From: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com (klr650-digest) To: klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: klr650-digest V2 #170 Reply-To: klr650 Sender: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-klr650-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk klr650-digest Monday, March 22 1999 Volume 02 : Number 170 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 21:58:27 +0000 From: Jeffrey Doyle Subject: Re: (klr650) Alternative storage > >around that I may experiment with to see what kind of attachment would > >work. > > > >Jeff > >A2 > > But the idea is to get the weight down low and forward.... > > Kurt Oh yeah....those subject titles, I know what you mean! The heavier (carefully packed) maintenance items would stow better lower on the frame as originally suggested (great idea) and to provide additional storage space with easy access for lighter items that would otherwise have to be stored in a fabric pack (but not enough to fill it) or potentially messy items that would wreck fabric packs it would be nice to have container(s) mounted elsewhere on the machine. For example (any of the following but not all) a tire tube, a container of lube, light bulbs, patch kit, tape, maps, bungee cords, compass, drinks that may condensate, mini-binoculars, certain food items, sunglasses, medical items, sunscreen, cell phone, flashlight, carry out garbage, things that take up space but don't warrant saddle or tank bags and are geared more for day rides. You could leave them on the machine all the time (less the garbage or food). When you camp out or tour on vacation just add all the other baggage and go. Riders who carry passengers often may want to stick with the traditional types of bags, but for solo riders it I think it could work. The vertical attachment seems OK but the bottom attachment needs some thought because of the way the grab rails are designed. I tried a few quick ideas using a one quart paint can just to see how it would fit in. U-bolts may be part of the equation.....but I would really like a quick release thing. Mike made a good choice using PVC and I'm going to check HOME DEPOT to see if there are any other configurations. One thought that did cross my mind though is if the front wheel gets fully compressed will there still be enough clearance between the tire and the frame mounted tube. I'm trying to visualize it installed because the way he described. The big touring bikes have those nice fairing pockets with snap covers that hold sundries nicely and I miss those on the KLR fairing. I was able to mount a clock and a compass to it though. Jeff A2 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 22:04:05 EST From: Cloudhid@aol.com Subject: (klr650) Rumors & Maintenance & Warranty On 3/22/99, alarsen@rapidnet.net writes: >I guess they've made some changes then as my owners manual doesn't >contain any of that. The supplement very clearly states "must", not >"should". There is similar wording in the warranty supplement but >they have removed the "OR someone equally competent..." section. >Arne - "only in Canada eh? Pity..." It is a pity Arne. Living near Kawasaki's headquarters, I'm occasionally privy to inside gossip. I heard a couple of rumors today that sought to explain why Kawasaki was moved to change the warranty wording. One said that the changes were made because too many enthusiast were destroying their engines by overfilling them with oil. Reading some of the posts here, this could be possible. The second rumor alleges that the warranty change only applied to Canada, because a number of owner/mechanics were using seal blubber instead of factory spec oil. I haven't spent enough time in The Great White North to form an opinion on this one. Redondo Ron (bringing you all the unverified news that fits) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 22:20:07 EST From: Ztib@aol.com Subject: (klr650) Chicago area Is it time for another Chicago area KLR breakfast? How about all of us meeting at the Highland House on a Sunday AM. Any other proposals? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 19:33:54 PST From: "Juan Villarreal" Subject: (klr650) NKLR-"Tired" and curious... Fellow listers- Well my rear IRC finally gave up the ghost yesterday after about 6500 miles of satisfactory use. Decided to take the opportunity to get acquainted with the process of breaking beads and removing rubber (having never done it before). All went fairly well, actually better than I anticipated, however I am left wondering how a person traveling solo would break a bead on a rear tire. I've heard about some people using their sidestand but how would you do that while the tire's removed? I used a special bead breaking tool yesterday but I don't plan on taking it when touring. Could someone enlighten me on this? So at this point I have a rim, a new tube, and a new tire (all separate). What is the sequence/process for re-installation? Is it: - - Tube THEN tire? Or... - - One "lip" of the tire, tube, then the other lip? Or... - - Is it tire completely installed prior to the insertion of the tube? My next set of questions concerns setting the bead. What's the best way to do that? Take it to gas station and pump it with an air nozzle? What PSI should I go to when doing this? Regarding balancing... If you can believe it, nobody in this one-horse town of 800,000 people balances tires (and that goes for cars too). I currently have some of those lead spoke weights on my wheels. Is there anything that would preclude me from continuing to use them? Any tips for removal and/or re-installation? They seem pretty soft and I don't want to damage them. And now the $10,000 question... I know there's a "cardinal direction" for the tires when mounting but is there any certain part that's required to be over, say, the valve stem? I've heard some folks mention this in the past, just wondering... Any advice you might have regarding this matter would be much appreciated. And the sooner the better, as I plan on tackling this tomorrow (sorry so late transmitting, but Hotmail's been giving me fits- you get what you pay for...). Thanks in advance, Juan Villarreal, '97 KLR "The Happy Hooligan" Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 22:04:00 -0500 From: Ted & Beth Cheney Subject: (klr650) exhausts Can anyone suggest a good after market exhaust? I have an 89 klr650 and I was thinking of a performax. Having a great time reading all the suggestions on the list! Thanks in advance! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 20:52:17 -0700 From: "Kurt Simpson" Subject: (klr650) Fw: Tankbag - Poisoning your food...NKLR The GS list has had a raging debate on tank bags as of late...I thought this was an interesting post and one that I'd never thought of.... Kurt - -----Original Message----- From: Haben, Dirk To: BMW -GS motorcycles mailing list Date: Monday, March 22, 1999 4:56 AM Subject: Tankbag - Poisoning your food! |OK | |I mostly 'use' the list archives to search for stuff and sometimes ask the |odd (or very odd) question. |So here goes a bit of putting back in what 'I' get out of it. | |In all this debate about tank bags I haven't seen - and may have missed many |a response - reference to what it does to your food/drink should you decide |to store such stuff in it. | |Still spending time reading old mags whilst waiting for the GS to make it's |way to Perth I have dug out a 1996 mag I picked up in Germany |(Tourenfahrer). They did a test on contamination levels to food stored in a |tankbag for 6 hours on the bike. Riding, stopping for lots of sightseeing |etc. Then they sent the stuff in sealed class containers to a lab to be |analysed. | |Well to cut the 3 page story short - fuel - especially modern stuff - is |(still) very poisonous. Some of the additives to get to even just 95 RON in |unleaded is shown to be cancerous (what isn't these days you ask), attacks |the nervous system yidda yidda yidda etc. | |Accepted levels where only set as a recommendation as not enough data was |(is) at hand to specify how much is safe. Some of the stuff is set at 0 - |that's zero - for the workplace - although it's not achievable in the |general environment so again practicality dictated something otherwise. | |Anyway, it turned out that the levels of pollution in the food after a 6 |hour 'tour-ride' was more than a hundred fold that of the recommended |maxima. | |It was concluded to NOT store any food in the tankbag (above the tank) due |to contamination. The only thing that would be safe are drinks and food in |sealed glass or cans etc. Plastic will not help as the gasses will pass |through - so it was claimed. | |A number of bags where tested on some 'standard' bikes. The result where |very close for all combinations other than this: Store the food as high away |from the bottom of the bag - where the filler/breather cap is! | |So, use a tank bag or not - just best not to store the food in it! |Of cause if you smoke you probably won't mind a salami sandwich with a bit |of a petrol taste to it. | |Cheers, |[:-)irK | | | | | ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 21:58:17 -0600 From: Scott Wass Subject: (klr650) Price of 1999 Klr 650's What seems to be the going price of 99 KLR 650's ? I am thinking of updating my 95 I am on the "digest" mode so I don't know if you have to respond to me directly or not any help would be great thanks, Scott Wass ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 23:10:49 -0500 From: "Patrice Robinet" Subject: RE: (klr650) exhausts unsubscribe ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 20:10:01 -0800 From: "ripkid" Subject: RE: (klr650) Price of 1999 Klr 650's Behalf Of Scott Wass > Sent: Monday, March 22, 1999 7:58 PM > > What seems to be the going price of 99 KLR 650's ? I am thinking of > updating my 95 > I am on the "digest" mode so I don't know if you have to respond to me > directly or not any help would be great thanks, Scott Wass - ----------- +/- 5K out the door. Depends on the local demand. Seems like its been about the average I've heard tell of. Good luck, Rik A13 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 21:13:13 -0700 From: Bogdan Swider Subject: RE: (klr650) I dare you... Skip, You seem to have not only a good stock of empirical knowledge but also an intuitive feel for the science or more correctly alchemy of oil. Tell me what you think (others of course are free to jump in) of the simple beliefs that govern my relationship to the lubricant. 1. Mobil 1 I use this synthetic because I read good things about it and because it's everywhere; you can find it in most pueblitos de mierda in Mexico and even in Canada. I pay the extra money as insurance for extreme situations like.........Two years ago I rode down to Baja on business. Every day it was over a 100, some days 115/120; in the shade of course. My riding would alternate between 1st gear sandy roads & blasting down pavement at 90mph when possible. The temp needle was usually way up there though I never overheated. When I started the oil was at the top of the bubble; after 2/3 wks & 2.5k miles it was in the middle. At this point my task was over; I was about 600 miles from the border. I wanted out. I raced up old highway 1 stopping for nothing. I didn't add oil till El Centro California. By then the oil was toward the bottom of the bubble. I was past my usual 3,000 mile change interval. I didn't change till over a 1,000 miles latter, home in Colorado. I figured I could act in this cavalier fashion because I was using a superior product with a higher threshold before breakdown. The oil "felt & looked" fine when I drained it. Did I act recklessly? Would Castrol 20/50 have served me just as well? 2. I remember the moment when I was partially converted to Eldonism. (Kind of like St. Paul on the road to Damascus). It was at Fred's in Moab. Fred was operating on my Supercrap/Supertripe. Kurt was in attendance. I was screaming at Gino that no-way was my lifestyle going to be compromised by waiting 12 hrs while my oil drained. I also believed in the oil bubble. Gino was cool as an Italian-Czech cucumber. He didn't contest my draining opinions; On the level issue he quietly stated that HE had been running with oil well over the top of the sightglass for THOUSANDS & THOUSANDS OF MILES!! Not only did his oil not resemble shaving cream, there was no foaming what-so-ever. More oil is better than less all things being equal. The logic was irrefutable; I've been running over the glass ever sense. What harm could I be doing? Bogdan, obviously not a real petro-engineer 2. . In other words, sorry Eldon, but don`t fix something that ain`t broke. Sorry guys, but I`m sticking to the site glass until I know to do otherwise. I change my oil like Ron did in his last post, and then add whatever is necessary to bring it up to the proper level on the glass. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 21:23:22 -0700 From: "Fred Hink" Subject: Re: (klr650) NKLR-"Tired" and curious... - -----Original Message----- From: Juan Villarreal To: KLR650@lists.xmission.com Date: Monday, March 22, 1999 1:40 PM Subject: (klr650) NKLR-"Tired" and curious... >So at this point I have a rim, a new tube, and a new tire (all >separate). What is the sequence/process for re-installation? Is it: > >- Tube THEN tire? Or... Some folks put the tube in the tire first and then mount it one lip at a time. I think you take more of a chance pinching the tube this way. >- One "lip" of the tire, tube, then the other lip? Or... I do all the tires I change this way. (at least all the tube type ones) >- Is it tire completely installed prior to the insertion of the tube? > >My next set of questions concerns setting the bead. What's the best way >to do that? Take it to gas station and pump it with an air nozzle? >What PSI should I go to when doing this? It helps to have the tire bead wet or lubed and make sure it is all in the rim where it is supposed to be. I wouldn't use more than 40 psi to seat the bead. If it takes more than this you have a problem and need to see why. If your bead is lubed it should slide on with a lot less pressure. I air the tire up to seat the bead and then let the air out to let the tube center itself in the tire before I air it back up. >Regarding balancing... If you can believe it, nobody in this one-horse >town of 800,000 people balances tires (and that goes for cars too). I >currently have some of those lead spoke weights on my wheels. Is there >anything that would preclude me from continuing to use them? Any tips >for removal and/or re-installation? They seem pretty soft and I don't >want to damage them. You can reuse the spoke type wheel weights. Use a screwdriver to pry them open and off. Use pliers to crimp them back on. You can balance the wheel on the bike if you don't have the spacers in the bearings to cause drag. The wheel weights are just lead, you can't hurt them. >And now the $10,000 question... I know there's a "cardinal direction" >for the tires when mounting but is there any certain part that's >required to be over, say, the valve stem? I've heard some folks mention >this in the past, just wondering... Some tires are directional and some are not. If you see an arrow with a direction indicator then it is directional and needs to be installed correctly. If not then it doesn't matter. Some tires also have a little yellow dot(1/2") that indicates the light side of the tire. You need to put this yellow dot next to the valve stem to help with the balance. Fred ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 21:28:17 -0700 From: "Fred Hink" Subject: Re: (klr650) exhausts - -----Original Message----- From: Ted & Beth Cheney To: klr650@lists.xmission.com Date: Monday, March 22, 1999 1:44 PM Subject: (klr650) exhausts >Can anyone suggest a good after market exhaust? I have an 89 klr650 and >I was thinking of a performax. Having a great time reading all the >suggestions on the list! Thanks in advance! > > > Most KLRist prefer the Supertrapp IDS 3 out of 4 times. The FMF Perfomax and Megamax is not available for the KLR. A couple of options are the Cobra 4Stroke and ISDE pipe. Big Gun is making a serious pipe (both in power, noise and cost) not much else out there. Fred ------------------------------ End of klr650-digest V2 #170 ****************************