Wilsons Sandbox

I noted the same thing when I installed my 685 about 35K miles ago. I weighed a new stock piston and the new 685 piston. The stock piston weighed 480 grams, the 685 piston weighed only 412 grams. Mine was a pre-production 685 piston that was NOT coated, the coating might add a gram or two more. The 685 piston definitely seems to rev faster and run smoother than the stocker. I also noted that the 685 seemed to have LESS engine braking than the stocker, which was a surprise. I had expected that the overbore would have increased engine braking. Upon reflection, I think the decrease in the engine braking results from the decreased reciprocating mass (the lighter piston). Fred noted that since the bike runs smoother with a lighter piston that the engine-driven counter-balancer weight is probably lighter than it should be for the stock piston. That makes sense but there is not much one can do to the counter-balance weight to make it heavier. I suppose that iron could be drilled out and replaced with something heavier (lead or maybe depleted uranium? ) but that seems to be a fruitless path to explore. Better IMHO to just replace the piston with the 685 and gain both a decrease in the vibration and an increase in the HP and (more importantly) the torque. From: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of nic_ran1 Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 07:20 To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSN_KLR650] 685 kit engine performance I recently installed Eagle Mike's 685 kit on my 2008 and the bike seems to be running great. Time will tell if it's resolved the oil burning issue but things look good so far. One thing that I've noticed is that the engine now "feels" a lot happier revving higher. I'll be up at redline before I realise it whereas I never even got close before the upgrade. Does that seem reasonable? I was thinking maybe the lighter piston would contribute to that but I'm no mechanic and don't know how much influence the unmodified valves would play in limiting that? ---------- ---------- ---------- [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

The stock DRZ400 mirrors are excellent, vibration free and robust. I have mine set so that they are exactly as wide as the handlebars. That should protect them in a drop but is suboptimal for seeing past my shoulders. But each time I look in the mirror I am surprised how vibration free the image is, even when the little 435cc motor is revved into its happy zone and the bike comes up on the cams. From: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of revmaaatin Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 19:42 To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Any Versys riders out there? NKLR Not me. wink. But if you will ship me yours, I will become one. grin. But first, you must promise it will not try to go and 'dirt nap' on me while in my possession. Seriously, I never thought a mirrow was supposed to have much clairity until I bought the DRZ400. Objects in the mirror stay clear through all RPM range and gears selected. Is it the mirror or is it Memorex? shrug. Fred's mirror isolators helped the KLR mirror useability hugely... and as a side benefit, allow the mirror ~30degrees of flex when the bike takes a nap. I've often wondered if the KLR mirror stem was just the right length to allow a harmonic imbalance = mirror stalk length is the same ratio/sine wave of the vibration frequency at its worst level of vibration. that includes mirrors installed in Rethenal handle bars, bars filled with #8 lead shot, and steel bars that are 'empty' Fred has offered HONDA mirrors in the past as a solution; many report good results with those. What ever the reason, the DRZ mirror is impressivly clear. i have not tried it yet, but I will do a DRZ mirror swap to the KLR and see if that is a good solution. Maybe, just maybe, God made the KLR mirrors less than useable so we would pay attention rather than play Narcissus and spend to much time looking at ourselves in the mirror. shrug. revmaaatin. --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com , Ron Criswell wrote:

> > > > Sent from my iPad > > My right hand mirror's little plastic thingy on the mirror ball joint

broke on my Versys making it impossible to use. Anybody out there found better aftermarket mirrors for a Versys?

> > Criswell >

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