chain adjusting problem - advice?

[Rich Kickbush]

Can someone tell me if any year of the KLR A series had solid balancer chain sprockets ie no springs and 1/4 spline pieces? Rich [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Fred Williams]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "Rich Kickbush" wrote:

> Can someone tell me if any year of the KLR A series had solid

balancer chain sprockets ie no springs and 1/4 spline pieces?

> > Rich > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Yes, The years people bought and installed Eldon Carls Solid Sprockets!! Fred A15 KAwtchasaki

[Rich Kickbush]

So here's some news - Kawasaki themselves have switched to solid sprockets in the C series. This is pretty much an admission that the older style were a problem, and Eldon is bang on the money with his solid version. The C series appears to have attempted to fix everything that was glaringly obviously weak or poorly designed on the A - forks, front brake, shifter (the stock now looks like the aftermarket), cables (the new ones are more flexible and have plastic sheathing on the inner cable), and now that I dig into my motor, solid sprockets. They saved money on the steel swingarm and wheels. Based on this I would suggest people look at switching to the solid sprockets when they do a balancer adjuster upgrade or chain replacement. Rich

----- Original Message ----- From: Fred Williams To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 10:23 PM Subject: [DSN_klr650] Re: solid balancer chain sprockets for KLR --- In DSN_klr650@y..., "Rich Kickbush" wrote: > Can someone tell me if any year of the KLR A series had solid balancer chain sprockets ie no springs and 1/4 spline pieces? > > Rich > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yes, The years people bought and installed Eldon Carls Solid Sprockets!! Fred A15 KAwtchasaki Visit the KLR650 archives at http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 Support Dual Sport News... dsneditor@... Let's keep this list SPAM free! Visit our site at http://www.egroups.com/group/DSN_klr650 To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Brad Davis]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "Rich Kickbush" wrote: > So here's some news - Kawasaki themselves have switched to solid sprockets in the C series. This is pretty much an admission that the older style were a problem, and Eldon is bang on the money with his solid version. So, can someone tell me what the problem is with the original balancer sprocket on the A series please? I'll be doing my balancer spring upgrade soon and if there is a statistically sound reason to change the sprocket that would be the time to do it. This is the first time I have heard of this being a problem and I am a little surprised about that because I have been a member of this list a year or so. However, I just remembered my Dec 99 back issue of DSN mentioned how Elden's sprocket "saved 12 pieces" or something like that. Still, I don't recall it saying this part was a "mandatory replacement" part. Thanks, Brad A fine A9

[Mark]

At 12:45 PM +0000 3/29/01, Brad Davis wrote:

> >--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "Rich Kickbush" wrote: >> So here's some news - Kawasaki themselves have switched to solid >sprockets in the C series. This is pretty much an admission that the >older style were a problem, and Eldon is bang on the money with his >solid version. > > >So, can someone tell me what the problem is with the original >balancer sprocket on the A series please? I'll be doing my balancer >spring upgrade soon and if there is a statistically sound reason to >change the sprocket that would be the time to do it. This is the >first time I have heard of this being a problem and I am a little >surprised about that because I have been a member of this list a year >or so. However, I just remembered my Dec 99 back issue of DSN >mentioned how Elden's sprocket "saved 12 pieces" or something like >that. Still, I don't recall it saying this part was a "mandatory >replacement" part.

Ya, please inform us all. I've been on the list for quite awhile too and this is the first I've heard of a sprocket problem. I inspected the ones on my '88 at 42,000 miles and they looked "normal". Mark B2 A2 A3

[Rich Kickbush]

. Still, I don't recall it saying this part was a "mandatory

>replacement" part.

Ya, please inform us all. I've been on the list for quite awhile too and this is the first I've heard of a sprocket problem. I inspected the ones on my '88 at 42,000 miles and they looked "normal". Nothing is mandatory, but Eldon has seen this spring and quarter spline arrangement strip out the shaft because of the movement in the system. There is very little contact area there. In one case it was so bad in the forward balancer sprocket that the shaft was not turning at all, in which case the water pump wasn't turning. Now this is an extreme case and thousands of KLRs survive without fixing this, but if you're in there and doing it anyway, why not replace them with solid sprockets? I haven't actually seen the originals design in the flesh, but it looks like they are meant to introduce some kind of suspension for the balancer chain. For Kawa to change this to a solid design, meaning redesigning and retooling which they have tried to avoid everywhere they could in the C series, there must have been problems that they were aware of. I believe Eldon has about 45K on his solid sprockets and they are working fine. Now this may or may not cause more wear on the chain itself, but Eldon recommends changing it at 30K to avoid having to change the sprockets anyway. At any rate, its cheaper than changing out the balancer shafts which I believe may strip out before the sprockets do. I'll check this. That's the low-down, its up to you to do what you want to do. The vast majority of KLRs haven't had this mod done and are running fine. The balancer upgrade is the important one to do. Rich PS you have to remove the sprocket to actually see any potential damage, as the washer covers this area. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Bogdan Swider]

> So here's some news - Kawasaki themselves have switched to solid sprockets > in the C series. This is pretty much an admission that the older style > were a problem, and Eldon is bang on the money with his solid version. > The C series appears to have attempted to fix everything that was > glaringly obviously weak or poorly designed on the A - forks, front brake, > shifter (the stock now looks like the aftermarket), cables (the new ones > are more flexible and have plastic sheathing on the inner cable), and now > that I dig into my motor, solid sprockets. They saved money on the steel > swingarm and wheels. Based on this I would suggest people look at > switching to the solid sprockets when they do a balancer adjuster upgrade > or chain replacement. > > Rich >

I changed the innards in both sprockets, 4 (I seem to recall) little springs and a washer for a larger washer that Elden's machinist fabricated. $40, I think he charges $50 now. I case anyone's wondering that's what's called a solid sprocket. I did it because when I looked inside one of the sprockets ( the rear one I believe) one side of the little springs were worn/ground down more than 1/3 of the way through. The springs inside the other sprocket showed no wear. This was at 30k (miles of course, Pierre Trudeau has never ruled the U.S.) The machinist guy that sells them is Mike Cowlishaw, Eagle Mfg., 619 479 0123. I wouldn't rush to do this but if you're in there anyway, why not. Bogdan the Tweety Killer

[Rich Kickbush]

Maybe my bad. My dealer is trying to tell me that at some stage the A series upgraded their balancer sprockets to a solid design, I'm guessing it was in 96 with the balancer mechanism. Can anyone whose pulled post-96 sprockets off tell us if these are solid or not? If so, no need to upgrade them, and it means you can order the 96-on parts from your dealer if you have a bike with the springs. Rich Sprung too soon

----- Original Message ----- From: Bogdan Swider To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com ; Fred Williams ; 'Rich Kickbush' Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2001 10:28 AM Subject: RE: [DSN_klr650] Re: solid balancer chain sprockets for KLR > So here's some news - Kawasaki themselves have switched to solid sprockets > in the C series. This is pretty much an admission that the older style > were a problem, and Eldon is bang on the money with his solid version. > The C series appears to have attempted to fix everything that was > glaringly obviously weak or poorly designed on the A - forks, front brake, > shifter (the stock now looks like the aftermarket), cables (the new ones > are more flexible and have plastic sheathing on the inner cable), and now > that I dig into my motor, solid sprockets. They saved money on the steel > swingarm and wheels. Based on this I would suggest people look at > switching to the solid sprockets when they do a balancer adjuster upgrade > or chain replacement. > > Rich > I changed the innards in both sprockets, 4 (I seem to recall) little springs and a washer for a larger washer that Elden's machinist fabricated. $40, I think he charges $50 now. I case anyone's wondering that's what's called a solid sprocket. I did it because when I looked inside one of the sprockets ( the rear one I believe) one side of the little springs were worn/ground down more than 1/3 of the way through. The springs inside the other sprocket showed no wear. This was at 30k (miles of course, Pierre Trudeau has never ruled the U.S.) The machinist guy that sells them is Mike Cowlishaw, Eagle Mfg., 619 479 0123. I wouldn't rush to do this but if you're in there anyway, why not. Bogdan the Tweety Killer [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[zootpatutie]

Some use a tape to measure from the swing arm bolt to the axle bolt on either side. I just set the wheel on the loose side, and then tap the index brackets as far forward as they go before adjusting the tensioning bolts. This keeps them always in contact with the axle as the chain is brought to tension. Todd A9

> > > Has anyone else run across this problem? How do you accurately maintain

axle

> (wheel and brake disc) alignment while tensioning the chain? Are all the > outer chain adjusters made this way, or did mine wear out larger holes for > some reason? > > Opinions and advice are welcome. > > Lane T. > Tucson >