wtb...klr 650 fork brace and progressive springsg

[mbellantone]

Hey Folks I know this question will get me alot of different answers, as a friend said recently... "almost as nebulous as the oil question" As I was telling this friend, the other night I was wandering around some back dirt roads and thought I was experiencing a flat. Turned out not to be one but still had me worried that I was alone, with no tire repair equipment, be it tools or tubes. There are too many different styles, sizes and sources for the irons, pumps, patches etc... Can anyone tell me what they had good experiences with? 1: Irons? 2: Tubes? (Front Tire Size 90/90-21 Rear Tire Size 130/80-17 3: Pump (be it manual or electric or engine cylinder driven) 4: any place to see a tube/tire repair being done without spending the $24 for the video? Any help would be appreciated.

[Andrus Chesley]

Wow Guy! This is going to get you a lot of different styles for what works best for that dude. All I can give you is my take on it that works for me having had about 6 flats on my KLR on back roads in the last 8 years. I carry a bead breaker(heavy but lovely), patch kit, front tube, 3 tire irons, tire gauges, slime tire pump , a small hand one and a small needle nose vice grip to act as a 3rd hand in holding the tire bead from slipping. A few times I've been able to patch the tube without taking the wheel off the bike. Just on the front where I had hit some cactus. Just get a list from all the answer you and make your decision from that. Andy Jennings,La.

> There are too many different styles, sizes and sources for the > irons, pumps, patches etc... > > Can anyone tell me what they had good experiences with? > > 1: Irons? > > 2: Tubes? (Front Tire Size 90/90-21 Rear Tire Size 130/80-17 > > 3: Pump (be it manual or electric or engine cylinder driven) > > 4: any place to see a tube/tire repair being done without spending > the $24 for the video? > > Any help would be appreciated. >

[Michael Martin]

--- mbellantone wrote:

> > 4: any place to see a tube/tire repair being done without spending > the $24 for the video? >

I found this site on the FAQ: http://www.transworldmotocross.com/mx/how_to/article/0,13190,1215721,00.html This guy has a much easier time than I've ever had. Maybe the tires I use are a lot stiffer than his. HTH, Mike Martin Louisville, KY __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

[Tengai Mark Van Horn]

At 3:52 PM +0000 11/6/07, mbellantone wrote:

>1: Irons?

Real men only need two 8" MotionPro irons.

>2: Tubes? (Front Tire Size 90/90-21 Rear Tire Size 130/80-17

I run Bridgestone 4mm UHD tubes. I don't carry spares, but I do carry a patch kit and whoppin' 4" diameter patches.

>3: Pump (be it manual or electric or engine cylinder driven)

I use a cheap 12V pump that can be bought anywhere (WalMart, etc) fr under $15 (even under $9). On rural expeditions, I carry a small Zefal HP bicycle frame pump as a backup in my spare parts pack.

>4: any place to see a tube/tire repair being done without spending >the $24 for the video?

Go to the lunch stop of any large organized dualsport ride and you're bound to see at least one being done. Or, ask a local friend to show you when he changes his tires. Mark

[Arden Kysely]

Mark, Ditto on the two irons, but mine are titanium 8~) Where do you get those big a$$ patches? __Arden --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Tengai Mark Van Horn wrote:

> > At 3:52 PM +0000 11/6/07, mbellantone wrote: > >1: Irons? > > Real men only need two 8" MotionPro irons. > > >2: Tubes? (Front Tire Size 90/90-21 Rear Tire Size 130/80-17 > > I run Bridgestone 4mm UHD tubes. I don't carry spares, but I do

carry

> a patch kit and whoppin' 4" diameter patches. > > >3: Pump (be it manual or electric or engine cylinder driven) > > I use a cheap 12V pump that can be bought anywhere (WalMart, etc)

fr

> under $15 (even under $9). > On rural expeditions, I carry a small Zefal HP bicycle frame pump

as

> a backup in my spare parts pack. > > >4: any place to see a tube/tire repair being done without

spending

> >the $24 for the video? > > Go to the lunch stop of any large organized dualsport ride and

you're

> bound to see at least one being done. Or, ask a local friend to

show

> you when he changes his tires. > > Mark >

[Tengai Mark Van Horn]

At 9:55 PM +0000 11/6/07, Arden Kysely wrote:

>Mark, >Ditto on the two irons, but mine are titanium 8~) > >Where do you get those big a$$ patches?

I can't remember if I picked 'em up at NAPA or Canadian Tire. They're "Camel" brand. Should be available at any auto parts store. Mark

[W.V. Doran]

Three free tire changing sites that will help. CycoActive http://www.cycoactive.com/mc/trail_tips/ctiw.html Adam Glass http://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing.html Neduro's Tire Changing Class http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50717&highlight=tire+changing mbellantone wrote: Hey Folks I know this question will get me alot of different answers, as a friend said recently... "almost as nebulous as the oil question" As I was telling this friend, the other night I was wandering around some back dirt roads and thought I was experiencing a flat. Turned out not to be one but still had me worried that I was alone, with no tire repair equipment, be it tools or tubes. There are too many different styles, sizes and sources for the irons, pumps, patches etc... Can anyone tell me what they had good experiences with? 1: Irons? 2: Tubes? (Front Tire Size 90/90-21 Rear Tire Size 130/80-17 3: Pump (be it manual or electric or engine cylinder driven) 4: any place to see a tube/tire repair being done without spending the $24 for the video? Any help would be appreciated. WVDoran Scottsdale, AZ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "mbellantone" wrote:

> As I was telling this friend, the other night I was wandering around > some back dirt roads and thought I was experiencing a flat. Turned > out not to be one but still had me worried that I was alone, with no > tire repair equipment, be it tools or tubes. > > There are too many different styles, sizes and sources for the > irons, pumps, patches etc... > > Can anyone tell me what they had good experiences with?

It really depends on your tires. Some tires, for example, the bead will break with a swift stomp with your heel. Other tires (generally the shorter squatty tires like Conti TKC-80's) are so stiff I finally gave up and started hauling a C-clamp with me to break the beacd.

> 1: Irons?

I use a couple of 8.5 inchers, a "Bead Buddy", and a Motion Pro tire spoon/axle wrench (roughly 10").

> 2: Tubes? (Front Tire Size 90/90-21 Rear Tire Size 130/80-17

I haul a 21" on the front fender in a fender bag.

> 3: Pump (be it manual or electric or engine cylinder driven)

My tool tube has a mountain bike tire pump in it, the kind that straps onto the downtube of a mountain bike in case you get a flat. Works quite well, but a *lot* of strokes to air my tires back up from 15psi (trail pressure) to 35psi (highway pressure). Nowdays if I envision doing a lot of this I'll haul a tiny little 12v pump that I bought at Wal-Mart, and plug it into a weather-tight cigarette lighter outlet that I also bought at Wal-Mart, stuck to the inside of my cowl with double-sided 3M tape, and wired to my battery. *much* less work, though the mountain bike pump is still in my tool tube.

> 4: any place to see a tube/tire repair being done without spending > the $24 for the video?

Dunno about the video, but there's various tricks of the trade without which you're likely to damage the tires and/or tubes unless you actually see them in action. I ruined a couple of tubes and a tire learning how to do all this.

[Hedrek]

I also carry a back up bike pump. Plus I use it for my air mattress. It only takes 1,000 strokes to fill it up. I've counted. --- Arden Kysely wrote:

> Mark, > Ditto on the two irons, but mine are titanium 8~) > > Where do you get those big a$$ patches? > > __Arden > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Tengai Mark Van > Horn > wrote: > > > > At 3:52 PM +0000 11/6/07, mbellantone wrote: > > >1: Irons? > > > > Real men only need two 8" MotionPro irons. > > > > >2: Tubes? (Front Tire Size 90/90-21 Rear Tire > Size 130/80-17 > > > > I run Bridgestone 4mm UHD tubes. I don't carry > spares, but I do > carry > > a patch kit and whoppin' 4" diameter patches. > > > > >3: Pump (be it manual or electric or engine > cylinder driven) > > > > I use a cheap 12V pump that can be bought anywhere > (WalMart, etc) > fr > > under $15 (even under $9). > > On rural expeditions, I carry a small Zefal HP > bicycle frame pump > as > > a backup in my spare parts pack. > > > > >4: any place to see a tube/tire repair being > done without > spending > > >the $24 for the video? > > > > Go to the lunch stop of any large organized > dualsport ride and > you're > > bound to see at least one being done. Or, ask a > local friend to > show > > you when he changes his tires. > > > > Mark > > > > >

Robert Hedrick Albuquerque, NM __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

[Jud Jones]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "mbellantone" wrote:

> > Hey Folks > > I know this question will get me alot of different answers, as a > friend said recently... "almost as nebulous as the oil question" > > As I was telling this friend, the other night I was wandering around > some back dirt roads and thought I was experiencing a flat. Turned > out not to be one but still had me worried that I was alone, with no > tire repair equipment, be it tools or tubes. > > There are too many different styles, sizes and sources for the > irons, pumps, patches etc... > > Can anyone tell me what they had good experiences with? > > 1: Irons? > > 2: Tubes? (Front Tire Size 90/90-21 Rear Tire Size 130/80-17 > > 3: Pump (be it manual or electric or engine cylinder driven) > > 4: any place to see a tube/tire repair being done without spending > the $24 for the video? > > Any help would be appreciated. >

I have had by far the best results with the Motion Pro T6 levers. Zero pinched tubes in fourteen tire changes. I have half a dozen sets of tire irons, and these are the ones that always go with me. These are the ones that my buddies always want to borrow, even if they have their own levers with them. I am glad they have worked out well, because a set of three costs close to a hundred bucks. It is the little lip on the end of the 12/13 (These levers have box end wrenches on the other end, mostly sized for axle nuts) that makes the difference. It allows you to work fast and carelessly without snagging the tube. Note that if you work slowly and carefully, you can get good results with just about any levers. I have a set of the titanium ones, too, but have not been too impressed with them. I have tried a lot of inflation methods, and carry a Second Wind pump that also takes CO2 cartridges, but in the field, nothing beats the reliability of a good bicycle pump. I like to carry a little can of baby powder, to dust the tube and lube the bead. Also my shorts.