why klx forks?

[bkowalca]

Exactly how I feel, I have done that kind of ride a few times. I would love to have a garage full special purpose bikes that I could haul around to where ever the action was, but it isn't going to happen anytime soon so the KLR is all I have. It's funny how some of the "real dirt bike riders" look at me when I pop out of the woods from some nasty piece of trail. I get all sorts of comments like "You must be brave to do that on those tires" or "That section almost killed me on my XR400, I don't know how you did it on the KLR" (thats because you are a fat slob, I keep in some sort of shape). Usually they just look at me and don't know what to say as they get off thier DRZ400's. Sure I would love to be riding a KTM 200 EXEC in the woods, but riding the KLR is 100x better than not riding at all. There are alot of stereotypes and false impressions in the motorcycle world, and some people think that you can't ride the KLR in the dirt. Why not? It has two wheels, two brakes, a seat, good power, good suspension travel like any other "real" dirt bike. Put some knobbies or semi-knobbies on and off you go. When people say you shouldn't ride the KLR in the dirt, they are really saying they can't see themselves riding a KLR in the dirt because they think they can't do it. My last "real" dirt bike was an '82 RM250. The bike was probably 250lbs wet, I weighed in at 150lbs so the rider/bike ratio was about 0.60. I'm 200lbs now, the KLR is maybe 380lbs wet, so the rider/bike ratio is 0.52. Its not that different. So now that I have done the dirt/trail thing on the KLR, I think I'm going to try and take on some sport bikes in the twisties. I'll make sure the bike is good an dirty when I do it too. That should get some even stranger looks at the local watering hole. Bryan K A14 --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Tengai Mark Van Horn wrote:

> At 6:02 PM +0000 5/6/03, scott_in_alaska wrote: > >I won't be doing a conversion like this to my KLR since I don't

think

> >it is worth the time, $, effort, or compromises that have to be

put

> >up with. Besides, when I ride offroad, I'd much rather ride my

115lb

> >lighter KDX. > >Scott > > I dunno, you should see the way Zack, Devon and Tumu cut through

the

> gnarly stuff. Granted, they're good riders already, but I think

the

> KLX/DRZ front ends give them even more of an advantage as I saw

them

> soak up the big bumps. > Anyone can slice through the woods on a tiny bike, but it take

balls

> to do it on a KLR, and that's part of the fun... riding it on an > interstate for 200 miles, showing the woods who's boss for a

couple

> of days, and then riding home. > Mark

[Tengai Mark Van Horn]

At 6:02 PM +0000 5/6/03, scott_in_alaska wrote:

>I won't be doing a conversion like this to my KLR since I don't think >it is worth the time, $, effort, or compromises that have to be put >up with. Besides, when I ride offroad, I'd much rather ride my 115lb >lighter KDX. >Scott

I dunno, you should see the way Zack, Devon and Tumu cut through the gnarly stuff. Granted, they're good riders already, but I think the KLX/DRZ front ends give them even more of an advantage as I saw them soak up the big bumps. Anyone can slice through the woods on a tiny bike, but it take balls to do it on a KLR, and that's part of the fun... riding it on an interstate for 200 miles, showing the woods who's boss for a couple of days, and then riding home. Mark

[scott_in_alaska]

Zack, You are obviously very proud of your conversion and took my first post as some type of slam against your work. I never made my post out to be anything but conjecture. It was a question. Your responses make me wonder if you insecure about the size and length of your fork or something? Scott --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Zachariah Mully wrote:

> On Tue, 2003-05-06 at 14:02, scott_in_alaska wrote: > > > Duh. > > > > I didn't realize there was so much difference in head tubes and > > triple clamps between two Kawasaki motorcycles. Thanks for

clearing

> > that up so eloquently. > > Well, you were assuming that frames were the same and you based your > comments on that. It would have been one thing to say "I noticed

that

> the KLX doesn't even have the same frame, so how did you all come up > with a way to use the forks?" or "The frames are totally different,

did

> you look for other bikes with similar frames before picking the

KLX?",

> but instead you came out with a critique of the choice without any > knowledge of the actual process or decisions made to make it

possible.

> > > Again, I'd *love* to be proven wrong, so put your money where your > > > mouth is... > > > > Lighten up. I simply asked a question. I've noticed that most of

the

> > guys on this site are 40+ years old and don't come from a dirt

bike

> > background. Sticking an 11"-12" travel front fork on a bike with

9"

> > in the rear doesn't make for ideal geometry. > > Well, you said that "I understand the reasoning for stiffer froks

and

> all but wouldn't it make more sense to use some conventional 43mm

forks

> off a KDX or something?" > > And I said no it wouldn't necessarily make more sense for reasons

X,Y,Z,

> but PLEASE PROVE ME WRONG. Your comments were not based on any

actual

> fact, they were simply all conjecture. My statement are based on my

work

> and I have two (five if you count Tumu's KLRX's, and Devon KLRZ) to > prove it! > > And FYI: The KLX650C has 9" of suspension travel, same as the KLR.

The

> KLX650R has more, 11+" I believe. Devon can speak to the DR-Z > conversion. > > > The KLR already pushes the front end in the dirt. To purposely

slacken the head tube angle

> > even more is too much of a compromise to gain some rigidity IMO. > > But wouldn't slackening the head tube angle *reduce* the front end > pushing? And who said the head tube angle is slackened? On my A5X-

C, I

> believe the angle is actually steeper than stock. On my A12X-R, the > opposite. This is irrelevant anyhow as the KLR's problem is a

forward

> weight bias. > > > More > > power to you if you believe your conversion is the greatest thing > > since sliced bread, however, I've not noticed any instability

with my

> > KLR while on the highway. Evidently some can ride, some can't. > > Never said it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. It serves a > very explicit purpose for me and for my riding needs. And I never

said

> that the KLR was unstable on the highway, I said that my A12X-R is > *more* stable than my A5X-C on the highway because of the longer

KLX650R

> forks. I never compared them to a stock KLR. > > > The IT 200 is a Yamaha dirt bike produced in the mid eighties. > > Right, and my point was that it *was* (i.e. no longer *is*)

produced in

> eighties. And if you'd read my email you'd see that my reason was to > pick something currently in production. > > > I won't be doing a conversion like this to my KLR since I don't

think

> > it is worth the time, $, effort, or compromises that have to be

put

> > up with. Besides, when I ride offroad, I'd much rather ride my

115lb

> > lighter KDX. > > Scott > > Great then DON'T do it. Jeezus, it's not like anyone is forcing you

to

> do a front end conversion. > > I love answering questions about the front end conversion, but your > *comments* about the conversion are 1) unsupported by fact 2)

reflect

> that you did zero research as to why we (Devon, Tumu and I) have

done

> the conversions and 3) Assumed that even in light of #1 and #2 you

have

> an authoritative position on the subject and could offer your

insightful

> comments about it. I have no problem with critique as long as

you've got

> a valid POV, fact and research to present with it. > > I am happy that you have a KDX to ride offroad. I unfortunately

don't

> and can't... I live in the city and I can't afford a truck and

trailer,

> and the nearest dirt is 2 hours away. Could you have ridden your

KDX 220

> miles from DC to PA, then spent 2 days off-roading, then turned

around

> and ridden 220 miles back to DC? No. > > I dunno why this has irked me so much, but flame ON! > > Z > DC > A5X > A12X

[Harry Thames]

Our KLRs are much better dirt bikes than the CL Hondas and the TS Suzukis we used to ride 40 years ago. Harry SC

[monahanwb]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Harry Thames" wrote:

> Our KLRs are much better dirt bikes than the CL Hondas and the TS

Suzukis we

> used to ride 40 years ago.

And that a Trail 90 will take you anywhere and lots of places the big bikes won't go, then and now. Except the freeway, of course.

[dooden]

I rode a Honda Trail 90 as a kid, it was a tank.... Dad bought it for my sisters to ride since it was a auto... But my brother and I used to beat the snot outta it.. Had pretty good aerodynamics too Dooden

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "monahanwb" wrote: > --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Harry Thames" > wrote: > > Our KLRs are much better dirt bikes than the CL Hondas and the TS > Suzukis we > > used to ride 40 years ago. > > And that a Trail 90 will take you anywhere and lots of places the big > bikes won't go, then and now. Except the freeway, of course.

[Devon Jarvis]

In all fairness, even considering Zack's sometimes hair-trigger flaming, the basic gist was since you didn't see the need to do it, there must be no need to do it. And so anyone who did do it must not understand what they're doing. And it all assumed you knew where and how people you've never met ride their KLR's. Essentially, you ride woods trails on a KDX with a proper front end for log-hopping, negotiating rock gardens, whoops, and sand ruts. Well, I ride the same terrain on my KLR and the stock KLR front end often just doesn't work that well. So I put something on the bike that does work well. Devon scott_in_alaska wrote:

>Zack, >You are obviously very proud of your conversion and took my first >post as some type of slam against your work. I never made my post out >to be anything but conjecture. It was a question. Your responses make >me wonder if you insecure about the size and length of your fork or >something? >Scott > > >

[scott_in_alaska]

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I guess I didn't see myself as proclaiming that people who did the conversion did it without an understanding of what they were doing. Rather, after being jumped on, I wanted to point out what I saw as a diffeciency in the set up. People should do whatever mods they deem to be an improvements to their bike. But, some of those listers don't need to get all pissy when somebody suggests there might be a different means to achieving the same result.

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Devon Jarvis wrote: > In all fairness, even considering Zack's sometimes hair-trigger flaming, > the basic gist was since you didn't see the need to do it, there must be > no need to do it. And so anyone who did do it must not understand what > they're doing. And it all assumed you knew where and how people you've > never met ride their KLR's. > > Essentially, you ride woods trails on a KDX with a proper front end for > log-hopping, negotiating rock gardens, whoops, and sand ruts. Well, I > ride the same terrain on my KLR and the stock KLR front end often just > doesn't work that well. So I put something on the bike that does work well. > > Devon > > > scott_in_alaska wrote: > > >Zack, > >You are obviously very proud of your conversion and took my first > >post as some type of slam against your work. I never made my post out > >to be anything but conjecture. It was a question. Your responses make > >me wonder if you insecure about the size and length of your fork or > >something? > >Scott > > > > > >

[Devon Jarvis]

scott_in_alaska wrote:

>At the risk of beating a dead horse, >

A popular pastime around here.....

>I guess I didn't see myself as >proclaiming that people who did the conversion did it without an >understanding of what they were doing. Rather, after being jumped on, >I wanted to point out what I saw as a diffeciency in the set up. >People should do whatever mods they deem to be an improvements to >their bike. But, some of those listers don't need to get all pissy >when somebody suggests there might be a different means to achieving >the same result. >

Okay, either you didn't communicate what you were really thinking, or you were simply misunderstood. Water under the bridge. All tantrums aside, I am curious. What is the deficiency that you see in the KLX/KLR (or DRZ/KLR) setup? And how would you do it differently to acheive the same result? The result being a front end that holds a line better than stock, is harder to break than stock, and is easily available (including crash parts). Devon

[Andrus Chesley]

Yes on the 40 years ago Jap Street Scrambles. But they were better than the Harleys and Triumphs and Beezers and Matchboxes we went anywhere we could with. Think my present KLR has more travel than my '72 DT250 That I started MX ing with , then the Suzook TM250, then the Bultaco JP Persang 250, then the last RM250 Suzook. Then the happiest day of my wife's life, hung up the handlebars. Heck I had hung up the slide shoe in '71 what does she expect. Ha ha ha ha. Hey really, If I run across a good set of forks off of a modern MX bike or like, I'll put them on the KLR in a heart beat. Get some machine work done if I have to. To me, worth the work for a good handleing front and I ride at a cardiac pace now. . Andy Louisiana