'88 KLR650 project thread

[south]

Thanks, guys .

Schaffer40--I have to say, it's just a cheap hobby lathe, and I'm a hack, but the thing has been incredibly handy to have for all sorts of (little) projects.

As for the KLR, having come from an exclusively road/sport -bike background, and given the drubbing the model takes from many folks, I continue to marvel at just how much fun, and how (street) capable, the bike actually is as configured. Without question, absolutely one of my favorites.

[CalicoJack]

Great info and write up. It will help me alot with my KLR project (Skunk Ape) Mine is not in as bad a shape but cost me twice as much...

[tdrrally]

makes me want a klr

[Peter_Sanz]

So South, what happened after that last mod?

Have you changed anything since? I'm pulling the engine out the frame tomorrow, all is gonna be painted black, something durable but no powder coating (not much of a budget at the present moments)

[sasho]

Not only I learn from you mechanic and fab skills, but your writing is tremendously and engaging.

[Kentuckysurfer]

Why didn't you just bolt on a different set of forks? I did 2 different swaps on 2 diff KLR650s, one with a WR426 set and another with a DRZ400 fork set. Much, much better braking and forking action all around...Of course it takes a bit more work to machine a steering stem to fit and a dash plate to relocate the gauges, but it was well worth the effort in the end. Plus, you have much more tuning available on the forks once done....overall I have to admit I ended up with 2 weirdass bikes, a Yamasaki and a Kawazuki...LOL!

[eddie bolted]

Maybe i missed it,what was your total cost?

[Kentuckysurfer]

Do you mean the total costs on the Yamasaki and Kawazuki bikes? On the Yamasaki I paid about $200 for YZ426F forks w triple clamps/axle off ebay and I had an extra front brake system for an old Yamaha dirt bike already, so the machine shop to make a new steering stem was only $100...I did use a YZ front wheel I had already and made spacers......that's about it.........On the Kawazuki I bought DRZ fork set for around $250, used a DRZ front hub and a brake caliper/master cylinder (cost $120) and again another steering stem, maybe $450 to $500 total sunk into the swap..I loved the funky old KLR so much I wanted some DECENT brakes..a few hundred bucks for my safety was an easy investment to make....and what a difference on the bike! Stopping was awesome and so was the ride over crappy roads and off the hiway...the lock to lock steering with the DRZ fork setup was almost the same as stock, although as someone else pointed out on this site somewhere, the YZ fork swap narrowed the lock to lock range just a tiny amount, but nothing too annoying. The world of DIFFERENCE in the ride quality and stopping power made up for everything. One bike was a 2001 model and the other was a 1988 model w 15,000 original mi. No more hair raising, bone chilling worries if the bike would stop in time during panic stops in traffic....THAT was why I did it in the first place.....