New (to Me) 2000 Kawasaki W650 - Page 21

bobaab · 05-18-2010, 11:58 AM

What a great bike! This is one bike I would love to own...the kick start says it all!

I was talking to my dad about his motorcycling days in Japan, and he told me the Kawasaki W1 (or the Meguro W1) was a crazy bike back in those days. Buying one of these basically meant you were a bad ass.

There is a rather large cult following for the old W bikes in Japan and I think the W650 is a reincarnation to feed that nostalgia. It's too bad that the nostalgia is more in Japan rather than the US!

The Jerk · 05-20-2010, 09:04 AM

I had the opportunity to take a longer ride last night which included some highway time. I'm still amazed at how something as simple as a new set of bars seems to have completely transformed the character of the bike. It's SO much more fun to ride now, especially over 70. I was wearing a huge grin inside my helmet last night.

New tires go on this weekend and now unfortunately I'll be more aware of the stock suspension's limitations. Guess I'll have to start saving up for those Hagons.

The Jerk · 05-23-2010, 02:14 PM

So yesterday I ditched what I believe were the original 10-year-old Bridgestone Accolade front and rear tires. They had plenty of tread left but the rear was becoming quite dry-rotted around the rim and the front was getting some serious dry-rot cracks in the tread lines. Add to that they fact that they were getting pretty squared-off and they are not particularly good tires to begin with and it was time for them to go.

Replaced them with Bridgestone BT-45V tires in the original sizes. Wow, what a difference! The bike actually turns in now.

First time I went to make a right turn on the new tires it turned in so quick I thought I was going over. Amazing what you can get used to on old worn tires.

They are much more confidence-inspiring even while not yet scuffed in than the original tires ever were. Cornering is a much more pleasant and much less dangerous experience. :)

Definitely a good upgrade. Now to start saving up for those Hagons and RaceTech front end kit.

ag_streak · 05-24-2010, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Jerk

First time I went to make a right turn on the new tires it turned in so quick I thought I was going over. Amazing what you can get used to on old worn tires.

I totally agree! And not just tires, but changing handlebars or even suspension settings, too.

I changed soft, noodly stock steel bars on a V-strom with nice, stiff aluminum fat bars, and WOW, the first couple of turns, like you said, I felt like I was overs steering.

It's amazing how we get muscle memory and get so used to bike you ride all the time. I always say that riding a variety of bikes improves your skills faster than riding one bike a lot.

The Jerk · 05-24-2010, 01:30 PM

Ok, talk to me about suspension.

My current line of thinking involves the Hagon progressive shocks/springs for the rear and the RaceTech front fork kit including new springs and emulators.

Not having really ever messed around with suspension modifications before, my main concern is this: I want to be sure not to make the ride too firm/hard.

I live in New York and ride in the greater northeast. I have to deal with huge frost heaves, gigantic pothole craters, and really big mid-corner bumps. I don't want to change the suspension only to find that I'm blowing out my kidneys and rattling out my fillings over all the bumps I have to deal with on a daily basis.

Based on my reading about the topic, it seems that a properly set up suspension will be compliant when it needs to be and firm when it needs to be.

So I guess I'm looking for some reassurance that I won't be ruining my bike by inflicting a sportbike-hard ride on it.

I'm also looking for some advice and input from those who've been down this road before about how the above upgrades changed the ride and handling characteristics of the bike.

hockeygoon · 05-24-2010, 02:09 PM

I did the race-tech emulators and progressive spring up front and Progressive (brand) on the rear. The rear is great, much better than normal, but I think I need to adjust the front as it is definitely a little on the firm side for our frost-heavin' roads.

I originally had it done by a suspension guy in San Jose CA set up for the (generally) better twisty roads out there.

I'm less of a do-it-yourselfer than you are, so I can't really help with info on the actual install or any 'gotchas'.

BTW I also have the front fork-brace on it.

Speedo66 · 05-24-2010, 03:56 PM

My son lives in Bushwick in Brooklyn. Nothing short of 10" travel at either end is going to protect you from the potholes you can see unaided from space and surfaces destroyed by overweight trucks. I've seen motocross tracks with less whoops.

The moon laughs at Bushwick.

The Jerk · 05-24-2010, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedo66

My son lives in Bushwick in Brooklyn. Nothing short of 10" travel at either end is going to protect you from the potholes you can see unaided from space and surfaces destroyed by overweight trucks. I've seen motocross tracks with less whoops.

The moon laughs at Bushwick.

Trust me, that I know all too well. But I'm not looking to worsen the ride if I can help it.

Speedo66 · 05-25-2010, 01:30 PM

Another CL special (not mine, and never will be), a defaced W650 for ONLY....... (and he's firm, no less)

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst...758292841.html

Guy has a bad case of of "wanna be".

hockeygoon · 05-25-2010, 01:52 PM

Where's the crack pipe smilie?

The Jerk · 05-25-2010, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedo66

Another CL special (not mine, and never will be), a defaced W650 for ONLY....... (and he's firm, no less)

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst...758292841.html

Guy has a bad case of of "wanna be".

$7400!!!!!!!
Guy is positively nuts!

Also for $7400 it better not have a bullshit Triumph logo on the tank nor have a 3" scratch in the tank. That thing needs to be showroom perfect for $7400 and even then that's way too much money. Ah, when I think of the deals I've read about in this thread...

hockeygoon · 05-26-2010, 11:51 AM

Braided lines on the front and BT45s on the rims. Schweet! Still going to have to heat cycle the tires some to get rid of the 'new tire' slickness, but I can tell it rides better than before.

And 'The Jerk' that excessive rebound I had before on the front seems to have gone away. Went over the same highway expansion joints that usually give me a little scare, and with the new rubber, no problem.

Now to get the bar-ends and saddlebags on, and it should be ready for some long distance exploring this summer.

The Jerk · 05-26-2010, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hockeygoon

Now to get the bar-ends and saddlebags on, and it should be ready for some long distance exploring this summer.

What are you doing for bags? I've been pondering this question. The LeatherLyke stuff looks pretty cool and the mounts are stealth with the bags off the bike.

hockeygoon · 05-26-2010, 04:18 PM

I got the five star mounts from Twisted Throttle and plan to get Givi monokeys. They seem the most cross-platform, so I can use them with future bikes as well as the Dub (which I seriously doubt I will ever sell).

ORexpat · 05-26-2010, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Jerk

What are you doing for bags? I've been pondering this question. The LeatherLyke stuff looks pretty cool and the mounts are stealth with the bags off the bike.

http://www.giantloopmoto.com/

05-20-2010, 09:04 AM	#302
The Jerk ^OP Bring us some fresh wine! Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Brooklyn, NY Oddometer: 2,327	I had the opportunity to take a longer ride last night which included some highway time. I'm still amazed at how something as simple as a new set of bars seems to have completely transformed the character of the bike. It's SO much more fun to ride now, especially over 70. I was wearing a huge grin inside my helmet last night. New tires go on this weekend and now unfortunately I'll be more aware of the stock suspension's limitations. Guess I'll have to start saving up for those Hagons. __________________ 2011 Triumph Tiger 800 ABS 2000 Kawasaki W650

05-23-2010, 02:14 PM	#303
The Jerk ^OP Bring us some fresh wine! Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Brooklyn, NY Oddometer: 2,327	So yesterday I ditched what I believe were the original 10-year-old Bridgestone Accolade front and rear tires. They had plenty of tread left but the rear was becoming quite dry-rotted around the rim and the front was getting some serious dry-rot cracks in the tread lines. Add to that they fact that they were getting pretty squared-off and they are not particularly good tires to begin with and it was time for them to go. Replaced them with Bridgestone BT-45V tires in the original sizes. Wow, what a difference! The bike actually turns in now. First time I went to make a right turn on the new tires it turned in so quick I thought I was going over. Amazing what you can get used to on old worn tires. They are much more confidence-inspiring even while not yet scuffed in than the original tires ever were. Cornering is a much more pleasant and much less dangerous experience. :) Definitely a good upgrade. Now to start saving up for those Hagons and RaceTech front end kit. __________________ 2011 Triumph Tiger 800 ABS 2000 Kawasaki W650 The Jerk screwed with this post 05-23-2010 at 02:21 PM

05-24-2010, 01:30 PM	#305
The Jerk ^OP Bring us some fresh wine! Joined: Mar 2006 Location: Brooklyn, NY Oddometer: 2,327	Ok, talk to me about suspension. My current line of thinking involves the Hagon progressive shocks/springs for the rear and the RaceTech front fork kit including new springs and emulators. Not having really ever messed around with suspension modifications before, my main concern is this: I want to be sure not to make the ride too firm/hard. I live in New York and ride in the greater northeast. I have to deal with huge frost heaves, gigantic pothole craters, and really big mid-corner bumps. I don't want to change the suspension only to find that I'm blowing out my kidneys and rattling out my fillings over all the bumps I have to deal with on a daily basis. Based on my reading about the topic, it seems that a properly set up suspension will be compliant when it needs to be and firm when it needs to be. So I guess I'm looking for some reassurance that I won't be ruining my bike by inflicting a sportbike-hard ride on it. I'm also looking for some advice and input from those who've been down this road before about how the above upgrades changed the ride and handling characteristics of the bike. __________________ 2011 Triumph Tiger 800 ABS 2000 Kawasaki W650

05-24-2010, 02:09 PM	#306
hockeygoon Studly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2007 Location: USA, CT, Norwich Oddometer: 542	I did the race-tech emulators and progressive spring up front and Progressive (brand) on the rear. The rear is great, much better than normal, but I think I need to adjust the front as it is definitely a little on the firm side for our frost-heavin' roads. I originally had it done by a suspension guy in San Jose CA set up for the (generally) better twisty roads out there. I'm less of a do-it-yourselfer than you are, so I can't really help with info on the actual install or any 'gotchas'. BTW I also have the front fork-brace on it. __________________ 2000 Kawasaki W650 2006 Harley 883R 2001 Ducati M750 (sold)

05-24-2010, 03:56 PM	#307
Speedo66 Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2010 Location: Now Fairfield Co, CT Oddometer: 4,583	My son lives in Bushwick in Brooklyn. Nothing short of 10" travel at either end is going to protect you from the potholes you can see unaided from space and surfaces destroyed by overweight trucks. I've seen motocross tracks with less whoops. The moon laughs at Bushwick. __________________ '01 Kawasaki W650 '05 Yamaha XT225

05-18-2010, 11:58 AM	#301
bobaab Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Oct 2009 Location: Purdue/Park Ridge, IL Oddometer: 136	What a great bike! This is one bike I would love to own...the kick start says it all! I was talking to my dad about his motorcycling days in Japan, and he told me the Kawasaki W1 (or the Meguro W1) was a crazy bike back in those days. Buying one of these basically meant you were a bad ass. There is a rather large cult following for the old W bikes in Japan and I think the W650 is a reincarnation to feed that nostalgia. It's too bad that the nostalgia is more in Japan rather than the US!

05-25-2010, 01:30 PM	#309
Speedo66 Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2010 Location: Now Fairfield Co, CT Oddometer: 4,583	Another CL special (not mine, and never will be), a defaced W650 for ONLY....... (and he's firm, no less) http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst...758292841.html Guy has a bad case of of "wanna be". __________________ '01 Kawasaki W650 '05 Yamaha XT225

05-25-2010, 01:52 PM	#310
hockeygoon Studly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2007 Location: USA, CT, Norwich Oddometer: 542	Where's the crack pipe smilie? __________________ 2000 Kawasaki W650 2006 Harley 883R 2001 Ducati M750 (sold)

05-26-2010, 11:51 AM	#312
hockeygoon Studly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2007 Location: USA, CT, Norwich Oddometer: 542	Braided lines on the front and BT45s on the rims. Schweet! Still going to have to heat cycle the tires some to get rid of the 'new tire' slickness, but I can tell it rides better than before. And 'The Jerk' that excessive rebound I had before on the front seems to have gone away. Went over the same highway expansion joints that usually give me a little scare, and with the new rubber, no problem. Now to get the bar-ends and saddlebags on, and it should be ready for some long distance exploring this summer. __________________ 2000 Kawasaki W650 2006 Harley 883R 2001 Ducati M750 (sold)

05-26-2010, 04:18 PM	#314
hockeygoon Studly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2007 Location: USA, CT, Norwich Oddometer: 542	I got the five star mounts from Twisted Throttle and plan to get Givi monokeys. They seem the most cross-platform, so I can use them with future bikes as well as the Dub (which I seriously doubt I will ever sell). __________________ 2000 Kawasaki W650 2006 Harley 883R 2001 Ducati M750 (sold)

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