cautions about idling - now melted airbox

[wb8bco]

I got my bike back last week from the dealer after they replaced the air box. It seems the bottom of the air box melted from the heat of the exhaust pipe located just under it. The service manager told me that the KLR was not designed to idle for long periods of time, and he has serviced many KLR's due to idling heat problems, of course mine was the worst he's seen so far. I let my bike idle in the winter to help keep the battery up, and to run it when the weather was so cold that I couldn't ride. The dealer told me that running the engine in cold weather causes condensation to form on both the outside and inside of the engine, which could damage it. He also told me that idling won't help the battery. I've posted pictures in the photo section. Tim Cook

[chinlerocks]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "wb8bco" wrote:

> I got my bike back last week from the dealer after they replaced

the

> air box. It seems the bottom of the air box melted from the heat

of

> the exhaust pipe located just under it. > > I've posted pictures in the photo section. > > Tim Cook

Tim, After reading your post I went and checked mine for similar damage. I have an A16 model and there is a metal heat shield between the exhaust/muffler and the bottom of the airbox(although the heat shield is smaller than the exposed airbox bottom). Did your KLR have this heat shield? After reading other posts about the melted radiator reservoir hose fitting, I fashioned a no-budget heat shield from a scrap of sheet metal roofing and wrapped it around the bottom of the reservoir to mount under the reservoir mounting bolt next to the frame tube. Billy in Dripping Springs, TX