Wilsons Sandbox

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Ron Criswell wrote: > > > > Sent from my iPad > > I was strolling through the neighborhood walking my attack Yorky when I saw a guy bent over an 883 Sportster. As one who has always had a sonde ness for Sportsters since the age of 14 when I rode a friends, I stopped to talk with him about it. He also had a Softail he had owned for 10 years.....and put.....4000 miles on it in that time. Whew....sounds like a week on a KLR? Anyway he was saying how fast it was and it wasn't a Forster like some claim. Er....I had just read a comparison test between that particular 883 and the new Yamaha Sportster copy. Both had 5 or 10 horse more than a KLR but at least 100 pounds more weight....and the performance figures in the test were roughly comparable to a KLR. Now I didn't wanna start an argument (which is unusable for me) so I let him smoke whatever rubber he was smokin. The KLR has adequate speed but no modren barn burner. > > Then I read the article on the new Indian by Victory in the new issue of Motorcyclist. If you like a lot of metal (read fenders), 800 pounds, with moderate performance with 1940's nostalgia thrown in, this may be the bike for you (if you like spending 20 grand). > > Then I picked up >

>________________________________ > From: revmaaatin >To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com >Sent: Monday, August 26, 2013 10:42 PM >Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: When it is HOT, she stubles. > > > >Yahoo truncates at the most inopportune time. >I condensed the lines as much as possible...till I vapor locked. cough. >m. > >--- In mailto:DSN_KLR650%40yahoogroups.com, Desert Datsuns wrote: >> >> Nevermind, I see you resolved the problem. With all the breaks in the >> story apparently I thought I was at the end, where there was another 15 >> lines to go. >> Ryan >> Phoenix, AZ >> >> >> revmaaatin wrote: >> > >> > >> > Finally, I think I got the bike to stop stumbling. >> > >> > Jeff Saline and I have been chasing this phantom for over 3, tiring >> > years (at least tiring for me) >> > >> > 3 years ago the 1998 KLR650 presented with a problem that only >> > manifested itself with 90F+ temps that seemed like the bike was running >> > out of gas...except when you went to reserve of 'enricher-full' >> > position, it did not get better. At the worst case, >> > >> > The bike would barely pull itself at 35mph if the temps were above 90F; >> > a tedious proposition at best. >> > >> > I was pretty sure it was a fuel delivery problem; but what? >> > >> > I drained the fuel bowl. >> > >> > I wrapped the fuel line with foil bubble wrap >> > >> > I changed fuel brands >> > >> > I Seafoam-ed treatment of the fuel in the tank until the stock price >> > went up... >> > >> > Jeff Saline tore down the gas cap (it had sticking valves) >> > >> > I went to premium gas >> > >> > Made sure it was not ethanol gas. Again. >> > >> > changed the spark plug >> > >> > Tore down the gas cap again: rubber valves not perfect but flowed air. >> > >> > I changed the gas cap in June to a brand new gas cap from my bone pile. >> > >> > Stumbled along as soon as it hit the 90F+ again; so I changed back to >> > the old gas cap. >> > >> > Then, changed the vacuum line to the petcock >> > >> > checked the float bowl fuel level >> > >> > serviced the air cleaner. >> > >> > all the while, >> > >> > each correction was a tedious process as we don't have a lot of >> > consecutive 90F days...so make a change and then wait for the next hot day. >> > >> > It could be weeks! Sometimes months. >> > >> > shrug. >> > >> > = the temp would decrease and not have a problem for 100s of miles. shrug. >> > >> > But the dog days of summer are upon us, so we got some hot days ahead. >> > >> > Riding 10 days ago near Williston North Dakota, we were bumping 90F and >> > the bike began to stumble again. sigh. >> > At least I know it is not solved. cough. >> > >> > So fast forward to last, Saturday--the wx forecast is HOT. >> > >> > Like to hot for the Cat on a tin roof, hot >> > >> > To Hot to fish. >> > >> > To Hot for most Harley riders, hot. >> > >> > you get the picture.... >> > >> > After much knashing of teeth, and process of elimination, >> > >> > I (convinced myself) was being very methodical about the checking >> > process as I wanted to know, what the actual item that was the ultimate >> > fix. >> > >> > = only one item at a time changed, >> > >> > then verify: >> > >> > it appears/and verified at this time the only item remaining has to be a >> > bad petcock diaphragm. >> > >> > So, I got busy and pulled the tank, >> > >> > tore down to petcock; (best done with the tank off, least you drown your >> > work area with petrol.) >> > >> > During the p/c teardown, the diaphragm was wet on both sides of the >> > diaphragm, which indicates (to me) extra fuel was being sucked into the >> > intake and 'drowning' the bike vs. starving the bike. >> > >> > at least that is my present understanding...that the fuel was only >> > supposed to be on one side of the double diaphragm. >> > >> > Fortunately, I possessed a new petcock diaphragm (takeoff part) >> > purchased from the F 1 builders of the USMC diesel bikes. >> > >> > 70 plus miles of spirited riding today at 90F+ and nary a stumble. >> > I am pleased, to say the least. >> > >> > As a side note, >> > >> > It appears that the diaphragm life on this petcock is ~25Kmiles +/-. >> > >> > The previous petcock diaphragm failed to external leak at ~25K. The bike >> > now has 52K and has been stumbling the last 5K at temps above 90F; >> > annoying in view that the 'sister' 36Kmilr KLR650 in the garage has nary >> > a stumble and often drinks from the same pump/hose. >> > >> > Go figure. >> > >> > A complete OEM rebuild kit (as I recall) is ~$30. Includes all the >> > moving parts and O-rings. >> > The alternate fix to all this is a $20 manual petcock block off plate >> > that Jeff Saline makes. >> > I have that part in my pocket, and will make that change if necessary. >> > >> > Another item of note, >> > examine the plate that contains the vacuum nipple. >> > It has two holes on the inside to the plate. >> > The center hole must be able to 'draw' vacuum easily; that is what makes >> > the petcock flow fuel. >> > >> > Then there is the tiny, tiny, tiny hole must flow a tiny, tiny, tiny >> > amount of air when you blow into the vacuum nipple; that lets the >> > pressure off the petcock when the engine is shutoff. >> > >> > Jeff Saline and I checked a couple of these backing plates from our >> > 'bone-pile' and some did not flow air. >> > >> > Does your bike stumble? >> > Is it the diaphragm? >> > You just won't know until you tear it down and look at it. >> > >> > Pay close attention to the parts orientation as you tear down the >> > petcock...there is a little spring under the outer plate that is just >> > dying to jump off your bench and run across the room and fall into a >> > deep crack. cough. >> > >> > Launching on Wednesday for 3Ksmiles; right into the teeth of a South >> > Dakota-Iowa-Missouri heatwave. Will know for double dog sure on >> > Wednesday afternoon if this IS the cure. smile. >> > >> > revmaaatin. >> > >> > >> > >> > No virus found in this message. >> > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com http://www.avg.com/> >> > Version: 2012.0.2242 / Virus Database: 3211/6110 - Release Date: 08/26/13 >> > >> > > >

----- Original Message ----- From: achesley43@... To: "DSN KLR650" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 11:01:50 AM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Comparisons I see these guys all the time at some of the places I visit. They have super fast V twin cruisers they love to talk about. I ask them if they have ever rode and good in line 4 or European V twin. No, they have never ridden anything but their type of bike. I say Far Out and go find someone else to talk to. I've even done a few poker runs with the dudes on my KLR and they think it's hopped up to the gills cause most can't keep up with it. I tell them it's the Corbin seat and Kenda 21's doing that.

On Aug 27, 2013, at 1:01 PM, "achesley43@..." wrote: > > I see these guys all the time at some of the places I visit. They have super fast V twin cruisers they love to talk about. I ask them if they have ever rode and good in line 4 or European V twin. No, they have never ridden anything but their type of bike. I say Far Out and go find someone else to talk to. > I've even done a few poker runs with the dudes on my KLR and they think it's hopped up to the gills cause most can't keep up with it. I tell them it's the Corbin seat and Kenda 21's doing that. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Aug 27, 2013, at 1:53 PM, Jeff Khoury wrote: > //I ask them if they have ever rode and good in line 4 or European V twin.// > > My brother (a 2010 VMax pilot) and I were talking to a American V-twin dude at The Net one Sunday. He was proud that he had just got a picture of his bike on the wall at the dealership for being in the "100 HP Club." > > Justin says: "That's cool, I should join that club... I could do it by throttling back by half." > > -Jeff Khoury > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: achesley43@... > To: "DSN KLR650" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 11:01:50 AM > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Comparisons > > I see these guys all the time at some of the places I visit. They have super fast V twin cruisers they love to talk about. I ask them if they have ever rode and good in line 4 or European V twin. No, they have never ridden anything but their type of bike. I say Far Out and go find someone else to talk to. > I've even done a few poker runs with the dudes on my KLR and they think it's hopped up to the gills cause most can't keep up with it. I tell them it's the Corbin seat and Kenda 21's doing that. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]