mechanics in reno?

[Zachariah Mully]

On Wed, 2004-02-25 at 11:55, garalpar@... wrote:

> Hi List, i`ve been stocking up w/ extra parts for my moab trip > (levers,cables etc.) and the cooling fan has come to mind. All I see in > the manual is a relay, temp switch, and fuse. Is the relay and switch > reliable?? Should I bring an extra? Or is there a bypass that I could do > that would get me out of trouble and or to a dealer?? Do dealers > commonly stock these items?? .... BTW when does the fan kick in?? (i`ve > only ridden it in cold weather )

Unless you do something really stupid, like smash into a tree or get a stick lodged between the frame and the tank (don't ask) and munge the fan shroud/radiator, the fan system pretty much takes care of itself. There are a couple of things that everybody should know about the cooling system: 1) If you drop/hit/whatever on the radiator side, check to make sure the fan blades can spin easily. If they don't, either a. the radiator is tweaked and fouling the blades, or b. the fan shroud is tweaked and fouling the blades It goes without saying that any KLR rider should have installed a radiator guard, but sometimes even that isn't enough. 2) If you've foobared the fan blades, and either can't stop to fix it or can't fix it trailside, pull the fan switch lead off the fan switch, it's located on the bottom of the radiator. This'll disable the fan motor, and prevent it from melting off the motor mount (if you caught it in time). The bike will run hot, but as long as you're moving, you should be fine. I had to ride about 15 miles back to camp offroad after melting my fan blade this past September. The temp gauge was nearly pegged, but it ran fine. 3) Always carry a stick of QuickSteel with you. It has many purposes, one being to reattach the fan blade to motor after it's melted off. Far better than JB Weld as sets in a couple of minutes, and being a putty, is much easier to work with. 4) While offroading, you can usually hear when the fan blades are hitting, listen especially closely when you're stopped waiting for someone. Unfortunately sometimes you can foobar the fan shroud so badly that you only notice the problem after the fan blades have melted off the motor. Instead of a nice fanly whir, or a "tick-tick-tick-tick" as the blade hit a slightly dented shround, a toasted motor will simply go "ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!". At that point it's too late, so you might as well get out your QuickSteel. 5) If something bad has happened to your fan switch and the fan is not coming on when it should, all you have to do is pull the fan switch lead off the switch and ground it to turn on the fan motor. Some folks even wire in a ground switch so that they can manually override the fan switch and leave the fan running during extremely hot weather. Watch out as the fan is hot all the time, don't forget to turn it off when you stop. Hope this helps, Z DC A5X A12X

[Riley]

One other note I might add. The metal replacement fan sold at a few places is crap. Mounting system seems more suspect and mine broke quickly, luckily still had the old plastic one which is back on and workin A1. Riley A15 Montreal

----- Original Message ----- From: "Zachariah Mully" To: Cc: "KLR List" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 12:46 PM Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] Cooling Fan > On Wed, 2004-02-25 at 11:55, garalpar@... wrote: > > Hi List, i`ve been stocking up w/ extra parts for my moab trip > > (levers,cables etc.) and the cooling fan has come to mind. All I see in > > the manual is a relay, temp switch, and fuse. Is the relay and switch > > reliable?? Should I bring an extra? Or is there a bypass that I could do > > that would get me out of trouble and or to a dealer?? Do dealers > > commonly stock these items?? .... BTW when does the fan kick in?? (i`ve > > only ridden it in cold weather ) > > Unless you do something really stupid, like smash into a tree or get a > stick lodged between the frame and the tank (don't ask) and munge the > fan shroud/radiator, the fan system pretty much takes care of itself. > There are a couple of things that everybody should know about the > cooling system: > > 1) If you drop/hit/whatever on the radiator side, check to make sure the > fan blades can spin easily. If they don't, either > a. the radiator is tweaked and fouling the blades, or > b. the fan shroud is tweaked and fouling the blades > It goes without saying that any KLR rider should have installed a > radiator guard, but sometimes even that isn't enough. > > 2) If you've foobared the fan blades, and either can't stop to fix it or > can't fix it trailside, pull the fan switch lead off the fan switch, > it's located on the bottom of the radiator. This'll disable the fan > motor, and prevent it from melting off the motor mount (if you caught it > in time). The bike will run hot, but as long as you're moving, you > should be fine. I had to ride about 15 miles back to camp offroad after > melting my fan blade this past September. The temp gauge was nearly > pegged, but it ran fine. > > 3) Always carry a stick of QuickSteel with you. It has many purposes, > one being to reattach the fan blade to motor after it's melted off. Far > better than JB Weld as sets in a couple of minutes, and being a putty, > is much easier to work with. > > 4) While offroading, you can usually hear when the fan blades are > hitting, listen especially closely when you're stopped waiting for > someone. Unfortunately sometimes you can foobar the fan shroud so badly > that you only notice the problem after the fan blades have melted off > the motor. Instead of a nice fanly whir, or a "tick-tick-tick-tick" as > the blade hit a slightly dented shround, a toasted motor will simply go > "ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!". At that point it's too late, so you might as well get > out your QuickSteel. > > 5) If something bad has happened to your fan switch and the fan is not > coming on when it should, all you have to do is pull the fan switch lead > off the switch and ground it to turn on the fan motor. Some folks even > wire in a ground switch so that they can manually override the fan > switch and leave the fan running during extremely hot weather. Watch out > as the fan is hot all the time, don't forget to turn it off when you > stop. > > Hope this helps, > Z > DC > A5X > A12X > > > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > >

[Chris]

I have had a KLR 250 for a few years now. The cooling fan has come on maybe twice in that time. With my new(to me)KLR 650 the fan comes on everytime I ride. Is this something to expect with the 650 or could there be a problem with it? Any comments are appreciated. Thanks, Chris PS: I have not stopped grinning since I bought this bike! It is the coolest, most versatile machine that I have ever owned!

[Blake Sobiloff]

On Jul 22, 2005, at 1:42 PM, chris wrote:

> With my new(to me)KLR 650 the fan comes on > everytime I ride. Is this something to expect with the 650 or could > there be a problem with it? Any comments are appreciated.

Mine usually comes on at the first stoplight after a blast down the highway, and often as I'm putzing around in first gear through my apartment complex at the end of a ride, too. As long as your temp needle isn't pegging the hot side of the gauge you're probably fine. -- Blake Sobiloff San Jose, CA (USA)

[April Neave & Norm Keller]

Cooling fan cycling is normal with the 650. Enjoy! Norm

[Michael Hagen]

Hey Blake, Even at 80 Degrees, my gauge run at 2/3 and the fan comes on all the time! I got the carb at 2 turns out and am riding at 5-6 K feet?? I don't get it??? KLR Normal?? Mike [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Pat Schmid]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "goddessondra" wrote:

> Hi I'm a newbie in Reno Nv. I have a KLR 650 that needs a lot

ofwork.My husband is not so inclined Does anyone know of a mechanic inReno?Thanks, Sandy Personally, I'd try the KTM shop in Sparks and then Michael's CycleWorks in Carson City. The Reno Kawasaki dealer has a checkered past: not paying income taxes, charging for insurance work that was never done. Not the type of place you want to really trust with your bike. The KTM dealer is solid, I've dealt with them several times and have always been pleased. Michael's in Carson running a decent repair shop and do stand behind their work. A long time riding buddy, Walt, was recently moved from parts to job writing for the service department. JB, another long time riding bud, runs the parts department and after ten years of dealing with sorry arse he's learned to speak KLR. Pat G'ville, NV

[Eric L. Green]

On Sat, 23 Jul 2005, Michael Hagen wrote:

> Hey Blake, > > Even at 80 Degrees, my gauge run at 2/3 and the fan comes on all the time!

Normal if you're in city traffic. Which I assume you are, because otherwise there would be too much wind noise for you to hear the fan!

> I got the carb at 2 turns out and am riding at 5-6 K feet?? > > I don't get it??? KLR Normal??

Erm, the radiator needs air going through it to cool the engine down. If you're in city traffic sitting at a stop light, there is no air moving through the radiator. Thus the need for the fan, which comes on at about 2/3rds up the dial. -E