Hello From Lurker
Senior Member
1st Gear Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 270
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RE: Hello From Lurker
Gee, I should have thought to look at the kawasaki site first here is link to '09 specs.
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/det...specifications
Cheers
Chris.
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/det...specifications
Cheers
Chris.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 187
From:
RE: Hello From Lurker
Welcome dmon.
It looks like the 09' has the same headlight in it that redbird installed on his bike (the 450 light). That'll be interesting to see if it bolts on our bikes too. But, no fender rack on the 09'? hmmm .... I know a bunch of you pull it off from the start, but I kinda like mine.
It looks like the 09' has the same headlight in it that redbird installed on his bike (the 450 light). That'll be interesting to see if it bolts on our bikes too. But, no fender rack on the 09'? hmmm .... I know a bunch of you pull it off from the start, but I kinda like mine.
Thread Starter
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Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 3
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RE: Hello From Lurker
Holy Cow, gotta love this forum. I was sold on this Cow (Kaw) as soon as I found the big online communities. You can't fake love like that. I did a lot of research, then I got some random muttering about "dual-sports being dead" from the first dealer we went to, and then we talked to a former MXer at the next dealer, who nodded and aimed us at the bike. Bam. It's all over. The bike will be the first of (eventually) two. I've got a few short months to bankroll my upfront cash.
Me and my lady really enjoy getting out in the woods. We don't think the big, fat, squishy "dual sports", which are really tourers, would suit us. I'm not going to ask her to push a bike three times her weight through a stream. Besides, this is her first ride. If we ever get to the point that we are waltzin' through the woods on some demonic 450 or 650 RFS monsters, then so be it, but for the first bike, we decided together that the KaTooM 450 had more zoom but wasn't as nifty as the Kaw 250.
I haven't ridden in years. I can tell you though, 250s didn't used to be viewed as small dirt bikes at the track. 125s were small, and 450s were almost uncontrollably big (track bullies, that only behaved when their weight was down solid), and 250s were suitably mean. I understand that we're talking about 4 strokes these days, and not '70 and '71 two-stroke screamers. But this bike does 60 on the street with a big guy on it, and from my perspective, that's a real bike. And the 330 big bore kits seems to be working out for people.
I really think 250 is a decent displacement. We may get into that minimalist touring thing. We also may have to build some decent luggage and equipment racks for these things. I"m thinking about making something out of aluminum channel stock. The chick knows how to weld aluminum.
Here are some pictures from foot-hiking yesterday, on Lafayette in Franconia Notch at the North end of the Appalachian Trail, New Hampshire.
http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff39/sweetdmon/
Check out my new claw feet in the last pic. Early xmas. It takes a lot of love to get a Southern Boy out in weather like that, so she's gonna learn to dirt and trail ride with me next year, so we can hike half the time and trail ride half the time.
----
How worried should I be about leaving my bike on a downtown sidewalk? There's a wide section in the sidewalk and I've got permission to park it there but I'm not sure I'll be able to chain it to anything substantial, if at all. The company rate for parking a car at my work is$12/day (!!), and since I have been a successful single dad for the last 17 years, I don't come close to having that kind of money. But I can park a bikefree. So my commute will go way down, both ways, if I ride daily. All right!
If I went 300cc eventually, ya think I could get that aluminum head anodized red? Anybody want to guess how much it would cost? You know, testarossa (red-head, in Italian) for the testarossa.
I am guessing, I lose the factory bike warranty on any jug kit, and so I am better off having a big bore done by a shop other than my licensing and tagging dealer, or doing it myself after purchase, does that sound right? (I envy all the Aussie guys and gals.) Has anyone talked a US dealer into warrantying a bolt-on jug upon new bike purchase? I tried,the dealer was looking into it, but nothing yet.
I am guessing from lack of any sales blurbs on all the aftermarket pipe sites, that technically no aftermarket pipe is fully street legal, all the way to the point of the Cali CARB laws? Am I on track here? If I put a USFS approved, 92 db pipe on a bike, regardless whether it's a slip-on or a full pipe, have I technically voided the EPA specs on my plated vehicle?
If I left on all the CARB (as in, California law) evaporative breathing crap, would I still see close to the same gains from opening up the airbox and re-carbing whatever?
And finally, is everyone putting all their stock stuff back on for road inspections, or are inspection stickers not a problem? Anybody in New England want to field that one?
Just feelin' out the limits.
Peace all.
-keith
Me and my lady really enjoy getting out in the woods. We don't think the big, fat, squishy "dual sports", which are really tourers, would suit us. I'm not going to ask her to push a bike three times her weight through a stream. Besides, this is her first ride. If we ever get to the point that we are waltzin' through the woods on some demonic 450 or 650 RFS monsters, then so be it, but for the first bike, we decided together that the KaTooM 450 had more zoom but wasn't as nifty as the Kaw 250.
I haven't ridden in years. I can tell you though, 250s didn't used to be viewed as small dirt bikes at the track. 125s were small, and 450s were almost uncontrollably big (track bullies, that only behaved when their weight was down solid), and 250s were suitably mean. I understand that we're talking about 4 strokes these days, and not '70 and '71 two-stroke screamers. But this bike does 60 on the street with a big guy on it, and from my perspective, that's a real bike. And the 330 big bore kits seems to be working out for people.
I really think 250 is a decent displacement. We may get into that minimalist touring thing. We also may have to build some decent luggage and equipment racks for these things. I"m thinking about making something out of aluminum channel stock. The chick knows how to weld aluminum.
Here are some pictures from foot-hiking yesterday, on Lafayette in Franconia Notch at the North end of the Appalachian Trail, New Hampshire.
http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/ff39/sweetdmon/
Check out my new claw feet in the last pic. Early xmas. It takes a lot of love to get a Southern Boy out in weather like that, so she's gonna learn to dirt and trail ride with me next year, so we can hike half the time and trail ride half the time.
----
How worried should I be about leaving my bike on a downtown sidewalk? There's a wide section in the sidewalk and I've got permission to park it there but I'm not sure I'll be able to chain it to anything substantial, if at all. The company rate for parking a car at my work is$12/day (!!), and since I have been a successful single dad for the last 17 years, I don't come close to having that kind of money. But I can park a bikefree. So my commute will go way down, both ways, if I ride daily. All right!
If I went 300cc eventually, ya think I could get that aluminum head anodized red? Anybody want to guess how much it would cost? You know, testarossa (red-head, in Italian) for the testarossa.
I am guessing, I lose the factory bike warranty on any jug kit, and so I am better off having a big bore done by a shop other than my licensing and tagging dealer, or doing it myself after purchase, does that sound right? (I envy all the Aussie guys and gals.) Has anyone talked a US dealer into warrantying a bolt-on jug upon new bike purchase? I tried,the dealer was looking into it, but nothing yet.
I am guessing from lack of any sales blurbs on all the aftermarket pipe sites, that technically no aftermarket pipe is fully street legal, all the way to the point of the Cali CARB laws? Am I on track here? If I put a USFS approved, 92 db pipe on a bike, regardless whether it's a slip-on or a full pipe, have I technically voided the EPA specs on my plated vehicle?
If I left on all the CARB (as in, California law) evaporative breathing crap, would I still see close to the same gains from opening up the airbox and re-carbing whatever?
And finally, is everyone putting all their stock stuff back on for road inspections, or are inspection stickers not a problem? Anybody in New England want to field that one?
Just feelin' out the limits.
Peace all.
-keith
Your Humble Moderator/Admin
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 21,060
From: Washington
1st Gear Member
RE: Hello From Lurker
Hey Keith, welcome to the site, and a great bike. That's quite an introduction there. Sounds like you have done your homework and have been indeed reading a lot of the posts out there. 
Wow!! $12.00 a day for parking? Sheesh,...I've never paid for parking. Of course I live in a one stoplight town 2 miles from work[8D] Keep us informed when you get the bike. Don't' worry about the mods right away, I mean the 13 tooth and maybe jetting and a new exhaust and you'll be pretty happy with the power. Later man.[sm=smiley20.gif]
Wow!! $12.00 a day for parking? Sheesh,...I've never paid for parking. Of course I live in a one stoplight town 2 miles from work[8D] Keep us informed when you get the bike. Don't' worry about the mods right away, I mean the 13 tooth and maybe jetting and a new exhaust and you'll be pretty happy with the power. Later man.[sm=smiley20.gif]
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