Posted by Max on August 22, 1999 at 20:59:06:
In Reply to: Is Motorcycling in your blood? posted by Frank on August 21, 1999 at 02:09:51:
Guess it must be. I started on an old Cushman tank (many of you know the one, 4.9 HP with centrifugal clutch and a full body-only way to get acceleration was to lean it over on the side stand and rev it up and then roll it on the tire -WOW it almost smoked), then a Honda S-65, Honda CA125 (bought by my wife for us to commute to college in), 2 Honda Z50As when she wanted to ride off road-traded in the 125, bad choice. Then a Honda CL70 for out first Alacan highway trip, it was cheap and easy to get in front bumper racks on our overloaded PU. Then a Honda CB100, and finally a HondaSL-125. It was soon modified for use as a weekend trials bike and week day commuter. For the trials bit, I raised and moved the pegs back, built a custom torque pipe from other systems, fitted Carlie Krnutt rear shocks, and a Powroll Stroker Kit. I rode it for years, it was used for a loaner while we did a 2.5 year trip to Germany, I modified it back to a sport type bike and roe it in Western WA for part of a year. Rode it some in Anchorage AK until I got tired of being the target between the driver and thier hood ornament. Sold all the bike, mine, the wifes SL-100, and kids SL-70s. All of them had occupied a whole garage stall for a year and none of us were interested in riding at that point. Then fun starts again some 12 years later. I had taken advantage of an early retirement scheme and drove by the BMW, Triumph, Ducatti shop and there sat this siren of a 96 Savage-the bright yellow one. My brother had just let me ride his new HD DynaWide Glide and the wrist had developed the twisties again. I resisted even looking at the LS650 for 2 weeks, then went in and found out the price, heard it run and started asking questions about BIG single. Got all kinds of bad info about vibration, no powerm etc. Interesting the dealer never even mentioned the BMW 650 while I was looking. Finally got the $ and went down and insisted on a ride. The dealer was reluctant but I wasn't about to pay for a bike w/o driving it. We went around about 6 blocks and the hook was set. He just reeled me in. That was almost a year ago and we moved to a warmer dryer climate so I can ride more days a year, we lived her before and I rode to work most days. They claim 300 clear days a year, time will tell. We've been back over 60 days and every day has been a "sccoter" day so far. So it must get in your blood. I really am enjoying riding my 650. Have changed the front fender to a modified HD narrow glide aftermarket one- tired of the yuk on the tank and me, put on air horns for cage drivers, a supertrapp with 4 discs for me, and a windshield. Bugs are plentiful in Eastern WA. If you travel through this way give a shout, were in the book, have camping space and I've got a shop with lift to make voyage repairs. Max