newbie ?'s

[Zachariah Mully]

All- Being my first foray into the KLR world I have been intently lurking on the list for awhile. I have found that my urge to go out and ride has overridden any monentary restraints that I may have (or for that matter anything of my girlfriend's protests), and I have been totally bitten by the KLR bug. I am a die hard BMW fan and rider, but the GS is far too expensive and far too much of a pig for me to even consider (not that I wouldn't love to own one!) buying at this point in my life. So my questions are this... I have read all the FAQ's on upgrades recommended for all KLR's and I was wondering what on average you all are spending on doing this... I would consider new SS brake lines, 16T counter shaft sprocket, Progressive front fork spring kit, K&N filter, center stand, and luggage racks. I am looking to outfit it for mostly touring/fire road type riding, and city commuting. My next question... I am 6'4" and 230lbs. My trusty ole '81 R65 had a bit of trouble getting my fat ass to acceptable commuting speeds (75+) especially when loaded (I could only travel comfortably fully loaded at 55-60mph). I am worried about the same with this bike, though I realize that it is not necessarily built to run 70-80+ all day (or is it?) fully loaded, but I would love to hear your experiences/limits with this bike. Also, anyone in the DC area that could point me to a good Kawi dealer? I am hoping to test drive one this weekend, and I don't want to end up at one of those places were all the squids hang out and the owner won't let you sit on the bikes because some squid decided he absolutely needed 150+ bhp and quickly met the wrong end of a semi on a test drive. Or even better, any listers in the DC Metro area parting with their KLR? Thanks for the help... I can't wait for my KLR! Zack P.S. Even though BeemerBigDawg may be a total jackass, you gotta love a foriegner's total *lack* of tact. Maybe we should all chip in and get this guy enrolled in an ESL class...