Wilsons Sandbox

On May 7, 2007, at 5:50 PM, aminklr650 wrote:

> 1. What type of brake fluid do I use for the front and back?

Any DOT 3 or DOT 4.

> 2. Should I be using the highest octane gas around or what type > should I be using?

The lowest octane that doesn't cause your bike to ping.

> 3. What oil do I use for it?

Any 40- or 50-weight diesel oil, depending on your weather, changed every 2,000 miles.

> 4. What kind of coolant should I use? (My coolant ran out and I > spilled water, is that fine?)

I hope you used distilled water, not tap water, since tap water contains minerals that will clog up your cooling system and wear down your water pump. (Of course, a small amount isn't going to cause immediate problems, but if you had to replace a lot of coolant with just tap water I'd drain the system and replace with a 50/50 mix of coolant/distilled water.) Any cheap coolant, changed at least every two years and mixed with distilled water, is fine. -- Blake Sobiloff http://sobiloff.typepad.com/blakeblog/> http://sobiloff.typepad.com/klr_adventure/> San Jose, CA (USA) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The 4000 rpm deal is your ears are new the sound of the bike. 4000 RPM for the first time sounds like the bike is screaming. I pay no attention the the rpm limitations that the factory puts on a new motor. It's all BS. You can break in a motor in 50 miles of good riding and never do any "damage" to the motor and in most cases you will actually be doing the motor a favor by breaking it in this way because you will build more power from a better sealed engine. It's simple. Fire up the bike let it warm up completely first with as little choke as needed to keep the bike running no more then 2000 rpm in the case of the KLR, High rpm in a cold motor is bad news. Get out on the road and be sure the cagers are far away or far behind. Throttle up aggressively in each gear 1st through 3rd to red line then dump the throttle and let the engine compression brake you down to a reasonable speed say 35mph. watch your water temp as you do this, any sign of lose of temp control you need to stop, let the bike cool down completely, check for problems then continue only if there are no problems with your cooling system. Do this three or four times and your engine is 90% broken in then just vary the rpm for the next 1500 miles and you're done. the hard brake in put more pressure on the rings and seals them better then the factory recommended brake in. And the varying of the rpm's there after loads the rings a bit here and there to finish of the process. I broke in my bike this way and I've seen others done the same way with only great results to report. I do need to dyno the bike. maybe i can collect that $50. Oh and the number one reason the factory recommends a certain rpm limit is to scare you in to driving conservatively until you are use to the bike and comfortable on it. It's just liability. Just my two cents Kerry

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Dale" wrote: > > I just passed the 500 mile point for my first check up. > > Are there certain quiestions or checks that I should point out other > than coolant, jetting of the carbs, oil levels and filter cleaning. > > Is the screen seperate from the regular oil cooler, and I understand > the valves also need to be looked at. > > Im turning my bike in tomorrow so I can have a good weekend of riding. > It's so hard not to take the bike over 4,000 rpm, but it feels like > it's being strained at just 4000 rpm? > > Is it because it's new and it's still breaking in, or is it possible > something is amiss here? > > Awaiting your answers from you "Pros" out there, Any help and > suggestions would be greatly apprciated since this is my first new bike > Ive ever had, other bikes I have ridden in the past were all borrowed > or rented at one time or another. > > Im hoping to ride from Dallas to Los Angelels, to San Fransisco to > Seatle and back to L.A. > > How often or how many miles should I change my oil and get other > maintenence done while being on the road, I expect to be gone about 2 > months while out "Exploring" the USA. > > Thanks for you help.. > > WildWolf > "07 KLR Newbie: >