new bike purchase

[kolbike]

'00 650 with 49000 miles, riding along and shifter didnt seem to want to respond. At first with the clutch pulled in I could move one gear, but only at rest. Later it found N breafly until all I have is 5th. The shifter feels like it wants to shift at times. Have idea it may be related to clunk when engaging First after parked a few days. Any ideas will be welcomed. Thank You

[jokerloco9@aol.com]

Have you crashed and bent the shifter in such a way that it is not moving full travel necessary to shift tranny? Shifter has been known to contact side cover and cause problems. If so, just bend it back. Some people put real hefty shifters on with the idea of eliminating this. I think it is a mistake because I would rather bend the shifter than the rod going inside the trans. Jeff A20 In a message dated 5/26/2008 4:13:09 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, kolbike@... writes: '00 650 with 49000 miles, riding along and shifter didnt seem to want to respond. At first with the clutch pulled in I could move one gear, but only at rest. Later it found N breafly until all I have is 5th. The shifter feels like it wants to shift at times. Have idea it may be related to clunk when engaging First after parked a few days. Any ideas will be welcomed. Thank You **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&?NCID=aolfod00030000000002) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Bogdan Swider wrote:

> > this going to b a problem.I'm already commited to the bike I,ve got a > > lot of roaming to do but mostly gravel or sand,the farthest offroad I > will get is a field for camping. > > For the type of riding you describe I think you should lower the bike. > You ll like the center of gravity moving toward the other side of

the globe.

> Lowering links I have lower the bike about 1.5". I got mine from Quality > Engine R&D, the first outfit to make them for the klr. Type in

-lowering

> links klr- on Google and you'll find them and others.

It depends on whether he has the 2008 or the pre-'08 KLR. Note that the 2008 KLR is already lowered 1" by comparison with the pre-'08 KLR. That said, I have my '02 KLR lowered by 1", and agree that it makes it a much more stable and "planted" street bike when combined with stiffer springing front and rear. Note that the rear stock shock has enough damping for the street with heavier springing, it's only when you hit washboarded dirt roads that the limitations of the stock shocks (front and rear) become an issue -- that's where you want to put the cartridge emulators into your front forks and a good shock in the back.

> > However, of you don t want to mess with that: My favorite lowering

devise

> is cutting 2" of foam off the top of the seat and inserting a gel

bladder

> making sure there's a little foam on the top & bottom of the bladder.

Note, however, that this does move you closer to the pegs. That may not be an issue for you. It is for me, in that it makes the cockpit too cramped. So I've gone the other way -- put a Corbin "flat" seat which actually sits higher than the stock seat due both to stiffer foam and its sheer width. That makes my bike comfortable for me for very long trips -- I can do 500 mile days several days in a row with no problems at all. _E

[Bogdan Swider]

On 5/26/08 5:42 PM, "jokerloco9@..." wrote:

> > > > Have you crashed and bent the shifter in such a way that it is not moving > full travel necessary to shift tranny? Shifter has been known to contact > side > cover and cause problems. If so, just bend it back. >

Or....the shifter just might be loose. You need to tighter that bolt once in a while. I carry a little ( 10 mm, I believe ) flat ratchet wrench for that purpose; task is a little hard to do with a normal open end or closed wrench. Not useful for ratcheting up a conversation, romantic encounter etc however. Bogdan [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]