\u00a0 Of course, there is\u00a0the abundance of thrilling routes and destinations, but Asheville itself has a lot to offer as well, with a great downtown area hosting some choice dining experiences and cultural events.\u00a0 I like it there.\u00a0 Makes a prime base for motorcycle exploitation of the surrounding areas.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0new GT is awesome.\u00a0 I was a bit aprehensive about its\u00a0nimbleness on the way up.\u00a0 Interstate highways aren&#8217;t a good indicator of a bike&#8217;s handling, but once I got into the twisties, it was evident.\u00a0 Although 100 pounds heavier, there is no doubt that the new GT is head and shoulders above the previous version in every measure.\u00a0 I did not make a mistake by buying this bike.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s late July in Florida.\u00a0 Not friendly to motorcycle riding this time of year.\u00a0 Too hot, but my comrades up north have been suffering this year as well as the temperatures have been setting records all summer.\u00a0 So, as usual, not much riding has occurred, except for the early Saturday morning jaunts that I take to blow out the cobwebs and keep the batteries charged.\u00a0 Come on October!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_499\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Shad-base-installed.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-499\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-499\" title=\"Shad base installed\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Shad-base-installed-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Shad-base-installed-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Shad-base-installed.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-499\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alu-Rack with Shad base<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I did do a little motorcycle upgrade today.\u00a0 The new GT was sadly in need of an aftermarket provision for a top case.\u00a0 No way I was spending $1,500 for the BMW item, so I sourced a luggage rack that would accept the base plate and top case that I had on my previous K1200GT.<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t bother looking for one for the current version.\u00a0 They don&#8217;t exist, but the rack and grab handles appeared to be the same as another model BMW, the R1200RT, so I purchased an aftermarket rack for that model and it fit just fine.<\/p>\n<p>It required some disassembly of the rear of the bike, but it went on and was a perfect fit.\u00a0 Now, to satisfy myself, I just have to have the top case painted to match the bike and I&#8217;ll be good.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll post up pics of that when it is finished.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>June 20, 2012<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_461\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/K16GT-1.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-461\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-461\" title=\"K16GT 1\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/K16GT-1-300x227.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/K16GT-1-300x227.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/K16GT-1.jpg 791w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-461\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">2012 BMW K1200GT<\/p><\/div>\n<p>With only the purist of intentions, I took the F800GS to the BMW dealer in order to have it serviced prior to a trip that I am taking this week.\u00a0 While waiting for service to be completed, I took some time to wander around the showroom and look at all of the exotic machinery.\u00a0 This dealer sells new BMWs, as well as Triumph, Ducati and Husqvarna, so there was plenty to drool over.<\/p>\n<p>I managed to keep myself in check\u00a0until I saw the new K1600GT.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was haggling over price and ended up riding the thing home, having left the GS as partial trade.\u00a0 As I don&#8217;t ride the RC8R much any more, I traded it as well.\u00a0 Guess I have finally grown out of\u00a0my sport bike phase.<\/p>\n<p>The new Beemer is quite a magnificent work.\u00a0 Super smooth and powerful 6-cylinder engine, excellent ergonomics and handling (for a big bike), and more gizmos than I have ever experienced on a motorcycle.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ll be riding it up to Asheville tomorrow, and have already made an appointment at a local BMW dealer there for its first service.<\/p>\n<h2>May 26, 2012<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Fini.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-459\" title=\"Fini\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Fini-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Fini-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Fini.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>I got the WR back together today. The BIG disappointment was that the Thumper Racing piston turned out to be too small. At the urging of HighFive over on ADVrider, I checked the TR piston vs the Athena and the TR was clearly at least 2mm smaller in diameter than the Athena. The Athena kit has an 83mm piston and the TR item measured out to 81mm. Scratch that idea. I put the Athena piston back in.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, the TR piston was free to me, so I&#8217;m not out any $$$, but I&#8217;m disappointed that they couldn&#8217;t get it right. The first time they sent me a piston, it was for a YZF! (five valves) This one was definitely for the WR, but obviously not big enough for the bore. Oh well&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Another thing I discovered is that there is a glitch in the shop manual, which contributed to my leaky head gasket and base gasket. There are 4 head bolts. One is longer than the others. The manual has you installing the longer bolt in the wrong hole and it bottoms out before bringing the head to the proper tightness. For those attempting a top-end job, the longer bolt goes in the left side rear location rather than the left side front location, which is what is indicated in the manual.<\/p>\n<p>The bike had a chronic off-idle hesitation before this rebuild. No matter how I adjusted the PC5 &amp; Autotune, I couldn&#8217;t diminish the problem. With this rebuild, I discovered that I may have used the wrong timing marks on the rotor to set the timing. There are 3 marks, they are very close together, and only one is correct. I think I used the correct one this time as off-idle hesitation is now all but eliminated.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What about the ported head?&#8221;, you ask. Well the jury&#8217;s out on that one, but time with the Autotune will reveal any advantages gained by that. My couple of short test rides today suggest that there is more &#8220;umph&#8221;, and maybe even more to be had with proper tuning.<\/p>\n<p>Anyhoo, it&#8217;s been a long 6 months without the WR and I&#8217;m glad that it&#8217;s back in the fight.<\/p>\n<h2>May 24, 2012<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_457\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Rebuild-5.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-457\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-457\" title=\"Rebuild 5\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Rebuild-5-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Rebuild-5-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Rebuild-5.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-457\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">New CP 3-ring piston in.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The WR is finally under the knife!\u00a0 I can&#8217;t believe that it has been mothballed for for the better part of 6 months, but I finally assembled enough time, and the parts, to get it back on the road.<\/p>\n<p>Part of the delay is contributable to deciding what I wanted to do if I was going to tear it down again.\u00a0 I&#8217;d already done the Athena Big Bore kit, full Graves exhaust and the Dynojet PC5 with Autotune.\u00a0 Not wanting to split the cases, I decided against a stroker kit, which was available to me for free.\u00a0 Instead, I decided to go with a more robust, lighter, 3-ring piston (compared to the Athena 2-ringer) for longevity and reduced vibration.\u00a0\u00a0There&#8217;s also\u00a0a fully ported head.<\/p>\n<p>I got the top end torn down last weekend.\u00a0 On checking the valve clearance on the reworked head, I found that the stock valve shims were no longer appropriate (due to the valve job) and had to source new shims.\u00a0 As luck would have it, out of 4 Yamaha dealers in my area, none had all of the shims that I needed, so I had to order two, which came in today.<\/p>\n<p>The WR has been occupying the spot in my garage that my car would normally be parked in, in it&#8217;s disassembled state, waiting for the shims and another weekend to arrive.\u00a0 Feeling good that WR will be reanimated this Memorial Day weekend.\u00a0 Anxious to experience the results of the new mods.<\/p>\n<h2>May 10, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>Still haven&#8217;t had enough time to work on the WR.\u00a0 Seems that when you own a house, you actually have to spend some time taking care of it!\u00a0 Oh well, the WR will eventually be resurrected.<\/p>\n<p>I did have a little time for some extra curricular activities last weekend, however.<\/p>\n<p>Quite some time ago (20+ years), I was an avid cyclist.\u00a0 You know, the kind of person who rides a vehicle with two wheels\u00a0but no motor.\u00a0 I did a lot of training, long distance rides and a few triathlons before my &#8220;man&#8221; parts began to object to the activity, and I quit riding on the advice of my doctor.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Trek-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-451\" title=\"Trek 1\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Trek-1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Trek-1-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Trek-1.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Well, bicycle ergonomics have come a long way in 20 years, and I never lost my attraction\u00a0for the sport, so I decided to get back in the game and purchased a new Trek Madone 4.5 full-carbon bike.\u00a0 Initial impressions are that I will be able to do this, but my conditioning has a long way to go.\u00a0 Fortunately, this Trek is a bike that I won&#8217;t soon want to replace for a more advanced model.\u00a0 It is nearly state of the art.<\/p>\n<h2>April 25, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>Guess what came in the mail today?\u00a0 That&#8217;s right, my fully ported head for the WR250X!\u00a0 It looks really sweet.\u00a0 Can&#8217;t wait to install it along with my new Thumper Racing 83mm piston.\u00a0 I&#8217;m estimating a sizable increase in power as a result of these mods and the others that I have done.\u00a0 Kind of exciting to have all of the pieces now in order to get it back on the road.\u00a0 The poor WR has been languishing in the garage for the last 4 months.\u00a0 Time to get out and make some mischief!<\/p>\n<h2>April 16, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>Finally got the KLR back together this past weekend.\u00a0 In addition to the big-bore installation, I also tweaked the carb with a KLX needle, 140 main jet, drilled the slide and adjusted the pilot screw.\u00a0 After it was all buttoned up, I went out for a 100-mile break-in run.<\/p>\n<p>With only a 35cc increase in displacement, it&#8217;s hard to say that it is a huge improvement in power, but it is noticeable.\u00a0 The biggest performance difference is in the smoothness of the engine and big reduction in mechanical noise.\u00a0 Of course, the main reason for the 685 kit was to reduce the KLR&#8217;s appetite for oil, something this particular year model is known for.\u00a0 The jury&#8217;s still out on that one.\u00a0 Time and miles will tell.<\/p>\n<h2>April 8, 2012<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Old-piston.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-440\" title=\"Old piston\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Old-piston-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Old-piston-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Old-piston.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As it turned out, my friend, Roland, had conflicting plans today, so I was on my own with the KLR.\u00a0 I managed to tear the top end down the rest of the way, and after an hour or so of cursing at the wrist pins clips that retain the piston assembly\u00a0on the connecting rod, I was able to get the new piston, cylinder and head back on the motor.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_441\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/New-piston.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-441\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-441\" title=\"New piston\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/New-piston-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/New-piston-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/New-piston.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-441\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">New 685 piston<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I ran into a snag trying to torque down the cam caps because my torque wrench is too big to access the limited clearance in that area.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll be off to Harbor Freight tomorrow to obtain the correct tools.<\/p>\n<h2>April 7, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>The KLR is under the knife.\u00a0 Oil consumption had been a concern after my trip to Ohio last October, so I order the 685 big bore kit that reportedly solves the problem so that I could install it after I returned the bike home.<\/p>\n<p>I only used 8oz of oil during the return trip (compared to 16oz on the way up), which made me think about how severe the problem really was, but in the end I decided that I would do the installation anyway because bigger displacement is better, right?\u00a0 The answer is &#8220;yes, it is&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/KLR-tear-down.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-438\" title=\"KLR tear down\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/KLR-tear-down-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/KLR-tear-down-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/KLR-tear-down.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>So, today I spent the day prepping the bike for the new piston and cylinder.\u00a0 There&#8217;s a lot of crap to remove in order to reach the crucial parts, so I stripped it down to the point where I had to stop because I didn&#8217;t have the right tool to remove the cam chain guard in the head.\u00a0 I was admittedly moving at a cautious pace, but it took me the better part of 8 hours to get to the point where I had the cams exposed.<\/p>\n<p>Tomorrow, my experienced buddy, Roland, who has done this before, will show up to guide me through the rest of the process.<\/p>\n<h2>March 30, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>Well, a lot has happened in my motorcycle universe since my last update.\u00a0 The K1200GT is now with a new owner, and in it&#8217;s place is a 2009 BMW F 800 GS.\u00a0 I was cruising the Craigslist ads a few weeks ago and came across a very brief, one sentence ad for the GS.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve been interested in the 800 GS for a couple of years, so I emailed the seller and asked why he was selling.\u00a0 He response was that his wife (who rides)\u00a0had been\u00a0in a skiing accident and that she wouldn&#8217;t be up to riding her motorcycle for quite some time.\u00a0 Therefore, he was looking for a 2-up touring bike that would carry both of them in relative comfort.<\/p>\n<p>I had been considering trading or selling the GT for some time, so I mentioned that I had a GT, sent a picture, and asked if he would be interested in a trade.<\/p>\n<p>The response was immediate.\u00a0 Yes!\u00a0 We met that weekend, worked out the details (his bike +cash for my GT), and we both\u00a0rode away happy.\u00a0 More details on the GS on the &#8220;Motorcycles&#8221; page.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, I finally retrieved the venerable KLR from its winter detention in Ohio.\u00a0 I flew up last weekend, performed some pre-flight maintenance, and headed <em>east<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, <em>east<\/em>, not <em>south<\/em>, toward the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway.\u00a0 It was COLD the day we left for Virginia!\u00a0 Because the winter had been unusually warm up to that point, I was afraid that I had wasted big bucks on heated gear for the return trip, but mother nature realized that I needed to justify my purchases and dished up high 20&#8217;s temps on the day we left.<\/p>\n<p>My riding partner, Alan, wanted to travel the entire length of the BRP on the way to Florida.\u00a0 We&#8217;d both done the NC part of it, but not Virginia, so it was decreed that we go to Waynesboro, VA to enter the BRP from the north.<\/p>\n<p>Long story short, after about 100 or so miles on the BRP, we figured out that it would take too long to complete for our schedules and jumped off in order to make it to Asheville that evening.<\/p>\n<p>In all, we took 4 days to ride about 1,400 miles.\u00a0 The KLR performed flawlessly, as did Alan&#8217;s K1200GT.\u00a0 It&#8217;s good to have the KLR back as I have big plans for it, and it will be going under the knife very soon.\u00a0 More on that later.<\/p>\n<h2>March 6, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>I just returned from a weekend trip to Ohio where, among other things, I was able to devote a little time to the KLR.\u00a0 I brought a battery tender with me and hooked it up to charge overnight.\u00a0 Even with a full 12-hours charge, the battery wasn&#8217;t up to the task of firing up the beast, so I was off to Walmart to purchase a new one.\u00a0 With the new battery charged and installed, the mighty KLR roared to life as if I had just ridden it the day before, where in reality it hadn&#8217;t been started in 5 months.\u00a0 Yay for the KLR!<\/p>\n<p>With the battery issue resolved and my fears of a gummed-up carburetor allayed, I turned my attention to installing some of the goodies I have purchased over the last few months in order to make my eventual return trip to Florida a little easier to bare.<\/p>\n<p>First up was the new Sargent low seat.\u00a0 Pretty straight-forward installation.\u00a0 I am counting on this to be a significant improvement over the Seat Concepts torture device that I endured for the 900+ mile trip from Florida to Ohio.<\/p>\n<p>Next, I wired up a multi-function display that will allow me to monitor the time, air temperature, and most important, the condition of the charging system.\u00a0 My return trip will most likely be a chilly one and the heated grips and heated vest will get a workout.\u00a0 The voltage monitor will alert me if I am drawing too much power from the KLR&#8217;s system and help me to avoid draining the battery in my efforts to stay reasonably warm.<\/p>\n<p>Last was the Madstad windshield with\u00a0its exclusive RoboBrackets mounting system.\u00a0 This is a robust kit that provides nearly infinite adjust-ability and superior wind protection.\u00a0 The kit replaces the KLR windshield with a smaller metal plate that duplicates the stock windshield shape.\u00a0 The RoboBrackets attach to the plate, and the large Madstad windshield attaches to the brackets.\u00a0 It was a bit fiddly to adjust and secure the system, but I am anticipating that it will be worth the effort.<\/p>\n<h2>February 24, 2012<\/h2>\n<p>Well, it&#8217;s been nearly two months since my last update.\u00a0 There really hasn&#8217;t been much cooking on the motorcycle front.\u00a0 My free time has been spent doing other things.\u00a0 That will change next month, however, when I fly to Ohio to retrieve the KLR from its winter detention.<\/p>\n<p>Although the winter has been unusually warm this year, as my luck will have it, I am preparing for a very chilly ride from Ohio to Florida.\u00a0 The KLR already has heated grips that I installed last September, but I will need more than that to battle the elements, so I have made a few more purchases.<\/p>\n<p>Under my Darien jacket from Aerostitch, I will be well-layered with a Kanetsu heated vest as one of the inner layers.\u00a0 I have extreme cold weather gloves and thermal socks to keep the digits toasty.<\/p>\n<p>The KLR will receive a new Madstad windshield, which should do a good job of redirecting the arctic blast around me.\u00a0 And, although not weather related, I purchased a new Sargent low seat to replace the Seat Concepts saddle that punished me all of the way to Ohio.<\/p>\n<p>It will be nice to have the KLR back.\u00a0 Didn&#8217;t think I would miss it, but I did.<\/p>\n<p>The WR250X status hasn&#8217;t changed.\u00a0 I haven&#8217;t started the engine since discovering the leaky top end two months ago.\u00a0 The stroker kit from Thumper Racing still hasn&#8217;t arrived, and not being all that enthusiastic about splitting the cases to install it, I arranged to swap the crank for a high performance piston instead, which should arrive soon.\u00a0 I also ordered a special top end gasket set from Athena, which has to come from Italy.\u00a0 It will be a while, but that&#8217;s okay because I&#8217;m not that anxious to tear down the motor anyway.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve been giving the K1200GT and the RC8R maintenance attention.\u00a0 That means that I try to ride each of them at least once every couple of weeks.\u00a0 There have\u00a0been so many other things vying for my attention lately.\u00a0 I need two of me!<\/p>\n<h2>December 30, 2011<\/h2>\n<p>WR250X Update.<\/p>\n<p>Concerned about the oil leaking from the top end, I checked the oil again yesterday.\u00a0 Surely it must be low.\u00a0 But upon inspection, the oil sight glass was completely covered.\u00a0 When I checked it a couple of days before, it was at the top line in the inspection window.\u00a0 Hmmm.<\/p>\n<p>Decide to drain the oil.\u00a0 Definitely more coming out than I put in when I recently changed the oil.\u00a0 I give the drained oil the old sniff test and detect the unmistakable odor of 93 octane (with 10% ethanol) fuel in the oil.<\/p>\n<p>So, the head gasket, in addition to allowing oil to weep down the exterior of the cylinder, is introducing raw fuel into the lubrication system.<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, the head bolts have lost their torque.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll re-torque them, but I&#8217;m afraid that the\u00a0damage has already been done.\u00a0 All of those hot gases passing across the head gasket\u00a0surely have compromised the integrity of the gasket material.\u00a0 I&#8217;ll give it a shot anyway.<\/p>\n<p>The upshot is that the new (free!) Thumper Racing 310 Big Bore\/Stroker kit will arrive in January.\u00a0 I don&#8217;t want to have to go into the motor again until then.<\/p>\n<h2>December 26, 2011<\/h2>\n<p>Ah, the Holidays are in full swing with Christmas now behind and New Years just ahead. My son flew in from CA last week to spend some time at home and has been using the WR250X as his main mode of transportation (yes, he&#8217;s a motorcycle guy too). By the time he leaves, he will have put more miles on it than I have since buying it a year ago.<\/p>\n<p>My son&#8217;s thoroughly more enthusiastic usage of the bike has revealed some of the weaknesses of the Big Bore installation that I did earlier this year. There now appears to be a minor oil leak at the bottom of the cylinder where it meets the main case. We&#8217;ll keep an eye on it. I don&#8217;t want to go into the engine again until the 310 Thumper Racing kit arrives in January.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m missing the KLR, which I regretfully left in Ohio in October. Those bikes have a way of growing on you. The urge to rescue it from its icy detention has been suppressed once or twice so far, but I&#8217;m not sure that I have the will power to resist until the Spring thaw. On the positive side, I haven&#8217;t purchased any new &#8220;farkles&#8221; for it, so my finances have benefited from the separation.<\/p>\n<p>The Beemer and RC8R are getting &#8220;maintenance attention&#8221;, as it seems that I only have enough time to ride them as a function of keeping the batteries charged and not letting the fuel go bad. Oh well, they look good in the garage.<\/p>\n<p>Looking forward to one or two minor trips this winter. Most likely, the Beemer will take me to Marco Island before the heat arrives again. Then, in the summer, a trip to Yellowstone appears to be in the mix. We&#8217;ll see.<\/p>\n<h2>October 30, 2011<\/h2>\n<p>I sincerely hope that the artist, whose work follows this text, doesn&#8217;t mind that I have displayed an image of one of his pieces here. John Woolley is an amazing artist and is only 11 years old as of this date. His works are of everyday objects and scenes, made special by his whimsical interpretation of what he sees.<\/p>\n<p>The piece below, titled &#8220;Saddlebags&#8221;, was immediately identifiable to me as a pre-2008 KLR 650, obviously straining beneath the burden of all of the gear attached to it. Check out John&#8217;s website to see more of his works and learn more about this amazing young talent:<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"John Woolley's Backyard Journals\" href=\"http:\/\/www.backyardjournals.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.backyardjournals.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_400\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Saddlebags.png\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-400\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-400\" title=\"Saddlebags\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Saddlebags-300x230.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"230\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Saddlebags-300x230.png 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Saddlebags.png 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-400\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Click on image to enlarge<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>October 28, 2011<\/h2>\n<p>With the weather finally taking a turn for the better and signaling the end of the brutally hot and humid Florida summer, I decided to wake the BMW from its hibernation and ride it to a town, 60 miles from my home base, where I am working on a new project for my company.<\/p>\n<p>I noticed that the Beemer&#8217;s starter wasn&#8217;t cranking with its normal zest that morning, but the temps were cool and I figured that it would be OK after a few miles. Rode to the office first. My, those heated grips sure are a nice touch when the mercury dips! After a couple of hours at the office it was time to head out, but I needed fuel, so that would be the first stop.<\/p>\n<p>Did I mention how nice it is to have heated grips on cool mornings?<\/p>\n<p>Arrive at the gas station, fill up, press the starter button, and listen as the starter doesn&#8217;t even have enough power to turn past one compression cycle.<\/p>\n<p>Crap.<\/p>\n<p>Call for help. Get a jump. Ride home.<\/p>\n<p><em>There is a silver lining though, I got to ride the RC8R instead!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Although I knew the battery was weak, I think the drain from the heated grips is what did it in.<\/p>\n<p>Anyhoo, I had to find a new battery for the GT, and as I discovered, you can&#8217;t just mosey on down to Walmart for a replacement. No, the GT has a <em>very special<\/em> battery! After seeking some advice on where and what kind of battery to purchase, I ordered one over a week ago and I am still waiting for it to arrive. \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n<h2>October 15, 2011<\/h2>\n<p>Left Asheville yesterday after a couple of great days of riding in the mountains. Although it was raining the night before we left, the front passed through by morning, leaving mostly sunny skies, cool temps and very windy conditions.<\/p>\n<p>From Asheville, Route 23 is a straight shot to Columbus, Ohio, our destination. It winds through the heart of Coal Country on its way through 4 states and about 400 miles. Leaving at about 8:00 am, we made it to Columbus at about 6:00 pm, where I will leave the KLR to winter in Ohio. I will return in the Spring to ride it back to Florida.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s been a nice few days of riding. The weather could have been better, but any time I have an opportunity to do an extended ride the conditions are a secondary concern. I just enjoy seeing the countryside from the cockpit of a motorcycle.<\/p>\n<h2>October 13, 2011<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/20111013-090850.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/20111013-090850.jpg\" alt=\"20111013-090850.jpg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It was a great day for riding yesterday. The low pressure system that drenched me the day before has moved on leaving 24 hours of decent weather before the next front arrives later today.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_395\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/BRP-10-11.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-395\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-395\" title=\"BRP 10-11\" src=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/BRP-10-11-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/BRP-10-11-300x199.jpg 300w, http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/BRP-10-11.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-395\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">KLR slays the<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We had to do the &#8220;Dragon&#8221;, so we set out for Rt 129, which was about 2 hours away. Made a couple of runs on the legendary 11 mile strip of asphalt.<\/p>\n<p>Fall colors are almost at their peak and the temps were perfect. All in all, a very nice day.<\/p>\n<h2>October 12, 2011<\/h2>\n<p>Well, after hitting the road an hour and a half later than I had planned, I was finally on my way. I charted a route to Asheville that would mostly avoid highways and I learned that I need to be a little more specific with my GPS software in the future. &#8220;Avoid Highways&#8221; included going through just about every small town between my home and the hotel, and it also included a toll road. I just love having to stop prior to the toll booth to remove my gloves, dig around for the proper toll, pay the toll and then repeat the process in reverse after paying the toll.<\/p>\n<p>The trip included 550 miles of GA, SC &amp; NC back roads, which would have been very nice except for cool temps and nearly constant rain. Thankfully, I have the right gear for the conditions, and the heated grips helped to prevent my hands form going numb. Still, the conditions prevented me from making good time and it took me 12 hours to make the trip, which included minimal stops for fuel and lunch.<\/p>\n<p>The bike performed very well and I was quite pleased and surprised by the lack of problems. I had to add a little bit of oil at my first fuel stop, but that was it. The KLR just kept chugging along.<\/p>\n<p>The weather is still cool, but it looks like there is a temporary break in the rain, so the ride today will be mostly dry. Will be doing parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the obligatory visit to Deals Gap. There may be some pictures to post later.<\/p>\n<h2>October 8, 2011<\/h2>\n<p>So, next Tuesday I am setting off on my maiden voyage on the KLR 650. Heading up to Columbus, OH with a layover in Asheville for a few days of Blue Ridge fun and maybe some Fall colors. Be out for about 10 days and 2,000 miles.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve &#8220;farkled&#8221; up the KLR pretty good for long-distance touring, so we&#8217;ll see how it is. Will post up a few pictures and updates as time allows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>August 13, 2015 Been doing a few upgrades to the FJ-09.\u00a0 Among the few things that needed improvement were the windshield and the seat.\u00a0 A new CalSci medium windshield replaced the inadequate stocker and new seat foam and covers from &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/?page_id=368\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/368"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=368"}],"version-history":[{"count":86,"href":"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/368\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":636,"href":"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/368\/revisions\/636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}