1996-1999 klr650

[Martin Fletchall]

A while back someone was asking about DOT approved nobs. I recently purchased some MT 21 s and I gotta tell you I LOVE these tires. So far I ve gotten about 350 miles on them I ride my 95 KLR (LeTigre) every day, to school, work, and just having fun. I ride about 50/50 but do my aggressive riding in the dirt . My old Dunlop Trailmax s just weren t cutting it in the dirt very good street tire but worthless in dirt. The 21 s hookup very well in loose dirt and the front tire digs in well without pushing (as best a KLR can). On hard trail the ride and traction is exceptional. On pavement they do have a definite hum , but to me it s very acceptable and MUCH less than other nob s I ve had on other bikes. They also have a built up side wall of knobs for cornering on pavement. I was surprised at how well they handled although I don t think I d try to grind em like I could with the Trailmax s. The beefed up sidewall also helps when riding on angled elevations and off camber trails. (They keep you from sliding down when your only riding on the sidewall of the tire). By the way this weekend I found out why all the MX kids say that you ve gotta be crazy to take one of these bikes off road. You can t just throw around a 320 pound bike. You must be a skilled and predictable rider always thinking ahead. (You definitely can t just pinball you way up or down steep rocky stuff ) As a matter of fact I was recently reading a dual sport write-up in one of big bike mags (the names of guilty parties withheld) and it said the KLR was for over the hill dirt riders and the KLR was designed for the road not dirt .(Granted probably written by someone who rides a 200 pound 250 or 400) It cracks me up .. One thing I did find out for sure though is that the KLR is NOT stock geared or jetted from steep intricate riding. My bike died several times in between some rocks (O sh*t!) on some steep intricate climbs. Thank God for the electric starter . I had to really feather the clutch but this overheated my bike by the time I got to the top. But I did make where some punks on some 125 mx s where watching the crazy old man! HE HE . Which brings to me next point I also got laughed at pretty good one time when LeTigre died in between an off camber there was not where to put my feet You guessed it (O Sh*t). LeTigre fell over on me. Well just as any good receiver does after going over the middle and getting jacked by the middle linebacker I jumped up and started LeTigre and road off around the corner where they couldn t see me stopped to clean the cobwebs out of my head. Glad I had my helmet on! I was only going about 1mph but I fell downhill and hit my head on a rock ..(poor rock). The kids came over and starting giving me crap which was fun cause they got a good laugh out of why I call my bike LeTigre. If anyone on the list was in school during the eighties you might remember the brightly colored LeTigre polo shirts. Well if you ve seen an A9 (Teal Green, White and Purple) you know what I m talking about . And riding the 650 is like having a tiger by the tail Thus LeTigre! On a safety note I purchased some HALO reflective tape the other day and put in strategic place on LeTigre. It works VERY well. I ve had several comments already about how well people can see my bike at night. Not cheap but safety is worth it. OK I ll shut up now well I ve been reading all these posts on safety and just let me say this in addition to what s already been said (and I m sure Swede will agree, but not speaking for Swede) as a former police office be very careful when riding at NIGHT. MANY people have a problem with depth perception at night ESPECIALLY if your hauling ass Seen to many accidents from this, and for whatever reason it s harder to judge speed when there s only one light coming at you instead of two. Just saw some middle aged lady make a lefty right into two kids on crotch rockets racing down 92nd coming of Wadsworth. Messed em up bad. Ok now I ll shut up and get up my soap box! God Bless! Fletch. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Wael]

I am interested in purchasing a newer KLR650. I checked the 2001 model and I do not like the colors. I am interested in the blue/teal color of 1996-1999. Does anybody know of a clean one with low miles for sale?? Thanks. Wael R1100GS RMX250 K1 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]