![\"\"](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Warrior.jpg\" "\\"Warrior\\"")
<\/a>2003 Yamaha Road Star Warrior<\/p><\/div>\n
I bought this bike new in 2003 as my reintroduction to motorcycling.\u00a0 I had a thing for the Cruiser genre, but I wanted something with a little more performance and the Warrior had it in spades.\u00a0 Of all of the bikes that I have had in my recent past, this is the one that I regret selling the most.\u00a0 I don’t often wish that I had a big cruiser, but when the urge hits, this is the one that would scratch the itch.\u00a0 Wouldn’t mind having another one.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2005 Suzuki Hayabusa<\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Busa-300x197.jpeg\" "\\"Busa\\"")
<\/a>2005 Suzuki Hayabusa<\/p><\/div>\n
Everyone has to own one, right?\u00a0 I really don’t know why I bought it.\u00a0 Fastest production motorcycle on the market at the time.\u00a0 I had no business owning it, yet, it drew me in and kept me entertained (and scared) for a couple of years.\u00a0 Super-smooth and super-fast, but handled like a pig and braked even worse.\u00a0 I don’t miss the ‘Busa.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2005 Yamaha Road Star Silverado<\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Roadie-300x191.jpg\" "\\"Roadie\\"")
<\/a>2005 Yamaha Road Star Silverado<\/p><\/div>\n
Still having not completely eradicated the Cruiser bug from my system, I purchased this new Silverado (Road King wanabe) in 2005 at the same time that I owned the ‘Busa.\u00a0 It was a large ponderous beast that completely cured me of ever venturing into the big, lumbering cruiser club again.\u00a0 Pretty bike, but not my style.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2007 Yamaha FJR1300<\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/FJR-right-300x225.jpg\" "\\"FJR")
<\/a>2007 Yamaha FJR1300<\/p><\/div>\n
Ah, the FJR.\u00a0 I credit this bike with completely changing my expectations from a motorcycle.\u00a0 Who knew that you could actually go somewhere – far away – on a bike and experience adventures never even thought of previously.\u00a0 A new paradigm, for sure.\u00a0 The FJR taught me that what I really wanted out of motorcycling was travel, and I have done quite a bit of it since experiencing that revelation.\u00a0 The FJR was a great introduction to my new found passion.<\/p>\n
2007 Suzuki SV650S<\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/07-SV650-300x225.jpg\" "\\"07")
<\/a>2007 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
I asked a road-racer friend of mine what would be a good bike to introduce a newbe to track racing, and he immediately suggested the SV.\u00a0 The SV was a good all-around starter bike, but it had good potential on the track as well, with decent power and suspension, and a sweet v-twin engine.\u00a0 Plenty of power for a novice, but easily manageable around the course.\u00a0 I bought a new 2007, and with very few mods, enjoyed a couple of track days and some fun on the local roads.\u00a0 After a year, I found that I wasn’t riding it very much, so I sold it.\u00a0 Big mistake.<\/p>\n
2008 BMW K1200GT<\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/BMW-right-300x200.jpg\" "\\"BMW")
<\/a>2008 BMW K1200GT<\/p><\/div>\n
While on a trip to the North Carolina mountains on my FJR, I happened to spy a new BMW K1200GT at Deal’s Gap.\u00a0 The bike had just been released and I knew after seeing it that the FJR would be replaced by the Beemer in the not too distant future.\u00a0 The BMW was so much more advanced than the Yamaha, with features that hadn’t even been thought of in Japan.\u00a0 It was state of the art.\u00a0 So, in the spring of 2009 I traded the FJR for a new, leftover 2008 GT.\u00a0 The addiction to Bavarian motorcycles was established at that point.\u00a0 Even at the higher price point, no other maker comes close.\u00a0 I had become a confirmed BMW snob.<\/p>\n
2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/05-SV650-300x200.jpg\" "\\"05")
<\/a>2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
Not long after selling the 2007 SV, I began to regret letting it go.\u00a0 I decided to find another one, but this time I would find one that I could transform into the track machine that I was hesitant to do with the previous one because it was so new.\u00a0 A little searching revealed a low mileage 2005 model that had been wrecked.\u00a0 I checked it out, bought it cheap, and began a complete restoration while modifying it for track duty.\u00a0 The completed version won the admiration of the folks at SVRider.com, honoring it with “SV of the Month” for December 2009.<\/p>\n
The SV was sold when it became evident that a new RC8R was in my immediate future.<\/p>\n
2010 KTM RC8R<\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/RC8-1-300x225.jpg\" "\\"RC8")
<\/a>2010 KTM RC8R<\/p><\/div>\n
I absolutely drooled over the press releases and initial review articles about the new RC8 from KTM in 2008.\u00a0 Such an awesome looking motorcycle and a new, feisty competitor in the V-Twin super sport bike genre that Ducati had previously owned all to itself, save for a few entries from Japan that\u00a0flared and faded fairly quickly\u00a0in the past.\u00a0 The KTM, though, was a real contender and I fantasized about owning one some day.<\/p>\n
That day came when I made a pretty good deal on a new 2010 RC8R.\u00a0 It was an awesome bike.\u00a0 Loved the v-twin for its low-end torque and the nasty snarl from the exhaust.\u00a0 The suspension and steering were top of the line, as was the fit & finish and componentry.\u00a0 Realistically though, I came to terms with the fact that I am not the kind of rider that can fully extract the sporting potential of the bike, and when the K1600GT came into focus for me, I decided to let the KTM go in a trade.\u00a0 Hopefully, it has gone to a rider much more capable than I am in that arena.<\/p>\n
2009 BMW F800GS<\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/GS1-300x225.jpg\" "\\"GS1\\"")
<\/a>2009 BMW F800GS<\/p><\/div>\n
The K1200GT was growing long in the tooth for me, and I enjoyed the KLR’s off-road and touring capabilities so much more, so I began to look for a bike that might replace both of them.\u00a0 Searching Craigslist, I found a seller that had a pristine F800GS for sale.\u00a0 When I inquired as to why he was selling, he stated that he wanted a 2-up touring bike.\u00a0 BINGO!\u00a0 We made a deal: his bike plus cash for my GT.<\/p>\n
The GS was a fine dual sport.\u00a0 Lots of power, good handling and very high-tech, but it never really grew on me.\u00a0 I found that I really prefered\u00a0my well-farkled, low-tech\u00a0KLR for that duty, and when it came time\u00a0to trade for the new K1600GT, the GS went along with the KTM in that deal.\u00a0 No regrets.<\/p>\n
2008 Yamaha WR250X<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Fini\"](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Fini-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>After selling the 2005 SV650S, my son convinced be to get a supermoto.\u00a0 The WR seemed like a good choice, having EFI and upgraded components compared to other bikes that were available in the genre at that time.\u00a0 It was fun, but underpowered for my taste, so I did a lot of work on it, including a big-bore kit and fully ported head, in order to extract as much power as possible.\u00a0 After a while I converted it to off-road spec so that I could do some trail riding with friends.\u00a0 Fully smitten by trail riding, I realized that no matter what I did to the WR, it would never be a great mount for off-roading.\u00a0 Sold the WR to help finance the purchase of a 2014 KTM 500 EXC.<\/p>\n2008 Kawasaki KLR 650<\/h2>\n
![\"GIVI](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/GIVI-1-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>As funky as this thing was, I loved it.\u00a0 I still say that if I had to choose a bike to break down on a thousand miles from anywhere, it would be the KLR.\u00a0 You can fix it with duct tape and bailing wire.<\/p>\nI bought it as a stock bike and farkled it up pretty good.\u00a0 All of the necessary mods were done, including the “doohickey”, carb work, brakes and shock, but I went way beyond those basic mods, transforming the bike into a capable and dependable long-distance adventure tourer.\u00a0 Too many improvements to list.\u00a0 It was a fun bike to own and work on.<\/p>\n
When I got the hots for the 500 EXC, the KLR was also sold to enable the purchase.<\/p>\n
2012 BMW K1600GT<\/h2>\n![\"2012](\"http:\/\/soundquarters.com\/bobsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/K16GT-1-300x227.jpg\")
<\/a>2012 BMW K1600GT<\/p><\/div>\n
In April of 2012, I went into the BMW dealer to have the 800GS serviced before a trip.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was negotiating price on this new K1600GT.\u00a0 When I left the dealer, it was on the new GT, having left behind the 800GS and the RC8R in trade.<\/p>\n
The GT was a great tourer, with more amenities than I can count.\u00a0 The 6-cylinder engine provided lots of smooth power and the bike was pretty nimble in spite of tipping the scales at over 700 lbs.\u00a0 But, there was the weight, which I became intimately aware of when I dropped the fully-loaded GT in a parking lot tip-over mishap on my way back home from a long trip.\u00a0 The struggle to get the beast back upright by myself made me consider that this was probably not the best\u00a0bike for me.<\/p>\n
That thought was affirmed when I spied the just released, new Yamaha FJ-09 and ultimately purchased one.\u00a0 Its a much better bike for me and the type of street riding that I do.<\/p>\n
So, with the acquisition of the FJ, the GT went on Craigslist and was sold in a few days, after 3 years of ownership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This page will not include all of the bikes in my past.\u00a0 Instead, I’ll focus on the ones that have filled my garage since my reentry into motorcycling\u00a0in 2003.\u00a0 There have been a few.\u00a0 Pictures and brief descriptions follow in … Continue reading
<\/a>2005 Suzuki Hayabusa<\/p><\/div>\n
Everyone has to own one, right?\u00a0 I really don’t know why I bought it.\u00a0 Fastest production motorcycle on the market at the time.\u00a0 I had no business owning it, yet, it drew me in and kept me entertained (and scared) for a couple of years.\u00a0 Super-smooth and super-fast, but handled like a pig and braked even worse.\u00a0 I don’t miss the ‘Busa.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2005 Yamaha Road Star Silverado<\/h2>\n<\/a>2005 Yamaha Road Star Silverado<\/p><\/div>\n
Still having not completely eradicated the Cruiser bug from my system, I purchased this new Silverado (Road King wanabe) in 2005 at the same time that I owned the ‘Busa.\u00a0 It was a large ponderous beast that completely cured me of ever venturing into the big, lumbering cruiser club again.\u00a0 Pretty bike, but not my style.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2007 Yamaha FJR1300<\/h2>\n<\/a>2007 Yamaha FJR1300<\/p><\/div>\n
Ah, the FJR.\u00a0 I credit this bike with completely changing my expectations from a motorcycle.\u00a0 Who knew that you could actually go somewhere – far away – on a bike and experience adventures never even thought of previously.\u00a0 A new paradigm, for sure.\u00a0 The FJR taught me that what I really wanted out of motorcycling was travel, and I have done quite a bit of it since experiencing that revelation.\u00a0 The FJR was a great introduction to my new found passion.<\/p>\n
2007 Suzuki SV650S<\/h2>\n<\/a>2007 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
I asked a road-racer friend of mine what would be a good bike to introduce a newbe to track racing, and he immediately suggested the SV.\u00a0 The SV was a good all-around starter bike, but it had good potential on the track as well, with decent power and suspension, and a sweet v-twin engine.\u00a0 Plenty of power for a novice, but easily manageable around the course.\u00a0 I bought a new 2007, and with very few mods, enjoyed a couple of track days and some fun on the local roads.\u00a0 After a year, I found that I wasn’t riding it very much, so I sold it.\u00a0 Big mistake.<\/p>\n
2008 BMW K1200GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2008 BMW K1200GT<\/p><\/div>\n
While on a trip to the North Carolina mountains on my FJR, I happened to spy a new BMW K1200GT at Deal’s Gap.\u00a0 The bike had just been released and I knew after seeing it that the FJR would be replaced by the Beemer in the not too distant future.\u00a0 The BMW was so much more advanced than the Yamaha, with features that hadn’t even been thought of in Japan.\u00a0 It was state of the art.\u00a0 So, in the spring of 2009 I traded the FJR for a new, leftover 2008 GT.\u00a0 The addiction to Bavarian motorcycles was established at that point.\u00a0 Even at the higher price point, no other maker comes close.\u00a0 I had become a confirmed BMW snob.<\/p>\n
2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/h2>\n<\/a>2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
Not long after selling the 2007 SV, I began to regret letting it go.\u00a0 I decided to find another one, but this time I would find one that I could transform into the track machine that I was hesitant to do with the previous one because it was so new.\u00a0 A little searching revealed a low mileage 2005 model that had been wrecked.\u00a0 I checked it out, bought it cheap, and began a complete restoration while modifying it for track duty.\u00a0 The completed version won the admiration of the folks at SVRider.com, honoring it with “SV of the Month” for December 2009.<\/p>\n
The SV was sold when it became evident that a new RC8R was in my immediate future.<\/p>\n
2010 KTM RC8R<\/h2>\n<\/a>2010 KTM RC8R<\/p><\/div>\n
I absolutely drooled over the press releases and initial review articles about the new RC8 from KTM in 2008.\u00a0 Such an awesome looking motorcycle and a new, feisty competitor in the V-Twin super sport bike genre that Ducati had previously owned all to itself, save for a few entries from Japan that\u00a0flared and faded fairly quickly\u00a0in the past.\u00a0 The KTM, though, was a real contender and I fantasized about owning one some day.<\/p>\n
That day came when I made a pretty good deal on a new 2010 RC8R.\u00a0 It was an awesome bike.\u00a0 Loved the v-twin for its low-end torque and the nasty snarl from the exhaust.\u00a0 The suspension and steering were top of the line, as was the fit & finish and componentry.\u00a0 Realistically though, I came to terms with the fact that I am not the kind of rider that can fully extract the sporting potential of the bike, and when the K1600GT came into focus for me, I decided to let the KTM go in a trade.\u00a0 Hopefully, it has gone to a rider much more capable than I am in that arena.<\/p>\n
2009 BMW F800GS<\/h2>\n<\/a>2009 BMW F800GS<\/p><\/div>\n
The K1200GT was growing long in the tooth for me, and I enjoyed the KLR’s off-road and touring capabilities so much more, so I began to look for a bike that might replace both of them.\u00a0 Searching Craigslist, I found a seller that had a pristine F800GS for sale.\u00a0 When I inquired as to why he was selling, he stated that he wanted a 2-up touring bike.\u00a0 BINGO!\u00a0 We made a deal: his bike plus cash for my GT.<\/p>\n
The GS was a fine dual sport.\u00a0 Lots of power, good handling and very high-tech, but it never really grew on me.\u00a0 I found that I really prefered\u00a0my well-farkled, low-tech\u00a0KLR for that duty, and when it came time\u00a0to trade for the new K1600GT, the GS went along with the KTM in that deal.\u00a0 No regrets.<\/p>\n
2008 Yamaha WR250X<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>After selling the 2005 SV650S, my son convinced be to get a supermoto.\u00a0 The WR seemed like a good choice, having EFI and upgraded components compared to other bikes that were available in the genre at that time.\u00a0 It was fun, but underpowered for my taste, so I did a lot of work on it, including a big-bore kit and fully ported head, in order to extract as much power as possible.\u00a0 After a while I converted it to off-road spec so that I could do some trail riding with friends.\u00a0 Fully smitten by trail riding, I realized that no matter what I did to the WR, it would never be a great mount for off-roading.\u00a0 Sold the WR to help finance the purchase of a 2014 KTM 500 EXC.<\/p>\n2008 Kawasaki KLR 650<\/h2>\n
<\/a>As funky as this thing was, I loved it.\u00a0 I still say that if I had to choose a bike to break down on a thousand miles from anywhere, it would be the KLR.\u00a0 You can fix it with duct tape and bailing wire.<\/p>\nI bought it as a stock bike and farkled it up pretty good.\u00a0 All of the necessary mods were done, including the “doohickey”, carb work, brakes and shock, but I went way beyond those basic mods, transforming the bike into a capable and dependable long-distance adventure tourer.\u00a0 Too many improvements to list.\u00a0 It was a fun bike to own and work on.<\/p>\n
When I got the hots for the 500 EXC, the KLR was also sold to enable the purchase.<\/p>\n
2012 BMW K1600GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2012 BMW K1600GT<\/p><\/div>\n
In April of 2012, I went into the BMW dealer to have the 800GS serviced before a trip.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was negotiating price on this new K1600GT.\u00a0 When I left the dealer, it was on the new GT, having left behind the 800GS and the RC8R in trade.<\/p>\n
The GT was a great tourer, with more amenities than I can count.\u00a0 The 6-cylinder engine provided lots of smooth power and the bike was pretty nimble in spite of tipping the scales at over 700 lbs.\u00a0 But, there was the weight, which I became intimately aware of when I dropped the fully-loaded GT in a parking lot tip-over mishap on my way back home from a long trip.\u00a0 The struggle to get the beast back upright by myself made me consider that this was probably not the best\u00a0bike for me.<\/p>\n
That thought was affirmed when I spied the just released, new Yamaha FJ-09 and ultimately purchased one.\u00a0 Its a much better bike for me and the type of street riding that I do.<\/p>\n
So, with the acquisition of the FJ, the GT went on Craigslist and was sold in a few days, after 3 years of ownership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This page will not include all of the bikes in my past.\u00a0 Instead, I’ll focus on the ones that have filled my garage since my reentry into motorcycling\u00a0in 2003.\u00a0 There have been a few.\u00a0 Pictures and brief descriptions follow in … Continue reading
<\/a>2005 Yamaha Road Star Silverado<\/p><\/div>\n
Still having not completely eradicated the Cruiser bug from my system, I purchased this new Silverado (Road King wanabe) in 2005 at the same time that I owned the ‘Busa.\u00a0 It was a large ponderous beast that completely cured me of ever venturing into the big, lumbering cruiser club again.\u00a0 Pretty bike, but not my style.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2007 Yamaha FJR1300<\/h2>\n<\/a>2007 Yamaha FJR1300<\/p><\/div>\n
Ah, the FJR.\u00a0 I credit this bike with completely changing my expectations from a motorcycle.\u00a0 Who knew that you could actually go somewhere – far away – on a bike and experience adventures never even thought of previously.\u00a0 A new paradigm, for sure.\u00a0 The FJR taught me that what I really wanted out of motorcycling was travel, and I have done quite a bit of it since experiencing that revelation.\u00a0 The FJR was a great introduction to my new found passion.<\/p>\n
2007 Suzuki SV650S<\/h2>\n<\/a>2007 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
I asked a road-racer friend of mine what would be a good bike to introduce a newbe to track racing, and he immediately suggested the SV.\u00a0 The SV was a good all-around starter bike, but it had good potential on the track as well, with decent power and suspension, and a sweet v-twin engine.\u00a0 Plenty of power for a novice, but easily manageable around the course.\u00a0 I bought a new 2007, and with very few mods, enjoyed a couple of track days and some fun on the local roads.\u00a0 After a year, I found that I wasn’t riding it very much, so I sold it.\u00a0 Big mistake.<\/p>\n
2008 BMW K1200GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2008 BMW K1200GT<\/p><\/div>\n
While on a trip to the North Carolina mountains on my FJR, I happened to spy a new BMW K1200GT at Deal’s Gap.\u00a0 The bike had just been released and I knew after seeing it that the FJR would be replaced by the Beemer in the not too distant future.\u00a0 The BMW was so much more advanced than the Yamaha, with features that hadn’t even been thought of in Japan.\u00a0 It was state of the art.\u00a0 So, in the spring of 2009 I traded the FJR for a new, leftover 2008 GT.\u00a0 The addiction to Bavarian motorcycles was established at that point.\u00a0 Even at the higher price point, no other maker comes close.\u00a0 I had become a confirmed BMW snob.<\/p>\n
2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/h2>\n<\/a>2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
Not long after selling the 2007 SV, I began to regret letting it go.\u00a0 I decided to find another one, but this time I would find one that I could transform into the track machine that I was hesitant to do with the previous one because it was so new.\u00a0 A little searching revealed a low mileage 2005 model that had been wrecked.\u00a0 I checked it out, bought it cheap, and began a complete restoration while modifying it for track duty.\u00a0 The completed version won the admiration of the folks at SVRider.com, honoring it with “SV of the Month” for December 2009.<\/p>\n
The SV was sold when it became evident that a new RC8R was in my immediate future.<\/p>\n
2010 KTM RC8R<\/h2>\n<\/a>2010 KTM RC8R<\/p><\/div>\n
I absolutely drooled over the press releases and initial review articles about the new RC8 from KTM in 2008.\u00a0 Such an awesome looking motorcycle and a new, feisty competitor in the V-Twin super sport bike genre that Ducati had previously owned all to itself, save for a few entries from Japan that\u00a0flared and faded fairly quickly\u00a0in the past.\u00a0 The KTM, though, was a real contender and I fantasized about owning one some day.<\/p>\n
That day came when I made a pretty good deal on a new 2010 RC8R.\u00a0 It was an awesome bike.\u00a0 Loved the v-twin for its low-end torque and the nasty snarl from the exhaust.\u00a0 The suspension and steering were top of the line, as was the fit & finish and componentry.\u00a0 Realistically though, I came to terms with the fact that I am not the kind of rider that can fully extract the sporting potential of the bike, and when the K1600GT came into focus for me, I decided to let the KTM go in a trade.\u00a0 Hopefully, it has gone to a rider much more capable than I am in that arena.<\/p>\n
2009 BMW F800GS<\/h2>\n<\/a>2009 BMW F800GS<\/p><\/div>\n
The K1200GT was growing long in the tooth for me, and I enjoyed the KLR’s off-road and touring capabilities so much more, so I began to look for a bike that might replace both of them.\u00a0 Searching Craigslist, I found a seller that had a pristine F800GS for sale.\u00a0 When I inquired as to why he was selling, he stated that he wanted a 2-up touring bike.\u00a0 BINGO!\u00a0 We made a deal: his bike plus cash for my GT.<\/p>\n
The GS was a fine dual sport.\u00a0 Lots of power, good handling and very high-tech, but it never really grew on me.\u00a0 I found that I really prefered\u00a0my well-farkled, low-tech\u00a0KLR for that duty, and when it came time\u00a0to trade for the new K1600GT, the GS went along with the KTM in that deal.\u00a0 No regrets.<\/p>\n
2008 Yamaha WR250X<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>After selling the 2005 SV650S, my son convinced be to get a supermoto.\u00a0 The WR seemed like a good choice, having EFI and upgraded components compared to other bikes that were available in the genre at that time.\u00a0 It was fun, but underpowered for my taste, so I did a lot of work on it, including a big-bore kit and fully ported head, in order to extract as much power as possible.\u00a0 After a while I converted it to off-road spec so that I could do some trail riding with friends.\u00a0 Fully smitten by trail riding, I realized that no matter what I did to the WR, it would never be a great mount for off-roading.\u00a0 Sold the WR to help finance the purchase of a 2014 KTM 500 EXC.<\/p>\n2008 Kawasaki KLR 650<\/h2>\n
<\/a>As funky as this thing was, I loved it.\u00a0 I still say that if I had to choose a bike to break down on a thousand miles from anywhere, it would be the KLR.\u00a0 You can fix it with duct tape and bailing wire.<\/p>\nI bought it as a stock bike and farkled it up pretty good.\u00a0 All of the necessary mods were done, including the “doohickey”, carb work, brakes and shock, but I went way beyond those basic mods, transforming the bike into a capable and dependable long-distance adventure tourer.\u00a0 Too many improvements to list.\u00a0 It was a fun bike to own and work on.<\/p>\n
When I got the hots for the 500 EXC, the KLR was also sold to enable the purchase.<\/p>\n
2012 BMW K1600GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2012 BMW K1600GT<\/p><\/div>\n
In April of 2012, I went into the BMW dealer to have the 800GS serviced before a trip.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was negotiating price on this new K1600GT.\u00a0 When I left the dealer, it was on the new GT, having left behind the 800GS and the RC8R in trade.<\/p>\n
The GT was a great tourer, with more amenities than I can count.\u00a0 The 6-cylinder engine provided lots of smooth power and the bike was pretty nimble in spite of tipping the scales at over 700 lbs.\u00a0 But, there was the weight, which I became intimately aware of when I dropped the fully-loaded GT in a parking lot tip-over mishap on my way back home from a long trip.\u00a0 The struggle to get the beast back upright by myself made me consider that this was probably not the best\u00a0bike for me.<\/p>\n
That thought was affirmed when I spied the just released, new Yamaha FJ-09 and ultimately purchased one.\u00a0 Its a much better bike for me and the type of street riding that I do.<\/p>\n
So, with the acquisition of the FJ, the GT went on Craigslist and was sold in a few days, after 3 years of ownership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This page will not include all of the bikes in my past.\u00a0 Instead, I’ll focus on the ones that have filled my garage since my reentry into motorcycling\u00a0in 2003.\u00a0 There have been a few.\u00a0 Pictures and brief descriptions follow in … Continue reading
<\/a>2007 Yamaha FJR1300<\/p><\/div>\n
Ah, the FJR.\u00a0 I credit this bike with completely changing my expectations from a motorcycle.\u00a0 Who knew that you could actually go somewhere – far away – on a bike and experience adventures never even thought of previously.\u00a0 A new paradigm, for sure.\u00a0 The FJR taught me that what I really wanted out of motorcycling was travel, and I have done quite a bit of it since experiencing that revelation.\u00a0 The FJR was a great introduction to my new found passion.<\/p>\n
2007 Suzuki SV650S<\/h2>\n<\/a>2007 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
I asked a road-racer friend of mine what would be a good bike to introduce a newbe to track racing, and he immediately suggested the SV.\u00a0 The SV was a good all-around starter bike, but it had good potential on the track as well, with decent power and suspension, and a sweet v-twin engine.\u00a0 Plenty of power for a novice, but easily manageable around the course.\u00a0 I bought a new 2007, and with very few mods, enjoyed a couple of track days and some fun on the local roads.\u00a0 After a year, I found that I wasn’t riding it very much, so I sold it.\u00a0 Big mistake.<\/p>\n
2008 BMW K1200GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2008 BMW K1200GT<\/p><\/div>\n
While on a trip to the North Carolina mountains on my FJR, I happened to spy a new BMW K1200GT at Deal’s Gap.\u00a0 The bike had just been released and I knew after seeing it that the FJR would be replaced by the Beemer in the not too distant future.\u00a0 The BMW was so much more advanced than the Yamaha, with features that hadn’t even been thought of in Japan.\u00a0 It was state of the art.\u00a0 So, in the spring of 2009 I traded the FJR for a new, leftover 2008 GT.\u00a0 The addiction to Bavarian motorcycles was established at that point.\u00a0 Even at the higher price point, no other maker comes close.\u00a0 I had become a confirmed BMW snob.<\/p>\n
2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/h2>\n<\/a>2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
Not long after selling the 2007 SV, I began to regret letting it go.\u00a0 I decided to find another one, but this time I would find one that I could transform into the track machine that I was hesitant to do with the previous one because it was so new.\u00a0 A little searching revealed a low mileage 2005 model that had been wrecked.\u00a0 I checked it out, bought it cheap, and began a complete restoration while modifying it for track duty.\u00a0 The completed version won the admiration of the folks at SVRider.com, honoring it with “SV of the Month” for December 2009.<\/p>\n
The SV was sold when it became evident that a new RC8R was in my immediate future.<\/p>\n
2010 KTM RC8R<\/h2>\n<\/a>2010 KTM RC8R<\/p><\/div>\n
I absolutely drooled over the press releases and initial review articles about the new RC8 from KTM in 2008.\u00a0 Such an awesome looking motorcycle and a new, feisty competitor in the V-Twin super sport bike genre that Ducati had previously owned all to itself, save for a few entries from Japan that\u00a0flared and faded fairly quickly\u00a0in the past.\u00a0 The KTM, though, was a real contender and I fantasized about owning one some day.<\/p>\n
That day came when I made a pretty good deal on a new 2010 RC8R.\u00a0 It was an awesome bike.\u00a0 Loved the v-twin for its low-end torque and the nasty snarl from the exhaust.\u00a0 The suspension and steering were top of the line, as was the fit & finish and componentry.\u00a0 Realistically though, I came to terms with the fact that I am not the kind of rider that can fully extract the sporting potential of the bike, and when the K1600GT came into focus for me, I decided to let the KTM go in a trade.\u00a0 Hopefully, it has gone to a rider much more capable than I am in that arena.<\/p>\n
2009 BMW F800GS<\/h2>\n<\/a>2009 BMW F800GS<\/p><\/div>\n
The K1200GT was growing long in the tooth for me, and I enjoyed the KLR’s off-road and touring capabilities so much more, so I began to look for a bike that might replace both of them.\u00a0 Searching Craigslist, I found a seller that had a pristine F800GS for sale.\u00a0 When I inquired as to why he was selling, he stated that he wanted a 2-up touring bike.\u00a0 BINGO!\u00a0 We made a deal: his bike plus cash for my GT.<\/p>\n
The GS was a fine dual sport.\u00a0 Lots of power, good handling and very high-tech, but it never really grew on me.\u00a0 I found that I really prefered\u00a0my well-farkled, low-tech\u00a0KLR for that duty, and when it came time\u00a0to trade for the new K1600GT, the GS went along with the KTM in that deal.\u00a0 No regrets.<\/p>\n
2008 Yamaha WR250X<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>After selling the 2005 SV650S, my son convinced be to get a supermoto.\u00a0 The WR seemed like a good choice, having EFI and upgraded components compared to other bikes that were available in the genre at that time.\u00a0 It was fun, but underpowered for my taste, so I did a lot of work on it, including a big-bore kit and fully ported head, in order to extract as much power as possible.\u00a0 After a while I converted it to off-road spec so that I could do some trail riding with friends.\u00a0 Fully smitten by trail riding, I realized that no matter what I did to the WR, it would never be a great mount for off-roading.\u00a0 Sold the WR to help finance the purchase of a 2014 KTM 500 EXC.<\/p>\n2008 Kawasaki KLR 650<\/h2>\n
<\/a>As funky as this thing was, I loved it.\u00a0 I still say that if I had to choose a bike to break down on a thousand miles from anywhere, it would be the KLR.\u00a0 You can fix it with duct tape and bailing wire.<\/p>\nI bought it as a stock bike and farkled it up pretty good.\u00a0 All of the necessary mods were done, including the “doohickey”, carb work, brakes and shock, but I went way beyond those basic mods, transforming the bike into a capable and dependable long-distance adventure tourer.\u00a0 Too many improvements to list.\u00a0 It was a fun bike to own and work on.<\/p>\n
When I got the hots for the 500 EXC, the KLR was also sold to enable the purchase.<\/p>\n
2012 BMW K1600GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2012 BMW K1600GT<\/p><\/div>\n
In April of 2012, I went into the BMW dealer to have the 800GS serviced before a trip.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was negotiating price on this new K1600GT.\u00a0 When I left the dealer, it was on the new GT, having left behind the 800GS and the RC8R in trade.<\/p>\n
The GT was a great tourer, with more amenities than I can count.\u00a0 The 6-cylinder engine provided lots of smooth power and the bike was pretty nimble in spite of tipping the scales at over 700 lbs.\u00a0 But, there was the weight, which I became intimately aware of when I dropped the fully-loaded GT in a parking lot tip-over mishap on my way back home from a long trip.\u00a0 The struggle to get the beast back upright by myself made me consider that this was probably not the best\u00a0bike for me.<\/p>\n
That thought was affirmed when I spied the just released, new Yamaha FJ-09 and ultimately purchased one.\u00a0 Its a much better bike for me and the type of street riding that I do.<\/p>\n
So, with the acquisition of the FJ, the GT went on Craigslist and was sold in a few days, after 3 years of ownership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This page will not include all of the bikes in my past.\u00a0 Instead, I’ll focus on the ones that have filled my garage since my reentry into motorcycling\u00a0in 2003.\u00a0 There have been a few.\u00a0 Pictures and brief descriptions follow in … Continue reading
<\/a>2007 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
I asked a road-racer friend of mine what would be a good bike to introduce a newbe to track racing, and he immediately suggested the SV.\u00a0 The SV was a good all-around starter bike, but it had good potential on the track as well, with decent power and suspension, and a sweet v-twin engine.\u00a0 Plenty of power for a novice, but easily manageable around the course.\u00a0 I bought a new 2007, and with very few mods, enjoyed a couple of track days and some fun on the local roads.\u00a0 After a year, I found that I wasn’t riding it very much, so I sold it.\u00a0 Big mistake.<\/p>\n
2008 BMW K1200GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2008 BMW K1200GT<\/p><\/div>\n
While on a trip to the North Carolina mountains on my FJR, I happened to spy a new BMW K1200GT at Deal’s Gap.\u00a0 The bike had just been released and I knew after seeing it that the FJR would be replaced by the Beemer in the not too distant future.\u00a0 The BMW was so much more advanced than the Yamaha, with features that hadn’t even been thought of in Japan.\u00a0 It was state of the art.\u00a0 So, in the spring of 2009 I traded the FJR for a new, leftover 2008 GT.\u00a0 The addiction to Bavarian motorcycles was established at that point.\u00a0 Even at the higher price point, no other maker comes close.\u00a0 I had become a confirmed BMW snob.<\/p>\n
2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/h2>\n<\/a>2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
Not long after selling the 2007 SV, I began to regret letting it go.\u00a0 I decided to find another one, but this time I would find one that I could transform into the track machine that I was hesitant to do with the previous one because it was so new.\u00a0 A little searching revealed a low mileage 2005 model that had been wrecked.\u00a0 I checked it out, bought it cheap, and began a complete restoration while modifying it for track duty.\u00a0 The completed version won the admiration of the folks at SVRider.com, honoring it with “SV of the Month” for December 2009.<\/p>\n
The SV was sold when it became evident that a new RC8R was in my immediate future.<\/p>\n
2010 KTM RC8R<\/h2>\n<\/a>2010 KTM RC8R<\/p><\/div>\n
I absolutely drooled over the press releases and initial review articles about the new RC8 from KTM in 2008.\u00a0 Such an awesome looking motorcycle and a new, feisty competitor in the V-Twin super sport bike genre that Ducati had previously owned all to itself, save for a few entries from Japan that\u00a0flared and faded fairly quickly\u00a0in the past.\u00a0 The KTM, though, was a real contender and I fantasized about owning one some day.<\/p>\n
That day came when I made a pretty good deal on a new 2010 RC8R.\u00a0 It was an awesome bike.\u00a0 Loved the v-twin for its low-end torque and the nasty snarl from the exhaust.\u00a0 The suspension and steering were top of the line, as was the fit & finish and componentry.\u00a0 Realistically though, I came to terms with the fact that I am not the kind of rider that can fully extract the sporting potential of the bike, and when the K1600GT came into focus for me, I decided to let the KTM go in a trade.\u00a0 Hopefully, it has gone to a rider much more capable than I am in that arena.<\/p>\n
2009 BMW F800GS<\/h2>\n<\/a>2009 BMW F800GS<\/p><\/div>\n
The K1200GT was growing long in the tooth for me, and I enjoyed the KLR’s off-road and touring capabilities so much more, so I began to look for a bike that might replace both of them.\u00a0 Searching Craigslist, I found a seller that had a pristine F800GS for sale.\u00a0 When I inquired as to why he was selling, he stated that he wanted a 2-up touring bike.\u00a0 BINGO!\u00a0 We made a deal: his bike plus cash for my GT.<\/p>\n
The GS was a fine dual sport.\u00a0 Lots of power, good handling and very high-tech, but it never really grew on me.\u00a0 I found that I really prefered\u00a0my well-farkled, low-tech\u00a0KLR for that duty, and when it came time\u00a0to trade for the new K1600GT, the GS went along with the KTM in that deal.\u00a0 No regrets.<\/p>\n
2008 Yamaha WR250X<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>After selling the 2005 SV650S, my son convinced be to get a supermoto.\u00a0 The WR seemed like a good choice, having EFI and upgraded components compared to other bikes that were available in the genre at that time.\u00a0 It was fun, but underpowered for my taste, so I did a lot of work on it, including a big-bore kit and fully ported head, in order to extract as much power as possible.\u00a0 After a while I converted it to off-road spec so that I could do some trail riding with friends.\u00a0 Fully smitten by trail riding, I realized that no matter what I did to the WR, it would never be a great mount for off-roading.\u00a0 Sold the WR to help finance the purchase of a 2014 KTM 500 EXC.<\/p>\n2008 Kawasaki KLR 650<\/h2>\n
<\/a>As funky as this thing was, I loved it.\u00a0 I still say that if I had to choose a bike to break down on a thousand miles from anywhere, it would be the KLR.\u00a0 You can fix it with duct tape and bailing wire.<\/p>\nI bought it as a stock bike and farkled it up pretty good.\u00a0 All of the necessary mods were done, including the “doohickey”, carb work, brakes and shock, but I went way beyond those basic mods, transforming the bike into a capable and dependable long-distance adventure tourer.\u00a0 Too many improvements to list.\u00a0 It was a fun bike to own and work on.<\/p>\n
When I got the hots for the 500 EXC, the KLR was also sold to enable the purchase.<\/p>\n
2012 BMW K1600GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2012 BMW K1600GT<\/p><\/div>\n
In April of 2012, I went into the BMW dealer to have the 800GS serviced before a trip.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was negotiating price on this new K1600GT.\u00a0 When I left the dealer, it was on the new GT, having left behind the 800GS and the RC8R in trade.<\/p>\n
The GT was a great tourer, with more amenities than I can count.\u00a0 The 6-cylinder engine provided lots of smooth power and the bike was pretty nimble in spite of tipping the scales at over 700 lbs.\u00a0 But, there was the weight, which I became intimately aware of when I dropped the fully-loaded GT in a parking lot tip-over mishap on my way back home from a long trip.\u00a0 The struggle to get the beast back upright by myself made me consider that this was probably not the best\u00a0bike for me.<\/p>\n
That thought was affirmed when I spied the just released, new Yamaha FJ-09 and ultimately purchased one.\u00a0 Its a much better bike for me and the type of street riding that I do.<\/p>\n
So, with the acquisition of the FJ, the GT went on Craigslist and was sold in a few days, after 3 years of ownership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This page will not include all of the bikes in my past.\u00a0 Instead, I’ll focus on the ones that have filled my garage since my reentry into motorcycling\u00a0in 2003.\u00a0 There have been a few.\u00a0 Pictures and brief descriptions follow in … Continue reading
<\/a>2008 BMW K1200GT<\/p><\/div>\n
While on a trip to the North Carolina mountains on my FJR, I happened to spy a new BMW K1200GT at Deal’s Gap.\u00a0 The bike had just been released and I knew after seeing it that the FJR would be replaced by the Beemer in the not too distant future.\u00a0 The BMW was so much more advanced than the Yamaha, with features that hadn’t even been thought of in Japan.\u00a0 It was state of the art.\u00a0 So, in the spring of 2009 I traded the FJR for a new, leftover 2008 GT.\u00a0 The addiction to Bavarian motorcycles was established at that point.\u00a0 Even at the higher price point, no other maker comes close.\u00a0 I had become a confirmed BMW snob.<\/p>\n
2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/h2>\n<\/a>2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
Not long after selling the 2007 SV, I began to regret letting it go.\u00a0 I decided to find another one, but this time I would find one that I could transform into the track machine that I was hesitant to do with the previous one because it was so new.\u00a0 A little searching revealed a low mileage 2005 model that had been wrecked.\u00a0 I checked it out, bought it cheap, and began a complete restoration while modifying it for track duty.\u00a0 The completed version won the admiration of the folks at SVRider.com, honoring it with “SV of the Month” for December 2009.<\/p>\n
The SV was sold when it became evident that a new RC8R was in my immediate future.<\/p>\n
2010 KTM RC8R<\/h2>\n<\/a>2010 KTM RC8R<\/p><\/div>\n
I absolutely drooled over the press releases and initial review articles about the new RC8 from KTM in 2008.\u00a0 Such an awesome looking motorcycle and a new, feisty competitor in the V-Twin super sport bike genre that Ducati had previously owned all to itself, save for a few entries from Japan that\u00a0flared and faded fairly quickly\u00a0in the past.\u00a0 The KTM, though, was a real contender and I fantasized about owning one some day.<\/p>\n
That day came when I made a pretty good deal on a new 2010 RC8R.\u00a0 It was an awesome bike.\u00a0 Loved the v-twin for its low-end torque and the nasty snarl from the exhaust.\u00a0 The suspension and steering were top of the line, as was the fit & finish and componentry.\u00a0 Realistically though, I came to terms with the fact that I am not the kind of rider that can fully extract the sporting potential of the bike, and when the K1600GT came into focus for me, I decided to let the KTM go in a trade.\u00a0 Hopefully, it has gone to a rider much more capable than I am in that arena.<\/p>\n
2009 BMW F800GS<\/h2>\n<\/a>2009 BMW F800GS<\/p><\/div>\n
The K1200GT was growing long in the tooth for me, and I enjoyed the KLR’s off-road and touring capabilities so much more, so I began to look for a bike that might replace both of them.\u00a0 Searching Craigslist, I found a seller that had a pristine F800GS for sale.\u00a0 When I inquired as to why he was selling, he stated that he wanted a 2-up touring bike.\u00a0 BINGO!\u00a0 We made a deal: his bike plus cash for my GT.<\/p>\n
The GS was a fine dual sport.\u00a0 Lots of power, good handling and very high-tech, but it never really grew on me.\u00a0 I found that I really prefered\u00a0my well-farkled, low-tech\u00a0KLR for that duty, and when it came time\u00a0to trade for the new K1600GT, the GS went along with the KTM in that deal.\u00a0 No regrets.<\/p>\n
2008 Yamaha WR250X<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>After selling the 2005 SV650S, my son convinced be to get a supermoto.\u00a0 The WR seemed like a good choice, having EFI and upgraded components compared to other bikes that were available in the genre at that time.\u00a0 It was fun, but underpowered for my taste, so I did a lot of work on it, including a big-bore kit and fully ported head, in order to extract as much power as possible.\u00a0 After a while I converted it to off-road spec so that I could do some trail riding with friends.\u00a0 Fully smitten by trail riding, I realized that no matter what I did to the WR, it would never be a great mount for off-roading.\u00a0 Sold the WR to help finance the purchase of a 2014 KTM 500 EXC.<\/p>\n2008 Kawasaki KLR 650<\/h2>\n
<\/a>As funky as this thing was, I loved it.\u00a0 I still say that if I had to choose a bike to break down on a thousand miles from anywhere, it would be the KLR.\u00a0 You can fix it with duct tape and bailing wire.<\/p>\nI bought it as a stock bike and farkled it up pretty good.\u00a0 All of the necessary mods were done, including the “doohickey”, carb work, brakes and shock, but I went way beyond those basic mods, transforming the bike into a capable and dependable long-distance adventure tourer.\u00a0 Too many improvements to list.\u00a0 It was a fun bike to own and work on.<\/p>\n
When I got the hots for the 500 EXC, the KLR was also sold to enable the purchase.<\/p>\n
2012 BMW K1600GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2012 BMW K1600GT<\/p><\/div>\n
In April of 2012, I went into the BMW dealer to have the 800GS serviced before a trip.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was negotiating price on this new K1600GT.\u00a0 When I left the dealer, it was on the new GT, having left behind the 800GS and the RC8R in trade.<\/p>\n
The GT was a great tourer, with more amenities than I can count.\u00a0 The 6-cylinder engine provided lots of smooth power and the bike was pretty nimble in spite of tipping the scales at over 700 lbs.\u00a0 But, there was the weight, which I became intimately aware of when I dropped the fully-loaded GT in a parking lot tip-over mishap on my way back home from a long trip.\u00a0 The struggle to get the beast back upright by myself made me consider that this was probably not the best\u00a0bike for me.<\/p>\n
That thought was affirmed when I spied the just released, new Yamaha FJ-09 and ultimately purchased one.\u00a0 Its a much better bike for me and the type of street riding that I do.<\/p>\n
So, with the acquisition of the FJ, the GT went on Craigslist and was sold in a few days, after 3 years of ownership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This page will not include all of the bikes in my past.\u00a0 Instead, I’ll focus on the ones that have filled my garage since my reentry into motorcycling\u00a0in 2003.\u00a0 There have been a few.\u00a0 Pictures and brief descriptions follow in … Continue reading
<\/a>2005 Suzuki SV650S<\/p><\/div>\n
Not long after selling the 2007 SV, I began to regret letting it go.\u00a0 I decided to find another one, but this time I would find one that I could transform into the track machine that I was hesitant to do with the previous one because it was so new.\u00a0 A little searching revealed a low mileage 2005 model that had been wrecked.\u00a0 I checked it out, bought it cheap, and began a complete restoration while modifying it for track duty.\u00a0 The completed version won the admiration of the folks at SVRider.com, honoring it with “SV of the Month” for December 2009.<\/p>\n
The SV was sold when it became evident that a new RC8R was in my immediate future.<\/p>\n
2010 KTM RC8R<\/h2>\n<\/a>2010 KTM RC8R<\/p><\/div>\n
I absolutely drooled over the press releases and initial review articles about the new RC8 from KTM in 2008.\u00a0 Such an awesome looking motorcycle and a new, feisty competitor in the V-Twin super sport bike genre that Ducati had previously owned all to itself, save for a few entries from Japan that\u00a0flared and faded fairly quickly\u00a0in the past.\u00a0 The KTM, though, was a real contender and I fantasized about owning one some day.<\/p>\n
That day came when I made a pretty good deal on a new 2010 RC8R.\u00a0 It was an awesome bike.\u00a0 Loved the v-twin for its low-end torque and the nasty snarl from the exhaust.\u00a0 The suspension and steering were top of the line, as was the fit & finish and componentry.\u00a0 Realistically though, I came to terms with the fact that I am not the kind of rider that can fully extract the sporting potential of the bike, and when the K1600GT came into focus for me, I decided to let the KTM go in a trade.\u00a0 Hopefully, it has gone to a rider much more capable than I am in that arena.<\/p>\n
2009 BMW F800GS<\/h2>\n<\/a>2009 BMW F800GS<\/p><\/div>\n
The K1200GT was growing long in the tooth for me, and I enjoyed the KLR’s off-road and touring capabilities so much more, so I began to look for a bike that might replace both of them.\u00a0 Searching Craigslist, I found a seller that had a pristine F800GS for sale.\u00a0 When I inquired as to why he was selling, he stated that he wanted a 2-up touring bike.\u00a0 BINGO!\u00a0 We made a deal: his bike plus cash for my GT.<\/p>\n
The GS was a fine dual sport.\u00a0 Lots of power, good handling and very high-tech, but it never really grew on me.\u00a0 I found that I really prefered\u00a0my well-farkled, low-tech\u00a0KLR for that duty, and when it came time\u00a0to trade for the new K1600GT, the GS went along with the KTM in that deal.\u00a0 No regrets.<\/p>\n
2008 Yamaha WR250X<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>After selling the 2005 SV650S, my son convinced be to get a supermoto.\u00a0 The WR seemed like a good choice, having EFI and upgraded components compared to other bikes that were available in the genre at that time.\u00a0 It was fun, but underpowered for my taste, so I did a lot of work on it, including a big-bore kit and fully ported head, in order to extract as much power as possible.\u00a0 After a while I converted it to off-road spec so that I could do some trail riding with friends.\u00a0 Fully smitten by trail riding, I realized that no matter what I did to the WR, it would never be a great mount for off-roading.\u00a0 Sold the WR to help finance the purchase of a 2014 KTM 500 EXC.<\/p>\n2008 Kawasaki KLR 650<\/h2>\n
<\/a>As funky as this thing was, I loved it.\u00a0 I still say that if I had to choose a bike to break down on a thousand miles from anywhere, it would be the KLR.\u00a0 You can fix it with duct tape and bailing wire.<\/p>\nI bought it as a stock bike and farkled it up pretty good.\u00a0 All of the necessary mods were done, including the “doohickey”, carb work, brakes and shock, but I went way beyond those basic mods, transforming the bike into a capable and dependable long-distance adventure tourer.\u00a0 Too many improvements to list.\u00a0 It was a fun bike to own and work on.<\/p>\n
When I got the hots for the 500 EXC, the KLR was also sold to enable the purchase.<\/p>\n
2012 BMW K1600GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2012 BMW K1600GT<\/p><\/div>\n
In April of 2012, I went into the BMW dealer to have the 800GS serviced before a trip.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was negotiating price on this new K1600GT.\u00a0 When I left the dealer, it was on the new GT, having left behind the 800GS and the RC8R in trade.<\/p>\n
The GT was a great tourer, with more amenities than I can count.\u00a0 The 6-cylinder engine provided lots of smooth power and the bike was pretty nimble in spite of tipping the scales at over 700 lbs.\u00a0 But, there was the weight, which I became intimately aware of when I dropped the fully-loaded GT in a parking lot tip-over mishap on my way back home from a long trip.\u00a0 The struggle to get the beast back upright by myself made me consider that this was probably not the best\u00a0bike for me.<\/p>\n
That thought was affirmed when I spied the just released, new Yamaha FJ-09 and ultimately purchased one.\u00a0 Its a much better bike for me and the type of street riding that I do.<\/p>\n
So, with the acquisition of the FJ, the GT went on Craigslist and was sold in a few days, after 3 years of ownership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This page will not include all of the bikes in my past.\u00a0 Instead, I’ll focus on the ones that have filled my garage since my reentry into motorcycling\u00a0in 2003.\u00a0 There have been a few.\u00a0 Pictures and brief descriptions follow in … Continue reading
<\/a>2010 KTM RC8R<\/p><\/div>\n
I absolutely drooled over the press releases and initial review articles about the new RC8 from KTM in 2008.\u00a0 Such an awesome looking motorcycle and a new, feisty competitor in the V-Twin super sport bike genre that Ducati had previously owned all to itself, save for a few entries from Japan that\u00a0flared and faded fairly quickly\u00a0in the past.\u00a0 The KTM, though, was a real contender and I fantasized about owning one some day.<\/p>\n
That day came when I made a pretty good deal on a new 2010 RC8R.\u00a0 It was an awesome bike.\u00a0 Loved the v-twin for its low-end torque and the nasty snarl from the exhaust.\u00a0 The suspension and steering were top of the line, as was the fit & finish and componentry.\u00a0 Realistically though, I came to terms with the fact that I am not the kind of rider that can fully extract the sporting potential of the bike, and when the K1600GT came into focus for me, I decided to let the KTM go in a trade.\u00a0 Hopefully, it has gone to a rider much more capable than I am in that arena.<\/p>\n
2009 BMW F800GS<\/h2>\n<\/a>2009 BMW F800GS<\/p><\/div>\n
The K1200GT was growing long in the tooth for me, and I enjoyed the KLR’s off-road and touring capabilities so much more, so I began to look for a bike that might replace both of them.\u00a0 Searching Craigslist, I found a seller that had a pristine F800GS for sale.\u00a0 When I inquired as to why he was selling, he stated that he wanted a 2-up touring bike.\u00a0 BINGO!\u00a0 We made a deal: his bike plus cash for my GT.<\/p>\n
The GS was a fine dual sport.\u00a0 Lots of power, good handling and very high-tech, but it never really grew on me.\u00a0 I found that I really prefered\u00a0my well-farkled, low-tech\u00a0KLR for that duty, and when it came time\u00a0to trade for the new K1600GT, the GS went along with the KTM in that deal.\u00a0 No regrets.<\/p>\n
2008 Yamaha WR250X<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>After selling the 2005 SV650S, my son convinced be to get a supermoto.\u00a0 The WR seemed like a good choice, having EFI and upgraded components compared to other bikes that were available in the genre at that time.\u00a0 It was fun, but underpowered for my taste, so I did a lot of work on it, including a big-bore kit and fully ported head, in order to extract as much power as possible.\u00a0 After a while I converted it to off-road spec so that I could do some trail riding with friends.\u00a0 Fully smitten by trail riding, I realized that no matter what I did to the WR, it would never be a great mount for off-roading.\u00a0 Sold the WR to help finance the purchase of a 2014 KTM 500 EXC.<\/p>\n2008 Kawasaki KLR 650<\/h2>\n
<\/a>As funky as this thing was, I loved it.\u00a0 I still say that if I had to choose a bike to break down on a thousand miles from anywhere, it would be the KLR.\u00a0 You can fix it with duct tape and bailing wire.<\/p>\nI bought it as a stock bike and farkled it up pretty good.\u00a0 All of the necessary mods were done, including the “doohickey”, carb work, brakes and shock, but I went way beyond those basic mods, transforming the bike into a capable and dependable long-distance adventure tourer.\u00a0 Too many improvements to list.\u00a0 It was a fun bike to own and work on.<\/p>\n
When I got the hots for the 500 EXC, the KLR was also sold to enable the purchase.<\/p>\n
2012 BMW K1600GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2012 BMW K1600GT<\/p><\/div>\n
In April of 2012, I went into the BMW dealer to have the 800GS serviced before a trip.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was negotiating price on this new K1600GT.\u00a0 When I left the dealer, it was on the new GT, having left behind the 800GS and the RC8R in trade.<\/p>\n
The GT was a great tourer, with more amenities than I can count.\u00a0 The 6-cylinder engine provided lots of smooth power and the bike was pretty nimble in spite of tipping the scales at over 700 lbs.\u00a0 But, there was the weight, which I became intimately aware of when I dropped the fully-loaded GT in a parking lot tip-over mishap on my way back home from a long trip.\u00a0 The struggle to get the beast back upright by myself made me consider that this was probably not the best\u00a0bike for me.<\/p>\n
That thought was affirmed when I spied the just released, new Yamaha FJ-09 and ultimately purchased one.\u00a0 Its a much better bike for me and the type of street riding that I do.<\/p>\n
So, with the acquisition of the FJ, the GT went on Craigslist and was sold in a few days, after 3 years of ownership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This page will not include all of the bikes in my past.\u00a0 Instead, I’ll focus on the ones that have filled my garage since my reentry into motorcycling\u00a0in 2003.\u00a0 There have been a few.\u00a0 Pictures and brief descriptions follow in … Continue reading
<\/a>2009 BMW F800GS<\/p><\/div>\n
The K1200GT was growing long in the tooth for me, and I enjoyed the KLR’s off-road and touring capabilities so much more, so I began to look for a bike that might replace both of them.\u00a0 Searching Craigslist, I found a seller that had a pristine F800GS for sale.\u00a0 When I inquired as to why he was selling, he stated that he wanted a 2-up touring bike.\u00a0 BINGO!\u00a0 We made a deal: his bike plus cash for my GT.<\/p>\n
The GS was a fine dual sport.\u00a0 Lots of power, good handling and very high-tech, but it never really grew on me.\u00a0 I found that I really prefered\u00a0my well-farkled, low-tech\u00a0KLR for that duty, and when it came time\u00a0to trade for the new K1600GT, the GS went along with the KTM in that deal.\u00a0 No regrets.<\/p>\n
2008 Yamaha WR250X<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/a>After selling the 2005 SV650S, my son convinced be to get a supermoto.\u00a0 The WR seemed like a good choice, having EFI and upgraded components compared to other bikes that were available in the genre at that time.\u00a0 It was fun, but underpowered for my taste, so I did a lot of work on it, including a big-bore kit and fully ported head, in order to extract as much power as possible.\u00a0 After a while I converted it to off-road spec so that I could do some trail riding with friends.\u00a0 Fully smitten by trail riding, I realized that no matter what I did to the WR, it would never be a great mount for off-roading.\u00a0 Sold the WR to help finance the purchase of a 2014 KTM 500 EXC.<\/p>\n2008 Kawasaki KLR 650<\/h2>\n
<\/a>As funky as this thing was, I loved it.\u00a0 I still say that if I had to choose a bike to break down on a thousand miles from anywhere, it would be the KLR.\u00a0 You can fix it with duct tape and bailing wire.<\/p>\nI bought it as a stock bike and farkled it up pretty good.\u00a0 All of the necessary mods were done, including the “doohickey”, carb work, brakes and shock, but I went way beyond those basic mods, transforming the bike into a capable and dependable long-distance adventure tourer.\u00a0 Too many improvements to list.\u00a0 It was a fun bike to own and work on.<\/p>\n
When I got the hots for the 500 EXC, the KLR was also sold to enable the purchase.<\/p>\n
2012 BMW K1600GT<\/h2>\n<\/a>2012 BMW K1600GT<\/p><\/div>\n
In April of 2012, I went into the BMW dealer to have the 800GS serviced before a trip.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was negotiating price on this new K1600GT.\u00a0 When I left the dealer, it was on the new GT, having left behind the 800GS and the RC8R in trade.<\/p>\n
The GT was a great tourer, with more amenities than I can count.\u00a0 The 6-cylinder engine provided lots of smooth power and the bike was pretty nimble in spite of tipping the scales at over 700 lbs.\u00a0 But, there was the weight, which I became intimately aware of when I dropped the fully-loaded GT in a parking lot tip-over mishap on my way back home from a long trip.\u00a0 The struggle to get the beast back upright by myself made me consider that this was probably not the best\u00a0bike for me.<\/p>\n
That thought was affirmed when I spied the just released, new Yamaha FJ-09 and ultimately purchased one.\u00a0 Its a much better bike for me and the type of street riding that I do.<\/p>\n
So, with the acquisition of the FJ, the GT went on Craigslist and was sold in a few days, after 3 years of ownership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This page will not include all of the bikes in my past.\u00a0 Instead, I’ll focus on the ones that have filled my garage since my reentry into motorcycling\u00a0in 2003.\u00a0 There have been a few.\u00a0 Pictures and brief descriptions follow in … Continue reading
<\/a>After selling the 2005 SV650S, my son convinced be to get a supermoto.\u00a0 The WR seemed like a good choice, having EFI and upgraded components compared to other bikes that were available in the genre at that time.\u00a0 It was fun, but underpowered for my taste, so I did a lot of work on it, including a big-bore kit and fully ported head, in order to extract as much power as possible.\u00a0 After a while I converted it to off-road spec so that I could do some trail riding with friends.\u00a0 Fully smitten by trail riding, I realized that no matter what I did to the WR, it would never be a great mount for off-roading.\u00a0 Sold the WR to help finance the purchase of a 2014 KTM 500 EXC.<\/p>\n2008 Kawasaki KLR 650<\/h2>\n
I bought it as a stock bike and farkled it up pretty good.\u00a0 All of the necessary mods were done, including the “doohickey”, carb work, brakes and shock, but I went way beyond those basic mods, transforming the bike into a capable and dependable long-distance adventure tourer.\u00a0 Too many improvements to list.\u00a0 It was a fun bike to own and work on.<\/p>\n When I got the hots for the 500 EXC, the KLR was also sold to enable the purchase.<\/p>\n 2012 BMW K1600GT<\/p><\/div>\n In April of 2012, I went into the BMW dealer to have the 800GS serviced before a trip.\u00a0 Before I knew it, I was negotiating price on this new K1600GT.\u00a0 When I left the dealer, it was on the new GT, having left behind the 800GS and the RC8R in trade.<\/p>\n The GT was a great tourer, with more amenities than I can count.\u00a0 The 6-cylinder engine provided lots of smooth power and the bike was pretty nimble in spite of tipping the scales at over 700 lbs.\u00a0 But, there was the weight, which I became intimately aware of when I dropped the fully-loaded GT in a parking lot tip-over mishap on my way back home from a long trip.\u00a0 The struggle to get the beast back upright by myself made me consider that this was probably not the best\u00a0bike for me.<\/p>\n That thought was affirmed when I spied the just released, new Yamaha FJ-09 and ultimately purchased one.\u00a0 Its a much better bike for me and the type of street riding that I do.<\/p>\n So, with the acquisition of the FJ, the GT went on Craigslist and was sold in a few days, after 3 years of ownership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This page will not include all of the bikes in my past.\u00a0 Instead, I’ll focus on the ones that have filled my garage since my reentry into motorcycling\u00a0in 2003.\u00a0 There have been a few.\u00a0 Pictures and brief descriptions follow in … Continue reading <\/a>As funky as this thing was, I loved it.\u00a0 I still say that if I had to choose a bike to break down on a thousand miles from anywhere, it would be the KLR.\u00a0 You can fix it with duct tape and bailing wire.<\/p>\n2012 BMW K1600GT<\/h2>\n
<\/a>