From: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com (klr650-digest) To: klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: klr650-digest V2 #182 Reply-To: klr650 Sender: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk klr650-digest Thursday, March 25 1999 Volume 02 : Number 182 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 13:28:21 -0700 From: "Pokluda, Gino F" Subject: RE: (klr650) NKLR-Now what?... <> My fault. I should have mentioned that he is a little hard to deal with. When I ordered a Telefix fork brace for my XV920, he said something to the effect "Why don't you buy a f**king real bike instead of that 80's s**t." I informed that I could just buy the brace from M&P if he wanted and then he straightened up. Gino ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 13:34:44 -0700 From: "Kurt Simpson" Subject: Re: (klr650) First Service (NKLR) >worked in before. Any pointers? BTW Kurt, for a guy that's only 30, you're >quite a moto-philosopher. Bogdan Right 30...I dimly remember being 30 once...thanks for the complement...my SO thinks my emotional age is 12 Kurt ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 14:35:24 -0600 From: "Desmond, Richard - TAFB/LASPO2" Subject: RE: (klr650) NKLR-Now what?... Juan, I cracked up reading your post about dealing with Gary at Spec II. His phone demeanor is something of a legend in RD/RZ circles. He's been that way forever as far as any of us can tell. If you're not ready for it his brusqueness can really put you off. He's quite knowledgeable and honest though, you just have to get past his, shall we say, lack of polish. Consider yourself initiated. Rich CMRA #352 '99 SV650 '97 900CR '86 RZ500 (for sale) '85 RZ350 x 2 '86 XT350 (for sale) '80 GS1000S '76 CB400 racing EX's ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 16:22:39 EST From: Krgrife@aol.com Subject: Re: (klr650) NKLR-Now what?... In a message dated 3/25/99 12:14:41 PM Pacific Standard Time, villarrealjuan@hotmail.com writes: > Just had a most unpleasant experience with a vendor mentioned in Gino's > tire balancing article. Their name of the business is Spec II and the > incident came about as a result of an inquiry I was making about their > tire balancer stand. "Gary" I can confirm that Gary at Spec ll is a little off center. He has a nice frame mount fairing for V-65 Sabres that I purchased 3 years ago. Fortunately I go near his place of business regularly because I don't think the deal ever would have gotten done if I hadn't stopped in there in person and "encouraged" him to get the thing put together for me. I can imagine that doing business with him long distance would be very frustrating if not impossible. Kurt Grife ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 16:32:21 EST From: Rcklr@aol.com Subject: Fwd: (klr650) First Service (NKLR) This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - --part0_922397542_boundary Content-ID: <0_922397542@inet_out.mail.aol.com.1> Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII In a message dated 3/25/99 2:36:12 PM Central Standard Time, ajax@xmission.com writes: << Right 30...I dimly remember being 30 once...thanks for the complement...my SO thinks my emotional age is 12 Kurt >> If my SO gave me the age of 12, I'd be happy. At least I don't have to worry about going into my second childhood, because I've never left the first..... MN Ron - --part0_922397542_boundary Content-ID: <0_922397542@inet_out.mail.xmission.com.2> Content-type: message/rfc822 Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Content-disposition: inline Return-Path: Received: from rly-yc04.mx.aol.com (rly-yc04.mail.aol.com [172.18.149.36]) by air-yc03.mail.aol.com (v58.16) with SMTP; Thu, 25 Mar 1999 15:36:12 -0500 Received: from lists.xmission.com (lists.xmission.com [198.60.22.7]) by rly-yc04.mx.aol.com (8.8.8/8.8.5/AOL-4.0.0) with ESMTP id PAA24962; Thu, 25 Mar 1999 15:35:46 -0500 (EST) Received: from domo by lists.xmission.com with local (Exim 2.05 #1) id 10QGpb-0007Nl-00 for klr650-goout@lists.xmission.com; Thu, 25 Mar 1999 13:34:23 -0700 Received: from [198.60.22.22] (helo=mail.xmission.com) by lists.xmission.com with esmtp (Exim 2.05 #1) id 10QGpZ-0007Ng-00 for klr650@lists.xmission.com; Thu, 25 Mar 1999 13:34:21 -0700 Received: from [166.70.2.219] (helo=kurt) by mail.xmission.com with smtp (Exim 2.12 #1) id 10QGpW-0006p9-00; Thu, 25 Mar 1999 13:34:19 -0700 Message-ID: <002e01be76fe$ed7e4a00$db0246a6@kurt> From: "Kurt Simpson" To: "Bogdan Swider" , "=?iso-8859-1?Q?Carlos_Y._Gonz_=E1lez?=" , "ripkid" , "klr" Subject: Re: (klr650) First Service (NKLR) Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 13:34:44 -0700 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3155.0 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3155.0 Sender: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk Reply-To: "Kurt Simpson" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable >worked in before. Any pointers? BTW Kurt, for a guy that's only 30, you'r= e >quite a moto-philosopher. Bogdan Right 30...I dimly remember being 30 once...thanks for the complement...my= SO thinks my emotional age is 12 Kurt - --part0_922397542_boundary-- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 13:40:04 PST From: "Juan Villarreal" Subject: (klr650) NKLR-Now what?... >I cracked up reading your post about dealing with Gary at Spec II. His phone >demeanor is something of a legend in RD/RZ circles... Yeah, but I bet he's gentle as a kitten in the face-to-face situations. Funny how that works, huh?... At any rate, does anyone have any leads I can pursue? I'm really wanting to get a hold of one of those wheel balancers. Thanks in advance... Juan Villarreal Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 17:01:32 -0500 From: dearly@JJMA.Com Subject: (klr650) KLR after market plastic. Need Help =20 List, =20 Can anyone give me any tips on obtaining after market plastic for a=20 1992 KLR? My bike is in need of a cosmetic change (all platic is=20 faded) and I hope that I don't have to go to the dealer in order to=20 make it "beautiful" again=2E I would love to find some blank side=20 panels and then find some "strictly dirt" stickers to give it a new=20 look=2E Does anybody have any tips on rejuvenating plastic or a vendo= r=20 who carries after market plastic that will fit the side panels=2E (on=20 both sides of the seat and gas tank)=2E =20 Thanks =20 Darnell =20 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 17:24:47 EST From: FTabor231@aol.com Subject: Re: (klr650) Removing a link on a chain In a message dated 3/25/99 6:08:56 AM Central Standard Time, dietiker@pacbell.net writes: << Life is short - have the shop cut it to the proper length (for free, natch). I have to do this every time I purchase a chain. Yes Eric, but by buying a 520X120 chain and a spare master link, you learn how to cut chain, how not to unroll chain and you now have a 14 link piece of chain to help you or a buddy. Since I don't use the built in tool storage area in the luggage rack because the GIVI tour trunk adapter plate partially covers it, it is a great place to store that piece of chain, extra master links, tire tools, patch kit and a good tool breaker in an out of the way, but not forgotten place. franks .02 worth ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 16:15:49 -0700 From: Bogdan Swider Subject: (klr650) To: "'klr650@lists.xmission.com'" Juan's moto-consumer adventure underlines my experiences with our passion. Many of the best wrenches, welders, fabricators & retail folks lack, shall we say, people skills. In my minds eye there are several pictures: different places, different people, but the plot's the same. My bike is being worked on by a guy sipping what definitely is not his first drink of the day. Between obscenities directed at the task he's treating me to the sad story of his life. Occasionally he inexplicably directs an insult at me. Why am I putting up with this? This eccentric is honest to the core; in the past he's gone way out of his way to help me. With him there's no such thing as wondering whether a job was actually done. Except for the few times he's had way too much, he's amazingly thorough. I'll take him over most dealers' shop any day. It's a strange world, but you already knew that. Bogdan ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 17:45:28 EST From: FTabor231@aol.com Subject: Re: (klr650) NKLR-Now what?... In a message dated 3/25/99 2:14:41 PM Central Standard Time, villarrealjuan@hotmail.com writes: << I feel better now... Thanks to all of you for letting me vent, and let me know if I have any other options for purchasing one of those *** **** things. Later... >> Juan, get a thin metal bar, put it through your wheel and rest the skewered wheel across two chairs in you kitchen or across the edges of a garbage can and let the wheel roll. Use a magic marker and see if the same spot goes to the bottom each time and add a weight to the opposite side. You can do as good a job as needed with a little patience and some lead stick -on weights or use solder wrapped around your spokes if your in a pinch. frank ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 16:50:37 -0700 From: Bogdan Swider Subject: RE: (klr650) NKLR-Now what?... Juan, An acquaintance with a BMW K bike (those things go fast!) uses this method: He mounts the tire & goes for a ride carefully increasing his speed. If the bike shows no handling problems at well over 100mph, he figures it's balanced "well enough". He rarely has to take a tire off to balance it. This guy regularly logs 25k miles per year and gets great mileage from his tires. Bogdan Juan, get a thin metal bar, put it through your wheel and rest the skewered wheel across two chairs in you kitchen or across the edges of a garbage can and let the wheel roll. Use a magic marker and see if the same spot goes to the bottom each time and add a weight to the opposite side. You can do as good a job as needed with a little patience and some lead stick -on weights or use solder wrapped around your spokes if your in a pinch. frank ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 07:55:49 +0800 From: Linus Subject: (klr650) unsubscribe unsubscribe ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 19:18:40 EST From: Krgrife@aol.com Subject: Re: (klr650) NKLR-Now what?... In a message dated 3/25/99 3:19:29 PM Pacific Standard Time, FTabor231@aol.com writes: > Juan, get a thin metal bar, put it through your wheel and rest the skewered > wheel across two chairs in you kitchen or across the edges of a garbage can > and let the wheel roll. Use a magic marker and see if the same spot goes to > the bottom each time and add a weight to the opposite side. You can do as > good > a job as needed with a little patience and some lead stick -on weights or > use > solder wrapped around your spokes if your in a pinch. frank This is my method except I use the axle and have made a little jig out of 2 pieces of 2x6, just make sure the axle is absolutely level and you can balance your wheel in no time. Kurt Grife ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 19:54:49 -0500 From: "Shawn Bryan" Subject: (klr650) Re: [Fwd: What about KTM?] Gino, Thanks for the thoughtful reply. As I lurk on the list, I see numerous discussions about "tweaking" the KLR to get it where people want it to be: new fork springs, new rear shock, new windshield, aux lighting, etc. This is all well and good, and I understand the urge to tinker and customize our bikes. My VFR is clearly mine, with my own touches front and rear. It appears from the conversations, however, that a great many listers find the KLR inadequate in these respects and that the modifications are not just customizing efforts. So if I spend $5,000 on a new KLR and then spend another $1,000 on after market improvements I'm moving into Africa Twin and Adventure R pricing territory. Still perhaps $1,500-2,000 away, but significantly closer than the $5,000 first suggests. Now I admit that I haven't seen an Adventure R up close yet, but I'm long legged so that's not an issue. But the KTM appears to have a significantly higher level of components out the door than the KLR and therefore might not need the aftermarket additions of the KLR. If true, then perhaps the bikes are closer in cost. I don't know about maintenance. You have indicated that KTM has a parts problem. That's good to know. Since I don't have a decent dealer for either the KLR or the KTM within an hour's drive of here (Vermont) it could be an issue. So I continue to watch and wait for more information from those who know and who have first hand experience. That's easy for the KLR: the list is a great resource. Finding owners of the KTM Adventure series who are willing to talk is more of a challenge. I'm waiting... - ----- Original Message ----- From: Pokluda, Gino F To: KLR LIST ; Shawn Bryan Sent: 25 March, 1999 9:10 Subject: RE: [Fwd: What about KTM?] > Additionally, I was very close to purchasing an Adventure R (has the new LC4 > 640 motor). I liked both bikes. They have top shelf components, excellent > engineering and are the best at what they are designed to do. I have a > KLR650 and to me, the KTM does not provide the value I look for in a bike. I > have not want, need or desire to wait weeks and months for parts either. > Many will dispute the parts availability issue, but the reality is that it > exists and has kept many KTM riders from enjoying riding for long periods of > time. The KTM's are also very tall with no easy way to lower them which > poses a problem for those of us with short inseams. If you want one of the > best dual sport adventure bikes in the world, the problems are a small price > to pay; the KTM is the bike for you. > > > Gino > ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 18:16:38 -0700 From: "Vik Banerjee" Subject: Re: (klr650) Re: [Fwd: What about KTM?] - -----Original Message----- From: Shawn Bryan To: Pokluda, Gino F ; KLR LIST Date: Thursday, March 25, 1999 5:53 PM Subject: (klr650) Re: [Fwd: What about KTM?] >an issue. But the KTM appears to have a significantly higher level of >components out the door than the KLR and therefore might not need the >aftermarket additions of the KLR. If true, then perhaps the bikes are >closer in cost. Shawn, Unless you stay clear of any decent stretches of highspeed paved roads you'll find you'll be buying aftermarket parts for the KTM to get it more street worthy vs. making the KLR more dirt worthy. If you want a 80%+ offroad machine the stock KTM may be the ticket. If you want a bike that can tackle roads and dirt equally the KLR is a good starting point. I think the fact you mentioned you customized your VFR says that you probably (like most of us) enjoy specing out a bike - making it your own. If you bought a KTM don't you think you'd buy aftermarket stuff? - comfy seat, luggage rack, maybe a different windshield, etc, etc?? As a lurker on the BMW GS list I am always amazed that people buy a $18,000 bike and then spend $5,000 for add on parts -- especially on a BMW which has pretty good parts to begin with, but people enjoy tinkering even if the bike is pretty good to begin with. Just some thoughts. Cheers, Vik ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 20:35:26 -0500 From: "J.Taylor" Subject: (klr650) Re: (NKLR650) Re: What about KTM?] Vik Banerjee wrote: > If you bought a KTM don't you think you'd buy aftermarket stuff? - comfy > seat, After looking at that KTM seat, it makes me thankful for the KLR seat. Yeah, buying an aftermarket seat would be HIGH prior-I-tie on the KTM. Jake, who feels beauty is in the eye of the beer holder ------------------------------ End of klr650-digest V2 #182 ****************************