B.C. - So I know it's late in the evening (make that early in the morning, if you want to be technical about it) but this was just too funny to pass up. I've really been lazy when it comes to updating this blog, so I figured I'd make a valiant attempt to get back in the game. A little while ago, I purchased a 2001 Kawasaki Ninja 250 for $400 that was in decent condition. Having sold the '85 Honda Elite 250 (fantastic scooter) I needed to find myself a motorcycle that was cheap, but at the same time, something that was learner-friendly. I wouldn't call myself an experienced rider, however I do think I'm hovering around the intermediate level now. I still wanted to play it safe, however, and get something that would be forgiving towards new rider's mistakes. The Ninja 250 is a well-renowned motorcycle which has been in production since 1986, and is still being made today. It's probably one of the all-time best beginner motorcycles due mainly to it's smooth power delivery, forgiving clutch and overall light weight. Needless to say, I was completely thrilled upon discovering that a battery charge was all it needed to be up and running. It was one of the most smooth, comfortable and forgiving motorcycles I have ever ridden. The only issue was that the valves were making their presence known quite audibly, which really started to bother me after riding it for a few minutes. I took it over to the local motorcycle shop, they looked it over and agreed that it was a little loud, but was nothing to be concerned about. But this is me we're talking about, and I can't ever seem to leave anything alone. So naturally, I took it upon myself to adjust the valves, but as I was attempting to loosen one of the #1 cylinder side exhaust valves, the rocker arm sheared off, leaving me stunned. Oh, hell, that didn't just happen, did it? Yep, it did, and unfortunately it meant having to drop the engine due to the fact that a microscopic piece of the rocker arm had fallen into the deep, dark chasm that was the engine head. Sounds daunting, huh? It was terrible, however, as a random stroke of luck would have it, I found the broken piece and was able to remove it with no damage to the engine. I bought a new rocker arm, adjusted the rest of the valves, and installed the engine back in the bike. I expected to hear an engine happily purring away, but alas, my ears were not greeted with the symphony which I was expecting. Instead, I got a snare drum solo. What the hell is that tapping?? Another inspection and some research later, and I discovered that is was the cam chain rattling against the cam chain grooves. The cam chains have a tendency to stretch over time, and although this would not be too difficult to replace, I decided to sell the bike as it was.
It was tough to do, I really loved that Ninja, but it went to a good home, and is now used daily as a learner bike by the new owner. Glad as I was that I could help a new rider out with a good deal, this did beg the question of what I was going to do for transport now. Time to scour craigslist.com! As blind luck would have it, I happened to stumble across a posting for a 1986 Kawasaki KLR600. For $500. I really couldn't believe what I was seeing, but for $500 it seemed like a complete steal. The only problem was, I really wanted to stick in the 250cc category for a while, as I am still learning, but I needed something to hold me over for the time being. I have to admit, a 600cc single was daunting, and not at ALL what I had in mind, but after a quick phone call, I found out that it had current registration, and had been ridden up to a year ago, when the owner had bought himself a new Suzuki DRZ400 and had decided to garage the KLR. After a short drive to Fullerton, I found the bike exactly as described, complete and waiting for a new home. 600cc or not, this would make one hell of a flip, so I offered $400 which was accepted, and arranged to have the bike delivered.
Upon seeing the bike at the owner's house, I was initially struck by a few things. First off, I had read that the Kawasaki KLR 600 shares almost nothing with the KLR 650, yet has much in common with the popular KLR 250, so it wasn't a big deal that the seat said '250' on it, I figured that it had just been replaced at some point in time with one from a KLR 250. The engine was quite easy to kick over for a 600cc, but I read that the Kawasaki's have a decompression system much like the Honda XL 500's which makes it much easier to kick start, so I thought nothing of it. The seat height was actually much shorter than I had initially expected, as I wasn't even able to climb up onto the 2010 KLR 650 at the Long Beach Motorcycle Show this past year.
Now here's where it gets interesting.
I was quite intimidated after buying the KLR 600, after all, it wasn't really going to work for me in my situation. Sure, it's a great bike, but I want something smaller, with better fuel economy. After returning home from a run up to Apple Valley for a Yamaha DT, I found the KLR in my garage, as the owner had delivered it while I was gone. I got my first look at it in proper light, as it stood there in all its glory. And then...I began to notice things. Not bad things, per say, but...little things. That's funny, I said to myself. I could have sworn that the KLR 600's radiator ducts extended a little more than that...and that engine, it just doesn't look right. I've seen my fair share of engines, and I know enough to know that something's amiss. Either that's the most space-efficient 600cc I've ever seen, or it's something smaller. It just didn't seem to add up. The front plastic, the side plastics, the ducts, the passenger peg location...why did it look so..different? I went inside to check the pink slip, and found the service manual on my place mat. It read, "KLR 250 SERVICE MANUAL." Well, that is to be expected, they were essentially the same bike. Then I looked at the picture of the bike on the front. Do you know what I realized? It had a striking resemblance to what now stood before me in the garage. The plastics matched, the seat matched. One thing left to do. I checked the VIN against what was in the manual.
What do you know, turns out I'm the proud (and surprised) owner of a 1986 Kawasaki KLR 250.
This was fantastic news. Better fuel economy, a smaller engine which was essentially a single cylinder of the engine in the Ninja 250, and cheaper insurance. Boy, I'll tell you, what a nice surprise.
It's kind of interesting how things work out sometimes :)
Brody out!
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