Wilsons Sandbox

Well, the KLR is now PARKED. I'm at 750 (or so) miles and I'm not touching it until those @#$%^&* valves get their adjustment. Dammit. Spoil my fun... I'm tempted to gather up all the info I can find on-line and do the valve-thang on my own during the week. That way I can order the shims from Arrowhead along with some other moto-goodies. Amex be damned. I still want to drop in on the CalPosse shop day, though. I'm looking forward to seeing all of those cool KLR add-ons up close and in-person. Of course, meeting the men that ride those bikes is a necessary evil (just kidding, of course). Saturday, I tried to make it to the top of Saddleback. I learned a few things about my bike that most every KLR owner already knows but I'll share them anyway - for the benefit of anyone even more newbie than myself. First, adjust your inflation pressures for the type of riding that you're doing. I cannot stress this enough! The manual would have us believe that 21psi is the "right" pressure for a lightly loaded KLR. In reality, 21 seems to be an OK number for off-roading (or slightly less maybe) but the bike will be squirrelly as hell on the pavement. Road riding demands 30-34 psi, in the opinion of this newbie. Second, the stock Dunlops are competent enough to keep around while you learn your bike. Properly deflated, they'll do an OK job of keeping you upright provided you don't get carried away and try to ride too fast. Third, the stock Dunlops are USELESS in week-old heavy wet snow. I had the bike buried to its axles and not moving anywhere. Rocking, bouncing, getting off and pushing while feathering the clutch, NADA. The tread got hopelessly clogged with ice and I might as well have had slicks on the bike. Fourth, if you're not a Big Burly Dude, but are instead a wimpy guy who sits at a keyboard all day, you'll find that getting your KLR pointed the other way once it's buried to its axles in heavy wet snow is not an easy task. It helps to be a little creative. Shut the engine off and put the bike in gear to stop it from moving (in theory). Lock the bars in whichever direction allows you to best yank the front end over-and-over again, moving it inch-by-inch in the intended direction of rotation. Twenty minutes later, you'll be all set to slip-and-slide back down the hill. Even with 40 degree temps, you won't be needing your jacket at this point in time. Fifth, if there's rain in the forecast and you choose to ride anyway, you'll pay the price sooner-or-later. You'll get to test the water repellency of your gear (Cortech 3/4 jacket and FirstGear H/T overpants seem to work well). You'll get to deal with major helmet-visor foggage issues, trying to get your RF-800's visor to that magical state of openness where you get enough airflow to clear the visor but not so much that your eyeballs are being blown to the back of your head. You'll find out how it feels to hit a wet bott's dot with the front tire at 75mph. You'll unclench your sphincter in your garage and then go have a warm cup of hot cocoa. Before bedtime, you'll amble back to the garage for one last long and loving stare at your wet and dirty "dirt" bike. Your KLR loves being dirty, and I promised mine I'd NEVER wash it. Soap is for F4's and other such toys. Work stinks, but the paycheck enables me to keep riding so I guess I'll go do something productive now... RM Y2K KLR650 "Flamebait" PS. Disable that f*cking clutch switch! I'm happy I did mine....