Trippah wrote on 04/03/08 at 05:40:28:Hey Hutch, sonds like you are moving on to slightly more hyway-less byway rides..Twins vs singles..your 650 kawasakis seems like updates of your triumph 650..have you looked into the modern triumph twins?
I took a Triumph Bonneville for a ride when I picked up the first W650 in WI. To big and bulky, They put on weight from the 60's, just like me. The W650 went head to head with a 800cc Triumph Bonneville in a road test and the 650 was only a few thousanths slower in the 1/4 mile and top speed very close. The 50HP helps out there. The W650 just seems to handle better IMHO, is lighter, cheaper to insure,performs the same as the 800 Triumph, and if I need parts, the dealer is only 10 miles away. The nearest Triumph dealer is over 100 miles away. The W650 looks more like a 60's Triumph than the new Triumphs. The W650 was only imported here from 1999-2001. You know how I like unique bikes. You can buy a new one in any other country. When Triumph started building bikes they quit sending them to the U.S., but continued to make them for other countries, so parts are not a problem. If I hadn't liked the bike so much, I sure wouldn't have bought 2. I just can't quit riding chopper/bobbers(just been my favorite bike for to many years), and wanted to chop the first one. It should realy fly when put on a diet.I didn't want to lose my long distance cruiser, so, since I liked it so much, I had to buy a second stock one. I will have a ton of parts left over from the chop job, and won't have to buy different oil,air filters, or plugs all the time. I will have my 50HP highway bike, my 50HPchopped byway bike, and my 60HP 750 Interceptor for nostalgia rides. I will also have about $30,000 to pay on my house from the sale of the other 5 bikes. It just made sense to me. It was a long hard decision. I just get to attached to my bikes. Hutch