ammount of coolant

[Robin Van Eyk]

A photographer friend of mine wants me to take her on a ride up to the Carrizo Plain here in California. The Carrizo Plain is a National Monument with groomed dirt roads, plenty of historical artifacts (we're both teachers), and of course abundant flora and fauna. It is about 200 miles round trip, including exploring the valley. I was wondering if I should adjust the rear shock absorber? If I should, do I need to put the bike on the center stand? By the way I checked the spring load adjustment and it is set to 1. The rebound damping force adjustment is also set at the factory default. Any feedback is always appreciated. Robin A15

[Devon]

robinvaneyk@... wrote:

>A photographer friend of mine wants me to take her on a ride up to >the Carrizo Plain here in California. The Carrizo Plain is a >National Monument with groomed dirt roads, plenty of historical >artifacts (we're both teachers), and of course abundant flora and >fauna. It is about 200 miles round trip, including exploring the >valley. I was wondering if I should adjust the rear shock absorber? >If I should, do I need to put the bike on the center stand? By the >way I checked the spring load adjustment and it is set to 1. The >rebound damping force adjustment is also set at the factory default. >Any feedback is always appreciated. > >Robin A15 > >

I would set the preload to "5" (a 12mm socket on a 6" extension is the easiest thing, but I think there's a tool in the stock toolkit that works too). I would leave the preload alone if it works OK already. You don't need to put the bike on the centerstand. Whatever works on the street will work fine for a groomed dirt road. Most people who start serious monkeying with the suspension are trying to use the KLR in places it wasn't designed for. A long street ride with some groomed dirt roads is what the KLR comes set up for from the factory. Devon

[Mike Torst]

Agree w/ the master Devon - Increase your spring pre-load as well. It will help your KLR maintain it's ability to avoid bottoming out due to the 2-person factor. In combination with Devon's recommendation, and a reasonable pace, you will have a great ride. Send links to the pic site you'll fill up, Ok? It sounds like you and yours are going to have a great time. Have a great trip. Mike Torst Las Vegas

> -----Original Message----- > From: Devon [mailto:bigfatgreenbike@...] > Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 10:20 PM > To: robinvaneyk@... > Cc: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com > Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] spring preload / rebound damping force > adjustments > > > > robinvaneyk@... wrote: > > >A photographer friend of mine wants me to take her on a ride up to > >the Carrizo Plain here in California. The Carrizo Plain is a > >National Monument with groomed dirt roads, plenty of historical > >artifacts (we're both teachers), and of course abundant flora and > >fauna. It is about 200 miles round trip, including exploring the > >valley. I was wondering if I should adjust the rear shock absorber? > >If I should, do I need to put the bike on the center stand? By the > >way I checked the spring load adjustment and it is set to 1. The > >rebound damping force adjustment is also set at the factory default. > >Any feedback is always appreciated. > > > >Robin A15 > > > > > I would set the preload to "5" (a 12mm socket on a 6" extension is the > easiest thing, but I think there's a tool in the stock toolkit that > works too). I would leave the preload alone if it works OK already. You > don't need to put the bike on the centerstand. Whatever works on the > street will work fine for a groomed dirt road. > > Most people who start serious monkeying with the suspension are trying > to use the KLR in places it wasn't designed for. A long street ride > with some groomed dirt roads is what the KLR comes set up for from the > factory. > > Devon >

[Stuart Mumford]

> -----Original Message----- > >A photographer friend of mine wants me to take her on a ride up to > >the Carrizo Plain here in California. The Carrizo Plain is a > >National Monument with groomed dirt roads, plenty of historical > >artifacts (we're both teachers), and of course abundant flora and > >fauna. It is about 200 miles round trip, including exploring the > >valley. I was wondering if I should adjust the rear shock absorber? > >If I should, do I need to put the bike on the center stand? By the > >way I checked the spring load adjustment and it is set to 1. The > >rebound damping force adjustment is also set at the factory default. > >Any feedback is always appreciated. > > > >Robin A15 > > > > > I would set the preload to "5" (a 12mm socket on a 6" extension is the > easiest thing, but I think there's a tool in the stock toolkit that > works too). I would leave the preload alone if it works OK already. You > don't need to put the bike on the centerstand. Whatever works on the > street will work fine for a groomed dirt road. > > Most people who start serious monkeying with the suspension are trying > to use the KLR in places it wasn't designed for. A long street ride > with some groomed dirt roads is what the KLR comes set up for from the > factory. > > Devon > >

It comes set up for that ride with a 165 pound rider, too. I would bump up the preload to 4 or 5 (depending on your combined weights) and maybe tighten up the damping a little, too. I think Devon meant he'd leave the damping alone. Thanks Stu Mumford

[bigfatgreenbike]

s2mumford@... wrote:

>>I would set the preload to "5" (a 12mm socket on a 6" extension is the >>easiest thing, but I think there's a tool in the stock toolkit that >>works too). I would leave the preload alone if it works OK already. You >>don't need to put the bike on the centerstand. Whatever works on the >>street will work fine for a groomed dirt road. >> >>Most people who start serious monkeying with the suspension are trying >>to use the KLR in places it wasn't designed for. A long street ride >>with some groomed dirt roads is what the KLR comes set up for from the >>factory. >> >>Devon >> >> >> >> > >It comes set up for that ride with a 165 pound rider, too. >I would bump up the preload to 4 or 5 (depending on your combined weights) >and maybe tighten up the damping a little, too. >I think Devon meant he'd leave the damping alone. > >

Uh, duh. Yes, I meant put the PRELOAD on 5, and leave the REBOOUND damping alone. With a passenger aboard, you won't have any problems with rodeo action. Remember, you aren't touching the compression damping at all (and you'd want heavier damping with a much bigger load). With rebound-only adjustment you're just changing the suspension's ability to return to the normal ride height. A suspension with a lot of rebound damping feels plush for the first few bumps you hit, but if you hit washboard the suspension will end up lower and lower. A lot of rebound damping makes the bike feel sort of heavy. -- Devon Brooklyn, NY A15-Z '01 KLR650 '81 SR500 cafe racer "The truth's not too popular these days....." Arnold Schwarzenneger, in The Running Man

[Thor Lancelot Simon]

On Sun, Mar 07, 2004 at 11:41:58PM -0800, Mike Torst wrote:

> Agree w/ the master Devon - Increase your spring pre-load as well. It will > help your KLR maintain it's ability to avoid bottoming out due to the > 2-person factor. In combination with Devon's recommendation, and a > reasonable pace, you will have a great ride.

I know this is the conventional advice, but _why_? How is adding weight to the top of the spring, by adding a person on the seat, thus compressing the spring, any different than cranking the preload collar around a notch or two, thus compressing the spring? Thor

[frank@beatrous.org]

On Mon, 8 Mar 2004, Thor Lancelot Simon wrote:

> > I know this is the conventional advice, but _why_? How is adding weight > to the top of the spring, by adding a person on the seat, thus > compressing the spring, any different than cranking the preload collar > around a notch or two, thus compressing the spring? >

Imagine cranking up the ``preload'' while the spring is loaded (ie, supporting the weight of bike and rider). When you do that, you're not changing the load on the spring, or the length of the loaded spring. What you're doing is extending the shock, while the spring length stays the same. The effect is to give the suspension more available travel in the ``compression'' direction, at the expense of less travel in the ``extension'' direcion. That's why more preload reduces the tendency to bottom the suspension. Increasing preload also raises the rear of the bike, which can affect steering geometry. Frank

[clint lee jin yew]

i'm curious, does anyone know the amount of coolant ( please give in litres) the klr650 takes? please include the coolant tank on the right side as well. thanks