Falling in love with XR all over again...

[Salish1000]

Nothing like loving a bike and then having to do without. With my XR in the shop for several months, I missed it and my heart grew fonder. Got it back yesterday and today took it for a nice 80 mile loop nearby. My oh my, that smooth power, that handling, that comfort and safety. What a damn machine. Getting back on her is like being away from a close friend, and togetherness just reminds you of all you love about them in the first place.

If ever in Western WA State, the loop around Capitol Forest has many nice curvy country roads. A delightful rural escapade. When passing on a straight lonely stretch I gave her some juice and looked down to see three numbers with two above 1. To be going that fast and not even feel like it, that's one hell of a bike.

[Salish1000]

After some freezing rain kept the beast in the garage, I got out today despite a driving rain and howling winds. A lovely loop around some local mountains and back again. About 90 minutes or 70 miles or so, on mostly two lane roads with lots of twisties. Amazing that all my winter gear keeps me warm, and dry. Not a drop of wet on me despite a deluge and riding through countless puddles.

Gotta love traction control, right? Felt the rear slip once on a tar snake and the bike cut out long enough to prevent trouble. Amazing. 40 degrees and sopping wet roads.

At one point on a lonely country road there was a back up of maybe 6 cars behind a slow poke. I was able to pass them all in only a few miles because...XR. Perhaps my favorite characteristic of the bike is this ability to go from mellow to flying in the blink of an eye. I'll be behind someone doing 50, and by the time you are even with their door passing them, at only partial throttle, you are going 15-20 more than they are. Smoothly.

I'm so glad to be alive at a moment in history when such machinery is available for the masses at relatively little expense.

[Warree]

Well said Salish 
Merry Christmas and a Happy and safe New Year to you all 

[Salish1000]

Rode after work today. Needed something more than going home. Looked out my office window at the XR. Suited up and threw my leg over as the sun set. Didn't know where to go or even why I was going. Just somewhere for some reason. Somewhere. Some Reason. Butt in seat and throttle twisted, I feel the surge, and smile. I watch my speed, but on the highway in openings I kid myself that I needed to speed up to get in front of that truck, in front of that big rig, in front of that little piece of sh#t cage. Look down and see numbers too close to too fast.

Far enough, happy again. Get off, turn around, head home. How does a collection of nuts and bolts and plastic do so much for me?

I felt so one with the bike tonight. I literally felt like the XR was a personification of me. High Strung. Quick. Eager. But also smooth and graceful. I can be those things at my best and worst and even on the daily.

Got home, hot tub, happy and contented man.

[Salish1000]

Sometimes we don't know why we do things. Some wild urging? Some impulse comes floating through our consciousness from the ethers of our un? I needed to do something somewhere that involved a 300 mile round trip. It's winter and cold. But I chose to ride my two-wheeled chariot. What overcomes my sense of self-preservation and desire for warmth and comfort? How silly can I be!

It's slab, most of the way. Nothing particularly interesting. But some fellow travelers show up occasionally who enjoy a little spirited movement. A potato potato guy came out and we had some fun. Some people are stupid, I think he was one. Traffic came to a stop in front of us just a ways. I slowed down. He stayed going fast and at the last minute swerved over onto the should to proceed ahead and zip back into traffic. That guy will not live long doing that. But for a few moments, we had fun together going fast and slowing down.

Later, a guy on a Suzuki GSX came up. He came next to me, I pulled ahead. He came up. I pulled ahead. I think he couldn't believe my upright style ADV bike could pull away from him so quickly. After doing this a few times, he came up and gave me a big thumbs up.  I guess that was his way of saying he was happy with our little game and impressed.

A few BMW cars come along and often think they are quick. I don't even down shift. I'll be idling along doing 70 and give a little twist. They attempt a feeble keep up, and abandon the notion.

Coming home was quite cold. Wind chill doing 80 at 39F is 22F. Heated jacket, heated grips, great Aerostitch gear. But a few hours of sitting still while enduring 22F wind blasts will do the job. For reasons I only partially understand, I'm warm enough on the bike, in all this. The moment I stop, I get cold. That's when I notice my frozen feet, the deep chill. When I got home, it took me all night overdressed and drinking tea to restore my core temperature. And yet I was comfortable while riding the bike.

The XR is not the smoothest power I've felt. My Concours 14 was smoother, as was the FJR. They didn't seem to try so hard. But the XR is angrier, more upset, more eager. I don't know that it's any slower, or quicker, relatively, it's just how it does it. At least mine with the full titanium Akra exhaust and power commander. It's just..violent in the way it wants to take off to the moon. It's just like your buddy you hesitate to join at the bar because you know the slightest thing will provoke him into a brawl. The XR is a warrior at heart. It doesn't just rise to the occasion, it IS the very essence of desire to go fast.

I'm rather wiped out today. The excitement, the focus, the cold. I'm just chillin today, staying warm, and being terrestrial. Yesterday, I was flying a winged chariot through a maze of obstacles while my mind raced around contemplations of fate, destiny and existentialism.

[Mtbman24]

Well said indeed 
I've been parked since October and can't wait to get my XR on the road again, especially after reading these!

[Salish1000]

Originally Posted by Mtbman24

Well said indeed 
I've been parked since October and can't wait to get my XR on the road again, especially after reading these!

I appreciate that. Hope you get to ride sooner than later! Here in the PNW we are in this weird middle ground between great year round riding in Los Angleles and no go Minnesota. It's 35-45F for 5-6 months a year. Many people park their bikes, but it's rarely frozen around here. So you can ride, but you better be well prepared!

[Salish1000]

What a ride this afternoon. So fed up with winter cold and wet, I had to break out and ride anyway despite a stormy cold forecast. Did a 213 mile loop around mostly rural roads out to the Pacific and back, with a memorable stop at the Tokeland Hotel. It rained the entire time, and I rode into and out of downpours. Water pooled all over the roads and 39F with snow flakes and hail. There is no bike I'd rather be on than the XR, with such amazing brakes and go power. All day comfort seat. Truly, the stock seat is the most comfortable seat I've ever ridden in all my varied bikes, some with custom seats. The Road 5 Michelin's never slip, never waver, never doubted. Doing this ride in pleasant weather would be truly lovely. Doing it today was rugged and adventurous. I needed that.

I had only one occasion of real excitement, and that was another testament to the bike and tires. I was doing 60, in 5th gear, went to pass and didn't twist the throttle with any verve at all. Nowhere near full throttle. And my rear tire popped free for just a moment on the cold wet pavement. Traction control kicked in. But to pop the wheel free at 60 at partial throttle at like 5,000 rpm? What a machine.

https://go.rever.co/u1fY7CiRTxb is the ride in Rever if you are interested.