del mar race weekend - rfi - nklr

[bill e goat]

--- In DSN_klr650@egroups.com, k650dsn@a... wrote:

> I thought they were supposed to last forever like their bikes. > > Gino >

Unfortunately (though I have given up owning K-bikes) my first K-bike only went 102,000 before I sold it to a guy. The second one went to 77,000 (I bought it at 16,000) with the only repair being a new battery or two and footpeg rubbers, brake pads, et cetera. I never checked the oil on that bike after I had had it for a year or so, it never did use any. It was run very hard for most of those miles. I am generally easy on the chassis but not easy on the motors. I don't expect that kind of reliability with the oilhead; it's a more reliability-compromised design, but the reward is in the riding. It is fast, reliable, and handles superbly. Oh, it is quite comfortable, enough to make it from Truckee CA to Paonia CO in a day, and the rider merely steps off the bike and enjoys a little brew and light conversation...... My first motorcycle was a bmw R60, and it was so hammer-like in its reliability while all my friends were trying to figure our what went wrong with their Triumph/BSA/Norton electrical system or where to get that Bultaco or Kawasaki piston that I was sold at that moment. I am not proud of BMW's shameless marketing nowadays, but I do still ride them, and when they provide me a lousy bike I will cut them out of the diet, most likely. Bill 98 KLR 97 R1100RS (bmw # 11 for me)