klr vs. ducati

[Jud]

It's been a while since I used to thrash the coulees of western Wisconsin on my /5, but I used to pass a lot of Ducatis, especially after they started selling them to guys who rode in wife beaters, Oakleys, and backward baseball caps (and we all know what that means). Not nearly as many Ducatis as I did Harleys, but it does call to mind the comment I heard from a local guy who ran a dyno shop: "You know, the Harley rider and the Ducati rider are the same guy. They don't dress alike, and they probably don't know each other, but they are essentially the same guy. And they are both really easy to make money off of."

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Ron Criswell wrote: > > Bogdan I have a friend that that is a retired road racer and teaches small engine repair at a local Community College. He rides a KLR and rode with a friend to the Tail of the Dragon road in North Carolina. He told me you wouldn't believe how many Ducatis he passed there. It is hard to use all that horsepower on a tight curvy road. > > Criswell > > Sent from my iPad > > On Sep 10, 2012, at 9:59 AM, Bogdan Swider wrote: > > > I'm sure some of you have been loosing sleep pondering a big decision. Should you replace your trusted kLR with it's closest competitor, the Ducati Monster 1100 EVO ? Besides the obvious performance drawbacks, we do have some maintenance headaches . I'll admit it's a pain to remove parts starting with the gas tank and ending with the cams to do what should be a simple valve adjustment on one of our one lunged dinosaurs. It is tempting to move to a ride with cutting edge technology and also enjoy a more up to date maintenance procedure. > > > > Maybe my recent experience will help you decide. An acquaintance recently bought a new Ducati Monster 1100 EVO. He'd been away from motorcycles for years. He felt more secure taking a ride in the mountains with some company. On a twisty road we switched bikes. His idea, that I wouldn't be so bold as to suggest, as dropping mine would produce a yawn, whereas his, well..not that. For those that know Colorado, I tested the Monster for 25 miles or so on 67 between Woodland Park and Deckers " a road popular with motorcyclists. I must admit, I jumped on the EVO with mixed feelings. Would returning to my 95 Ratzo with 78K miles be a horrible let down ? > > > > OK I'd better get to the ride itself.. After playing with the throttle ,I'll agree with those that hold the Ducati engine is magic. However, it's set up so lean that it backfires endlessly on de-acceleration. It vibrates some. What surprised me some was the suspension; it transverses both curves and straights like on a rail but you feel every road irregularity especially the lines of tar perpendicular to the road " maybe it needs adjustment. I took the curves " most of them blind " at my usual less than aggressive rate of speed. I'm reminded to be conservative every weekend when some guy looses control. Last week a Suzuki sport bike went down so hard that the front wheel managed to leave the rest of the bike. That was on a clean dry road but often you can be surprised by gravel that migrates from the side roads. I did open up the EVO some when I could see what was ahead. > > > > Getting back on my old beater wasn't so bad. The engine is more than adequate for this application; it backfires way less than the Ducati and is smoother. ( I've done the usual stuff: I've turned the pilot screw out to the sweet spot, shimmed the needle a tiny bit, and detweetified the exhaust. ) As far as the ride, I just might be an idiot savant of suspension tuning. Like the Ducati my KLR rides like on a rail but the road irregularities are much less intrusive. My brakes also did the job. My bike is lowered 1 1/2 " . I'm on my second stock shock which is mated to a heavy duty Progressive spring. ( I was told that at 150 lb., or so, I was too skinny for that spring but that proved not to be the case.) I have progressive springs in the forks and I filled them with more oil than is called for. I have a larger rotor on the front brake. > > > > Yes ,I know the Ducati is designed for higher speeds. On this particular road however the KLR held her own. On the ride home the pride emanating from the old gal was palpable. > > > > Bogdan > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > List Sponsors - Dual Sport News: http://www.dualsportnews.com > > Arrowhead Motorsports: http://www.arrowheadmotorsports.com > > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok: http://www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > Member Map: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DSN_KLR650/app/peoplemap/view/map > > Group Apps: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DSN_KLR650/grouplets/subscriptionsYahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >