Form before function?

I’ve always prefered to put function before form. To that end, I’ve always wanted the KTM to handle as possible on the open road, but this means it sucks at just about everything else.

It sucks when dealing with motorway traffic and city riding in general. -it’s hard on your wrists, and the bike gets hot, then the radiator fan blows hot air all over you.

These days, I’m now using the bike every other day beause my oldest daughter borrows my car often during the week.

This means I need to make the KTM a more practical bike for everyday use.

Some of it’s issues is the difficulty to strap anything to it easily, and my kids reluctance to ride on it’s pillion seat.
(to be fair, it’s not a comfortable seat and they keep sliding forward all the time)

Towards that end I’ve added a packrack to the back of the bike to solve these problems.

Now I’m wondering why I bothered struggling to tie stuff on the back of this bike all these years, when it could of been so much easier…

But with a packrack, life is so much easier..

The day started… eventually

I usually give the DR350 a run the day before just to make sure it’s all good, but this time I thought ‘she’ll be right, mate’

A combination of old petrol, colder mornings,and a good month before it last ran, ensured that my right leg got a good workout.

Forty something attempts with that kick starter later I had the bike running. By then I was too buggered to even smile about it.

The day went typically well after that. Youngest daughter spent the day riding around the learners track with no incidents on a bike we hired for the day for her.

I’ve worked out she’s prone to crashing, unless we pay attention to keeping her well hydrated with good food. In particular we have to be mindful during the hotter part of the day.

It’s taken a bit to get her to understand this, but I think we are getting there.