Kdcanyonranch > Kdcanyonranch's Blog Posts > Why I love the GS

August 11, 2008 01:25

The best way to tell you is to start from the beginning. I grew up in rural Michigan and began riding dirt bikes when I was about 7 years old. Our property was surrounded by pine tree groves, gravel pits, soybean fields and every seasonal terrain in between. Every day after homework and chores, I would play in my own personal adventure playground. After several motorcycles and several years later, I turned 16 and gained my motorcycle license endorsement and hit the streets on two wheels. Ever since then I have always been licensed to ride a motorcycle and have always ridden on the street and in the dirt.

I graduated high school and moved to California, where I currently live on the Central Coast. Where I live there are miles of great paved and dirt roads, trails, sand dunes and ORV parks. Combined with more months of incredible riding weather than anywhere else, I am on my motorcycle more then any other vehicle. I also have several acres of property with a half-mile dirt bike track that my kids, friends and I enjoy regularly.

I’ve always lived an active lifestyle and keep a balance between eating well, exercising, staying physically fit and mentally strong. Riding my motorcycle has always been my mental health retreat. It’s probably the one thing that keeps me from going crazy with my busy work and family life.

One thing that has been a constant in motorcycling for me has been my drive to push the limits. Whether it is hitting the corners on the tarmac, a hill climb in the shale rock or exploring a new trail just a little further, it seems I’m always pushing the limits and looking to improve my skills and get the most out of whatever I am riding.

I have ridden more motorcycles then I can remember; dirt bikes, street bikes, cruisers and dual sports. But I have not always been a GS rider, which I believe makes me appreciate the unbelievable abilities the GS provides even more.

Having had all the experience of other bikes I can honestly and informatively say the GS is the do it ALL bike! Whether it is twisty corners on the tarmac, getting down and dirty off road, or traveling across the country, the GS is the bike. When you twist the throttle, hear the growl of the R1200GS and feel the power, you realize that you are on one smooth, yet fast machine. Tip into a corner and you feel the responsive handling and suspension go to work. Grabbing the brakes brings you to a quick and effortless stop.

After I have been riding the GS on the street and in the curves, I almost forget that I am actually on an extremely capable off road bike and not some street specific bike. Riding in the dirt is unbelievable as the tight turning radius of the GS makes navigation effortless. And the suspension travel and balance of the GS make you feel like the bike is lighter then all those brochures advertise. The funny thing is, I have to remind myself, that I am actually on a capable street bike and simply hit the road and get back home on the same machine that just navigated treacherous terrain.

So how is it that I have become such a GS fanatic? It did not happen over night. My best friend, Kevan, lives just 2 miles down the road from me and has ridden a GS for as long as I can remember. He and I met when we were both 18 years old, working part time together at a gas station. We both used the paychecks from the gas station to buy motorcycles and ride together. Our great friendship was sealed right then and there. We have always been close and our lives have actually mirrored each other as we both had similar goals.

After years of seeing what Kevan and his GS were capable of, I had my eyes on a GS. Together we both competed in the RawHyde American Adventure Riders Challenge in 2007. If I ever had any doubts about the abilities of the GS, they were completely dismantled during the challenge and by what I was witnessing riders perform on the GS. Being a “hold out” I guess, I stuck with my KTM and practiced my dirt skills, preparing for the RawHyde Challenge 2008’

I attended the RawHyde American Adventure Riders Challenge 2008 and achieved a second place finish on my KTM. However, once again I saw the far superior abilities the GS possessed. I also saw my best friend, Kevan, achieve a first place finish on his GS. Friendly competition with my best friend will always be a great thing. But I realized it was not a fair playing field, with him being on the better, simply more capable bike. We returned from the challenge, pleased with our placing, however, I could not stop thinking about what I had seen so many riders do on their GS’s.

I needed to stop kidding myself. I knew the bike I had to have. I realized I was a GS rider! I called a friend of mine, Shawn Thomas of Santa Cruz BMW, California. I explained to him that I needed a GS. Shawn said he had been waiting for my call, and my bike would be ready for me when I arrived. A short while later I rode out of the BMW dealer, no longer just a rider, but a GS rider!

This is my GS story. I am a proud American and believe in the freedoms of this great country. I know I’ll be riding a GS for the rest of my life!

Keith Falerios

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