nklr hell has frozen over. bmw builds a good offroad bike!

[Chaz Cooper - Hotmail]

There are two things that (I think) I've learned from life. First, if you are part of the "extreme" risk taking population, you will (in all probability) become part of the "accident" population. Just realize that most of those "accidents" were pretty predictable. Changing behavior would have - in many cases - changed outcome. The second thing that's stuck with me is that whether you call it a higher power or random probability, some just won't make it to the end of normal life expectancy. No matter how careful. For me, at my time in this life, I feel like I've reasoned through this pretty carefully. I've provided for my family. I wear all the gear (first time ever in my life!). I look at riding as a skill that I very much enjoy but need to work at if I don't want to be in the extreme risk category. I marvel at, and am jealous of, stories of my grandfather who, in the late '20's and early '30's, drove a stripped down version of a Model A Roadster from CO Springs, CO, across the US to the Great Lakes, to Canada, to California, back to CO Springs. In the '20's and '30's rode early Harley's in hill climbs outside of CO Springs, CO. When he retired he cruised an aluminum fishing boat (with an outboard motor that was way too big for it) from Martinez Landing (CO river outside of Yuma, AZ) as far in both directions as he could. That's the kind of legacy I want to leave. I'm interested in the world. I want to participate - not watch. As for cowardice... always easy to make subjective judgments. Rarely accomplishes much. Chuck

----- Original Message ----- From: CA Stu To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 4:28 PM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: NKLR-Cowardly commuters --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Randy Shultz" wrote: > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "CA Stu" wrote: > > > >> If you've ever had that kind of a ride, felt the adrenaline > streaming into your blood, accepted the challenge to your ability and > felt the > elation of succesfully riding near your limits, maybe even > surpassing > your current abilities, you'll have a hell of a time > quitting riding. > > > > > --- > > I guess I read the man's post differently. He said he had many years > of riding experience. I bet that means he knows very well how much > fun it is to ride and ride well. > > Yet, I suspect that as a father, one develops a deep love and concern > for the welfare of one's children. I had the unfortunate experience > of sitting with one of my best friend's wives at her husband's > funeral. He died doing exactly what he loved: flying. He left three > young kids. But he had the sense (and ability) to provide for them > in the form of life insurance. They were going to be alright > financially. Emotionally? I talked to two of those kids several > years later. They would have preferred to have their father. Of > course. > > The original poster talked about cowardice. Personally, I think a > man who can put something he loves on the back burner in order to do > something that he feels is even more important, is anything but a > coward. Heck, that's a very self-sacrificing, admirable thing to do > in my opinion. We need more men like that in today's "all about me" > world. > > The real question is whether or not riding a motorcycle in some areas > is truly a risky thing to do. I've ridden enough to know that it can > be. Like I said, there are certain places I would not ride on a > regular basis if I had kids. > > For instance, I live in Las Vegas. We have a very significant number > of drunk drivers in this town, and they can be on the road at any > time of day. Personally, if I had kids, I wouldn't commute here. > Not even though I enjoyed it. Not even because I saved some money on > gas. It would be too risky relative to my responsibilities as a > father. > > What I WOULD do, is keep a dual sport to ride away from town, or in > the dirt, or a sport-tourer for the wide open spaces of Nevada, Utah > and Arizona. But I wouldn't commute. There's a reason I pay higher > insurance rates here than I did in New York City, even with a clean > driving record. I bet a lot of situations are like that. > > It is a good thing to think about the implications of what we choose > to do. Doesn't mean that we don't do it anyway. It just means we've > thought it through, with respect to what the consequences may be for > others. Maybe we decide it's worth the risk. Maybe we buy a little > more life insurance. Maybe we decide not to use our bikes just to > get to work. But at least we had the courage and good sense to think > it through, and the maturity to think of what's best for those for > whom we have responsibility, over our own personal desires. I have 3 young children and I have life insurance. I took the motorcycle safety class, I wear protective gear, I stack the odds in my favor as best as I can. I disagree with your logic as far as "riding in certain places". Riding anywhere can be dangerous. I prefer to think of myslef as the master of my riding environment, a dynamic participant who determines his actions, rather than a victim of / slave to it. As far as being a father, I taught my 2 oldest how to ride motorcycles, and my daughter is teh best pillion I have ever had. She's 8 years old. My 9 yr. old son is looking forward to being old enough to own a KLR and doing some adventure rides with his dad. Different strokes for different folks. Like Jud said, if your heart ain't in it, probably better to let it go. Thanks CA Stu PS Nothing is truly risk free. You can fall over and break your neck getting out of your office chair. Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Stuart Mumford]

I never read the original post before I answered, I just wanted to share my thoughts regarding my ride on Sunday, and the almost spiritual high it gave me. After reading the original post, ---------------------------------------------------------------------- So, if I choose not to ride to work, or even ever again, does that make me a coward? Or possibly would I have made a conscious decision to make the odds better that I will see my son graduate high school? Food for thought and debate. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- My answer is "No", that doesn't make you a coward. Unless your prime motivation to ride in the first place was some kind of macho self-test. And as far as seeing your son graduate high school, let me offer you this nugget of wisdom, courtesy of Mumford the Elder (my Dad): "There are old riders and there are bold riders, but there aren't many old, bold riders". It's your life, Alex, do what you think is best. Cheers CA Stu DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com; CA Stu Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Re: NKLR-Cowardly commuters There are two things that (I think) I've learned from life. First, if you are part of the "extreme" risk taking population, you will (in all probability) become part of the "accident" population. Just realize that most of those "accidents" were pretty predictable. Changing behavior would have - in many cases - changed outcome. The second thing that's stuck with me is that whether you call it a higher power or random probability, some just won't make it to the end of normal life expectancy. No matter how careful. For me, at my time in this life, I feel like I've reasoned through this pretty carefully. I've provided for my family. I wear all the gear (first time ever in my life!). I look at riding as a skill that I very much enjoy but need to work at if I don't want to be in the extreme risk category. I marvel at, and am jealous of, stories of my grandfather who, in the late '20's and early '30's, drove a stripped down version of a Model A Roadster from CO Springs, CO, across the US to the Great Lakes, to Canada, to California, back to CO Springs. In the '20's and '30's rode early Harley's in hill climbs outside of CO Springs, CO. When he retired he cruised an aluminum fishing boat (with an outboard motor that was way too big for it) from Martinez Landing (CO river outside of Yuma, AZ) as far in both directions as he could. That's the kind of legacy I want to leave. I'm interested in the world. I want to participate - not watch. As for cowardice... always easy to make subjective judgments. Rarely accomplishes much. Chuck [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[imke101]

Great discussion! I am not in the situation where I need to consider kids or a family and their emotional and financial well-being when I go ride and might have an accident, but it certainly made me think about what my answer would be as a parent. It seems like it's a deeply personal choice, and determined by many factors. One thing is for sure, for me it'd be hard to reduce the discussion to "how dangerous is riding a motorcycle REALLY, and how much can I be in control of what's happening to me when I am out having fun?" Well, nobody is in control all the time, and sh*t does happen. I guess I'd consider how my family felt about it. If I had kids and they said "mom, we're scared when you go ride", I'd think really hard about how to deal with that. I could reduce the issue to rationalizing the risk to me and them (if I really felt I needed the ongoing fun and exhileration of riding my blue pony), I could take them along sometime to make them feel like it's not all that scary (so they could enjoy the blue pony, too), or I could actually sit down and think about how life would be for them without me being there, should something happen. (And if it came up for me without anybody mentioning anything, I'd take it as an intuitive inkling and think about it even harder, but that might be a woman's thing. ) I guess everybody has to make their own choice, and I don't think there's a right or wrong way to go about it, or a right or wrong time in one's life to hold this inquiry. What does seem important, though, is to think it through when it comes up, and for me it would be just as important as, say, the decision whether I'd be a full-time mom, where I'd want my kids to grow up, who I'd want them to grow up with, etc. One thing I am certain about, though: no amount of extra life insurance can replace a dad or a mom in a child's life. Imke, Savannah

[klrdon@aol.com]

>What could this mean for the "F" series? (BMW) Could it >finally be F'd?

Skuttlebutt has it that BMW is making the F series a twin, possible in the TransAlp motor config. maybe in a 750cc size and going back to Italy and a motor built by Rotax. Prolly wrong, but that's what the BMW rags are saying! Don M Atlanta, GA A16 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[David and/or Rena Covell]

> tomorrow during my daily jog. The answer is not to huddle in fear but, > rather, to realize that all men die. Death is as unavoidable as taxes. All > you can do is manage the risks, and try to shift things such that if you > do die, it's only after having lived. And if you die doing something you > enjoy, well (shrug) at least you died in a way of your own choosing, > rather than in a way that totally sucks (like cancer).

Speaking as one who is in fact dying of cancer, I completely agree with the above. The key to dying well is to practice in advance by living well. This seems like a good time to introduce myself. I bought a KLR today for the compelling reason that cancer is making it increasingly difficult to ride my Valkyrie. I do OK on the pavement, but in the past two weeks I've fallen over twice when dismounting on dirt roads, and I've had to wait for help to stand the 750-lb beast upright again. Up until recently I was able to ride the Valkyrie (slowly) on dirt or gravel roads, and even a few fire roads. Anemia is now taking a toll on my legs that even Procrit can't resolve, so the KLR makes infinitely better sense both on and off the pavement. It will also allow me to go places that I couldn't reach on the Valkyrie even in better days. I am a veteran of the cancer wars, and have been fighting for over 7 years. I've had over 100 doses of chemo, 3 clinical trials of experimental drugs and injections of radioactive isotopes, and a bone marrow transplant. I am now in my third and apparently final relapse, and chemo no longer works well enough to justify the cumulative toxicity. I have decided to make the most of whatever time remains by abandoning treatment other than control of pain and anemia. By ceasing the toxic and futile attempts at a cure I hope to have a few more months or more of relative functionality rather than spend the time being chemo-sick. I am completely comfortable with my decision. I bought the Valkyrie in 2000 after 9 straight months of chemo, and against the advice of my oncologist. Subsequent treatments, infections, and hospitalizations kept me from riding as much as I'd have liked, but I did rack up 15K miles on it. I used to build and race drag bikes in the early 70's so the Valkyrie's acceleration was quite a thrill, and a great way to burn off the frustration that comes with unsuccessful cancer treatments. I'll miss the big old girl; the KLR feels positively snail-slow by comparison. Ever since my diagnosis I've known that my cancer (leukemia) was considered incurable. Treatments did buy me the time to do a lot more living, and I've managed to pack in a lot of great experiences during and between treatments. Lots of traveling and quite a bit of medium to high-risk adventures. Too many to list, in fact. I had lead a full life even before my diagnosis, and managed to pack a lot more experience in since then. I can't -- and don't -- complain, and have never once felt any self-pity. It's not a matter of strength, bravery, or anything exceptional. I've met dozens of fellow cancer patients who can say the same. I think it's just a form of realistic acceptance that develops in many patients who've gotten past the initial treatments and realized they were not going to achieve a cure. I dunno; maybe the sourest lemons make the tastiest lemonade. Regardless of our health, we each make a choice of what sort of risks we're willing to take in order to live pleasurable and rewarding lives. For some of us it's motorcycles. I don't know whether this makes us braver than the folks in SUV's or Volvos, nor do I think it matters. Life isn't a bravery contest. I'm not convinced that higher-risk activities provide more or better reward than safer ones. I am an avid musician, and I find this zero-risk activity to be more fulfilling than motorcycling even though it lacks the adrenalin rush of a twist of a throttle. I don't think we can equate bravery with reward; I think all that really matters in life is that we allow ourselves the time to do whatever provides a sense of meaning to our lives. Provided we don't harm others, of course. That being said, risk-taking can be enormous fun. Otherwise I'd probably have bought a lighter, more practical bike instead of the Valkyrie. Not that I won't take risks on the KLR; I have my eye on some rather hairy roads... I'm an archaeology nut and there are many anasazi ruins up high on remote mesas here in northern New Mexico. Unless I can find a riding partner I will be alone, far out in the back country with no cellphone service. As my health continues to dive, this will become a big risk. Unlike the Valkyrie's addictive throttle, which makes the risk the main motive for riding it, the KLR risk will be a side effect of being alone in the backcountry. Obviously a riding partner would be a good idea but it seems unlikely I'll find one, and I am not inclined to wait since my time is so precious. So, I don't know whether cancer makes people less risk-averse or simply accelerates their sense of urgency about cramming in a few more experiences. I've always enjoyed risky outdoor activities, and although I've indulged in more of them since my prognosis became "terminal", I've also seen an increase in low-risk, high-pleasure activities such as playing music and scenic driving in my "boring" Accord. It's all good. Tomorrow I'll register the KLR and prepare to assualt the mesas. With a 29" inseam and cancer-weakened legs, I definitely need the lowering links and a shorter kickstand. The KLR is a used 2002 and already has most of the other mods I want. Slower than I had expected, but once I sell the Valkyrie I suppose I'll get used to the slowness. With weak legs I certainly don't need speed on dirt roads, right? Nonetheless, I'd still welcome suggestions about ways to increase power. Cam? Compression? Gimme gimme.

[John Kokola]

Great post. Thank you for sharing. I doubt I'd be able to be so graceful under similar circumstances. Best wishes to you and your family. And if you find any way to get more power out of your KLR, let us know ... though I suspect it'll be an exercise in futility. --John Kokola

> -----Original Message----- > From: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com]On > Behalf Of David and/or Rena Covell > > > And if you die doing something you > > enjoy, well (shrug) at least you died in a way of your own choosing, > > rather than in a way that totally sucks (like cancer). > > Speaking as one who is in fact dying of cancer, I completely agree with

the

> above. The key to dying well is to practice in advance by living well.

[nakedwaterskier]

Did you try Gleevec? I have a friend on it now. Jeffrey