A note from John…

After my post on the perfect motorcycle, I received this interesting note from my buddy John.  John and I go way back…my very first foray into Baja was with Big John on the V-twins about 20 years ago.

Here’s the email from John…

*******************************

Hey Joe,

Great article. Motorcycles have definitely gotten too bloated, just like most of our cars.  The thing that I miss about my CSC Scooter was the ease of riding.  (Note from Joe:   John’s CSC-150, a really cool red number with wire wheels and lots of chrome, was stolen about a year after he bought it.)   So easy to hop on and go.  The KLR, even at my height, is difficult to mount.  I would like to have something in between, both in weight and height.  My Virago, also near 500 lbs, was much easier to mount than the KLR, with plenty of torque and nimble like a motorcycle should be.  On road I still felt like I was riding a motorcycle instead of the living room couch, but off road it was definitely too heavy, even though I could still lift it by myself.  I loved that bike though.

After riding Annie’s 250cc scooter which, like the KLR, also weighs in at 377lbs dry, I have to agree about the 250 engine size possibly being ideal.  That scooter, even at it’s ridiculous heavy weight, will still propel me to 70+ and will easily cruise at 60 mph.  The only reason that I would want more power is for those occasional times when you need to accelerate quickly.  That could be remedied in part by a lighter bike.  I would love a bike that would have a slightly larger frame than a 250 CSC Scooter with decent suspension travel and luggage capacity, and perhaps 350 lbs max wet weight. 

And regarding my description of a motorcycle that I would love to see, I forgot to add no computers and the associated sensors so that the bike can be worked on in the middle of nowhere, and can be pieced together well enough with duct tape to get you to the next town.

John

***************************

Good inputs, John, and thanks for writing to add your thoughts.  All good stuff.

Susie and I are going to the plant a little later this morning, folks.   We’ll have more photos for you later!