Long ride on a KZ650

Hi all,

Well it's still dead of winter and a time I often satisfy urges for the riding I can't do by reading other people's trip accounts. : - ) I took this trip a few years ago actually, but for some reason never posted it here. Sorry about that, because it's the folks on here as much as anyone who made this trip possible. Helping me find parts for and learn my way through maintaining a beautiful bike, and sharing in the joy that is owning and riding a KZ. Thanks to you all.

Some people might think a KZ650 is too old or too small for the kind of trip I had in mind, but I went ahead and did it anyway, and 5,200 miles later they were all proved wrong.

West and Back Again

Enjoy!

Excellent journal of your journey! You've got some skill as a writer. I've been through most of the places that you traveled which made it even more fun to read (born in Iowa, family used to vacation to SD, MT, CO). I've got a 1978 KZ 650 as well, and I'm hoping to take it on a journey this summer from WA to MT. Thanks for sharing

damn,i wouldnt want to do 5200 in an airplane these days let alone a bike!
you da man! :laugh:

Excellent writeup. I've driven from the Northwest to the Southeast several times in a car and one day I hope to do the journey on a bike. Hopefully I'll get to do it someday.

I too am a big fan of the KZ650. I rode mine from California to Florida and back twice, once right after graduating high school in 1981 and again after enlisting in the Navy in 1983. I bought the bike new in 78 and still have it. People always tell me the bike to small for that kind of trip but I never thought so. Good times.

Terrific write up and great documentation! I finished it up late last week and loved it. Great job and very cool experience! Good old 650's!

I love it when people say that a bike is too small to do a trip. I read an article about a Canadian guy that did a charity ride on a 250 Ninja from BC down through various states to Key West and back to BC and his route was just shy of 12000 miles I believe. I personally put 14000 miles on the little 250 that I had in 7 monthsand that thing would do 100 mph with my 240 lbs on it so it can be done on anything.

Anybody know anywhere else to find stories like this online? I've pretty much scoured this site as well as a couple others. If anyone has anything from their own trips or anything they've stumbled across online please share! I cant get enough of this stuff.

Fantastic story and very well written as well, you could have enlarged the content into a book without too much trouble. I've read this from start to finish as I became engrossed in it more and more. Very enjoyable and a great credit to you . Have you planned any more like it for the future ?

Cheers

C3

super cool story and great pics ...thanks....first pic of upstate got me.....

Great story ABR, enjoyed it immensely. thanks,from another KZ 650 E rider. Bob

sft1662 wrote:

Anybody know anywhere else to find stories like this online? I've pretty much scoured this site as well as a couple others. If anyone has anything from their own trips or anything they've stumbled across online please share! I cant get enough of this stuff.

+1 this story envelopped me as well!