advice on off road gear

[Shin]

Hi folks, I'm the happy (3rd!) owner of a 2002 KLR650 A16. I got it with 1300 mi on the clock, bone stock, dropped a few times, but with no major damage. Of course, as soon as I could, I tried to take it off road. I've been riding for about 18 years, and in the distant past, I had an RM125, so I figured I'd be ok. Wow. The KLR is a heavy bike offroad, and the stock tires are pretty poor in the soft stuff, even aired down to 18psi. I dropped it twice - once on a steep downhill in loose stuff. I couldn't keep either tire from sliding, no matter how gentle I was on the brakes, and I couldn't let it bulid up too much speed with steep dropoffs on both sides and turn at the bottom of the hill. After spinning the beast around (grunt!), I had trouble getting it back uphill without a lot of wheelspin. A particularly ham-fisted twist of the throttle landed me softly on the right side. Neither drop was at speed, however. I was pretty much stopped when I was going uphill. However, on that drop, I managed to break off my brake bracket. big bummer. I decided to ditch the dirt riding for the day and rode home. I ordered the part from Dual Star, but it's back ordered about 2 weeks. Bummer. I still have my 1989 Honda CB-1 to ride around, but I really prefer the KLR these days. Those big thumpers are addictive for sure. So far, I've added a steel braided front brakeline (and that makes the brake barely adequate for me), the Happy Trail radiator guard, and Maier handguards and cups. I'm waiting on the brake bracket, and I've decided to replace the shift lever since it was bent by one of the previous owners, and I don't feel like having it break at an inopportune moment. I wish I could get a handle on the failure rate of the doohickey. After reading this and other groups, it sounds like there are a lot of doohickey failures, but I have no idea os the denominator. I would think that after 17 years or so, there would be quite a few KLRs wout there. Anybody know what percent have doohickey failure and when they tend to go? I'm also interested in whether or not I really need a aluminum bash plate. I'm leaning toward one, but I'm not really sure how effective they are. Thanks! -Shin __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. http://search.yahoo.com

[Zachariah Mully]

On Sun, 2003-05-18 at 19:29, Shin wrote:

> I'm also interested in whether or not I really need a > aluminum bash plate. I'm leaning toward one, but I'm > not really sure how effective they are. > > Thanks! > > -Shin

Yes, if you ride offroad AT ALL, you should really invest in a bash plate. They won't protect your engine in all circumstances, but 99.9% of the time, they do their job. The KLR oil drain plug is especially vulnerable. Unfortunately all bash plates currently sold for the KLR are cut short for a centerstand, which leaves a section of the engine cases exposed, so if you're really interested in protecting your engine, you'll have order a custom plate from Happy-Trails and have them weld back on the length that should have never been cut off. Z DC A5X A12X

[Lujo Bauer]

Speaking of custom bash plates, what about just attaching an aluminum plate to the bottom of a normal bash plate with a couple of bolts? Wouldn't that provide most of the protection of a welded plate bottom with much less effort (for those for whom welding aluminum might be a problem, anyway)? -Lujo [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Devon Jarvis]

Yes, it might be fine. If you're going to bolt-on though, I'd just get a piece of 1/8" steel and use PC-7 to glue it in between the aluminum bash plate and the frame rails. I punched in my double-thick bash plate on Saturday. No damage to the case, but I have to break out the hydraulic press and flatten it again. Devon A15 Lujo Bauer wrote:

> > Speaking of custom bash plates, what about just attaching an aluminum > plate to the bottom of a normal bash plate with a couple of bolts? > Wouldn't that provide most of the protection of a welded plate bottom > with much less effort (for those for whom welding aluminum might be a > problem, anyway)? > > -Lujo >

-- "It's a troublesome world, all the people who are in it, are troubled with troubles almost every minute" Dr. Seuss

[The Mule]

Seems to me the welded version would have significantly more rigidity and structural integrity under stress (as in an accident), and therefore protect what's under it better than a bolted together version. Devon's illustration appears to be compatible with that. I doubt a four-point bolted dual plate would have resisted the impact as well or been able to refurbish as easily. Also, we know that the one exposed bolt down there (oil drain) attracts damage from impacts. Why increase the likelihood of catching or shearing a bolt fourfold? Smooth fully welded seams are just more elegant. Then again, Devon's suggestion to glue a steel plate in between could be a significant improvement over both bolted or welded double aluminum plates. I think Lujo's phrase "most of the protection" would be accurate for the bolted double aluminum version. I believe I can fly.......... The Mule

> Yes, it might be fine. If you're going to bolt-on though, > I'd just get a piece of 1/8" steel and use PC-7 to glue it > in between the aluminum bash plate and the frame rails. > > I punched in my double-thick bash plate on Saturday. No > damage to the case, but I have to break out the hydraulic > press and flatten it again. > > Devon > A15 > > Lujo Bauer wrote: > > > > Speaking of custom bash plates, what about just attaching an aluminum > > plate to the bottom of a normal bash plate with a couple of bolts? > > Wouldn't that provide most of the protection of a welded plate bottom > > with much less effort (for those for whom welding aluminum might be a > > problem, anyway)? > > > > -Lujo > >

[Zachariah Mully]

On Mon, 2003-05-19 at 12:08, Lujo Bauer wrote:

> Speaking of custom bash plates, what about just attaching an aluminum > plate to the bottom of a normal bash plate with a couple of bolts? > Wouldn't that provide most of the protection of a welded plate bottom > with much less effort (for those for whom welding aluminum might be a > problem, anyway)? > > -Lujo >

You could certainely do that, but I'd prefer something that's seamless, so that there is no edge to get hung up, and you'd have to real careful about clearance between the additional piece and the engine cases... Anything less than that of the main bash plate has the ability to act as a nice crank case hole puncher. Speaking of which, anyone got an old-skool long Utah Sport Cycle bash plate that they'd like to trade for an Elden-Carl-Approved White Bros bash plate? Z DC A5X A12X

[Shin]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I guess that a bash plate is cheap insurance for my cases/oil drain plug. How about the doohickey? Does anyone have any statistics on failure rates and at what mileage? Thanks! -Shin [dying to get back on the KLR] __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. http://search.yahoo.com

[kdxkawboy@aol.com]

In a message dated 2003-05-19 4:58:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time, HAULNA4814@... writes:

> > I must agree chest protection is a need it item off road (saved me many > times > over the years)good boots,helmet and eye protection is a must have if you > have to go to work the morning after "THE BIG GET OFF" > JD-Oklahoma > A-1 > A-17 > TT600 > KX500 > >

Why do I believe in protective gear? April of 1987 I'm out roosting with good buddy Little Stevie. We are dicing down Brunswick Canyon (in the Pine Nut Mts east of Carson City) and we get caught behind a IHI Scout. Steve squeezed by first and I would have made it but for the granite basketball hidden by the sage. The rear end pogo'd. I went up and came down like a rocket, head first onto another chunk of granite. I didn't black out but I did see the Milky Way. All the way back Steve kept asking if I was okay. I said sure but something must be bent on the front of my bike cause it just wouldn't track straight. Steve checked my bike out, then looked at me weird like and said their ain't nothing wrong with your bike, how many of me do you see? Later that night the Doc said I had contusions on my retinas and didn't know how I had escaped without a contusion though my balance was a bit discombobulated. January 1999 I got collected by a nasty Ford Explorer at 35 mph and walked out of the hospital the same day, even if I did have to go back for major rotator cuff and ACL repair. Helmet, $300, Chest Protector $99, boots $200, gloves $30, walking away from a wreck ... priceless. Pat G'ville, Nv [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]