waxing a klr 650

[agulhas7]

I put the smae question to the XR650L (xrlug) Yahoo group. Curiously enough, I had about the same number of responses, with the same sort of reasoned arguements and falling mainly in favour of the Honda! The general consensus was that no other manufacturer meets Honda for reliability. The KLR was considered more comfortable and had a bigger fuel tank. You can buy a more comfortable after market seat for the XRL and a bigger fuel tank. In my research, the KLR is a cheaper used bike than the XLR. The KLR is also more available. I say look at both types of machines and base your decision on the best deal you can find.

[Eric Lee Green]

agulhas7 wrote:

>of reasoned arguements and falling mainly in favour of the Honda! The >general consensus was that no other manufacturer meets Honda for >reliability. >

The XR650L burns valves like a five-pack-a-day smoker burns coffin nails. It is NOT known as a reliable bike. Honda dirt bikes, in general, have a poor reputation for reliability. They're over-complicated, high-strung, and tempermental. Honda basically builds racing bikes for dirt, and is good at it. But the thing is, a racing bike engine is torn down and rebuilt after every race. That's not what you want for a everyday play bike. Their street bikes, on the other hand, are bullet-proof. Dunno why their dirt bikes aren't. But it's been like that for over 20 years now. So ...

> The KLR was considered more comfortable and had a bigger >fuel tank. You can buy a more comfortable after market seat for the >XRL and a bigger fuel tank. > >

The gearing is an issue too. And no, you can't get a 7 gallon gas tank for an XRL, like I have on my KLR650 (yes, it is an aftermarket tank). In general, I'd prefer the Suzuki DR650 over the XR650L. It's aircooled like the XR650L, but it doesn't burn valves. Older models do tend to leak oil around the cylinder base gasket, but there is a new gasket that fixes that. And it's better supported by the aftermarket insofar as comfort items go. You can even fit it out as sort of a DR-KLR with luggage and windshield and stuff if you want to do so. It is a good compromise between the dirt-readiness of the XRL and the street-and-dirt-road nature of the KLR (yes, you can take a KLR offroad, no, it isn't much fun compared with a real dirt bike, it's much happier on a jeep track than on a single-track). On the other hand, KLR's are much more available on the used market, and it has a vast assortment of aftermarket accessories to customize it for whatever purpose you desire. The XRL, on the other hand, is somewhat rare on the used market and accessories are few and far between for it. Personally, my choice was between the DR650 and the KLR650, I looked at the XRL and dismissed it immediately as not meeting my needs (which are about 80% long distance highway, 10% fire roads, 10% jeep trails, 0% offroad). If I lived Back East where things are closer together I might have looked at the XRL, but out West the distances are too great for that. I chose a KLR mostly because of its availability on the used market, although the fact that the DR doesn't have a tachometer was an irritance (but there are aftermarket tachometers that can be fitted to it). Still, once my KLR bites the dust, I might give the DR a try. Or maybe not, my KLR has far too much farkle on it, I'll most likely just transfer the farkle to another KLR :-}. -E

[Wolfy]

I know we are talking about the XR650L, but let me go slight to the Right. The XR650 can get 9.7 gallons of fuel on it. Acerbis makes a 6gal main tank (like the KLR), but they also make a 3.7 under seat tank. Not sure what the L model has for tanks. -----Original Message----- From: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Eric Lee Green Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 3:23 AM To: agulhas7 Cc: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Re: KLR650 or XR650L The gearing is an issue too. And no, you can't get a 7 gallon gas tank for an XRL, like I have on my KLR650 (yes, it is an aftermarket tank).

[Mike Peplinski]

Now that depends. First off, remember you're asking this question on the KLR650 site. That being said, here's the most common opinions; on-road, decision KLR; off-road, XLR-purchase price, decision KLR, durability, has anyone ever worn out an XLR?, but the KLR is a close second-comfort, KLR if you're tall, XLR if you're not-excellent web user group-decision KLR. You decide

>From: Jerry Ockwig >To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com >Subject: [DSN_KLR650] KLR650 or XR650L >Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2005 09:09:54 -0700 (PDT) > >Which should I buy and why? >Thanks, >Jerry > > >--------------------------------- > Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page > >[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 > > > > > >

[Eric Lee Green]

Mike Peplinski wrote:

>durability, has >anyone ever worn out an XLR? >

No, because they've never ridden it enough to do so! Sorry about that. Point is that most XLR's are bought to be dirt bikes with lights. They aren't ridden many miles. I put 10,000 miles on my KLR last year, thanks to commuting and many 200+-mile trips to the Sierras. I doubt you'll find many XLR's with 10,000 miles on them. If you don't ride it, it don't wear out! -E

[Rick McCauley]

I am sitting here with the May 1990 issue of Cycle World. This issue has a full test on the Tengai. Says that the motor, wheels and sprockets are straight off the standard KLR. I would say then, that performance between the two is perfectly comparable. Disclaimer: I am just referring to road performance, get up and go versus get up and go. I don't see where the XR650L has any advantage over the KLR or the Tengai. This test shows a 13.98 sec 1/4 mile, and a top speed of 101 mph. My records show that the XR650L runs a 14.22 sec 1/4 mile and a top speed of 96 mph. Let's say it was weather and track conditions that made the KLR outperform the XR650L, and that under equal conditions they are dead even. The KLR still wins because of price. Watcha think? Rick A17. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Russell Dixon]

Good point. You know I actually was going to buy the XLR. The bike was prepped and the lady was getting all the paper work together. The little sales guy (+/-5'8") was showing me the bike and reviewing all the required jargon. He starts the bike, hops on (37" seat height) and comments that they are "cold natured". He then took off to "warm it up" so I could hear how it was "supposed to idle" in a big clay pit behind the dealership. Meanwhile, I walk inside to see how the paperwork chick was coming along. Not done, so I walk back out and see the little guy limping along the side of the dealership and the bike laying on its side in the middle of the clay pit. Immediately, four guys gathered and orchestrated a dramatic consolation pitch, saying they would "fix it" and/or get me a new one by tomorrow. They retireved the bike: lights busted, scratched to hell and back, etc...Needless to say, since I had not signed anything, I bailed. The limper hopped along side of the truck, apologizing hard as he could, till I left the parking lot. They called for a week or two following, but I had the KLR by then. Funny how fate works....and it sucks to do dumb shit while working on commission. Loving the KLR.

>From: Eric Lee Green >To: Mike Peplinski >CC: jerry_ockwig@..., DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com >Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] KLR650 or XR650L >Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 09:34:32 -0700 > >Mike Peplinski wrote: > > >durability, has > >anyone ever worn out an XLR? > > >No, because they've never ridden it enough to do so! > >Sorry about that. Point is that most XLR's are bought to be dirt bikes >with lights. They aren't ridden many miles. I put 10,000 miles on my KLR >last year, thanks to commuting and many 200+-mile trips to the Sierras. >I doubt you'll find many XLR's with 10,000 miles on them. If you don't >ride it, it don't wear out! > >-E > > > > >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 > > > > > > >

_________________________________________________________________ On the road to retirement? Check out MSN Life Events for advice on how to get there! http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=Retirement

[Russell Dixon]

Found this stuff at Walmart called ProtectAll. Over by the RV/Marine supplies. Made for RV's, Cars, trucks, and motorcycles. It is a carnuba-based concoction with UV inhibitors galore. It is pricey, around $9.00 for a bottle, but it doesn't take much to polish up the KLR. Works great on the plastic. Ever seen your face in a red plastic fender? Also, last a long time between applications. Dances water like a duck's back. Don't do the seat unless you really like a good challenge...

>From: "Arden Kysely" >To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com >Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: WAXING A KLR 650 >Date: Mon, 05 Sep 2005 14:49:03 -0000 > >S100 something-or-other (can't find the can, sorry) in a small, >expensive can does a nice job of taking away the sun faded look on my >A11. > >__Arden > >--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCauley >wrote: > > Several years ago I worked at a Honda shop. We used to spray WD40 on >a rag and wipe the plastic parts on dirt bikes or 4-wheelers to make >em shine. I doubt there are any long term benefits but they sure >looked good, and it is cheap. > > Are there products specifically for cleaning and maintaining plastic? > > > > Rick A17 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page > > > > [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 > > > > > >

_________________________________________________________________ Don t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/