I took my first ride of the season last Sunday. It was on the venerable DR650, and even though it was a short one (a whopping 34 miles), it was a good start to the riding season for me. No break downs and no accidents always make for a good ride. While en route, I stopped at the local Advance Auto parts for a new battery for the GS550, which I found earlier in the day to be bad. The battery was 4 or 5 years old anyway, so it was to be expected. I plan on installing the new electrical storage device later this weekend. To be honest, I expected failure sooner than this. Also in the works are new top end gaskets for the 550. It's been leaking for some time, and I've finally tired of the oily mess. The cheap aftermarket Athena and Vesrah gasket sets that I used previously are, in my opinion, not adequate. This time it's OEM for all parts.
