Wilsons Sandbox

Posted: **Wed May 25, 2005 4:41 am**

I've got four issues with my '99 KLR650 and I'm looking for any help I can get. 1) The tach doesn't work. ( Sounds like the tack is gone to me) 2) The gas mileage is, for a KLR, horrendous. I never hit 300 kms (yes, that's low but I don't know how your riding it. But would check the Inrichener circuit for sure, float level perhaps ) DOT knobbies. How much of an effect would the tires have? ( At best a few mpk but not that much ) 3) engine started cutting out at 140kph consistently. ( Do the t-mod to the vent line off the carb. Plus check spark plug. ) My gas tank whistles quite often, ( Clean vent ) 4) While I was riding off road, my KLR wouldn't keep up with a pack of guys on DR400s. (Since I've ( like Arden Kysely ) Have owned both bikes together, it's no contest. 100 lbs lighter, same power just different delivery charactoristics of it, much better suspension.) '43 Andy in Louisiana '00 KLR 650 '02 R1150 GSA

Posted: **Sat Jul 21, 2007 6:58 pm**

I parked my bike, and put on the steering lock, but was distracted, and forgot to turn it back one notch, and when I came back it would not start, since the rear parking lights had been on for several hours. Luckily there was a nice slope right in front of me, so I got it started anyhow. What s the point of this parking light?? I think the only way to eliminate it is in or just under the ignition switch? I think it is a dumb feature, like so many other things, the people designing this bike probably never used it, everything gets done nowadays by people sitting in front of a !%&= screen, and have never been outside in real life. The battery was back to OK after only half an hour of driving. On page 246 of the Clymer s it states that you should inflate the new tube until it is rounded, and then install the second tire bead. NOT SO!!!! Get the new tube fresh and crisp out of the box, it is laying flat so it will accomodate well, just feel with your fingers round and round till it is free of the rim. Then pry on the bead, and when you come to the tough last part, make sure the tire walls on the opposite end are squeezed together in the center of the rim, and then it will come on easily. I learned by blood, sweat and tears, and foul language, and doing it wrongly for many, many years. Just because it is written in a book doesn t make it true. Why not have greasenipples on the swingarm and shock linkage, instead of taking the whole thing apart just for the fun of anoiting it with some grease?? The same for the steering stem bearings? I am dreaming of a maintenance free bike, or at least reduce it to reasonable level. Unless you enjoy being under it better than being on it. For the price it is still a great bike, so I ll put up with the inconvenienances for a while, untill.... ____________________________________________________________________________________ Sick sense of humor? Visit Yahoo! TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on, when. http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/222

Posted: **Sun Jul 22, 2007 9:09 am**

Posted by: "Jacobus De Bruyn"Sat Jul 21, 2007 4:58 pm (PST)

>I parked my bike, and put on the steering lock, but was distracted, and >forgot to turn it back one >several hours. Luckily there was a nice slope >right in front of me, so I got it started anyhow. >What s the point of this parking light?? I think the only way to eliminate >it is in or just under the >ignition switch? I think it is a dumb feature, like so many other things, >the people designing this >bike probably never used it, everything gets >done nowadays by people sitting in front of a !%&= >screen, and have >never been outside in real life.

Hi Jake, The idea of turning the key the extra "click" to leave the parking light on seems like a stupid set-up. It has caused me to get distracted and run down the battery, too. I recommend you stop looking at pretty girls. Seriously though, the motorcycle couriers in Japan use it every time they stop and make a delivery as their bike is sitting by the curb and they want it visible. That's what I hear, anyway. Jim _________________________________________________________________ See Fireworks On Live Image Search http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?q=Fireworks&mkt=en-ca&FORM=SERNEP

Posted: **Sun Jul 22, 2007 10:24 am**

On Jul 22, 2007, at 7:08 AM, Jim Tegler wrote:

> Seriously > though, the motorcycle couriers in Japan use it every time they > stop and > make a delivery as their bike is sitting by the curb and they want it > visible.

My Triumph had this feature as well, and I was told that the Brits used it when parked at the pub. If they stayed too long and drank too many pints the battery would be dead, thus keeping them from riding home drunk. -- Blake Sobiloff http://www.sobiloff.com/> San Jose, CA (USA)

Posted: **Sun Jul 22, 2007 12:22 pm**

The parking light position is a requirement in some areas such as England where it is required to show a rear light when parking on certain roads at night. Probably it is simpler for KHI to build one wiring harness for multiple markets. They probably assume that we are intelligent enough to notice the ignition key rotation. Doing away with the "feature" is not a difficult modification. Disconnect the Red/White wire from the ignition switch plug (plug "C" in the Clymer diagrams) . Connect the Red/White wire (from the harness side of the plug) to the Brown wire in the same plug. This will power the tail light and City Light wire from the headlight section of the headlight switch. There are a couple of other ways to do this but the above is the simpler method (IMO). HIH Norm [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Posted: **Sun Jul 22, 2007 3:29 pm**

Bottom posted, for your reading pleasure........

> [Original Message] > From: Norm Keller > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 7/22/2007 10:22:16 AM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re:issues > > The parking light position is a requirement in some areas such as England

where it is required to show a rear light when parking on certain roads at night. Probably it is simpler for KHI to build one wiring harness for multiple markets. They probably assume that we are intelligent enough to notice the ignition key rotation. From what I remember from the early daze (the early 70's), the NHTSA, our pals in the Fedral gummint, decided that all motorcycles will be standardized as far as controls, right hand brake and throttle, left hand clutch and headlight dimming, right foot rear brake and left foot shift. Two rear view mirrors as well. Also that you needed to have a rear visibility marking light, should you become disabled at night and had to park on the shoulder of the road. Oh yeah, and then Tipper got involved and the NHTSA made all kinds of restrictions on bikes. Federally mandated helmet laws and a bunch of other crap. ATGATT!! I wear a helmet whenever I am riding. The gummint ain't my momma and doesn't need to tell me that I have to wear it. I have had to scrape up about 1,000 or so too many head injury cases up of the highways in SoCal as a firefighter and medic over the past 30 years. It's not only messy, but it smells real bad, too! I've been able to handle the sights and sounds of major trauma and road rash; the smells that accompany them aren't so easy to chase. Yeah, I know the old FF trick of stuffing a wad of Vicks VapoRub up yer nostrils, there were just some instances hat even that didn't work, even with SCBA on!!! And I'm not riding today 'cause we are anticipating the first rainfall in over 100 days and I'm so sweet, I just might melt! Buddy leftcoastklrsociety bseifert71@...

Posted: **Sun Jul 22, 2007 3:42 pm**

And here I thought it never rains in southern California.... At least that was the words in a song long forgotten.. albatross who never melts in the rain

On 7/22/07, Harry Seifert wrote: > > Bottom posted, for your reading pleasure........ > > > [Original Message] > > From: Norm Keller > > > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > > > Date: 7/22/2007 10:22:16 AM > > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re:issues > > > > The parking light position is a requirement in some areas such as > England > where it is required to show a rear light when parking on certain roads at > night. Probably it is simpler for KHI to build one wiring harness for > multiple markets. They probably assume that we are intelligent enough to > notice the ignition key rotation. > > From what I remember from the early daze (the early 70's), the NHTSA, our > pals in the Fedral gummint, decided that all motorcycles will be > standardized as far as controls, right hand brake and throttle, left hand > clutch and headlight dimming, right foot rear brake and left foot shift. > Two rear view mirrors as well. Also that you needed to have a rear > visibility marking light, should you become disabled at night and had to > park on the shoulder of the road. Oh yeah, and then Tipper got involved > and > the NHTSA made all kinds of restrictions on bikes. Federally mandated > helmet laws and a bunch of other crap. > > ATGATT!! > > I wear a helmet whenever I am riding. The gummint ain't my momma and > doesn't need to tell me that I have to wear it. I have had to scrape up > about 1,000 or so too many head injury cases up of the highways in SoCal > as > a firefighter and medic over the past 30 years. It's not only messy, but > it smells real bad, too! I've been able to handle the sights and sounds of > major trauma and road rash; the smells that accompany them aren't so easy > to chase. Yeah, I know the old FF trick of stuffing a wad of Vicks VapoRub > up yer nostrils, there were just some instances hat even that didn't work, > even with SCBA on!!! > > And I'm not riding today 'cause we are anticipating the first rainfall in > over 100 days and I'm so sweet, I just might melt! > > Buddy > leftcoastklrsociety > bseifert71@... > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Posted: **Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:00 am**

Thank you all for responding, I will look under the ignition switch and adjust the wires as per Norm s advice, ma ana.... More stupid regulations for more stupidity, the light will not prevent idiots from running over your bike. I used to park my bike at the curb, a good distance away from other vehicles, but they jump in, start backing!! and run over your bike just the same, in BROAD DAYLIGHT! That was in the old Honda days. Now, I don t park my bike at the curb anymore, especially not my beloved KLR 650, for no matter how much I bitch about it, or abt. my wife, I still have feelings, mighty strong feelings.... I go to the parking lot, with a parking attendant, who are always my friends, and I walk around town, appreciating the soft brown skins and the beautiful black hair, imagining the rest.. and indulging in a cold beer sometimes. I don t go for cheap, meaningless sex, having been there before many many times, but why not enjoy the few good things in life? Shouldn t good be all of our experience?? It is five in the morning, and I just came back from two ships out, and one in, and I had fun with the Philipino and Russian captains, and I am having a cool one before closing my beautiful blue eyes, plse bear with me. Jake. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Choose the right car based on your needs. Check out Yahoo! Autos new Car Finder tool. http://autos.yahoo.com/carfinder/

Posted: **Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:43 am**

Now I hate regulations and Govment interference in my life, but a helmet is the way to go, cause I have cracked one already, but I didn t crack my head. It only may seem so. Ocasionally, on a dirt road without traffick, I may take a leasurely drive without the helmet, to enjoy the scenery and the breeze, but i still like my knee protectors and gloves, cause a small slip at slow speed will cause damage to these parts. Even if minor it still is painful. I break the rules only when I think it is the interest of my safety. Safety first, I must have read somewhere. So use common sense, which is most uncommon. Enjoy without fear, Jake. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us. http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7

Posted: **Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:38 pm**

On my recent trip to Niagara Falls I dropped the bike at about 10 miles per hour when I angled off the road to check my map and I hit deep sand and a gully. I fell with enough force to break the watchband on my wrist, bend the handle bars and dashboard forward to the point where I broke the screw holding the front of the fairing on under the headlight, broke my left mirror and validated the value of the nerf bars and metal mermite panniers (Thank you God!). At ten miles per hour I pitched over the front end and flipped onto the edge of the roadway bouncing my head off the pavement. My only injury was a scratch where the band of the watch bit my wrist. In the process my fellow riders were stunned that I did not have a head injury. That was 10 miles per hour...now think about 50. Capt. Bob. P.S. Water is softer

----- Original Message ----- From: Jacobus De Bruyn To: bseifert71@... ; dsn_klr650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 7:42 AM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: issues Now I hate regulations and Govment interference in my life, but a helmet is the way to go, cause I have cracked one already, but I didn t crack my head. It only may seem so. Ocasionally, on a dirt road without traffick, I may take a leasurely drive without the helmet, to enjoy the scenery and the breeze, but i still like my knee protectors and gloves, cause a small slip at slow speed will cause damage to these parts. Even if minor it still is painful. I break the rules only when I think it is the interest of my safety. Safety first, I must have read somewhere. So use common sense, which is most uncommon. Enjoy without fear, Jake. __________________________________________________________ Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us. http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]