• It's time to vote for the bikes you want to see in the 2025 XS650 Calendar! Vote here!

Just Ride.

Should this ride thread be just a.... well, thread? Or should there be a dedicated Forum topic?

  • Yes, it's own topic in the Forums

    Votes: 19 90.5%

  • Nah... threads good enough.

    Votes: 2 9.5%
  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .
drgonzo said:
In what often appears to be dark times I find that now and again something will occur that restores my faith in humanity and makes the future look just a little brighter. I'll count your experience as one of those positive occurrences.
Nice write up and glad you made it safely.
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Once you get out into God's Country, folks are nice.
 
Finally got a decent ride done on my 650 SG. As the bike is still relatively new to me, there are a number of little details that reveal themselves as I get more seat time.
  • rear springs too stiff > may have too much preload cranked in
  • engine is slow to pull past 4500 rpm in 5th, is also a little flat between 4 and 6000 rpm in lower gears > may be a little lean in that range?
  • the seat (or my backsides) need more padding
  • need better mirrors that stay in adjustment (cheap bar-ends on it now)
  • the big $ GPS speedo/tach is not watertight!!! Got moisture inside it after a pre-ride wash!
Pics to follow tomorrow...
 
atom4488 said:
Finally got a decent ride done on my 650 SG. As the bike is still relatively new to me, there are a number of little details that reveal themselves as I get more seat time.
  • rear springs too stiff > may have too much preload cranked in
  • engine is slow to pull past 4500 rpm in 5th, is also a little flat between 4 and 6000 rpm in lower gears > may be a little lean in that range?
  • the seat (or my backsides) need more padding
  • need better mirrors that stay in adjustment (cheap bar-ends on it now)
  • the big $ GPS speedo/tach is not watertight!!! Got moisture inside it after a pre-ride wash!
Pics to follow tomorrow...
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Two consecutive ride days. Reduced the pre-load on the rear springs (Progressive Suspension) by two positions. Vastly improved ride and feels very much balanced with the front forks with stock springs and a 1" pre-load spacer. The other comments above will have to wait to get addressed.

20240910_180746.jpg20240911_182527.jpg
 
eidemaddin said:
Coffee break on the side of the road. September is simply the most beautyful month for motorcycling here. Pleasant temperatures, the light becomes milder and warmer. Days like these reconcile me with life : )

View attachment 335684

The colors of my favorite season are well reflected by the XS1B 😊

View attachment 335682
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Ya I definitely need this in the calendar
 
eidemaddin said:
Coffee break on the side of the road. September is simply the most beautyful month for motorcycling here. Pleasant temperatures, the light becomes milder and warmer. Days like these reconcile me with life : )

View attachment 335684

The colors of my favorite season are well reflected by the XS1B 😊

View attachment 335682
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Save those pics. You'll need 'em for the calendar. Fantastic!!
 
eidemaddin said:
Coffee break on the side of the road. September is simply the most beautyful month for motorcycling here. Pleasant temperatures, the light becomes milder and warmer. Days like these reconcile me with life : )

View attachment 335712

The colors of my favorite season are well reflected by the XS1B 😊

View attachment 335682
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Bloody lovely bike and background. Similar settings in Blighty next month I hope.
 
eidemaddin said:
Coffee break on the side of the road. September is simply the most beautyful month for motorcycling here. Pleasant temperatures, the light becomes milder and warmer. Days like these reconcile me with life : )

View attachment 335715

The colors of my favorite season are well reflected by the XS1B 😊

View attachment 335682
Click to expand...
What all of the other guys said! Where in Germany were the photo's taken?
 
Not an epic ride by any stretch of the imagination but my bike had some vexing problem that coincided with my own life getting in the way and my most helpful friend was grappling with his own stuff (both his bike and his life) so my bike sat for a few weeks, then almost like magic cured itself of its latest frequent tiny mystery. In that time I got another bike and was trying to get that up to speed, so to speak. Today I dusted the old girl off the best way I know how – with speed. Blasted out to a nearby lake on a mix of back roads and…backer roads. Grabbed some pics and some coffee.

After spending so much time away from the XS and riding another company’s…sporty option…my 77 XS felt so light and nimble and…let’s just say I have one bike because I like the road and one bike because I actually love the bike. What a beauty of a machine with its own idiosyncrasies and joys.
 

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It wouldn't start yesterday and I got tarred after 20 or 30 Higha, Oof's
Today I charged the battery, added some gas to the tank, drained, refilled the float bowl and it fired first kick.
Rode down to Merrimac, topped off with premium and stopped to take a couple pics, started easily every time.
The stone arch Railroad bridge in the background was built in 1879 widened to carry two tracks in 1896 and is still in service
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Greenfield Township Hall, where we live.
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jetmechmarty said:
I was told many years ago that a green motorcycle is bad luck. I don’t know where that came from, I just took it for granted. I had a green Triumph once upon a time.
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I think Kawasaki would disagree with that sentiment. :whistle:
 
jetmechmarty said:
I was told many years ago that a green motorcycle is bad luck. I don’t know where that came from, I just took it for granted. I had a green Triumph once upon a time.
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They probably used to say that about green buggies, horses and bullock carts.
 
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