Ride Free
2010 Kawasaki KLR 650. My dirty Sweetheart.
Welcome to the page about my motorcycles. I'll start with some introductions. I have two motorcycles.
My primary motorcycle is a 2010 Kawasaki KLR 650. This dirty girl likes to be taken out, roughed up, shoved in the mud, and otherwise treated like the rugged badass that she is. I ride her almost daily, and I wash her almost never. She's a great bike. She is simple, easy to work on, and reliable as can be.
If you've never ridden a dual sport, I highly recommend it. Being able to go on- or off-road, whenever, and however you like brings about an indescribable feeling of freedom on the road. The KLR 650 Is a great bike for dual-sporting, in my opinion, because it offers the versatility of a relatively small bike (compared to the 1,000+ cc adventure bikes), with the power and speed needed to ride from trail to trail. It can do 80 to 90 mph on the freeway with a single rider without even breaking a sweat. And it can bounce through, climb over, and rip across any muddy, sandy, or gravelly trails that you might encounter off road. It's a damned fine bike
My primary motorcycle is a 2010 Kawasaki KLR 650. This dirty girl likes to be taken out, roughed up, shoved in the mud, and otherwise treated like the rugged badass that she is. I ride her almost daily, and I wash her almost never. She's a great bike. She is simple, easy to work on, and reliable as can be.
If you've never ridden a dual sport, I highly recommend it. Being able to go on- or off-road, whenever, and however you like brings about an indescribable feeling of freedom on the road. The KLR 650 Is a great bike for dual-sporting, in my opinion, because it offers the versatility of a relatively small bike (compared to the 1,000+ cc adventure bikes), with the power and speed needed to ride from trail to trail. It can do 80 to 90 mph on the freeway with a single rider without even breaking a sweat. And it can bounce through, climb over, and rip across any muddy, sandy, or gravelly trails that you might encounter off road. It's a damned fine bike
Ride Hard
1978 Yamaha XS750E. My first baby girl.
My older, original sweetheart is a 1978 Yamaha XS750E. This bike was designed as a three cylinder, four-stroke street bike. It preceded Yamaha's Virago series (though they are very similar bikes), and, to my knowledge, was one of the few triples around at the time. I would bet that my little girl could rip off the line as fast as any of the top line bikes of '78 in her heyday. Of course, today is not her heyday. She is now 33 years old, a bit beat up. I am planning to register her non-operational this year, and start doing a full rebuild of her guts to bring her back to her former glory. She'll purr like the day she was born when I get through with her.
Myself? I have been riding since July of 2009. I've had one decent accident (caught some gravel on a turn and laid the bike down), but both I, and my bike, managed to walk away functional. It happens to the best of us, and it all serves to teach a lesson or two (lesson 1, don't try stopping quickly on extremely steep gravel roads). Since purchasing my bike back when I first got my license, I have been maintaining it entirely on my own. While this includes the basics such as air filter cleaning and oil changes, it also involves some more in depth repairs (at 32 years and 30k + miles, the bike can have a tantrum from time to time). For instance, when I first got my bike, I opened up the cam assembly and checked all of the valve clearances. I have also timed the engine, tuned the carburetor, and replaced the starter solenoid.
Just recently, my bike's ability to start ended abruptly. This left me in a pickle without a bike (for a beautiful summer month I might add), and I just couldn't let that idle. As such, my latest project has been an entire teardown of the starter motor and a cleanup of the entire starter system in general. I should have the details of the project posted on my blog soon.
So, basically, this will be the area that I discuss all my motorcycle related topics, including epic adventures and fun rides that I take. If you have any questions about the Yamaha XS series, feel free to contact me. I can answer a few questions probably.
Just recently, my bike's ability to start ended abruptly. This left me in a pickle without a bike (for a beautiful summer month I might add), and I just couldn't let that idle. As such, my latest project has been an entire teardown of the starter motor and a cleanup of the entire starter system in general. I should have the details of the project posted on my blog soon.
So, basically, this will be the area that I discuss all my motorcycle related topics, including epic adventures and fun rides that I take. If you have any questions about the Yamaha XS series, feel free to contact me. I can answer a few questions probably.
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