The Ramblings of a Madman
September 2010:
-I decide that the 2011 season will see me doing a LOT of trackdays.
I didn't do a single one because I only had one bike and I didn't want
to break it and be without ANY machine
December 2010:
-I buy an R1 for the purpose because it fits like a glove, and it gives
me a chubby. Also, always wanted an R1 specifically for a long time.
Also, I find a stupidly good price on one
April 2011:
-I ride the R1 and am blown away by the hyperdrive. It is beyond amazing.
But I think there's no way I can take this thing around our local
track without either A) destroying it or B) not learning a damn
thing since I'm babying the throttle
-I decide....strip down the FZ for the track. The R1 can be my bike
to tour on. If the FZ survives to August I can ride her on my big trip
for the year or otherwise just do it on the R1.
-I do a couple day trips around nearby area on the R1......rocketing
around either A) engaging hyperdrive or B) perched like a hawk
with the engine CRYING to be revved trying to enjoy a nice
country ride (straight roads)....
-I decide I will be happy riding to southern BC on the R1 but the
long trip will need something else. I assume I am going to destroy
the FZ6 on the track and will need a bike for the trip.
-I decide I will sell the R1 in July. I will put it up for a high asking price
and then take the first reasonable offer I get in the month of July
and get my money back.
-6 days later someone comes with cash in hand to pay my full
asking price. LOL. I take it and pocket $1600 profit.
Now....
First bike = FZ6. I started to tour. I'd never experienced anything like it.
Then I started to become increasingly agitated with wanting to go AT the scenery instead of alongside it.
3 years went by and I talked more and more about it.
I lurked, watched a million videos, and flipped through the brilliant ride reports on ADVrider. Long Way Round/Down, By Any Means, etc etc....
I make a big trip last season where I tried to force my FZ6 to be an adventure tourer...it didn't work out so well, haha.
Trip was great though for those that haven't spotten it yet:
http://www.600riders.com/forum/touring-traveling/37138-lone-vs-world-take-1-a.html
(images are working again....for now)
So my bike budget put a number of bikes into the targeting reticle.
I almost pulled the trigger on a V-Strom and an FJR. But.....
......then I saw this video:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUgQZnthFBc]YouTube - BMW F 650 GS The Offroad Adventure Bike[/ame]
.....and decided to hell with it.
It's time.
So, here she is, all brand new and shiny!
.....and this pinpoints the EXACT moment I hit mud for the first time in my life at over a snail's pace.
Haha, I thought for sure I crashed it. I've never been that sideways before it came out of nowhere.
Very pleased with myself for saving it. I have never ridden dirtbikes. Anyway, guess I need to buy more appropriate gear.
In for the evening, and I'm exceptionally pleased with myself for cracking the next level of progression of my riding.
2010 G650GS
First impressions and some questions:
I'm 6'3". The stock seat is complete trash and I thought I'd make do for a year but no way. Dakar seat incoming.
Luggage doesn't hold very much but it will do for now.
Need crash bars. Can I get away with not having them for a while? I'd imagine only crashing the bike INTO things would warrant crash bars.
The fork seals are really exposed. I will need to do something for that.
I'm sure I can find ample resources as to what to use/buy.
Might get bar risers to give it a bit more of a "big-bike" feel.
The moment I hit that mud I knew for a fact I made the right decision.
The light weight and soft power output just held my hand through it all. Easy-mode.
Expanding my riding skills to the next level is going to be best done on this thing in some of the places I plan on taking it.
Also, pushing it along with my feet when the rear tires (stock tires are terrible for off road) were spinning
in some other mud later I also had my decision not to get an 800GS and V-Strom 1000 reinforced.
The highway? I was a bit worried about that. But it really does have some power to handle speeds of up to 120kph with
some decent ability to pass people. Still quicker than cars/vans at those speeds.... and it does settle into that pace quite peacefully.
Any speed you want it to cruise at it will settle into it. I can EASILY see some long LONG days in the (Dakar) saddle on this thing.
On stock seat no way though. It's annoying. Scoops you forwards way too much and is way too low.
It doesn't demand to be revved high like the Yamaha sport motors of the FZ6 and an R1 I had very briefly.
/ramble
It's perfect. Absolutely perfect. I wanted a solo-traveller machine that would grow with me and
be a bullet-proof and faithful motorbike to zig zag around the continent......and South America?
Maybe.
Mexico? Definitely! When? Not soon enough.....but not this year unfortunately.
September 2010:
-I decide that the 2011 season will see me doing a LOT of trackdays.
I didn't do a single one because I only had one bike and I didn't want
to break it and be without ANY machine
December 2010:
-I buy an R1 for the purpose because it fits like a glove, and it gives
me a chubby. Also, always wanted an R1 specifically for a long time.
Also, I find a stupidly good price on one
April 2011:
-I ride the R1 and am blown away by the hyperdrive. It is beyond amazing.
But I think there's no way I can take this thing around our local
track without either A) destroying it or B) not learning a damn
thing since I'm babying the throttle
-I decide....strip down the FZ for the track. The R1 can be my bike
to tour on. If the FZ survives to August I can ride her on my big trip
for the year or otherwise just do it on the R1.
-I do a couple day trips around nearby area on the R1......rocketing
around either A) engaging hyperdrive or B) perched like a hawk
with the engine CRYING to be revved trying to enjoy a nice
country ride (straight roads)....
-I decide I will be happy riding to southern BC on the R1 but the
long trip will need something else. I assume I am going to destroy
the FZ6 on the track and will need a bike for the trip.
-I decide I will sell the R1 in July. I will put it up for a high asking price
and then take the first reasonable offer I get in the month of July
and get my money back.
-6 days later someone comes with cash in hand to pay my full
asking price. LOL. I take it and pocket $1600 profit.
Now....
First bike = FZ6. I started to tour. I'd never experienced anything like it.
Then I started to become increasingly agitated with wanting to go AT the scenery instead of alongside it.
3 years went by and I talked more and more about it.
I lurked, watched a million videos, and flipped through the brilliant ride reports on ADVrider. Long Way Round/Down, By Any Means, etc etc....
I make a big trip last season where I tried to force my FZ6 to be an adventure tourer...it didn't work out so well, haha.
Trip was great though for those that haven't spotten it yet:
http://www.600riders.com/forum/touring-traveling/37138-lone-vs-world-take-1-a.html
(images are working again....for now)
So my bike budget put a number of bikes into the targeting reticle.
I almost pulled the trigger on a V-Strom and an FJR. But.....
......then I saw this video:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUgQZnthFBc]YouTube - BMW F 650 GS The Offroad Adventure Bike[/ame]
.....and decided to hell with it.
It's time.
So, here she is, all brand new and shiny!
.....and this pinpoints the EXACT moment I hit mud for the first time in my life at over a snail's pace.
Haha, I thought for sure I crashed it. I've never been that sideways before it came out of nowhere.
Very pleased with myself for saving it. I have never ridden dirtbikes. Anyway, guess I need to buy more appropriate gear.
In for the evening, and I'm exceptionally pleased with myself for cracking the next level of progression of my riding.
2010 G650GS
First impressions and some questions:
I'm 6'3". The stock seat is complete trash and I thought I'd make do for a year but no way. Dakar seat incoming.
Luggage doesn't hold very much but it will do for now.
Need crash bars. Can I get away with not having them for a while? I'd imagine only crashing the bike INTO things would warrant crash bars.
The fork seals are really exposed. I will need to do something for that.
I'm sure I can find ample resources as to what to use/buy.
Might get bar risers to give it a bit more of a "big-bike" feel.
The moment I hit that mud I knew for a fact I made the right decision.
The light weight and soft power output just held my hand through it all. Easy-mode.
Expanding my riding skills to the next level is going to be best done on this thing in some of the places I plan on taking it.
Also, pushing it along with my feet when the rear tires (stock tires are terrible for off road) were spinning
in some other mud later I also had my decision not to get an 800GS and V-Strom 1000 reinforced.
The highway? I was a bit worried about that. But it really does have some power to handle speeds of up to 120kph with
some decent ability to pass people. Still quicker than cars/vans at those speeds.... and it does settle into that pace quite peacefully.
Any speed you want it to cruise at it will settle into it. I can EASILY see some long LONG days in the (Dakar) saddle on this thing.
On stock seat no way though. It's annoying. Scoops you forwards way too much and is way too low.
It doesn't demand to be revved high like the Yamaha sport motors of the FZ6 and an R1 I had very briefly.
/ramble
It's perfect. Absolutely perfect. I wanted a solo-traveller machine that would grow with me and
be a bullet-proof and faithful motorbike to zig zag around the continent......and South America?
Maybe. Mexico? Definitely! When? Not soon enough.....but not this year unfortunately.
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