Endurance Test Coming Up Next Weekend

BSKZ650 wrote:

Mcdroid wrote:

Well, WABBMW (a member here w/ a 1982 KZ650CSR) stopped by my place over the weekend and related a story where he fairly recently completed a round trip to California (from Houston) on his bike...maybe I can get him to chime in with the tale (it went well, more or less)

Does he still have that header on the bike?
I know he has put some good riding miles on since he got the bike.
years ago I rode mine to Altus ok. it was a 6 hour ride form where I started.

Yeah, he does...he has attached a non-matching muffler to it but is in the market for a matching muffler. He is very handy and is willing to attempt just about anything with the bike!

RonKZ650 wrote:

The first thing that get's tiring on a 650 for me is the fact it really doesn't have the power for the road, plus the light steering, that means any wind or road irregularity means adjusting to keep a line down the road. Believe me, this gets tiring on any smaller CC motorcycle...

Every year, I ride in the Oregon 500, an event organized by a local M/C club. There are usually about 300-500 riders in the event. It is a 500-mile one-day rally. For the first 3-4 years I did it, I rode my '81 KZ440. For a couple of those years, I won the "Smallest Motorcycle" prize. Then someone started riding it on a 250cc bike.

Anyway, one year, the route had us going down the Columbia River Gorge. For those of you who don't know, Hood River--a town in the gorge--is "Mecca" for wind surfers. So you can imagine what it was like riding a small bike at highway speeds through that area. :woohoo: Rather scary, and quite tiring. :side:

Back when i had my 650 i put one of those large clear windshields on for longer trips. It made the trip so much nicer. The wind can really beat you up!

Yep, harm, I'm hip to that suggestion. A windshield is definitely a necessity on a trip like this, especially at this time of the year in mountainous terrain.....and with the possibility of crappy weather.

Keep the knees warm,Rick.

Yep, Sandy, I'm with you on that. I've got a pair of good heavy bib-type ski-pants that I wear over top of my jeans and then my rain suit over all of that. I really should invest in a proper set of cold weather riding pants with knee protectors. I just might zip over to my local First Gear retailer and get the matching pants for my Kilimanjaro jacket. With those pants and my rubber over booties for my riding boots, the "lower half" should stay nice and dry/toasty. A lot of guys I know have heated vests but I'm not sure the 650's charging system would handle it....and the Kilimanjaro jacket with the liner in does a pretty credible job of keeping the upper half warm enough. With that type of gear and a windshield I SHOULD be okay.....along with my ski gloves.....just in case.
:laugh: