gasping for breath
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:50 pm
Got my A14 back together this week and took it for a shakedown cruise. It
went around the block just fine, so I threw it (and myself) into the deep
end of the pool by doing a seven hour, 300 mile loop, including about three
hours of slab, some two-lane back roads and some fire road. Survived it
although I was tired and had some neck and shoulder pain the last 100 miles
or so to go with the saddle soreness. The KLR is a great bike, but you all
know that. I also put on some IMS pegs and understand now why they are
desirable in the dirt and not so much on the freeway. Pretty vibratious! (is
that a word?) We'll have to see how my boots hold up. Those teeth are sharp!
I used an older pair of boots for yesterday's ride. I wear shin guards but
still wonder what those pegs could do to my legs in an accident.
Anyway, this KLR is a 2000 model with 41k miles on the original rings and
bore. I installed an '05 head at 24k and have been careful to keep the
clearances in spec since. The original head with burned RH exhaust valve is
sitting in my garage. Anyone want it? The first leg of my trip was from near
the 10 and 57 up I5 to Frazier Park (SoCal for those who didn't know) and it
gets steep through there. The KLR pulled like a locomotive up until the last
two or three miles before Tejon Pass before it drops down into the valley
that is home to residents of Frazier Park. I think the altitude is somewhere
between 4k and 5k feet so not too high but with that and a strong headwind
the KLR seemed to lose power and slowed down to 60mph in 5th with throttle
wide open. Fourth gear is a large step down in gearing so I didn't go there,
maybe should have. Sound normal? I guess it's time to pull the plug and do a
compression test. The rest of the ride power felt normal again.
The fun part of the ride was from I-5 west on Frazier Mtn. Park Rd. to Cuddy
Valley Rd. to Mil Potrero Rd. to Cerro Noroeste Rd. to 166 west to 33 south
to Ventura. 33 is straight but scenic at its northern end then it got twisty
and even more scenic through Wheeler Gorge. Awesome rock formations. I will
be returning. Lockwood Valley is a road I skipped and I didn't stop near
often enough for pictures.
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=34.806809&lon=-118.973492&zoom=13&q1=Frazier%20Park%2C%20CA%2C%2093222
--
ian
http://www.scarletfuries.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Scarlet-Furies/121218125931
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Wouldn't be surprised if the altitude coupled with the extra heat in the
engine from a long climb contributed
to the power loss at altitude. Several years ago, my Honda dealer and I
went on a long ride together.
His carburetted CBR600F2 was positively anemic at just 5k feet vs. the much
lower altitude where it normally runs.
I had a good time following his sooty exhausted self on my old Transalp. LOL
Speaking of Transalps, they came with nice, rubber covered main footpegs.
But, if you removed one small bolt each, the covers
slipped off - exposing an off-road style cleated peg. Does the aftermarket
have anything like that{Fred?} ?
eddie
All the best,
Mike