It's a Sad Day in Clairemont

[PastaPilot 17]

Today I sold the trusty XR to a very excited and happy new owner. I've been beating it around for some time but after I got back from Kennedy Meadows I decided it was time to let it go. As hammer has told everyone, dozens of times, the XR is truely a great machine. It does everything so well you almost don't need another motorcycle in the barn. Unfortunately, over the last 6 months I found that I was exceeding the capabilities of the machine more than I ever thought I would. To be happy again it really needed new suspension and more power. The stock springs and valving are rediculously soft. Sprung for a 165 pound rider, my 220 pounds smashed the bottoms of the suspension more than I care to remember. The engine runs like a clock, has a torque curve like the San Gabriel mountains but as sad as it may seem the big 650 is rather wheezie because of the low compression and mild cam that makes it so stinkin reliable. To me the costs of systems upgrades just wasn't worth the expense of making a 20 year old bike perform the way I needed it to for this desert season. Yes it was a 2006, but the 650L has been around unchaged since 1993 and even then was based on a bike that was a little long in the tooth.

What am I going to do now? Wait. I'm more than likely going to buy a 2009. My next bike will be another big bore dualsport, fuel injected and have a 6 speed gearbox. For now the list of bikes that fit that bill is pretty short, three. I have heard some speculating that Honda has some nifty new stuff for the big Honda North America 50th anniversary. We shall see, they've done nothing to impress me since the jet came out that graces my avatar, but those won't see production for 2-3 more years and I can't afford to finance a $3 million dollar toy.

So for the time being I'd volunteer to be on chase truck duty, but real adventure riders don't use chase trucks. Well I guess I'll just be at home drinkin a Karl Strauss Amber remeniscing about all the good times.

Until later,

[dirt dame 561]

Sorry to hear about it. Hope you get something great as soon as you can.

Kennedy Meadows is a good place to get tired of a 360 pound machine.

[DigDug 0]

Dang... Sorry Jon. I had no idea the Rattlesnake and Rincon trails would cause you to want to sell the BRP. When the going gets rough, it sure is nice to have 100-150 less lbs to throw around (and pick up). You did all that pretty darned well I'd have to say!!!

We'll all be waiting to see what new toy you show up with!!!

[N2TM 0]

Sorry to hear about it. Hope you get something great as soon as you can.

Kennedy Meadows is a good place to get tired of a 360 pound machine.

John,

As I was riding the Otay/Barrett Junction Trail this last Sat. moring, I was wondering if all was OK with you. This is the last place we rode together, last month, but saw you at the movies though. I hadn't seen or heard of anything from you and now we know your OK. Great news.

Now I can only guess that you'll be a big target for everyone to tell you what new bike to get. Let the debates begin!

Todd

[Joliet 0]

Today I sold the trusty XR to a very excited and happy new owner. I've been beating it around for some time but after I got back from Kennedy Meadows I decided it was time to let it go. As hammer has told everyone, dozens of times, the XR is truely a great machine. It does everything so well you almost don't need another motorcycle in the barn. Unfortunately, over the last 6 months I found that I was exceeding the capabilities of the machine more than I ever thought I would. To be happy again it really needed new suspension and more power. The stock springs and valving are rediculously soft. Sprung for a 165 pound rider, my 220 pounds smashed the bottoms of the suspension more than I care to remember. The engine runs like a clock, has a torque curve like the San Gabriel mountains but as sad as it may seem the big 650 is rather wheezie because of the low compression and mild cam that makes it so stinkin reliable. To me the costs of systems upgrades just wasn't worth the expense of making a 20 year old bike perform the way I needed it to for this desert season. Yes it was a 2006, but the 650L has been around unchaged since 1993 and even then was based on a bike that was a little long in the tooth.

What am I going to do now? Wait. I'm more than likely going to buy a 2009. My next bike will be another big bore dualsport, fuel injected and have a 6 speed gearbox. For now the list of bikes that fit that bill is pretty short, three. I have heard some speculating that Honda has some nifty new stuff for the big Honda North America 50th anniversary. We shall see, they've done nothing to impress me since the jet came out that graces my avatar, but those won't see production for 2-3 more years and I can't afford to finance a $3 million dollar toy.

So for the time being I'd volunteer to be on chase truck duty, but real adventure riders don't use chase trucks. Well I guess I'll just be at home drinkin a Karl Strauss Amber remeniscing about all the good times.

Until later,

Jon, as well as you can ride the BRP, I cant wait to see you ride something with more power and a hundred pounds lighter. I just hope you don't get tired of waiting for us. Ken

[PastaPilot 17]

I already got tired of waiting. With a lighter more powerful bike I'll just catch up on my second lap.

As anybody that's ridden with me knows the weight of the bike isn't an issue for me. It was the aforementioned shortcomings as well as a few nitpicky things that led me to selling it. My next bike won't be a plated motocross bike. My true passion with riding is the longer multi-day rides ( see here) but I don't want an adventure bike either. So it'll be a dualsport bike. Right now my list has Husky 610, BMW 650 and KTM 690 on it. In that order too, but again 2009 models haven't all been released. I really like the new Husaberg and heard they'll have a 570ish size for the big bore bike, but I can't imagine how the Euro markup is going to be with our weak dollar. Maybe I'll just buy an old Briggs and Stratton powered minibike and remenisce.

[Jaynen 0]

AFAIK the burgs are not coming with plates. They are being sold only as closed course competition bikes?

[2Wheels 0]

Isn't a bike you're not completely happy with better than no bike at all?

[dirt dame 561]

Isn't a bike you're not completely happy with better than no bike at all?

Ya'd think....

[PastaPilot 17]

Isn't a bike you're not completely happy with better than no bike at all?

It's all about sales technique. Sell while the market is up, buy when it's down. I felt it was time, while gas was still up, weather was still warm, etc.

I have other things to do to keep me occupied. Anybody wanna go Mt. biking?

[dirt dame 561]

I have other things to do to keep me occupied. Anybody wanna go Mt. biking?

Ewww, you mean pedaling something to get around?

[DigDug 0]

I have other things to do to keep me occupied. Anybody wanna go Mt. biking?

Ewww, you mean pedaling something to get around?

Something about "the world's laziest trail rider" there dirtdame???

[dirt dame 561]

I have other things to do to keep me occupied. Anybody wanna go Mt. biking?

Ewww, you mean pedaling something to get around?

Something about "the world's laziest trail rider" there dirtdame???

Well, that and my knees aren't so great anymore

[PastaPilot 17]

AFAIK the burgs are not coming with plates. They are being sold only as closed course competition bikes?

Motocross Digital Tested the Bergs for the June issue and said they will come with catalyser exhaust. With KTMs history of EPA certifications paving the corporate paper trail I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the 570. The projected price for Italy is 9,510 Euros. Might be a TAD steep for a weekend toy, but a quick search to Honda.it finds a CRE500F ie, a Euro 3 compliant fuel injected Honda CRF450X based bike that sells for 9,850 Euros.

http://www.hmmoto.it/ita/scheda.asp?idFam=1&idProd=86

So I sit, time to go buy another case of Strauss. Anybody around that wants to crack one open with me?

[DigDug 0]

Well, that and my knees aren't so great anymore

You know... back in 2001 when I had knee surgery, the surgeon and physical therapist told me that the best thing I could do for the health of my crappy knees was to ride the stationary bicycle daily. In addition to keeping things loose and lubricated, it strengthens your quads and more importantly, your hamstrings - which are crucial muscles that help with knee stability. I don't know if that was for all knee injuries or just mine (ACL tear).

[bikeslut 1]

AFAIK the burgs are not coming with plates. They are being sold only as closed course competition bikes?

Motocross Digital Tested the Bergs for the June issue and said they will come with catalyser exhaust. With KTMs history of EPA certifications paving the corporate paper trail I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the 570. The projected price for Italy is 9,510 Euros. Might be a TAD steep for a weekend toy, but a quick search to Honda.it finds a CRE500F ie, a Euro 3 compliant fuel injected Honda CRF450X based bike that sells for 9,850 Euros.

http://www.hmmoto.it/ita/scheda.asp?idFam=1&idProd=86

So I sit, time to go buy another case of Strauss. Anybody around that wants to crack one open with me?

Jon-

you're welcome to borrow my brp for any street riding if you get tired of pedaling

I see the husky in garage in the near future...

[Spaugh 1]

Anybody around that wants to crack one open with me?

yes, let me know if you are still cracking open bottles. I'll ride the ktm over and let you see how you like the new big bore.

[Joliet 0]

I see the husky in garage in the near future...

Not if he is waiting for an 09. Probably be 6 months. I have not heard yet if there are changes to the 09. If there are not any desirable changes, probably does not make sense to wait. The way the dollar value is in Europe the list price could be significantly higher on next years model. Ken

[Jaynen 0]

Be interesting to see if they do indeed get a plate. I was just basing that off the cycleworld buyer's guide but I guess that might be 2008 models?

[darylhunter 1]

If you'd like, maybe sometime we can hit up the "North County ORV" area and I'll let you ride my TE-510 while I ride the trials bike.

[SCHWINN 0]

If you'd like, maybe sometime we can hit up the "North County ORV" area and I'll let you ride my TE-510 while I ride the trials bike.

I can show up on the ktm 690 and I will have ex QB show up on his husky 610, since we are only in escondido. It can be a show n tell. EX- QB is 6 ft 8" so he needed the 610 but now he is bugging me to take my bike out and play. Name a date and time.

[PastaPilot 17]

Thanks for the offers. I'll always like a BRP to cruise around on and the offer to thrash a TE for a day is great. The 09 Husky Enduro line can be looked into here:

http://www.husqvarna-moto.co.uk/

Unfortunately I'm not interested in the smaller bikes so to ride a 510 would be just for shits and grins. I'd imagine there'd be a few grins too, but nonetheless I am not looking at the, as Randy would say, girl bikes.

The TE-610 is a definite possibility and I can't see there being much of an update for next year after all the corporate shuffling going on in Europe. Maybe they got the compression dampeners put on the forks, retune on the EFI software, but if that's it I'd buy an 08 and with the big savings retune the EFI and install compression dampeners on the forks. Problems solved.

A North County trail test could be a blast, hmmmm, I'll get back to ya's when I get back in town.

[darylhunter 1]

If you'd like, maybe sometime we can hit up the "North County ORV" area and I'll let you ride my TE-510 while I ride the trials bike.

I can show up on the ktm 690 and I will have ex QB show up on his husky 610, since we are only in escondido. It can be a show n tell. EX- QB is 6 ft 8" so he needed the 610 but now he is bugging me to take my bike out and play. Name a date and time.

I checked with my wife and she gave me the thumbs up for Saturday so I'll probably head over there and ride in the morning. I can usually drag my butt over there by 9 AM without much trouble. I just need to hit the bike shop between now and then to pick up some VP fuel for the trials bike and then I'll be all set.

PM or email me to fine tune the time/details if Saturday will work for you.

Daryl

[Guest Hammerin Hammon]

The great thing about the 650L is you don't realy need a truck. Most other bikes you do. I don't realy feel good leaving my truck anywhere. I also would rather ride to the dirt than drive in a car or truck.

I thought it was realy cool when H.P. rode to Amago, from P.B and tore up the M.X track. I am sad you are leaving the team.

I hear you, wanting to go faster, for me, that just means I will have to wait longer.

Craig.

[darylhunter 1]

I checked with my wife and she gave me the thumbs up for Saturday so I'll probably head over there and ride in the morning. I can usually drag my butt over there by 9 AM without much trouble. I just need to hit the bike shop between now and then to pick up some VP fuel for the trials bike and then I'll be all set.

PM or email me to fine tune the time/details if Saturday will work for you.

Daryl

I've started a new thread for the ride Saturday:

http://www.dualsport-sd.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2908