From: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com (klr650-digest) To: klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: klr650-digest V1 #72 Reply-To: klr650 Sender: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk klr650-digest Wednesday, May 6 1998 Volume 01 : Number 072 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 05 May 1998 22:06:45 -0500 From: Ed Subject: Re: (klr650) Kiliminjaro Jacket - --------------42490EF9AFD31A1C7A803526 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > an, what's with this kiliminjaro stuff? Y'all need to support the > manufacturers that SUPPORT OUR SPORT. > First Gear does a lot to support m/c in general. But while we are on the support subject some one mentioned REI recently and they DO NOT support off road m/c They donate money to folks that are trying to close off gov land to dirt bikes so only the non motorized bikes can play. Try Cabela's, Aerostich etc. Later Ed (I'll get off the soap box) - --------------42490EF9AFD31A1C7A803526 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit 
an, what's with this kiliminjaro stuff? Y'all need to support the
manufacturers that SUPPORT OUR SPORT.
First Gear does a lot to support m/c in general.

But while we are on the support subject some one mentioned REI recently and they DO NOT support off road m/c They donate money to folks that are trying to close off gov land to dirt bikes so only the non motorized bikes can play.

Try Cabela's, Aerostich etc.

Later
Ed (I'll get off the soap box)
  - --------------42490EF9AFD31A1C7A803526-- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 00:15:01 -0700 From: Tom Simpson Subject: Re: (klr650) oil At 04:35 PM 5/5/98 -0400, Peter Dahlheimer wrote: >went with the Castrol Syntec 15w50, _automobile_ oil. the guys at the >bike shop said to use their >$8/qt oil made for bikes, but i thought i read somewhere that auto oil >was ok... izzit? I heard all of the rumblings about auto vs. car oil and the new SJ standards, so for the first time in a long shile, I went with motorcycle oil, Golden Spectro semi-synthetic in my case. The bike now shifts so poorly now that I am dumping the Spectro and going back to Mobil 1 well before my normal 3,000 mile interval. Nothing works any better than Mobil 1 in this regard. I take the attitude that any decent motor oil you buy today is still vastly better than anything on the market 10 or 15 years ago, so I'm not going to sweat it. Motorcyclists can be *so* obseive about stuff sometimes... - -Tom '96 KLR 650 Not a Spectro fan. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 23:30:55 -0500 From: rycomm@webtv.net (Ry Com) Subject: (klr650) rain I just got home from a 25 mile trip through a thunderstorm and want some opinions. My darien pants and north face jacket worked great, but my gloves didn't. My visor and glasses fogged up so badly I almost missed a corner. The street lights and traffic glare was pretty bad too. Once I got out of town, things were better. Has anyone used any of the anti fog stuff with success? I think a taller windscreen will help ( or any). I didn't have any problem with the bike in the rain, even with stock tires at 65- 70. Thanks Ryan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 00:50:11 EDT From: Cloudhid Subject: Re: (klr650) Kiliminjaro Jacket/REI In a message dated 5/5/98 8:09:38 PM, etonline@radiks.net wrote:snip >some one mentioned REI recently and they DO NOT support off road >m/c They donate money to folks that are trying to close off gov land >to dirt bikes so only the non motorized bikes can play. Ed, you're right about REI. I'll take my public lashing now. The other sources were either back ordered or discontinued on this particular item. So being of the instant gratification persuasion, I mingled with the tree huggers. On an even more selfish note, it's quality and they back it up. Ron <----exhibiting his machiavellian side) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 00:15:47 -0800 From: jamesf@bayarea.net (Jim Franklin) Subject: Re: (klr650) rain At 11:30 PM 5/5/98, Ry Com wrote: >Has anyone used any of the anti fog >stuff with success? I use Rain-x anti fog, and it works great. Dunno about rain, but in cold it's better than anything else. Needs reapplication every time I remove my helmet for some strange reason, whether it's been on for 10 minutes or 10 hours. jim ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 06:11:10 -0400 From: Bill Wright Subject: Re: (klr650) oil Peter Dahlheimer wrote: > went with the Castrol Syntec 15w50, _automobile_ oil. the guys at the > bike shop said to use their > $8/qt oil made for bikes, but i thought i read somewhere that auto oil > was ok... izzit? > > _pete Peter, I'm using Mobil 1 15W-50 which is SJ rated and have no problems. I guess you figured out that the picture of a motorcycle on the front of the bottle adds $4 a quart to price of the oil. Bill Wright Hotlanta, GA 98 KLR650 - 7291 miles ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 06:22:50 -0400 From: temsley@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: (klr650) Fuel Cap. & Rider QTH? Todd Emsley Wilmington, Delaware A11 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 06:50:39 -0400 From: Crystal & Fred Olsen Subject: Re: (klr650) rain I've been using the Fog City Pro Shield for about six weeks and have had great success. You can see the condensation around the edges of the shield where the coating doesn't cover, but no fog on on the coating. The two drawbacks are that you get a bit more glare of the screen and the water that "sheets" on the shield is slightly noticable. I thought it was little price to pay for a fog free shield though. The coating does not protect glasses underneath from fogging up. For that I put Fog X on them. FJO Jim Franklin wrote: > > At 11:30 PM 5/5/98, Ry Com wrote: > > >Has anyone used any of the anti fog > >stuff with success? > > I use Rain-x anti fog, and it works great. Dunno about rain, but in cold > it's better than anything else. Needs reapplication every time I remove my > helmet for some strange reason, whether it's been on for 10 minutes or 10 > hours. > > jim ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 06:25:57 -0500 From: Jim Barthell Subject: Re: (klr650) rain Crystal & Fred Olsen wrote: > I've been using the Fog City Pro Shield for about six weeks and have had > great success. You can see the condensation around the edges of the > shield where the coating doesn't cover, but no fog on on the coating. > The two drawbacks are that you get a bit more glare of the screen and > the water that "sheets" on the shield is slightly noticable. I thought > it was little price to pay for a fog free shield though. The coating > does not protect glasses underneath from fogging up. For that I put Fog > X on them. > I've been using them for 2 or 3 years now, I pickup a new one with every replacement shield I buy and myexperience is as you said... except I don't know what the "sheeting" thing means ;-) - -- Jim Barthell - TX '97 'C-O-O-O-W'...asaki KiLleR 650 FSSNOC #2421 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 07:38:24 -0400 From: PAT_HENSLEY@HP-USA-om32.om.hp.com Subject: (klr650) Re: Magnets >>> . Put it on the bars to the left and it points to the speedo to the right. Put it on the bars to the right and it points to the speedo to left. <<< Compasses are just simple bar magnets. Magnets are attracted to iron. Your handlebars contain iron. Move the compass to a handy location inside the fairing (where it is away from iron) and it will work. However, it will also vibrate like crazy and not work with the motor running due to the vibration. In time, the vibration will 'kill' the compass. So.... carry it in you tankbag or jacket pocket and just use it when you need it. I hope that helps, Pat PHX, AZ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 08:34:31 From: Robert Kaub Subject: (klr650) Clutch Switch Morning: While installing a set of Acerbis Rally hand guards (that's a whole other post), I decided to have a closer look at the malfunctioning clutch switch. Since day one, the bike would only start in neutral with the clutch engaged (your hand completely off the clutch lever). The sidestand switch did, however, work correctly. So, I took the switch apart and removed the tiny sliding contact and checked it out. All looked fine and I just wiped a lot of the grease off the switch and put it back together. I also found and checked the connector under the instrument cluster. Function test and viola, it works like it's supposed to. Cool, lets check the sidestand switch. Guess what? Now, the sidestand switch doesn't work. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Further examination shows that one wire runs from the sidestand switch to the clutch switch so these two are talking to each other and whatever I disturbed fixed one but disabled the other. I need a wiring diagram or schematic. I know the recommendation is to disconnect them but I would like them to work correctly at least once, preferably both at the same time. Has anybody scanned the schematic or wiring diagram yet? Thanks. Bob Kaub SUNY Binghamton Watson School Student Shop PO Box 6000 Binghamton, NY 13902 607-777-2715 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 09:00:48 From: Robert Kaub Subject: (klr650) Acerbis Morning: Last night I finished installing a set of black Rally Brush guards. I actually spent about three hours over two days. They're ok but smaller than stock in front. I bought the optional spoilers to get maximum protection for my hands from the cold, cold wind in the Northeast. The advantage of these handguards is that they wrap around and attach to the bar ends and should provide cover for the clutch and brake levers and, obviously, your fingers when, not if, you fall. I did not find them easy to install. The Rifle windshield was easy to install, the Givi luggage was easy to install. The left guard went on without modification and took about an hour. I had a hard time lining-up the holes in the handguard and the mounting bracket. Their close, but not quite there and you have to fool and fuss to get the mounting bolt through without damaging anything. The right one was another story. It just would not line up with the mounting bracket no matter how hard you worked (or cursed the Cretin who designed this thing). I took the handguard to work yesterday and after carefully studying the thing, noticed that a rib interfered with the mounting bolt, forcing it to angle away from the bottom hole in the handguard. I carefully used a Dremel tool to grind away the interfering material. This helped some and I was able to get the mounting bolt thru everything by (God, I hate to say this) finally hitting it with a hammer in frustration. Alignment and final tightening was easy. BTW, I did not have to cut any clearance holes or slots for any cables. One thing, though. The right grip has to be pulled away from the bar end slightly to allow the throttle to rotate freely. If you fall on the right side this will almost surely force the friction nut that holds the end of the handguard against the grip, jamming the throttle. Make sure that you carry a 6mm hex key in your tool kit as you'll need it to re-adjust the end of the handguard. All in all, The installation looks good and should provide better protection than the stock handguards. It just wasn't a ton of fun to install. Thanks. Bob Kaub SUNY Binghamton Watson School Student Shop PO Box 6000 Binghamton, NY 13902 607-777-2715 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 08:08:50 -0500 (CDT) From: "Dale W. Borgeson" Subject: (klr650) Re: Scott Oiler I've been using a Scott Oiler on my CBR600 for two years and it works great. At first I used just the metering reservior and found that it wouldn't even last for a tank of gas. This was because of the small capacity (~55cc) and the fact that I couldn't adjust the flow rate low enough. I then bought the touring reservior (an additional 400cc capacity) and found that it worked well. I could acjust the flow to a reasonable rate. The touring reservior is quite large and is designed to mount under the [large British] license plate. It took quite a bit of work to mount it on my CBR - junk yard fender, heavy mods to the license plate bracket, additional mounting bracket for the reservior. I would like to put a ScottOiler on the KLR but there is nowhere to put the touring reservior. One of these days I will make my own reservior and mount it in the rear subframe but that might not happen for a while. Cheers - -- Dale Borgeson dalebor@tiny.net Minneapolis, MN U.S.A. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 06:09:06 -0700 From: Erik Snider Subject: (klr650) KTM SuperTanker revised!! Hi,
Dirt Bike magazine has the article with the KTM factory bike raced at Paris-Dakar.  I briefly scanned the article to find the fuel capacity of this beast, are you ready for this.  20 gallons, at the cost of an extra 120 pounds added to the bike.  Look at your calender this is not April first.  The pictures of the bike did not show any additional storage such as tail or side bags.  I guess when you have a big $$ support truck behind you, you do not need no steenking storage.

I know this is not KLR specific, but any article about a D/S is a good article. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 09:09:04 -0400 From: Cameron Cole Subject: RE: (klr650) Acerbis Had the same trouble with mine. I had to re-seat the brake box on the right side. Also, used a gator clamp and forced the holes to line up, but it was a REAL pain. Congrats on the guards. They have saved my pinkie twice and my levers once already. > -----Original Message----- > From: Robert Kaub [SMTP:rkaub@binghamton.edu] > Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 1998 5:01 AM > To: klr650@lists.xmission.com > Subject: (klr650) Acerbis > > Morning: > Last night I finished installing a set of black Rally Brush guards. I > actually spent about three hours over two days. They're ok but > smaller > than stock in front. I bought the optional spoilers to get maximum > protection for my hands from the cold, cold wind in the Northeast. > The > advantage of these handguards is that they wrap around and attach to > the > bar ends and should provide cover for the clutch and brake levers and, > obviously, your fingers when, not if, you fall. > I did not find them easy to install. The Rifle windshield was easy to > install, the Givi luggage was easy to install. The left guard went on > without modification and took about an hour. I had a hard time > lining-up > the holes in the handguard and the mounting bracket. Their close, but > not > quite there and you have to fool and fuss to get the mounting bolt > through > without damaging anything. The right one was another story. It just > would > not line up with the mounting bracket no matter how hard you worked > (or > cursed the Cretin who designed this thing). I took the handguard to > work > yesterday and after carefully studying the thing, noticed that a rib > interfered with the mounting bolt, forcing it to angle away from the > bottom > hole in the handguard. I carefully used a Dremel tool to grind away > the > interfering material. This helped some and I was able to get the > mounting > bolt thru everything by (God, I hate to say this) finally hitting it > with a > hammer in frustration. Alignment and final tightening was easy. BTW, > I > did not have to cut any clearance holes or slots for any cables. > One thing, though. The right grip has to be pulled away from the bar > end > slightly to allow the throttle to rotate freely. If you fall on the > right > side this will almost surely force the friction nut that holds the end > of > the handguard against the grip, jamming the throttle. Make sure that > you > carry a 6mm hex key in your tool kit as you'll need it to re-adjust > the end > of the handguard. > All in all, The installation looks good and should provide better > protection than the stock handguards. It just wasn't a ton of fun to > install. Thanks. > Bob Kaub > SUNY Binghamton > Watson School Student Shop > PO Box 6000 > Binghamton, NY 13902 > 607-777-2715 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 09:16:02 -0400 From: Stuart Heaslet Subject: Re: (klr650) Introduction Marcus, Your reasons for looking at the KLR650 as a top pick were the same as mine before I bought a 1998 model a few months ago. Price was less important than reliability, ease of repair, and good handling. I had looked at a variety of bikes including new and used BMW GS models, but came back to the KLR because of the solid design, light weight and adaptability. After the initial purchase, a little less than $2K was invested in aftermarket stuff including a set of Al Jesse aluminum panniers, a Russell Day-Long seat (www.day-long.com), Progressive fork springs, etc. In addition to this list and it's archives (who's paying Kurt, anyway?), I'd recommend Gino Pokluda's Dual Sport newsletter ($15./yr.) and all back issues - they give excellent tech tips and aftermarket product recommendations. Stuart 1998 KLR650 >>>>>>>>Heaslet Corporation ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 07:02:27 -0600 From: Dave Friese Subject: (klr650) clutch switch Bob, I thought what you describe as a mallfunction was normal, so how should the clutch switch work ? My klr has to be in N with clutch engaged to start. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 08:32:03 -0500 (CDT) From: "Dale W. Borgeson" Subject: (klr650) (NKLR) Re: MSF with Spouse I've been an MSF instructor for four years and must say that the usefulness of spouses taking the MSF course together is VERY dependent on the particular spousal relationship and the personalities of the two people. In general, I have found that spouses taking the course together is a bad experience for one (sometimes for both) about 80% of the time. The older the students, the more likely the problems. Most of the other MN instructors I've spoken with have had similar experiences. Our policy is that we allow spouses to take the course together. We don't discourage it but we don't recommend it either. However, if a person is taking the course we do not allow a spouse or SO not taking the course to be in the area. Years ago I used to teach sailing and our club policy was spouses were not allowed in the same boat during instructional time - period. If they insisted on being together, we would not allow them in the course. We also recommended, but did not require, that they not sail together until they had completed at least the first two (of six) levels of instruction. From what I saw of those married students who attempted to sail together after lessons were concluded on a particular day, there was an excellent basis for the policy. Cheers - -- Dale Borgeson dalebor@tiny.net Minneapolis, MN U.S.A. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 09:39:20 -0400 From: Karl Huebner Subject: Re: (klr650) Introduction Stuart: AS an owner of a KLR and a GS, I can agree with you on almost every issue. Resale value of an old GS may be more stable than the KLR. But compared to the R11GS series, you could equip both the R100 and the KLR with all the available options, take a month off of work with no pay, tour some remote area and still have money left over! Stuart Heaslet wrote: > > Marcus, > > Your reasons for looking at the KLR650 as a top pick were the same as mine > before I bought a 1998 model a few months ago. Price was less important > than reliability, ease of repair, and good handling. I had looked at a > variety of bikes including new and used BMW GS models, but came back to the > KLR because of the solid design, light weight and adaptability. After the > initial purchase, a little less than $2K was invested in aftermarket stuff > including a set of Al Jesse aluminum panniers, a Russell Day-Long seat > (www.day-long.com), Progressive fork springs, etc. In addition to this > list and it's archives (who's paying Kurt, anyway?), I'd recommend Gino > Pokluda's Dual Sport newsletter ($15./yr.) and all back issues - they give > excellent tech tips and aftermarket product recommendations. > > Stuart > 1998 KLR650 > > >>>>>>>>Heaslet Corporation > - -- Karl V. Huebner Celiac Recipe Butcher 89 BMW R100GS 95 Kawasaki KLR MSgt, 445 SFS, WPAFB, Ohio Juvenile Correctional Officer, TICO Private Investigator, Weidner and Associates, Inc. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 23:18:10 +1000 From: Ted Palmer Subject: Re: (klr650) A big favor. Michael Kovaliv wrote: > Hi, I'm very interested in buying a KLR650 but have a few reservations. I > currently ride a 1984 Honda Nighthawk S (CB750SC) which is a great bike as > long as the pavement doesn't end. I've always really wanted a dual-sport. I have a '84 750 Honda (aka "CBX750F" aka "RC17") and a KLR600. They are indeed very different bikes, which is why I wear the expenses of keeping them. The mighty KLR is a beaut town bike (hmmm, sounds like a girl I knew once), while the CBX is much more suitable for bringing the GF along with me, and the CBX blitzes race tracks (Phillip Island is about 1.5 hours ride away :-) Sitting tall in the KLR is great for catching the breeze in summer, the CBX is great for getting there fast. I say keep the Honda and get the KLR, and enjoy the variety. Chuck some road tyres on the KLR and you'll have a very able bike for the twisty roads, certainly something that will leave a Nighthulk for dead in the tight stuff. Mister_T - -- \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\ | RC17 KLR600 Roces BCN FreeBSD 2.2.5-R NT4W (ugh) | | tedp[at]replicant[dot]apana[dot]org[dot]au | \|_________________________________________________________________| ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 May 1998 00:16:09 +1000 From: Ted Palmer Subject: Re: (klr650) Speedo update and water pump 2 pence Yusseri Yusoff wrote: [...] > leak problem about a year ago. Had water leaking through the weep hole > copiously. Turns out the water pump was knackered due to a bent balancer > shaft. Had to replace the pump and the shaft. Just my 2 pence. How do you suspect you bent the shaft? I have a leak from my waterpump, the drain hole lets out both oil and water (not grey whipped cream). I'm guessing my balancer shaft bearing is getting sloppy, else the case is cracked and allowing the bearing and shaft to wobble. I don't see how the waterpump driveshaft would bend, but I'm open to suggestions. I have already changed the oil and water seals some years ago but the leak returned soon after. I just wedge a rag between the bashplate and the hole to catch the runoff, these days. The cracked case theory is based on some heresay about some racers' experiences in our "supermono" local racing class. Highly tuned and revved KLR600 powerplants seem to crack a bit. A "supermono" is often a thumper motor in a sporty 250 frame, like from a Suzuki RGV250 or Kawasaki KR1S. I have seen a thumper motor in a Suzuki RG500 frame, as well. Mister_T - -- \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\ | RC17 KLR600 Roces BCN FreeBSD 2.2.5-R NT4W (ugh) | | tedp[at]replicant[dot]apana[dot]org[dot]au | \|_________________________________________________________________| ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 23:30:20 +1000 From: Ted Palmer Subject: Re: (klr650) Magnets Kurt Simpson wrote: > > Thank you John, but can someone help me understand why there > is a magnet in the speedo, I guess I thought it was pure > mechanical, not electro-magnetic...or, is this going to be AFAIK, the design of the common speedo dates back decades. The cable from the front wheel spins a magnet (like a propeller) in the speedo. There is a drum of metal around this magnet. The drum is attached to the speedo needle and a return spring. I won't go into the physics principles, but the faster the magnet spins, the more torque there is on the drum and spring. It's a crude system, but well proven. I don't know about you guys, but I think ambient temperature affects my speed readings slightly. Must be something to do with the temp effects on the spring. Later, fancier bikes have a more trendy and expensive system, based on electric pulses. Some new bikes (and I guess more and more cars) have a pulse generator somewhere on the driveline, which electronics convert to an analogue reading (like on a needle/dial) or display as digital display. No need for a spinning magnet. However, bikes with electronic speedos tend to have the pulser in the front sprocket area, so if you tinker with sprocket ratios, your speedo reads wrong. I've heard of people fitting converted digital bicycle speedos to their motorcycle. Not a bad idea as long as you find a unit that can handle motorbike speeds, and one that you can calibrate easily. Mister_T - -- \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\ | RC17 KLR600 Roces BCN FreeBSD 2.2.5-R NT4W (ugh) | | tedp[at]replicant[dot]apana[dot]org[dot]au | \|_________________________________________________________________| ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 07 May 1998 00:02:35 +1000 From: Ted Palmer Subject: Re: (klr650) rain Peter Dahlheimer wrote: > the bike acts like it wants to stall (alot like it acts when it's almost > outta gas and needs reserve) when it's raining... anybody seen this > before?? My 600 was like this, but somehow it eventually grew out of it. It turned out to be a blocking vented fuel cap. It seems that condensation was enough to block the fine vent holes in the cap. I remember one trip from Sydney (New South Wales) to Noosa (Queensland) via the New England Highway. Up in the highlands, in the cold and rain, I had to ride with one hand on the throttle and one on the loose fuel cap. As the bike starved, I would lift the cap and let the float fill up again, then close the cap again. I did this for a couple of hours. The stability of the big front wheel and wide bars quite a help over the suspect country roads. Mister_T - -- \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\ | RC17 KLR600 Roces BCN FreeBSD 2.2.5-R NT4W (ugh) | | tedp[at]replicant[dot]apana[dot]org[dot]au | \|_________________________________________________________________| ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 23:55:53 +1000 From: Ted Palmer Subject: Re: (klr650) oil Peter Dahlheimer wrote: > went with the Castrol Syntec 15w50, _automobile_ oil. the guys at the > bike shop said to use their > $8/qt oil made for bikes, but i thought i read somewhere that auto oil > was ok... izzit? As long as the oil doesn't have any "friction modifier" in it. This stuff is good in car engines, but few if any car engines have wet clutches running in the engine oil. In theory, bike oil is higher quality, as bike engines are more highly stressed, and put greater loads on the oil. Most bikes also run the gears in the engine oil, so the oil gets chewed out much harder. Bike engines generally put out a lot more horsepower per cube, so the bike oil has to contend with more heat in a smaller sump capacity. As a lot of bikes are still aircooled, bike oil generally has to work well over a wider temperature range. As more bikes come out with water cooling, this may not be as important as it used to be. After all this, what do I use? Pennzoil 20W-50. Both my bikes seem to like it. It's not specifically bike oil, but it seems to work. It's not too expensive to change often, which is not a bad idea in my somewhat tired motors. An expensive oil, sythetic of otherwise, would get just a contaminated by blowby as a cheaper (not "cheap") oil. A cheap oil may pass a standard, but the quantities of detergent and dispersant may be borderline for longer than it takes to pass a test. I tried a Shell Advance bike oil of some sort, but the Honda burnt it off at a frightening rate, so I went back to Pennzoil. As I don't do a lot of distance on either bike (about 50,000 miles in 12 years on the mighty KLR) I tend to change the oil about every three to six months. The Honda tends to get more changes, like before and after ride days or interstate jaunts. Unfortunately, oils are still one of the last bastions of heresay, lies and misinformation Mister_T - -- \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\ | RC17 KLR600 Roces BCN FreeBSD 2.2.5-R NT4W (ugh) | | tedp[at]replicant[dot]apana[dot]org[dot]au | \|_________________________________________________________________| ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 09:51:05 -0500 From: Jim Barthell Subject: Re: (klr650) (NKLR) Re: MSF with Spouse Dale W. Borgeson wrote: > In general, I have found that spouses taking the course together is a bad > experience for one (sometimes for both) about 80% of the time. The older > the students, the more likely the problems. Most of the other MN > instructors I've spoken with have had similar experiences. Our policy is > that we allow spouses to take the course together. We don't discourage it > but we don't recommend it either. My wife and I took it together and it was a blast, we loved it, she got a higher grade than I did, (too many old habits I guess ;-)), the other females in the class loved that I was ok with my wife beating me, I loved that the other females were noticing me, my wife got pissed that I was loving the attention... oooppps, no wait, yeah it was a blast :-) Seriously, if I hadn't gone my wife would have been too intimidated to take the class so I'm surprised, but don't doubt, your 80% bad experience number. > However, if a person is taking the course we do not allow a spouse or SO not > taking the course to be in the > area. Guess I don't understand this, why would you allow anyone not taking the course to be in the area. - -- Jim Barthell - TX '97 'C-O-O-O-W'...asaki KiLleR 650 FSSNOC #2421 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 11:00:13 -0400 From: Peter Dahlheimer Subject: (klr650) klr vs nighthawk 750 funny you should mention this comparison in performance because when i first got my klr, my friend had a nighthawk 750 and wanted to "go for a ride". it was in his neighborhood and surrounding area, with which i was not completely familiar. he immediately gunned it and attempted to lose me, but i was stuck about five feet behind him the whole time. when we got off, he said "wow, that thing's fast!" _pete 97KLR650 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 11:22:38 From: Robert Kaub Subject: (klr650) The OIL Debate This will go on forever. If Texaco/Pennzoil/Valvoline/Castrol/Etc. 5W30/10W30/10W40 is good enough for our $30,000 SUV's, and is generally available, on sale, for a buck a quart, then it is certainly good enough for our $5,000 KLR's. Change the oil & filter a couple of times a year, go riding and don't worry about it. Remember, that bikes exist to please us. We don't exist to service them. Unless, of course, you're a Borg. Thanks. Bob Kaub SUNY Binghamton Watson School Student Shop PO Box 6000 Binghamton, NY 13902 607-777-2715 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 11:30:09 -0400 From: Stuart Heaslet Subject: Re: (klr650) Introduction Karl, Don't get me wrong, I sure like the BMW machines (especially the model you've got), money notwithstanding. But it also came down to the question of whether I would choose to be stuck with a busted chain or a busted driveshaft in the middle of nowhere (it has happened) if the worst event ever happened, and whether the BMW's extra 100 pounds would *really* matter on dirt, gravel and sand. If it meant spending the money for KLR features, I probably would have. Lucky for all that good design and great prices can still coexist. Stuart >But compared to the R11GS series, you could equip both the R100 and the >KLR with all the available options, take a month off of work with no >pay, tour some remote area and still have money left over! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 10:28:00 -0500 From: Jim Barthell Subject: Re: (klr650) The OIL Debate Robert Kaub wrote: > If Texaco/Pennzoil/Valvoline/Castrol/Etc. Pheew, glad you didn't include Mobil 1 in that statement. ;-) - -- Jim Barthell - TX '97 'C-O-O-O-W'...asaki KiLleR 650 FSSNOC #2421 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 10:56:10 +0000 From: snsi@win.bright.net Subject: Re: (klr650) rain I think you have something here Ted. I've had this happen to me once (night after a rain) and it stopped after I did two thing . 1 I put the bike on reserve and 2 opened the tank to check if I had gas. I'm pretty suspect about the tank vent anyway since the bike moans when I move it after its been in the sun. > Peter Dahlheimer wrote: > > > the bike acts like it wants to stall (alot like it acts when it's almost > > outta gas and needs reserve) when it's raining... anybody seen this > > before?? > > My 600 was like this, but somehow it eventually grew out of it. > It turned out to be a blocking vented fuel cap. > It seems that condensation was enough to block the fine vent holes > in the cap. > I remember one trip from Sydney (New South Wales) to Noosa (Queensland) > via the New England Highway. Up in the highlands, in the cold and rain, > I had to ride with one hand on the throttle and one on the loose fuel > cap. > As the bike starved, I would lift the cap and let the float fill up > again, then close the cap again. I did this for a couple of hours. > The stability of the big front wheel and wide bars quite a help over > the suspect country roads. > Jeff Smith Barnes, WI '71 A-HD Sprint 350; '97 Kawasaki KLR650 (King o'La Road) "Beware the dirt bike ... Ground shaking dirt bike" TMBG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 May 1998 12:26:02 -0400 From: Bill Haycock Subject: (klr650) Technical tips Update Just posted an article on the KLR Page (Technical Tips section) on oil changes and chain adjustment. Bill WebMaster-KLR Dual Sport News ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 09:57:24 -0700 (PDT) From: Jim Franklin Subject: Re: (klr650) rain Keep an eye on the glue of the Fog Shield. The one on my Arai slowly developed air bubbles which grew in number and size until one day, FOOM the whole thing gets fogged at once. This has happened to a friend as well. My SHoie was great for 5 years, so I don't know if it's an application problem on my part or a design flaw. jim ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 09:59:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Tom Vervaeke Subject: (klr650) Modifications to my KLR - Questions Hello: Clutch Safety Switch Modification - --------------------------------- Since the clutch safety switch on my 98 KLR had already begun to act funky I decided to just go ahead and do the modification to disable it. The instructions on the KLR Web page are very accurate. What I did was follow the instructions carefully and it worked fine. I can now start the bike in gear or neutral or anything with the clutch in or out. I'm happy. Wanted to ask one small thing: I used a crimp on splice to connect the two striped wires on the bike's wiring harness. This is what you do to "fool" the bike into thinking the clutch lever is in the correct position. What would happen if I simply plug the connector from the clutch back into the cable from the bike with the splice in place on the bike side? This would allow the whole thing to fit back into the correct place on the front of the bike. I reasoned that since I had already bridged the correct wires with my crimp on splice that there would be no issues. I however do not know what the third wire in this bundle of three wires does. So I plugged the wires back together with the connectors and started the bike. Weird, when first turning on the key the bike will show the neutral light even if the bike is not in neutral. Don't ask how I found this out :-). However, after the initial start attempt if I put the bike in gear the neutral light will go out. So, I just disconnected the two cable ends and zip tied them to the bike not connected together and all works fine. Just like the directions state. Done. Sidestand Modification - ---------------------- I don't really have any interest in disconnecting my sidestand safety switch as I really like the feature. However, many report the darn things goes belly up when in the middle of the boonies so I thought I'd just modify mine while I was doing the other. Using the information from the KLR Web Page I easily remove my plastic piece on the side of the bike that covers the innards of this thing. I then read the directions and looked at my bike. They don't match. My bike has the wire running from the sidestand to the area I was focusing on. When the sidestand is down the wire pulls down and a lever inside the attention area moves downward. When the stand is retracted (up position) the lever is pushed upward. I can also see where the electrical wires comes down from the bike's wiring harness into this area. In a nutshell the electricial wires are connected securely directly into the mechanical switch. The physical wire from the sidestand area is connected to a lever on the outside of this switch via a fastener. There is no way that I can see to remove the wires coming down from the bike's wiring harness from the switch on the bike. I could cut the wires but then I could never put them back easily. The instructions led me to believe I would simply be able to disconnect the electrical leads from the switch on the bike and then jumper the wires, similar to the clutch disable. No such luck. Any chance that the 98's (which I have) have a new design? If so, perhaps they've been improved with the idea to eliminate the old problematic switch? Any ideas would be appreciated. Heated Grips - ------------ I'm in the process of adding heated grips. Here in Colorado they come in handy much of the year. Especially in the mornings and evenings even during the summer. I removed both old grips using an exacto knife. The left grip needed a lot of work as there was lots of glue holding it to the handlebar. The right side was much easier. I then cleaned the old grip area very carefully. I then removed the backing from the Kimpex heated grip elements and rolled them carefully on both sides. I placed them such that I could route the wires easily and out of the way. On the left side The wires come out near the bottom and are then zip-tied all the way over to the front of the bike where I will place the switch. On the throttle side one must make a loop of wire so that the throttle can turn easily without pinching the wire. I just took a 6" piece of the wire lead and made a loop and zip tied it near the base of the mirror stalk. I then routed the leads to the same location on the front of the bike as the left side. I then installed new better Pro Grips onto both left and right sides. Easy to do and just needed a bit of soap to get the new grips over the bars. All that is left to do is the electrical hookup. I drilled a 1/2" hole in the plastic cover that's you remove when you do the clutch wire disable. There's enough room on the top middle to drill the hole with the cover removed. I then installed the switch and it fits just fine. So I can easily move the switch from off to low to high heat even with gloves. What I have left to do is to connect all the leads together and then get power from the battery to the switch. I'm planning on running a 16ga wire directly from the battery to the switch. The cost of the Kimpex grips is about $20 from most dealers or they can be purchased for something like $26 from Baja Designs. They draw very little power and make lots of heat. I would say they are just as warm as the ones on my BMW R1100GS where the cost of heated grips is quite expensive. The only other cost to this was about $7.99 for a new set of grips, which I would have done anyway to get softer grips on the KLR. A very cheap price to pay. When completed the grips have an off, low, and high setting. The high is very warm and I will be able to feel heat even through thick gloves. Feels so nice on a cold evening when you're trying to make it home and you don't have extra warm gloves. Of course if you live in Florida you can disregard this :-)) Regards, Tom Vervaeke Colorado Springs, CO 98 KLR650, 96 XR600, 96 BMW R1100GS, 93 CB250 (wife's bike) _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ End of klr650-digest V1 #72 ***************************