Wilsons Sandbox
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http://www.frenchandlogan.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=267992
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]
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.> > Turn signals just fall off. Shorts/opens are common. And the new for > 08 piston rings are no good which causes heavy oil consumption.
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> I think I will stick with my 04 and the $200 front rotor upgrade kit.
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> > 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.
.----- 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
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.> > 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.
mind> > --- 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
-->Good idea since we went thru this whole mess the last time he started a "dis the '08" thread. .....snipp.....> is made up and facts are irrelevant.
headlight>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
--> I doubt it, but thanks for trying 8~) __Arden> assembly, but you get the point
for> > Turn signals just fall off. Shorts/opens are common. And the new
> 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 >