bike would not shift out of 4th/5th

[revmaaatin]

Perusing the KLR forum at ADV I find this statement, cause and effect. An important lesson learned here and offered for free! SNIP http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/klr650-only-thread.742912/page-884 post#17688  Picked my 02 KLR650 up today after 2 1/2 months in the shop, much of that waiting on parts from Kawasaki and Eagle Mike. Catastrophic clutch failure required a total tear down to clean the debris from the engine so since the labor was already spent I ordered a 685 kit and doohickey from Eagle Mike. Still in break in mode but the bike is running well. I was on top of a mountain in the smokeys and I couldn't get it to shift out of 4th or 5th gear. By the time I got down the mountain the clutch was smoking hot and pretty much exploded. Turned out the shifter had rotated forward on the spline and was grounded on the frame but there wasn't really a good place to pull over on gravel switchbacks to check it. Expensive lesson learned.......... UNSNIP Pretty good takeaway from this guy's problem--If you bike will not shit correctly, check you shift lever for proper position.m.

[skypilot110]

My 08 front wheel is smoked, see image in Skypilot's Oh Crud folder. If anybody has one for sale send email to skypilot@... with price and email to paypal to. it will ship to 06019 in Connecticut

[revmaaatin]

That photo made my stomach hurt just to see it. Ebay seems to have wheels.  (but you know that) dot net sometimes offers wheels. there is a parts board on ADV where you can ask as well. FLEA MARKET PARTS http://advrider.com/index.php?forums/parts.53/ I have found buying some of the items is best done around a National Holiday when people are distracted from watching the auctions closely. I don't have a wheel for sale, but I do have an alternative/suggestion. If you can buy a used hub,(I  got a GEN 1, 3500 mile hub for $60), re-lacing it into the wheel is not as difficult as it appears, especially if you have access to another KLR wheel to look at as you do the job.  I did a DRZ400 front wheel start to finish in about 4 hours; including truing it using just a 'wire' pointer on the side of the fork tube.  VERY short tutorial on lacing a wheel.  Spokes are grouped in '4's' and are spaced xxx# of nipples apart ~90degrees.  Once you figure out that pattern, it goes together pretty quickly.  Install all the spokes/nipples to "one revolution after engagement of the threads" and go from there.   After initial installation, I started at the valve stem and give each nipple one full 360 degree turn of the nipple until you are ~3/4 the way up the tread; then I used only 1/4 turn on each spoke until they started to take up tension. 'Plunk' the spokes after each time around the wheel until they give a 'bright' melodic sound.   Plunk a couple of other wheels to hear what they sound like.    Install the wheel on the bike,  and then wrap one fork leg with a piece of wire (this is your dial indicator) and then bend the loose end of the wire until it is perpendicular to the rim, AND that nearly or barely touches the rim; this will be your truing for Lateral or left to right.  Works the same for up and down as well. Unless there is something severely wrong with your wheel, the vertical adjustment will be very, very close. Slowly move the wheel and adjust the spokes accordingly.  Remember that to move the rim, you must also adjust the opposing spoke to pull/push the rim into place as you tighten a spoke. I used a sharpie to locate the high spot; where it began, ended and then used a graduated amount of loosen, tighten at the beginning of the high spot to the center of the high spot where you will make the greatest adjustment.  Wipe off the sharpie marks with WD40, Windex or alcohol on a rag.  adjust your wire, and watch where the wire touches. Amazingly enough, the up and down 'true' was almost completely spot on. On several occasions, I have installed single broken spokes (up to 9 on one wheel) using this process with good success.  I am certain there are U-tube video's that can provide a pictorial representation. and. perhaps, a more accurate description of the sequence. Yes Virginia, 'plunking spokes' is not very scientific and a wire indicator is not very expensive. cough. but it has worked well for me and will work well for you as well if you take your time. one last thing, (shameless plug for ArrowHead) I bought a 'good' spoke wrench from Fred some 14 years ago; money well spent, even IF you don't re-lace a wheel, it is perfect for checking/re-truing wheels during a tire change. (using the wire pointer as well). It is dog-bone shaped and fits several different spokes. m.

[skypilot110]

Are the wheel hubs on a pre 08 and 08 or post the same? I think the brake disc is different but I think the hub and bearigns are the same.. That said I need to be sure since I am about to start spending money so I need to know