Did mikedbike get his KTM?

[xbacksideslider]

I feel for ya. In fact there's a tear in my eye. The darn bike doesn't handle you can't adjust the suspension you're too heavy for it. Since it's such a disappointment, I have no idea why my offer to buy it from you still stands. Crazy me. Whatdayasay to $1500? That would give dough toward buying back your DRZ.

[mikedbike2002]

Adams doesn't care as long as you pay your money to ride. No tech, just show up. It's 7:20am now (Sunday) & I'm leaving to head out there at 8:30. Lisa is meeting me there.

[Tetge]

I feel for ya. In fact there's a tear in my eye. The darn bike doesn't handle you can't adjust the suspension you're too heavy for it. Since it's such a disappointment, I have no idea why my offer to buy it from you still stands. Crazy me. Whatdayasay to $1500? That would give dough toward buying back your DRZ.

My brother loves his new DR-Z. He says that he has adjusted to the handling since he has laid off riding any of his Brit bikes (no electric stinking starting) due to his knee surgery, so he has forgotten what proper handling with a low CG feels like. The DR-Z, with it superb ground control now seems like a superbike, and, it has electric start. So, I could not get my old bike back.

At this point, I am stuck with the 690 Duke, and I have to accept that it is basically a cruiser and that I am a poser. But, at my advanced age, where for the most part people get sensible, even cruising around is almost as gratifying as waking up in the morning. And, the big 690 single is a fine thumper and very comfortable at cruising speeds. So, since I am disinclined to take a $10000 loss on the bike, I have to keep it. At least I get to look at it, parked almost 100% of the time in the same exact spot, with the tires flat spotting, each time I go into my garage. And, I can think, I have a KTM. I also always wonder how stale the gasoline is? And are the brakes going to gum up, and will the flat spots on the tires go away. But, it does have a nice orange frame.

Meanwhile, crazy old Mike, who is older than I by a wee bit, is out racing at a kart track, in the heat wave. He is a real biker, not a poser, as are others that I knew and know. You can generally tell who they are because, they RIDE.

[xbacksideslider]

Sounds like you're so old, that you should sell it.
Buy an electric Barcalounger instead of another DRZ
That way you wouldn't have to blow your oldster fixed income on flat spotted tires or to fix gummed up brakes.
And, you could safely watch life go by.
I know that you agree - safety first, especially for our old and feeble, so my offer's still there.

[Tetge]

Sounds like you're so old, that you should sell it.
Buy an electric Barcalounger instead of another DRZ
That way you wouldn't have to blow your oldster fixed income on flat spotted tires or to fix gummed up brakes.
And, you could safely watch life go by.
I know that you agree - safety first, especially for our old and feeble, so my offer's still there.

I hear you, but, I was raised to accept responsibility and to live with my mistakes. And, in any case, once or twice a year, if it is not too gummed up, I can cruise over to Hansen Dam, and ride with some conservative old guys at a vintage Brit bike pace, which the KTM is most happy doing. All the bad influences on me have moved or got surgery or something, so, I have settled back into a nice mellow style of riding, and I just enjoy the scenery and the open air. With its upright seating and big bars and all, the KTM is reasonably comfortable at a cruiser pace and it even gets over 50 miles per gallon.

So, it is worth keeping as it has no apparent resale value of note.

[Brakelate]

Funny how we all are drinking the Orange Kool-Aid from the KTM Fountain of Youth.

Mikes bike looks great. So does the location. I first stood in that very spot some 33 years ago, at the intersections of The East Fork and Glendora Mountain Road / Glendora Peak Road that runs Eastward across the spine of the first ridge of Mountains, over the Mount Baldy. Sigh.

Funny, photo observation; Where is Mike's KTM's Front Brake Lever hiding? Surely it must be there, tucked downward and inboard so far that it is hidden from the brush guards.

Regarding my current collection of bikes, I need to get the new graphics on the DRZ, get the 'Fresh' slicks and HD tubes mounted on the wheels, design a pattern and groove them all up nicely, then reassemble the poor neglected scoot. At some point, like I keep talking about and not doing, is to pull the forks (left seal is starting to weep a bit) and send them off, along with that bitchen, beautiful brand new in the box Ohlins Gold Rear Shock to the Suspension Guru down by the Tail of the Dragon, and have him go through them, fresh fluids, new, properly rated springs and valving for my specific weight, pace and primary terrain.

The Big Honda VFR is running like a champ. I just need to install it's Braided Steel Hydraulic Line Kit and toss in the more agressive Pads, and save the near new pads they just put on it during it's fairly complete mechanical 'going through' 18 months ago. And it should be fine. It is still a beautiful bike, with plenty of character and ability to grab attention wherever it goes, as a 30 year old survivor.

The BMW needs a good bath, and the installation of it's new multi-compound rear Sport Touring Tire that i have, just sitting there. It is an amazing machine. If I had to keep ONE, it might just nudge the KTM off the podium and make the top of the list. It is just such a 'complete' and significant machine. Comfort, Tech, Speed, Cosmetics and just because it is such a solid, well thought out machine. It's headlamps are awesome, the mirrors are actually useful, it gets great mpg, has minimal maintenance, can carry two plus luggage, and handles it all 'well enough' if I take the time and think through the very easily adjustable modern Electronic Suspension Settings, Ride Modes and ABS / T-C, etc. then it's both beautiful and zero daily maintenance shaft drive / single sided swing arm. It demonstrated that it can be pulled from the garage with no notice, fueled up, it's removable, very user friendly hard bags loaded to their brims, and raced out to California through the dark of the early morning hours, in a total Hurricane, two-up, without so much as a hiccup. The only fly in the ointment is the slightlly vague feedback from the very durable and effective anti-dive fancy front suspension, and most annoying, it's on again, off again, fast-idle hang up, somehow remaining in the ride by wire tune.

Then of course, there is the KTM 1290R Super Duke. It intimidates me. Or shall I say, it is worthy of my respect. A Beast it can be. Just as it can be a kind, predictable, affectionate Puppy, in a African King Lion sort of way. Yet, I enjoy the fear it strikes deep in my heart. And that is why I bought it, and plan to preserve that feeling. Amplilfy it even. Yes, I bought a -1 Tooth C/S Sprocket that still needs to be installed. This, on a bike so rich with torque that Tugboats shy away. One that can loft 4th gear wheelies with a little clutch up. 3rd all day long at 70 plus with just a throttle chop / bounce it up technique. So yeah, why not make it more snappy and potent? I have premium rubber also in a stack waiting to be mounted. Right next to the stock exhaust can that I have removed, and after one more, brief confirmation test ride, will be a permanent loss of nearly 12 lbs of excess weight when I take a Sawzall to it's pipe, just behind the factory underbelly CAT. It gives it JUST enough tone. A little more volume, but better still is that deep, rich, bassy throbbing idle and immediate cracked throttle bark. Like a Rolls Royce Merlin Motor, or big Air Cooled Radial Piston Behemoth powering a WWII Bomber. With a slight flavor of Ducati-esque' mechanical jingle to it all. So, hack the pipe, re-gear, re-tire and repeat will be my motto. That, after adding my fancy Anodized larger, sharper, grippier ultra light, adjustable angle foot pegs, adn possibly moving the handlebars from the stock, rearward, most upright position, to the factory optional and pre-existing forward mounting holes in the upper triple clamp, to give me a little bit more of a forward lean, while heading into the unforgiving wind blast that bike can create at speed. Besides, the KTM 'Ready to Race' manual clearly provides a strong suggestion that one move the bars to the forward position for 'Any Track Use'. So, I should try it out.

Other than that, I just need to log more saddle time with each, to familiarize myself with each machine's individual, unique character and functions. This holds especially true with the KTM. I need to figure out the correct 'middle ground' for it's level of safety intervention. That, or just grab my Man Berries and shut all that shit off and leave it off. Just ride it like any other good old fashioned Beast rather than trying to guess the best 'all around' settings for each ride. Or how to thumb off the anti-wheelie program mid-sprint up a hill, which you cannot do without coming to a complete stop, with the throttle closed. Even with the Dongle. I sure wished there was a clearly marked, easily activated 'thumb on the fly' capable button to trigger on and off the 'wheelie control' mid ride. So, one could really rip in confidence and with that feeling of security MOST of the time, yet while retaining the ability to merely push a button to allow you to rip a big wheelie just right when and where you wish, before toggling it back off and continuing on one's way, with the confidence of having the full invisible / virtual safety net in place during all the other portions of the ride.

Yup. It intimidates me. I demands my respect. And I like that.

I would also like to see Tetge and Norton John jump on it, and give it a run up a segment of our local favorite roads , to see how they liked, or disliked it.

So, for Mike - obviously I can't make Adams by morning. Have Fun. Be Safe. Enjoy your time with Lisa and your new dialed in pocket rocket. Tell everyone "Hi" for me. And hopefully, within the next few months we can get back together for another Breakfast Ride, one way or another.

[Tetge]

Moving the bars forward on the 1290R for racing no doubt is also recommended as it puts more weight on the front wheel. And, if you read KTM forums, although I like the wide, almost dirt style OEM handlebars, many owners change to a different, lower, bar of some type, that is not as wide, and that barely clears the tank at full lock. The stock bars are almost ape hangers in their views.

There also is a widely held opinion that KTM street bikes are geared at least 1 counter shaft sprocket too tall. Perhaps for noise or emissions or even fuel economy. So, by all reports, -1T is a great, and inexpensive, modification as it makes top gear a lot more useful, and, also, it effectively tightens up the apparent spread between gears. I liked the way -1T felt on the 690, but, because it is so weak, I also went +2 on the rear sprocket after a bit. Now it is geared like a tractor, and has a top speed of about 80, but, it does have more response, which, with its anemic engine, is good when I get a bit crazy and up my pace to 55 mph, which with the shorter gearing is actually a sort of sweet spot in top gear as far as the always present massive vibrations of the bike go. This is almost a governor, as I avoid the super slab since I can not comfortably run with the 75-85 MPH So Cal, I am texting, drivers.

[mikedbike2002]

Sweet, congrats Mike. Looks similar to my carbureted 2003 EXC.

It is a 2012 EXC 510 converted to supermoto!

[Tetge]

Sweet, congrats Mike. Looks similar to my carbureted 2003 EXC.

It is a 2012 EXC 510 converted to supermoto!

But, when are you doing a ride from the 7-11 to Leona Valley? They should have a license to sell beer and wine by now if the restaurant is still in business out there?