Wilsons Sandbox

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2004 3:03 am**

hi all, i haven't seen much info around on tuning the KLR for max mileage. sure, i've seen tons of stuff on increasing power and torque, but most of that seems to lower mileage, and i want increased range. the best i've even done is about 55 mpg hiway, and i think that was mostly due to the smaller front sprocket i was running. now i'm on my second KLR, and this one has a jet kit and a supertapp exhaust. i'm not impressed. the power doesn't feel that much greater and my mpg sucks. i'm thinking that packing the 'trapp with more fiberglass and disks will lower my airflow and increase mileage (my theory is less air = less gas at same jetting), but i'm totally guessing here. for a while i was a running an auto parts store generic car muffler (rat bike styley) and it was part of my system that got great mileage. of course i'd love that DIESEL KLR... count me in for the raid. and hey, whoever said you can't get biodiesel in many areas, you're wrong, you can get it anywhere you have access to a 55 gallon drum and a vat of leftover cooking grease. thanks, slam

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2004 9:12 am**

On Sun, 19 Sep 2004, slamorte wrote:

> i haven't seen much info around on tuning the KLR for max mileage. > sure, i've seen tons of stuff on increasing power and torque, but most > of that seems to lower mileage, and i want increased range.

I have a feeling that the stock setup is pretty close to the best you can get and that aerodynamics and riding style are the best improvements. High tire pressure should also help a good bit. (I am not a carb tuner, so could be totally off base on this.) -- Doug Herr doug@...

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2004 11:23 am**

Doug Herr wrote:

> On Sun, 19 Sep 2004, slamorte wrote: > > >>i haven't seen much info around on tuning the KLR for max mileage. >>sure, i've seen tons of stuff on increasing power and torque, but most >>of that seems to lower mileage, and i want increased range. > > > I have a feeling that the stock setup is pretty close to the best > you can get and that aerodynamics and riding style are the best > improvements. High tire pressure should also help a good bit. > > (I am not a carb tuner, so could be totally off base on this.) >

I believe that if you are forced to run on the main jet do to load, speed, etc ,that the stock main jet is too rich. I have also read in several magazines that Kawasaki generally jets the main rich. Running on the highway with me and a full travel load produces a black tail pipe and soot on my HT racks. Under those conditions mileage goes to hell. Little to no oil usage on last trip from central Iowa to Denver Co. Haven't got around to doing spark plug runs and inspection, but all other indications show a rich main jet. Alan Henderson A13 Iowa the time I'm rich

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2004 4:45 pm**

Running on

> the highway with me and a full travel load produces a black tail

pipe

> and soot on my HT racks. Under those conditions mileage goes to

hell.

> Little to no oil usage on last trip from central Iowa to Denver Co. > Haven't got around to doing spark plug runs and inspection, but all > other indications show a rich main jet. > Alan Henderson A13 Iowa the time I'm rich

I get black soot on my hardbags also. I think I have a 145 main jet (leaner then stock 148) but I have the carb slide drilled out. and my oil consumption sucks. plugs didn't look bad. I tried a 142 leaner jet, but it ran like crap @ close to sea level (S.F. Bay Area, CA). my vote on getting good gas milage 1)dont drill out the carb slide 2)leave stock jetting (unless at higher altitude) 3)OK to adjust idle/pilot screw out 4)run stock exhaust 5)dont use hard bags or anything that acts like a parachute 6)run street-only tires with lots of air presure 7)run the lowest octane that wont cause engine ping

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2004 5:14 pm**

slamorte wrote:

> hi all, > > i haven't seen much info around on tuning the KLR for max mileage. > sure, i've seen tons of stuff on increasing power and torque, but most > of that seems to lower mileage, and i want increased range. > > the best i've even done is about 55 mpg hiway, and i think that was > mostly due to the smaller front sprocket i was running. > > now i'm on my second KLR, and this one has a jet kit and a supertapp > exhaust. i'm not impressed. the power doesn't feel that much greater > and my mpg sucks. > > i'm thinking that packing the 'trapp with more fiberglass and disks > will lower my airflow and increase mileage (my theory is less air = > less gas at same jetting), but i'm totally guessing here. for a while > i was a running an auto parts store generic car muffler (rat bike > styley) and it was part of my system that got great mileage. > > of course i'd love that DIESEL KLR... count me in for the raid. and > hey, whoever said you can't get biodiesel in many areas, you're wrong, > you can get it anywhere you have access to a 55 gallon drum and a vat > of leftover cooking grease. > > thanks, > slam >

Gas mileage is an incredibly complex issue. Gearing, jetting, airflow and exhaust flow all have an effect on mileage not to mention personal riding habits. In general a bike should have the proper mixture all the way through the rev range even if it has been modified for a little more power. If you don't change your riding habits you should get about the same and some times a little better gas mileage. How can a bike with 39 horse power get about the same gas mileage as a bike that makes 100? The two bikes have about the same drag and at a given speed are using about the same horse power to push themselves and you through the air. I've over simplified things and some one else can jump in anytime. I don't think the solution is to stuff more fiberglass in but rather get the mixture set properly for the set up you have. Then ride gently. Alan Henderson A13 Iowa

Posted: **Sun Sep 19, 2004 7:26 pm**

my comments: when i first got my klr (first street legal bike) i got amazing mileage because i was taking in very slowly keeping the revs down and accelerating slowly. i have since become comfortable and do the exact opposite of all of the above and i have lost somewhere in the range of 30-40 kms per full tank of fuel, i have never figured out my exact mileage but i know that it certainly has a lot to do with how you drive it!!! glenski - good mpg = less fun

a14 --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Alan L Henderson wrote:

> slamorte wrote: > > hi all, > > > > i haven't seen much info around on tuning the KLR for max

mileage.

> > sure, i've seen tons of stuff on increasing power and torque,

but most

> > of that seems to lower mileage, and i want increased range. > > > > the best i've even done is about 55 mpg hiway, and i think that

was

> > mostly due to the smaller front sprocket i was running. > > > > now i'm on my second KLR, and this one has a jet kit and a

supertapp

> > exhaust. i'm not impressed. the power doesn't feel that much

greater

> > and my mpg sucks. > > > > i'm thinking that packing the 'trapp with more fiberglass and

disks

> > will lower my airflow and increase mileage (my theory is less

air =

> > less gas at same jetting), but i'm totally guessing here. for a

while

> > i was a running an auto parts store generic car muffler (rat bike > > styley) and it was part of my system that got great mileage. > > > > of course i'd love that DIESEL KLR... count me in for the raid.

and

> > hey, whoever said you can't get biodiesel in many areas, you're

wrong,

> > you can get it anywhere you have access to a 55 gallon drum and

a vat

> > of leftover cooking grease. > > > > thanks, > > slam > > > Gas mileage is an incredibly complex issue. Gearing, jetting,

airflow

> and exhaust flow all have an effect on mileage not to mention

personal

> riding habits. In general a bike should have the proper mixture

all the

> way through the rev range even if it has been modified for a

little more

> power. If you don't change your riding habits you should get about

the

> same and some times a little better gas mileage. How can a bike

with 39

> horse power get about the same gas mileage as a bike that makes

100? The

> two bikes have about the same drag and at a given speed are using

about

> the same horse power to push themselves and you through the air. > I've over simplified things and some one else can jump in

anytime. I

> don't think the solution is to stuff more fiberglass in but rather

get

> the mixture set properly for the set up you have. Then ride gently. > Alan Henderson A13 Iowa

Posted: **Mon Sep 20, 2004 2:23 am**

On Sun, 19 Sep 2004, Alan L Henderson wrote:

> I believe that if you are forced to run on the main jet do to load, > speed, etc ,that the stock main jet is too rich. I have also read in > several magazines that Kawasaki generally jets the main rich. Running on > the highway with me and a full travel load produces a black tail pipe > and soot on my HT racks. Under those conditions mileage goes to hell.

Sounds like you have a problem elsewhere, I have no such problem. While mileage isn't spectacular under a full load, I still managed 45mpg on my last trip, of which about 1/2 was at 70mph or higher. _E

Posted: **Mon Sep 20, 2004 9:44 am**

Why do you suspect the transmission? Is the problem present only in 5th gear? Does the problem go away when the clutch is released? Have you checked the most vulnerable components (chain, chain slack & sprockets)? The speeds you are referring to are where lean surging tends to occur. Worst case lean surging will cause your bike to sort of pulse as it surges. My A14 did this until I install a DynoJet sage 1 kit. --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "shadowbox42" wrote:

> The transmission on my 96 KLR (11,000 miles) is bothering me. It > seems to be "grabbing" or binding every 1/4 to 1/2 second. It is > most noticeable when the bike is running between 3,000 and 4,000 > RPM's. As you hit higher RPM's the grabbing rate speeds up and in > not noticeable above 4,000 RPM's. I thought it might be the > doohickey. I recently replaced it (it was fractured but still > intact) but it didn't help. > > Any ideas?

Wilsons Sandbox

transmission grabbing?

maximizing fuel mileage (mpg)

maximizing fuel mileage (mpg)

maximizing fuel mileage (mpg)

maximizing fuel mileage (mpg)

maximizing fuel mileage (mpg)

maximizing fuel mileage (mpg)

maximizing fuel mileage (mpg)

transmission grabbing?