18 inch front wheel

[Alan L Henderson]

scott quillen wrote:

> Keep the responses comin' folks...still waitin' to hear from an A1 owner. > > Thanks for the responses so far guys! > > Scott

You could just pull the side cover off and look. It is no big deal, one of our members pulled the side cover off every time he adjusted the tensioner just to make sure it worked. Wouldn't you rather know? Just look! Alan Henderson A13 Iowa

[Tengai Mark Van Horn]

Scott, I have an A2 and an early A3. Both have the same doohickey as the A1, but these are different from the mid-year A3-A19 and are a stamped, one-piece unit rather than the current two-piece welded lever. While the old design won't break like the current ones, they are susceptible to to having the hole round out, thus losing their grip on the balancer shaft. This process can take a very long time, but I changed mine 'cuz I could and so I could forget about the whole issue. Mark At 8:28 AM -0700 5/8/05, scott quillen wrote:

>Keep the responses comin' folks...still waitin' to hear from an A1 owner. > >Thanks for the responses so far guys! > >Scott > >Chris wrote: >We changed the doohickey in my 11k A17 friday night. The doohickey >was fine but the spring was broken and we did not find the little >piece. The bike seems to be a little smoother now with the new doo.

[scott quillen]

Mark, Sounds reasonable...my A1 has just under 5k miles on it - how often are you supposed to open it up and adjust it? I'm sure that sounds like an ignorant question - I guess it is...I'm ignorant about this, being a new KLR owner. Thanks! Scott Tengai Mark Van Horn wrote: Scott, I have an A2 and an early A3. Both have the same doohickey as the A1, but these are different from the mid-year A3-A19 and are a stamped, one-piece unit rather than the current two-piece welded lever. While the old design won't break like the current ones, they are susceptible to to having the hole round out, thus losing their grip on the balancer shaft. This process can take a very long time, but I changed mine 'cuz I could and so I could forget about the whole issue. Mark At 8:28 AM -0700 5/8/05, scott quillen wrote:

>Keep the responses comin' folks...still waitin' to hear from an A1 owner. > >Thanks for the responses so far guys! > >Scott > >Chris wrote: >We changed the doohickey in my 11k A17 friday night. The doohickey >was fine but the spring was broken and we did not find the little >piece. The bike seems to be a little smoother now with the new doo.

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[Joseph Jones]

An A1 is 19 years old, how many A1's do you think are still being ridden? I have been following these boards for a year now and think yours and one other A1 is all I have heard mentioned on either of the boards. I didn't think too much about changing the "DOO" on my A18, but I found one cheep from a lister that had bought a used bike and found it had already been changed. So he sold it and I bought it, I changed mine on my 04 A18 and it was in three peices. Changed my thoughts on the "DOO's". --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, scott quillen wrote:

> Keep the responses comin' folks...still waitin' to hear from an A1

owner.

> > Thanks for the responses so far guys! > > Scott > > Chris wrote: > We changed the doohickey in my 11k A17 friday night. The doohickey > was fine but the spring was broken and we did not find the little > piece. The bike seems to be a little smoother now with the new doo. > > Chris N > Lowry Crossing, TX > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at:

http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html

> List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[scott quillen]

How many miles on your A18 when you changed yours? I'm not saying I'm NOT going to change it...just want to get a feel for whether I really NEED to or not. Scott Joseph Jones wrote: An A1 is 19 years old, how many A1's do you think are still being ridden? I have been following these boards for a year now and think yours and one other A1 is all I have heard mentioned on either of the boards. I didn't think too much about changing the "DOO" on my A18, but I found one cheep from a lister that had bought a used bike and found it had already been changed. So he sold it and I bought it, I changed mine on my 04 A18 and it was in three peices. Changed my thoughts on the "DOO's". --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, scott quillen wrote:

> Keep the responses comin' folks...still waitin' to hear from an A1

owner.

> > Thanks for the responses so far guys! > > Scott > > Chris wrote: > We changed the doohickey in my 11k A17 friday night. The doohickey > was fine but the spring was broken and we did not find the little > piece. The bike seems to be a little smoother now with the new doo. > > Chris N > Lowry Crossing, TX > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at:

http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html

> List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Yahoo! Groups Links __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Alan L Henderson]

scott quillen wrote:

> Mark, > > Sounds reasonable...my A1 has just under 5k miles on it - how

often are you supposed to open it up and adjust it? I'm sure that sounds like an ignorant question - I guess it is...I'm ignorant about this, being a new KLR owner.

> > Thanks! > Scott

You don't have to open the engine to adjust it. The machine screw you loosen is behind a little rubber cover on the lower left part of the engine. The tensioner arm is spring loaded and supposed to pull the lever taking out the slack when you loosen the machine screw. When you snug it back up it holds the tensioner in the new position. It is kind of done on faith in that you don't know whether the spring actually repositioned the tensioner or whether the spring is broke, the tensioner arm jammed or broken. That is why the one member opened up the engine to make sure is worked. Most don't go to that extreme. Never hurts to look. I adjust it every time I change oil, I can't remember what is recommended. Alan Henderson A13 Iowa

[scott quillen]

Alan, Thanks!!! It's ALWAYS great to learn something! Especially about that which one knows very little! ;^) Much appreciated! Scott Alan L Henderson wrote: scott quillen wrote:

> Mark, > > Sounds reasonable...my A1 has just under 5k miles on it - how

often are you supposed to open it up and adjust it? I'm sure that sounds like an ignorant question - I guess it is...I'm ignorant about this, being a new KLR owner.

> > Thanks! > Scott

You don't have to open the engine to adjust it. The machine screw you loosen is behind a little rubber cover on the lower left part of the engine. The tensioner arm is spring loaded and supposed to pull the lever taking out the slack when you loosen the machine screw. When you snug it back up it holds the tensioner in the new position. It is kind of done on faith in that you don't know whether the spring actually repositioned the tensioner or whether the spring is broke, the tensioner arm jammed or broken. That is why the one member opened up the engine to make sure is worked. Most don't go to that extreme. Never hurts to look. I adjust it every time I change oil, I can't remember what is recommended. Alan Henderson A13 Iowa Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Yahoo! Groups Links --------------------------------- Yahoo! Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[desertexplorer308]

according to manual, "check/adjust every 3,000 mi" same as oil change. If I had an older bike I would replace at the next oil change, $50 for peace of mind since the bike is out of warranty.... I like the lever from "Eagle Mike" it comes with 2 springs, you use the one that fits best depending on how much your balancer chain has stretched... markII in vegas - A19 ,

> > Sounds reasonable...my A1 has just under 5k miles on it - how often

are you supposed to open it up and adjust it? I'm sure that sounds like an ignorant question - I guess it is...I'm ignorant about this, being a new KLR owner.

> > Thanks! > Scott >

[Joseph Jones]

It was right at 11,000, I had just got back from a 2400 mile ride to Key West from SE Ky and back. I was lucky all the peices stayed right where they was. --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, scott quillen wrote:

> How many miles on your A18 when you changed yours? > > I'm not saying I'm NOT going to change it...just want to get a feel

for whether I really NEED to or not.

> > Scott > > Joseph Jones wrote: > An A1 is 19 years old, how many A1's do you think are still being > ridden? I have been following these boards for a year now and think > yours and one other A1 is all I have heard mentioned on either of

the

> boards. > I didn't think too much about changing the "DOO" on my A18, but I > found one cheep from a lister that had bought a used bike and found > it had already been changed. So he sold it and I bought it, I

changed

> mine on my 04 A18 and it was in three peices. Changed my thoughts

on

> the "DOO's". > > > > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, scott quillen > wrote: > > Keep the responses comin' folks...still waitin' to hear from an

A1

> owner. > > > > Thanks for the responses so far guys! > > > > Scott > > > > Chris wrote: > > We changed the doohickey in my 11k A17 friday night. The

doohickey

> > was fine but the spring was broken and we did not find the little > > piece. The bike seems to be a little smoother now with the new

doo.

> > > > Chris N > > Lowry Crossing, TX > > > > > > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: > http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at:

http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html

> List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[JUDSON D JONES]

>From: scott quillen >To: Jud Jones , DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com >Subject: Doohickey replacement >Date: Sun, 8 May 2005 03:09:24 -0700 (PDT) > >Good Morning All, > >Having just bought my 87 "A1" a few weeks ago, I'm wondering how many A1's >were/have been affected by this "doohickey" problem... > >And BEFORE you say "ALL KLR 650s need to have it replaced"...please, if you >have an 87 that had the "doohickey" fail (or know an A1 owner who has had a >failure), please let me know. I'm only interested in known A1 doohickey >failures. > >If 87's have a poor track record of weak doohickeys, I'll replace mine, but >if I don't hear back from some A1 owners whose doohickeys have failed, I'm >leaving mine alone. > >I've spoken with my local shop, the owner of which has been in the >motorcycle business for at least the last 30 years - he's known several >folks who've owned KLR650s and NEVER had to replace the idler lever - he >wasn't even aware there is a problem. > >The mechanic at my local Kawi shop has never replaced one either or heard >of this problem. He said..."if there is a problem, there would have been a >recall". > >Now I KNOW you guys are NOT making this up...I just wonder if the problem >is not as wide-spread as believed. I certainly don't want to perform >unnecessary maintenance on my KLR...BUT, if there's a good reason for it, >then I want to see that it's taken care of. >

I don't know how widespread the problem really is. We changed seven levers on Saturday. Of the seven, two had broken levers, one had a broken spring. Three out of seven. I've had other days where we change two or three without seeing any failures. Since there are usually no obvious symptoms of failure, and since the bike has to be stripped pretty far to detect a problem, I'm willing to bet there are a lot of bikes running around with broken levers or springs. Nevertheless, catastrophic failures are rare. By the time you have disassembled the motor far enough to tell if there are broken parts in there, you might as well go ahead and swap them out. Or, you can leave well enough alone. If you are lucky, ignorance is bliss.