I want an exhaust system that:
increases torque & h.p. (35% will do nicely) broadens the power band (will wheelie from 1500 rpm to redline in all gears just by cracking the throttle) looks great is maintenance free has a great sound (not too loud, not too soft, just right) comes with a jet kit that is guaranteed to be spot on increases gas mileage (65+ mpg under all types of riding) weighs half as much as the stock unit has a lifetime warranty sells for $150 complete reduces handlebar vibration (if you order the GEL type option)
I also want a $50 tire that lasts 20k miles, grips fantastically on all road/dirt conditions, ...
There are tradeoffs in the design & manufacture of any product, exhaust systems, tires, motor cycles ... (spouces/sig. others). The KLR is what it is (DUH!). It can be altered somewhat to fit the individual wants & needs of it's owner, but there will always be tradeoffs. The recent dyno postings (thanks guys) show that you can improve aspects of the KLR's power, but there is a price to be paid for the modest (but noticeable) power increases. It's up to you to decide which setup best meets you needs.
Repacking mufflers is not a big deal, assuming that it's not a pain in the butt to remove the muffler's internals. At worst, it's probably 1 once or twice a year deal, but this can vary greatly with the brand you choose. YMMV. Repacking a muffler involves removing the muffler's core to gain access to remove any remaining fiberglass packing material, and putting in a new "sheet" of fiberglass. Some exhaust systems use fiberglass packing to reduce exhaust noise (less expensive), others use mechanical baffles to reduce noise (more expensive). Normal riding eventually removes some or all of the packing for you, resulting in louder exhaust noise.
Carb rejetting is time consuming, but is something that novices can do with CARE, PATIENCE, PROPER MANUALS (!!!), and best of all a friend who is familiar m/c carbs and the proper techniques for riding, testing, & reading spark plugs. We're not talking about highly tuned race bikes, just getting things reasonably close to optimum so that you don't "hole" a piston & the bike performs well at all throttle openings. Properly jetted, their won't be any "flat spots" in the rev range and you'll have easy starting and good gas mileage (maybe better, probably 10% less than stock). If there's no one near you that can help, maybe you can con (er... convince) a nearby lister to assist you. Ride out to his place & provide the beer (after the test riding).
When I had my m/c shop, many riders wanted performance pipes, but didn't want to pay for the 2 - 4 hours labor to "dial in" the carbs for optimum performance. Most of them paid more for their exhaust systems from the m/c dealers in town who said that their bikes didn't need rejetting. Most riders were happy with their new setups (louder = faster, right?). Whenever I rode their modified bikes (during m/c inspection), they ALL ran worse than the stock setup. There's no free ride.
You'll get out of the exhaust mod's what you put into it, in time & money.
Now, if Fred can seal the deal to import & sell the Laser Pro Duro, you can meet most of your exhaust needs, at price ??? Did you read Gino's review in Dual Sport News? You can download the review (in Acrobat "PDF" format) from:
http://www.xmission.com/~ajax/index.html (thanks Kurt)
How fast do you want to spend?
Professor A9 Federal Way, WA. [USA]
ps: I enjoy my minimally modified KLR. I've never owned a bike that meets my needs in so many areas & does so many things so well.
Can if be improved? of course! Can I radically change the nature of the beast? I don't want to, and I don't have enough time or money. I'd rather be riding.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mark wrote:
i made the terrible mistake of demo'ing an Aprilia SL1000 Falco over the weekend. Oh my gawd what a motor! i realize that a klr is not ever going to be a monster-bike like that, but for the first time i'm starting to think it might not be a bad idea to rejet my bike to coax a few more horses out of it. I know i've always said "if i want to go faster, i'll just buy a bigger bike," but i'm now trying to avoid doing so, despite my new obsession.
on the other hand, i don't want spend a ton of money, do a ton of work to customize it so it'll actually fit, and then have a finicky exhaust system that i have to repack all the time (whatever repacking is). i'm putting about 1500 miles a month on my A14, so i'd like to keep the periodic maintenance to a minimum. i've read lots of horror stories about how poor the worksmanship is on many of the aftermarket exhaust setups.
so here are my questions:
1) is there any consensus on the best fit and finish and durability among the exhaust systems currently out there for the klr?
2) is a reasonably intelligent person going to be able to work on his carburetor and install a jet kit without screwing everything up? so far i've been able to adjust valves, and change tires and sprockets without catastrophe, but i've never done a darn thing to a carburetor in my life. advice? do i need special tools or training or equipment?
thanks for the help. mw