saddlebag guards pics uploaded

[Jim Jackson]

Howdy! So I'm out on hwy 100 here in the Baltimore area today. First time 'really' out riding here, you know? I'm 100%, watching everyone and driving carefully at 65 or so. Then this bonehead in a Toyota pickup decides to merge on top of me. Car behind me. Car to my left. Idiot to my right. Standard 2-3 car length following distance in front of me. Naturally, this guy is not interested in seeing me, even with my spankin' new Axis Yellow RF900. So I attempt to hit the empty space in front of me. What I need is about 10 seconds or less of real power. I twist the throttle to wide open and my trusty steed kinda inches forward into the spot, barely avoiding hood ornamentation. When you ride a even a tiny bit slower than traffic, this is a standard situation it seems. The knucklehead cager doesn't have the juice to take the empty spot ahead of you, you don't feel comfortable slowing down because the brain-dead cager behind you is just too close. I don't want another bike. I've put off buying the Ducati for a time when I have no debt whatsoever, which will be, well, not this year. What is a good riding technique for this situation and/or how do you set up the humble 38-42 hp KLR to handle this necessity? I've got the K&N filter and an opened up airbox. Steve Kesselring at Quality Engine tweaked out the dynojet kit and supertrapp IDS and I've got 16T front and standard rear sprockets. I'm running around 5000-5500 at 65 and all I really want is to be able to jump to 80 or so really fast for a very short period of time. Downshifting just winds the thumper out and doesn't seem to provide any additional juice. Am I asking too much or am I just driving badly? Thanks in advance, Jim Jackson II A13 "Gonzo" Baltimore MD _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

[monahanwb@yahoo.com]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "Jim Jackson" wrote:

> So I'm out on hwy 100 here in the Baltimore area today. First

time 'really'

> out riding here, you know? I'm 100%, watching everyone and driving

carefully

> at 65 or so.

Jim, you should know better; you shouldn't be out on the freeways. The backroads are the way to go. The knucklehead .... doesn't have much juice either. I'm running around 5000-5500 at 65 and all I

> really want is to be able to jump to 80 or so really fast for a

very short

> period of time. Downshifting just winds the thumper out and doesn't

seem to

> provide any additional juice.

I believe the stock KLR turns about 4400 at 65, at 15/43. At 16/43, it ought to be turning about 4200 at 65. Are you sure you don't have a 14T front? I would suggest that if you are going to be driving freeways then put stock gearing on there, and use 4th gear up to about 80. That's what works for me when I take the KLR on freeways. I have a Bandit 1200 for freeways. It makes short work out of just about anything out there. Highly recommended.

[jayduchin@aol.com]

BRAKING not accelerating is usually the safer way out of a dangerous situation. I know many of you will disagree with me but keep in mind the following: 60 MPH = 88'/second. It's tempting to blast the wick wide open and rocket away from a hazzard but what about the person 3 cars in front that doesn't see you and decided to close the door on you. Practice safe riding on the street and save the speed for the track. "And most important, always wear clean underwear" - your mother Phantom Rider 1985 K100 rs 1972 Yamaha CT1 175 2000 Kawasaki KLR 650

[Kurt Simpson (Dual Sport News)]

I believe the stock KLR turns about 4400 at 65, at 15/43. At 16/43, it ought to be turning about 4200 at 65. Are you sure you don't have a 14T front? I would suggest that if you are going to be driving freeways then put stock gearing on there, and use 4th gear up to about 80. That's what works for me when I take the KLR on freeways. __________________ Here is what I had: Stock: 15X43 (measured tire circumference 76.5 inches): 4200 RPM computes to 59.9 MPH 80 MPH computes to 5696 RPM ___________________________ Taller gearing 16 X 43 (same circumference 76.5 inches): 4200 RPM computes to 62.9 80 MPH computes to 5340 Kurt

[Rich Kickbush]

. Am I asking too much or am I just driving

> badly? > > Thanks in advance, > > Jim Jackson II > A13 "Gonzo" > Baltimore MD > >

Jim, Hate to ask but where were you in relation to the idiot car at the time? If it was right beside him, you might have been in his blind spot - by blind spot I don't mean the classic definition, I extend it to mean either having some part of your bike in the view of the main windshield or at least the very front part of the side window. If you can't be there, I suggest dropping back to where you are clearly in their side mirror. If you do see them moving into your lane, you only have to drop back half a bike length to clear. I know this is all very well in theory, practice is a different story with rapidly merging traffic, but this is the ideal I shoot for, and find myself constantly correcting to the car next to me. If you are riding in that 'danger zone' between these two points, you're gunna need a much more powerful bike than the KLR to clear a dickhead in time, especially if you're already travelling at 65. You also mentioned you ride a 16T front sprocket - this is great for lowering freeway revs but ain't gonna give you that much power in traffic. I run a 14T, and the more I ride with it, the more I think this is my choice of weapon for anything other than touring. Can anybody think of a way to make a post 96 sprocket easier to change? A hinged retainer washer, maybe? Rich

[jayduchin@aol.com]

Re: Mid-Range Grunt: I tend to be a trouble maker - all is relative. I tend to accelerate to get away from "things" too but in my opinion it's a very bad habbit. I think many riders rely on acceleration when faced with a dilemma. It's all about traction management. At slower speeds you simply have more grip. When you have grip you can do just about anything you want. In an emergency, I feel it's better to have control vs. acceleration since you often can't see the hazzards in front of the situation no matter how far down the road you can see. The capability of a 2 wheeler stopping faster than a cage is purely dependent on rider skill and available traction. 4 contact points with ABS on a less than ideal road surface will usually be more effective than a moto's capabilities. Maximum 2 wheeled braking is only achieved when straight line braking. The fraction of a second it takes to get a bike upright from even a moderate lean angle greatly decreases out ability of performing a maximum effort stop. Also remember that most of our KLR's don't have full street tires, further reducing our braking capabilities. Now get out there and practice your wheelies in traffic with your helmetless, bikini clad girlfriends on the back. My comments are not to be taken confrontationally but to challenge our current ways of thinking. Ultimately, we have to use whatever works for us individually. I'm sure there are riders out there that are more skilled at high speeds compared to my low speed capabilities. Mr. Wannabe MSF instructor and certified trouble maker - Hey, lighten up a little and have fun! Phantom Rider 1985 K100 rs 1972 Yamaha CT1 175 2000 Kawasaki KLR 650 Original response to obnoxious me: "While I understand your point, it just doesn't match what I've experienced in my 350,000+ miles of riding, at all. It is generally better to pull ahead of the "danger", but of course keeping mindful of what's ahead. Think about your serious braking, vs. serious accelerating. Which traffic is easier to monitor? That ahead of you when accelerating, or that behind you when braking? I find it easier, for what I hope are obvious reasons, to see what is going on in front of me. The guy 3 persons back can close that same door even easier than the one 3 persons ahead. Add to that that a mc can seriously outbrake ANY cage due to the very soft nature of a mc tire vs. a cage tire. If you think cage drivers will see you because you are ahead of them and not behind them - NOT!! At least I have a better chance of seeing the guy ahead of me screw up the situation, because both of them WILL!"

[rcoker2882@yahoo.com]

I just created a file "RC's saddlebag guards" in the files section to show what a tightwad like me can do to save $200. Now all I need to do is decide which bags to buy. It's a hard decision for me. RC