Some Backroads in Central Illinois

Aqualis · 11-12-2008, 10:53 AM

I've been meaning to go for a ride and today seemed like as good a time as any. The temp was hovering around fifty and it wasn't raining. Besides, I needed to figure out how to coordinate riding with stopping to take pictures.

Preparing for takeoff.

Apparently, the kids around here like to get high and spray paint things. I've always thought graffiti was cool. Not the vandalism part, but I like the idea behind it.

Waiting patiently for me to stop photographing stuff and get on with the ride.

Interesting story about this stretch of road. About three weeks after I got my first bike, a KLR250, I took it out here to see how fast it would go. Now, as many of you know, the KLR250 has its redline at 9500RPM. So I'm flying down this road, smashing myself as flat against the tank as I can ... 75 ... 80 ... 85 ... 90 ... I glance over at the tach just in time to see it inch past 11000RPM before KLUNK! and it just stops running. I, stunned of course, just pull in the clutch and roll for a bit. Still in sixth gear and rolling at just under 80 I decide to see if I can bump start it.

Bad idea. The rear tire locks up and skids for about 50 feet before I can gather myself together and pull the clutch back in. The ride home consisted of kicking the thing over for five minutes at a time just to get it to run for 15 second wherein I could accelerate as hard as possible until it died and coast as far as possible.

Good times.

This bridge is really the whole point I'd gone on this ride. I like to come down every once in a while just to look at it because it's so intersting. And partly because I'm amazed it's still there.

A few miles more and I come to a fairly straight and, after being on one lane roads for the past twenty minutes, incredibly wide two-lane blacktop. Some excessive speed and I arrive back home planning to take a picture of myself and the bike. There was some sort of issue with my hair however (not sure how I picked up that much static electricity) and I decided to just take this one instead.

That's the KLR250 I talked about earlier.

So concludes my first ride report. It's interesting how much more you get out of something when you plan to share it with someone else later on.

LEDSLED · 11-12-2008, 02:19 PM

nice pics

so what happened to the 250?

hit the rev limiter and tore something up?

GB · 11-12-2008, 02:25 PM

Looks like you had a good ride... but that poor ol' KLR250 doesn't have a rev limiter!

the 09 KLX250S does have one..

Thanks for the report and pics. I hope you can revive the old bike.

Aqualis · 11-12-2008, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LEDSLED

nice pics

so what happened to the 250?

hit the rev limiter and tore something up?

I'm told it needs crankshaft bearings. Probably needs the carb rebuilt now also since it's been sitting for about a year with the same gas in it. Still runs though, somehow.

p_s · 11-12-2008, 02:38 PM

Whereabouts is that? It looks similar to some roads between Monticello & Mahomet I ride if I only have an hour and a half and want more variety than beans 'n corn, corn 'n beans.

Live2Ride · 11-12-2008, 03:01 PM

Yeah, where is that. I grew up 30 miles north of peoria, in Henry IL.

Aqualis · 11-12-2008, 03:13 PM

It is 20-25 minutes east of Springfield. A few miles southeast of a little town called Mechanicsburg.

crazydrummerdude · 11-12-2008, 03:14 PM

How about more pics of the bridge?

ADK · 11-12-2008, 04:27 PM

+1 I was expecting to see some better pics of the bridge.

11-12-2008, 10:53 AM	#1
Aqualis ^OP Chaotic Fuzz Joined: Sep 2006 Oddometer: 83	Some Backroads in Central Illinois I've been meaning to go for a ride and today seemed like as good a time as any. The temp was hovering around fifty and it wasn't raining. Besides, I needed to figure out how to coordinate riding with stopping to take pictures. Preparing for takeoff. Apparently, the kids around here like to get high and spray paint things. I've always thought graffiti was cool. Not the vandalism part, but I like the idea behind it. Waiting patiently for me to stop photographing stuff and get on with the ride. Interesting story about this stretch of road. About three weeks after I got my first bike, a KLR250, I took it out here to see how fast it would go. Now, as many of you know, the KLR250 has its redline at 9500RPM. So I'm flying down this road, smashing myself as flat against the tank as I can ... 75 ... 80 ... 85 ... 90 ... I glance over at the tach just in time to see it inch past 11000RPM before KLUNK! and it just stops running. I, stunned of course, just pull in the clutch and roll for a bit. Still in sixth gear and rolling at just under 80 I decide to see if I can bump start it. Bad idea. The rear tire locks up and skids for about 50 feet before I can gather myself together and pull the clutch back in. The ride home consisted of kicking the thing over for five minutes at a time just to get it to run for 15 second wherein I could accelerate as hard as possible until it died and coast as far as possible. Good times. This bridge is really the whole point I'd gone on this ride. I like to come down every once in a while just to look at it because it's so intersting. And partly because I'm amazed it's still there. A few miles more and I come to a fairly straight and, after being on one lane roads for the past twenty minutes, incredibly wide two-lane blacktop. Some excessive speed and I arrive back home planning to take a picture of myself and the bike. There was some sort of issue with my hair however (not sure how I picked up that much static electricity) and I decided to just take this one instead. That's the KLR250 I talked about earlier. So concludes my first ride report. It's interesting how much more you get out of something when you plan to share it with someone else later on.

11-12-2008, 02:25 PM	#3
GB Mod Squad Joined: Aug 2002 Location: Toronto, ON Oddometer: 53,454	Looks like you had a good ride... but that poor ol' KLR250 doesn't have a rev limiter! the 09 KLX250S does have one.. Thanks for the report and pics. I hope you can revive the old bike. __________________ ADV decals, patches & flag? Here

11-12-2008, 03:01 PM	#6
Live2Ride Not Famous Joined: Mar 2005 Location: Spoklahoma, Wa. Oddometer: 3,561	Yeah, where is that. I grew up 30 miles north of peoria, in Henry IL. __________________ *94 KLR 650* *04 650 B Strom* And a Chopper, hardley link below for the whole story http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=384456 74 Hodaka Dirt Squirt 82 Kawasaki KLT 200 New to the stable, a DRZ 400 SM

11-12-2008, 03:14 PM	#8
crazydrummerdude Wacky Bongo Boy Joined: Nov 2006 Location: Moore/OKC Oddometer: 6,907	How about more pics of the bridge? __________________ 1974 BMW R75/6, 1974 BMW R90/6, 1969 BMW R60/2 hack, 1929 Ford Model A, Metal casting, Part 2/Part 1 among others..

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11-12-2008, 02:19 PM	#2
LEDSLED Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Mar 2008 Location: Caborado Oddometer: 100	nice pics so what happened to the 250? hit the rev limiter and tore something up?

11-12-2008, 02:38 PM	#5
p_s Nerdly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2008 Location: Champagan, land o' the heathens Oddometer: 204	Whereabouts is that? It looks similar to some roads between Monticello & Mahomet I ride if I only have an hour and a half and want more variety than beans 'n corn, corn 'n beans.

11-12-2008, 03:13 PM	#7
Aqualis ^OP Chaotic Fuzz Joined: Sep 2006 Oddometer: 83	It is 20-25 minutes east of Springfield. A few miles southeast of a little town called Mechanicsburg.

11-12-2008, 04:27 PM	#9
ADK Beastly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2005 Oddometer: 7,758	+1 I was expecting to see some better pics of the bridge.