early a.m. ride this weekend *saturday*

[rcnutt]

well,I'm heading up to hit some twisties and fire roads on sat morning.any body up for an early run.I'm thinking about meeting at A&S BMW at 7:30 and going up to the foresthill area and then over to icehouse res via fire roads, or above grassvalley towards hwy.20, or open to suggestions .I just want to ride. john

[motowriter]

Tempting, oh so tempting... if I were in town this weekend. Second bikeless weekend in a row.

Sigh... Another weekend, John, for sure.

G

[SBDOC99]

Originally Posted by Gary

Tempting, oh so tempting... if I were in town this weekend. Second bikeless weekend in a row.

Sigh... Another weekend, John, for sure.

G

Gary, did you try the 650? If so, what are your thoughts on the DL650 vs 1000?

[motowriter]

Ya know, I never test rode the DL650. I was so enamored of the DL1000 from my first few weeks as a new rider that I fell immediately for my used '02 when I ran across in a Folsom showroom in March. The seat had been cut down, and it had a center-stand and crash bars on it, and a paltry 2,000 miles on the odo (make that 9,000 miles now ). Love at first sight, you might say.

I rode Motorrad's GS 650 on Hwy 1 this weekend, tho. Nice and zippy. Less poundage to wield. I'm finding the DL1000 to be a BIG handful for my shortness (5'5"). I can't get even one foot down when it counts (let alone two), so I'm reluctant to take on anything too challenging off road. But I love the liter Strom. It's a great tourer and carves the corners to my complete satisfaction.

I'm thinking hard about getting a true enduro this season, still. But I have to find something short. Any ideas?

Enjoying your ride reports from the Washington coast... keep checking in!!

G

[motorrad]

Originally Posted by Gary

I rode Motorrad's GS 650 on Hwy 1 this weekend, tho. Nice and zippy. Less poundage to wield. I'm finding the DL1000 to be a BIG handful for my shortness (5'5"). I can't get even one foot down when it counts (let alone two), so I'm reluctant to take on anything too challenging off road. But I love the liter Strom. It's a great tourer and carves the corners to my complete satisfaction. G

I think this falls back to the big dilemma of finding the perfect bike. Gary's V-Strom was awesome to me when we swapped rides on a stretch of Hwy 1, as the power and smoothness of the big DL1000 drew me forward on the road effortlessly. Very comfortable compared to my 650GS with vibration at high revs on the longer rides. However, my 650GS thumper is very comfortable for me commuting to work and carving twisties with its lighter weight. Plus, at 5'9'' I can easily plant both feet on the road when stopped.

Gary, I think the key may be to get a custom seat made for your DL1000. This mod, if possible, may provide the best of both worlds. I'm still dreaming of a BMW 1200GS (big price tag) as the perfect bike as I know it comes with a lower seat option. Remember, if you get anything under 500cc, you'll have to consider trailering it to those far off dirt roads we both dream about.

Life is a game of trade-offs. I'd hang on to the V-Strom and think about picking up a 500-250cc dirt bike to trailer to those far away dirt road that keep calling you in. My long range plan is now to keep the F650GS forever and buy a K1200S for my longer cruise rides, especially when heading to Hwy 229. Dreaming I know, plus I would need a garage. Wonder what my neighbors would think with these two bikes parked in front of my small place. Schitzoid man

Tom

[motowriter]

Originally Posted by motorrad

I think this falls back to the big dilemma of finding the perfect bike. ... Wonder what my neighbors would think with these two bikes parked in front of my small place. Schitzoid man

Tom

Schizoid? Schizoid?? Only among the blasphemous would such a thought occur!


Hmm, I think it's prolly impossible for many people to settle on a perfect bike. What one would take to a track day would not be ideal for touring the country. If one is inclined to do both, or to go reallly off road and to realllly tour, then one has to consider two bikes. You're thinking makes sense to me, Tom. 'Cept the part about another Beemer. Buy a V-Strom! Half the money, twice the fun! hehehe

[SBDOC99]

Gary, I have ridden a KLR650 and the XL (my neighbor's) including my own DR. If by enduro you mean at least 75% offroad I would suggest the KLR. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE my bike, and with a few modifications it would make a great enduro. The KLR comes with a seven, yes SEVEN gallon tank, fairing and good GCVW. It is easy to maintain on the trail and it is nothing to ride a hundred miles on pavement to get to your offroading destination. That said, if you plan on riding some rougher trails and more technical stuff then a bike along the lines of the DRZ400S might be in order. It's much lighter weight, better suspension travel and torquey engine are great for tight singletrack. Of course, if money is not an object, those KTMs and BMWs are a good bet. I've ridden over 400 miles in a day on my DR including about 50 miles offroad and have been pretty sore. The bigger bikes are much more comfortable. I have found the DR to be a great commuter, a forest road eater, fun and easy to maintain and modify and can be a real packrat for longer trips. I have been left way behind on tight trails by the smaller dualsports and dedicated dirtbikes, but if you don't mind taking your time and throwing around the extra weight it's still alot of fun. Someone with a more dirt oriented background may get more out of it on the trails than I do, but I'm very satisfied with it in it's role as commuter/occasional off roader. And at 60.4 MPG last trip, it can't be beat in mileage vs fun factor. For a guy who has ridden all sorts of enduro type bikes see this page:

http://www.bigdogadventures.com/