Kawasaki W800

If the 800 is a good girl, then the XS is a bad one.

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....and bad girls are fun! ;)
 
Oddly, I think of my R100RS as a good girl and the XS650s as bad girls.

Good thing I have three of them.....;)

That’s funny, I feel like I have two sisters who are very different. My black ‘77 is the no drama mama, she is just steady and reliable, you know the girl you take home to mom. :)
My XS2 is like her red headed wild child sibling, the girl who likes to party but is high maintenance! :pimp:
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That’s funny, I feel like I have two sisters who are very different. My black ‘77 is the no drama mama, she is just steady and reliable, you know the girl you take home to mom. :)
My XS2 is like her red headed wild child sibling, the girl who likes to party but is high maintenance! :pimp:
View attachment 190084

.....and then there's Lucille.....:yikes:
 
That’s funny, I feel like I have two sisters who are very different. My black ‘77 is the no drama mama, she is just steady and reliable, you know the girl you take home to mom. :)
My XS2 is like her red headed wild child sibling, the girl who likes to party but is high maintenance! :pimp:
View attachment 190084
Move Guido and Sofia out of the driveway and shoot that again. There's some cool art right there. :smoke:


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Marlon's honest reviews are v funny and where necessary v cruel. Love his laconic Aussie style. Take a look at his review of the modern Triumph Bonneville - which puts the W800 in an even better light:

 
the modern Bonneville, and the RE Interceptor for that matter. It's the aftermarket
Amen brother. S&S has jumped into the Enfield 650 aftermarket with both feet, look at the catalog. Peter Egan said it best, "Yes, Wisconsin-made pipes on a motorcycle from India, a commercial nexus I did not foresee while attending high school 30 miles from Viola in the ’60s."
 
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Amen brother. S&S has jumped into the Enfield 650 aftermarket with both feet.
S&S has a 865 cc big bore kit for the RE 650. I watched a review on YouTube. The difference from stock is considerable according to the reviewer.

Now that my XS650 is back on the street, I gotta say I just love it! Even after 38 years of ownership. My XS1100 is going on errands this afternoon because the 650 is on the lift getting more attention to details.
 
That’s funny, I feel like I have two sisters who are very different. My black ‘77 is the no drama mama, she is just steady and reliable, you know the girl you take home to mom. :)
My XS2 is like her red headed wild child sibling, the girl who likes to party but is high maintenance! :pimp:
View attachment 190084
But both equally prim and proper.
 
Today, went for a run, just a few miles to think some more about those tyres.

It's the rear that feels a little bit odd. To exaggerate, almost feels as if there's a front tyre in the back. Starting to get used to it. But I miss that feeling you usually get with a new tyre - renewed confidence, you could call it?

So, tried adjusting the suspension to reduce that feeling of the rear 'tucking in' to corners - reduced the spring preload on the Hagons by just one click. Then did a few more miles.

Result? Well, I think the change has improved things. And I'm definitely getting more used to the new tyres.

Washed the bike so here's Polly in the afternoon sunshine:

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Mileage clicked over the 32323 mark to day and she still scrubs up not too bad. Though, TBH, the photo probably flatters the bike a bit. The cylinder fins nowhere near as black as they were. Some other areas, such as the wheel rims, starting to show a bit of wear & tear.

But don't we all?
 
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