updated klr tool tube link

[marshall]

Leo, Congrats on the new ride. Hope you enjoy the KLR as much as I get a kick out of my KLX. Sorry, can't help with info on the lowering links. Welcome to the asylum! Marshall in Slidell, La 95 KLXC3 "Blackhorse" (in honor of those who served)

----- Original Message ----- From: "leo_klr" To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, March 18, 2002 6:04 AM Subject: [DSN_klr650] new member > Good morning, >> would you believe it, she bought me a KLR. I'll be picking it up on > Wendsday. I can't wait... > I'm sure I will have a lot of questions for all of you and I am > sure I'll get varied advice, but all will be appreciated. > Has anyone installed the lowering links? was it difficult? any > other adjustments required? degraded performance? I'm vertically > challenged and w/the bike straight up, the tips of my tippy tippy > toes contacts the ground... Leo >

[gwtompkins]

I installed the 1 1/2" links, got them from Don Beck for around $55. I'm 5'9" and really appreciate the lower CG and "stoplight" comfort. I'm able to dab my foot down in more "interesting" terrain offroad. Main disadvantage is bottoming when returning to earth after flying. Swingarm hardware, muffler, rear brake caliper take a beating. I'll soon get a Progressive heavy duty spring to try and eliminate the bottoming. Then maybe try the 3/4" link? I'll try to keep the list informed of this burning issue. GT A13

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "leo_klr" wrote: > Good morning, > I've been wanting a new bike for the past 10 years. That is when > I sold my Yamaha Phazer. I haven't ridden since and have been > miserable. Been kicking around the idea of a dual sport and was > really taken in by all of your " KLR PASSION ". > Saturday, my wife and I went to a local dealer just to look and > would you believe it, she bought me a KLR. I'll be picking it up on > Wendsday. I can't wait... > I'm sure I will have a lot of questions for all of you and I am > sure I'll get varied advice, but all will be appreciated. > Has anyone installed the lowering links? was it difficult? any > other adjustments required? degraded performance? I'm vertically > challenged and w/the bike straight up, the tips of my tippy tippy > toes contacts the ground... Leo

[firemanbrian2002]

Hopefully this will work. I tried to post yesterday but it did not appear for some reason. I bought an A16 about a month ago after years of wanting to get a dual sport bike. When I was younger I rode a lot of tight mountain stuff but now want to enjoy a bit more relaxed ride. Two friends from work and I decided to head to Moab for a holiday a couple weeks ago. We never made it. We were camped at Tremonton, Utah and while one of our group enjoyed a hot pool there, my friend on his DR650 and I headed to Logan to visit his sister. On route we ventured off the highway to explore some trails. My pal crashed his bike coming down a trail and dislocated his shoulder. After putting him in a makeshift sling and getting him off the hill, I went to ride his bike down the hill on exactly the same line I rode mine and guess what. I fell over and boke my foot in 5 places. I had on heavy steel toe work boots and the weight of the bike landing on my foot and bending my toes made the steel toe part break four of the five long bones in my foot. Later we discovered his bike had a flat front tire. I don't know if this was present before the crashing started or not. Anyway, my buddy walked and I rode my bike to a nearby house and called for help. The police, ambulance and hospital staff were all great. Anyway..we are all healing and looking forward to another opportunity to get there and ride. I look forward to drawing from the wealth of experience here about this bike. Brian Medicine Hat, Alberta

[xnmr53]

I used to ride enduros a couple of decades ago, and gave up motorcycles when I moved to the city. I wasn't about to ride in city traffic. All in all, a KLR sounds like the right concept for me. I've always wanted to travel on a bike, but not to the places that most people go. I want to go further back into the hills. I am at the age where I can probably count the number of adventures that I have left on one hand. After that, age will severely limit what I can do. The one dream that I have always had was to go up the Alcan to Alaska, and that is my ultimate goal with the KLR. I like to research things before I begin, and I have over twenty years of changes to catch up on. The way that I see it, I first have to find out if my Alaska trip is feasable. From what little research that I have done, it appears to be. Next, I have to slect a bike, which I believe will be the KLR. The next step will be to get my motorcycle certification again. To do this, I will probably get a smaller, used bike, then trade up to the KLR after I get my certification back. Finally, I have to equip both my bike and myself for the trip. For the bike, that means studying the mods that you folks here have made in search of increased durability. For myself, that means riding, research, and more riding. I suspect that I'm looking at next summer at the earliest, and more likely the summer after that. I would appreciate any comments that you might have on my plan (please assume that I know nothing for certain), and hope that you will bear with any questions that I might ask, although there may not be too many at first. With 80,000 postings yet to go through, I'm going to be busy reading for quite a while.

[Arden Kysely]

Welcome to the list! You might start your research by ordering the back issues of MCN where they prepped a KLR for a world tour ride. If you have any specific questions, bring 'em on. That's why we're here. __Arden

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "xnmr53" wrote: > I used to ride enduros a couple of decades ago, and gave up > motorcycles when I moved to the city. I wasn't about to ride in city > traffic. > > All in all, a KLR sounds like the right concept for me. I've always > wanted to travel on a bike, but not to the places that most people go. > I want to go further back into the hills. > > I am at the age where I can probably count the number of adventures > that I have left on one hand. After that, age will severely limit what > I can do. The one dream that I have always had was to go up the Alcan > to Alaska, and that is my ultimate goal with the KLR. > > I like to research things before I begin, and I have over twenty years > of changes to catch up on. The way that I see it, I first have to find > out if my Alaska trip is feasable. From what little research that I > have done, it appears to be. Next, I have to slect a bike, which I > believe will be the KLR. > > The next step will be to get my motorcycle certification again. To do > this, I will probably get a smaller, used bike, then trade up to the > KLR after I get my certification back. > > Finally, I have to equip both my bike and myself for the trip. For the > bike, that means studying the mods that you folks here have made in > search of increased durability. For myself, that means riding, > research, and more riding. I suspect that I'm looking at next summer > at the earliest, and more likely the summer after that. > > I would appreciate any comments that you might have on my plan (please > assume that I know nothing for certain), and hope that you will bear > with any questions that I might ask, although there may not be too > many at first. With 80,000 postings yet to go through, I'm going to be > busy reading for quite a while.

[Allan Patton]

> The next step will be to get my motorcycle certification again. To do > this, I will probably get a smaller, used bike, then trade up to the > KLR after I get my certification back.

An alternative to buying a bike just to get certified would be to take the MSF rider training course. They provide the bikes, or at least they did when I took the course 20 years ago. Kinda fun riding the different little bikes. Save the certification papers, I've been getting a 10 percent discount on insurance since taking the course. www.msf-usa.org/pages/MAIN1.html Biggest thing about ridding to Alaska is having the time. We rode 11,000 miles in five weeks. Six or seven weeks would have been better. Allan A14

[Brian Brunelle]

I've done a bunch of research to find a bike. On paper the KLR650 seems to be the only one that comes close. I live in the sticks in northern Wisconsin and plan on riding this bike in the winter with the help of chains. How is this bike for a cold weather bike? I'm heading over to Duluth this weekend with cash in hand. I haven't even sat on one yet but if it fits and feels right I'll buy it. I've bought used bikes but never a new one. They want 4889 for it and seem tight on holding to that. Are most dealers relatively fixed on prices? Any advice on buying a new KLR650 would be appreciated. brian b _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus

[Devon Jarvis]

Brian Brunelle wrote:

> > and plan on riding this bike in the winter with the help of chains. > > How is this bike for a cold weather bike? >

It's a great cold weather bike. Put on snowmobile muffs over the grips and controls, heated grips, heated vest, and a tall windshield, and you have a bike that's good for a couple hours of highway at 10degF. Forget chains. I don't think anyone makes them for motorcycles, they won't easily fit between the rear tire and swingarm, and would be really dangerous if they came loose. You can get very agressive DOT knobbies and have a local tire shop drill and stud them with the short "highway" type studs. This is what I'm doing for the upcoming "winter" in NYC. Or put screws into DOT knobbies. If you screw 1/2 or 1/3 of the knobs, the tires will only be scary on dry pavement, instead of terrifying. This is the cheapest option, though you'll need to inspect the tires and replace some missing screws every few rides. Or spend $$$ for non-DOT tires with the long offroad-only spikes. These are very sketchy on dry pavement. Any way, if you're not an experienced dirt rider you will find riding on snowy, icy, rutted roads an extremely challenging and perhaps dangerous experience. But you'll have all year to practice riding in sand and mud. Devon A15

[Judson D. Jones]

You may need to shim the muffler out in order to use chains with this bike. A lot of tires will rub the inside of the muffler at full compression. --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Brunelle" wrote:

> I've done a bunch of research to find a bike. On paper the

KLR650 seems to

> be the only one that comes close. I live in the sticks in northern

Wisconsin

> and plan on riding this bike in the winter with the help of

chains.

> > How is this bike for a cold weather bike? > > I'm heading over to Duluth this weekend with cash in hand. I

haven't even

> sat on one yet but if it fits and feels right I'll buy it. I've bought

used

> bikes but never a new one. They want 4889 for it and seem

tight on holding

> to that. Are most dealers relatively fixed on prices? > > Any advice on buying a new KLR650 would be appreciated. > > brian b > > > > > >

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[Judson D. Jones]

I see that Devon says "forget chains", and that's what I would do myself, because I have seen them in action and they look like a lot of trouble. The guys who hillclimb with them usually modify chains intended for automotive use. So do the guys who run them in the Elephant ride. It might be worth messing with them for a single event of limited duration. But if you're going to ride all winter, you will be taking them of and putting them on all the time. Not for me. --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Judson D. Jones" wrote:

> You may need to shim the muffler out in order to use chains

with

> this bike. A lot of tires will rub the inside of the muffler at full > compression. > > --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Brian Brunelle" > wrote: > > I've done a bunch of research to find a bike. On paper the > KLR650 seems to > > be the only one that comes close. I live in the sticks in

northern

> Wisconsin > > and plan on riding this bike in the winter with the help of > chains. > > > > How is this bike for a cold weather bike? > > > > I'm heading over to Duluth this weekend with cash in hand. I > haven't even > > sat on one yet but if it fits and feels right I'll buy it. I've bought > used > > bikes but never a new one. They want 4889 for it and seem > tight on holding > > to that. Are most dealers relatively fixed on prices? > > > > Any advice on buying a new KLR650 would be appreciated. > > > > brian b > > > > > > > > > > > > >

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