My First Weekend Ride on My Kawasaki KLR650.
I scored a sweet deal on a 2004 Kawasaki KLR650 last week.
-That’s a motorcycle. The fun kind. The kind you can take over rocks and muddy trails AND still ride it to the corner store to get some Pepsi.
-The previous owner had a low-speed fall in town that crunched some plastics. He rode it for a little longer as his commuter with things roughly patched up before he moved to a new area (MY area) and his commuting patterns changed.
-He didn’t feel like purdyin’ the bike up before he sold it, so he set a ridiculously low sale price just to get it out of his garage. It’s got a lot of miles on it, but this was just the deal I was hoping for. Less than HALF of its Blue Book value! Even with 33,000 miles on it, I figured I was looking at a steal!
-Two hours after he posted the ad, I’d made arrangements to take a look-see… The next day I rode it home. Hooray! I’m in the club!
The Test Ride
-Pics of the bike the day I got it home are HERE on Flickr.
-Well, I added another 150 miles to the odometer today! After changing the oil/filter and cleaning the air filter and chain with my dad yesterday, I thought I’d get it out on some of the scenic routes through the CA wine country to the coast and back for a quick loop.
-The iPhone pic doesn’t quite do the scenic overlook justice, but that’s Morro Bay in CA past the ridge line. Morro Rock is barely visible just above and to the slight right of the throttle.
-Note the previous owner’s red duct tape job holding the front fender together… Don’t worry. I’ve already got black plastics on the way to replace the red cracked-and-sun-faded ones.
-First impression: She behaved like a champ! Can’t wait to add another 33,000+ miles to the odometer total.
Love and coastal solo loops,
=j.lynn
J.Lynn Johnston's Blahg! 