klr 650 parts & accessories

[Judson D. Jones]

The MSF Experienced Rider Course is about 50 or 60 bucks. I have taken it a couple of times over the last 10 years, and always found it worthwhile. Helps chip away at some of the bad habits learned over 37 years of riding.

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., Thor Lancelot Simon wrote: > On Wed, Nov 20, 2002 at 12:51:30PM -0000, dooden wrote: > > You fall when not moving ? I do suggest a MSF course, I went to one > > many years ago, and really cant see myself going again, except maybe > > a advanced riders course, but only if it helped lower insurance rate > > or something. > > From what Progressive told me, going to a riding skills course every > three years is required in order to keep the safety course discount > on my rates. Of course, the classes cost a few hundred bucks, so it > probably works out about even. > > Thor

[Devon Jarvis]

It's $75 here in NY. I think you get a 10% insurance discount, but you have to take the class every two or three years. And yes, it's good to have someone dissect your riding and pick out the bad habits you've learned. I'm getting set to take the class in the spring. Devon "Judson D. Jones" wrote:

> > The MSF Experienced Rider Course is about 50 or 60 bucks. I have taken > it a couple of times over the last 10 years, and always found it > worthwhile. Helps chip away at some of the bad habits learned over 37 > years of riding. > > --- In DSN_klr650@y..., Thor Lancelot Simon wrote: > > On Wed, Nov 20, 2002 at 12:51:30PM -0000, dooden wrote: > > > You fall when not moving ? I do suggest a MSF course, I went to > one > > > many years ago, and really cant see myself going again, except > maybe > > > a advanced riders course, but only if it helped lower insurance > rate > > > or something. > > > > From what Progressive told me, going to a riding skills course every > > three years is required in order to keep the safety course discount > > on my rates. Of course, the classes cost a few hundred bucks, so it > > probably works out about even. > > > > Thor > > 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 . > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[sulteck]

Hello all,,, I'm new to the list and a new owner of an old '99 KLR650(18km) and I have some questions. The previous owner has put street enduro tires on and I suspect has change the sprockets. This bike doesn't go slow well,,, nay badly. I know I should drive a little more aggressively (the bike is can take it) but it's been 25 years since I rode dirt(been riding a Goldwing for the last 5 years and a '82 CB750 before that ) and I'm a little afraid of rashing into a tree in Northern Ontario. If this is the case,,, how much will my top end revs go up if I put lower sprocket on the bike(presently 4500rpm's for about 105kmh). I will need new tires soon and want a 50/50 tire solution,,, any suggestions? Before my son(16) smashes my tank up(or worse),,, again, I have to get a suspension lowering kit. I've got short legs, 30" and he is shorter that me. I found one kit that has three positions 1"2"&3" on the same part. I want to lower it 2" my son wants 3". How much performance do you lose which ever way you go? Do you have to lower the front forks too? I understand the kickstand will need shorting but this means that the drop is a permanent change. Has anyone made a telescoping kickstand(cut the oem down and make an insert into the stock that could be adjusted by changing the length) I like to ride high but my son can't touch the ground. The goldwing solution to a high seat height is to cut the seat down,,, anyone try that? How can I tell if the doohickey has been changed out? I'm still looking for an online manual or a picture of old and new. Are there any links for how too's. The bike seems to heat up when going slow. On the highway the needle is about 1/8" up from cold,,, going slow the needle wonders up to almost to 1 o'clock. The fan does come on but it seems lame for cooling. Is this the norm? I'm looking for a cheap solution to a trunk. Presently looking at a Stanley 20"x10" tool box bolted onto the back rack. Any other ideas? Thanks to all who answer,,, for those that must flame the new guy, thanks for caring enough to respond.

[mikeypep]

Welcome to the group. It sound like you have stock gearing. On my A15 (2001) 65MPH is 4500RPM, and I'm geared 15/34, or stock (I think). Going up a gear or 2 in front will make it better for off road but its still not a stumper. Some of the more trail like guys will fil you in. Tires, there are many opinions, but from what I've seen the best 50/50 combo seems to be either the Mefo or thte Continental Conti TC80. If you want to go cheap do the Kenda 270 thing. They work just fine and can be way less than half the European tires. It sound like yours is cooling just fine. I typically run at about the 10 or 11 o'clock position on the road and 1 o'clock when traffic slows down, and then the fan comes on. That's how its supposed to work. The lowering links work great but you will lose off-road capability. The rear shock doesn't handle the big bumps as well. The leverage is greater with the kit. The more you lower, the greater you increase the leverage and it bottoms out. I have a 1 1/2 inch lowering kit and I love it but I'm 100% on-road. I have to stiffen up the shock sprinig all the way to ride 2 up and it still bottoms easily. And finally, yes, you should lower the front forks on the tri-tree thte same amount that you lower the rear. Ride safe, ride often. --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "sulteck" wrote:

> > Hello all,,, I'm new to the list and a new owner of an old '99 > KLR650(18km) and I have some questions. The previous owner has put > street enduro tires on and I suspect has change the sprockets. This > bike doesn't go slow well,,, nay badly. I know I should drive a

little

> more aggressively (the bike is can take it) but it's been 25 years > since I rode dirt(been riding a Goldwing for the last 5 years and a > '82 CB750 before that ) and I'm a little afraid of rashing into a

tree

> in Northern Ontario. If this is the case,,, how much will my top end > revs go up if I put lower sprocket on the bike(presently 4500rpm's

for

> about 105kmh). I will need new tires soon and want a 50/50 tire > solution,,, any suggestions? > > Before my son(16) smashes my tank up(or worse),,, again, I have to

get

> a suspension lowering kit. I've got short legs, 30" and he is

shorter

> that me. I found one kit that has three positions 1"2"&3" on the

same

> part. I want to lower it 2" my son wants 3". How much performance

do

> you lose which ever way you go? Do you have to lower the front

forks

> too? I understand the kickstand will need shorting but this means

that

> the drop is a permanent change. Has anyone made a telescoping > kickstand(cut the oem down and make an insert into the stock that > could be adjusted by changing the length) I like to ride high but

my

> son can't touch the ground. The goldwing solution to a high seat > height is to cut the seat down,,, anyone try that? > > How can I tell if the doohickey has been changed out? I'm still > looking for an online manual or a picture of old and new. Are there > any links for how too's. > > The bike seems to heat up when going slow. On the highway the

needle

> is about 1/8" up from cold,,, going slow the needle wonders up to > almost to 1 o'clock. The fan does come on but it seems lame for > cooling. Is this the norm? > > I'm looking for a cheap solution to a trunk. Presently looking at a > Stanley 20"x10" tool box bolted onto the back rack. Any other

ideas?

> > Thanks to all who answer,,, for those that must flame the new guy, > thanks for caring enough to respond. >

[smthng else]

On Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 11:28 AM, mikeypep wrote:

> finally, yes, you should lower the front forks on the tri-tree thte > same amount that you lower the rear.

Whoah there! The same amount? Dropping the front forks three inches is a bit extreme in my book! I'd start with 1/2 the distance and see how it feels. Expect to set it up four times to get it right... that way you won't be disappointed if you don't get it right the first time and it'll be a bonus if you manage it in less than four attempts. FWIW... I've got about 1 1/2" drop on my rear on the '08, but the front needed only 1/2". Yes, I know the suspension is different on the '08, but it's not THAT different. --Jonathan "smthng" Kalmes Springfield, VA 2005 Yamaha FJR1300ABS - "Blue Bayou" 2006 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon - "Teflon" 2008 Kawasaki KLR 650 - It's here, but it hasn't earned a name yet. http://smthng.info "Look, the truth is, I've been trying to save the world, one person at a time, but, I'm meant for smthng bigger. Smthng important. I know it now."

[mikeypep]

Wait a minute. Maybe I'm set up wrong. I lowered the rear 1 1/2", and the front the same. Why is this not OK? I may have used defective logic when I did this, but that was 2 years ago. I'm much older now, and need to get a little wiser.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "smthng else" wrote: > > On Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 11:28 AM, mikeypep wrote: > > finally, yes, you should lower the front forks on the tri-tree thte > > same amount that you lower the rear. > > Whoah there! The same amount? Dropping the front forks three inches > is a bit extreme in my book! I'd start with 1/2 the distance and see > how it feels. Expect to set it up four times to get it right... that > way you won't be disappointed if you don't get it right the first time > and it'll be a bonus if you manage it in less than four attempts. > > FWIW... I've got about 1 1/2" drop on my rear on the '08, but the > front needed only 1/2". Yes, I know the suspension is different on > the '08, but it's not THAT different. > > --Jonathan "smthng" Kalmes > Springfield, VA > 2005 Yamaha FJR1300ABS - "Blue Bayou" > 2006 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon - "Teflon" > 2008 Kawasaki KLR 650 - It's here, but it hasn't earned a name yet. > http://smthng.info > > "Look, the truth is, I've been trying to save the world, one person at > a time, but, I'm meant for smthng bigger. Smthng important. I know it > now." >

[smthng else]

On Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 2:47 PM, mikeypep wrote:

> Wait a minute. Maybe I'm set up wrong. I lowered the rear 1 1/2", and > the front the same. Why is this not OK? I may have used defective > logic when I did this, but that was 2 years ago. I'm much older now, > and need to get a little wiser.

I'm not saying there is a "right" or "wrong" here... especially since I can't experiment on pre-'08. But... suspension is subjective and touchy. There's no hard and fast rule. The only way to be sure it's "right" is to experiment. I do know that under no condition do I want three inches of fork tube sticking out of my tree! On the '08's I think that much tube sticking out of the top might actually hit smthng... hard. Since this is my first K, I started with the suggested "matching" distance when I installed my lowering links. 1 1/2" drop on the front made the bike feel like it was going to fall over on any corner. It sucked big time! No drop was the opposite... it didn't want to turn at all. After playing with it for a few hours (and a few test rides), 1/2" was the sweet spot. It goes where I want it to and I don't have to fight anything or even think about it. The only arguments I get from the bike is when the pegs touch down. The '08s have no adjustments, other than dropping them in the tree. If I had the nifty pre-load valves most of you do, I would have set it up for sag first (which is something you can calculate and measure), then done the adjustment in the tree for feel. --Jonathan "smthng" Kalmes Springfield, VA 2005 Yamaha FJR1300ABS - "Blue Bayou" 2006 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon - "Teflon" 2008 Kawasaki KLR 650 - It's here, but it hasn't earned a name yet. http://smthng.info "Look, the truth is, I've been trying to save the world, one person at a time, but, I'm meant for smthng bigger. Smthng important. I know it now."

[Jud Jones]

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

> > Hello all,,, I'm new to the list and a new owner of an old '99 > KLR650(18km) and I have some questions. The previous owner has put > street enduro tires on and I suspect has change the sprockets. This > bike doesn't go slow well,,, nay badly. I know I should drive a little > more aggressively (the bike is can take it) but it's been 25 years > since I rode dirt(been riding a Goldwing for the last 5 years and a > '82 CB750 before that ) and I'm a little afraid of rashing into a tree > in Northern Ontario. If this is the case,,, how much will my top end > revs go up if I put lower sprocket on the bike(presently 4500rpm's for > about 105kmh). I will need new tires soon and want a 50/50 tire > solution,,, any suggestions? > > Before my son(16) smashes my tank up(or worse),,, again, I have to get > a suspension lowering kit. I've got short legs, 30" and he is shorter > that me. I found one kit that has three positions 1"2"&3" on the same > part. I want to lower it 2" my son wants 3". How much performance do > you lose which ever way you go? Do you have to lower the front forks > too? I understand the kickstand will need shorting but this means that > the drop is a permanent change. Has anyone made a telescoping > kickstand(cut the oem down and make an insert into the stock that > could be adjusted by changing the length) I like to ride high but my > son can't touch the ground. The goldwing solution to a high seat > height is to cut the seat down,,, anyone try that? > > How can I tell if the doohickey has been changed out? I'm still > looking for an online manual or a picture of old and new. Are there > any links for how too's. > > The bike seems to heat up when going slow. On the highway the needle > is about 1/8" up from cold,,, going slow the needle wonders up to > almost to 1 o'clock. The fan does come on but it seems lame for > cooling. Is this the norm? > > I'm looking for a cheap solution to a trunk. Presently looking at a > Stanley 20"x10" tool box bolted onto the back rack. Any other ideas? > > Thanks to all who answer,,, for those that must flame the new guy, > thanks for caring enough to respond. >

Sounds like your temp gauge and cooling system are behaving normally. Lowering the bike with links is easy, too easy. If you do it, you will need to stiffen up the rear spring to compensate for the increased leverage the links give the swingarm; at least more preload, perhaps a stiffer spring. Even with a beefier spring, you will lose ground clearance and increase the risk of bottoming the tire on the fender. My inclination would be to lower the front an equivalent amount, but to do so after actually measuring the seat height differential, rather relying on what the maker of the links says about the links. Wait, I take that back. Actually my inclination would be to skip lowering the bike altogether. My inseam is 28", and I ride it fine. Comfort will come with practice, as will a keener awareness of where you are stopping. A telescoping sidestand has been done by cutting out a section of the tubing and inserting a rod drilled so it can be pinned at differing heights. A search on klr650.net will probably yield a couple of illustrated threads.

[nevadamontagu]

Here are the last of my KLR goodies. Add on Denver Craigslist: http://denver.craigslist.org/mcy/714824157.html Corbin Flat Seat Dirt Bagz Brackets Dual Star Guards Dual Star Fastener Kits Dual Star Misc. Euro Light Switch Brake Pads Twin Air Air Filter More....