ride report: crown king trail

[Fred Hink]

Lee,   Since you brought up the subject, the doohickey is not a cam chain tensioner but the counter balancer adjuster lever .  This is exactly how misnamed parts continue to be misnamed.  So setting the record straight, the name doohickey has been around for about 18 years now.  It isn t my favorite use of that name but it has stuck all these years and anyone that has been around a KLR for any short length of time will know exactly what that part is.   Motorcyclists by large are a pretty independent group and usually don t give a rat s backside what anyone else thinks.  There are no set rules that you have to use the term doohickey and if it makes you feel better saying counter balancer adjuster lever by all means knock yourself out.  Just don t call the Doohickey a cam chain tensioner. Fred http://www.arrowheadmotorsports.com   [b]From:[/b] ldodge3082@... [b]Sent:[/b] Saturday, September 21, 2013 8:26 AM [b]To:[/b] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [b]Subject:[/b] [DSN_KLR650] Doohicky's, What'cha m'call its, and 'that shiny thing with grooves in the edge'    

I have 2 KLR's and I well know their value in terms of overall competence, however the general M/C ing world is only recently becoming more aware of that competence.  We, as a group, by continuing to use a term like "Doohicky" for a 'cam chain tensioner contribute to the view that KLRs and their riders are unsophisticated Newbes who don't even know the names of their bikes parts.  Due to the KLR's low cost and wide capabilities it does interest buyers (with long inseams) new to M/Cs who do not know and can't be expected to know the names of the parts as some/most of us do, that may be true.  But as a group I see no benefit in perpetuating ignorance; I'm sure those who don't know would prefer to become more informed about their M/C.  Picture yourself going into a parts house asking for a Doohicky or "one of those 'thing a m'bobs' that goes on the handlebar."  The parts guy will be gentle and polite but if there's some long time rider at the counter as well you'd be subjected to a slow head turn with a look that read 'who is that turkey?"  No words required but message delivered.   I suggest we start using the correct name for cam chain tensioners.  Let's upgrade our image. An opinion only, your thoughts? Lee

[Desert Datsuns]

So I just measured the distance between the front of the foot peg, and the back of the handlebar grip, on the Gen2 KLR650 it's 32.5 inches. On my CRF450X it's 35 inches. That's a significant difference, and the reason the KLR is hard to ride like a dirt bike standing up. I just got my Rox risers in, and will be installing them today. Ryan Phoenix, AZ Desert Datsuns wrote:

> > > I just ordered the Rox 2 inch dual swivel risers for the stock bars. I > had contemplated getting some high-rise atv style bars, but really want > to move the bars forward as well, so they're in a more "dirt bike" > position over the forks. The stock cockpit is just too cramped for > serious off roading. > > I had thought about lowering the pegs, but on that last trail they were > hitting rocks in the stock position, so I don't want to make it any > worse. I broke off one of the feelers hitting a large river rock. > Ryan > Phoenix, AZ > > walk9940@... wrote: > > > > > > The Powermad, or Roxx risers are the ticket for a KLR650. I installed > > a 3 inch Powermad pivot type riser on my Gen 1 bike and it made a big > > difference. If you just use a straight riser, it moves the bars back > > towards the rider as well as up. With a double pivot riser, you not > > only get the bars up, but forwards as well. This makes all of the > > difference in technical riding. One of the best mods one could make to > > a KLR ridden in the dirt. > > > > Doug > > > > > > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, wrote: > > > > No, it sucked. The first half totally sucked. The second half was nice, > > and the ride home was nice, but I'll never do that trail again. > > > > As for the bars, I'm probably just so used to the dirt bike setup for > > riding in the dirt, where the foot pegs and handle bars are further > > apart. I don't believe my gen 1 bike had as much of an issue, but my gen > > 2 just doesn't seem comfortable in that regard. Rotating the bars isn't > > a bad idea, but I think I'd be more comfortable with more height than > > that would give me. I'd like an inch-and-a-half or so. Would be nice to > > push the bar centerline closer to the fork centers as well, they're > > pulled pretty far back on my gen 2 bike. > > Ryan > > Phoenix, AZ > > > > Dooden wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > But was it Fun ? > > > > > > Simple thing with the bars, is rotate them forward a bit, makes > > them a > > > bit higher and more forward. Made standing on the pegs alot easier > > for me. > > > > > > Dooden > > > A15 Green Ape > > > > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > > DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com>, Desert Datsuns wrote: > > > > > > > > It's been about 12 years since I last did the Crown King trail > > from Lake > > > > Pleasant in the desert, up to Crown King in the pine trees. Back > > then we > > > > did it on dirt bikes, and I remember it being not too bad of a > > ride. So > > > > I figured I'd take the KLR up there yesterday. Keep in mind that > > I've > > > > been riding both street and dirt bikes for 20+ years. > > > > > > > > Big mistake. The trail has become A LOT worse over the years. It > > would > > > > have been a tough ride on a dirt bike, let alone the KLR. There were > > > > super steep inclines, with rock outcroppings in the trail, big rocks > > > > everywhere, creekbed river rocks, and some nasty "rock > > waterfall" spots. > > > > > > > > The first sign of trouble was when I couldn't get the bike out > > of a rut, > > > > and had to walk next to it as I tried to get the back tire out > > of the > > > > ditch. Not so easy when the trail is uphill, the ruts are big, and > > > > there's rocks everywhere. This was my first time dry heaving on the > > > > trail, there would be many more to come. From this point I could > > still > > > > see the trail below where I started, and thought about turning > > around > > > > and going home. I wish I had. Unfortunately I thought to myself, > > "how > > > > bad can it really be". I was going to find out the hard way. > > > > > > > > I then crashed twice. The first was on a steep incline, where > > there were > > > > ridges on the sides, and it was washed out in the center. I > > dumped the > > > > bike so the tires were on the ridge, and the handlebars were > > down in the > > > > center rut. It took some effort, but I was able to right the > > bike, and > > > > walk next to it while I powered it up past the gnarly spot. I > > took a 15 > > > > minute break trying not to puke. > > > > > > > > > > > > The second was on one of the rock waterfall type things. By this > > time I > > > > was so tired that I was having a hard time controlling the bike, and > > > > just couldn't put the wheels where I wanted to. On a 40 degree > > incline > > > > the front tire hit a rock outcropping and bounced up, while the rear > > > > tire drove it into a wheelie, and dumped the bike to the right. > > The bike > > > > ended up perpendicular to the trail, with the wheels uphill of the > > > > handlebars, and a void in the rocks below it. The exact > > situation which > > > > makes it physically impossible to stand it up. Being too tired > > to right > > > > the bike, I had to just let it sit there for a while as I took a > > break. > > > > I ended up having to use the luggage rack handle to drag the bike on > > > > it's side until it was pointing in a direction where I could > > right it. > > > > Due to the harshness of the trail, and the effort expended > > righting the > > > > bike, I had to take a solid 20 minute break to recuperate while > > I dry > > > > heaved from over-exertion. Luckily my crash bars and right > > highway peg > > > > took most of the impact. > > > > > > > > The last big issue was riding through a stream bed with boulders > > > > everywhere. This was the kind of area where the front tire goes > > over a > > > > rock and you case it when the front tire comes down. The aluminum > > > > skidplate was worth it's weight in gold, as it got ground-over and > > > > smacked into so many rocks. The constant continuous pounding of the > > > > rocks made my arms feel like I hadn't eaten in a week. I found a > > nice > > > > tree with a big flat rock, and just laid there for a while. At > > least now > > > > I was far enough in elevation that the temperature was cooling > > off, and > > > > there was a nice breeze. I could have easily taken a nap. > > > > > > > > After some more river bed riding, I took one last break. I ate > > my last > > > > protein bar, and finished off my second Gatorade. Fortunately > > the second > > > > half of the ride wasn't bad at all. Relatively easy trail riding. No > > > > more monster inclines or massive rocks. I bought another > > Gatorade at the > > > > General Store in Crown king, and relaxed in the cool pines for > > about 30 > > > > minutes before taking the normal dirt road home. > > > > > > > > I learned a few things on this ride. > > > > 1) The Dunlops are not good for serious off roading. > > > > 2) A 16t front sprocket is not good for serious off roading, I could > > > > have used a 14t on this ride. > > > > 3) The handlebars are way to low to ride while standing up, I need > > > > risers, and I'm only 5-10. > > > > 4) The aluminum skidplate was a must, I bashed that thing over > > so many > > > > rocks I lost count. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Ryan > > > > Phoenix, AZ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > No virus found in this message. > > > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com http://www.avg.com> > > > Version: 2012.0.2242 / Virus Database: 3222/6162 - Release Date: > > 09/13/13 > > > > > > > > > > > No virus found in this message. > > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com http://www.avg.com> > > Version: 2012.0.2242 / Virus Database: 3222/6168 - Release Date: 09/15/13 > > > > > > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com http://www.avg.com> > Version: 2012.0.2242 / Virus Database: 3222/6168 - Release Date: 09/15/13 >