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KX500

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Brute:
Soooo the wife and I went on a nice trail ride this weekend. She just got her MC endorsement and actually took my advice that trail riding is one of the best ways to build balance and riding skills. This was a easy slow ride so the KX stayed home. After, we had a good talk. While she supports me in my projects she did prompt me to think about why I am modding the KX5 for the street, or even have it for that matter. ?Because I can? used to be a quick return to that?
While this is my third KX500, I am some older since I had the second one. At 57 I am going to give some serious thought to this. I have always just jumped into a project and done it, then usually end up selling it within a few years. Some I have talked about selling right after I start them! The little 2001 TW200 I bought brand new is the longest I have ever kept a motorcycle, and I even talked about selling it a few years ago. Most are here and gone within two years. Lots were a year or less. Some projects were more fun then others, but they still ended up going away. Bored with them I guess?
Might be time to slow down or pick and choose my projects that I really want to do and keep. I have already entertained selling the KX5 a couple of times since I bought it. I stopped doing car projects some years ago. Might be time to stop the motorcycle madness as well? Yes, I am getting old. Sucks.

Brute:
Going to forge ahead with the KX5, though I am thinking it may one of the last I do. Was hoping to have the wife?s little Kawasaki 250 painted this week so I could move forward with the KX5 but did a trial with sealer over the feathered FOUR colors of paint on her fairings and one color lifted. Strip time! Crap! Like I told her, "Being a 2005 with four colors of paint you can figure each color change is a dump or slide."
Checked it careful when I had it stripped down after her friend dumped it and we bought it and the major parts are all straight. If I had not re-jetted it, swapped the pipes for a Muzzy, cut down the air box and put on K&N's it and modified the fairings it would have been done a lot sooner. Just can?t leave them alone! Rode it commuting (84 miles round trip) last year with no fairings on it and it worked well.
Wife actually said, ?Maybe I will ride the KX 500 sometime? after her trail ride last weekend. I don?t think she really understands.........

81cr450:
57 and havent slowed down. That is awesome.

It is hard to grasp a 500's power. My wifes sister said I can ride once, so she got put on a 500. It was quite hilarious watching her IDLE around on the flatest ground she could find. Just watch out that your sweetie doesnt hurt herself showing off.

Dont give up on the bikes, even if you swap alot. Quite a bit of the fun is in the building. I'm 35 & in the last 2 1/2 years have owned 3 cr500's , 3  kx500's, 2 cr250's & a honda xr650l & a banshee. I'm down to a cr250/kx550af bike, 1 cr500, & the xr650l. Its fun making your hobby pay for itself in the juggling. Good luck & post up some pics of what you're doing

Brute:
I have always enjoyed building as much or more then actually racing. Except maybe back when I was racing go karts. Eh, drag racing my old '55 Chev two door was pretty fun too. It really is more the "building" thing. I converted a spring piston pellet gun to a ?Scout? style (EER or pistol scope mounted forward on the barrel) a couple days ago. As soon as it was sighted in I thought, ?My father in law might like this!? Bored with it already!
Watching someone really good on a motorcycle I have put together is definitely more fun then racing it myself. I like riding hard, but watching someone REALLY good is like watching magic happen.
On the wife riding the KX5, ain?t going to happen. Not unless she convinces me she is very good on another bike first. I still like my wife (of 20 years) too much to let her do something that will get her hurt.

81cr450:
My son really wants a street bike & I've tried to explain

 Not unless she convinces me she is very good on another bike first. I still like my wife (of 20 years) too much to let her do something that will get her hurt.

Practice on a dirtbike where your not going to get run over & you can really learn to operate the machine end of things instinctually, so when you get on the road in traffic your not thinking okay clutch brake oops no to much brake, when you should be thinking about the traffic.

20 years & still in love thats excellent  8-)

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