1st trip

[Ronald Criswell]

I was out in Terlingua TX (next to Big Bend Nail Park) doing what locals do, having a beer on the porch next to the Starlight Cafe, watching the sunset to the East (only in Terlingua). Some Kawasaki KLR riders rode up and I talked to them a while, then they roared (chugged) off into the sunset looking like a band of dirty desperate desperadoes. I retook my spot on the porch next to an attractive 20's something girl. She watched them ride off, then looked at me and grinned saying "Harley's sound better." Folks KLR's are not the chic magnet. On the same porch, the guy next to me on the other-side was complaining about his bad hangover yesterday. Remedy? He had breakfast, drank some beers, smoked some weed and was ready to begin a new day. Life in Terlingua, where they walk (and stumble) to a different beat. You really have to watch the eastern sunset. Ron Criswell

[James W. Flower]

Last week I parked next to a Harley. The rider came out. I grinned and said, "I may call yours a Hardley Everruns, but you can call mine a KindaSucky." He said, "Hey man, I love BMWs." I should have offered to sell it to him, might have been able to buy two more KLRs.

[Raggzz]

Not sure why you use those descriptions for either bike. I ride Harleys also and have ridden them all over the country, thousands of miles a trip, & have never had a problem. Not sure about yours but I've never thought my KLR sucked. Does exactly what I expected it to do.

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Raggzz" wrote:

> > Not sure why you use those descriptions for either bike. I ride Harleys also and have ridden them all over the country, thousands of miles a trip, & have never had a problem. Not sure about yours but I've never thought my KLR sucked. Does exactly what I expected it to do. >

For the same reason people say, "Found On the Road Dead" or "Fix It Again Tony". The only one I ever understood was little boys wear bowties. revmaaatin. who has a bowtie in the drive and KiLeRista's in the garage.

[Eddie]

Re: " Does exactly what I expected it to do."- Jim Yep. I rode my KLR to a local bike shop to pick up a saddlebag and an air filter cover for a wreck repair on a cruiser in my friend's shop. The parts counter lady saw my helmet and quizzed, "How are you going to carry all this on a motorcycle?" I just said, "Easy. I'm on a KLR650. That's a truck with handlebars." =) eddie

[Jeff Khoury]

I can vouch for that! I once towed my brother on his YZ250 over about 15 miles of fire trails and around 2000+ ft. of vertical climb with my KLR when he seized his engine deep in the Angeles National forest. A passing ATVer loaned us a buddy strap and once we worked out the physics of towing one bike with another, the Dirt Ninja did a fine job of tractoring us both back to the truck. I ----- Original Message ----- From: "eddie" To: "KLR650 list" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, November 3, 2011 1:55:00 PM Subject: RE: [DSN_KLR650] Re: KLR story Re: " Does exactly what I expected it to do."- Jim Yep. I rode my KLR to a local bike shop to pick up a saddlebag and an air filter cover for a wreck repair on a cruiser in my friend's shop. The parts counter lady saw my helmet and quizzed, "How are you going to carry all this on a motorcycle?" I just said, "Easy. I'm on a KLR650. That's a truck with handlebars." =) eddie

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Jeff Khoury wrote: snip once we worked out the physics of towing one bike with another, the Dirt Ninja did a fine job of tractoring us both back to the truck. > Jeff, Can you post a picture how you did this? I once 'witnessed' a Kawi 175 towed 10 miles with a pants belt; they remained in very close formation with the other bike. Tow bike had two riders; one to drive, one to hold the belt. The Kawi was a one handed operation to control the bike and one to control the 'belt-link'. revmaaatin. no, it was not me....

[mark ward]

I carry 30ft of 1/8 inch climbers rope (tough stuff) in my tool bag, for towing etc., The other 2 guys on a trip to tail of the dragon, LAUGHED ALOT, untill one went over the side on a curve, Lucky because 15ft back solid trees, 20 ahead 80ft+- drop off down to the switch back we were one. He went about 15ft down the sandy embankment, with 2 ways out, UP OR DOWN the STEEP 80 ft. I pulled out the rope and even the guy in a van that stopped started laughing. I tied it to the van and bike, using shop rags to protect the bike, and so the van's underbody did not CUT it. his wife drove the van and walked all 5 out. 4guys and the bike. You could not walk up the hillwith out using your hands but we all held on to the bike for support. THEY never laughed at the rope again, Other extra's untill needed, YES! the 1/8 in. Climbers rope NO!

--- On Wed, 11/23/11, revmaaatin wrote: From: revmaaatin Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: KLR story To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2011, 5:44 PM --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Jeff Khoury wrote: snip once we worked out the physics of towing one bike with another, the Dirt Ninja did a fine job of tractoring us both back to the truck. > Jeff, Can you post a picture how you did this? I once 'witnessed' a Kawi 175 towed 10 miles with a pants belt; they remained in very close formation with the other bike. Tow bike had two riders; one to drive, one to hold the belt. The Kawi was a one handed operation to control the bike and one to control the 'belt-link'. revmaaatin. no, it was not me.... [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jeff Khoury]

I don't have any pictures, but essentially this is how we worked it out: We used a "buddy strap" that a couple of guys on passing ATVs loaned us, which is essentially a long piece of 1" fairly thick nylon webbing. Using those surprisingly useful seamanship skills I picked up courtesy of my Uncle Sam, I ran the strap through both handle holes of my luggage rack, then tied the tag end into a bowline, making a fixed, non-jamming loop. This kept it from binding and allowed it to pull from the center rather than one side or the other, and left "play" so it could slide side-to-side when we would go around bends. He was on a YZ250, so there was no fairing or headlight assembly in the way. I left about 10-15' of length, then tied a quick-release clove hitch around his handlebar between the clamps. The theory was that if he got into trouble, all he had to do was yank the tag end to release the knot. We found the key to towing, and not wrecking the tractor driver was for the towed vehicle to lightly ride the (rear) brakes. It's very important not to let slack develop in the towline. When you do, there's a huge jerk, and if you're not perfectly straight it will yank you off balance. Have the towed rider keep his front tire pointed directly at the towing motorcycle. The towing rider should of course take all the turns as wide as possible to give the towed rider room to stay on the trail while keeping his front tire pointed at the towing rider. Does this help?

----- Original Message ----- From: "mark ward" To: "DSN KLR650" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com>, "revmaaatin" Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 11:52:57 AM Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Re: KLR story I carry 30ft of 1/8 inch climbers rope (tough stuff) in my tool bag, for towing etc., The other 2 guys on a trip to tail of the dragon, LAUGHED ALOT, untill one went over the side on a curve, Lucky because 15ft back solid trees, 20 ahead 80ft+- drop off down to the switch back we were one. He went about 15ft down the sandy embankment, with 2 ways out, UP OR DOWN the STEEP 80 ft. I pulled out the rope and even the guy in a van that stopped started laughing. I tied it to the van and bike, using shop rags to protect the bike, and so the van's underbody did not CUT it. his wife drove the van and walked all 5 out. 4guys and the bike. You could not walk up the hillwith out using your hands but we all held on to the bike for support. THEY never laughed at the rope again, Other extra's untill needed, YES! the 1/8 in. Climbers rope NO! --- On Wed, 11/23/11, revmaaatin < mjearl4@... > wrote: From: revmaaatin < mjearl4@... > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: KLR story To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2011, 5:44 PM --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com , Jeff Khoury wrote: snip once we worked out the physics of towing one bike with another, the Dirt Ninja did a fine job of tractoring us both back to the truck. > Jeff, Can you post a picture how you did this? I once 'witnessed' a Kawi 175 towed 10 miles with a pants belt; they remained in very close formation with the other bike. Tow bike had two riders; one to drive, one to hold the belt. The Kawi was a one handed operation to control the bike and one to control the 'belt-link'. revmaaatin. no, it was not me.... [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Buddy Seifert]

If I can add my two cents, it may have wiser just to put three or four wraps around the handlebar of the towed bike. You can pinch the tail end of the rope between your thumb and the bar and that will provide more than sufficient friction to get you moving and if everything goes to shit, release your thumb and you are free of the towing bike. It worked for me 40 years ago when one of the cdi units on my A1SS died when my then sweetie and I were out in the midde of BFE. We got a tow from an elderly gent on a BSA Starfire. It got us the 10 or so miles out to the road and a phonebooth to call my brother and have him rescue us with his pickup. I miss the bike, not the chiquita. I am looking for a complete 1970 A1SS. That's the only bike I have sold in order to buy a new one. No more detoy to retoy!!!!!!! buddy Sent from my iPad

On Nov 23, 2011, at 16:29, Jeff Khoury wrote: > I don't have any pictures, but essentially this is how we worked it out: > > We used a "buddy strap" that a couple of guys on passing ATVs loaned us, which is essentially a long piece of 1" fairly thick nylon webbing. > > Using those surprisingly useful seamanship skills I picked up courtesy of my Uncle Sam, I ran the strap through both handle holes of my luggage rack, then tied the tag end into a bowline, making a fixed, non-jamming loop. This kept it from binding and allowed it to pull from the center rather than one side or the other, and left "play" so it could slide side-to-side when we would go around bends. > > He was on a YZ250, so there was no fairing or headlight assembly in the way. I left about 10-15' of length, then tied a quick-release clove hitch around his handlebar between the clamps. The theory was that if he got into trouble, all he had to do was yank the tag end to release the knot. > > We found the key to towing, and not wrecking the tractor driver was for the towed vehicle to lightly ride the (rear) brakes. It's very important not to let slack develop in the towline. When you do, there's a huge jerk, and if you're not perfectly straight it will yank you off balance. Have the towed rider keep his front tire pointed directly at the towing motorcycle. The towing rider should of course take all the turns as wide as possible to give the towed rider room to stay on the trail while keeping his front tire pointed at the towing rider. > > Does this help? > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "mark ward" > To: "DSN KLR650" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com>, "revmaaatin" > Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 11:52:57 AM > Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Re: KLR story > > > > > > > I carry 30ft of 1/8 inch climbers rope (tough stuff) in my tool bag, for towing etc., > > The other 2 guys on a trip to tail of the dragon, LAUGHED ALOT, untill one went over the side on a curve, Lucky because 15ft back solid trees, 20 ahead 80ft+- drop off down to the switch back we were one. > > He went about 15ft down the sandy embankment, with 2 ways out, UP OR DOWN the STEEP 80 ft. I pulled out the rope and even the guy in a van that stopped started laughing. > > I tied it to the van and bike, using shop rags to protect the bike, and so the van's underbody did not CUT it. his wife drove the van and walked all 5 out. 4guys and the bike. > You could not walk up the hillwith out using your hands but we all held on to the bike for support. > > THEY never laughed at the rope again, Other extra's untill needed, YES! > the 1/8 in. Climbers rope NO! > > --- On Wed, 11/23/11, revmaaatin < mjearl4@... > wrote: > > From: revmaaatin < mjearl4@... > > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: KLR story > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2011, 5:44 PM > > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com , Jeff Khoury wrote: > snip > > once we worked out the physics of towing one bike with another, the Dirt Ninja did a fine job of tractoring us both back to the truck. >> > > Jeff, > Can you post a picture how you did this? > > I once 'witnessed' a Kawi 175 towed 10 miles with a pants belt; they remained in very close formation with the other bike. > > Tow bike had two riders; one to drive, one to hold the belt. > The Kawi was a one handed operation to control the bike and one to control the 'belt-link'. > > revmaaatin. no, it was not me.... > > [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 > > >