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Brief Intro

klrpilot

New member
Hello everyone. I'm Steve from Virginia Beach. I've been riding motorcycles about 35 or so years now and have enjoyed every minute in the saddle, regardless of bike. I kept my screen name from another forum although I no longer own a KLR. Earlier this spring, Mrs. KLRPilot gave me the green light to buy a 1200GSA, the bike I have been carping about for nearly 10 years. After I got home with my Teutonic temptress, the other shoe dropped; there was no room in the garage for my KLR, my Connie (Concours C14), the Kawi Eliminator, the GSA and Mrs. KLRPilot's car . . . one of them had to go. Mrs. KLRPilot would not entertain, 1) getting rid of her car, 2) parking her car in the driveway, or 3) a minor construction project that involved building onto the man cave. So, looking out across my garage filled with various two-wheeled tools, the KLR lost the title of "pick of the litter" and was parked in the front yard with "for sale to good home" sign propped against the front tire. I felt like Travis Coates sent out to the barn to shoot "Old Yeller", I mean I was betraying the very machine that has brought me home countless times, broken, wet, tired and hungry only gladly to start up the next morning and launch out on another adventure. Exactly two hours later, the KLR was gone. I know the GSA is capable of that, and much more, I just haven't had the time to build that relationship. The KLR, to me, was like that girlfriend that you can't remember ever not knowing and was ready to do anything and go anywhere as long as you went along. So far, the GSA is like that girl in English Lit class that is totally hot, but focused and unapproachable, but on a whim you ask her out and she said yes. You're kinda afraid to really let her get to know you, but you hit off famously and both agree to build a long term relationship. Now, I have to live up to those expectations; wanting to go the distance, but holding back ever so slightly until she gets to really know you. Oh, and the KLR, like the girlfriend, started dating the quarterback who failed to get a scholarship and instead is working in his dad's grain store, she's still just as pretty, but somehow you knew she would settle for something safe and not far from home.

In the four months from May to August I managed to put 5K miles on the GSA (and only 2K on the Connie and a paltry 200 miles on the Eliminator. In retrospect, I should have sold the Eliminator, but Mrs. KLRPilot likes riding that one.). In August, I was unexpectedly reassigned to Korea for a year, like Rodney Dangerfield's Thornton Melon, I was told to get my suit on, they need me. All the bikes were promptly prepared and placed into deep storage for the upcoming period of "unpleasantness", AKA, one-year overseas assignment in which motorcycles would not be authorized for shipment and Mrs KLRPilot would not ride, opting instead for the bourgeois security and comfort of her cager.

I'm active duty military and for the last four months I've been in Seoul, Republic of Korea. I'm home for a couple weeks for the Holidays and then back to Seoul for the remaining eight months. Of course I can check the forum from Seoul, and be envious of all of your posts and ride reports. Rest assured, it is your posts, ride reports, maintenance tips, etc. that those of us in uniform, stationed away from our bikes, read with fervor and discuss, ad nauseam, until we are once again reunited with our favorite rides. So, it is good to be here, among friends. I look forward to hearing from any one, or all of you.

By next August/September I will be ready to air-out that hottie from English Lit . . .
 
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Welcome to the forum. Thank you for your service. Sounds like parting with the KLR still "hurts". There are a bunch of bikes I myself wish I had kept. Be safe, Gary
 
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for your Service, may the months pass quickly and you come back safely to your family and friends.
 
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Thanks, Chief. I'm active duty Navy . . . who'd a thunk there was U.S. Navy in Seoul, ROK. My experience with Navy in Korea was port call in Pusan (and that was onboard USS Midway, to give you an idea how long ago that was), and that was years ago when I was a Pac Sailor. I've been an east coastie since '94 and out of the blue (literally, I was already under orders to AIRLANT in Norfolk as the N2A to report in November) I was re-directed to Commander, Naval Forces Korea to report as the N2. I received orders on 4 August to report NLT 31 August. Now that's a quick turn around.
 
Welcome aboard! I was stationed in Oceana, attached to VF-31 (F-4 squadron) back in the 60s. I'm still in touch with an old crusty chief that I knew back then. He retired about twenty five years ago , but still lives in the area.
 
Very well written post! Thank you for your service, and Godspeed getting back to normal Stateside and on two wheels.
 
By next August/September I will be ready to air-out that hottie from English Lit . . .

:ha

great post and welcome here.

Put a top box on that GS and Mrs. KLRpilot will enjoy riding *that* one even better.

This is your invite to join up with the GS Giants, too... we need great guys like you!

ian
 
Navy

You'd be surprised at the number of military and retired military in this crowd.

Bruce Davidson PRC retired
 
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