I USED TO OWN A 650 TURBO IN THE 80´S. I HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF THIS BIKE. THE INDICATED TOP SPEED WHEN NEW WAS APPROX 230 KM/H. LATER ON IT ONLY GOT UP TO ABOUT 200KM/H. I MUST ADD I WAS MUCH YOUNGER THEN AND USED TO SLIP THE CLUTCH A LOT RESULTING IN MILD 2ND GEAR WHEELIES. THE BIKE WAS EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE. HANDLING WAS IMPROVED BY EXPERIMENTING WITH REAR SHOCKS SETTINGS AND BY FITTING A METZELER LASER FRONT TYRE AND A MICHELIN REAR TYRE. THE TURBO WASTE GATE GOT STUCK ONCE DUE TO RUST AS I LIVED ON THE COAST. I MANAGED TO SAMPLE A 2ND HAND TURBO FROM A SCRAP DEALER AND AFTER FITTING IT MYSELF MANAGED TO GET SOME PERFORMANCE BACK. AFTER FITTIMG THE TURBO I GOT FEDUP WITH THE LACK OF PERFORMANCE AS I BATTLED TO GET UP TO 180KM/H. WHILST RIDING IT OVER A DISTANCE OF 700 KM FROM JOHANNESBURG TO DURBAN AND CRUISING AT ABOUT 140 KM/H THE TURBO I PURCHASED, ALSO PARTIALLY STUCK, SUDDENLY BECAME UNSTUCK AND THE BIKE LEPT FORWARD. AT FIRST I GOT A FRIGHT BUT THEN AFTER REALISING WHAT HAD HAPPENED I CRUISED AT MY NORMAL CRUISING SPEED OF 160/KM/H AND EVERY NOW AND THEN ENJOYED A BURTS OF TOP END. RAIN AND WIND PROTECTION WAS GOOD. I WOULD LOVE TO OWN ONE AGAIN BUT THEY SEEM TO BE EXTREMELY HARD TO GET HOLD OF HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA. I STILL HAVE THE OWNERS TECHNICAL MANUAL, MORE THAN 20 YEARS LATER.
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