I took out the XL 185 S tonight for a ride out around the hills near my home. What fun. I have no experience riding 2 wheels off road so I am pretty cautious, but even so I almost wiped out. After I splashed through a puddle I was able to stop just before heading off into a thicket of scrub oak, it would have been painful (glad my helmet was on). Lots more slow practice needed and some decent tires wouldn't hurt either.
Fun, fun, fun.
My rough calculation for the first tank of gas is 71 MPG, and that is with the idle not working well (so I have to rev it high to keep it alive at stops, almost all stops) when the bike is cold. This is a 29 year old machine pulling my 200++ pound carcass almost 25 miles a day! So, I think if I get the carb tuned up I should be able to push on through to 80 MPG. I am also thinking about changing my sprockets to see if I can increase my top speed for cruising:).
These dirt trails are so nasty rutted it was hard for my inexperienced self to ride, but very fun!
