(11-30-23) Update:
THE PHOTO ABOVE ... was ran on this site a couple/three years ago. This year Big Ed and Rose Anne (FSSNOC #0342 - New York) sent it back to Carrie and I in a Happy Thanksgiving text. We laughed so much we decided to share it with you here. Carrie made the pie, I used a 1/32 scale rider and KLR650 to do the rest ... then we ate the pie. The bike and rider survive...
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Oh yeah, the caption for the photo featured on the ThumperGarage Page this week is of Joe, FSSNOC #5130, in Colorado, getting in some Thanksgiving Day time on his Thumper ... "ridin' with the boys, those two keep me young ... ish!", says Joe. Thank you, Joe! - #000
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(11-23-23 update) HAPPY THANKSGIVING from FSSNOC!
I've heard it said, "the photo says it all..."
Well, the featured photo didn't really say it all! This is Woodrow showing me how nice the bed is in our $66 motel ... just minutes before... (see the Event Page!)-#000
__________________________________________________________________
(11-16-23 update) Each day we make tomorrow's HISTORY ... photo was #000's Honda Repsol CBR250R at the 75,000 mile mark - Sept. 2018.
Jack, got Thumper News #153 today, always an enjoyable read.
I was surprised to see you now ride a KLR650, I have had a couple in the past, great bike and comfortable. I am still putting around on my Himalayan, did you sell yours, reasons ?
The Kawasaki is not much heavier and has a lot more power, did you lower it as it sits taller than the Himmy.
At the ripe old age of 85, height and weight get important, the DR650 is too off road, my riding buddy has a KTM 390 Adv, nice but no torque under 6k, like a two smoke.
Honda NX500 looks good but too many cylinders!!
Take care
Brian
(REPLY) Hi ya, Brian ... Awesome to hear from you! It's been too long, my friend...
And, I did note the 85 above, as in years, right? It has been my observation that when you/we/whomever was a child, say up through the age of 10, the folks around us mark time for us with half-years, such as, "This is Brian, he is 8 1/2 years old..." That no longer happens after the first ten years. I've noticed of late that it begins again at the age of 80, so at the six month mark of the 80th year, the subject-at-hand becomes 80 1/2 years ... interesting, eh?
So, to your questions above:
Yes, I purchased a 2023 Kawasaki KLR650s on my 80th birthday, it was a present to myself one might say ... the local dealer dressed the bike up with a big shiny green ribbon and, perhaps by accident, he wore a color-matched shirt (I have the storm gray color KLR) for the planned photo to be aired on facebook ... see Dan's Cycle of Hesston, Ks. It was lots of fun, thank you, Dan!
I still have the Royal Enfield Himalayan 411, now with 27,000+ on the clock, and it ran just fine on yesterday's 100 mile loop to deliver a local FSSNOC member his FREE-WITH-RENEWAL (grin) new 2023 club t-shirt. That bike is comfortable, dependable, and a very fun ride as well, particularly if one rides solo or in the company of a fellow disciple of the "slow roll".
But ... when a new KLR650 goes on sale for $1000.00 off ...who could say NO? I hit the end of that fishing line with gusto ... and I have no regrets, it is an excellent way to see the world over a set of handlebars.
As to the seat height, I bought the "S" model which means it is 1.2 inches reduced in the front fork and 1.0 inch reduction in the rear to equalize. The existing KLR seat was chopped down another inch or so, maybe more ... however, it wasn't my cup of tea! ... but the lower stance of the chassis seemed to magically transform the bike from a top-heavy reluctant ride to a much lighter feeling package ... nice!
My mentor of 30 years was Al Stucky, who once worked with the Triumph Racing Team in California about the heyday of Gene Romero so you, Brian, with your British background and history, may know of him ... and he was a road service rep for Honda, one of the first, back in the early '60s. He had 36 states which meant he had to cross the Continental Divide ... Honda gave him a Corvair Van! He told stories of being wide open at 25 mph going up a pass in Colorado while eating his lunch!
Anyway, he had a grass-roots wisdom, he said to me, "It's not what a motorcycle weighs, it is what a motorcycle feels like it weighs that matters..." hence, the KLR650s model in my stable and on the cover of TN#153. It is a delight ... buy one.
Oh, the seat ... I wrapped it up and put it on the shelf. I promptly ordered a new seat from Sargent. I told them to use a regular KLR height saddle and make mine one inch higher (thicker) than for a stock KLR.
That gives me room for my 34" inseam but the bike still has a lower center of gravity; who needs 8 inches of travel on a mostly road/street going machine anyway? The result is amazing, and despite their statement that the seat needs no break-in, it does get better with miles, now 10,600+ in a tick over six months. It is a relative to the other KLR models, but that relativity is indeed distant. As you may know, I put 122,000 miles on the Gen-1, a 2000 model green one ... I loved what it could do with me, and quite often with Carrie, onboard and all the places we went, but I never formed an attachment to the bike's invisible meaning or status or character ... ???
This new version is just that ... new. It shares that beloved 6.1 gallon gas tank, though one may not get that much fuel inside ... and a sturdy luggage rack, two items I love ... but the handling is much improved, much! With Bridgestone dual-compound rubber, the thing flicks about in the twisties like a sportbike, at least by my measure. I think I'm rambling here ... (grin), thank you, Brian. Get back to us here at the ThumperGarage more often, I KNOW you have much to share... #000.
Email us at: FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.com
_________________________________________________________________________________________
IT'S A BIT OF ROLLING THUMPER HISTORY ... the Suzuki DR650. (11-09-'23 update)
This is the Little Gray Mule, see TN#153, page 28 - 33. Some "dusty" comments from the trail by Dusty...
"At one such stop as above, I started finding pieces of a little toy truck. First, a wheel, then another wheel, then more pieces until I had most of it. Of course, it was smashed, probably some logger had had his young son with him for the day, perhaps the toy got left or was dropped, who knows? It had been ran over more than once, I'm sure. I still have it, stashed away somewhere..."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(11-02-'23 update) Photo above is History in the making ... read "ON THE DUSTY TRAIL" in Thumper News #153, page 28.
This is the "Little Gray Mule" as captured here on film by "Dusty", #3545 - WA. while on the IDBDR, an adventure trail in Idaho ridden by Dusty and his trusty DR650 back in 2019. This memory is captioned as ... "Skinny Shade", a burn through area.
Dusty makes the comment, "And dusty I was!"
Thank you,Dusty ... for sharing your adventures with us here on the FSSNOC channel ... we'll read more in the next Thumper News, #154 ... Thump On! #000
_________________________________________________________________________________________
We welcome members comments at:
FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.com
* E-mailers will receive only an auto-response email from the club, thanking you for your email. A club response to your e-mail is generally posted the following week here on this website so be sure and tune back in. Typically, our update is on Thursday evening.
##########################################################################################################
ENJOY A LITTLE OF OUR OWN HISTORY ... CHECK IT OUT, RUNS AN HOUR AND MAYBE A BIT MORE, MIGHT TAKE THE PLACE OF SOME BAD TV, EH? - #000
A THUMPER RIDER'S PODCAST ...
To view the podcast ... CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZb4CgjfmEk
The podcast above was generated by Janus Motorcycles in Goshen, Indiana. EP.#1 ... In this podcast, FSSNOC #000 (Jack) is the guest being interviewed by Richard and Grant from JANUS MOTORCYCLES.
Play/View time is a tick over an hour so some popcorn might be nice, I like the chocolate drizzle kind, btw. Formal wear (FSSNOC club t-shirts, cap, etc...) adds to the mood, but not mandatory. Contact your friends, invite them in, share as you like. No cheat sheets, no prompt boards, no prior discussion and no Thumpers hurt in the making of this podcast.
574-538-1350 JANUSMOTORCYCLES.COM
And, this podcast is for entertainment only...
THE PHOTO ABOVE ... was ran on this site a couple/three years ago. This year Big Ed and Rose Anne (FSSNOC #0342 - New York) sent it back to Carrie and I in a Happy Thanksgiving text. We laughed so much we decided to share it with you here. Carrie made the pie, I used a 1/32 scale rider and KLR650 to do the rest ... then we ate the pie. The bike and rider survive...
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Oh yeah, the caption for the photo featured on the ThumperGarage Page this week is of Joe, FSSNOC #5130, in Colorado, getting in some Thanksgiving Day time on his Thumper ... "ridin' with the boys, those two keep me young ... ish!", says Joe. Thank you, Joe! - #000
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(11-23-23 update) HAPPY THANKSGIVING from FSSNOC!
I've heard it said, "the photo says it all..."
Well, the featured photo didn't really say it all! This is Woodrow showing me how nice the bed is in our $66 motel ... just minutes before... (see the Event Page!)-#000
__________________________________________________________________
(11-16-23 update) Each day we make tomorrow's HISTORY ... photo was #000's Honda Repsol CBR250R at the 75,000 mile mark - Sept. 2018.
Jack, got Thumper News #153 today, always an enjoyable read.
I was surprised to see you now ride a KLR650, I have had a couple in the past, great bike and comfortable. I am still putting around on my Himalayan, did you sell yours, reasons ?
The Kawasaki is not much heavier and has a lot more power, did you lower it as it sits taller than the Himmy.
At the ripe old age of 85, height and weight get important, the DR650 is too off road, my riding buddy has a KTM 390 Adv, nice but no torque under 6k, like a two smoke.
Honda NX500 looks good but too many cylinders!!
Take care
Brian
(REPLY) Hi ya, Brian ... Awesome to hear from you! It's been too long, my friend...
And, I did note the 85 above, as in years, right? It has been my observation that when you/we/whomever was a child, say up through the age of 10, the folks around us mark time for us with half-years, such as, "This is Brian, he is 8 1/2 years old..." That no longer happens after the first ten years. I've noticed of late that it begins again at the age of 80, so at the six month mark of the 80th year, the subject-at-hand becomes 80 1/2 years ... interesting, eh?
So, to your questions above:
Yes, I purchased a 2023 Kawasaki KLR650s on my 80th birthday, it was a present to myself one might say ... the local dealer dressed the bike up with a big shiny green ribbon and, perhaps by accident, he wore a color-matched shirt (I have the storm gray color KLR) for the planned photo to be aired on facebook ... see Dan's Cycle of Hesston, Ks. It was lots of fun, thank you, Dan!
I still have the Royal Enfield Himalayan 411, now with 27,000+ on the clock, and it ran just fine on yesterday's 100 mile loop to deliver a local FSSNOC member his FREE-WITH-RENEWAL (grin) new 2023 club t-shirt. That bike is comfortable, dependable, and a very fun ride as well, particularly if one rides solo or in the company of a fellow disciple of the "slow roll".
But ... when a new KLR650 goes on sale for $1000.00 off ...who could say NO? I hit the end of that fishing line with gusto ... and I have no regrets, it is an excellent way to see the world over a set of handlebars.
As to the seat height, I bought the "S" model which means it is 1.2 inches reduced in the front fork and 1.0 inch reduction in the rear to equalize. The existing KLR seat was chopped down another inch or so, maybe more ... however, it wasn't my cup of tea! ... but the lower stance of the chassis seemed to magically transform the bike from a top-heavy reluctant ride to a much lighter feeling package ... nice!
My mentor of 30 years was Al Stucky, who once worked with the Triumph Racing Team in California about the heyday of Gene Romero so you, Brian, with your British background and history, may know of him ... and he was a road service rep for Honda, one of the first, back in the early '60s. He had 36 states which meant he had to cross the Continental Divide ... Honda gave him a Corvair Van! He told stories of being wide open at 25 mph going up a pass in Colorado while eating his lunch!
Anyway, he had a grass-roots wisdom, he said to me, "It's not what a motorcycle weighs, it is what a motorcycle feels like it weighs that matters..." hence, the KLR650s model in my stable and on the cover of TN#153. It is a delight ... buy one.
Oh, the seat ... I wrapped it up and put it on the shelf. I promptly ordered a new seat from Sargent. I told them to use a regular KLR height saddle and make mine one inch higher (thicker) than for a stock KLR.
That gives me room for my 34" inseam but the bike still has a lower center of gravity; who needs 8 inches of travel on a mostly road/street going machine anyway? The result is amazing, and despite their statement that the seat needs no break-in, it does get better with miles, now 10,600+ in a tick over six months. It is a relative to the other KLR models, but that relativity is indeed distant. As you may know, I put 122,000 miles on the Gen-1, a 2000 model green one ... I loved what it could do with me, and quite often with Carrie, onboard and all the places we went, but I never formed an attachment to the bike's invisible meaning or status or character ... ???
This new version is just that ... new. It shares that beloved 6.1 gallon gas tank, though one may not get that much fuel inside ... and a sturdy luggage rack, two items I love ... but the handling is much improved, much! With Bridgestone dual-compound rubber, the thing flicks about in the twisties like a sportbike, at least by my measure. I think I'm rambling here ... (grin), thank you, Brian. Get back to us here at the ThumperGarage more often, I KNOW you have much to share... #000.
Email us at: FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.com
_________________________________________________________________________________________
IT'S A BIT OF ROLLING THUMPER HISTORY ... the Suzuki DR650. (11-09-'23 update)
This is the Little Gray Mule, see TN#153, page 28 - 33. Some "dusty" comments from the trail by Dusty...
"At one such stop as above, I started finding pieces of a little toy truck. First, a wheel, then another wheel, then more pieces until I had most of it. Of course, it was smashed, probably some logger had had his young son with him for the day, perhaps the toy got left or was dropped, who knows? It had been ran over more than once, I'm sure. I still have it, stashed away somewhere..."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(11-02-'23 update) Photo above is History in the making ... read "ON THE DUSTY TRAIL" in Thumper News #153, page 28.
This is the "Little Gray Mule" as captured here on film by "Dusty", #3545 - WA. while on the IDBDR, an adventure trail in Idaho ridden by Dusty and his trusty DR650 back in 2019. This memory is captioned as ... "Skinny Shade", a burn through area.
Dusty makes the comment, "And dusty I was!"
Thank you,Dusty ... for sharing your adventures with us here on the FSSNOC channel ... we'll read more in the next Thumper News, #154 ... Thump On! #000
_________________________________________________________________________________________
We welcome members comments at:
FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.com
* E-mailers will receive only an auto-response email from the club, thanking you for your email. A club response to your e-mail is generally posted the following week here on this website so be sure and tune back in. Typically, our update is on Thursday evening.
##########################################################################################################
ENJOY A LITTLE OF OUR OWN HISTORY ... CHECK IT OUT, RUNS AN HOUR AND MAYBE A BIT MORE, MIGHT TAKE THE PLACE OF SOME BAD TV, EH? - #000
A THUMPER RIDER'S PODCAST ...
To view the podcast ... CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZb4CgjfmEk
The podcast above was generated by Janus Motorcycles in Goshen, Indiana. EP.#1 ... In this podcast, FSSNOC #000 (Jack) is the guest being interviewed by Richard and Grant from JANUS MOTORCYCLES.
Play/View time is a tick over an hour so some popcorn might be nice, I like the chocolate drizzle kind, btw. Formal wear (FSSNOC club t-shirts, cap, etc...) adds to the mood, but not mandatory. Contact your friends, invite them in, share as you like. No cheat sheets, no prompt boards, no prior discussion and no Thumpers hurt in the making of this podcast.
574-538-1350 JANUSMOTORCYCLES.COM
And, this podcast is for entertainment only...