Bike looking good.
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Just Ride.
- Thread starter Jim
- Start date
Looking Good! When it comes to putzing around riding it's still hard to beat an XS650!
ZACKLEY!!
Yesterday (Sunday) our ride captain Dale, led us on a nice 120 miler around Essex and Kent Counties but with only a few eateries open, the scope for stopping for picies is limited.
However, on my ride back to my dungeon (work always awaits it seems
), I noted that my dear Lucille 
was about to pass a milestone mileage so I stopped and took a couple of shots. I got her with about 21,140 miles so that’s over 12,000 miles of smiles since July 2016.Not bad for a rough old gal who’s lived a hard life...and I’m pretty sure there is a barn in there somewhere.
Pete
Barns and scenic waterways in buccolic tobacco country... Morning cruise..fresh air..ahh its the best.. low 80s..This time of year its early a.m. or late afternoon to evening for what i consider prime riding time...97 miles before lunch...Bike is running fine...hasnt missed a beat...It really likes the backraods best...and around here thats all we have..
Last edited:
Ben, it looks like the XS650 is growing on you.
It is pretty visceral compared to my ST1100..which is a sewing machine that rides well but leaves you feeling disconnected from the road...The XS650 the road is in your face..the wind the road connection is direct...Just filling it to the proper levels of oil and you can feel how the engine is more willing to rev at 55-60 mph..also just lubing the chain and i notice how much smoother the bike runs...So i am getting used to it..It still is a limited use machine..but then again so am I....somewhat....
Last edited:
Nice photos in some very pretty country! I’m happy to see you giving the old girl some love!
I'm happy too and so is the bike..I have been meaning to ride these roads for a while. I have pics at these various stops with all my other bikes but not the XS650...Its now close to 90* and its becoming rather humid...welcome to the SaunaEast...Its Siesta time....Nice photos in some very pretty country! I’m happy to see you giving the old girl some love!
It came down to the wire but the beemer won for the trip down to Gary Hoos Shop today. Adapted, fitted the riders backrest last night and ahem had to test it. About 375 miles round trip.
Crossing the Mississippi back into Illinois from Iowa.
View from a hill top in North West Illinois.
Great day for a bike ride! but had GPS set for adventure route, even though I had checked no gravel roads, spent about 30 miles on gravel, with wind 15 gusting 25 it was kind of "interesting".
R1150RT makes a pretty good road bike. Plenty of power for one up touring, good cornering manners.
Had a nice chat with Gary, purchased some pipes for YWAIN. and um a couple other little goodies for a different project...
Crossing the Mississippi back into Illinois from Iowa.
View from a hill top in North West Illinois.
Great day for a bike ride! but had GPS set for adventure route, even though I had checked no gravel roads, spent about 30 miles on gravel, with wind 15 gusting 25 it was kind of "interesting".
R1150RT makes a pretty good road bike. Plenty of power for one up touring, good cornering manners.
Had a nice chat with Gary, purchased some pipes for YWAIN. and um a couple other little goodies for a different project...
Last edited:
It came down to the wire but the beemer won for the trip down to Gary Hoos Shop today. Adapted, fitted the riders backrest last night and ahem had to test it. About 375 miles round trip.
Crossing the Mississippi back into Illinois from Iowa.
View attachment 169535
View from a hill top in North West Illinois.
View attachment 169534
Great day for a bike ride! but had GPS set for adventure route, even though I had checked no gravel roads, spent about 30 miles on gravel, with wind 15 gusting 25 it was kind of "interesting".
R1150RT makes a pretty good road bike. Plenty of power for one up touring, good cornering manners.
Had a nice chat with Gary, purchased some pipes for YWAI,. and um a couple other little goodies for a different project...
Nice! I’ll bet you hardly even felt the miles go by on that Beemer! How’s the legroom?
If you havent already been spoiled by a sport tourer...you prolly are now...It came down to the wire but the beemer won for the trip down to Gary Hoos Shop today. Adapted, fitted the riders backrest last night and ahem had to test it. About 375 miles round trip.
Crossing the Mississippi back into Illinois from Iowa.
View attachment 169535
View from a hill top in North West Illinois.
View attachment 169534
Great day for a bike ride! but had GPS set for adventure route, even though I had checked no gravel roads, spent about 30 miles on gravel, with wind 15 gusting 25 it was kind of "interesting".
R1150RT makes a pretty good road bike. Plenty of power for one up touring, good cornering manners.
Had a nice chat with Gary, purchased some pipes for YWAI,. and um a couple other little goodies for a different project...
Bob you know how to go for the juggler. It does have the cylinder head highway pegs so there's an alternative knee position.
Solid 8 hours in the saddle, after 3 stops to adjust the backrest it's dialed in.. It has "handlebar back and up" plates but they aren't quite right yet. My inflatable sheepskin pad helps a bunch. the angled floor boards are quite nice. I would prefer a heel shifter. Rowing through 6 gears since I was on a lot of stop signy little lanes, gets tedious, The tranny is kinda between sport bike snick snick and Harleyesk clunking through gears. Takes a bit of work to get the shifting smooth. The famed BMW quiet air pocket is great. My quietride helmet has a slow leak in the pump up ear cushions, GOT to fix that, must of pumped them up 30 times. But most of the day the helmet visor was open part to all the way even with the electric shield below the eye line. Short version it needs some more "fit me" tweaking afore I'd head out for the other side of the country on it. (Trip is a possibility this year)
It does have REALLY good road manners Was on some concrete "slab pounder" road. That would have been brutal on many bikes, barely know those edges are there on this. I'm old but narrowed the chicken strips considerably. Wisconsin 78 is a fun road from the Illinois Border all the way to Prairie du Sac. No tail of the dragon but enough hills n sweepers, delightful small towns to keep it interesting. Wish I coulda got a pic,really pretty small town Main street, cars parked both sides, couple Harleys stopped middle of the road chatting with a guy in a Buick Gran Sport convertible, wooded hillside with an old iron water tower, the background. No one minded waiting while they chatted. Brakes are very good. The suspension makes Wisconsin roads seem better than they are. A rail crossing that can REALLY punish me on say the XS650 (I slow way down with the van and car too) was barely noticeable. This chassis really emphasises counter steering cornering, on some bikes it's kinda yeah that's a theory. On this one it's how you ride.If you haven't already been spoiled by a sport tourer...you prolly are now...
Edit just called Al at Quietride he's sending replacement parts for BOTH my quietride helmets, no charge! 
Sorry buddy! I really wasn’t trying to poke at you.
I had just recalled you saying once, that you had long legs and you thought that BMW’s would cramp your legs. I was just curious if you had changed your mind after your ride yesterday.
We're good.Sorry buddy! I really wasn’t trying to poke at you.
I had just recalled you saying once, that you had long legs and you thought that BMW’s would cramp your legs. I was just curious if you had changed your mind after your ride yesterday.
gggGary said: ↑
Bob you know how to go for the juggler.
I was just thinking about that statement and realized, I’d never heard of that brand of helmet. Is it a fairly new design? It’s been a couple years since I went helmet shopping. I looked it up, it’s a very interesting design.
How do you like it?
I have seen Gary's QuietRide helmet and it is really a clever design. I'd love to get one but I was pretty sure he had said that they were not being made any longer...
I went for a short ride last night. I went down a new road. I stopped for a picture. I expect these in the front yard are getting rare.
Poor thing. Didn't get no love when it was new... and ain't gettin' any now...
At least it has the right number of doors - prob the only feature that has saved it so far.