*nklr* interested in comments on v-strom 650 *nklr*

[Jim Fortner]

This weekend with the help of my KLR buds: 93 A7 with 5,300 miles Friday night: Checked the valves in spec. Had beverages. Installed Kytech Fork Brace. A very soft piece of aluminum artwork. Don't ask how me and my ten thumbs know this to be fact. Gravity is cruel. Picture here: http://langly.smugmug.com/photos/2988839-M.jpg http://langly.smugmug.com/photos/2988853-M.jpg Had some beverages. Saturday morning barely: Replaced the stock doohickey and spring - intact. http://langly.smugmug.com/photos/2988860-M.jpg Replaced with Jake' s DH and spring perfect fit. My ten thumbs and I tried to drop the spring into the engine case. Buddy advised me this would not be a good thing to do. My thanks to my two buddys for use of their shop, tools and most excellent pictures. -- J Fortner, Plano, TX. CBR, FJR, KLR http://langly.smugmug.com http://langly.smugmug.com/>

[Mike Torst]

Hey, great shots. Very clear! BTW, how was the original spring and Doohickey? Oh, the LOW mileage was not lost on me (and, I expect, anyone with a pulse). Mike Torst A16 Las Vegas

> -----Original Message----- > From: Jim Fortner [mailto:jim.fortner@...] > Subject: [DSN_klr650] What I did with my weekend while I was not working > > This weekend with the help of my KLR buds: > 93 A7 with 5,300 miles > > Friday night: > Checked the valves in spec. > Had beverages. > Installed Kytech Fork Brace. A very soft piece of aluminum artwork. > Don't ask how me and my ten thumbs know this to be fact. Gravity is > cruel. > Picture here: > http://langly.smugmug.com/photos/2988839-M.jpg > http://langly.smugmug.com/photos/2988853-M.jpg > Had some beverages. > > Saturday morning barely: > Replaced the stock doohickey and spring - intact. > http://langly.smugmug.com/photos/2988860-M.jpg > Replaced with Jake' s DH and spring perfect fit. > My ten thumbs and I tried to drop the spring into the engine case. > Buddy advised me this would not be a good thing to do. > My thanks to my two buddys for use of their shop, tools and most > excellent pictures. > > -- > > J Fortner, Plano, TX. CBR, FJR, KLR > > http://langly.smugmug.com http://langly.smugmug.com/> >

PS - SMUGMUG - good place to store,link digital photos. (Use myself)

[Jim Fortner]

Mike Torst wrote:

>Hey, great shots. Very clear! BTW, how was the original spring and >Doohickey? > >Oh, the LOW mileage was not lost on me (and, I expect, anyone with a pulse). > >

The A7 had 4,600 miles and was stock when I purchased it for $1,400 in Decemeber. The stock doohickey and spring were fine at 5,300. I have had the A7 apart wrenching and sent the seat out a month ago. I hope the seat comes back soon. I will finish upgrading the electrical system this week. Smugmug is sweet. I have been uploading trip pictures from last year. -- J Fortner, Plano, TX. CBR, FJR, KLR http://langly.smugmug.com http://langly.smugmug.com/>

[Paul Dent]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Jim Fortner wrote:

> Installed Kytech Fork Brace. A very soft piece of aluminum artwork.

I just got mine in the mail today and am looking forward to installation. Does anyone know why the first item in the instructions is to cut the fender? There is even a fancy self- adhesive template showing the exact cut needed. It seems impossible that the fender could interfere with the brace. Paul

[bigfatgreenbike]

When I was using the stock KLR forks, I used a happy-Trails K9 fork brace (which is a great fork brace BTW). It used to hit the fender every time I went trail riding. Instead of cutting the fender (which would weaken it at the point where it needs the most strength) I took the crossbar off the HT brace and beveled the corners with a file. This way it didn't grind the finder when it hit. Worked really well, AFAIK the guy who bought my stock front end is using it to this day. Devon phd@... wrote:

>--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Jim Fortner >wrote: > > >>Installed Kytech Fork Brace. A very soft piece of aluminum artwork. >> >> > >I just got mine in the mail today and am looking forward to >installation. Does anyone know why the first item in the >instructions is to cut the fender? There is even a fancy self- >adhesive template showing the exact cut needed. It seems impossible >that the fender could interfere with the brace. > >

-- 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

[Jim Fortner]

Paul Dent wrote:

>I just got mine in the mail today and am looking forward to >installation. Does anyone know why the first item in the >instructions is to cut the fender? There is even a fancy self- >adhesive template showing the exact cut needed. It seems impossible >that the fender could interfere with the brace. > > >

I think the template is for people running a low fender. I left my fender on and mounted the brace. If I had it to do again I would put some soft pad down when I installed it in case I dropped a piece. Good luck getting it installed use lots of assembly lube. -- J Fortner, Plano, TX. CBR, FJR, KLR http://langly.smugmug.com http://langly.smugmug.com/>

[Russell_Niesz]

I have yet to install a fork brace on the KLR, but I installed one on my xr600, and it had the same instructions about the cutting of the fender. I of course did not think it was important, and disregarded it. I took the bike over a nice big jump, and when I landed, the suspension bottomed out which shoved the fender down on the brace which crammed the brace onto the front tire which stopped the front tire and through my ass a good distance over the handle bars.It scrambled my eggs pretty good. It took me a few minutes to figure out what happened, but I noticed there were a few knobs completely missing from my front tire, and kinda put 1 and 1 together. I promptly made the recommended cut out to the front fender when I got home, and will probably do the same with every other fork brace I install.

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Jim Fortner wrote: > Paul Dent wrote: > > >I just got mine in the mail today and am looking forward to > >installation. Does anyone know why the first item in the > >instructions is to cut the fender? There is even a fancy self- > >adhesive template showing the exact cut needed. It seems impossible > >that the fender could interfere with the brace. > > > > > > > I think the template is for people running a low fender. I left my > fender on and mounted the brace. > If I had it to do again I would put some soft pad down when I installed > it in case I ropped a piece. > Good luck getting it installed use lots of assembly lube. > -- > > J Fortner, Plano, TX. CBR, FJR, KLR > > http://langly.smugmug.com http://langly.smugmug.com/>

[Mike Torst]

> -----Original Message----- > From: Lujo Bauer [mailto:lbauer@...] > Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] *NKLR* Interested in comments on V-Strom 650 > *NKLR* > > >>>Everything you ever wanted to know about the baby DL is at: > >>>http://home.earthlink.net/~ridehappy/vstrom/ > >> > >>Anyone figure out a way to get full knobbies onto it? > > > > Or spoked wheels? > > Or a machine-gun mount? It isn't a dual-sport bike if it doesn't have > one of those.

Perhaps even an RPG launcher, in bright pink with pretty flowers and passages from Karl Marx painted on it.

> -Lujo >

Mike Torst Las Vegas