19" front wheel

[clearprop5]

OK, I am a little miffed with my local Kaw dealer. I had to purchase a slide for my CVK carb. Kawasaki told me it would be $140 and it would have to be ordered. 5-7 days. Then I read Harley might have one. I called them, yep, we have five in stock fot $45. Cool save one for me, I will be right down. Then, the other day I was doing a valve job. I needed shims. I called Kaw. Oh yes we can get them for you, $8 per shim and we will have to order them for you. Let me guess, 5-7 days? Yep. I asked what happens when you do a valve job for me? Don't you have the shims in stock? Yep, we have them, but they can't be sold to the general public. They are only for the service dept. So I found out the BMW shop uses the same size shims for the F650. I called them. Yep we have them, $4/shim. I went to pick them up and the first thing they asked me was, doesn't Kaw do valvle jobs in the shop? I told them the story that I was not entitled to "those" shims. I went to buy some bolts for my front and rear brake rotors. Kaw wanted just under $4/bolt. I had no other options for that, so I ordered them. Guess how long it would take, yep, 5-7 days. This is a large Kaw dealer with a huge warehouse. I told the Kaw parts guy what I have been going through recently with parts and they just said, "I know, sometimes the parts are reasonable and sometimes not". I told them I was trying to support the Kaw dealership, but with prices like that it was hard to justify. So there you have it, Harley and BMW with prices at half or less the prices of Kaw, and in stock. OK I am done with my rant. Flame me if you will, I just had to vent a little. Mike

[Larry W Menefee]

Now you know. The moneys not in the sale of the bike,its in the sale of the parts. Thats why they discount bikes and not parts at a lot of shops. Almost like it was a "for profit" thing. Go figure.... LARRY (17 bikes) --------------------------------- Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Mike Peplinski]

I'm going to stand up for my local Kawasaki dealer, Midstates Motorsports, Kewaskum Wi. Not only did they deal on the bike but the parts guy, Jon, is determined to grow the dual sporting in the area. He does his best to make parts competitive and the mechanics try to keep up on KLR news. He even stocks an aftermarket doohickey and spring kit. They also sponsored a dual sport ride last month. Oh yeh, Jon rides a KLR.

>From: Larry W Menefee >To: dsn_klr650@yahoogroups.com >Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Dealer rant >Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 04:36:46 -0800 (PST) > >Now you know. The moneys not in the sale of the bike,its in the sale of >the parts. Thats why they discount bikes and not parts at a lot of shops. >Almost like it was a "for profit" thing. Go figure.... > > LARRY (17 bikes) > > > >--------------------------------- > Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >Archive Quicksearch at: >http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html >List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com >List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html >Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650 >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >

[James Morrow Sr]

EXACT same experience here. I don't go to the dealer anymore for anything. Get it off the internet in 2-3 days, much cheaper.

On 11/23/05, clearprop5 wrote: > > OK, I am a little miffed with my local Kaw dealer. I had to purchase > a slide for my CVK carb. Kawasaki told me it would be $140 and it > would have to be ordered. 5-7 days. Then I read Harley might have > one. I called them, yep, we have five in stock fot $45. Cool save > one for me, I will be right down. Then, the other day I was doing a > valve job. I needed shims. I called Kaw. Oh yes we can get them for > you, $8 per shim and we will have to order them for you. Let me > guess, 5-7 days? Yep. I asked what happens when you do a valve job > for me? Don't you have the shims in stock? Yep, we have them, but > they can't be sold to the general public. They are only for the > service dept. So I found out the BMW shop uses the same size shims > for the F650. I called them. Yep we have them, $4/shim. I went to > pick them up and the first thing they asked me was, doesn't Kaw do > valvle jobs in the shop? I told them the story that I was not > entitled to "those" shims. I went to buy some bolts for my front and > rear brake rotors. Kaw wanted just under $4/bolt. I had no other > options for that, so I ordered them. Guess how long it would take, > yep, 5-7 days. This is a large Kaw dealer with a huge warehouse. I > told the Kaw parts guy what I have been going through recently with > parts and they just said, "I know, sometimes the parts are > reasonable and sometimes not". I told them I was trying to support > the Kaw dealership, but with prices like that it was hard to > justify. So there you have it, Harley and BMW with prices at half or > less the prices of Kaw, and in stock. OK I am done with my rant. > Flame me if you will, I just had to vent a little. > Mike > > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: > http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650 > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > -- James Morrow Sr Union, MO '00' RT + dual plug + Bunkhouse '00' BUSA + 15hp '05' KLR650 + big fun factor [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[J Fortner]

On 11/23/05, James Morrow Sr wrote:

> EXACT same experience here. I don't go to the dealer anymore for anything. > Get it off the internet in 2-3 days, much cheaper. >

Same experiences here and people wonder why KLR's have KTM - Fenders, Honda - Levers and Harley - Carb diaphrams parts on them. Fred can get it to you in 2-3 days and he is most likely halfway across the country from most listers in the US. JF Plano, TX

[Larry W Menefee]

Hey Mike- Im glad to hear of a dealer trying to premote the sport instead of just trying to milk it. Unfourtionatly more and more dealers are being bought up by big courperatons and have a set way to do everything all geared to making a profit.Sounds like you are dealing with a small dealer that can be flexable-wish there were more of them around.Thats where I would like to spend my money given the chance. Still sitting on bench "H".......LARRY --------------------------------- Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Willy J]

you bought a motorcycle. not company stock. kawasaki makes money selling motorcycles. not parts. ive had the same problem with dodge for years. i gave up trying to be the loyal dealer patron. they will steal you blind and laugh to your face about it. NAPA sells parts for our bikes, find an online source for parts. it really sucks though. you go in for service and they act like there so overbooked and can hardly take more. but if your a do it yourselfer they dont want to give the parts away becuase then there losing business. no happy mediums. clearprop5 wrote: OK, I am a little miffed with my local Kaw dealer. I had to purchase a slide for my CVK carb. Kawasaki told me it would be $140 and it would have to be ordered. 5-7 days. Then I read Harley might have one. I called them, yep, we have five in stock fot $45. Cool save one for me, I will be right down. Then, the other day I was doing a valve job. I needed shims. I called Kaw. Oh yes we can get them for you, $8 per shim and we will have to order them for you. Let me guess, 5-7 days? Yep. I asked what happens when you do a valve job for me? Don't you have the shims in stock? Yep, we have them, but they can't be sold to the general public. They are only for the service dept. So I found out the BMW shop uses the same size shims for the F650. I called them. Yep we have them, $4/shim. I went to pick them up and the first thing they asked me was, doesn't Kaw do valvle jobs in the shop? I told them the story that I was not entitled to "those" shims. I went to buy some bolts for my front and rear brake rotors. Kaw wanted just under $4/bolt. I had no other options for that, so I ordered them. Guess how long it would take, yep, 5-7 days. This is a large Kaw dealer with a huge warehouse. I told the Kaw parts guy what I have been going through recently with parts and they just said, "I know, sometimes the parts are reasonable and sometimes not". I told them I was trying to support the Kaw dealership, but with prices like that it was hard to justify. So there you have it, Harley and BMW with prices at half or less the prices of Kaw, and in stock. OK I am done with my rant. Flame me if you will, I just had to vent a little. Mike Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650 Yahoo! Groups Links --------------------------------- Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[April Neave & Norm Keller]

My dealer is great at providing parts although they are pricey. As an old boss used to say, "If you're gonna play, you gotta pay!" No problem with shims as they just get what I need from the case of shims in the shop. One time they said they didn't really have time to get the shims because someone had tipped the box and mixed them up but, "Would you mind finding your own? If not, you will have to come back later this afternoon." The tech handed me his set of digital calipers and I sorted the box out. Hey, they were good enough to let me stream line my time so 5 more minutes sort of repaid the favour. Good shop, top tech, willing people, so I'm glad to have them here. Sometimes we're lucky, sometimes not. Just glad it's me who is lucky (running for cover) Norm

[Larry W Menefee]

Norm- Good dealer like that are hare to find. You should give thier name and location. Moved to bench "W"...... LARRY --------------------------------- Yahoo! Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs. Try it free. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Rodney Copeland]

Thanks for the reminder Blake, and thanks to Bill and Don also. I'll prolly go for it. It doesn't bother me that much, but it'd be cool to have more accuracy since I don't have a gps yet. Thanks, Rod --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Blake Sobiloff wrote:

> > On Nov 23, 2005, at 6:36 PM, Rodney Copeland wrote: > > Does make me wonder if we can move the needle. > > Yep, you can, and Bill Watson showed you how on 12/30 of last year: > > > THE PROBLEM: > > > > We're all familiar with the 7% to 10% speedo error on our KLRs.

A

> > few of you wrote me off-line with improvement ideas, and Don M. > > sent the best idea IMO and I just completed the work and have > > checked the results. Worked like a charm! > > > > > > > > THE SOLUTION: > > > > The odometers are generally right on, so we don't want to change > > the speedo cable ratio to the wheel. Since the speedo error

grows

> > with velocity (for discussion in general terms, 3 mph fast at 45,

4

> > mph fast at 55, 5 mph fast at 70), the goal was to spin the

speedo

> > needle on the shaft by about 4 to 5 mph to make it read slower.

In

> > concept, the end result would be dead on at 60 mph and within 1-

2

> > mph between 40 and 80, where the huge majority of my riding

occurs.

> > > > > > > > THE METHOD: > > > > For the record, the needle is simply a snug fit on a tapered

shaft,

> > there are no "gears to strip". The real risk here is breaking

the

> > needle, so be careful. I removed the instrument cluster and > > removed the speedometer from the cluster. Quite

straightforward,

> > just use your shop manual. Under the odometer face is a disc

that

> > controls the needle movement (the cup outside of it generates a > > magnetic torque proportional to velocity and moves the inner > > disc). The trick here is to do this once, not over and over

again

> > as a trial-and-error project so I wanted to establish some > > repeatable point before mods, then tweak until that same test > > resulted in a 4-to-5 mph lower reading on the workbench. > > > > > > > > On the disc is a tab that protrudes. It's the easiest thing to > > grab on the disc, and by looking through the side (come up with

the

> > method you prefer, just be consistent!) I would center the tab at

a

> > landmark under the speedo face. While holding at this location,

my

> > daughter said it read dead on 35 mph. I did this test a few

times

> > to see if we were repeatable at getting 35, and we were. > > > > > > > > So the goal was to tweak until this same test resulted in a 30-

31

> > mph reading. You'll note that the needle assembly is a black > > `hockey puck' with a red/orange needle. You don't want to break > > off the needle, so your goal is to apply your twisting force to

the

> > hockey puck, if you will. The forces to spin the needle on the > > shaft were pretty high IMO so I was cautious and it took a

number

> > of tries. > > > > > > > > You can't do this fix at the zero mph point because of the

zeroing

> > pin in the speedo face. I put a small screwdriver in the > > mechanism, against the tab to hold the speedo needle in place > > (significantly above 0 mph), then grabbed the needle at its base > > and twisted CCW just a little. > > > > > > > > After the first try we still read 35 mph on our calibration

test,

> > indicating I had not budged the needle. One more try and I felt

it

> > slip just a little. We checked it, and bingo, it was barely

above

> > 30 mph! > > > > > > > > I assembled the bike, grabbed the GPS and went for a ride.

Exactly

> > what we hoped for 1.5 mph slow at 40, 0.8 mph slow at 50, 0.1

mph

> > slow at 60 mph and about 0.8 mph fast at 70. Yesssssssssssss. > > > > > > > > For those of you who find the factory error annoying, this might

be

> > the right fix for you too. > > > > > > Bill Watson > > > -- > Blake Sobiloff > http://sobiloff.typepad.com/> > San Jose, CA (USA) >