Greets From Cowtown

Hi, all. Please be gentle with a KZ newby. A riding buddy of mine has a KZ900 and has received tons of help from folks on this board over the past 2 or 3 years and always mentions how board members here are sooooo helpful. After some weird coincidences....or some kind of Zen-strangeness, here I am, too.
One word of warning: Some of my posts can be lengthy so if you're easily bored just tune me out. Believe me, I won't be offended cuz I've got a pretty thick skin.
How I ended up here went kinda like this:
Three years ago at a swap meet I bought a factory KZ650 manual because the price was right and there's always new tricks to learn from ANY factory service manual, even if you don't own that particular bike. As well, the printed word is not subject to hard drive crashes or ISP outages, etc etc. and of course, like a lotta guys, I'm an inveterate pack-rat....and proud of it. :laugh: :laugh:
I had no intention of searching out and buying ANY Kwakker four stroke, nice as they are. To me, the Big K is all about strokers...always has been, always will.

(My salad days were spent hanging with H1 and H2 riders....although my four stroke-blinders wouldn't allow me to see the advantages of strokers UNTIL I went to work turning wrenches at a Suzuki dealer in the Fall of 1972.)

However.....one week ago, I made the deal on my KZ650C2 and here I am. Is life strange, or what!!??!!
Coincidence, you say ?? Well, I'm going looking for a factory manual for an RG500 Walter Wolf Rep....just in case the weirdness wants to repeat itself.:laugh:
Come to think of it, I also have the factory manual
for the A1/A7/early H1. Hmmmm.....could there be an A7SS in my future??? '69 H1 too ??
One never knows, do one ??!!??
Well, enough malarkey about me. On with the show.

WOW - talk about low mileage. You'll need to look for the break-in section of the manual. Welcome to the forum H2RICK. Now throw a leg over that 650 and head on out here for some valley and mountain riding:)

oldcoldankles wrote:

Now throw a leg over that 650 and head on out here for some valley and mountain riding:)

What HE said!...and then make Your way over here,to the Kootenays for the BEST mountain-riding You'll ever experience!:woohoo:
As much as I love the Okanagan(where Oldcoldankles lives...I used to live there also),I have to say...the scenery there IS to die for...the beaches are beauty,and even beauty-ER when the Girls are out...heh heh heh...
out here in the Kootenays,the riding is totally amazing!

A few years ago,We had a Calgarian come over to hook up with Tony and Myself...took Justin out and showed Him the area...well...He was like a Kid at Christmas...could NOT get the grin off of His face...too damn funny!He kept saying,"You Guys are So lucky...to have this right in Your back YARD!"
We finished off the day with a few beers(in B.C.,a "Few" is 18 or more),and I can't remember if He showed US how to drink,or if We showed HIM how to drink(help Me out Tony),lol...but either way,I know We all had a blast,and made a great Friend...Haven't heard much from that bald-headed Fella in a while,but I'm pretty sure He's getting whipped,somewhere over there,in Alberta,:laugh:

Anyway,Rick...welcome to KZR!!
And a pic of Your bike would be great!

H2RICK wrote:

Well, I'm going looking for a factory manual for an RG500 Walter Wolf Rep....

Welcome H2Rick...yep, never say 'never'. I swore I'd never own another KZ1000A1 again and now I have two more. As for the RG, they were never marketed south of the border and they are pretty rare (have only seen three and one of those was a track bike).

Sandy/Oldcoldankles:
Yep, I've ridden the roads in the East and West Kootenays for quite a few years on various bikes. Until last year's 2 trips on my Bandit, the rides were all on older iron so it'll be "old home week" if I take the 650 out there this summer.
I've never ridden the Dragon and may not ever.....
but #3A from Creston to Kootenay Bay and then #31 from Balfour up to Kaslo is fabulous riding and will suit me just fine.
#31A from Kaslo to New Denver is also an incredible ride.....even though I almost ate an earthen bank on there 3 years ago.
The Monashee Pass road (#6) from Needles over to Lumby is another winner. Last year I rode the Bandit from Lumby eastwards and never even needed fifth gear because I was having wayyyyy too much fun attacking the corners. I think the 650 will need a little more caution though....
Both you gents live in the greatest riding country on Earth, IMO. Now if I can just convince my wife we should retire out there somewhere......
Since I make at least 2 treks into your country every Summer with a bunch of other old farts, I may just see you gents on the road.

Lil' Shovelhead of the Death Cats MC

Well, Tim, that's quite a moniker for a bike club.....

and that's quite a bike to back it up with !!!
Those 250's are pretty rare birds these days.
I only get up to the Chuck maybe once every 5 years or so and on a 250 it's not likely you'll be riding to Cowtown anytime soon either, so I guess we'll probably only be able to stay in touch through this board.

Thanks to all for the warm welcome. Hopefully my 650 will be with me for a long time.

So You're familiar with the area...kool!
I've been on every road You mentioned.
As a matter of fact,the Warden and I ,just last season,did the Needles Ferry-ride over to Lumby,and ended up at John and Mels(Oldcoldankles)in Peachy-Land!Thanks again John and Mel,for the hospitality!

Isn't 31A the absolute BEST highway!It was there,that Tony,Justin and I rode,where We all stopped at the waterfalls to get some pics(old post on the old KZR)...Justin wanted to turn around and do it again!LOL.

Well Rick...if You ARE planning on a visit to this area again,You be sure to let Me know...for SURE.Maybe We could even hook up with John,and get some miles in the Okanagan...if You survive the Kootenays.:lol:

welcome to z-jungle;) i had an h2 for a short time many years ago,it scared me so i sold it!

wireman wrote:

welcome to z-jungle;) i had an h2 for a short time many years ago,it scared me so i sold it!

Me too. :lol:

Owned one for about two weeks. About the time I figured out how to keep the front end down, it tossed me into my first hot date with a two-lane tankslapper. :blink:

Figured I'd live longer if we agreed to an amicable divorce...:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

A BIG KZr welcome to H2RICK!
Sounds like you got a good deal on a real nice bike. Now post some pics and let us drool a little!

Hi H2RICK, Welcome to KZR. Maybe we'll see you out here in the Kootenays sometime.