any military people here get to ride diesel version of the klr

[Streetfighters]

Wait a minute here guys. The prices and the mods are getting a little out of hand here. I'm not talking about WP suspension, 50+ hp, mag wheels or a full fairing - just basic updates. Every bike out there save the KLR gets a little tweaking at least every year. I wouldn't want to change the bike completely. But yes, some top end improvements would be nice, the plastic rad covers could be improved, and the headlight/fairing COULD be improved, the muffler and doohickey are all things that could be improved. Nicer clocks would be cool too. I also like to add lots of farkle and personalize my bikes and these improvements wouldn't prohibit me from doing that. And these improvements wouldn't necessarily reduce the reliability, durability or performance of the bike much less increase the price significantly. Yes, it's good for us to be able to buy a good new bike for 5k (+/-) but people still buy other DS bikes for a little more because of those "upgrades". Otherwise they would have bought the KLRs. I mean, the only significant update/upgrade has been the elimination of kickstart a long time ago and the change of colors every few years or so. I'd like to see an alu frame, something like the CRF has. A removable subframe with a smaller lighter muffler, a better top end (mechanically - I'm not talking "Top End" as in revs) to accept performance mods with a notable improvement, the rad covers improved so that one drop doesn't immediately break the fasteners, a headlight that competes with the others on performance (don't tell me the KLR headlight is great - it's adequate and that's it) without having to add a harness to reroute the power to the headlight without going through the switches increasing resistance and robbing the headlight of the power it and you deserve). And the front end thing - is good for most of us but there's a lot of talk about swapping front ends here. Kawi can just add adjustments for preload and rebound without adding $$'s to the price here too. It's a good bike for the money. No, actually it's a great bike for the money. But it could be an even better bike for about the same price and I think everyone would agree to pay about 500 more (if that) for the improvements I've mentioned alone. And don't forget the doohickey. Cheap fix Kawi should address. Geoff- This was a XT topic right? www.oldrice.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Silverstein" To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 8:25 AM Subject: RE: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Review of '05 XT660R My guess is that an updated KLR650 would be priced in the neighborhood of Suzuki's DL650, which is listed at $6,699.00. Half that $1600 difference will easily pay for a bunch of neat stuff. > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Streetfighters" > wrote: > > Actually - I think this is a good thing. Maybe it will get Kawasaki > > and > > Honda and Suzuki to get up off their duff and deliver us > something a little > > better than the current KLR. I like the KLR a lot - but if > Kawasaki or any > > other mfgr for that matter, updated the large cc dual > sports the way they do > > their CBR's and R1's - we'd all be riding better KLR's on > steroids. Much > > like the KTM Adventure without any of the shortcomings > including the price. > > Like a KTM A for half the price. > > > > If the KLR had been constantly updated over the years, you > wouldn't still be able to buy > one new for five bills. If it weighed 300 pounds, made 50 hp > and had wp suspension, it > would cost $8500. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Krgrife@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/10/2005 8:11:32 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, Streetfighters@... writes: Wait a minute here guys. The prices and the mods are getting a little out of hand here. I'm not talking about WP suspension, 50+ hp, mag wheels or a full fairing - just basic updates. There is just little incentive for Kawi to make updates as long as sales continue to be good which they seem to be and as long as the bike is meeting emission requirements. Another lister recently speculated on sales volume based on the VIN numbers and I contacted Kawi's PR dept to see if they would confirm those numbers. They would not but did tell me that the KLR 650 is the biggest selling dual sport model on the US market. Kurt Grife [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Eric L. Green]

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 Krgrife@... wrote:

> emission requirements. Another lister recently speculated on sales volume > based on the VIN numbers and I contacted Kawi's PR dept to see if they would > confirm those numbers. They would not but did tell me that the KLR 650 is the > biggest selling dual sport model on the US market.

Huh. That's like saying that Frigidaire is the biggest selling freezer on the Antarctic market. There just aren't many dual-sports sold in the US market . -E

[Krgrife@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/10/2005 8:42:12 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, ericnospam@... writes: Huh. That's like saying that Frigidaire is the biggest selling freezer on the Antarctic market. There just aren't many dual-sports sold in the US market . If you're talking about 2500 to 3000 units a year in the US which it appears to be then that is significant unit sales of a single model for any manufacturer. Don't know what part of the country you're in but out here on the left coast I see a lot of KLR's on the highway and the number has definitely increased in the last couple of years. Bike sales in general are up dramatically and it sure looks like the dual sport market has grown in the past few years. Kurt [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Bogdan Swider]

Don't know what part of the country you're in but out here on

> the left coast I see a lot of KLR's on the highway and the number has

definitely increased in the last couple of years. When I was in New York last October I was surprised by how many klrs I say around Manhattan. Bogdan

[Krgrife@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/10/2005 9:03:23 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, Streetfighters@... writes: I agree the KLR numbers are probably higher than any other DS bike. And as for the 2 to 3 thousand units annually, that's really not the point. I think maybe their philosophy of "why change something if it's currently working?" is more to the point - but still, they can do better. Yes, that's the point I was trying to make. There is no financial incentive to improve a product whose sales are increasing. Don't take this as a defense of Kawasaki, just an observation. Kurt [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Streetfighters]

I agree the KLR numbers are probably higher than any other DS bike. And as for the 2 to 3 thousand units annually, that's really not the point. I think maybe their philosophy of "why change something if it's currently working?" is more to the point - but still, they can do better. Geoff- www.oldrice.com

----- Original Message ----- From: :-(. If you're talking about 2500 to 3000 units a year in the US which it appears to be then that is significant unit sales of a single model for any manufacturer. Don't know what part of the country you're in but out here on the left coast I see a lot of KLR's on the highway and the number has definitely increased in the last couple of years. Bike sales in general are up dramatically and it sure looks like the dual sport market has grown in the past few years. Kurt

[Don Bittle]

>

.org writes: . There just aren't many dual-sports sold in the US

> market . > >

But I think there will be pretty soon. With the bazillions of Hardley riders out there, they will soon seek out new areas of fulfillment besides riding to the nearest bar on a pretty afternoon. Many of these riders are returning to the market after having ridden trail bikes in their younger days. The manufacturers could help their cause by producing better machines. Do the Japs make a GS killer? I don't think so. If they did, it would cost thousands less and I'd buy. don a17 VoyagerX11

[Michael Silverstein]

I'd really like to see a creeper gear added, while leaving the rest of the gears alone. Many of my rides include riding on interstate highways in order to get to the single-track. One more gear down low would really help span both environments. Mike A18

> -----Original Message----- > From: Streetfighters [mailto:Streetfighters@...] >

< .... But yes, some top end improvements would be

> nice, the plastic rad covers could be improved, and the > headlight/fairing COULD be improved, the muffler and > doohickey are all things that could be improved. Nicer clocks > would be cool too. I also like to add lots of farkle and > personalize my bikes and these improvements wouldn't prohibit > me from doing that. And these improvements wouldn't > necessarily reduce the reliability, durability or performance > of the bike much less increase the price significantly. Yes, > it's good for us to be able to buy a good new bike for 5k > (+/-) but people still buy other DS bikes for a little more > because of those "upgrades". Otherwise they would have bought > the KLRs. I mean, the only significant update/upgrade has > been the elimination of kickstart a long time ago and the > change of colors every few years or so. > > I'd like to see an alu frame, something like the CRF has. A > removable subframe with a smaller lighter muffler, a better > top end (mechanically - I'm not talking "Top End" as in revs) > to accept performance mods with a notable improvement, the > rad covers improved so that one drop doesn't immediately > break the fasteners, a headlight that competes with the > others on performance (don't tell me the KLR headlight is > great - it's adequate and that's it) without having to add a > harness to reroute the power to the headlight without going > through the switches increasing resistance and robbing the > headlight of the power it and you deserve). And the front end > thing - is good for most of us but there's a lot of talk > about swapping front ends here. Kawi can just add adjustments > for preload and rebound without adding $$'s to the price here too. > > It's a good bike for the money. No, actually it's a great > bike for the money. But it could be an even better bike for > about the same price and I think everyone would agree to pay > about 500 more (if that) for the improvements I've mentioned > alone. And don't forget the doohickey. Cheap fix Kawi should address. > > Geoff- > This was a XT topic right? > www.oldrice.com

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[kdxkawboy@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/10/2005 5:28:35 PM Pacific Standard Time, msilverstein@... writes: I'd really like to see a creeper gear added, while leaving the rest of the gears alone. Many of my rides include riding on interstate highways in order to get to the single-track. One more gear down low would really help span both environments. Mike A18 I would like to see a good 5 speed wide ratio box, that would be a low 1st, a 2nd a little higher than the current first gear, and then add a sixth cog for the freeways. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]