hepco becker skid plate gen2 - a rant!

[Martin Earl]

Hi Norm,Thanks for taking the time to give this skid-plate product a review.Curious Q. How did you friend discover this product vs. other metal skid plates?Any idea why he chose this over something else? Now-Unabashed, unsolicited plug for Fred. aka Arrowhead Sports, I learned a long time ago, Fred only sells stuff that works.He will not sell you something you don't need, (unless you insist)! That skid plate (described) is for the wanna-be adventure rider.Only looks like the big-boy stuff.If you want what works the first time, ask Fred.If it does not work, he does not carry it. If it is in stock, it will be in your mailbox/on your bench in 2-4 days. revmaaatin.

On Tue, Aug 5, 2014 at 4:28 PM, 'Norm Keller' normkel32@... [DSN_KLR650] DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> wrote: A friend has a Hepco Becker engine skid plate on his Gen2. It's not worth the money, IMO. In fact I would use one of these for free. The skid plate looks like it was intended for multiple uses as it has spacers and doesn't come back beyond the transmission case screw bump ahead of the drain plug. Both the bump and drain plug are dangerously exposed as sliding over a rock would dump the full impact onto one or both. Nasty! I'd have to put the stock plastic guard against this one but think it might be better. I'n usually not totally down on any product but take a pass on this one! It looks like the one in this link but I can't see the length: http://www.adventuremotorcycleparts.com/product/ET810-206.html Lovely, as not only doesn't it protect the sump, IMO, but has aluminum spacers which have to be held in place by sticking the screws through and trying to line thing up. Of course they do go astray but make up for the inconvenience by being aluminum so can't use a magnet. (Face palm) Then, the piece-de-resistance: the screws are stainless with small Allen socket heads. His have been in place for a few days but required lapping compound on the bit to remove two and the other a carbide drill to drill the head off. The threads were not seized in the engine mount bracket, the screw head was seized to the countersunk aluminum washer. Why, oh why to people insist on using stainless and then into aluminum?......:banghead: It might be possible to save one of these by welding an extension onto the rear and using plated bolts with washers, IMO. For the price + welding ? Not one good word for this skid plate..... Sorry!

[ato137528]

The fan relay was bad...a trip to Auto Zone scored a new one.  I got a EX500 fan motor and 8-bladed fan.  It went right in the KLR mounting bracket.  I even popped for a new GPI Racing high capacity radiator.  Put it all together and grounded the fan switch wire...it all worked like a charm.  When I attached the wire to the fan switch that screws into the bottom of the radiator, the bike would overheat and there was no fan.  I saw a video about how to use a multimeter to test the switch in a pot of boiling water, but I don't have a multimeter and assumed that since the fan works great when grounded that the switch must be bad too.  I dropped $70 on a brand new one.  Everything is NEW so it's all good, right?  Wrong.  The bike still overheats and the fan won't come on!  Ground it?  Yes...it works fine.  I unscrewed the NEW switch from the radiator, plugged the wire into it, and dipped it into a boiling pot of water.  STILL no fan!  The connection between the plug on the switch and the wire seems fine. Would someone PLEASE tell me what I have missed?  Surely a NEW fan switch can't be bad, right? Thanks in advance. Lamar in MS A14

[Jeff Saline]

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