[paulurmston]

Well, you would think the mechanic of Kawasaki knew his stuff when it comes to bike maintenance.

Yeah, I took it for a spin. It does feel much more upright, less stress on my lower spine/wrists…

.. the gears are SOOOO different to a Ninja, guess it is a “get used to” kinda thing.

So yeah, should be buying this coming Monday, will post up pics when I have it in my hands. (was going to say between my legs… but somehow didn’t sound right in my head)

Seeya and thanks for the tips!

[paulurmston]

Thanks for the hints… and yes, for the cost of the Versys there are certainly more choices out there.

But I think I just struck gold. I called Kawasaki here in my hometown, and guess what. The chief Mechanic is selling his old bike. It’s a Yamaha Fazer 600 (2007) and it is going for half the price of the Versys.

Here are some picks..

Has anyone drove one of these, what are they like/feel?

[paulurmston]

Yeah, tell me about it.

I have 3 of the damn things. And already 2TB of space isn’t enough.

Anyway, thanks.

[paulurmston]

Hi there, I live in Chile at the moment. In summer, we hit around 100 degrees and above.

Last summer (which is Jan, Feb here) I drove from Santiago to Puerto Montt. It’s a little over 1000 Kmh’s.

I never got a headache. Sure, with so much heat hitting your neck, shoulders and helmet…. it is obvious that the fatigue hits you faster than it would normally.

I stopped around 3 times (or maybe 4) for refueling, and each time I had to take a few minutes extra just to take on liquid myself. To relax, stretch my legs, and get rid of the dizzy feeling I had. It’s not the helmet itself, just your body struggling with heat exhaustion.

You “might” want to try a larger helmet if you want, but remember that it isn’t supposed to be moving around your head. It is supposed to be quite tight… it is trying to save your life.

Good luck!

[paulurmston]

Oh yeah…. good point.

I would DIE if my Macbook got wiped, there is literally years of my life on the damn thing.

Good point… VERY good point!

So, no problems with the thing flying off. And did it scratch the paint job or anything like that?

Let me know… I think I am feeling in the mood for a little shopping tomorrow.

: D

[paulurmston]

I am going to try them out this weekend after I get back from the mountains (sorry, but it IS skiing season here).

I’ll keep in mind the baggy thing, I must admit I hadn’t thought about it.

Thanks again!!!

[paulurmston]

but I am think I need more space. IT is going to be around 2 weeks that I am going to be riding, hence the saddle bag with its bigger capacity.

[paulurmston]

.. for your kind words.

It really was one of the most scariest things I have experienced in my life so far, and hopefully it will be the last.

I don’t think I will be jumping into the saddle this week, but I think around May I’ll be finally healed enough to hold a bike, and start slowly but surely again.

Anyway, if anyone has any ideas what my next bike should be.. let me know.

Am looking at the Kawasaki Versys 2010 model… for my tall height I think it will be much more comfortable than the ninja 250.

Well, if anyone has one, or drove one for a test drive… would love to hear the feed back.. but yes. Around a 600cc touring is what I am looking for.

[paulurmston]

It’s yours if you want it…. you just got to come to Chile and pick up the pieces…

… there are a LOT of them.

But seriously… the ninja 250 is a perfect bike…. light… lean… agile…

perfect for a beginner… just take a MSF or BRC course!!!!!

[paulurmston]

Now if you could get that on a black ninja… .man, you would have the batman thing down 100%!!!

[paulurmston]

That is the best info you are going to hear I think… it’s true.. the things don’t lose so much value in a year.

[paulurmston]

Thanks for the tip. I’ll nip out to the pharmacy later tonight.

: )

A question… was it tough to get back in the saddle after the first fall?

[paulurmston]

I am terrified of getting on a bike again.

I went down to my local Kawasaki garage a few days after getting out of the hospital… I felt I needed to see what had happened to my bike.

Believe me, seeing it there, in pieces… and thinking…

I am truly terrified. I think maybe I should never get on a bike again and just buy a car, with airbags, etc…

But then I relax a little, and I think back to driving on a bike, to feeling it vibrate under me, to responding to my wishes, taking curves and just keeping my knee above the concrete… that feeling of freedom which I am sure if I asked any of you… we have all felt and still feel sometimes when riding.

I simply can’t give that up. It is as simple as that. Yesterday, after I had wrote the post, I decided to go again to Kawasaki. I took the Versys for a test drive. The guys there were really kind, and they all know of course what happened to me.

I sat on the bike, and I swear it took 4 minutes just to get the courage to turn the key. As I moved onto the road (a dual carriage way) I was in AWE how fast the cars were flying by… was I really overtaking THEM before, surely they were all just driving faster than normal.

Well, I took the bike out, I think I got up to around 100kmh (like 60mph) and I started to get a weird kinda… something is going to happen feeling. I took the bike back, got off, and smoked around 5 cigarettes in a minute jajajja.

I know I HAVE to get over my fear. Maybe it IS because the Versys is so high, that I feel more protected… but not once did I drive it with aggression, it was more a pleasant drive around town.

[paulurmston]

You got the sequence correct.

1. Light changes to green.
2. I go to first, and let the throttle out.
3. I lean to the left to take the turning….

That’s it.

I will add that I was crossing a mail road which has 3 lanes on each side. So I had to cross all 3 lanes, before I could start to turn (hence the speed I was going) and remember… there had passed around 5-10 seconds AFTER his light had turned to red, before he hit me. I am sure you all know on dual carriage ways there is quite a long pause before the lights to from one direction to the other, just to avoid things like this.

What could I have done to avoid it….. good question.

Maybe checked AGAIN his side of the road (I had checked as I left, and he was no where to be seen at that moment.. I guess he was around 30 meters from arriving at his lights still).

Maybe not have gone first, and followed a car around the curve (therefor the car would have got hit and not me)… but then again. Why should I be scared and hiding behind a car all my life. It is my right to drive (within the legal limits) how I want to.

Maybe… took a cab?

I think I did everything as I should of, and I am the WORST critic of my own driving that I know. I am always getting angry with myself when the bike slips or something, then go back and repeat it over and over again until I correct my flaws. I honestly can’t see what I could have done to avoid the hit. All I can say is please WEAR your PROTECTION and remember… not everyone drives as well, or as cautious as you do.

[paulurmston]

Yeah… me too.

When the police arrived I was already in the back of the ambulance on my way to A&E.

Little did I know he didn’t have a valid license. I guess, he has to pay… but if his insurance realize he didn’t have a valid license… they could refuse to pay, and that is where it starts to get tricky.

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