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Seat Concepts KLR650 Seat Upgrade

I upgraded my stock KLR seat with a kit from Seat Concepts. The kit comes with everything you will need including wider seat pad foam, a new seat cover, and a page of instructions. You will need to use the seat pan from your current seat. It was a fast and easy job and I am very happy with the result.


My KLR's seat was already removed for winter so the first step was to remove the stock seat cover. A small flat tip screwdriver worked fine to lift up the staples so I could remove them with pliers. The 72 staples came out very easily.


With the stock seat cover off, I separated the stock seat foam from the pan. To prep the seat pan for the new foam, I removed the old glue residue and cleaned the seat pan. This is all pretty simple and straightforward.


So far, I had followed the instructions, but for gluing the new foam onto the seat pan, I went rogue. The instructions call for an aerosol contact adhesive. I had that on hand, but would not spray it in my basement. The outside temp was somewhere south of zero degrees, so taking it outside was not an option. Instead, I grabbed the liquid Gorilla Glue from the shelf since foam is one of its applications. I applied glue to the seat pan, attached the new foam and set it aside. A couple of days later, the Gorilla Glue had worked just fine.


To install the new seat cover, I lacked the proper tools and any experience, which gave me little confidence that could get it done. Rather than attempt it myself, I called a local upholstery shop who said they could do the job. I dropped off the seat and cover, then picked it up two days later. The new seat cover was everything I had hoped for and looked awesome.



Of course I really wanted to see the new seat on the KLR, but instead I put it safely away on a basement shelf to wait for spring. For now, I am happy with the look of the new seat and time will tell if my butt is equally as happy. I expect good things!

Hungry In Moab - Try Eddie McStiff's

After a day of energy bars and bottled water on the trail at Moab, I was ready for some real food and pulled into Eddie McStiff's for a steak. McStiff's restaurant is located right on Main Street, and easy to find while cruising through town. They are also a brew pub and bar, if you are looking for more than food.


It was nearly dark when I arrived on Saturday evening during the dinner rush. The place was packed with no tables available. The bar was also "standing room only." So, I grabbed a table on the front patio. A car show was in town and the patio had a perfect view of the classic cars parading up and down main street.


I wondered if the server would forget me on the patio, but the service was great and soon I was looking at a dream come true on a plate. The steak was prepared perfectly and the sides were delicious.  This was easily the best meal I ate that day, and one of the best steak dinners I have eaten anywhere.


After eating, I lingered on the patio nursing another soda, watching the the car parade, and feeling good about a day on the trail and an awesome meal. I am not restaurant critic, but I recommend Eddie McStiff's next time you find yourself hungry or thirsty in Moab. 


Before firing up the bike and hitting the road again, I had to get the t-shirt to show that I had "been there, done that."  

Best Dual Sport 2012: Kawasaki KLR650

Here is a short, to the point article from Motorcycle-USA.com that's a must-read for anyone considering jumping into the KLR world. The article does a nice job covering the strengths and weaknesses of the KLR and in the end, they rate the KLR650 as the Best Dual Sport of 2012.


Photo from: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com

Bonnie and Clyde Ride For Sale

The holidays are over, the new year has arrived, and it's time to get back to serious blogging and planning for the 2013 riding season. But first, here is a look back at some pictures from September 2012.


This vintage car that I immediately named, "the Bonnie and Clyde ride," sat in a gravel parking lot along the road. A "For Sale" sign leaned against its rusted bumper and I had to stop and take a look. 


I am not a vintage car enthusiast, but with no glass, the missing floor and wooden door panels that were probably lunch for termites, I wondered how you decide on a fair price for a "car" like this one.


I appreciate the history these cars represent. but I could not decide if this was a potential job for Rick on American Restoration, or a pile of scrap metal waiting to be melted down.

 
A few weeks later I was in the area again and checked for the car, but it was gone. I circled the gravel lot to be sure the car had not simply been moved, but it was really gone. I turned back onto the highway and rode away thinking how one person's trash is another person's treasure.