fjrboomer
Well-known member
Congrats on the new Beemer Don but Scooter should have made many more pictures of Donna and GSJane as they both look much much better than the Beemer. JMO
Life Long Kool-Aid drinker takes another sip.......
- Thread starter SkooterG
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Tenchi
Well-known member
Ha, I don't think so. I'll be that BMW rider that was scratching his head, trying to work out how to cancel his indicator from the previous corner.
Seem like good reasons to me. I didn't realize the 650 was that much lighter, or that the 800 had tube tires. I think I heard the 800 also needs premium fuel and the 650 doesn't? That might be important in some parts of the world that you seem to venture...
Good luck with the bike. Looks like a lot of fun.
Hehe. Yeah, switching back and forth between "normal" switch gear and the BMW variety can make for some occasional confusion. I always thought that the modern BMW version makes a lot of sense though.
OTOH, try the signal switch on an old classic Beamer if you want some confusion. Turn switch is on the right handlebar, up is left turn, down is right turn and you have to manually rotate the switch to the middle to cancel (no press to cancel). In fact pressing the turn signal switch in is the starter motor button, so you don't want to get in the habit of doing that while under way. I have to think about the damn thing every time I want to cancel it.
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dcarver
Well-known member
BeemerD, I hear your statement mi amigo..
beemerdons
Certifiable Old Fart
https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?s...c=30373&hl= Dear CHRIS_D: My apologies to you for not responding to your question much earlier. I saw a post from my good friend Don Carver, and fellow Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo Guy, and realized I'd failed to answer your question. Yes, I owned a 2006 Kawasaki KLR 650 before this new 2009 BMW F650GS Twin. It has been sold to a fellow AZ Beemer RJ Strayer and he will be riding it to Real de Catorce on the trip I posted for April 17, 2009. I sure hope that Don Carver can join us on that dirt ride, 500 miles offroad in Mexico is right up his alley!!!
The KLR650 is a perfect offroad machine for a dirt touring rider. It is not aggressive like the KTM's or the Honda XR650's or the Suzuki DR 650's. But for getting out on our Arizona backroads exploring old mines, Indian Ruins and villages it's great!
I have ridden my KLR650 twice to Batopilas en Barrancas del Cobre, Mexico's Copper Canyon, in the State of Chihuahua.
I've ridden Baja offroad: Sea of Cortez - Bahia San Luis Gonzaga - byway from Puertecitos to Laguna de Chapala and the West Side Highway from San Ignacio - Bahia San Juanico - to Ciudad Insurgentes. 10,000 miles were put on the KLR650.
The only problem whatsoever with the KLR650 was the slow speeds on the highway compared to my Mexico riding buddies on their BMW GS's and Suzuki V-Strom's. I know Mexico well, speak Spanish and have been riding Mexico for forty years.
After desayuno, on the pavement portions, I would say goodbye to mi amigos and then would not see them until the hotel.
They would ride the autopistas y libres at 85+mph easily, while the KLR650 would be tooling along at 65+mph comfortably.
This will not affect RJ on the Real de Catorce trip on the KLR650, because we are going to trailer the seven dual sports from Phoenix to Reynosa, jump onto dirt roads almost immediately and the road speed differential will not be a traveling issue.
CHRIS_D: If you've a short road ride to get to your off road destination, then KLR650 would be perfect dual sport for you!
In the link in 1st paragraph above is a picture of "Mi Mexico Mule II" at the first bridge crossing of the Rio Urique at the bottom of Mexico's Copper Canyon. Also, I've listed the accessories that I installed on my KLR 650, these are all farkles that I'd heartily recommend that you consider if you buy a KLR 650. By the way, "Mi Mexico Mule I" is my BMW R1100GS.
I had mentioned to FredW in a previous post that my heart attack of 2005 (besides being an "old fat ****") limits my abilities to aggressively handle the big GS off road anymore. So, the F650GS Twin and the KLR fit this Old Fart perfectly!
CHRIS_D
Well-known member
beemerdons,
Thanks for the reply. That was my exact concern with the KLR.
I just test rode the KTM 990 Adventure. Nice bike and it rode great on the street. Not being an experience dirt bike rider I wouldn't know a good dirt handling bike if it ran over me. My only negative of the KTM is its price. That sucker retails at $14.3K :dribble: I would still have to put another $3k in accessories just to get it to where I need it. I really don't want to spend that kind of dough, so I may look at the Vstrom.
Thanks for the reply. That was my exact concern with the KLR.
I just test rode the KTM 990 Adventure. Nice bike and it rode great on the street. Not being an experience dirt bike rider I wouldn't know a good dirt handling bike if it ran over me. My only negative of the KTM is its price. That sucker retails at $14.3K :dribble: I would still have to put another $3k in accessories just to get it to where I need it. I really don't want to spend that kind of dough, so I may look at the Vstrom.
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Wolfhound
Wildman
She's a beauty Don ! And the bike is outstanding also ! Good to see you've finally got it and let the farkles begin !
beemerdons
Certifiable Old Fart
https://bckgs.blogspot.com/ CHRIS_D: If you are of an age and physical conditioning that you can handle the KTM 990 or 950 Adventure I'd sure as hell go for it! This website is from my friends: Brian, Conchita and Dan D of Alberta, Canada.
Dan D rode his Katoom all the way to South America. If you go through the many photographs you will see all of us from AZ Beemers on our last trip to El Divisadero at Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon) Chihuahua, Mexico standing at the rim.
I'll also find a link to the trip from AZ Beemers showing more pictures. Dan D was just an animal riding that big KTM offroad!!
If I was 40 years old, instead of 60; and had a body like a GREEK GOD, instead of a GOD DAMN GREEK, I'd own a KTM 950!
Dan D rode his Katoom all the way to South America. If you go through the many photographs you will see all of us from AZ Beemers on our last trip to El Divisadero at Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon) Chihuahua, Mexico standing at the rim.
I'll also find a link to the trip from AZ Beemers showing more pictures. Dan D was just an animal riding that big KTM offroad!!
If I was 40 years old, instead of 60; and had a body like a GREEK GOD, instead of a GOD DAMN GREEK, I'd own a KTM 950!
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beemerdons
Certifiable Old Fart
https://www.azbeemers.org/forum/index.php?topic=640.0 CHRIS_D: Here's my Ride Report from last trip to Batopilas, MEX.
Like I say, just my 2 cents, if you're young enough and tough enough for the physical size of a KTM 950 Adventure; I would sure recommend it for North and South American M/C explorations. You can pick up a 950 with farkles for $8K to $9K easy!
Like I say, just my 2 cents, if you're young enough and tough enough for the physical size of a KTM 950 Adventure; I would sure recommend it for North and South American M/C explorations. You can pick up a 950 with farkles for $8K to $9K easy!
beemerdons
Certifiable Old Fart
Wolfhound: Happy Thanksgiving to the Ashby Family: From Don, Donna and Seth. I wish you'd pick up a dual sport bike so you could join in on off road Arizona fun! Over breakfast this morning I was saying that it would be fun to pick up an old rat clunker dirt bike for "Sin Trabajo." We've watched him repeatedly bounce FJR's on tarmac before, dirt would even be funnier!
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