used klr650 or 250

[bschazmann]

Hi folks, Just came across a sick old KLR as a winter project - a non-runner. It had been ridden without oil and the inevitable new noise had developed. Luckily the rider stopped the engine immediately and brought it into a garage where the cylinder head cover was removed. The cams looked surprisingly good - the suspected damage was diagnosed to be a piston slapper - the piston-conrod assembly damage. So here's the question - if anyone out there has come across this kind of damage before, which part was damaged: the piston, pin (gudgeon) or conrod???? I ask because replacing the conrod is a MAJOR undertaking - splitting the whole engine and dismantling the most finely balanced component on the whole bike - the crankshaft. I haven't taken off the cylinder to inspect, but before I do is there anyone out there that can offer me a glimmer of hope? Cheers, Bal.

[kdxkawboy@aol.com]

In a message dated 2003-11-12 8:25:43 AM Pacific Standard Time, bschazmann@... writes:

> > Hi folks, > > Just came across a sick old KLR as a winter project - a non-runner. > It had been ridden without oil and the inevitable new noise had > developed. Luckily the rider stopped the engine immediately and > brought it into a garage where the cylinder head cover was removed. > The cams looked surprisingly good - the suspected damage was > diagnosed to be a piston slapper - the piston-conrod assembly damage. > > So here's the question - if anyone out there has come across this > kind of damage before, which part was damaged: the piston, pin > (gudgeon) or conrod???? > > I ask because replacing the conrod is a MAJOR undertaking - splitting > the whole engine and dismantling the most finely balanced component > on the whole bike - the crankshaft. I haven't taken off the cylinder > to inspect, but before I do is there anyone out there that can offer > me a glimmer of hope? > > Cheers, > > Bal. > >

It is hard to say until you get the cylinder off, pull the piston pin and get a chance to inspect the connecting rod. The small end is mostly a visual check and the big end requires a runout dial gauge to measure free play. Fortunately, Japanese bikes long ago went to using roller bearings at both ends of the rod so loss of oil isn't always as fatal as it would be for automotive style clamshell bearings. If the camshafts do not show signs of metal to metal contact it sounds as if the bike always had enough oil to supply the upper end - the camshafts are a clamshell bearing design which means the camshafts ride on an oil wedge that forms in the bottom of the journal, loose the wedge and you get metal to metal contact. That would indicate the roller bearings at both ends of the connecting road had enough oil as well. Being the diagnosis was a piston slapper, you my find nothing more than a piston with excessively worn rings that allowed a rocking motion of the piston that excessively wore the piston skirt until the piston was able to rock with enough force to start slapping against the cylinder wall setting up the new noise. If that is the worse of it, the worse of the repairs would require sleeving the cylinder and odds are you'll have to do nothing more than go to an oversize piston. Pat G'ville, Nv [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[amaurine]

I just recently moved to the Tucson area and discovered that there are a ton of dirt roads, wagon trails, and ghost towns that would be fun to explore. I sold my 2001 KLR650 to purchase a 1994 R100M BMW and it's now my main road and travel bike. Even the KLR650 the way I had it set up would probably not been that great for what I would like to do now. I am looking for an older KLR650 or possibly a KLR250 in the $1000/1500 range. I intend on staying reasonably close to Tucson - so alot of extra road type gear isn't necessary. I don't know much about the KLR250 and I see a few of you out there have them. Are they able to hit freeway speeds? And are there parts available for them like for the 650? Please post me direct - no need to clutter the list. Thanks Al Maurine Tucson, AZ 1994 R100M 'Mystic' 2001 KLR650 (gone - but not forgotten)