The Mad Irishman sez: Hello from Sioux Falls

[themadirishman]

Hey Ryan, I finally signed on!

Hey everyone, my name's Clancy McKeever from Sioux Falls.  Been riding an 05 KLR since October of 2005, and been wondering why I haven't been riding sooner ever since (waidaminnit... oh, that's right, I wuz poor when I was younger).  The KLR is basically my daily-do-everything bike; I fall back on my Isuzu only when something doesn't fit on the KLR's rack.

Auspiciously, I just finished replacing my rear tire today!  Here's how she looks:

[Hank]

Welcome!   Good to see another flatlander signed up.

[themadirishman]

Hi Hank, thanks for the hello!

Been looking thru some of the other posts, and seen some of the introductions were a bit more detailed.  So... with another tedious drill behind me, here's some poop:

I just clocked 8,000 on the KLR.  Not alot, but as I said, it's my primary steed nowadays—so, all other mundane events aside, I still get to have fun doing trips to and from wherever on a daily basis.  This is probably a good thing as I'm yet pretty much "new" rider.  I have taken a few long distance trips:  the reserves required me to take a trip to Bismarck, ND last year and Jamestown, ND this year.  In both cases the higher HQ's reasons to travel were less than appealing, so I turned them both into a more appealing reason to go by way of two wheels.  Between the two trips, I read Neil Peart's "Ghost Rider", and it inspired me to go to Jamestown by way of 281 instead of taking the superslab when I went to Bismarck.  Yes, it's mostly a straight shot, but the two lane roads are far less busy and more enjoyable.  I also had a fellow reservist traveling with me; I found it was good to have a riding companion.

About five of us reservists got together to do a company group ride at the end of September; I brought along a passenger this time, a gal I've been seeing.  I'm not sure what exactly she was thinking, but when I stopped by her apartment to pick her up, Kate said, "Oh... you brought your bike."   

"Yeah!  We're going on a bike ride."  I had to be that guy and state the obvious.

"But I thought we were starting at your reserve center..."

I bit back the urge to ask her how she thought we were going to get there, and instead, figuring she was maybe a little nervous, tried to calm her with what had to have been an utterly flippant, "C'mon, it'll be alright.  Here's a helmet."

She looked at the helmet with not a little uncertainty.  "Look," I cajoled, "you told me your uncle took you for a bike ride once.  It's just like that."

"But I was twelve!"

"Okay, just remember what you did back then.  Same thing."

"But we only went around the block once."

Oh boy... a nervous rider is not what I needed.  It wasn't the group ride I was concerned with; we'd be on mostly two lane highway.  I was more worried about cutting across Sioux Falls traffic to get the starting point.  Already my inner soldier was doing a risk analysis and ascertaining danger points and risky crossings.

But I was committed.  Since when do guys back out?  That would be bad for my riding image.  So I helped her fasten the helmet, told her again it would be alright, and had her hop on.  "I won't goose it too hard," I promised, and after a second of thought added, "And I'll check to make sure you haven't fallen off the back at every stop."

That earned me a hit.  "I also swear I'll come back and pick you up."  I got socked again.

It was one of the last beautiful days we had in September, and the ride was just long enough to be fun without being exhausting—about two and half hours.  When I dropped Kate off, I could see she had fun.  It was not only her first real ride, it was also her first long distance ride.  It was also the first time I had a passenger for a long distance. 

You should have seen Kate's mouth drop when I told her that.  And I got socked.  Again.   


Anyway, I haven't gotten too mondo weird with the KLR.  I've added a fork brace and an extended carrying rack, for me the two most useful mods I've done to the machine.  I also added an engine guard with highway pegs (aahhhh...), and lowering links+shorter kickstand (hey, I've got a short inseam).  Some anti-vibration goodies on and in the handle make the mirrors more useful, and a throttle lock rounds it out.  Oh, and LittleJacket was kind enough to pass on a modest but completely useful (again, for me) tank bag.  Thanks much,  Ryan!   

[loingrader]

welcome irish.  2.5 hr ride with a pillion is fairly impressive on a klr.  my wife won't ride farther than a few blocks on my klr with me.  more so cause it isn't quite as cool looking as the other options in the garage.  some women can't see the true beauty of the klr.  it's whats on the inside that counts.

[Dustin]

my wife won't ride farther than a few blocks on my klr with me.  more so cause it isn't quite as cool looking as the other options in the garage.  some women can't see the true beauty of the klr.  it's whats on the inside that counts.

Don't feel bad Brett... My wife won't ride on the the KLR for the same reason. 

[themadirishman]

Hehe... she didn't have a choice.  I also have a 78 CB750 sitting in the garage that I picked up from a fellow reservist for s&g, but it's completely torn apart right now.

I should add that ride was a poker run, and mercifully planned with a judicious amount of stops.

[The Yeti]

Welcome Mad Irishman!!

My wife won't even ride with me anymore (since I sold the Gold Wing). 

You gonna make it to the June rally?

[themadirishman]

Oh man, I hope so.  LittleJacket's been keeping on me about hitting a DDSR rally, but this there's been some USAR function going on at the same time—annual training in June (we were leaving the hills as a bunch of you were coming in), and Jamestown in September.   

But I got a plan for this next near—some alternate training down in Fort McClellan, hopefully with a field trip to the CMP south store.  With luck, I'll miss the goat rope in Hunter-Liggett they're planning to wreck my June 2009 with.   

[flexlarson]

WELCOME