Donk
Well-Known Member
It's soon to be winter here in Wisconsin. For some reason when it comes to using salt Wisconsin will put down 5lbs when 1lbs would be sufficient. Worse yet the also use some sort of brine. Anyone who knows anything about KTMs knows they rust up terribly in that sort of environment, turn fuzzy and start to dissolve. After the first time they salt the roads I put the bikes away until after the first spring rain. But wait! Guys like the Ferret ride year round and I want to be one of those guys. Solution, buy a winter bike. A bike I can douse with ACP50 and not lose too much sleep over riding in less than ideal conditions. Thought about lots of bikes, almost bought an RT - great weather protection but too big and too BMW. I wanted something light that offered some weather protection yet would be easy to handle if the roads got bad. The Honda NC700X was high on the list but I couldn't find one for a reasonable price. V-Strom 650 is considered a great bike but somehow I couldn't warm up to it. In the end it's a Kawasaki KLR 650. Been riding it for a couple of weeks now and I'm quite enamored with the bike. Maybe because expectations were pretty low or maybe because there's a lot to like but either way it's a good bike. It's about a sophisticated as a wheelbarrow in a good FJR sort of way. Previous owner put a 1 tooth bigger countershaft sprocket on it so it's quite capable of cruising down the highway. It gives better wind protection than you'd expect and handles quite well. I think on a good day it makes half the hp of my old KTM 690 but that's ok it still gets the job done just fine. I'm having a blast with it!