need a new rear rim, klr

[ridecaptan]

I worked all day and got home at 7pm. Since it was still nice here in NY, I went for a blast in the woods. There were a lot wet areas due to all the rain we've been having here, so I got the bike good and muddy. What a blast this thing is with all it's torque. And what feeling it is hitting 40 on the trails. I have progressive springs in the forks, and I am thinking of putting on a progressive shock spring as well. Will this make a big difference? Just turned 800 on the clock, so pretty soon I'll rev the hell out of it. Ed A15

[Devon Jarvis]

It makes a huge difference. If you thought the front springs were a lot of improvement for $90, the rear spring is even better. Unfortunately, it will inspire you to ride faster and harder and magnify the shortcomings in the fork. I am trying to sort out the next thing to do to get better bottoming resistance up front, without getting a harsh suspension on small road bumps. There are no stronger fork springs available than the 25-40lb/in Progressive LR for the KLR (no bikes that heavy with that small a fork, used offroad). One offroad suspension guru said air assist, as a last resort. One guy suggested higher oil level in forks, but I'm at the maximum safe height (150mm, if anybody knows higher is OK please let me know) I am starting to consider things like cutting out the top 6" of the progressive springs, and replacing it (and the preload spacers) with stacked valve springs from some large diesel or V8. Between production and race valve springs I think I might find from 60lb/in to 100lb/in. Devon A15 ridecaptan wrote:

> I worked all day and got home at 7pm. Since it was still nice here > in NY, I went for a blast in the woods. There were a lot wet areas > due to all the rain we've been having here, so I got the bike good > and muddy. What a blast this thing is with all it's torque. And what > feeling it is hitting 40 on the trails. I have progressive springs > in the forks, and I am thinking of putting on a progressive shock > spring as well. Will this make a big difference? Just turned 800 on > the clock, so pretty soon I'll rev the hell out of it. > > Ed > A15

[ridecaptan]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., Devon Jarvis wrote:

> It makes a huge difference. If you thought the front springs were

a lot of

> improvement for $90, the rear spring is even better. > > Unfortunately, it will inspire you to ride faster and harder and

magnify the

> shortcomings in the fork. I am trying to sort out the next thing

to do to

> get better bottoming resistance up front, without getting a harsh

suspension

> on small road bumps. There are no stronger fork springs available

than the

> 25-40lb/in Progressive LR for the KLR (no bikes that heavy with

that small a

> fork, used offroad). > > One offroad suspension guru said air assist, as a last resort. > > One guy suggested higher oil level in forks, but I'm at the

maximum safe

> height (150mm, if anybody knows higher is OK please let me know) > > I am starting to consider things like cutting out the top 6" of the > progressive springs, and replacing it (and the preload spacers)

with stacked

> valve springs from some large diesel or V8. Between production and

race

> valve springs I think I might find from 60lb/in to 100lb/in. > > Devon > A15 >

Devon, i don't profess to be a suspension expert, but the fork cartridge emulators will not help out at all? Ed A15

> ridecaptan wrote: > > > I worked all day and got home at 7pm. Since it was still nice

here

> > in NY, I went for a blast in the woods. There were a lot wet

areas

> > due to all the rain we've been having here, so I got the bike

good

> > and muddy. What a blast this thing is with all it's torque. And

what

> > feeling it is hitting 40 on the trails. I have progressive

springs

> > in the forks, and I am thinking of putting on a progressive shock > > spring as well. Will this make a big difference? Just turned 800

on

> > the clock, so pretty soon I'll rev the hell out of it. > > > > Ed > > A15

[Devon Jarvis]

I am not an expert either. But my understanding so far is that emulators solve bottoming problems by allowing you to use a much stronger spring and enough rebound damping to control it, without having harsh compression damping. So without a stronger spring emulators won't affect bottoming at all, I think. And I don't want to irrevocably drill out my damper rods until I know for sure. Racetech doesn't make the spring they have on their chart, and don't know where I could find one. I don't think they have any direct experience riding a KLR in similar conditions. It's hard to get people to believe you when you say "really rough offroad riding" and KLR650 in the same sentence. You should have seen the looks Zack and I got on the Fort Valley VA trail ride, usually as we were passing people on XR400s on the steep hills. Devon ridecaptan wrote:

> > Devon, i don't profess to be a suspension expert, but the fork > cartridge emulators will not help out at all? > > Ed > A15

[RM]

On Sat, 4 May 2002, ridecaptan wrote:

>feeling it is hitting 40 on the trails. I have progressive springs in >the forks, and I am thinking of putting on a progressive shock spring as >well. Will this make a big difference?

Ride twisties? I just got done trying to screw up the courage to get a toe down on The Crest (I failed) and I came away reminded that the rear of the KLR is undersprung. You don't notice it as much until you get better springs up front. Then you can feel the rear compressing when you git your lean action on. RM

[s2mumford]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., RM wrote:

> > On Sat, 4 May 2002, ridecaptan wrote: > > >feeling it is hitting 40 on the trails. I have progressive springs

in

> >the forks, and I am thinking of putting on a progressive shock

spring as

> >well. Will this make a big difference? > > Ride twisties? I just got done trying to screw up the courage to

get a

> toe down on The Crest (I failed) and I came away reminded that the

rear of

> the KLR is undersprung. You don't notice it as much until you get

better

> springs up front. Then you can feel the rear compressing when you

git

> your lean action on. > > RM

If you preload the Progressive rear shock too much, the bike rides with it's ass in the air and the front end gets real twitchy. Handle like crap, and the front end wants to wash out. This is one thing you never have to address with the stock rear shock, but the Progressive gives you preload options that you could put a fully loaded BMW GS on the rear rack with. How long is it to Moab now? I think someone should organize a KLR rodeo. I mean the Harley gang do it, why can't we? Obstacle course, slow race, drag race, trials course, Supercross track (race ends at landing pont of first double). CA Stu

[RM]

On Sun, 5 May 2002, s2mumford wrote:

>If you preload the Progressive rear shock too much, the bike rides with >it's ass in the air and the front end gets real twitchy. Handle like >crap, and the front end wants to wash out. This is one thing you never >have to address with the stock rear shock, but the Progressive gives you >preload options that you could put a fully loaded BMW GS on the rear >rack with.

Uh, if, uh, you don't uh, weigh like 250 pounds, you can overcrank the preload on the OEM shock as well. I weigh 185 and I can't use position 4 or 5. 3 handles well but it's still a little too twitchy in my opinion. Of course, I still have this 130/90 rear tire jacking the back end up. I currently use 2 and I like it there. What would be nice is having the stiffness of 3 or 4 while still maintaining the proper amount of sag. Sounds like I need that Progressive spring! RM

[bradmorris64]

You forgot the all time harley classic. The live chicken grab. 25 KLRs, a grassy field, and 1 chicken. Brad J. Morris > Obstacle course, slow race, drag race, > trials course, Supercross track (race ends at > landing pont of first double). > > CA Stu Bubba Stu, my distant cousin.

[ridecaptan]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "s2mumford" wrote:

> --- In DSN_klr650@y..., RM wrote: > > > > On Sat, 4 May 2002, ridecaptan wrote: > > > > >feeling it is hitting 40 on the trails. I have progressive

springs

> in > > >the forks, and I am thinking of putting on a progressive shock > spring as > > >well. Will this make a big difference? > > > > Ride twisties? I just got done trying to screw up the courage to > get a > > toe down on The Crest (I failed) and I came away reminded that

the

> rear of > > the KLR is undersprung. You don't notice it as much until you

get

> better > > springs up front. Then you can feel the rear compressing when

you

> git > > your lean action on. > > > > RM > If you preload the Progressive rear shock too much, the bike rides > with it's ass in the air and the front end gets real twitchy.

Handle

> like crap, and the front end wants to wash out. > This is one thing you never have to address with the stock rear > shock, but the Progressive gives you preload options that you could > put a fully loaded BMW GS on the rear rack with.

Maybe I'll leave the stock shock spring alone then, as my front end does not feel twitchy at all. Maybe my riding doesn't warrant the progressive shock, because it soes not feel bad to me. Ed A15

> How long is it to Moab now? I think someone should organize a KLR > rodeo. I mean the Harley gang do it, why can't we? Obstacle course, > slow race, drag race, trials course, Supercross track (race ends at > landing pont of first double). > > CA Stu

him

> Bubba Stu, my distant cousin.

[adamavis]

Have you heard anything about the Ohlins springs? They also make a rear shock for the KLR... Can you say "bring on the twisties?"

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., Devon Jarvis wrote: > I am not an expert either. But my understanding so far is that emulators > solve bottoming problems by allowing you to use a much stronger spring and > enough rebound damping to control it, without having harsh compression > damping. > > So without a stronger spring emulators won't affect bottoming at all, I > think. And I don't want to irrevocably drill out my damper rods until I know > for sure. Racetech doesn't make the spring they have on their chart, and > don't know where I could find one. I don't think they have any direct > experience riding a KLR in similar conditions. > > It's hard to get people to believe you when you say "really rough offroad > riding" and KLR650 in the same sentence. You should have seen the looks Zack > and I got on the Fort Valley VA trail ride, usually as we were passing > people on XR400s on the steep hills. > > Devon > > ridecaptan wrote: > > > > > Devon, i don't profess to be a suspension expert, but the fork > > cartridge emulators will not help out at all? > > > > Ed > > A15