Sold my GSA and am back on a KLR !!!

Great links! I will add this to the list this winter.

Jon

The bike already has a high bend aluminum MSR bar, probably a Atv high bend, judging from the rise and I like them but I had a set of 1" bar risers that I had ordered from MCL (Motorcycle Larry, RIP) for an old ST1100 lying around from years ago and figured I would give them a try.



They fit nicely and now standing is even better, the choke cable and wiring from the left handlebar was a tad tight so I routed them on the inside of the triple tree.

With this and the Corbin flat along with the regular pegs and highway pegs I feel the ergonomics are as good as it gets.

I also have a set of Ims off road pegs and an old set of Fast way F3 pegs from a couple Gs's I ran them on, that I will try to make work on the Klr and experiment with.

I have no idea why anyone would buy a BMW GSA. A KLR650 is all the bike anyone actually needs. I'm also debt free except for a small mortgage, I bought a small fixer upper 2 bedroom about 22 years ago and fixed it up. It has a 2 car garage (full of bikes) I refinanced it right after Bush invaded Iraq. I have less than 5 years to go on it, at $523 a month, taxes and insurance included. My EX wife's sister and brother in law owe nearly $2000 a month on a fairly new 30 year mortgage. I don't think I could live with that kind of debt.

I am so tempted to get a KLR ('09 or later) but I'm not sure what I would do with it. I have over $3K into a heavily modded XT225, and it works fine for everything but long trips. I have a Vulcan 750 and a Goldwing 1500 for long highway trips, and don't see myself doing any long distance off road trips anymore.

Hey Gas Guy, good to hear to came to your senses and got a KLR....

What part of Michigan you in?

Couple three of us ran up up to Copper Harbor early fall, neat country. I love the Upper Peninsula area.

I bet you know this, but the KLR "goats eye" window actually needs to be totally covered, black or otherwise submerged slighty, and not just at the half-way mark, at least the stock ones.

I have a 2009 with zero issues with oil, none, non-factor. Love my bike, they are so simple to work on.

You can't go by the owner's manual, hell, that says we have six gears too

I just replaced the 3 bulbs for the instrumentation and they are quite a bit brighter while freeing up 8 watts of power for about $10.00 delivered from superbrightleds.com.

That is a very worth while mod !!!!

And one of my stock bulbs was burnt out at only 13,000 miles.

I hear ya, after I master this 650 cc Adventure Touring thing, then I can graduate to a 250 !!!


Just like you I only have 5 years left on my house and no other substantial debt to speak of.

I just have to stay focused and strong and keep it that way, at least until my daughters need cars or college.

Sometimes it is really hard to do in modern day USA with so many temptations and the attitude that"everything goes" and huge debt is acceptable and when you can't pay it that is ok too.

Well, not me, I have never defaulted on a dollar and don't plan on starting now.

"Less is more" !!!

I went from a 2006 KLR with a Cogent rear shock, Yamaha Forks and the other customary farkles (have the doo, haven't done it yet) to a 2004 R1150 GSA. Didn't go in debt getting it.

The two are worlds apart. My oldest has gotten into riding with me (about to turn 10) and the KLR while alright for me, was NOT a two-up machine. And now the wife is into riding (soon we'll get her taken care of with her own bike) so the KLR was really out of the picture.

I don't understand your lack of understanding.

I love my KLR, great explorer rig, with all the farkles it is very capable (more then my skills) and fun solo rig. But when I go to Maine, New Brunswick, Labrador, and eventually Alaska, the BMW is so much more. I am not as tired after a long day, I can take the interstate to cut back on time (leaving me more time to explore), and it is really a great bike.

Closer to home though, the KLR is a better long weekend machine.

Apples to oranges.

Keep your eyes open, save your pennies, and you don't have to go broke buying a machine.

I changed those bulbs as well as the neutral and high beam bulbs. I use high beam at all times during the day time.
I also changed my license plate bulb and the tail/brake bulb to free up some wattage.
Running my gerbing's jacket liner is a non-issue.

Yes, there is definatly a place for all motorcycles.They all do different things well for different people.

The big Bmw GS shines at devouring road miles with ease, which is what I am trying to stop doing.

The last trip I went on with that bike, one day I put 800+ miles on in daylight hours and felt fresh.

I have (though hoping it doesn't sell) my KLR up for sale. I understand the desire to limit miles. Unfortunately, I may only get ten to fourteen days per kitchen pass, and I want to spend those days exploring areas I haven't been to before. With the BMW, 800 to 900 mile days allows me to get through PA and into NY (mountains) which is where MY trips begin.

On the KLR, highways were doable, barely, and even 800 miles. But my butt was toast and I was drained after.

I am not one who wants a road legal MX bike, I look for those graded gravel or two lane dirt roads. I like my comforts, multiple t-shirts and socks, and food. I roughed it enough for ten years in the Marines.

If I was retired and able to get more time, maybe I'd feel different.

Love the KLR though. Keep it in its comfort zone and it really can't be beaten!!!!

A couple of other issues with the big Gsa was because I would put 10-15 k on it a year, and did lots of high speed freeway I always kept road oriented tires on it (I figured I would go broke putting tkc80 on it) so alot of times I am in really cool areas but am very limited because I am on a tall, heavy, expensive bike with road tires.
Everything seems to be a compromise.

I totally remove the license plate light for a 5 watt savings and move the plate up under the taillight where it gets enough illumination.

I will also put a led light in the stop/brake light, like you did.

To true!!!

I'm in a suburb just outside Detroit.

I really want to get up in the UP myself.The only time I really rode up there was years ago doing a Iron Butt Saddle Sore 1000 around Lake Michigan.

I want to explore the Mount Arvon area and would love to see some Wolves in the wild.

A co worker deer hunts there every year and sees wolves almost every year.

So many places to go and so little time.

Today I performed the Eagle Mike subframe drill through mod to install the one long bolt through the upper subframe mounting holes.

I figured I should make this area bulletproof since I weigh 230 and have a 3 piece caribou luggage set.

Another bonus is it is easier installing and removing the subframe with one long upper bolt.

What a fantastic work space!

Personally I have always liked the KLR esp. the new design. IMO you would have been hard pressed to make a better choice. Kudos to you for keeping your priorities in order while allowing yourself the fun you deserve.

I'm having one again. Hopefully an unmolested blue 2012 example. Now that I have my versus well on its farkling path, I can ride that and get the klr, strip it to the frame and build from the ground up the bike I wanted when I had my last one. Starting with the 688 with all the internal goodies. Progressive rear shock with remote adjsuter and their drop in fork units, and all of the armor and luggage needed.

Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using Tapatalk 2

I love the looks of the 2012.Kawasaki did a good job on them.