Utards whos riding what

Also, does anyone meet up during the week? The last two places I've lived did beers one night a week..

Stopped by Frog's tonight and had a grand old time drooling over various orange colored projects.. Rode his 950SE too just ot make sure I wasn't completely insane.. Got it up in the high 70s or so, pretty awesome machine. Handled just fine for me, I thought.. Also found a pretty nicely farkled one that will likely do the trick and is a reasonable price not too far away. Deal is not done but I'm pretty excited about it all in all. Also found a bunch of mean '05.5 Andventure Ss in the same price range but I think I'll end up doing the SE...

I was just going to post up something in one of the many 950SE versus 950 Adventure S threads about getting one versus the other and as I was writing I basically answered most of my own questions so here is the conclusion. These are basically the conclusions of my typical complete over-analysis of trying to get to the bottom of the decision:

• I'm OK with dirtbikes turned ADV/dual sport/ OK street machines (meaning 70, 80 mph) from my experiences with the XR650. I had no problem doing 300 miles on the XR and going very fast. My problems with it were 1) lack of magic button, and 2) for street it just felt too small and folks would look at me as I was passing them on the freeway as some sort of nut job going 80 mph on the highway, on a dirtbike (which I basically was). I think the bigger 100hp physically larger bike actually solves a lot of that though...
  

• I love the 690e and if I had more money then brains I'd own 4 bikes (probably all KTMs LOL) right down to a light little 250 or 350 and probably a seldom-used 690e. But I don't have all that money so I have the 520 which will have to suffice and cover a wide range, and then this big bigger bike that will also have to cover a wide range I figure. I think these are two pretty good options. I though a lot about getting the 690e (to push me more towards the area of off road than the 950SE will do) but it's too close to the 520 to me and this also pushes me back toward the area of the XR650R that I mentioned above (including the stuff I didn't like).
  
  

• I want something more dirt oriented that I really can hammer and I thought it would be cool to push an Adventure into this area. I know Trailtwister does a lot of this so I'd love your comments Trailtwister! I thought the 950SE would be more applicable. I've also spent a lot of time putting things into areas they don't belong (a drift boat in crazy white water, for example) and it's fun at first but definitely gets old. I also talked to quite a few guys though who said the same thing about their SEs. Using them a lot at first, but then choosing to sell them afterwards.
  

• I'm not a overly huge fan of the styling of the 950SE. It's definitely cool but to me the Adventure is better looking, I like the gas range, I just don't prefer the consequences of the styling. This, and the benefits of the ADV on the street, are probably my very last hangups.
  

• I need to occasionally (but only very occasionally, and not for any real distance) go 2 up. Frog has some passenger pegs lying around though, so problem solved. This also strikes anything like the 690e.
  

• I am taller, this is nice. But basically the same for both bikes. It's hard to find one of the older very tall S models from 03 or 04 for. All of the S I found are 2005.5 which is mostly a good problem to have I suppose.
  

• I will put some time into making a decent little windshield of some sort. This is my biggest complaint. I didn't mind it without a windshield at all last night surprising to me. Not sure if that would get old after several miles or not... I think I'm going to try to make some sort of imitation rally raid out of aluminum, some steel, and some plexiglass to ideally be able to see out of it. I'm looking forward to actually doing this though, and I think I can talk a motorhead neighbor with a TIG into helping me out.
  
  Here is an example of that fairing (something like $1300 for the kit -- not gotta happen):
  
  Link: http://www.raiddesigns.com/en/produ...it/advrallye-kit-for-ktm-superenduro-950.html
  
  

• I definitely prefer the 50-60lbs less that the SE will have due to off road.
  

• My biggest concerns about hte SE is I saw a couple references of people selling the bike because they "tried to make it into something its not" aka lots of big expensive farkles. Almost none solved the windshield problem though and I think/hope that would go a long way. This rally raid thing above is only 7 lbs heavier than the stock headlight, and its attached to the frame (not the forks). So I think that's pretty good..
  

So we'll see but I think all of the above answers all of my own questions... Travis if there are any more comments/ thoughts on your side I'll continue to be all ears! Also, my neighbor Brett (wassup Brett/ PB32) just called and wants to get an Adventure and wants to talk to the guys who contacted me. So I'll have a buddy with an ADV not too far away and we can hopefully do some of the more street oriented riding together...

Heres a simple windscreen.


It gets rid of the worthless stock headlight as well.

I've had a 990 adv and SE. I will never go back to an adv.

SE is much more nimble in the dirt and does just fine on the road. The wind protection you get from the ADV isn't all that great and you get buffeted to death.

On the se the fuel capacity issue can be fixed by adding a aux tank.

There isn't really anything one can do that the other can't you just have to ask yourself if dirt worthiness or street comfort is more important.

Is you is tryin' ta start up sum sorta one a dem motorseekle clubs? Ware the peeps all gotta congregate on skedual? Nex ting ya knowe we be payin' due and wareen dem oversized patches stitched on undersized vests. We donna need no stinkin' congregatin!

lol...I can only say that because a close friend of mine is in the midst of starting a cruiser club. Shoulda seen the looks I got when I showed up to one of their little events on my XL500S.

For me one of the most appealing things about the adventure bike crowd is our lack of consitancy, love of originality, and general layed-back/all-accepting attitude. With that being said, it would be cool to gather occasionally to share a drink and swap lies....as long as some biker crowd don't suddenly think we're tying to horn in on their "territory".

You can bring beers to my house anytime!

Ya... no. People would kind of just pick a bar with good beer and go drink.. people who happened to ride motorsikles. But I was in a beer loving city, and any excuse to get beer was good enough.

What ever!!!!

I only rode Frog's old Adventure for about 5 miles, all off road, and it felt great compared to the DRZ I was riding at the time.

My thoughts are this - KTM's suspension for me is way too harsh. I don't intentionally ride sand woops, and I don't spend a lot of time airborne, so I have softened up the suspension on both my SE and my 300. I will likely do the same with the 500. I sent my SE's suspension to James at Superplush. The difference before and after is like night and day. I no longer fear short rocky climbs. I have it set up for rocks and roots kinda riding. I also added a stabilizer.

The pipes on the stock LC8s get so hot they are dangerous. And they are heavy. Regardless of getting a 990/950ADV/950SER, lose the cans. Akrapovics are still less money than a skin graft.

The subframe on the SER won't handle any kinda load if you are off-roading. I snapped the stock one, then had it welded and beefed up, then snapped that one as well. It is a known issue. Just be forewarned that a rack on the tail is worthless. People running Wolfman luggage racks, the racks that Harcus sells, or just a Giant Loop, don't seem to have problems.

The stock skid plate is junk. Blackdog cycle works has a heavy, but beefy option that covers the essentials.

You are going to have a hard time eliminating the wind from either the Adventure or the SE. The Swedish option does not solve the problem of wind and buffeting. It is well thought out, provides good protection for electronics, has excellent HID lights, and pretty easy to install. I spent a ton of time and money trying to develop a good lighting/wind/protection windscreen, and in the end, I learned a lot, but was unsuccessful. Frog's setup is probably as good as mine for wind protection, and likely lots lighter. It lacks the real estate for aftermarket electronics if you are into that sort of thing - and I am lost without my GPS, my tunes, my hand warmers, etc.

Zugg Zugg's SE was previously owned by Trailtrick - and that dude had his shit sorted out. I helped Zugg adding some of the farkles, and was envious at times. The only thing I would change on that bike is to remove all the emissions shit post haste. Like I said, If you can work out a deal with him, I will be happy to bring the bike to Utardia for you. I leave Texas next Friday, and would need to arrange to meet Zugg between Mon and Thurs to get the bike.

Lastly, after riding with a bunch of guys with Adventures...I can pick up my bike without help. They often need assistance to pick their bikes up. If you ride solo, this might be a deal breaker.

No doubt DieselGigantor can pick up, and probably lift over head, an SE.

(head slap) I knew I'd seen him somewhere. Duh

I thought the only issue w the xr is that it made him look too big and all that racky stuff was set too far back. I had a klx 650 that was like a stretch xr. Too top heavy for me as I'm not a giant even if tall...

Hi

Anyone riding single track this weekend near Ogden? Have day pass and would like to explore.

thanks

Very spectator friendly. Wander wherever you want. Saturday is the "official" bike show. Featured kind of bike this year is the cafe racer. Saturday seems to be the busiest day, and I think the best day. I'll be there.

a case of beer (or tomatoes!) and all my gpx files (or grunt work at your place to swap the time) goes to the person that comes over and finds the problem w my XR electrical glitch.

It worked like a charm for a long time, and after pulling the subframe off all of the lights are hit and miss (mostly off) so i think it's a loose connection or something. I've been looking all through it and can't find any obvious loose connections or bad looking wires. I sluffed electrical 101 to go snowboarding. I found 2 connections coming right off the stator that were hot but tracing both direction yielded no sighted grounds...

Check your ground wires. Make sure there is a clean connection to whatever they are grounded to. No rust, no dust. Is it all your electrics or just some? If it is all, and they don't share a common ground, then the problem might be at the stator, battery, or rectifier - I think the XR has some sort of rectifier/voltage regulator that the current passes through from the stator, before it gets to the battery. That could be fried if it is all your electrics that are messing up.

Utards... a couple of buddies and I are heading to Ouray, Durango, Moab next weekend... Mostly slab if anyone wants in. Leaving Sunday the 9th... back the 11th. Camping or not.. beer or whiskey. We are easy.

Praise the Lord. There has been a miracle resurrection. MSH has risen from the hell
of home remodeling to ride again.

Welcome back unto the fold.

Really, where have you been???

I promised Sonya that I would give computers/forums a break... I have, since moving to Farmington given up TV, computers and video for guitars, kids and music. My band, Honey Pine has starting playing out and about and that is consuming some extra time. I have a very compulsive and addictive personality, so when I dive into something... it gets pretty deep. I did get my boy a little PW80 that he is doing quite well on. Farmington is great for that.