KLR650 Only Thread......

[mxboy96]

Hey ya hooligans. Wonderin if any of you guys have thought of or made a cool mod to get the stator wires out of the way when putting on a 16 tooth front sprocket? I've got mine on, but the chain rubs on the 'plastic' guard and it will eventually wear through, contacting the stator wires they so convienently ran right there. I'd like to keep my 16 tooth, but I really want to keep the stator wires too(they're just a tad more critical;)). Thanks guys!

[bush pilot]

I never had a clearance issue with 16 tooth sprocket. I heard the guys who run the 17 toothers have to remove the cover, but still cleared the wires.

[East Coast Rider]

No clearance issues with stator wires on my 16....

[Nitro1970]

No problems with a 16. Had to trim the guard a bit for the 17 but it never has gotten into the wires...

[Grinnin]

I have a 2001 and I don't know if the sprocket cover and "separator" are exactly the same or not. (I'll call it a separator because it sure ain't a protector.)

I saw some superficial marks on my the separator and looked into it a bit. With the bike in the air and the suspension fully extended the chain can rub on the back lip of the sprocket cover. And it's hard to see the front of the sprocket with the cover on so, for a while, I thought I could hear the chain hitting the separator.

In the end I decided that the marks were from when the chain is loaded with clay and crud and that the chain doesn't usually hit the plastic. The superficial marks haven't changed much in 10 or 14 thousand miles.

I can see how these pieces of plastic can each flex a little differently so one may have contact where another does not.

[NHADV]

Anyone out there go from stock Dunlop's to Kenda Big Blocks? I just put a set on and the front end seems glued to the road. I only put 25 miles on going to dinner and back. Anyone else notice a big handling difference when you switched?

[tjk2134]

I have over 10,000 miles on my 17 front sprocket, I had to trim the cover but managed to tuck the wires away from the chain and so far so good. It turns about 5000 rpm at 85mph.

[DirtyDog]

Originally Posted by XDragRacer

Citation, please!

Then, you shall have informed me; haven't noticed any prohibition on friction modifiers in any Kawasaki owner's or service manual, but . . . none of my teachers ever suggested I was a particularly careful reader.

Beyond that, have you ever personally observed or experienced a KLR clutch damaged from exposure to friction modifiers?

Ok, I wasn't supremely confident in what it said, but because I have more of a "photographic" memory of sorts, I was pretty sure there was a diagram of the label in there somewhere. Guess I was not fullly correct (more detail below.) So here's what my owner's manual says. No diagram, just text.


So the only real spec that I wasn't familiar with was the "SE, SF, or SG".
Looked it up and here's what I found. All are obsolete.


My KLR Clymer manual says the following:

Again, no diagram.

Maybe it's my Suzuki Clymer? Nope. Same basic story though.


Lastly, I checked my '03 Honda Shadow Spirit 750 owner's manual. Bingo.




So, technically, no, my KLR manual doesn't specifically reference the labeling like I thought.

In my search for further knowledge in limited time this morning, I stumbled into this article by Motorcycle Consumer News which supposedly "debunks" the Auto oil vs. Moto oil debate.

I'll try to give it a full read when I have time.
LINK HERE.

Also, as to my personal experience, I used Mobil 1 in my bike for MANY miles. Made sense to me because that's what I used in my car too. Well, I can't prove any correlation, but I'm probably one of few individuals on here that have replaced the clutch in my KLR. Take that as one potential data point if you like.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

Thnx for posting above... some good info. I think the oil in KLRs leads a tough life. Reading this article below convinced me to change my oil out sooner than I had been doing.

Another interesting automotive vs motorcycle oil article: http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/Oils1.html

[redog1]

in both my 2009 and 1990. I use Castrol GTX 10w40. Tried different viscosities but found 10W40 works best for me and my riding. The only thing I've found with using automotive oil is the clutch tends to grab when started in gear cold. After warm it's a non-issue. My clutch doesn't slip, never has unless I've been riding it in technical terrain. When I start my bike cold in gear, I just tap the start button to "break" the clutch loose. Haven't had any problems, both bikes have 32K on them now and I've had the 2009 since new and the 1990 since approx 18K miles. I'll stick to what works for me.

[MacNoob]

Originally Posted by redog1

. The only thing I've found with using automotive oil is the clutch tends to grab when started in gear cold

Seems to be a KLR issue regardless what oil is used.

Generally only 'thinner' oil like 5W-30, 10W-30 (stuff we're not using anyways) will have the dreaded friction modifiers. 'Thicker' oils that we use (xW-40, xW-50) never will. Thus they will never say 'energy conserving' in the API donut symbol.

[MotoBoss]

Putting it up for sale

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...20330&page=160

[XDragRacer]

Originally Posted by DirtyDog

So, technically, no, my KLR manual doesn't specifically reference the labeling like I thought.

Neither does mine (2007 Kawasaki KLR650 Owner's Manual):



So much for Kawasaki's recommendations (no prohibition listed for "friction modifiers" or "energy conserving" in the KLR250 Service Manual supplement, either).

The Clymer Generation 1 KLR650 manual contains the same italicized caveat regarding additives you imaged above, but I found no specific friction modifier/energy conserving oil-in-the-bottle cautions:



Regardless, thanks for sharing your most interesting research.

Oils containing "friction modifiers" or formulated with some "energy-conserving" association may indeed be detrimental to wet clutches; just didn't recall any Kawasaki advice to that effect.

Sorry about your clutch; if it failed as a result of running zinc-laden Mobil 1, this fact's worth a warning to KLR (and other wet-clutch motorcycle) riders.

Again, appreciate the references.

[Tsotsie]

Originally Posted by DirtyDog

Ok,



My KLR Clymer manual says the following:

.


.

Now if you have a Kawasaki KLR works manual it tells you specifically to use Moly based grease when assembling several parts of the motor - starter motor idler gear bearings, clutch lifter shaft, etc.

I have never heard of a documented failure regarding the use of different oil types in KLR's or extended oil change periods. There is a heap of opinion, assumptions, claims, speculation and "..I know a mechanic who told me...", "...an oil rep once told me...", relating to when, how, why not and why. Low oil, yes.

Choose the right weight oil that KAWA suggest, then the color of the bottle you like or flip a coin. You cant go wrong.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

[QUOTE=Tsotsie;20105234] I have never heard of a documented failure regarding the use of different oil types in KLR's or extended oil change periods. There is a heap of opinion, assumptions, claims, speculation and "..I know a mechanic who told me...", "...an oil rep once told me...", relating to when, how, why not and why. Low oil, yes. QUOTE]

These articles regarding oil life mention how quickly oil breaks down changing viscosity. A lower viscosity wouldn't provide as much protection to delicate plain bearing surfaces, right? Am thinking this may factor in to galling often found in the cam bearing caps? I sure notice how much thinner my oil is when I drain it after 2000 miles as compared to when new. I've been using nothing but Castrol GTX 10w40 mc oil, but have started recently adding Shell Rotella T synthetic (HD diesel oil) when topping it up to restore viscosity as the oil wears. ...not as good as Mobil 1, but a pretty good oil IMO.