new and improved

[jastuntz]

Just picked up a 2002 with 1200mi and I'm a little dissapointed in the brakes. I've heard that braided steel lines and new pads can help a lot, can anyone confirm this? Also rear brake pedal feels a little low. Any suggestions? One other thing, the bike was lowered when I got it, I put it back up to the stock height but I'm wondering if the kickstand was shortened. Would it be glaringly obvious if it was or would the bike just lean over a little more on the stand? How long shoud a stock kickstand be? thanks, James

[Blake Sobiloff]

On Aug 7, 2006, at 10:33 PM, jastuntz wrote:

> Just picked up a 2002 with 1200mi and I'm a little dissapointed in the > brakes. I've heard that braided steel lines and new pads can help a > lot, can anyone confirm this?

Braided steel lines will improve the feel at the lever, but will do nothing to improve braking performance. If you want to improve your braking performance you have to go with more aggressive pads and/or an oversized front rotor. Fred at Arrowhead sells Dunlopad HH pads (the most aggressive pads available). I tried them with the stock rotor and found that they were hard on the rotor (to be expected), and while they helped they didn't do it for me. I went with a Galfer wave rotor w/ Galfer Green pads and have been pretty happy with that combination. It still requires more force at the lever than any twin-rotor setup does, but the feedback is good enough that I can grab pretty tightly when needed and still modulate just fine.

> Also rear brake pedal feels a little > low. Any suggestions?

You can move it up a spline or two if really necessary, but you'll also have to adjust the brake light switch's spring connector to make sure your brake light still lights up. Frankly, I'd recommend leaving the pedal alone and just get used to it. (Also, if you're ever in the dirt and standing on the pegs you'll appreciate the lower position.) -- Blake Sobiloff http://sobiloff.typepad.com/blakeblog/> http://sobiloff.typepad.com/klr_adventure/> San Jose, CA (USA)

[David C.]

At 03:12 PM 8/8/2006 +0000, you wrote:

>Just picked up a 2002 with 1200mi and I'm a little dissapointed in the >brakes. I've heard that braided steel lines and new pads can help a >lot, can anyone confirm this? Also rear brake pedal feels a little >low. Any suggestions? One other thing, the bike was lowered when I >got it, I put it back up to the stock height but I'm wondering if the >kickstand was shortened. Would it be glaringly obvious if it was or >would the bike just lean over a little more on the stand? How long >shoud a stock kickstand be?

I picked up my '88 a couple of months ago and the front brake utterly sucked. It was worse than any old Airhead I have ever ridden. The front pad was mostly gone but there was still some meat left on it. I changed to a SS line and EBC pads and it stops MUCH better, but my Concours, which has pretty dated brakes stops better. Of course, it also has another disc.....Anyway, I have an oversize rotor and Galfer pads on order, but they are apparently back ordered and on a slow boat from England. I'll let ya'll know how it works when they finally arrive. Other than to fabricate and install a bash plate over the rear master cylinder I haven't done anything to the back brake yet. I would like to get the "shark fin" but apparent they are NLA. As back brakes go, it's ok. My bike had been lowered with lowering links, too (anyone want a set cheap?). I replaced them with RAISING links because I'm 6'5". It increased the ground clearance and gave the same effect as a heavier duty spring. The side stand had been shortened by cutting a piece out of it and driving a piece of copper tube into it for a splint. I took that out and welded a piece of pipe into the center of the side stand shaft. It worked ok but I probably should have made it a little longer as it still leans over quite a bit. If you can see a seam or joint in your sidestand it's probably been shortened. If anyone has a spare side stand laying around, let me know what you want for it. Dave C

[James Morrow Sr]

Great post and info Water. You have to quit copying me though, I thought I was the only one smart enough to have a KLR and a BUSA (G). Since my commute is 350 miles one way, on superslab, I only have one choice, the BIG BUSA. I ride my KLR so much on the weekends, my wife thinks I have a mistriss.

On 8/9/06, Walter Bell wrote: > > Hey all! Just a lurker pro finally figuring out how to post! I wanted > to share an experience I had with "Flame"(KLR650). After riding down > to the Black Hills(Hey Jeff!!!). I was about half way back to N.E. > Montana pulling into a gas station I noticed a clunking sound coming > from somewhere...I thought it was the chain and sure enough, it was > loose. Tighted chain. Another 200miles and pulled into another station > and there it was again...found chain to be loose and tightened chain. > Arrived home and found chain loose again, crap! I remember someone > saying to pull the chain back at the rear center of the rear sprocket > to see if the chain is streched, ok, chain is stretched! Crap! How did > that happen? I'm very careful with the chain. I rode the bike to > Mexico and back with no problems at all! Pissed off, I put the bike > away and rode my Hayabusa for the last 4 months...well, thats just fun > anyway! So, one nite I figure I'd better find out what the duce was > going on with the KLR... I mean, "hello!" simple technology and I'm > not that big of a moron! Got the flashlight out and inspected the > chain and sprockets figuring that can be the only place the clunking > could be coming from...well, it was. I found I had 6 rollers left on > the chain in various spots along the chain. What the heck happend > there??? Speaking with a few folks around here they'd never heard of > such a thing. No doubt it could happpen, I was looking at the result > right there! Mileage on the chain is 10740 smiles. Well, there's more > to it! As I'm struggling with the front sprocket cussing myself for > taking the rear wheel off too soon, I bumped the shift lever..and it > occured to me that "Hey! I don't think it was suppose to move and stay > like that!?!" Upon further investigation, sure enough, it was creased > right around the circumfrance of the weld, nice! I'm thinking this > chain thing is a blessing in disguise! > Anyway, I just recently found Fred and ordered a new chain and > sprocket set along with a new shifter and countershaft nut from him. > Great service! (Thanks Fred!!!) The new stuff went on in 2.5hrs > without a hitch and after a wash and ride, "Flame" is once again > smiling as am I! I forgot how fun it is to ride that goofy thing! > After I got back to the hangar, I polished the Hayabusa and covered > her up. I commute 22miles to town for work 9 of which are on gravel or > 2-track (depending on the way I want to go) and since the fuel here > just went skyrocketing past 3.00 a gallon, the KLR is my ride to work > from now till I can't see because of the snow. > Anyone have any luck with their employers as to setting up a caged > area for motorcycles/4wheelers at their office? I'm a Locomotive > Engineer for BNSF and work at all times of the day and night. I don't > live in a high crime area. It's rural and most folks watch out for > others' stuff. But there already have been farms getting their fuel > stolen in the middle of the night around here and I'm sure as the > "survival mode" creeps in, there might be an incentive to steal bikes. > Geeze, why did I wash that thing! I kinda liked all the goo > from the bugs on there! Anyway, how do I convince my boss that it's a > good idea? For now I'm gonna chain it to a light pole. I've got this > big ugly chain and huge padlock, kinda funny. > Another thing I noticed on the rear tire, a D606, when I was > disassembling the bike was a bunch of cracks in the center of the > tread. They're right at the bottom of the center knobbies on the > traction side. I noticed it after the ride to the Black Hills. I have > about 1200 miles on the tire. Anyone deduct whats going on there? > Curious as it seems everyone likes the tire. Purchased the set from SW > Moto Tire. > Anyway, there's my rant. Thanks everyone for being on here and > making this site just the best site I've ever been a part of! Take > care, Walt > > > -- James Morrow Sr Union, MO '00' RT + dual plug + Bunkhouse '00' BUSA + 15hp '05' KLR650 + big fun factor [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]