tools and things to carry

[eddie self]

I just picked my 02 KLR 13,000 miles back from Smith bros Yamaha kawa dealer in oneonta Alabama I asked them to adjust valves, install a new back tire I furnished (continental) my brake pads galfer adjust idle. Anyway was told valves were ok they installed rear tire, cleaned carb put on my pads bill 167.00 I was thinking it would be much higher and really thought valves might need a Shem or 2 but on a 60 mile ride home it was very smooth didn't even put my right hand to sleep without glove.I am very happy and ready to slip off to North georgia and or Smokey mts for a few days a good ride from birmingham Eddie Self Sent from Eddie's iPhone

[Mark W.]

Hey eddieI should be in Knoxville area tomorrow then ? Cherokee or??? The next. Keep me up dated we may cross paths. Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone -------- Original message -------- From: "Eddie Self eddie@... [DSN_KLR650]" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Date:09/19/2014 1:09 PM (GMT-05:00) To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Cc: Subject: [DSN_KLR650] KLR service   I just picked my 02 KLR 13,000 miles back from Smith bros Yamaha kawa dealer in oneonta Alabama I asked them to adjust valves, install a new back tire I furnished (continental) my brake pads galfer adjust idle. Anyway was told valves were ok they installed rear tire, cleaned carb put on my pads bill 167.00 I was thinking it would be much higher and really thought valves might need a Shem or 2 but on a 60 mile ride home it was very smooth didn't even put my right hand to sleep without glove.I am very happy and ready to slip off to North georgia and or Smokey mts for a few days a good ride from birmingham Eddie Self Sent from Eddie's iPhone

[John Biccum]

I’m always skeptical when a dealer says the valves are “OK”. 

 

Does OK mean that they all measured in the middle of tolerance?  The high end of tolerance where I would set them?

 

Or does it mean that they didn’t even bother to check clearances at all  since the bike ran “OK”? 

 

If I were ever to take a KLR into a dealer for a valve adjustment (maybe I was too swathed in bandages to do it myself? J ) I ask them to identify on the signed work order what shim number was in each valve position before the adjustment, what the clearance measured at each valve before adjustment, what shim number was in each valve position *[b]after[/b]* the adjustments and what clearance resulted at each valve post adjustment.   This data would serve the dual functions of making it more likely they actually did the work while also  allowing me to know what shim numbers (sizes) I needed for the next adjustment as soon as I measured each clearance.   I collect and retain this information whenever I do a valve adjustment since it makes subsequent adjustments faster (and I can usually predict what shims I’ll need and ensure that I have them in my shim set before I begin the adjustment.  Nothing more frustrating than finding you don’t have the shim you need on a Saturday evening and find you have to wait until Tuesday to ORDER the shim you need since your local dealer [i]never[/i] has the one you need in stock J[i][/i]

 

Yep, I’m a born and born again skeptic and pessimist.

 

[b]From:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] [b]Sent:[/b] Friday, September 19, 2014 10:10 [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Subject:[/b] [DSN_KLR650] KLR service

 

 

I just picked my 02 KLR 13,000 miles back from Smith bros Yamaha kawa dealer in oneonta Alabama I asked them to adjust valves, install a new back tire I furnished (continental) my brake pads galfer adjust idle. Anyway was told valves were ok they installed rear tire, cleaned carb put on my pads bill 167.00 I was thinking it would be much higher and really thought valves might need a Shem or 2 but on a 60 mile ride home it was very smooth didn't even put my right hand to sleep without glove.I am very happy and ready to slip off to North georgia and or Smokey mts for a few days a good ride from birmingham Eddie Self Sent from Eddie's iPhone

[eddie self]

I can't get away until middle of the week, not sure where this ride will take me. Eddie Self Sent from Eddie's iPhone

On Sep 19, 2014, at 4:53 PM, "'Mark W.' nomad59@... [DSN_KLR650]" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

  Hey eddieI should be in Knoxville area tomorrow then ? Cherokee or??? The next. Keep me up dated we may cross paths. Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone -------- Original message -------- From: "Eddie Self eddie@... [DSN_KLR650]" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Date:09/19/2014 1:09 PM (GMT-05:00) To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Cc: Subject: [DSN_KLR650] KLR service   I just picked my 02 KLR 13,000 miles back from Smith bros Yamaha kawa dealer in oneonta Alabama I asked them to adjust valves, install a new back tire I furnished (continental) my brake pads galfer adjust idle. Anyway was told valves were ok they installed rear tire, cleaned carb put on my pads bill 167.00 I was thinking it would be much higher and really thought valves might need a Shem or 2 but on a 60 mile ride home it was very smooth didn't even put my right hand to sleep without glove.I am very happy and ready to slip off to North georgia and or Smokey mts for a few days a good ride from birmingham Eddie Self Sent from Eddie's iPhone

[Norm Keller]

#ygrps-yiv-563470684 blockquote.ygrps-yiv-563470684cite {margin-left:5px;margin-right:0px;padding-left:10px;padding-right:0px;border-left:1px solid #cccccc;} #ygrps-yiv-563470684 blockquote.ygrps-yiv-563470684cite2 {margin-left:5px;margin-right:0px;padding-left:10px;padding-right:0px;border-left:1px solid #cccccc;margin-top:3px;padding-top:0px;} #ygrps-yiv-563470684 .ygrps-yiv-563470684plain pre, #ygrps-yiv-563470684 .ygrps-yiv-563470684plain tt {font-family:monospace;font-size:100%;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;} #ygrps-yiv-563470684 {font-family:Tahoma;font-size:12pt;} #ygrps-yiv-563470684 .ygrps-yiv-563470684plain pre, #ygrps-yiv-563470684 .ygrps-yiv-563470684plain tt {font-family:Tahoma;font-size:12pt;} Some handy things to carry are a peanut bulb socket (takes #194 bulb), some wire and a pair of jumper clips. It can be handier to carry some wire and clips separately as this allows jumpers to be made up if needed. One can use an LED bulb rather than an incandescent bulb because of the low draw, brighter light and the fact that the LED has polarity.   One can jumper up a test light, or make an emergency light for repairs as required. The socket is a take-off from an auto wrecker and the LED cost $0.99 off Ebay.   https://www.dropbox.com/s/kygbng1un3wugyb/LED%20tool%20kit%20light.jpg?dl=0

[achesley43@ymail.com]

The only dealership I've see check valves at initial check up was the old Heberts BMW in Baton Rouge. Even that was stretched to 1000 miles instead of 600. And, as I was on the road a lot and the dealer way 105 miles from my drive to their drive, they even let me watch so I could do it in the future , plus, giving me advice on caring for the bike. Of course, they knew I'd been a mechanic all my life and came riding up there on my '92 KLR in '95 to buy a '95 R11GS.  So sad the business finally went away due to death and retirement but some of the original cast still works at BMW of Baton Rouge.  I'm a bit different when it comes to doing valve checks as in researching a given engines history in valve adjustments. If I read multiple reports where the valves were checked and no adjustment required at different mileages, then I'm not going to go though the hassle. If the opposite shows up in reports, then I will. Points in case, I'm not going to get into all my bikes I've had since '58, just the last 20 years of my main bikes.  My 3 BMW oil heads with called for valve adjs at 6000 miles quickly went to 12000 miles when I was seeing very minor changes in clearance. ( Plus, you can do the valves on an oil head in about 1  hour with a coffee break. ) Then my 07 DL1000 which showed needing to be checked. An 8 hour job and changing 2 of the 8 shims. My KLR with valve checks at 5000 and again at 37000, needing 2 shims at the 5K and all 4 at the 37K and about 2 hours per job. Now comes the different engine type. My 07 Bandit 1250S I bought in Apr of '08 ( think>>> )  Have never read a report of those engines requiring a valve adjustment  in hundreds of valve checks. Hence, probably an honest 75000 miles on that bike and never even considered checking them. Sync the TBs at about 10000 and change plugs about every 30000 . Changed all the wheel and steering bearing at 60k miles  , tires and chains and sprockets as needed and that's it for that bike.   

[Fred Hink]

KLR owners that want to pay a mechanic to do a valve check/adjustment need to have a talk with their mechanic what they want out of their service.  If you ask to have your valves checked, most likely that is what you will get.  If you want the valves to be just in spec then you need to tell the mechanic this and if you want the valves to be set  to the maximum (in spec) then this too needs to be communicated.  It obviously takes more time to do a valve adjustment than it does to just do a valve check, so I have different fees for both jobs.  I let my customers know what is involved and how much to expect to pay for the check or valve adjustment.   It is up to you how you have your engine serviced but it just makes sense to me to have the KLR valves set at the maximum clearance so that your interval between valve checks is maximized. (as we all know a KLR valve clearances gets tighter with age) Fred http://www.arrowheadmotorsports.com       [b]From:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Sent:[/b] Friday, September 19, 2014 9:49 PM [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com ; eddie@... [b]Subject:[/b] RE: [DSN_KLR650] KLR service     I m always skeptical when a dealer says the valves are OK . 

Does OK mean that they all measured in the middle of tolerance?  The high end of tolerance where I would set them?

Or does it mean that they didn t even bother to check clearances at all  since the bike ran OK ? 

If I were ever to take a KLR into a dealer for a valve adjustment (maybe I was too swathed in bandages to do it myself? J ) I ask them to identify on the signed work order what shim number was in each valve position before the adjustment, what the clearance measured at each valve before adjustment, what shim number was in each valve position *[b]after[/b]* the adjustments and what clearance resulted at each valve post adjustment.   This data would serve the dual functions of making it more likely they actually did the work while also  allowing me to know what shim numbers (sizes) I needed for the next adjustment as soon as I measured each clearance.   I collect and retain this information whenever I do a valve adjustment since it makes subsequent adjustments faster (and I can usually predict what shims I ll need and ensure that I have them in my shim set before I begin the adjustment.  Nothing more frustrating than finding you don t have the shim you need on a Saturday evening and find you have to wait until Tuesday to ORDER the shim you need since your local dealer [i]never[/i] has the one you need in stock J[i][/i]

Yep, I m a born and born again skeptic and pessimist.

[b]From:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] [b]Sent:[/b] Friday, September 19, 2014 10:10 [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Subject:[/b] [DSN_KLR650] KLR service

 

I just picked my 02 KLR 13,000 miles back from Smith bros Yamaha kawa dealer in oneonta Alabama I asked them to adjust valves, install a new back tire I furnished (continental) my brake pads galfer adjust idle. Anyway was told valves were ok they installed rear tire, cleaned carb put on my pads bill 167.00 I was thinking it would be much higher and really thought valves might need a Shem or 2 but on a 60 mile ride home it was very smooth didn't even put my right hand to sleep without glove.I am very happy and ready to slip off to North georgia and or Smokey mts for a few days a good ride from birmingham Eddie Self Sent from Eddie's iPhone