Wilsons Sandbox

Looking for information on who has done 2-up multi-month tours on a KLR, camping along the way. I don't have a KLR near to me to measure up the seat and see how it would work. I'm not too bothered about the lack of power and suspension, as hopefully I can get the suspension stiffened, and I am sure the power will be better than the XR200 I used to ride 2-up in the Philippines... What I am more concerned with is subframe strength and any necessary mods, and the space available for a passenger and luggage, as well as being able to modify the saddle to be comfortable enough for my passenger. I'm 6'2, 32" inseam, 190 lb and dropping, my passenger is around 5'3, and under 120 lb. The plan is to ride Central America this winter. My passenger does not have a lot of MC experience, and when we did a week on my VFR in northern New England this year, she suffered from severe butt pain after a few days. Admittedly the VFR has a really bad passenger saddle and cramped seat/peg ergos, but I have to make sure that her next experience is a lot more comfortable . If I can't get the KLR to work, my only solution is to go for a Srom or a KTM 950. The KTM would be my preference as it is not a lot heavier or taller than the KLR but I am really concerned about servicing and repairs in S. America, and SE Asia next year. The R11/1150/12 BMWs are out of the picture, too big and heavy, and I've had bad reliability issues with one before. I currently have a Husky TE610, which has kind of put me off the Euro option. It is the most fun bike I've ridden (and I've had bikes like a ZX12R, VFR800, R11GS, Guzzi 1000 and a lot more). But it is definitely not suitable for 2-up, and they are be heavy on service / maintenance compared to the Jap bikes. Really a pity, as IMHO it's one of the best long-distance dual sports on the market. Decent power, sub-330 lb fully fueled, good suspension, great handling, wide-ratio 6-speed box that is good on the freeway and the dirt. But, the amount of work requited to keep it on the road for 30K miles is just way too much. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Punky and Lew and added Achu(sp) comes to mind. Somebody had the story somewhere.. anybody remember ? Dooden A15 Green Ape

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Tony wrote: > > Looking for information on who has done 2-up multi-month tours on a KLR, camping along the way. I don't have a KLR near to me to measure up the seat and see how it would work. > I'm not too bothered about the lack of power and suspension, as hopefully I can get the suspension stiffened, and I am sure the power will be better than the XR200 I used to ride 2-up in the Philippines... > > What I am more concerned with is subframe strength and any necessary mods, and the space available for a passenger and luggage, as well as being able to modify the saddle to be comfortable enough for my passenger. > > I'm 6'2, 32" inseam, 190 lb and dropping, my passenger is around 5'3, and under 120 lb. > > The plan is to ride Central America this winter. My passenger does not have a lot of MC experience, and when we did a week on my VFR in northern New England this year, she suffered from severe butt pain after a few days. Admittedly the VFR has a really bad passenger saddle and cramped seat/peg ergos, but I have to make sure that her next experience is a lot more comfortable . > > If I can't get the KLR to work, my only solution is to go for a Srom or a KTM 950. The KTM would be my preference as it is not a lot heavier or taller than the KLR but I am really concerned about servicing and repairs in S. America, and SE Asia next year. The R11/1150/12 BMWs are out of the picture, too big and heavy, and I've had bad reliability issues with one before. > > I currently have a Husky TE610, which has kind of put me off the Euro option. It is the most fun bike I've ridden (and I've had bikes like a ZX12R, VFR800, R11GS, Guzzi 1000 and a lot more). But it is definitely not suitable for 2-up, and they are be heavy on service / maintenance compared to the Jap bikes. Really a pity, as IMHO it's one of the best long-distance dual sports on the market. Decent power, sub-330 lb fully fueled, good suspension, great handling, wide-ratio 6-speed box that is good on the freeway and the dirt. But, the amount of work requited to keep it on the road for 30K miles is just way too much. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

http://www.angelfire.com/mo/motormark/Punky_n_Lew.html Fred www.arrowheadmotorsports.com From: Dooden Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2011 8:25 PM To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: 2-up touring on a KLR? Punky and Lew and added Achu(sp) comes to mind. Somebody had the story somewhere.. anybody remember ? Dooden A15 Green Ape

--- In mailto:DSN_KLR650%40yahoogroups.com, Tony wrote: > > Looking for information on who has done 2-up multi-month tours on a KLR, camping along the way. I don't have a KLR near to me to measure up the seat and see how it would work. > I'm not too bothered about the lack of power and suspension, as hopefully I can get the suspension stiffened, and I am sure the power will be better than the XR200 I used to ride 2-up in the Philippines... > > What I am more concerned with is subframe strength and any necessary mods, and the space available for a passenger and luggage, as well as being able to modify the saddle to be comfortable enough for my passenger. > > I'm 6'2, 32" inseam, 190 lb and dropping, my passenger is around 5'3, and under 120 lb. > > The plan is to ride Central America this winter. My passenger does not have a lot of MC experience, and when we did a week on my VFR in northern New England this year, she suffered from severe butt pain after a few days. Admittedly the VFR has a really bad passenger saddle and cramped seat/peg ergos, but I have to make sure that her next experience is a lot more comfortable . > > If I can't get the KLR to work, my only solution is to go for a Srom or a KTM 950. The KTM would be my preference as it is not a lot heavier or taller than the KLR but I am really concerned about servicing and repairs in S. America, and SE Asia next year. The R11/1150/12 BMWs are out of the picture, too big and heavy, and I've had bad reliability issues with one before. > > I currently have a Husky TE610, which has kind of put me off the Euro option. It is the most fun bike I've ridden (and I've had bikes like a ZX12R, VFR800, R11GS, Guzzi 1000 and a lot more). But it is definitely not suitable for 2-up, and they are be heavy on service / maintenance compared to the Jap bikes. Really a pity, as IMHO it's one of the best long-distance dual sports on the market. Decent power, sub-330 lb fully fueled, good suspension, great handling, wide-ratio 6-speed box that is good on the freeway and the dirt. But, the amount of work requited to keep it on the road for 30K miles is just way too much. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

That makes sense. I do the same thing on my Husky, which was originally billed as their two-up touring model, seeing as it came with passenger pegs and had a small plastic rack included for optional mounting. What a joke... Broadening the front part of the saddle makes footing the bike really difficult. Last time I was in the Philippines, I had no problems going two-up on their version of an XR200 other than the suspension bottoming out on dirt roads. But that has a fairly long saddle for a small DS bike, and we were only doing day and overnight trips with a small backpack, and not riding more than 4 - 6 hours in a day. Plus my passenger was about 4'11 and 85 lb.... Actually for Philippines and most SE Asian touring, the XR200 works fine as long as the suspension is beefed up. You don't need much gear as the weather is usually warm, and speeds are low. Not much need to camp, as accommodation and food is cheap. Speeds in most areas are low, we were about the fastest thing on the road most of the time. I guess the optimum would be a passenger rider test ride, but we are separated by a continent at the moment... ________________________________ From: "Cox, John" To: Tony ; "DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Saturday, October 1, 2011 10:47 PM Subject: RE: [DSN_KLR650] 2-up touring on a KLR? I haven t done 2 up touring but I just about use the whole passenger area when I m cruising. It s comfy back there but where you ll be sitting it s narrow for touring. Try this: look at your seat and visualize where each of you will be. Then string a bungee across the seat to divide your places. Try riding forward of the bungee for a while and see if it s a good cross country ergo. I wouldn t want to do it on my klr and I have 32 inseam and similar wt. If you do take the klr you can get subframe bolt upgrades (search on line) you will need to drill the frame tube holes bigger. Rear can be beefed up with a stiffer shock spring or with raising links(I think, though not my choice). Front w/progressive springs and appropriate pre-load spacers. I d go for brake upgrade w/a passenger. For a lot less than a ktm or weestrom you could do a 705 and cylinder head work for more power. Very Respectfully, John Cox From:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tony Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2011 5:29 PM To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSN_KLR650] 2-up touring on a KLR? Looking for information on who has done 2-up multi-month tours on a KLR, camping along the way. I don't have a KLR near to me to measure up the seat and see how it would work. I'm not too bothered about the lack of power and suspension, as hopefully I can get the suspension stiffened, and I am sure the power will be better than the XR200 I used to ride 2-up in the Philippines... What I am more concerned with is subframe strength and any necessary mods, and the space available for a passenger and luggage, as well as being able to modify the saddle to be comfortable enough for my passenger. I'm 6'2, 32" inseam, 190 lb and dropping, my passenger is around 5'3, and under 120 lb. The plan is to ride Central America this winter. My passenger does not have a lot of MC experience, and when we did a week on my VFR in northern New England this year, she suffered from severe butt pain after a few days. Admittedly the VFR has a really bad passenger saddle and cramped seat/peg ergos, but I have to make sure that her next experience is a lot more comfortable . If I can't get the KLR to work, my only solution is to go for a Srom or a KTM 950. The KTM would be my preference as it is not a lot heavier or taller than the KLR but I am really concerned about servicing and repairs in S. America, and SE Asia next year. The R11/1150/12 BMWs are out of the picture, too big and heavy, and I've had bad reliability issues with one before. I currently have a Husky TE610, which has kind of put me off the Euro option. It is the most fun bike I've ridden (and I've had bikes like a ZX12R, VFR800, R11GS, Guzzi 1000 and a lot more). But it is definitely not suitable for 2-up, and they are be heavy on service / maintenance compared to the Jap bikes. Really a pity, as IMHO it's one of the best long-distance dual sports on the market. Decent power, sub-330 lb fully fueled, good suspension, great handling, wide-ratio 6-speed box that is good on the freeway and the dirt. But, the amount of work requited to keep it on the road for 30K miles is just way too much. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Tony, If I was about your size and lived in New England, I'd offer your friend an evaluation ride on my KLR. With photos! Mike Martin, Louisville, KY ________________________________ From: Tony To: "DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sunday, October 2, 2011 2:08 AM I guess the optimum would be a passenger rider test ride, but we are separated by a continent at the moment... [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Not all the sled stuff is cheaper.... My Klim outer shell ran me $900, and is top notch. That is a basic Goretex XCR shell with waterproof zippers and minimal armor, designed to fit over armored gear. The same jacket is now being sold for offroad ATV and motorcycle use, as it is an excellent all-weather outer layer that is highly breathable and flows a lot of air if you open up all the zips. The best gear is designed for mountain use, not trail riding, as you can experience big temperature swings in one day, and it is a pretty strenuous sport. My sled gloves typically cost me $80 and up, boots are over 200, my helmet was up around $500 several years ago. I went through the cheap phase when I first started out. Sweating / freezing on long hard days soon cured me of that. Unfortunately, with the economy and price of fuel being what it is, the sledding industry has taken a big hit, and I only see the basic gear out there in my local shops, The better stuff is typically sold out west where the mountain riders are. ________________________________ From: Mark Harfenist To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, October 2, 2011 11:29 AM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Warmest Gloves Google Hippo Hands. I used them throughout the Andes last year and never put on my winter gloves--lightweight summer leather was warm (and dry) enough. They are easily taken off and stored when the weather warms up.....c.f. here in Ghana, where the thought of wearing gloves, boots, jacket, overpants or just about anything else is absolutely intolerable. Before the Hippo Hands I tried all sorts of stuff, including the heaviest gloves I could find (up to and including winter mountaineering gear), giant ungainly mittens, those Aeorostich over-mitts (total crap), and a snowmobiling imitation of the Hippo Hands (which didn't fit and weren't anywhere near the same quality). There are reasons snowmobile gear is cheaper than motorcycling gear, and it's mostly related to the absence of quality in the former. Mileage varies. Mark [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]