Well, well, well!!

The title of this post is not what it seems....unfortunately. The end in this case means the end. Yesterday I was heading east to the coast and was just at the end of Wilson's road, almost to the Bruce Highway, I was enjoying the first ride on the KLE after all but the re-attaching of the side stand was complete. There was a little hickup with the jetting but turned out to be a pinched breather hose. Once diagnosed and rerouted by yours truly, it was done. It was as I was expecting, nice note, all the 55hp was back and the bottom end and mid range was equal to a stock DR 650. Not bad. She would still pull the imperial 'ton' and sit on 100-120 all day. Anyway, I was following a Pajero along the end of Wilson's road and it gets pretty steep at the eastern end as it comes down to the Bruce. I was making a little ground on the Pajero as we rounded the next to last corner at the top of the hill so I just pulled one finger of front break on and BANG!!!!.down we went on the right side. Sliding down the road, looking at the sump of the KLE, sparks flying and my new pipes mere milliemters from the road I thought

"What the hell is going on here!!"....."This can't be right!!"

We went about 20m-30m untill she Hit the armco. I then slid into her and it was all over. I could see the Pajero about 100m down the road stop and I caught up with reality and scrambled off the road to the outside of the armco and took my lid off. The ute that I had passed a few K's back then pulled up and jumped out. As he did he nearly went base over apex and that was my first hint of what had gone wrong. I could smell it too. Diesel!!

I knew from the look of the KLE that it was going to be a write-off so I got my phone out and started taking some shots. Below is one from up the hill on the entry to the corner, basically the view I had moments before I went down.

With the morning sun bouncing up off the road, it all looked OK. From a slightly off centre angle it is a little more obvious, this one from the shoulder about the apex.

However from the downhill side, with the sun at my back I could see what was what!

And a close-up of the point of impact

I initially thought that since the engine bars did their job (great add for SW-Motec bars) I might be able to ride away. However at closer inspection, the KLE was wedged tight under the armco top rail and in fact had bent it.

Notice those nice pipes!! Did not even get a good pic before I broke it

Oh well. Hopefully I will be able to find another KLE and get the good bits off this one before the assessor has his way with her and get back to where we were. In fact I might see if I can buy the wreck from them and keep her as a paddock hack if she is a statutory write-off. Anyway, it was a great project and in the end it turned out exactly as I hoped. A great lightweight Adventure bike, equally at home on the tarmac and the trail. I hope to build up a few of these and sell them completely prepared for the Cape, the Corners or even the Simpson. Stay tuned for Project KLE-The Return. I will leave you with this, an unsuitable end.

The moral of this story, even if you ride like everyone else is drunk and trying to kill you, there is always things that you can't account for. In the end it is down to your luck, be careful out there and enjoy yourself. Adventure On Guys.

THE END