Tango660

Hi all, I joined this club with a question a few years back, which can still be  seen on here and then lost my login details and forgot all about it -sorry life is just so busy. A reminder e- mail from the YOC and finding my membership details whilst moving house got me back up and running  again.  I still own my XT660X  and do about 800 miles a year on it . I have owned bikes since  I was 16 but with over 30 years break.  A Fizzy was my first and I rebuilt it to better than new and then it was stolen ?  I had a Gilera moped as well and a had a close call on that one after a foggy winters night rear end shunt by a car nearly ended my days and shook me up. I then passed my test and bought a new GT185  - a  great bike and wish I still owned it. Then I briefly owned an RD200  before getting married and the three kids. I Really liked this one as well but bought it cheap fixed it up and sold it .I put biking ion hold a bit (over 30 years) but after the kids grew up and I got divorced in 2013  I bought my current bike the XT 660X which I like a lot despite it's annoying rough low speed (1st gear) running - the fuel in injection design? It's tendency to stall if slowing quickly from higher gears and a lethargic left foot  too slow in dropping them down. Although it rarely catches me now as I have adapted to it.  I have so far kept the bike  original apart from a K&N air filter. I only ride under a 1000 miles a year on local roads aroind Oxfordshire and Berkshire and use it for work sometimes - nice weather  across town. I tried a brave ride to Nottinghamshire from Berkshire a couple of years ago  but  I decided it was no tourer as the upright riding position wind buffetting and the light front end wears you down at 60 MPH after a few miles-  well I am a senior biker now!                                                   It is a 2006 bike with 9k on it so maybe a classic soon?                         It I think it would benefit from an exhaust swap as they are so heavy and high up they have a detrimental affect on it's handling and power. But I think I ought to keep it as a rare original spec one. Any one else have ideas on thst theory?                                                       I I ride with three workmates sometimes and my Bruv when he is not on call and we can fit it in. He has a modern Bonny and a 70's XR500                                       A couple of years ago at Birmingham show, a few of us took  some MT09/10 bikes out with a lead biker - so we didn't vanish with them ? to try them out and I was well impressed with the MT09. Not the challenge my bike is to ride but it was smooth and  handled great.                                                  That's about it really apart from in the rough weather I go back to my VW Golf for comfort, and the bikes health  of course. Looking forward to keeping my membership running this time if I don't mislay the login again lol.