first post with many questions

[W.V. Doran]

Cosmo...I'm no expert but I'd get the motor HOT and then loosen the the bolts. Maybe use a propane torch on that corner of the head. Hopefully one of the experts on the list will step up with a solution. And don't worry about it until it's time to reset valves. WVDoran --- cosmobojinski wrote:

> Ok, when I said hand tight I did mean tightened with > a regular box- > end wrench.It was that without the torque wrench I > was unsure that > I'd have enough tightness applied. I did in fact use > blue loctite > but for ease of mind , thought I'd go back and apply > red loctite > which I understood to be "higher strength". You guys > are scaring me > with your reaction.Would it be too strong? As for > the swivel, I > understood that screwed up any value that you had on > the torque > wrench.Don't want it vibrating loose, don't want to > strip the > head. .cosmo

===== WVDoran Scottsdale, AZ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

[Paul Wilson]

I measured the valve clearances today for the first time on the KLR and they are as follows. In millimeters EX 0.20 0.25 IN 0.10 0.14 Left side intake is at the low end of the spec. range. Here's the question. As I see it, there's the bare minimum approach, or the more aggressive approach or somewhere in the middle. Do I go up one size on the left side intake only? Resulting in: EX 0.20 0.25 IN 0.15 0.14 Or do I bump up all three to the maximum: EX 0.25 0.25 IN 0.20 0.19 Or perhaps two sizes up on the left intake and one size on the right and leave the left side exhaust alone: EX 0.20 0.25 IN 0.20 0.19 Since valve clearances tend to tighten with age, the middle option would likely buy me the most time. Thoughts? -- Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org 95 VFR - 90 KLR

[dirtrooster2003]

I was just faced with basically the same scenario, only one a@ min actually i had 1 just below min. I went max on all 4 valves just for the purpose of extending the time of having to do over again. --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Paul Wilson wrote:

> I measured the valve clearances today for the first time on the KLR > and they are as follows. In millimeters > > EX 0.20 0.25 > > IN 0.10 0.14 > > Left side intake is at the low end of the spec. range. > > Here's the question. As I see it, there's the bare minimum

approach,

> or the more aggressive approach or somewhere in the middle. Do I

go

> up one size on the left side intake only? Resulting in: > > EX 0.20 0.25 > > IN 0.15 0.14 > > Or do I bump up all three to the maximum: > > EX 0.25 0.25 > > IN 0.20 0.19 > > Or perhaps two sizes up on the left intake and one size on the

right

> and leave the left side exhaust alone: > > EX 0.20 0.25 > > IN 0.20 0.19 > > Since valve clearances tend to tighten with age, the middle option > would likely buy me the most time. Thoughts? > -- > Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org > 95 VFR - 90 KLR

[CA Stu]

Upper end of spec is your best bet, I reckon. Thanks CA Stu

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Paul Wilson wrote: > I measured the valve clearances today for the first time on the KLR > and they are as follows. In millimeters > > EX 0.20 0.25 > > IN 0.10 0.14 > > Left side intake is at the low end of the spec. range. > > Here's the question. As I see it, there's the bare minimum approach, > or the more aggressive approach or somewhere in the middle. Do I go > up one size on the left side intake only? Resulting in: > > EX 0.20 0.25 > > IN 0.15 0.14 > > Or do I bump up all three to the maximum: > > EX 0.25 0.25 > > IN 0.20 0.19 > > Or perhaps two sizes up on the left intake and one size on the right > and leave the left side exhaust alone: > > EX 0.20 0.25 > > IN 0.20 0.19 > > Since valve clearances tend to tighten with age, the middle option > would likely buy me the most time. Thoughts? > -- > Paul in DC - www.wilsonline.org > 95 VFR - 90 KLR

[Keith Saltzer]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Paul Wilson wrote:

> I measured the valve clearances today for the first time on the KLR > and they are as follows. In millimeters > > EX 0.20 0.25 > > IN 0.10 0.14 > > Left side intake is at the low end of the spec. range. > > Here's the question. As I see it, there's the bare minimum

approach,

> or the more aggressive approach or somewhere in the middle. Do I go > up one size on the left side intake only? Resulting in: > Or do I bump up all three to the maximum:

Dude, come on now. You just spent what, 45 minutes to an hour getting out to the bike, taking off the side covers, seat, fuel lines, tank, fan, motor mount bolts, valve cover, plastic side hole covers, etc, and now you HAVE to take off at least the right side intake cam cap, AND the left side intake and exhaust cam caps together, because they have to come off that way, leaving only one more cap with only two bolts left to be "totally into the valve job" and you want to know which ones to change? Crap man, at this point all you gotta do is grab the old one and put in the new one! Go for it! I say change ALL OF THEM that need it to get as close to the outside tolerance as possible. Be sure to check and/or change your plug too while your there and then when you button it all back up, you don't need to think about it for another 10,000 miles. If the bike has more than 20,000 miles on it, you won't have to worry about it for another 15,000 - 20,000 miles. MrMoose A8 (Barbie and Ken special)

[Guillaume McDowell]

Salut Jean! I live in Vermont, about 1.5 hours south of Montreal. Having been inspired by the CD I got off of Tengai Mark, I am trying to figure out a ride to Goose Bay, via the mostly dirt road that goes from Manic 5 through old Gagnon, Fermont, Labrador City, Churchill Falls, etc. I'm not sure if I want to try to reach the ferry to Newfoundland from Goose Bay or not, I might just want to turn around and try it again. The CD gave me a good idea of what to expect out there, and I think I want to try to do it before the black flies are out in force. Would you perhaps be game for such an excursion? -realpolitiklr (Guillaume McDowell) On Sun, 6 Feb 2005 16:20:16 -0500, Claudie et Jean wrote:

> > > Hello all. > > I have been on the list for some time and it is incredible the quantity > of (high quality) information that is transmitted. There are so many > posts that I don't have time to read all of them! Some of you seem to be > bottomless wells of knowledge (hope it sounds right, supposed to be a > compliment). Thanks for sharing with us noobs. > > Couple words on myself: I am 35 and I live in the region of Montr al > (Qu bec). Got my first bike in 1996 and it was a blue KLR. I sold it in > 1997 because I move to Brittany / France. There I could not resist long > without a steel mount and got a Yamaha TDR 125 (mono 2 cycles) 1998. > It was fun but not powerful enough. So I changed it to a 1999 Honda VFR > 800. To have the right to ride it, I had to pass the driver's licence > again since my Quebec licence didn't allow me to ride bikes with more > than 125 cc. It was worth it as I toured France (all of Brittany, > Limoges, Bordeau ) and Switzerland in the saddle of the VFR. You can't > imagine the fun it is to ride in the Swiss Alps. And you can't imagine > how crazy some riders are. They would zap past me at incredible speed, > with a 1000 foot-drop mere feet away. But the landscape, boy that was > fantastic. I eventually came back to North America in 2000. I had to > sell the bike in France as the wonderful Canadian government won't > homologate vehicles not specifically originally homologated for the > country, even if they are identical (which was the case for the VFR). > Darn I hate bureaucrats. I went without a bike for 4 years (larger > family, new house, etc.). But last spring I saw an ad in a local > newspaper for a used 2003 KLR. Price was good (4 600 CAD), condition to > my untrained eye seemed OK too so I bought it (against my wife's opinion > she got over the shock, eventually). So now, here I am, waiting for > winter to end to ride again my first love. The bike is stock except for > new tires the previous owner put on it: Dunlop Trailmax with a 140 > instead of 130 on the rear. To me these tires appear to be 80/20 on/off > road. I can't say they are good and can't say they are bad either since > I didn't push them. Anybody knows about them? I still have the original > rubbers too. The bike now has 10 000 km on it. > > That was a long introduction for some quick questions (I never can seem > to be concise): > > My wife likes riding but not on the KLR (she loved the VFR which I > know, please don't yell at me is a littler bit different from a ds). > She is not comfortable because she tends to slip toward me and she finds > the bike too high (I'm 5'6"). Any way I can improve her situation? But I > don't want to lower the bike I always like sitting high and having all > those inches of travel to eat all the bumps Montr al streets throw at > it > > I have limited off road experience. With my first KLR I had found an > abandoned dirt race track. The first times it would take me several > attempts to complete one lap without putting foot to the ground. But > these were my funniest moments on a bike (the Alps and European freeways > were good too though). Are there any riders in the Montr al area who > would like to share good off road spots as well as some of their > experience? Riding is fun. I guess riding with a buddy (or more) must > multiply (not add to) the fun. > > Does anybody have any experience on the Suzuki V-Strom (650 or 1000)? I > though it could be a good compromise between stance, height, capability > to fly over bumps (and fire roads?) and comfort. I have been thinking of > maybe changing the KLR for it, so my beloved wife would more willingly > come for rides. But please, don't throw stones at me, I haven't made the > move yet, love for a KLR is something tough to break (I am not sure I > want to). > > Well, was fun talking to you, you've been very quiet and polite hearing > me out. Let's see what you have to say now > > Regards from sunny +3 C Montreal winter hasn't said its last word, man > we are going to pay for these warm days big time > > Jean "The Running Turtle", A17 (I think) > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > >