Wilsons Sandbox

On Thu, 2004-03-11 at 11:36, chester_d_tester wrote:

> 1. Is it ok to decelerate by clutching then applying > brakes as I find first again (rolling to a stop), or > should I get in the habit of downshifting and leaving > it in gear more of the time?

Brake pads are cheaper than an engine rebuild. BUT when riding in an urban environment, I would recommend that you never, if possible, sit in neutral. When you coast or sit in neutral, you have no way to react to a situation, or your reaction time is vastly greater, if you're in gear, you have the ability to accelerate through/around the situation or stop. In neutral or coasting, you only have one choice and that's to stop.

> 2. I've noticed a lot of downward travel in the rear > brake lever before I can feel it engage (not a lot, > maybe an inch) and from there have plenty of braking > power... is this normal behavior or should > I look into having a cable adjusted? Previous bikes I've > gotten to ride seemed to have little or no travel before > I'd feel it start to 'grab'.

Might need to be rebled, but the rear brake is notoriously hard in my opinion to get a good solid feel from. Then again, the KLR rear brake is lockup happy, so a soft lever feel prevents that from happening. Z DC A5X A12X

Hi Chester, Welcome to the KLR world. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun on your new bike. For braking, I generally downshift to 3rd or 2nd as I slow to a stop, but mostly used the brakes and not the engine for braking. By doing this, you're always in the correct gear to make an emergency maneuver. The KLR isn't a quick revver, so blipping the throttle to match engine RPM to the bike's speed during downshifts can take some practice. Your rear brake is hydraulic. I would suggest first checking the pads. If they are in good shape, bleed the rear brake. The pads have a metal backing plate to which is bonded the pad material. If the pad material is 2mm or so thick, or less, I'd replace them. Hope this helps. __Arden --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "chester_d_tester" wrote:

> Hey everybody - just wanted to say a quick thanks > for the opinions/tips I'm picking up. New owner as > of this last weekend, and one VERY happy puppy. I > was hoping to get a couple tips from all of the more > experiecned owners, and maybe uncover a few > misconceptions I've got. > > 1. Is it ok to decelerate by clutching then applying > brakes as I find first again (rolling to a stop), or > should I get in the habit of downshifting and leaving > it in gear more of the time? > > 2. I've noticed a lot of downward travel in the rear > brake lever before I can feel it engage (not a lot, > maybe an inch) and from there have plenty of braking > power... is this normal behavior or should > I look into having a cable adjusted? Previous bikes I've > gotten to ride seemed to have little or no travel before > I'd feel it start to 'grab'. > > Thanks! > > JW > Kansas City, Missouri

JW, Looks like you're already getting some good advise, but let me just add: Your brakes are the best for stopping, but they serve another purpose - It's VERY important that your brake light come on to signal to those big cages behind you that your slowing down! I often flash my brake lights just to try and get their attention, when they're following too close. Doug E.

> Message: 21 > Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 16:36:41 -0000 > From: "chester_d_tester" > > Subject: looking for a few words of wisdom > > Hey everybody - just wanted to say a quick thanks > for the opinions/tips I'm picking up. New owner as > of this last weekend, and one VERY happy puppy. I > was hoping to get a couple tips from all of the more > > experiecned owners, and maybe uncover a few > misconceptions I've got. > > 1. Is it ok to decelerate by clutching then applying > brakes as I find first again (rolling to a stop), or > should I get in the habit of downshifting and > leaving > it in gear more of the time? >

snip

> > Thanks! > > JW > Kansas City, Missouri

__________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search - Find what you re looking for faster http://search.yahoo.com

It seems that everyone is unanimous in their opinions so all I can do is verify it. I have taken several rider courses during my time with motorcycles, from basic to advanced in the later years, and everyone emphasized to always be in the right gear, when slowing down, to be able to accellerate away from any trouble that may be bearing down on you. Also, never come to a stop in neutral, but always be in first gear, and keep a constant eye on your rear view mirror. It actually saved me once when a car behind me rear ended the car in front of me where I a second or two earlier had been between them. I shudder to think of what would have happened, had I not seen it coming or had been in neutral. As far as the rear brake is concerned, it can be adjusted, but make sure that you also check the connection to the brakelight so that it still comes off after you have adjusted the travel of the pedal. Gorm L, BC, Canada chester_d_tester wrote: Hey everybody - just wanted to say a quick thanks for the opinions/tips I'm picking up. New owner as of this last weekend, and one VERY happy puppy. I was hoping to get a couple tips from all of the more experiecned owners, and maybe uncover a few misconceptions I've got. 1. Is it ok to decelerate by clutching then applying brakes as I find first again (rolling to a stop), or should I get in the habit of downshifting and leaving it in gear more of the time? 2. I've noticed a lot of downward travel in the rear brake lever before I can feel it engage (not a lot, maybe an inch) and from there have plenty of braking power... is this normal behavior or should I look into having a cable adjusted? Previous bikes I've gotten to ride seemed to have little or no travel before I'd feel it start to 'grab'. Thanks! JW Kansas City, Missouri List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . Yahoo! Groups Links --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search - Find what you re looking for faster. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "vintageracer8888" wrote:

> would there be any interest in different color front fairings, > fenders, etc ( maybe blcak )if we could find a place to do the > plastic injection ?? should be able to take a stock part and have

it

> made. not sure what it might cost but im sure there would be a > certain number of pieces that need to be made. has any1 else

already

> looked into this ??/ thanks, scott

I use to make injection molds and work with mold machines. if you were to pay someone to make the mold you would be looking at $20,000+ you will also need to find someone with a VERY large machine for the fender and fairing. Probably several hundred ton machines. the larger the surface area the heavier the machine needs to be to hold the mold together. Carbon fiber fairings would probably be cheaper