was "first & second gear" now "oil inspection on a budget"

[nakedwaterskier]

Turn signals just fall off. Shorts/opens are common. And the new for 08 piston rings are no good which causes heavy oil consumption. I think I will stick with my 04 and the $200 front rotor upgrade kit. Jeffrey

[roncriswell@sbcglobal.net]

I was just fixin to ask how the '08 's are in comparison the the previous models as my brother is thinking of getting one. Criswell

On Jul 29, 2008, at 1:02 PM, nakedwaterskier wrote: > Turn signals just fall off. Shorts/opens are common. And the new for > 08 piston rings are no good which causes heavy oil consumption. > > I think I will stick with my 04 and the $200 front rotor upgrade kit. > > Jeffrey > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "nakedwaterskier" wrote:

> > Turn signals just fall off. Shorts/opens are common. And the new for > 08 piston rings are no good which causes heavy oil consumption.

You forgot the preload adjuster problem. A lot of this was fixed during the production cycle. That said, I really would wait for the '09 KLR before buying one, because there's no telling whether the '08 that you bought is one that has the fixes or not.

> I think I will stick with my 04 and the $200 front rotor upgrade kit.

Well, the '08 has some other things that are good too. It has much better headlights -- the '04 headlight cannot be fixed short of taking a sledgehammer to it and replacing it with a real headlight, it's a reflector design problem, not a brightness problem, square is the absolutely worst shape for a headlight. The engine has been rebalanced so it runs much smoother than the pre-'08. The seat is firmer and better for long distances. The shocks are firmer at both ends and are now capable of handling large people without needing aftermarket springs. The front forks are bigger and don't flex when handling on the highway, and the wind protection is much better. While the bike doesn't have *more* power, it has *better* power -- much smoother from top to bottom. And while I haven't heard of people getting power gains from changing the exhaust and jetting, it should be possible because the head does breathe better than the pre '08 head. Oh, and it has a bigger radiator so it doesn't overheat in hot weather the way the pre-'08 would do if you forgot to change to an 80/20 water/glycol mix in the summer. Like all new designs it had its initial-year glitches. That's one reason (amongst many) that I did not buy an '08 KLR (the other big reason being that I bought an '08 V-Strom 650 ABS for commuting and touring, and thus didn't need a more road-oriented bike like the '08 KLR... if I replace my '02, it'll probably be with a more dirt-oriented dual sport). But I see no reason why you shouldn't buy the '09 if this is the bike that fits your needs. -E

[nakedwaterskier]

Well, the '08 has some other things that are good too. It has much better headlights MY BRIGHTER BULB FOR $9 SEEMS TO HAVE DONE THE TRICK AND IT TOOK 15 MINS. TO INSTALL. -- the '04 headlight cannot be fixed short of taking a sledgehammer to it and replacing it with a real headlight, it's areflector design problem, not a brightness problem, square is the absolutely worst shape for a headlight. The engine has been rebalanced so it runs much smoother than the pre- '08.YOU MEAN THEY CHANGED THE TIMING A LITTLE;BFD The seat is firmer and better for long distances. MY BUTT PREFERS A SOFTER SEAT. The shocks are firmer at both ends and arenow capable of handling large people without needing aftermarketsprings. IF YOU ARE A FATTY IT ISN'T THE BIKES FAULT. 5 PSI IN THE FRONT FORKS DID THE TRICK FOR ME. The front forks are bigger and don't flex when handling onthe highway, and the wind protection is much better. BOTH BIKES NEED ACERBIS BRUSH GUARDS; ADMITTEDLY I PUT ON THE ACERBIS KTM FRONT FENDER. While the bikedoesn't have *more* power, it has *better* power -- much smoother fromtop to bottom. And while I haven't heard of people getting power gains from changing the exhaust and jetting, it should be possible because the head does breathe better than the pre '08 head. Oh, and it has abigger radiator so it doesn't overheat in hot weather the way the pre-'08 would do if you forgot to change to an 80/20 water/glycol mix in the summer.FUNNY I NEVER HAD ANY OVERHEATING PROBLEMS.

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "nakedwaterskier" wrote:

> > Well, the '08 has some other things that are good too. It has much > better headlights MY BRIGHTER BULB FOR $9 SEEMS TO HAVE DONE THE > TRICK AND IT TOOK 15 MINS. TO INSTALL.

At which point I stop, because it's clear that at this point your mind is made up and facts are irrelevant. I have used pretty much every light bulb possible in my '02 KLR, including the 90/100 watt ones. *none* of them put out a reasonable pattern of light on the highway compared to *any* motorcycle with a modern headlight design. Comparing my '08 V-Strom 650 (which is similar to the '08 KLR 650 in headline design) to my '02 KLR with *any* bulb is like comparing a flood of useful light on the road with a square of light that shines only on a small part of the road. Sure, if I put a 100 watt bulb into my '02 KLR, that square of light that shines only on a small part of the road is a *bright* square of light. But it's still just a square of light, not a useful flood of light. That's a limitation of the reflector design. I could put a 500 watt light bulb and it'd *still* be just a square of light. (Well, actually, no, since a 500 watt light bulb would melt down my headlight assembly, but you get the point .

[Charlie Y]

I'll sell you my '06 for USD$ 58,000 . Yes i think it would have to be 58k .... cash.

----- Original Message ----- From: "nakedwaterskier" To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 5:50 PM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Sounds like the 08 is JUNK

[nakedwaterskier]

Re: Sounds like the 08 is JUNK On my 1973 Mercedes with square Bosch foglights, I replaced the bulbs with scorchers and I could see into windows at night on both sides of the street. Also, extra lights are easily added if you really want to see into neighbors' windows at night. But, make sure you do a good job. You wouldn't want your KLR breaking dn like an 08! Jeffrey --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "nakedwaterskier" wrote:

> > Well, the '08 has some other things that are good too. It has much > better headlights MY BRIGHTER BULB FOR $9 SEEMS TO HAVE DONE THE > TRICK AND IT TOOK 15 MINS. TO INSTALL.

At which point I stop, because it's clear that at this point your mind is made up and facts are irrelevant. I have used pretty much every light bulb possible in my '02 KLR, including the 90/100 watt ones. *none* of them put out a reasonable pattern of light on the highway compared to *any* motorcycle with a modern headlight design. Comparing my '08 V-Strom 650 (which is similar to the '08 KLR 650 in headline design) to my '02 KLR with *any* bulb is like comparing a flood of useful light on the road with a square of light that shines only on a small part of the road.

[Arden Kysely]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "E.L. Green" wrote:

> > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "nakedwaterskier" > wrote: > > > > Well, the '08 has some other things that are good too. It has much > > better headlights MY BRIGHTER BULB FOR $9 SEEMS TO HAVE DONE THE > > TRICK AND IT TOOK 15 MINS. TO INSTALL. > > At which point I stop, because it's clear that at this point your

mind

> is made up and facts are irrelevant.

-->Good idea since we went thru this whole mess the last time he started a "dis the '08" thread. .....snipp.....

>I could put a 500 > watt light bulb and it'd *still* be just a square of light. (Well, > actually, no, since a 500 watt light bulb would melt down my

headlight

> assembly, but you get the point . >

--> I doubt it, but thanks for trying 8~) __Arden

[Spike55]

Maybe my brother has a good '08 but he has 3,000+ care free miles on it. He rides the same dirt roads as me on my '06. The only thing is that his Dunlop K750 tires are fading away. Don R100, A6F --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "nakedwaterskier" wrote:

> > Turn signals just fall off. Shorts/opens are common. And the new

for

> 08 piston rings are no good which causes heavy oil consumption. > > I think I will stick with my 04 and the $200 front rotor upgrade kit. > > > Jeffrey >

[matteeanne@yahoo.com]

If the dependibility of my 08 is any example, I have to agree 100%. I have been stranded 7 times now due to breakdown. Did I mention I had a blowout when the stock tube ripped on the seam? At freeway speed? While the handling and braking are far superior, I do not trust the bike at all. Wondering what I am going to do for my Arctic circle ride next year, cant imagine taking this piece of crap? And I was stupid enough to buy every upgrade money can buy..... ----- Original Message ---- From: nakedwaterskier To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:02:21 AM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Sounds like the 08 is JUNK Turn signals just fall off. Shorts/opens are common. And the new for 08 piston rings are no good which causes heavy oil consumption. I think I will stick with my 04 and the $200 front rotor upgrade kit. Jeffrey [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]