A cool adventure...

[rcannon409]

I left Carlin, Nevada at noon.  At a world famous spot, maybe 3 miles from where they are runnign for speed records, I get a blowout on my service truck. Yes, I can call for service and sit there for four hours, or I can change it myself. I choose to change it. No problem....100 miles, exactly from Salt Lake...

About 20 minutes later, I realize my wallet is gone.  All I have is my personal check book. No problem, I'll buy fuel, an double back to pick it up.  Oh no..no personal checks.   So, I drive home, knowing full well I have to go right back where I came from...I got home at 900pm. I HAVE to find thsi wallet, or vacation is over..I  was leaving, by plane, on sat morning...

I'm tired of vehicles, thought...and I'm only 90% sure my wallets there.  I thought about grabbing the Ninja, but remembered the light on the Concours 14, and how amazing it is....anyway...I leave, on it, at 930. It had a full tank.


I arrived where my wallet was at 10:19pm.   I had pulled into this turn aroudn for vehicles to change the tire....I look for exactly 15 seconds when all the sudden flashing lights appear..YEA!  One of Utah's finest. He helped me look, and was amazingly cool.  As we realized my wallet was not there, he asked which way I was going.  I said " Towards Wendover". He said "It sucks that there are so few of us out tonight...and I'm HERE.....Message received.  I finish the 23 minutes into wendover..not sure how fast, but my fuel light was on.  I took 5.7 gallons at the station. 118 miles from the last fill....

I turn around, to head home....walletless. I have only the remainder of the 20.00 my wife had given me..$8.48 to my name..which means nothing since I cant prove who I am...I start back home.

I then remember freaking out when it happened. Between mile post 20 and 21.  I knew my cop friend was right there, so anyway...8800 rpm in fifth gear was the bikes top speed. I go to mile post 20 and slowed to a snails pace.....in a few minutes, I see my wallet....No, that isn't it....seconds later, my front wheel hits it. YES!!!    Its 1100pm, exactly, by then...and I'm 98-100 miles out....I pulled back into my driveway at 11:46.

I'm a critic of my Concours 14. Its way too big. Its heavy, and probably needs some refinement....HOWEVER...I dont know if too many bikes capable of doing what I did with it last night. In relative safety, I might add, due to its incredible headlights.  Well, I need more top end horsepower.  At my high altitude, shes about done at 8800rpm in fifth...

Anyway, what I did was not responsible, safe, or reasonable.  I['m no role model. But thanks to Kawasaki for makign a machien so out of its element in a society with speed limits, rules and regulations. I hoep their new H2 continues the tradition.

[SapperLdr]

Cool story man.  It is a great bike no matter what speed you want to go.
Also I hope the H2 is a 1400.   

[rcannon409]

I thought about the H2, last night , as I hit 8000rpm in 5th.  I could not help but notice how comfortable, and able this bike is at that speed. Even the headlights, 100% stock, were enough. 

I found  a needle in a heystack.

Honest, though., I'm at high altitude and our bikes run slower than they should.  I dont know may bikes, at my elevation, that still have a lot left at 130mph.

I knwo a lot of you already knew HOW good this bike was, but for me, last night was a real eye opener.

[Rhino]

My house is at 7500' but I still haven't found the top speed for this bike at any altitude. Too worried about going to grave/hospital/jail. Cool story.

[kwakrider]

Cool story...thanks for sharing mate!!

[rcannon409]

I start at 4500ft elevation, and usually ride aroudn the 6000 ft level.

I had an occasion to drop clear down to 1500ft.  HOLY SHI!!!!  The bike picked up a bunch of power and snap.  Cars, too, but my Concours became very fast compared to what I'm familiar with.

The calculator shows a loss of 17 hp, at 4500 feet, based on our bikes making 130. So, at 4500 feet, my bike would be closer to 113. At 6000, -23 or a total of 107.

Closer to 125 hp available at 1500, so my bike would have felt like it gained 12 hp when I went down to 1500ft, so it does make sense.

It was comical to look at a full tank range of "72 miles" as the projected range, current mpg of 18. At times, I had to slow just to make sure I would not run out of fuel!

[Rhino]

I start at 4500ft elevation, and usually ride aroudn the 6000 ft level.

I had an occasion to drop clear down to 1500ft.  HOLY SHI!!!!  The bike picked up a bunch of power and snap.  Cars, too, but my Concours became very fast compared to what I'm familiar with.

The calculator shows a loss of 17 hp, at 4500 feet, based on our bikes making 130. So, at 4500 feet, my bike would be closer to 113. At 6000, -23 or a total of 107.

Closer to 125 hp available at 1500, so my bike would have felt like it gained 12 hp when I went down to 1500ft, so it does make sense.

It was comical to look at a full tank range of "72 miles" as the projected range, current mpg of 18. At times, I had to slow just to make sure I would not run out of fuel!

+1 My house is in Colorado but I'm now working in Austin TX. Completely different bike 7500' to 900'. Don't need the traction control much at 7500' but can easily get it to kick in on good dry pavement down here.