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Or go old old school and put a stocking up in there
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Jul 7, 2010 06:34
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| # ? May 5, 2024 00:04 |
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that's not a bad temp solution actually. Put a stocking over the filter cage and a stocking over the air intake hole on the left side of the airbox. AT least it will stop chunks from flying into your cylinder
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Jul 7, 2010 19:25
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Yeah, there's already a mesh screen behind where the filter should be which would serve that purpose. I ended up socking it from Amarillo to Boulder. Can't say I noticed any difference, and can't say I noticed any dirt on the sock afterward. To be fair it has rained the last two or three days everywhere I've been riding (or is currently raining now, the last two hours of my ride today were in a rain storm).
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Jul 8, 2010 01:53
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niethan posted:Didn't have the time to measure it this morning... I went thru all the electrical troubleshooting a month or two ago when the battery was weak from winter. Let's see if it works tomorrow, if it doesn't I'll go thru that again Are the cell water/acid levels good? Best thing I ever did to the bike was replace that crappy stock battery with a sealed unit. http://www.batterymart.com/p-Big-Crank-ETX15L-Battery.html
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Jul 8, 2010 07:27
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Bike runs just fine now, so i guess water shorted something without leaving damage. Update on the luggage rack front:      2mm thick aluminum plates, seems solid as hell and isn't too intrusive without bags on, invisible under the bag, keeps it way off the muffler. The mounting on the heat shield is kind of ghetto, cause one of the screws is hosed, but it should hold...
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Jul 8, 2010 18:48
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tengais are so loving cool
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Jul 8, 2010 19:24
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Bah, my KLR failed inspection due to brake pads. I've got rears on order (the ones that were the fail) and I have the fronts too, so I'll do them both at once. Anyone does this? Any special tricks I should know about? I have the Haynes manual, which was going to be my baseline.
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Jul 10, 2010 23:18
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Nah, its pretty easy. [helpful edit] http://www.klr650.marknet.us/brakepads.html got me through doing it. sklnd fucked around with this message at 00:32 on Jul 11, 2010 |
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Jul 11, 2010 00:21
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Just give the calipers a good cleaning and throw'em in. Unless you've got some miles or years on the bike, then you may want to run some new DOT 4(at least on the 08+).
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Jul 11, 2010 00:32
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  Click here for the full 824x768 image.
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Jul 11, 2010 01:19
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Fantastipotamus posted:Bah, my KLR failed inspection due to brake pads. I've got rears on order (the ones that were the fail) and I have the fronts too, so I'll do them both at once. Make sure to clean out your caliper and regrease the guide pins with silicone brake grease. I had my rear caliper sieze once which wrecked a brand new set of pads
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Jul 11, 2010 01:53
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Thanks for the suggestions, I'll give them a cleaning. It's only an '06 with 7k miles, so I'll skip the brake fluid for now.sklnd posted:Nah, its pretty easy.
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Jul 11, 2010 18:16
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So you made the mistake of purchasing a KLR. You asked around online, saying you wanted a good beginners bike that did ok on the road. Many recommendations of the DRZ400SM and SV650 came back. Did you listen? NO NO, you are a dumb poo poo that as soon as you saw that sexy tractor, you thought "Hey a bike that can go on road AND off road, this is brilliant." You probably bought a clean example that is only a few years old and low miles. Marveling at the "deal" you got. You also must likely asked the previous owner about the off road ability. He must likely remained silent or said he only took it off road ONCE. Now you are the new owner of a KLR, this is almost as bad as that time you bought a used GM Cavalier, because you thought it was pretty good looking car. You put a few road miles on the KLR and think, "Well it is not THAT bad". Then the big day comes when you take it off road, hit a rut and the hard OEM Dunlap tire sends you flying. You thought it was a good tire yet, it had plenty of tread left, what happened? If you were smart you would mumble to the next craiglist crawler that you only took it off road ONCE. But you are not smart, you love that tractor and decide it must rebuilt bigger, faster, stronger. But mainly for whatever reason heavier. You have some messed up logic. What follows is what I think can be done to improve the front end of a 1987-07 KLR650. I am sure some people will disagree, but it is my opinion. You probably already know that simply trying different tires (tyres for those that like to misspell things) is a lot of fun. One of my first recommendations is a fork brace. Quite a few options here: Happy Trails, Super Brace, TPI(sorry I can't link directly to it), Eagle Mike(this one is drilled and tapped for lower front fender mounting). I run the Happy Trails model, it is strong and I have no problems recommending this one. I like fork braces because I have found that on pavement it is a great improvement. And while some people claim that it hurts off road ability, I have not encountered anything negative about it with the off roading I have done. What it has mainly done for me is improved the feel of the front end when cornering hard and during heavy braking seems to keep the front straight. What I mean be that, is that the bike no longer pulls to one side because of the single rotor on the left side. Also somewhat closely related is a lower front fender (super moto style) I have never run one, so I can't really say too much about them. However people claim less wind buffeting at freeway speeds, less splash up during rain, and better cooling (less restriction of air flowing to the radiator). Only drawback that I can think of is if you are in heavy mud it might get clogged up. If you want more information you are just going to have to  it.That brings us to brakes. This is one of the most common complaints about the KLR. I personally don't find them that bad after installing a fork brace. Sure you got to give them a strong grab, but they will stop the bike. I think that most people are used to SM brakes that are cable of stoppies with just two fingers on the lever. Don't worry there are options out there for the KLR. And they are on my list of future money sinks. The first is stainless steel braided brake lines, available from many people, pick your favorite retailer. Happy Trails front brake line. Next is the over sized front rotor made by EBC and again sold by many. Happy trails has them. Better pick up some brake pads while you are dropping the money Happy trails corporate whore(sorry) I run the blacks, they work good for me. The another piece to the KLR front handling fiasco are the two pencils mounted to the front that Kawasaki humorously refers to as "forks". 39mm in diameter pencil lead. A popular option are progressive fork springs. Many retailers:Dual Star, Arrowhead, TPI, Happy Trolled $72 dollar special. While you are in there change the front fork oil (standard is 20W-10) and fork seals if you have high miles. You can play around with the spacers that sit above the springs, adding longer than stock ones. If you are heavier guy (over 150 pounds) or carry a lot of weight, adding front preload may get rid of that pesky front wobble at high speeds. (remember though that a front wobble could be caused by a variety of reasons such as weight distribution, speed, wind, tires.) MotoWizard makes some slick preload adjusters that look like they would work good. Funny enough I don't run progressive front springs, I also have thought about swapping in better forks from a different bike, but really did not want the hassle (this means I am simply scared to try it). So what did I do? Dropped in some Ricor inertia active dampening valves. Make sure you run 5W fork oil with the ricors installed. Don't pay full price enter the code "klr650.net" to get 33% off. I may end sounding like a corporate whore for Ricor, but they made one of the biggest improvements to my KLR. Of all the money I have dropped on this piece of poo poo overweight, fat, ugly, KLR the Ricors have been the best value in terms of improvement. I will try and explain what exactly they improved. First the improvement for street use: Improved tracking in the corners, front tire is less likely to jump when you hit a bump when you have it laid over. Reduced brake dive, really gives me more confidence when braking. Reduced jarring transmitted to the handle bars when you hit bumps. As for off road improvements: The front tire now seems to stay planted on the surface, instead bouncing around when you hit bumps. It almost seems that you have more traction with the surface because your front tire is not jumping up when hitting a bump. Overall smoother ride. After I installed them the first time it made riding the KLR fun again, that is until I get the opportunity to ride a Stay Vork!Vork!Vork! fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Jul 11, 2010 |
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Jul 11, 2010 22:42
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my bike is set up pretty much the same as yours, except I have progressive springs.Most of the stuff came on the bike from the previous owner. I intend on probably dropping the cash for the intimators on my next paycheck. Another suggestion if you're going to take it off-road at all, is some armor. The 3 main areas you want to protect are the engine case, the controls, and the radiator (Especially that loving fan). All of my suggestions are for 1st gen. Engine case is just a matter of getting an aluminium skid plate, usually available for 80-100 dollars. I have the one made by Ricochet Controls Require some sort of handguards. Breaking your clutch lever off SUCKS. I have the Tusk D-Flex sold by Rockymountain ATV For protecting the radiator, you have 2 options- Full on crash bars ($$$$$$$) or guards that just protect the radiator ($) I have the latter because I'm cheap and the full on crash bars are loving expensive. This part is important because, if you tip over on the left side you can bend the shroud on the fan, causing the fan to jam. The motor will keep spinning eventually melting the plastic fan. Since a new fan is like $400, I just fixed it with JB weld. Other things I have on my bike: Renthal 787 model ATV handlebars 1 inch Bar Risers Metal Off-road foot pegs other than the Intimators the only other thing I need to look at is a new rear shock. My bike has 37,000 miles so I'm surprised the stock one isn't blown.
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Jul 12, 2010 01:33
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Muzzy makes a replacement aluminum fan if you happen to break the plastic one, and what something different. Yep I got protection covered. These beasts break surprising easily when you go down (must be because they are so heavy). I have an aluminum skid plate that I got used off of ebay (not sure who made it). Built my own crash bars and bought some Maier guards used in conjunction with thesebecuase I wanted good wind protection in my guards, and they do work well. I live in a cooler climate so I also installed heated grips. They work nice. Pictures! .JPG) Click here for the full 1024x768 image. Upgrade your sub frame bolts or this happens: .JPG) Click here for the full 1024x768 image. Here I was using it to dig drainage ditches for a farmer who wanted to plant in a marsh, KLR tractor gets the job done. .JPG) Click here for the full 1024x768 image. Loaded up on a camping trip, just came off an ATV trail. .JPG) Click here for the full 1024x768 image. How it currently sits: .JPG) Click here for the full 1024x768 image.
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Jul 12, 2010 02:28
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SuperSlant6 posted:
Kawasaki's Lamest Ride.
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Jul 12, 2010 02:32
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VTNewb posted:Kawasaki's Lamest Ride.  SuperSlant6 posted:Upgrade your sub frame bolts or this happens: did you do the drill through kit? I just replaced mine with top grade bolts. I've ridden off road fully loaded with top case and saddlebags and I haven't had any problems
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Jul 12, 2010 02:52
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VTNewb posted:Kawasaki's Lamest Ride. armacham posted:did you do the drill through kit? I just replaced mine with top grade bolts. I've ridden off road fully loaded with top case and saddlebags and I haven't had any problems Yep drilled through and replaced with a single M10 class 12.9. Some on this forum believe that drilling through may weaken the main frame, I don't think so. I will continue to drill through every klr I can get my grubby hands on. I will let you guys know if I ever encounter problems with drilling through. The stock setup is two class 10.9 M8s, and some people like yourself go with class 12.9 M8s, can't say I have ever heard of these breaking.
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Jul 12, 2010 03:22
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SuperSlant6 posted:This is a good, I will remember this one. That'd be me, and here's why.  This candid upskirt shot is of what you're drilling through. That neck is at best something like a tenth of an inch larger in diameter than the clearance hole for an M10 bolt. Chances are, you're not going to drill that hole perfectly straight down the centerline of the bar, which means you're going to hog out one side of it, which means it can buckle if you put a compression load on it, which is what you're effectively doing when you tighten down on the through-bolt. And if that bar buckles, you're pinching the frame tube. I figured that was probably something you don't want. Now, it's possible - even likely - that the frame structure immediately forward of this bar prevents this kind of failure from occurring, and plenty of people have done the drill-thru with no adverse effects. So on reflection, maybe I'm being a sissy about it. And on the 08+ bikes, Kawi did increase the bolt size - it uses M10 class 10.9 with a fine thread. Replacing them with M10 class 12.9s would be almost, but not quite, as strong as the drillthru bolt, since the two-bolt solution shears across the thread rather than the shank. One could, if one were inclined, go halfway on the earlier bikes and drill/retap for M10.
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Jul 12, 2010 03:47
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Phy posted:You make a convincing argument, tell you what, next time I have the sub frame off I will weld in a metal plug to beef it up. You and me will both sleep better at night now. Kills Little Rabbits
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Jul 12, 2010 22:44
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So I ordered the Intiminators  what do you guys use to lift your bikes up for maintenance/ tire changes? I've been mooching off friends with expensive lifts for a while but I need something for my own garage. I'm hella poor, hence owning a KLR, so I don't want to spend a lot of money. Any reason I can't just buy a couple of jack stands from harbor freight for  to stick under the foot pegs?
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Jul 15, 2010 06:22
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The ghetto way was posted somewhere it involved a ladder and those straps that you use to tie down poo poo
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Jul 15, 2010 07:02
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niethan posted:The ghetto way was posted somewhere it involved a ladder and those straps that you use to tie down poo poo yeah but I own neither of those things
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Jul 15, 2010 07:16
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Armacham posted:yeah but I own neither of those things They are both way cheaper than a dedicated stand plus you can use them for reaching things that are up high (ladder) and for tying poo poo down (straps)
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Jul 15, 2010 07:23
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center stand + floor jack underneath the bash plate + tie downs hanging from the rafters in case the floor jack fails.
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Jul 15, 2010 15:08
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Armacham posted:So I ordered the Intiminators The ex-gf is in the middle of doing forks on her XS400. Her solution was the centerstand + bungie cords through the handles of 2x full 5 gallon water bottles and then through the passenger grab loop at the back of the bike.
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Jul 15, 2010 16:38
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In my case, centerstand + prayer Prayer, in this case, being a lovely harbor freight swingarm stand.
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Jul 15, 2010 19:19
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Do new KLR come with center stands?
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Jul 15, 2010 20:09
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no they are after market. I wouldn't want one because I've heard of too many people loving up their footpeg bolts with themquote:I bought a set of 4 ratchet straps at Lowes for $15, and 4 bike hooks that I'm going to put into the rafters in the garage, so, if need be, I can hang the whole bike. I've got a set of car jackstands that I use as insurance. probably gonna do this
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Jul 15, 2010 20:56
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Armacham posted:no they are after market. I wouldn't want one because I've heard of too many people loving up their footpeg bolts with them
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Jul 15, 2010 21:00
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This could probably go in the tire thread as well, but someone here has to have direct experience with the stock tires. Should I be seeing cracks around the bottom of the knobs (front tire) at 2200k miles/11 months? Tread wear seems good, though a bit squared.
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Jul 18, 2010 20:42
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Changed my rear pads (fronts still had half-life on them or so). Very easy job.
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Jul 18, 2010 23:55
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I just installed my Intiminators from Ricor on my KLR. These things are loving amazing. The bike feels completely different. Brake dive is gone, dive from engine braking is gone, doesn't "buck" as much if I screw up a shift, way better on bumps, whoops and jumps. The front was so planted on dirt, it is trivial to break the rear end free with a little throttle. This could get me in trouble. I should have bought these a year ago Of course now it just makes me need the rear shock Edit: another thing about them. Handling on street is now amazing. I was pulling Uturns scraping the pegs in the cul de sac outside my friend's house. I have never been able to do that before.
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Jul 20, 2010 04:37
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 My buddy needs to get better with topping off his oil.
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Jul 20, 2010 17:20
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Armacham posted:I just installed my Intiminators from Ricor on my KLR. These things are loving amazing. The bike feels completely different. Brake dive is gone, dive from engine braking is gone, doesn't "buck" as much if I screw up a shift, way better on bumps, whoops and jumps. I have never scraped pegs in turns, I guess I always counterbalance in slow speed turns on pavement.
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Jul 20, 2010 23:09
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SuperSlant6 posted:Yes, another ricor fan, now I won't feel so bad talking about how well they work all the time. And I feel the same as you now about the rear shock, I can feel it bouncing all over now. Counterbalancing increases the amount of lean angle for a given speed through a corner. 
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Jul 20, 2010 23:45
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Skier posted:
looks like a fungus that has evolved to eat KLRs
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Jul 21, 2010 01:22
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My KLR is running a tad hot down here in Florida and I'm about to replace the coolant for the first time since purchasing the bike. Any recommendations on what to use for this heat?
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Jul 21, 2010 01:42
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Coolant is not that important as long as it's there and not tap water; the bike WILL run at 3/4ths when it gets toasty out. Sure sign of summer on KLR650.net is the rash of threads about KLRs running hot. If you desire more stability in temperature, get a Thermobob. If you're redlining, make sure your thermostat functions, your waterpump works, and the fan runs as well. Also check the rad fins, don't want more than 20% surface area bent up. If you do have large smushed areas you'll find you can pull 2mm ribbons of fin material from the front layer and improve airflow where that top layer was damaged.
MotoMind fucked around with this message at 02:07 on Jul 21, 2010 |
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Jul 21, 2010 01:59
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| # ? May 5, 2024 00:04 |
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I live in Tucson, and in stop and go traffic, mine only gets up to a little past halfway. I did this, which helps a lot at slower speeds. http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php/topic,105.0.html If its redlining, follow the instructions above, check for leaks, check that the cap is working correctly, pressure test it, check the thermostat, make sure the fan is coming on when it gets a little above halfway, etc
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Jul 21, 2010 02:17
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