front brake lever and brake fluid reservoir

[Tom Hayslett]

Well, I hate to ask for help when I haven't contributed anything but I ran into a snag. I was trail riding Friday, had just come down a long steep hill but my wife on her Sherpa was still at the top. I parked the KLR and had to walk (yes, walk) to the top of the hill to ride her Sherpa down (it was pretty steep). Anyway, when I got back on my mount the starter just clicked (as in a weak battery). Still had some downhill left so I bump started the girl and we rode home. Tried the starter again, just clicks. Okay, I'm not the best at keeping the bike winterized so I pulled the battery and put it on the trickle charger overnight. Reinstalled this morning, now the starter just clicks real fast (I can hear you laughing). Everything else works fine (lights, signals, etc.) - I checked all the connections at the battery and at the relay, all tight. All the fuses are good, kill switch isn't the culprit (position wise) as it bump starts just fine. I am not mechanically inclined (although I usually try), I read the Clymer but don't have the testers they recommend for checking voltages and such. Am I stuck hauling it to the dealer or are there other suspects I can check without specialized tools> As always, thanks for the help - this list is the greatest. Tom (now riding a lowered Sherpa!) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Alan L Henderson]

Turn on the bike. Honk the horn and while honking try to start the bike. If the sound of the horn stops or gets really weak your battery is probably bad. I used to use this trick all the time with cars when I was young and had no testers at home. Oh, you really should check the connections in between the battery and cables and cables and starter. Alan Henderson A13 Iowa Tom Hayslett wrote:

> Well, I hate to ask for help when I haven't contributed anything but I ran > into a snag. I was trail riding Friday, had just come down a long steep > hill but my wife on her Sherpa was still at the top. I parked the KLR and > had to walk (yes, walk) to the top of the hill to ride her Sherpa down (it > was pretty steep). Anyway, when I got back on my mount the starter just > clicked (as in a weak battery). Still had some downhill left so I bump > started the girl and we rode home. Tried the starter again, just clicks. > Okay, I'm not the best at keeping the bike winterized so I pulled the > battery and put it on the trickle charger overnight. Reinstalled this > morning, now the starter just clicks real fast (I can hear you laughing). > Everything else works fine (lights, signals, etc.) - I checked all the > connections at the battery and at the relay, all tight. All the fuses are > good, kill switch isn't the culprit (position wise) as it bump starts just > fine. > > I am not mechanically inclined (although I usually try), I read the Clymer > but don't have the testers they recommend for checking voltages and such. > Am I stuck hauling it to the dealer or are there other suspects I can check > without specialized tools> > > As always, thanks for the help - this list is the greatest. > > Tom (now riding a lowered Sherpa!) > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > >

[Tom Hayslett]

Thanks Alan - I'll give it a try and let you know how it went. Tom Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Help with starter circuit? Turn on the bike. Honk the horn and while honking try to start the bike. If the sound of the horn stops or gets really weak your battery is probably bad. I used to use this trick all the time with cars when I was young and had no testers at home. Oh, you really should check the connections in between the battery and cables and cables and starter. Alan Henderson A13 Iowa Recent Activity * 35 New http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DSN_KLR650/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJlcjU2aWFkBF9TA zk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzQ4ODM4NQRncnBzcElkAzE3MDUxMjYyNjIEc2VjA3Z0bARzbGsDdm1ic nMEc3RpbWUDMTE3Nzc4Nzg5MA--> Members * 8 New http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DSN_KLR650/spnew;_ylc=X3oDMTJlOTY5bm5tBF9TAzk 3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzQ4ODM4NQRncnBzcElkAzE3MDUxMjYyNjIEc2VjA3Z0bARzbGsDdnBob3Q Ec3RpbWUDMTE3Nzc4Nzg5MA--> Photos Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DSN_KLR650;_ylc=X3oDMTJkaXNzOTN0BF9TAzk3MzU5N zE0BGdycElkAzQ4ODM4NQRncnBzcElkAzE3MDUxMjYyNjIEc2VjA3Z0bARzbGsDdmdocARzdGltZ QMxMTc3Nzg3ODkw> Your Group Boxing Greats Who's http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12j8e8mh9/M=493064.10322714.10977670.9977693/D= groups/S=1705126262:NC/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1177795090/A=4438963/R=0/SIG=111fhd8qv/*h ttp://www.bix.com/contest/5402> the best? Share and vote on Bix.com Health Zone Look http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12j8o9p5v/M=493064.10302120.10954213.9977693/D= groups/S=1705126262:NC/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1177795090/A=4430620/R=0/SIG=11fhbjsi1/*h ttp://promotions.yahoo.com/healthandfitness/> your best! Groups to help you look & feel great. Yahoo! News Entertainment http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12i6nko03/M=493064.9803190.10510181.8674578/D=g roups/S=1705126262:NC/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1177795090/A=3848601/R=0/SIG=12tmuav8s/*ht tp://news.yahoo.com/i/762;_ylt=A9FJqarbuq5EzPEAcQSs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2NWJlcml sBHNlYwN0bg--> News The latest on stars, movies, and more . http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=488385/grpspId=1705126262/msgId= 172320/stime=1177787890/nc1=4438963/nc2=4430620/nc3=3848601> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Harold & Peni]

Just an idea guys; You can pick up a cheap VOM at the local discount parts store for under $10. They come in handy for most any bike/car/house projects ~ ; - ) Harold* .......................... Turn on the bike. Honk the horn and while honking try to start the bike. If the sound of the horn stops or gets really weak your battery is probably bad. I used to use this trick all the time with cars when I was young and had no testers at home. Oh, you really should check the connections in between the battery and cables and cables and starter. Alan Henderson A13 Iowa Tom Hayslett wrote:

> Well, I hate to ask for help when I haven't contributed anything but I ran > into a snag. I was trail riding Friday, had just come down a long steep > hill but my wife on her Sherpa was still at the top. I parked the KLR and > had to walk (yes, walk) to the top of the hill to ride her Sherpa down (it > was pretty steep). Anyway, when I got back on my mount the starter just > clicked (as in a weak battery). Still had some downhill left so I bump > started the girl and we rode home. Tried the starter again, just clicks. > Okay, I'm not the best at keeping the bike winterized so I pulled the > battery and put it on the trickle charger overnight. Reinstalled this > morning, now the starter just clicks real fast (I can hear you laughing). > Everything else works fine (lights, signals, etc.) - I checked all the > connections at the battery and at the relay, all tight. All the fuses are > good, kill switch isn't the culprit (position wise) as it bump starts just > fine. > > I am not mechanically inclined (although I usually try), I read the Clymer > but don't have the testers they recommend for checking voltages and such. > Am I stuck hauling it to the dealer or are there other suspects I can check > without specialized tools> > > As always, thanks for the help - this list is the greatest. > > Tom (now riding a lowered Sherpa!) > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > >

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

[Ernie Campbell]

check the connections at the starter solenoid Ernie Campbell

----- Original Message ----- From: Tom Hayslett To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2007 2:58 PM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Help with starter circuit? Well, I hate to ask for help when I haven't contributed anything but I ran into a snag. I was trail riding Friday, had just come down a long steep hill but my wife on her Sherpa was still at the top. I parked the KLR and had to walk (yes, walk) to the top of the hill to ride her Sherpa down (it was pretty steep). Anyway, when I got back on my mount the starter just clicked (as in a weak battery). Still had some downhill left so I bump started the girl and we rode home. Tried the starter again, just clicks. Okay, I'm not the best at keeping the bike winterized so I pulled the battery and put it on the trickle charger overnight. Reinstalled this morning, now the starter just clicks real fast (I can hear you laughing). Everything else works fine (lights, signals, etc.) - I checked all the connections at the battery and at the relay, all tight. All the fuses are good, kill switch isn't the culprit (position wise) as it bump starts just fine. I am not mechanically inclined (although I usually try), I read the Clymer but don't have the testers they recommend for checking voltages and such. Am I stuck hauling it to the dealer or are there other suspects I can check without specialized tools> As always, thanks for the help - this list is the greatest. Tom (now riding a lowered Sherpa!) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jud Jones]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Tom Hayslett" wrote:

> > Well, I hate to ask for help when I haven't contributed anything but I ran > into a snag. I was trail riding Friday, had just come down a long steep > hill but my wife on her Sherpa was still at the top. I parked the KLR and > had to walk (yes, walk) to the top of the hill to ride her Sherpa down (it > was pretty steep). Anyway, when I got back on my mount the starter just > clicked (as in a weak battery). Still had some downhill left so I bump > started the girl and we rode home. Tried the starter again, just clicks. > Okay, I'm not the best at keeping the bike winterized so I pulled the > battery and put it on the trickle charger overnight. Reinstalled this > morning, now the starter just clicks real fast (I can hear you laughing). > Everything else works fine (lights, signals, etc.) - I checked all the > connections at the battery and at the relay, all tight. All the fuses are > good, kill switch isn't the culprit (position wise) as it bump starts just > fine. > > I am not mechanically inclined (although I usually try), I read the Clymer > but don't have the testers they recommend for checking voltages and such. > Am I stuck hauling it to the dealer or are there other suspects I can check > without specialized tools> > > As always, thanks for the help - this list is the greatest. > > Tom (now riding a lowered Sherpa!) >

A weak horn is a sign of a discharged battery, not necessarily a bad one. The first thing you should do, unless the battery is a sealed or AGM type, is check the acid level, and top up with distilled water if it is down. Then put it on a trickle charger overnight. That should bring it up to a full charge that will start your bike if the battery is any good, and if your battery and solenoid connections are clean and tight. You can test the battery further with a cheap multi-meter from Radio Shack. A fully charged battery in good condition will show about 12.6v at rest, and should not drop much below 10v (maybe 9) when you crank the starter. If it will not charge up to 12.6, you can chuck it. If it takes a charge, but the voltage falls way off when you crank it, you can chuck it. You can also check your charging system. At idle, the battery should read about 13.3v. As you rev it, the voltage should increase to somewhere between 13.8v and 14.5v, and then may fall off somewhat as revs increase further. If your battery doesn't seem to charge fully as you ride, a quick check can point you in the right direction.

[Tom Hayslett]

Thanks to all that offered suggestions on my starter clicking question (Alan, Jim, Ernie, etc.) - it appears the initial assessment (dead battery) is probably the culprit. I bought a volt meter, battery appeared okay without a load but as soon as I press the starter button, the meter dives to the left (and the horn died completely). Guess I'll buy another sealed AGM and go from there. Tom Just an idea guys; You can pick up a cheap VOM at the local discount parts store for under $10. They come in handy for most any bike/car/house projects ~ ; - ) Harold* .......................... Turn on the bike. Honk the horn and while honking try to start the bike. If the sound of the horn stops or gets really weak your battery is probably bad. I used to use this trick all the time with cars when I was young and had no testers at home. Oh, you really should check the connections in between the battery and cables and cables and starter. Alan Henderson A13 Iowa Tom Hayslett wrote:

> Well, I hate to ask for help when I haven't contributed anything but I ran > into a snag. I was trail riding Friday, had just come down a long steep > hill but my wife on her Sherpa was still at the top. I parked the KLR and > had to walk (yes, walk) to the top of the hill to ride her Sherpa down (it > was pretty steep). Anyway, when I got back on my mount the starter just > clicked (as in a weak battery). Still had some downhill left so I bump > started the girl and we rode home. Tried the starter again, just clicks. > Okay, I'm not the best at keeping the bike winterized so I pulled the > battery and put it on the trickle charger overnight. Reinstalled this > morning, now the starter just clicks real fast (I can hear you laughing). > Everything else works fine (lights, signals, etc.) - I checked all the > connections at the battery and at the relay, all tight. All the fuses are > good, kill switch isn't the culprit (position wise) as it bump starts just > fine. > > I am not mechanically inclined (although I usually try), I read the Clymer > but don't have the testers they recommend for checking voltages and such. > Am I stuck hauling it to the dealer or are there other suspects I can

check

> without specialized tools

. http://geo.yahoo.com/serv?s=97359714/grpId=488385/grpspId=1705126262/msgId= 172323/stime=1177794410/nc1=4438963/nc2=4430620/nc3=3848620> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Tom Hayslett" wrote:

> > Thanks to all that offered suggestions on my starter clicking

question

> (Alan, Jim, Ernie, etc.) - it appears the initial assessment (dead

battery)

> is probably the culprit. I bought a volt meter, battery appeared

okay

> without a load but as soon as I press the starter button, the meter

dives to

> the left (and the horn died completely). Guess I'll buy another

sealed AGM

> and go from there. > > Tom >

Tom, Glad you were able to narrow down the culprit so quickly to a bad battery. For those new to the list, the OEM battery needs service ~1000 smiles when it is ridden in warm-hot conditions. (Painful, but true.) No later than each oil change...(that many/most of us do at 1500 smiles). This 1000 smile service interval was proven out by 4 stock OEM batteries, ridden in the same conditions in 2004 while on the GDR. My replacement YUSA battery has gone over 2000 smiles and the level appears to be unchanged. Fluid level in the battery is key to long service life. Many here report less than two years of battery life, I got over 4. Letting the battery go dry will kill it quickly, etc. If you get upside down or sideways for any amount of time, the OEM battery will 'pee' battery acid out the overflow, and it seems to me that the OEM pees faster than the YUSA. Be sure to check the battery levels back at the house should you go 'horizontaling' with the bike. Your battery will thank you. YMMV. and of course, replenish a low battery with distilled water and charge after servicing. On the trail, we added water, and went. A child's bulb-type, ear syringe is an excellent way to add water quickly. revmaaatin.

[revmaaatin]

> > Don't forget that you can CHANGE the level of the front brake

reservoir just by turning

> your bars either full left or right. >

Hmmm. You might change the apparent level,(=false reading) but the volume will remain the same. Perhaps we might suggest that the brake fluid reservoir level is best checked when the reservoir top is 'level' with the deck (=the earth for your poor land borne souls). If moving the handlebars makes the reservoir more 'level' then by all means, move the handle bars. revmaaatin. sadly, no more haze gray and underway, but there there are KLR's.