I've been thinking quite a bit lately about the relationship between money spent and satisfaction gained...and how it is sometimes an inverse relationship.....
For instance, I have a friend who married well, and rides a BMW. Since he's afraid of voiding his warranty, he won't do any of his own work, not even oil changes. We live in central Washington State, and he can only get his BMW serviced in the heavily populated western part of the state (Seattle, Tacoma, etc....) or in the less populated eastern section (Clarkston). Since he hates traffic, and hates being lonely, he often invites me along on his trips to Clarkston -- 175 miles one way -- to get his oil changed.......... I've never seen him leave the dealer's lot without a $500-$600 receipt.......
Now, "impoverished" me.... I ride, besides the ST, a 2007 KLR dual sport which I bought slightly used (4,000 miles) for $4K. Since I've had the bike, I've replaced the "dohickey" (google it!), swapped out the blown OEM shock for a Moab, learned to adjust my valves (after breaking a camshaft cap and having a guru named Eagle Mike repair it.....), done all the common mods, replaced three tires (Shinko 244s, $115 a pair, mounting them myself), and have immersed myself in KLR history and lore. I never travel without the tools in my 7.62 military surplus ammo boxes (mounted on Happy Trails racks) and the tire irons in my "tube tool mod" necessary to repair a puncture on the road....... I use cheap "diesel oil" in the bike, changing every two K, and I run on low grade petrol......
So.....
I may be an uncultured, impoverished clod, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get home before dark, and without breaking the bank, and I love my klutzy KLR without reservation..... in fact, I think I love my bike more than my "married-well" BMW rider friend loves his, even if he doesn't have any grease under his fingernails! My KLR is delicate, noisy, archaic, klunky, underengineered, and underpowered, and possibly the most "satisfying" bike I've ever had..... Riding it across the state is like flying a Sopwith Camel over the English Channel: you might make it, you might not...but, by God, along the way you are for damn sure paying attention! It's like that girl we all knew in high school: homely, and a hell of a ride, but....not necessarily something you wanted to be seen on....
