2007 and 2008 deals - which is better?

[Gary LaRue]

>If there is anymore advice out there please pass it along. So far it's a little conflicting.

THIS is conflicting? Almost any question which begins with "What is the best..." is going to get even worse than this, my friend. By the way, gang, what is the best (oil / tires / clothing/ ad infinitum) that I can buy? [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Doug Pippin]

Rockie The stock shock spring on the KLR is a POS. Unless you weigh about 100 lbs the spring is way to soft. As been stated you can change the spring and the oil. However the stock KLR shock has an aluminum body that's not hard anodized so the aluminum contaminates the oil within a few miles. You can buy a stiffer spring from Multisurface Motorcycling http://multisurfacemotorcycling.com/products/spring.htm I purchased the Topgun spring from Multisurface Motorcycling and installed it on my stock shock. Serviced the shock while it was off with new oil and a cleaning job. BTW the oil was very dirty. The ride after installing this spring was better than stock (no bottoming over bigger bumps) but it was too stiff for my 195 lb weight and I could not get the proper sag even with the pre-load on the lowest setting. Since then I've installed a Cogent Dynamics KLR 650 "Moab" Shock and I'm very happy with it. It's a huge improvement over the stock shock and comes with a couple of spring weight selections. If your fussy you can custom order the spring based on your weight and riding abilities. The Moab shock is built using the De Carbon damper design with a floating piston separating the gas charge from the damper fluid, ensuring consistent and fade resistant damping. A sophisticated high-flow damper piston with damping control that automatically adjusts dependent on velocity. The KLR 650 Moab shock has an easy to access damping adjustment control that allows the rider to select the shock response that best meets riding conditions. This shock is fully re-buildable either by Cogent or any suspension shop or by yourself if you have the proper tools unlike the Progressive shock that must be returned to Progressive for rebuilds. Take a look at it at: http://tinyurl.com/2bg95f If you or anyone is interested call Rick (e-mail or phone) (see contact info on web page) and mention my name for a good discount on the listed price. Doug Pippin ---------- At 07:38 AM 1/7/2008, you wrote:

> Re: Rear Suspension > Posted by: "Mike" eaglemike@... wannabsmooth1 > Date: Sun Jan 6, 2008 12:10 pm ((PST)) > >--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Luke in Brooklyn wrote: > > > > Rockie-- > > The straight rate spring is available from eshocks.com for around > $90. I made a post on advrider a year or two ago when I redid mine > that details how to change the spring and fluid pretty well: > > http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185101 > > > > For your original question, I wouldn't even *consider* going with > the stock shock. I'd lose the raising links and put a 450 straight > rate on, minimum. I would also encourage you to change your fluid, > but that's just me. > > > > Luke >Luke, > >Fred at www.arrowheadmotorsports.com sells the Progressive 350/450 >spring. It's worked well for many people. > >I know there are some people that swear (or state strongly) that a >progressive spring "can't" work on the "rising rate" linkage of the >KLR650. If so - show me the tests.............. I know a lot of >people that are happy with them. So - show me the tests......... > >BTW, I met a guy that worked for Kawasaki for a while. He tested the >original rate linkage. It turned out to be a falling rate..... > >all the best, > >Mike

---------- Doug Pippin 828-684-8488 d_pippin_89@... ---------- [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Michael Nelson]

On Mon, Jan 07, 2008 at 11:22:27AM -0500, Doug Pippin wrote:

> If you or anyone is interested call Rick (e-mail or phone) (see > contact info on web page) and mention my name for a good discount on > the listed price.

I did just that and got a great deal on the Cogent Dynamics shock, shock spring, fork springs and Racetech emulators for the forks. It's absolutely a different motorcycle after these changes. Nothing subtle about it at all. Michael -- "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand." -- Mark Twain San Francisco, CA

[Dochstader]

C'mon guys! - I am on my fifth (5th) KLR, I have, in my time tried to fix/altered practically everything on the bike, and guess what? despite my "I know better than the engineers attitude", my current '05 is practically completely stock, and, within it's design limitations, it does just fine! I own (ride) five bikes, including three late-model KTMs, and the little KLR (in stock foremat) is still my go-to bike, except for Baja, or races. So I say,"For a thousand-mile trip - get on it and ride!". El Mur. B.C. Canada. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Michael Nelson]

On Mon, Jan 07, 2008 at 09:28:15AM -0800, dochstader wrote:

> C'mon guys! - I am on my fifth (5th) KLR, I have, in my time tried to > fix/altered practically everything on the bike, and guess what? despite my > "I know better than the engineers attitude", my current '05 is practically > completely stock, and, within it's design limitations, it does just fine!

The simple act of putting my butt on the saddle takes the KLR outside its design limitations. Michael -- "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand." -- Mark Twain San Francisco, CA

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Michael Nelson wrote:

> > On Mon, Jan 07, 2008 at 09:28:15AM -0800, dochstader wrote: > > > C'mon guys! - I am on my fifth (5th) KLR, I have, in my time

tried to

> > fix/altered practically everything on the bike, and guess what?

despite my

> > "I know better than the engineers attitude", my current '05 is

practically

> > completely stock, and, within it's design limitations, it does

just fine!

> > The simple act of putting my butt on the saddle takes the KLR

outside its

> design limitations. > > Michael > > -- > "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that

bother me, it

> is the parts that I do understand." -- Mark Twain > > San Francisco, CA >

Michael, Now that is funny! However, it is nothing that another $3000 worth of farkle won't cure. smile. revmaaatin. Methodist Circuit Rider, Sioux Empire "It ain't those parts about Mark Twain that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand." -- the rev

[rockiedog2]

Folks Thanks for all the replies to my post about the rear suspension. There were so many and so varied that I got confused(normal) about what to do so I decided not to do any of them...called Fred and asked him what he would do. After questions about what I was doing he said put a progressive 500/560 spring over the stock shock. Well I ordered one. We'll see what happens. BTW I have a 2004 Red KLR650 for sale. Box stock. 2200 street miles. Nice. 3000 bucks cash. You pick up at my place here in the bowels of Mississippi. Thanks again Joe Joe

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "rockiedog2" wrote: > > I think I already know the answer... > I am prepping for a 10000+ mile trip(all paved or gravel roads) and am > to the point of making a decision on the rear suspension. I weigh 200 > w/o the gear on and will of course be loaded as hell with everything > under the sun but camping gear. (I would rather ride all night than > camp). The question is can I get by on the stock rear suspension(bike > is lowered 1.5 inches but I can raise it back up-if raising it will > make the stock shock suffice I will do that) or do I have to spend 4 or > 5 hundred on that Progressive stuff? Experienced advice here please. > Thx Joe >

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "rockiedog2" wrote:

> > Folks > Thanks for all the replies to my post about the rear suspension.

There

> were so many and so varied that I got confused(normal) about what

to do

> so I decided not to do any of them...called Fred and asked him what

he

> would do. After questions about what I was doing he said put a > progressive 500/560 spring over the stock shock. Well I ordered

one.

> We'll see what happens. > BTW I have a 2004 Red KLR650 for sale. Box stock. 2200 street

miles.

> Nice. 3000 bucks cash. You pick up at my place here in the bowels

of

> Mississippi. > > Thanks again > Joe > Joe

Joe, Good on you! I followed your same track some two years ago, listened to Fred, buying the lighter spring,--must be a 'lighter' rider. cough. No one has (recently)commented on replacing that spring.... Here is what I did; with the help of Jeff Saline in Rapid City, SD (as I live in a remote part of the planet) we hunted through several motorcycle shops, front end/alignment shop until we found one that had a strut compresser. I think we had to look in 6-7 places until we found a shop that did big-turck frame staightening. The 'biker' alignment man walked over to the wall, dropped the shock in his rig, and ~10 minutes later, we were on our way--no charge. just lucky I guess. Took 4x longer to find a shop than do the work. Some have commented that Midas, or something similar could also do it for 10-20 bucks; IMO, which would be a bargin. Why? Thought you would never ask. Earlier, someone posted a picture of being pinched on the finger while changing a spring...using a rube goldberg shortcut. cough, you don't want to look like that guy. I 'heard' it was painful. It was killing me just to look at it. Be nice to your bike: Give some (serious) thought to greasing the 'link' and swing-arm bearings also while you got it all apart. Lord knows, KHI saved money (or was it weight?) by not adding much grease to those bearings. and, Remember, you will have to loosen the aft-lower engine moung to get it all back together again. ysgemv =your spring/grease experience may vary revmaaatin.

[Luke in Brooklyn]

Mike wrote: --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Luke in Brooklyn wrote: (snip)I'd lose the raising links and put a 450 straight rate on, minimum.(snip) If I read the original post correctly, he was losing the lowering links and raising the bike by putting stock links back on.(snip)Sorry Mike and Rockie, that was a snafu typo on my part. I imagine Mike understood what I meant; Rockie, I'm sure I just confused you more I meant "At the least, lose the LOWERING links (return to stock height)." I congratulate you on going your own way with the spring; you made a choice a lot of folks are happy with. If you don't have a shop with a spring compressor (try more dirtbike oriented places!), you can use the one sold for cars by Harbor Freight, I'm told. Ride safe! Luke (who has no opinion whatsover about whether KHI actually built a rising or lowering rate linkage, but would love to see a test proving they did it backwards, and certainly wouldn't be surprised) Brooklyn NY 92 CB750 nighthawk--naked simpleton 03 KLR650--fat girl with a dirty mind --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[rockiedog2]

Luke I was able to figure out that the typo was probably a typo...then things made sense. Will remove the lowering links when replacing the spring.(Have lowering links and lowered center stand for sale if anybody is interested). I too don't have an opinion on the rising rate/falling rate business and don't much care...I just want to motor down the road with 300# payload w/o bottoming out. Thanks again to all who replied Joe --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Luke in Brooklyn wrote:

> > > > Mike wrote: --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Luke

in Brooklyn wrote:

> (snip)I'd lose the raising links and put a 450 straight > rate on, minimum.(snip) > > If I read the original post correctly, he was losing the lowering > links and raising the bike by putting stock links back on.(snip)

Sorry Mike and Rockie, that was a snafu typo on my part. I imagine Mike understood what I meant; Rockie, I'm sure I just confused you more I meant "At the least, lose the LOWERING links (return to stock height)."

> > I congratulate you on going your own way with the spring; you made

a choice a lot of folks are happy with. If you don't have a shop with a spring compressor (try more dirtbike oriented places!), you can use the one sold for cars by Harbor Freight, I'm told.

> > Ride safe! > > Luke (who has no opinion whatsover about whether KHI actually

built a rising or lowering rate linkage, but would love to see a test proving they did it backwards, and certainly wouldn't be surprised)

> > > > Brooklyn NY > 92 CB750 nighthawk--naked simpleton > 03 KLR650--fat girl with a dirty mind > > --------------------------------- > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >