bike dying and backfiring???

[homework4fun]

Hello all, I've read some of the previous posts regarding rider height and found them very helpful. Even so, I just want to get a few more opinions about rider height... My brothers and I are planning an intercontinental motorcycle trip, 15 months from now. Ideally we would all like to have the same dual-sport motorcycle for reliability purposes. I'm the shortest (& strongest of my brothers, at 5'5 135lbs. I figure that w/ 1.5" lowering links installed and thick soled boots, I'd be able to adapt to the 650. What do y'all think? Thanks in advance! Much appreciated!

[John Thompson]

Yep - others have... now go plan! To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com From: homework4fun@... Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 20:33:20 +0000 Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Short riders ~ KLR 650 for the vertically challeneged Hello all, I've read some of the previous posts regarding rider height and found them very helpful. Even so, I just want to get a few more opinions about rider height... My brothers and I are planning an intercontinental motorcycle trip, 15 months from now. Ideally we would all like to have the same dual-sport motorcycle for reliability purposes. I'm the shortest (& strongest of my brothers, at 5'5 135lbs. I figure that w/ 1.5" lowering links installed and thick soled boots, I'd be able to adapt to the 650. What do y'all think? Thanks in advance! Much appreciated! _________________________________________________________________ Get Windows Live and get whatever you need, wherever you are. Start here. http://www.windowslive.com/default.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Home_082008 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jeff Saline]

On Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:33:20 -0000 "homework4fun" writes:

> Hello all, > > I've read some of the previous posts regarding rider height and > found > them very helpful. Even so, I just want to get a few more opinions > about rider height... > > My brothers and I are planning an intercontinental motorcycle trip, > 15 > months from now. Ideally we would all like to have the same > dual-sport > motorcycle for reliability purposes. I'm the shortest (& strongest > > of my brothers, at 5'5 135lbs. > > I figure that w/ 1.5" lowering links installed and thick soled > boots, > I'd be able to adapt to the 650. What do y'all think? > > Thanks in advance! Much appreciated!

<><><><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><><><> Howdy, Sounds from your post like you've got enough attitude (that's a good thing in this case) to ride a stock KLR without lowering it. I bet you'll do fine. I think it makes a lot of sense to have the same bikes on the trip. That will make it much easier for maintenance and riding decisions like speed, distance between fuel stops etc. Hope you have as much fun planning the trip as you get from the trip itself. Best, Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT ____________________________________________________________ Save money by converting to an EMR system. Click here for more information. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/Ioyw6i3oIm6TdI7SOz5EAJY7jkf3ybwU1WMBPvFL2Nl4fOlBMW0FIg/

[Rick]

Others will respond here to keep your KLR at stock height. I think some of them are 5' 6" and weigh 400 pounds, so when they sit on their bike it really sags. Plus I think these guys don't ride fully loaded KLR's further than 10 miles from home. I'm a mere 5'9" and 195# and my wife is 5'5" and a mere 120# and we are old. I lowered both of our bikes. We travel fully loaded (everything but the kitchen sink when the wife is along) to countries such as Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Belize. Our bikes loaded are very top heavy. When they start to go over, we just say 'timber' and let them fall. If you are are vertically challenged like us, a lowered KLR and being able to flat foot is good. Tippy toes don't cut it when you go to stop in a 2nd or 3rd world country pot hole or even a pot hole in the good ole USA. Lower your bike, enjoy it on your trip and you can alway raise it back to stock. You do give up ground clearance if you were thinking you were going to hit the really gnarly stuff. Other than losing some clearance, we ride lots of stuff here in the mountains of Colorado and the desert around Moab. Fred at Arrowhead sells most of what you will need. --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "homework4fun" wrote:

> > Hello all, > > I've read some of the previous posts regarding rider height and found > them very helpful. Even so, I just want to get a few more opinions > about rider height... > > My brothers and I are planning an intercontinental motorcycle trip, 15 > months from now. Ideally we would all like to have the same dual-sport > motorcycle for reliability purposes. I'm the shortest (& strongest > of my brothers, at 5'5 135lbs. > > I figure that w/ 1.5" lowering links installed and thick soled boots, > I'd be able to adapt to the 650. What do y'all think? > > Thanks in advance! Much appreciated! >

[smthng else]

On Fri, Aug 8, 2008 at 4:33 PM, homework4fun wrote:

> My brothers and I are planning an intercontinental motorcycle trip, 15 > months from now. Ideally we would all like to have the same dual-sport > motorcycle for reliability purposes. I'm the shortest (& strongest > of my brothers, at 5'5 135lbs. > I figure that w/ 1.5" lowering links installed and thick soled boots, > I'd be able to adapt to the 650. What do y'all think?

Sounds about right. You could probably manage the KLR without lowering it, but I doubt it would be fun. The lowering links will probably be enough for you. You'll probably have to cut/replace the kickstand as well... be aware that the rear end will drop considerably with gear on the bike. If you're loading up, make sure the kickstand doesn't need to be cut more to compensate. --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 "If I'd known it was harmless, I would have killed it myself."

[Bogdan Swider]

> > > I figure that w/ 1.5" lowering links installed and thick soled boots, > I'd be able to adapt to the 650. What do y'all think? >

I agree with my fellow Colorado world travelers and others that advised you to lower the bike. FWiW I ve traveled to pretty much the same south of the border places they ve mentioned. And yes, putting my foot down into a pot hole while in a motel parking lot in Veracruz state is still vivid in my mind. I ll add that a lowered bike is easier to pick up. I would go with 1.5 down and also cut down the seat a couple of inches. Insert a gel pad leaving a little foam on top of and you ll be comfy. When you lower the bike a aluminum bash plate is a must. Bogdan [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Michael Martin]

Sounds like carb to me. Maybe water in the gas. Seafoam may do the trick. You could try draining the float bowl first. HTH, Mike Martin, Louisville, KY ----- Original Message ---- From: jokerhd2001 I have an 07 KLR and it has been sitting for 5-6 days. It ran fine when I last ran it. It started up fine. As I was riding it appeared to accel fine, but when I would lay off the gas to come to a stop or shift, it would backfire and I would have to give it gas to keep running. It seemed to get worse in the 18 mile drive and now I am stuck at work. What do you think? Carb? (Seafoam) OR plugs or what? Thanks Visit Your Group Y! Sports for TV Access it for free Get Fantasy Sports stats on your TV. Yahoo! News Fashion News What's the word on fashion and style? Find helpful tips for Moderators on the Yahoo! Groups team blog. . [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]