Rode a 1200GS this weekend...

corbinwelter

Observer
You just can't get around the fact that what makes a bike good off road, makes it not-so-good on road.

I guess thats where 2 dedicated bikes come into play, but it defeats the purpose of a dual sport adventure seeking bike. Being able to cruise to the trails, beat the hell out of it, and ride it back home.

if only the KLR had more oomph and stability for the highway, it is as good as i need it to be offroad.
 

dieselcruiserhead

16 Years on ExPo. Whoa!!
I ended up putting 600 miles on the GS while it was here and really had a blast with it (and also feel like I learned a lot about riding). Also my mountain biking has reached pretty good to about the highest level I'll ever be and as a result I also feel like I am feeling pretty good on the bike too...

I finally got the XR650R which is just awesome. I'll have to post some pics when I get a chance to take some. I am fabbing up a rack and a new light setup for it shortly that should only take about an evening or so.

This is a fun little short term easy repair/low maintenance option (by my standards) while I finish my white pickup truck with the diesel conversion and other aspects.

But I am really psyched for it. I also love how light it is. I have 40 psi in the front tire and 35 in the rear and with a brand new set of Pirelli Enduro DOT knobbies it is actually pretty smooth on the highway that surprised me. I'm not sure if this is too much pressure for the knobby but it is solid on the street, or feels solid. As they break in though I figure they will get worse. I also picked up a spare set of wheels for it of the local classifieds as well as a sick deal locally on some soft panniers that are also dry bags (if anyone is interested I can PM you the location -- only $65!).

I would probably buy something like a TKC-80 for the more street friendly tires except that the Shinko 700's are a really good deal (Shinko is formerly Yokohama, they are made in Korea) and seem pretty aggressive but also pretty street friendly. These will be my more street friendly tire. It is funny because I'm basically KLR-izing my XR650R as best as I can... The question is whether it is an advantage or not...
 

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