painting an ims tank

[takes2serious]

I installed PD Nerf Bars on my KLR a couple weeks ago and I just noticed that when I lock the handlebars to the right the right hand fork leg hits the Nerf Bars before the steering lock hits the stop on the frame. I'm sure this isn't by design, so I probably have something installed incorrectly, but I'd appreciate someone with PD Nerf bars installed verifying that their lock stops out before their right fork leg hits the nerf bars. Thanks.

[James L. Miller Jr.]

Mine did too, but only an 1/8th or so before the lock. First time you "need" the bars, this'll go away Right now, it feels bad, but if you really needed that 1/8", it was too late anyway. millerized --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "takes2serious" wrote:

> I installed PD Nerf Bars on my KLR a couple weeks ago and I just > noticed that when I lock the handlebars to the right the right hand > fork leg hits the Nerf Bars before the steering lock hits the stop

on

> the frame. I'm sure this isn't by design, so I probably have > something installed incorrectly, but I'd appreciate someone with PD > Nerf bars installed verifying that their lock stops out before

their

> right fork leg hits the nerf bars. > > Thanks.

[takes2serious]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "James L. Miller Jr." wrote:

> Mine did too, but only an 1/8th or so before the lock. First time > you "need" the bars, this'll go away Right now, it feels bad, > but if you really needed that 1/8", it was too late anyway. > millerized >

I don't care about losing an 1/8 of an inch in turning radius. I'm concerned about damaging the fork against the nerf bar.

[James L. Miller Jr.]

Unless Tim made yours out of Titanium (If he did, I want a set for the nice white sparks they make), I don't think you have anything to worry about. Mine "indexed" just fine, and didn't even scratch/dent the fork tube. The fork tubes are probably at least 3/16" thick, the PD's wall thickness maybe .065,-.125 tops? Think of it as hammer and rubber mallet fighting it out. You'll not have a problem. If you do, I'll send you a new fork tube free. millerized --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "takes2serious" wrote:

> --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "James L. Miller Jr." > wrote: > > Mine did too, but only an 1/8th or so before the lock. First

time

> > you "need" the bars, this'll go away Right now, it feels

bad,

> > but if you really needed that 1/8", it was too late anyway. > > millerized > > > > I don't care about losing an 1/8 of an inch in turning radius. I'm > concerned about damaging the fork against the nerf bar.

[takes2serious]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "James L. Miller Jr." wrote:

> Unless Tim made yours out of Titanium (If he did, I want a set for > the nice white sparks they make), I don't think you have anything

to

> worry about. Mine "indexed" just fine, and didn't even

scratch/dent

> the fork tube. The fork tubes are probably at least 3/16" thick,

the

> PD's wall thickness maybe .065,-.125 tops? Think of it as hammer

and

> rubber mallet fighting it out. You'll not have a problem. If you > do, I'll send you a new fork tube free. > millerized > >

Well, then, I don't want my pretty nerf bars dented by my forks! That is an interesting thought, however, that the forks are stronger than the nerf bars. Not sure I buy that. But if anyone would like to bash their inner fork leg against a nerf bar and report back on the result, I would be interested to know. Evidently, Mr. Miller is willing to replace the fork leg if necessary As for me, I think I'll try bending the nerf bar to gain the clearance for the frame stop. I've never measured the wall thickness of an inner fork tube. 3/16s sounds a lot thicker than I remembered. Then you have to factor the smaller circumference of the bar versus the larger circumference of the fork. I don't know. I'd hate to find out.

[wilkins5773]

Does anyone know if there is a difference, other than price, between the nerf bars offered through Happy Trails and the ones offered by KLR650.com. They look identical in the photos, but I wonder if there is any difference in design or quality. The $71 price difference is significant...$269 vs. $198 Thanks, Steve Wilkins A-18

[Don Van Dyke]

If they are the same, then the "water pump protector" is an add on, and my guess is that a metal skid plate would do a better job. I have not installed my Happy Trails set yet. I have it in my hand as I look at the KLR650.com photo. By my eye, I want to say that the engine guard portion is shaped slightly differently, and that the "grill" material is different. I also want to say that the upper tube on the KLR650.com engine guard is round tube, but I can't be certain of anything by that photo. The Happy Trails engine guard that I have in my hand uses square tubes entirely. I can see no difference in the tank guard portions. I know that Happy Trails makes their own engine guards. I don't know if they make the tank guards. I have found Happy Trails to be pretty straight-forward people, and they would probably tell you if you ask. Happy Trails gives a choice of grey or black. At 11:07 PM 1/22/2005 +0000, wilkins5773 wrote:

>Does anyone know if there is a difference, other than price, between >the nerf bars offered through Happy Trails and the ones offered by >KLR650.com. They look identical in the photos, but I wonder if there >is any difference in design or quality. The $71 price difference is >significant...$269 vs. $198 > >Thanks, >Steve Wilkins >A-18

Don Van Dyke Sacramento, California Moto@... www.intellection.org

[kdxkawboy@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/22/2005 3:09:41 PM Pacific Standard Time, wilkins@... writes: Does anyone know if there is a difference, other than price, between the nerf bars offered through Happy Trails and the ones offered by KLR650.com. They look identical in the photos, but I wonder if there is any difference in design or quality. The $71 price difference is significant...$269 vs. $198 Thanks, Steve Wilkins A-18 Steve, It boils down to rather you want to save money by buying a knockoff of the HT design, complete with it's lack of top quality material and welds and its lack of support after the sale or do you want the real McCoy? With questions like this, I usually turn them around. First I ask myself if the higher price is a fair price for the amount of labor and material and a fair profit. If it still seems high then I look at the reputation of the competitors to see if the higher price product has a legit reason for being the high price spread. Once I got my mind settled on my perceived value of the higher price part then I ask myself how could the competitor chop that much cost out of his product without sacrificing it's quality by using cheaper materials or cheaper labor. Pat G'ville, Nv [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Don Van Dyke]

I suspect the KLR650.com nerf bars are a knock-off of the Happy Trails nerf bars, but I don't know that. That said, I agree with Steve's points, and would add that I would wonder what country the KLR.com nerf bars are made in, how much the welders are paid, etc. I would suggest putting the question about who makes what, and where, to both Happy Trails and KLR650.com. If you feel you get honest straight-forward answers from either or both, then you'll have some good information, not only about some nerf bars, but about the type of people you might buy from, which can be just as important. In the world of custom parts, some vendors buy products from other manufacturers and sell them with only the vendor's name. There is nothing wrong or dishonest about this. The Tudebaker Manufacturing KLR centerstand, for example, is sold by several vendors. Some vendors buy products from manufacturers and modify them before they sell them. There is nothing wrong with this either. Happy Trails buys the Tudebaker Manufacturing center stand and offers an optional "foot kick" that Happy Trails welds onto the stand. Happy Trails told me this without my asking when I ordered a centerstand. Perhaps some components of the nerf bars are made or modified by one company or the other. If you get any information from either Happy Trails or KLR650.com about the nerf bars, please post it. I'd be interested. At 08:31 AM 1/23/2005 -0500, kdxkawboy@... wrote:

> >In a message dated 1/22/2005 3:09:41 PM Pacific Standard Time, >wilkins@... writes: > > > >Does anyone know if there is a difference, other than price, between >the nerf bars offered through Happy Trails and the ones offered by >KLR650.com. They look identical in the photos, but I wonder if there >is any difference in design or quality. The $71 price difference is >significant...$269 vs. $198 > >Thanks, >Steve Wilkins >A-18 > > > > >Steve, >It boils down to rather you want to save money by buying a knockoff of the >HT design, complete with it's lack of top quality material and welds and its >lack of support after the sale or do you want the real McCoy? > >With questions like this, I usually turn them around. First I ask myself if >the higher price is a fair price for the amount of labor and material and a >fair profit. If it still seems high then I look at the reputation of the >competitors to see if the higher price product has a legit reason for >being the >high price spread. Once I got my mind settled on my perceived value of the >higher price part then I ask myself how could the competitor chop that >much cost >out of his product without sacrificing it's quality by using cheaper >materials or cheaper labor. > >Pat >G'ville, Nv >

Don Van Dyke Sacramento, California Moto@... www.intellection.org

[wilkins5773]

Thanks for the input on the nerf bars. I did end up sending an email message to both KLR650.com and Happy-Trails asking about their products. I'll let you know whether or not they respond this week. It would seem that if they make their own products they could make adjustments for the complaints some have had about fitment and the forks hitting the bars. Steve Wilkins A-18