galfer green pads - bad fit

[Bob Hill]

Hello, I'm considering moving from a VFR750 to a DRZ400S. I realize these bikes are very similar, practically identical even, so I'm probably making too big a deal of changing. (Actually, a sex change operation would probably be less dramatic.) Nevertheless, if any of you folks rides a DRZ I'd very much appreciate hearing from you off-list. Thank-you. Bob Hill http://top.monad.net/~bobhill/

[kknorpp001]

I just road tested this on the freeway and it struck the fear of god into me. It was a bit windy, but damn! I felt like I had very little control. My jaw is weary from grinding my teeth. Anyone else experience this. Would a 650 be more accommodating due to greater weight? I want to ride hard off road, but can take the punishment getting to the trail which would mean 40-60 miles of interstate miles. Help! Should I get a DR650SE or a KLR650 or give up? Thanks in advance!!!

[George Sinchent Quinby Adams]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "kknorpp001" wrote:

> I just road tested this on the freeway and it struck the fear of

god

> into me. It was a bit windy, but damn! I felt like I had very > little control. My jaw is weary from grinding my teeth. Anyone > else experience this. Would a 650 be more accommodating due to > greater weight? I want to ride hard off road, but can take the > punishment getting to the trail which would mean 40-60 miles of > interstate miles. Help! Should I get a DR650SE or a KLR650 or

give

> up? Thanks in advance!!!

I've never ridden the DRZ, but I also have an XR650R which is about the same weight as the DRZ and I must say that there is a vast world of difference riding that on the highway vs my KLR. I think you just have to consider it one of the bikes "undocumented features" ! That is the karmic payoff the KLR gods are sending us for being able to flick these bikes around in the woods so well. However, if I had to choose only one bike...it would be the KLR. Yo! (he grins hoping secretly this will appease the great KLR gods)

[doug.newton@ryobitools.com]

Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 08:12:28 -0600 From: "Wishart, John" Subject: Re: Problem with Fit of Galfer Green Piston Side Front Pad for 2000 Kawasaki KLR650 Apparently Galfer tech support is aware of the problem. This is the reply I received: "Thanks for your feed back. I was aware that a few pads had had some issues, but I was told by Galfer in Spain that they had corrected them. I will contact our distributors and talk with them about this issue. Can you please tell me the numbers on the back of the pad that did not fit correctly ? Sandro"

>FWIW, I had this problem with my first set of rear Galfer pads and have

talked to a couple of other people who've had it. I switched to Dunlopads for the rear and I'm quite happy with them. A nice bonus is that they seem to break in a lot faster than the Galfer pads did.

>I've been through two sets of Galfer front pads so far with no trouble,

though. _______________________________ I had a similar problem when I installed my front galfer Greens. The outside pad (next to the piston) had to be filed at the notch a significant amount in order to fit into its position. Once done, they proved to be a major improvement over the stock pads, even thought I have not yet changed to at SS line. Doug Newton