Wilsons Sandbox

shoshintao@... wrote:

>Hello out there. I have searched and searched the internet to look >for any info on stuff, that is, wheels and tire sizes to make a >street motard with my 03. A KLR Duke so to speak. No luck anywhere. >This is my second KLR I figure any moron with a credit card can >customize a Harley but I want to build something DIFFERENT! I found >one sight that offers motard wheels and spokes to use with your stock >hubs. That is as close as I have gotten. I would kind of like to put >cast ones on like say ninja 600 wheels. Does anyone know how wide of >a tire will fit on back. I know a ninja 500 tire will fit right on >the stock rim it's a 130/70/17 but it's pretty small. Anyway I >thought this might wake up the list for a while. >-Roy > Marble Falls > TX > >

Yes, the obvious thing is a 17" front rim . I would think Buchananspokes.com could set up the same thing for you. Ninja rims would be nice because you could then run tubeless radials. I think a 140/90 will fit, especially if you put on a 14t front sprocket. The KLR is overgeared for trails, city, or tight supermoto tracks anyway. As far as "fitting", you'd need to fit them up and see what doesn't line up. What diameter are the axles? Can you get bearings that will fit the 600 wheel AND the KLR axle? How far apart are the fork tubes? Will you need spacers, or will you need to have the 600 wheels machined down to fit? How does the brake caliper line up? The stock KLR front end is minimally acceptable with the traction a 50/50 tire gives you. It's going to feel like noodles with a fat DOT roadracing tire. Look into doing a full front end swap off a bike with a front wheel that you like. This also solves your braking problem, and probably gives you twin discs also. -- Devon Brooklyn, NY A15-Z '01 KLR650 '81 SR500 cafe racer "The truth's not too popular these days....." Arnold Schwarzenneger, in The Running Man

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "There was one?" wrote:

> Hello out there. I have searched and searched the internet to look > for any info on stuff, that is, wheels and tire sizes to make a > street motard with my 03. A KLR Duke so to speak. No luck anywhere. > -Roy > Marble Falls > TX

The best option is to send the stock wheels to Buchanans and have them lace ip a wider 17" rear and a 17" front. That way you will know everything will fit up correctly. You will of course have to shorten your side stand. I have never set up a KLR this way, but I do have about 5K miles on an MZ Baghira Street Moto which is a Super Motard and it is a hoot to ride. Gino www.rvmc.com

For what it's worth, I'm just itching to do a moto conversion on something or buy one outright as a second bike eventually. I spoke to a few fabricators local to me in NJ, none are very adventurous and the very rough rates I was given to machine up say WP forks to fit a KLR or an XR, combined with motomaster wheels and brakes for an XR, well it gets pretty pricey. If you start with a used bike as the platform you can get it all done for about $2k for suspension and brake mods on top of the bike. That of course isn't including any motor work if you want to get silly with it. If you provide CAD drawings for the exact pieces, the rates are a bit better, but again I'm not up to spec to do that either so it would be a hit or miss deal...which of course winds up with multiple attempts to get the job done. Since I don't have access to a machine shop, nor do I have the skills myself for doing that work, I'm more and more inclined to getting an MZ or a KTM that comes setup from the factory as a moto. Of course you are looking at $6k-$8k range. If you have time, patience, and luck finding the used pieces you can do the conversion on your own relatively inexpensively. When you have the luck that I have whenever I have to rely on a shop for any of my wild ideas...you start to second guess the adventure. A DRZ or an XR-R conversion seem to be the easiest 'out of the box' for bolt-on parts availability. Motomaster for example has the full wheels and brakes all ready to go for either one and the forks they come with are tolerable enough to get by with and are more easily upgraded with valve jobs etc. I don't have the link handy but try google for 'scotts XR supermoto' there's a project site where the guy put the full CBR F3 frontend and wheels on a Honda XR, looks pretty evil and has twin discs.

On Wed, Oct 29, 2003 at 04:07:18AM -0000, gpokluda wrote: > I have never set up a KLR this way, but I do have about 5K miles on > an MZ Baghira Street Moto which is a Super Motard and it is a hoot to > ride. > > Gino > www.rvmc.com > -- ___ ______ _____ __ ________ ___ / _ |< < / == / ___/__ / /_ /_ __/ / __ ____ _ ___ /__ \ / __ |/ // / ****/ (_ / _ \/ __/ / / / _ \/ // / ' \/ _ \ /__/ /_/ |_/_//_/ == \___/\___/\__/ /_/ /_//_/\_,_/_/_/_/ .__/ (_) 8600 miles*Russel Lines*Supertrapp Race* /_/ http://www.panix.com/~cesser/mybike/

On Wed, 2003-10-29 at 10:19, Chris wrote:

> If you start with a used bike as the platform > you can get it all done for about $2k for suspension and brake mods on > top of the bike. That of course isn't including any motor work if you > want to get silly with it.

$2K? MM wheelsets run a cool $800 on the cheap end and WP forks (not even the triples) run a minimum of $1200 for a set. Plus shop time, suspension tuning, calipers, rotors, etc.etc. I know guys on the supermoto board can easily dump $3-6K into a supermoto conversion and that's for bikes with available conversion kits.

> Since I don't have access to a machine shop, nor do I have the skills > myself for doing that work, I'm more and more inclined to getting an > MZ or a KTM that comes setup from the factory as a moto. Of course > you are looking at $6k-$8k range.

IMO, this would be the way to go, most of the European manufacturers are making smoking dedicated supermoto bikes (KTM, Hus, VOR, Vermati, MZ, etc.). It's really too bad that the Japs haven't yet caught on. I'll admit to wanting an XR650R-SM, but I'm not Nicky Hayden and don't have carte-blache at the White Brothers warehouse. For the KLR one of the best ways to go would be either a CBR or GSXR front end, I've seen bikes with both grafts and they don't sound any harder to do than my KLX graft. Z DC A5X A12X

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Chris wrote:

> Since I don't have access to a machine shop, nor do I have the

skills

> myself for doing that work, I'm more and more inclined to getting an > MZ or a KTM that comes setup from the factory as a moto. Of course > you are looking at $6k-$8k range.

I see nice used MZ Baghira street motos every so often for +/- $3500 with low miles, and I've been tempted to buy one a number of times. If they hadn't been so pricey, they would have sold a lot better when they were offered, and there would be more around to choose from. Still, the KLR looks more comfortable for an annual ride to Idaho, let's say, from California. The MZ looks like a lot more fun around town and in the twisties, although the KLR is plenty good in those places. I ride mine every day, and have two other very nice bikes that just sit, because the KLR is such a useable machine. Fun, too. Bill - A3 with lots of dirt stuck to it

The coolest street moto I have seen around these parts is a WR450, with 17" 3-spoke wheels. The front fender and Rally Pros are drilled to take inch-long dog-collar spikes. They look butch as hell, but apparently create difficulties in the woods (not that that bike belongs in the woods with those wheels, but that's what the owner told me). Attitude is everything. --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Chris wrote:

> For what it's worth, I'm just itching to do a moto conversion on > something or buy one outright as a second bike eventually. I

spoke to

> a few fabricators local to me in NJ, none are very adventurous

and the

> very rough rates I was given to machine up say WP forks to fit a

KLR

> or an XR, combined with motomaster wheels and brakes for

an XR, well

> it gets pretty pricey. If you start with a used bike as the platform > you can get it all done for about $2k for suspension and brake

mods on

> top of the bike. That of course isn't including any motor work if

you

> want to get silly with it. > > If you provide CAD drawings for the exact pieces, the rates are

a bit

> better, but again I'm not up to spec to do that either so it would

be

> a hit or miss deal...which of course winds up with multiple

attempts

> to get the job done. > > Since I don't have access to a machine shop, nor do I have the

skills

> myself for doing that work, I'm more and more inclined to

getting an

> MZ or a KTM that comes setup from the factory as a moto. Of

course

> you are looking at $6k-$8k range. > > If you have time, patience, and luck finding the used pieces you

can

> do the conversion on your own relatively inexpensively. When

you have

> the luck that I have whenever I have to rely on a shop for any of

my

> wild ideas...you start to second guess the adventure. > > A DRZ or an XR-R conversion seem to be the easiest 'out of

the box'

> for bolt-on parts availability. Motomaster for example has the

full

> wheels and brakes all ready to go for either one and the forks

they

> come with are tolerable enough to get by with and are more

easily

> upgraded with valve jobs etc. > > I don't have the link handy but try google for 'scotts XR

supermoto'

> there's a project site where the guy put the full CBR F3 frontend

and

> wheels on a Honda XR, looks pretty evil and has twin discs. > > On Wed, Oct 29, 2003 at 04:07:18AM -0000, gpokluda wrote: > > I have never set up a KLR this way, but I do have about 5K

miles on

> > an MZ Baghira Street Moto which is a Super Motard and it is a

hoot to

> > ride. > > > > Gino > > www.rvmc.com > > > -- > ___ ______ _____ __ ________ ___ > / _ |< < / == / ___/__ / /_ /_ __/ / __ ____ _ ___ /__ \ > / __ |/ // / ****/ (_ / _ \/ __/ / / / _ \/ // / ' \/ _ \ /__/ > /_/ |_/_//_/ == \___/\___/\__/ /_/ /_//_/\_,_/_/_/_/ .__/ (_) > 8600 miles*Russel Lines*Supertrapp Race* /_/ > http://www.panix.com/~cesser/mybike/

How's the

> weather in Harrison Hot Springs? It's been raining fat > cats and St. Bernards here. > > Charles >

Hi Charles ! I'm very happy we decided to abort our trip down to California this winter. It sounds like you've had some bad weather ! It always rains a lot here, and is currently below freezing and very windy...quite rare for these parts. I wimped out this year and parked the KLR until March. Mostly just to save insurance. I prefer cold rides to summer heat. My foam grips are quite thick, but the right bar end is thick anyway with the throttle housing. I always wear gloves and,like you,find it very uncomfortable with thicker gloves. Thanks to the several kind people who have suggested checking the bar position. I've never thought to check that. I've also never thought of gel grips, but wonder if they will also increase the diameter. I know I have problems that exaggerate things, but unless I load myself with T3's, my hand gets too painful to enjoy the ride. Next time you pass by, there is still a spare filter awaiting your beast. Have you edited your trip video yet? Regards and the best for 2005...what mega trip are you planning ? Steve

How's the

> weather in Harrison Hot Springs? It's been raining fat > cats and St. Bernards here. > > Charles >

Hi Charles ! I'm very happy we decided to abort our trip down to California this winter. It sounds like you've had some bad weather ! It always rains a lot here, and is currently below freezing and very windy...quite rare for these parts. I wimped out this year and parked the KLR until March. Mostly just to save insurance. I prefer cold rides to summer heat. My foam grips are quite thick, but the right bar end is thick anyway with the throttle housing. I always wear gloves and,like you,find it very uncomfortable with thicker gloves. Thanks to the several kind people who have suggested checking the bar position. I've never thought to check that. I've also never thought of gel grips, but wonder if they will also increase the diameter. I know I have problems that exaggerate things, but unless I load myself with T3's, my hand gets too painful to enjoy the ride. Next time you pass by, there is still a spare filter awaiting your beast. Have you edited your trip video yet? Regards and the best for 2005...what mega trip are you planning ? Steve