From: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com (klr650-digest) To: klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: klr650-digest V2 #446 Reply-To: klr650 Sender: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk klr650-digest Friday, May 28 1999 Volume 02 : Number 446 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 02:51:26 -0500 From: Tom Meagher Subject: Re: (klr650) Spark plug Since a hotter plug just creates a localized hot spot at the end of the plug due the increased thermal resistance from the longer electrode and insulator path, then the main concern would be detonation, would it not? So if it pings with a hotter plug, then you've gone too hot and drop it back. This could be a problem, especially with a lot of carbon build up in the combustion chamber. Maybe adding some octane booster to your gas, and running the hotter plug would help. Jeff, if you could pull a VW engine in 15 minutes, then surely the puny little KLR should be a cake walk. Are the parts really that expensive? Rings, valve seals, gaskets, honing, grinding. $200 bucks, one weekend, 3 six packs... Tom Meagher Houston TX A13 At 10:57 PM 5/27/99 -0700, Jeff & Lisa Walker wrote: >So my bike, which has been burning oil, died on me three times >the other day, and had a hard time restarting. So I checked the >spark plug, and sure enough it was fouled with carbon from the >burned oil. > >I had reserved myself to adding 500 cc's of oil after every tank >full of gas, same as lubing the chain, for as long as the bike >continued to run well and I could save up the markies to buy the >parts to rebuild the top end. So now I'm going to have to pull >and clean the plug regularly too? Would running a hotter plug >help? Or am I just creating other problems by running a hotter >plug? I shudder to think of the carbon build up inside the >combustion chamber. Funny thing, there really isn't that much >visible smoke coming out the pipe. > >She runs good now, but this sucks, because it puts a serious >hamper on this summer, as I wanted to do a couple of long rides. >Oh-well, less time on the bike outside of commuting means more >time on the boat, or behind the boat skiing. > >Jeff--A3 > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 02:22:55 -0700 From: "Jeff & Lisa Walker" Subject: Re: (klr650) Radiator Guard, and other potential needs >I think the silly "scoops" on either side of the tank, have got to be >extremely vulnerable. I'm seriously considering replacing them with a >couple pieces of 3/8" plywood. > Just wait until you have to price one of these for replacement.....simply staggering. I was thinking about fabricating some out of stainless and powder-coating, with graphics painted on, not decaled on. That way they won't be so fragile, and could be bent back into shape. Right now my LH scoop is being held on by one screw and three zip ties. Jeff ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 02:32:14 -0700 From: "Jeff & Lisa Walker" Subject: Re: (klr650) Spark plug the main concern would be detonation, would it >not? So if it pings with a hotter plug, then you've gone too hot and drop >it back. > >This could be a problem, especially with a lot of carbon build up in the >combustion chamber. Maybe adding some octane booster to your gas, and >running the hotter plug would help. > That was kind of what I was thinking, thanks. Its good to hear it from someone else. I'm running premium gas now, but I was thinking about spraying some OMC engine tuner through the carb as its running. You get the motor good and hot, then spray in that stuff, let it sit, then run the motor really hard. Its supposed to loosen and burn the carbon out of the combustion chamber. >Jeff, if you could pull a VW engine in 15 minutes, then surely the puny >little KLR should be a cake walk. Are the parts really that >expensive? Rings, valve seals, gaskets, honing, grinding. $200 bucks, one >weekend, 3 six packs... > > Well, I'm in school full time right now, with two mortgages, car payment, wife and baby. I've given up bounty hunting (not too many bad guys here on this side of the state anyway, and besides, if I really wanted to do that kind of work I would have stayed in the Army), and my only sources of income are my VA benefits, student loans, and rental income from my houses. So $200 might as well be $2000. That $200 I have to save for gas for my boat this summer, and that's just for me using it. Whenever I go skiing with my buds they mostly pay. Anyway, I don't hold the purse strings in my family, and my better half is more Scottish than I am. So I got to economize and try to get as many miles out of my bike as I can for now. Jeff ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 02:40:07 -0700 From: "Jeff & Lisa Walker" Subject: Re: (klr650) Spark plug >Jeff, if you could pull a VW engine in 15 minutes, then surely the puny >little KLR should be a cake walk. I have to say, that pulling a VW engine is SO easy its ridiculous. Remove some surrounding sheet metal shrouds (3 pieces, aprox 10 screws). Disconnect the accelerator cable (one screw). Disconnect a few wires. Disconnect fuel line. Car jacked up in rear, roll trolley jack under motor. Remove the two large bolts and two large nuts that hold the motor to the tranny, roll back the motor, lower it, you're done. I've been to VW rallies where they had motor removing races. Jeff ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 08:05:23 -0400 From: "J.Taylor" Subject: Re: (klr650) Rear shock... I had an "Elf" give me a second, extremely low mileage KLR stock shock and have been toying with the idea of sending my older, 14,000 miler to Bob Bell for regutting and reservoir-ing. I installed the newer stocker and have the carcass of the other lingering about. The Elf, as coincidence would have it, bought the Progresive I believe and lacked all need for the stock. At Mr. Bell's ultra low price it almost seems like my next, most logical step (low risk/cost + high potential for improvement=serious consideration). We'll see, I hated the process necessary to remove the old shock so I am not necessarily looking forward to doing it so soon again. Jake, Hmmmm GPS? shock? GPS? shock? (sigh) Kurt Simpson wrote (about "shock" options): > If I were to upgrade what would be the advantages > disadvantages of : > > 1) Sending it to Bob Bell and having him make it into a remote > reservoir unit for a couple of hundred. > 2) Buying a Progressive which hasn't exactly had rave reviews (any > updates on this) > 3) Getting a Works > 4) Paying $800 and getting an Ohlins like in the Rider article... > > Thanks, > > Kurt ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 08:32:19 -0400 From: "J.Taylor" Subject: Re: (klr650) Riding the Markie Wave (NKLR) Arne Larsen wrote: > And while I don't have a problem justifiying a markie for my > Kilimanjaro (as I am not a Tailor and able to make one of these > myself), I couldn't bring myself to do it for something I (convinced > myself) could fabricate on my own for 1/10th the cost. The only thing > I had to work around was the fact that I'd never done anything like > this before... ever. Don't underestimate the value of what this process will bring-a growing desire to fabricate all things great and small for the "beloved". After making my own Pelican bags setup (going on three years ago) I find myself looking in the strangest places for raw material to do additional fabrication, addition, improvements. I look for sheet aluminum, SS, forms and guides for tubing creations, plexiglass and other synthetics for wild creations. Granted most ideas are pushed aside by lack of time but the rare occassion I come up with something great (by my garage standards), the feeling is immeasurable (ok, I know, too "warm fuzzy". Bear with me.) And contemplative, creative thought begets more comtemplative, creative thought, much to the chagrin of my wife! Kurt had a thesis on this same "bonding" process a year or so ago that I printed and saved. Now might be a good time to avail yourself to his teachings, Grasshopper. http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 search for subject heading "89 klr" and author Kurt Simpson > So tomorrow I'm packing up all my pieces and I'm going to let him put > the welds where I want them. I think this will be a very handy > arrangement because I can continue to bend and fabricate the pieces at > his place, and when I need a weld I just point and grunt. Pay that man well in karmic overflow and beverage of choice. Wishing he were my neighbor (poor soul would rarely get rest). > stop by and see what I've created/abominated...While originally they > were going to look very close to a H-B rack, they've taken on a > personality of their own (at least in my mind - they're not finished > yet). Ahhhh, how a proud father feels! ALRIGHT, I'll stop the supportive creative, psycho drivel. DAMNIT MAN! See what you'ver done to me... How about those Trail Blazers, eh? Jake, fondly reflecting on those halcyon days of inventiveness. > See y'all there! > > Arne ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 09:01:08 -0400 From: "J.Taylor" Subject: (klr650) Dealer listing Over the life of this list, we have had several people post extreme satisfaction and dissatisfaction with dealerships, as if this weren't obvious. However, I would like to compile a list of dealerships that we feel are good, better, best and post it on a "freebie" web-page with a link possibly from the KLR/DSN page (Bill?) I will take care of the page creation and simply forward the link to the list and Bill, if deemed appropriate for inclusion. I offer to do this for several reasons: I travel the southeast extinsively and have noted dealerships that are worth retuning to for selection, level of service (when I have had them do work) and think other, travelling KLR'sts might, might, might benefit from this type of collective knowledge. Kind of like a AAA listing of places to go (or avoid). Tom Simpson for example has provided me with a new place to frequent in Columbia next time I am "up that way" (I go to Augusta,GA alot). When heading out "on the road" you could simply pull the page up, print the area dealerships out and include it in a tiny corner of the tank bag for emergencies (tires, batteries, assorted untoward events). I would attempt to break the list up regionally so as not to beleaguer east coasters with left coast data and vice versa (unless you were heading coast-to-coast). If this sounds remotely interesting and you want to include your dealership(s) around you, please email me back the following info: *Dealer Name *Phone # with fax if avail. *General directions ("Acme Cycles is on the west side of I-900 just north of Idiots Cove but before you reach Canada") *Any specific contacts you find most helpful ("Wanda Fomunda is an excellent parts person-see her") *Any other comments you deem necessary. I am calling on your specific knowledge to create a list the collective (aka Borg) can trust. I/we don't know your neck of the woods and hope to benefit from a degree of trust developed between you and the dealer (if that exists) in our travels or time of need. If you have a dealer near you that is particularly horrible and feel compelled to include them, I will do so although this creation was not really intended to list the bad guys. We could include them as, say, a "caveat emptor" establishment without actually hacking off that dealer to the point of him calling me to fume (if that is possible-Diplomacy filter ). I could see where this compilation might be a good accesory to the Lodging List Juan has graciously compiled for the travelling mishaps (events/breakdowns, not listers!) Let me know what your desire is (within decency laws)! Jake in Jacksonville, poised and ready to type. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 09:07:35 -0400 From: "J.Taylor" Subject: (klr650) Dealer Listing, take 2 If you want to include your area dealer, please send all email to me (klr650@bellsouth.net) WITHOUT [klr650] [nklr] subject headings. I still read all of my mail but that will make it easier for me to see and my filter to pick up. I am trying to ensure every submission gets included and this small item goes a long way to ensuring that. TAFN Jake ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 06:39:04 -0700 From: "bphillman" Subject: Re: (klr650) Rear shock... (snip) 14,000 miler to > Bob Bell for regutting and reservoir-ing. I installed the newer stocker > and have the carcass of the other lingering about. The Elf, as > coincidence would have it, bought the Progresive I believe and lacked > all need for the stock. At Mr. Bell's ultra low price it almost seems > like my next, most logical step (low risk/cost + high potential for > improvement=serious consideration Who is Bob Bell?? Is he someone I should have known about before I sent my wornout/leaking stocker to Works Performance to have to built (WAY) up to the Works Ultracross!! It is only $269 to have it revalved to the top of the line shock and replace the shaft, which I thought was a really good deal at the time. I should be getting it back in the next week or two and I will let you guy know what I think. Brian Hillman B1 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 07:48:42 -0600 From: "Pokluda, Gino F" Subject: RE: (klr650) (KLR650) Side stand >>Arne, It's not as bad as the family dog dying....but having your machine fall over (like Gino's) is a solemn moment. FWIW I have the fork tubes on my A2 about 2+inches above the tree clamps and found that the side stand situation seems OK. << Oh, trust me. This isn't the first time my KLR has been on it's side. When I shot the pictures for the "How to lift heavy bikes" article in DSN, My neighbor and I had to intentionally lay the bike down 4 or 5 times. Now that was strange. Gino ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 06:54:11 -0700 From: "Robert Morgan" Subject: Re: (klr650) KLR valve check time? I got that beat. Stock 67 beetle. Clutch job, in and out, motor started........15 minutes flat! Of course I had a lift, air tools, and a LOT of practice, about 15 years worth. Morgan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 07:07:28 -0700 From: "Robert Morgan" Subject: Re: (klr650) Spark plug Jeff you might run some Techron additive from Chevron through a tank of gas. American Honda tells us to recommend it for customers with carbon fouling problems. I buy Chevron gas excessively for this reason. GM's top end cleaner also works pretty well. It was originally made for cleaning outboard motors. We have used it at work for extreme cases. You might want to alert the fire dept first.......huge smoke cloud! Morgan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 10:18:13 -0400 From: "J.Taylor" Subject: Re: (klr650) Spark plug Any particular mix ratio to target or not exceed? Jake, hitchhiking this post. Robert Morgan wrote: > > Jeff you might run some Techron additive from Chevron through a tank of gas. > American Honda tells us to recommend it for customers with carbon fouling > problems. I buy Chevron gas excessively for this reason. GM's top end > cleaner also works pretty well. It was originally made for cleaning > outboard motors. We have used it at work for extreme cases. You might want > to alert the fire dept first.......huge smoke cloud! > Morgan ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 09:29:04 -0500 From: Tom Meagher Subject: Re: (klr650) Spark plug - NKLR - I hear you, brother man! I sold my old pickup truck to get stuff for my new scoot... At 04:32 AM 5/28/99 , Jeff & Lisa Walker wrote: >purse strings in my family, and my better half is more Scottish >than I am. So I got to economize and try to get as many miles >out of my bike as I can for now. > >Jeff ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 09:06:11 -0600 From: "Tim Bernard" Subject: (klr650) Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 09:00:20 -0600 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_0004_01BEA8E8.83C8B340 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable unsubscribe - ------=_NextPart_000_0004_01BEA8E8.83C8B340 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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