bashin around in baja - 2000 klr for sale

[Lazerus2000@shaw.ca]

Greetings to the KLR collective from La Paz, MEXICO. I just spent the last two weeks bouncing around Baja. Did about 2500 Kms on my KLR and the last 1500 K on my buddy's BRAND SPANKIN' NEW BMW 650 Paris to Dakar. I inherited the BMW after buddy broke his ankle, leg, foot, etc. Appropriately, the night before the big crash we were at Rice and Beans watching the Paris to Dakar races, and of course the next morning everybody charged off into the sand as if they were doin' the Dakar. I quit after about 10 Kms of 120 - 130 Km speeds, which had the KLR [ loaded down with about 90 lbs of luggage ] wagging its ass end like a Lab puppy making a new friend. I drove back to the pavement at a more reasonable speed, but my Amigos raced on ... and after the third or so crash, my buddy ended up in an ambulance, with three bones broken in his foot, a broken leg, and a broken ankle. He flew home and I ended up with TWO bikes to ride. Just ferried his slightly less than new Dakar to San Diego and put it on a trailer for Canada. Then flew back to La Paz to pick up my KLR and ride North ... AGAIN. Lessons learned from two weeks in Baja with [2] DR 650s, [2] BMW 1150 Adventures, a BMW 650 Paris/Dakar, Triumph Tigger, Vstrom, Honda Transalp, KTM 640, a Valkyrie, and one old fart trying to keep up on his KLR ....: 1.] Don't try to chase a 650 Suzuki DR ridden by a maniac through the sand unless you are prepared to pay the piper. Do NOT try to keep up in the twisties with a VStrom or a Tiger ridden by guys half your age. 2.] The KLR IS a great ALL PURPOSE bike. It won't run with the Suzuki DR 650s in the sand, and it won't keep up with a Vstrom or a Tiger on the roads, but it WILL cruise all day at 90 MPH [ mine would top out at 100 MPH/red line even with the big aluminum side bags ]. The KLR is not the best at anything, but very good or adequate at most things. 3.] Yes Virginia, the Suzuki V Strom really IS a dirt bike, if ridden by a crazy person with lots more skill than brains. Although this one did crack the case on a rock hidden in the flour sand, it did keep up with the DR 650s in the rough stuff. A bit of JB weld, some epoxy over that, pour in some more oil, and "ROCK ON". 4.] The BMW Adventure touring bikes will go some amazing places. Ran into Eric and Monica in Muhlege. They are going for a Guiness book record for most countries by a couple on two motorcycles. Chatted with them about riding their Bimmers through Russia and Mongolia. Take a peek at their web site www.spiritsofadventure.com 5. If you break the teeth off of a KTM aluminum rear sprocket, don't expect to find replacements ANYWHERE in Baja. We had to get a sprocket flown in from California. The locals recommend Honda for parts availability. 6.] The MAN EATING BAJA COWS are ALWAYS out there, just waiting to get you. Around every blind curve, behind every low wall, and especially at night, the livestock is more than willing to commit suicide if they can take a motorcyclist to Hell with them. 7.] At twice the price of a KLR, the BMW 650 Paris/Dakar is NOT twice the bike. The BMW IS a better bike for long days on the highways [ MUCH less vibration ] and I definitely felt much safer in the twisties and around the blind corners on the Bimmer. The brakes are INFINITELY better, with ABS a much appreciated option, and the bike just corners better than the KLR at any speed. However, even with progressive front fork springs, and the easily adjustable rear suspension, I still liked the handling of the KLR better in the sand or on the rough "roads". Didn't need the heated hand grips that come standard with the Bimmer this trip. Personally, I'd rather have TWO KLRs than one BMW P/D. But the Bimmer is a nice ride for those that want to draw a LOT of attention. Everywhere I went on the BMW P/D, I got a lot of looks and comments. 8.] A blowout on a front tire at 130 KPH, while rounding a curve, is a VERY interesting thing to WATCH. Yep, MUCH better to watch from a distance, than to ride through. You can't believe the INTENSE look of concentration that comes over the rider as he rockets off the road at speed and into .... this time, just some dirt and brush. BUT, a few minutes either way and it would have been into a hundred foot canyon. Whoop de doo! I'll be in California next week, looking to sell the KLR or trade it in on a pickup or a van, so if anyone is interested in a nicely set up bike, with a lot of extra gear, give me an E-mail. I have a picture of what the bike looked like BEFORE the baja [ MINT 2000 with Aluminum luggage ] but of course, it doesn't look anywhere near that clean now. Dropped it once at 5 MPH on a sand covered side road, scratched up some plastic and bent the brake lever, but the hard luggage took most of the impact. NICE to have HARD luggage if you plan on falling over a lot. PPS: The WATER WETTER really works ... the KLR ran about 1/4 cooler on the gauge after I added some WW to the coolant. And the JB weld is a MUST - don\t leave home without it. Lazerus2000