End of an era

[Ken Talbot]

SWMBO and I have been riding less and less each year and finally made the decision this spring to retire from riding and sell the bikes.

Tsunami left today on a trailer with a new owner from a few hours west of here. Purple Reign will probably also be gone in short order.

IIRC, Tsunami had around 35,000 kms on the clock when I bought it. Today, it had about 130,000. All in all, it was a good run!

[donebysunday]

SWMBO and I have been riding less and less each year and finally made the decision this spring to retire from riding and sell the bikes.

Tsunami left today on a trailer with a new owner from a few hours west of here. Purple Reign will probably also be gone in short order.

IIRC, Tsunami had around 35,000 kms on the clock when I bought it. Today, it had about 130,000. All in all, it was a good run!

I've thought about this, due to past experiences I know I can't do without a bike in the garage. I've never gone more than 2 weeks without an engine driven 2 wheel means of conveyance. I respect your choice and most likely it's a good choice for you, I don't make good choices every time.
BEST TO YOU AND DON"T GIVE UP ON US PLEASE !!!!!

[TomB]

It's a hard decision to make, all the best Ken

[Geezer]

I'm almost there myself. I'll know for sure if I feel up to riding after I get my bike back on the road...

The arthritis has gotten bad in recent years and it's pretty hard to swing my leg over a bike any more.

Tony

[soccer4m]

Memories

Ken, Thanks for all your experience over the years with the xs1100 with this club. I have been an owner also for many years and have appreciated your many posts. Life is so short and hope you packed in a lot of good memories to reminisce on with these wonderful bikes. Even though a lot of us never met face to face, I guess we are all connected and share that passion that 2 wheels do to keep life fulfilled. Thanks again, Mike in Sun DIego

[Jerry]

Ken:

I've enjoyed your company and posts over the years as well as the "special" tools you came up with, like the carb pin removal tool. (This came up again at the Colorado Rally a month or so ago.)

I'm also riding fewer and fewer miles each year as my ATV trips pick up and I work on my lot quite a few weekends over the summer. Probably won't be long until I sell the Connie and the XJ and get out of riding. (Sold my snowmobile last year, starting to cut back on toys.) Best to go out on a high note.

Still think the local beer you had at the '06 Revelstoke Rally was some of the best I have tasted. Remember screening "World's Fastest Indian" in your basement, good times!

[motoman]

Ken, appreciate your contributions to the site over the yrs. with your tranny fix pictorial and such! Enjoyed talking to you by phone many years ago! Just remember, you can check out but never leave.

[madmax-im]

Ken..let me add my voice to those expressing their gratitude for you presence and contributions here at Ch11. I too have been wrestling with the notion of hanging it up..especially right after my accident 12 weeks ago...But i am not just ready yet....Wishing you all the best and as a Fomer Owner of an XS you still have full privileges here for life...

[XJOK2PLAY]

Hey Ken,
Sad to hear "the day" has arrived for ya, but totally understand.

Ya know, just glad to see ya going out "healthy", not crashed and forced to give up your passion. That's cool.

Hope we'll still hear from ya now and again.
Thanks for all your contributions to the members and the site.
You are appreciated, Ken!

Take care, and best wishes in all your future endeavours!
Bob

[SteveO]

Retired from Riding

I'm sorry to hear that you will be hanging it up. I will be riding until I physically can't, and I am not looking forward to that day at all. Good luck!

[TADracer]

All the best to you Ken.

It has been a great ride for me also but like I posted in another thread here today, I'm slowing down too. Almost 70 now and starting to get pressure from my loved ones to stop riding all together.

I do admit I've thought of selling my bike but just cant seem to do it.

[dansmith65]

Ken, I saw the photos of your bikes for sale on a Facebook group. Before I saw those, I hadn't really considered a bike like this. Previously, I had been looking for something smaller. But both yours and your wife's bikes were just beautiful! I think they helped sell my wife on the idea of buying yet another motorcycle this year.

Thanks for your contributions to this site; I'm sure they'll help me out as I get my new (old) bike on the road.

[Ken Talbot]

If you're still looking, SWMBO's bike Purple Reign is still available. I've had a few nibbles here in Revelstoke, but nobody over to look at it yet. Message me if you're interested in a price. Bike will also come with quite a selection of rubbermaid tubs full of spare parts including pretty much everything but a tank and sidecovers.

[DiverRay]

Ken, even though you have decided it's time to stop riding, we can all still use some sage advise now and then. I've tried to get up that way, and got as close as Vancouver two years ago with SWMBO.
Remember some of us appreciate people who learn and can teach.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Ken,

I'm kinda late to this honors thread, but want to tip my hat to you SIR for sure. It was YOUR Tech Tip on the Dremmel Fix for the Tranny Skip problem that saved me a ton of DREAD/Sweat/Blood/Tears when I learned that I could fix my DEAD bike without having to split the cases! After I got my bike fixed after it's 9 year COMA, I was so happy about how it turned out and so thankful for the information/instructions, that was why I created the newer tech tip with more photos and such to be able to help/assist other XSives that would also succumb to this aggravating malady. But right in the beginning of the newer tip I gave you full credit for laying the foundation for the work that I just Dressed up a bit and flourished on a little.

That repair was done in 2001, and I was able to attend my first XS East Rally in 2002 in Alexandria Bay, NY, accompanied by Brent Hoovestol. I met a lot of folks at that rally, and at the many others I attended over the years. However, I don't remember if I got to meet you in person...friggin' CRS!? I found the GROUP PHOTO that was taken, I had even gone thru the effort of putting balloon #s for each person, and remember having posted a text listing of the attendees names, but that was in the early years of the site, and I think those early threads got lost during a HACK that we experienced where the site crashed! And I can't find a copy of the text listing on my computer(several computer builds ago), but still have the ballooned photo.

So...if I did meet you at one of the XS East Rallies, please forgive my feeble memory, most folks remember if they met me because I'm 6'6" tall, and had my TopCat Logo on my bike VEST.

Anyways, you'll always be KING Ken with his Drive Hub Crown, and your wisdom will live on in the tech tips and threads on this site for years/decades to come. Hope you'll honor us with your presence every now and then.

It has been an honor and a privilege to have worked with you on this site.