The “I can't sell her so I'll build her” thread.

If you need a further push, I had the acerbis guards on two bikes.... they suck. The aluminum is extremely soft, and both distorted in small falls, causing the levers to not release completely.

Okay, time to tear the engine down. This is pretty exciting for me. I've never torn into a moto engine... in fact, I've never even pulled a carb before (Sssshhhhhh...). So here we go:

Let's begin at the beginning. Post test rides.




Seat, panels and tank pulled (we've covered this before).


Bolts holding the skid plate on. Doesn't seem to be a smart design, but I guess they haven't broken yet.


Tool tube and skid plate off. She's looking kinda skinny.


Removed starter relay cover and unscrewed starter relay.


Drained the coolant. Open radiator cap to really get it to pour out.






Drained overflow tank.


There's a shot of the Thermo-Bob. One of the first mods I did pre-trip last fall.


Pulling the coolant hose off the head. No thermostat in there.




Time for the carb to come out. While I have it apart, I'm going to do some carb upgrades: KLX needle, fuel mixture thumb screw, some minor re-jetting and upgraded screws.

Pulled the cables and hose clamps.




Twisted free the carb and spilled some fuel...


Getting the choke cable out was a bit of a b*tch. I may have cracked the housing a little. I think the “shorty” choke mod (lose the cable and just have a pull handle on the side) would be cool. Thinking about it.


Carb is out. Save this for another entry...




Pulled the rear brake fluid reservoir and cover to access the exhaust.


I pulled the header but left the slip-on. Later I pulled the slip-on as I think it'll be easier to assemble the exhaust with it removed.




Thinking about getting a Staintune header, but they're expensive!


Pulled the radiator fan and hung it up with a bungee.


The instructions didn't say so, but I had to pull the bolt holding “this” on to get better access to the valve cover. Not sure what “this” is...


Removed the valve cover and set engine to TDC. This took some messing with, but eventually I figured it out.






There's the elusive “T” mark. There's also an “F” mark and an unlabeled mark which confused me at first.


Here's a crappy photo on me checking the valves. Another personal first (although I watched someone do it once).


The intake are within spec but just barely, the exhaust are out of spec at 0.13. It looked like this:
FL (ex) = 0.13 with a 260 shim. New shim = 250.
FR (ex) = 0.13 with a 260 shim. New shim = 250.
RL (in) = 0.15 with a 250 shim. New shim = 245.
RR (in) = 0.13 with a 260 shim. New shim = 255.

I used a spreadsheet I found online that someone did a great job creating. It did all the math for me. Have to order some valve shims from Eaglemike... [Later: ordered three, a 245, a 255 and a 250]

Then I pulled the cam chain tensioner, the starter so I can get to some other bolts and the oil line to the head.




Next it was time to remove the cams.






The exhaust cam appears to be pointing slightly down. This bike may be an ideal candidate for the MCmod I've read about. If through natural variation my timing is a bit behind, a 7 degree advance would be perfect (if it was pointing slightly up I wouldn't even consider it). I won't do this until later, well after I break in and test the 685 by itself. Plus I'm not sure I fully grasp the MCmod so this may all be inaccurate rambling.



Then I pulled the head. So far things are going really well with no issues...




I cut the wire to the temp sender and it ended up being two small wires... the plan is to wire in a quick release plug. Hope the reading stays accurate (if it reads at all).


There's the piston. Hmmm... I have no idea really if this is normal or bad...


Bottom of the head. Looks okay to me, but what do I know?


Overview shot. (kinda like the gratuitous bike shot of the day photos...)


Pulled the cylinder. It looks like new! For a second I was afraid someone already did the 685 on this bike and didn't tell me... Luckily no, the cylinder just looks really clean on the inside (as it should I'm learning).








Old and new, bored cylinder compared.




Old and new pistons.






Disassembly complete. Have to wait on some molybdenum grease (no one around here has even heard of it), some loctite 515 and some shims before reassembly can commence. Next I'll work on the carb while I wait for the mail. I'm also sending my head over to Eaglemike for some cleanup and inspection, valve seats and all that.

Couple of things.

It looks like you were burning a little oil, but no big deal.

Replacing the cable choke with the KLX button style is a nice addition, however, with that gas tank it is rather difficult to access. Nothing big, just kind of a pain.

Replacing the header: I would suggest buying a second had generation 2 header. They are stainless steel and much high quality than the gen 1. AFAIK, it is a bolt up and go affair.

When EM goes over the head, make sure he replaces the valve springs. Don't skimp on money and keep the old ones, they get tired and Kawasaki is known to have weak valve springs.

Yep. Hopefully the 685 will solve that "problem".

I totally forgot that I read that and discounted the option for that reason originally... Will look further into it.

Great idea. I was thinking of going with a staintune header to match my pipe, but they are expensive!

Oddly on the phone, EM said the springs are fine on KLRs. I don't know... The head is being gone over and I'm talking to EM today to decided on what it'll get done. Was hoping to have her assembled and on to the next phase of the project by now... or maybe even get some riding in

It's been a while. Life has kept me busy. EM has my head so engine reassembly is on hold until it's back. While I'm waiting I did some work on the carb. The previous owner did the .22 cent mod, but I decided I wanted to try the KLX needle, plus I really just wanted to look inside and familiarize myself with what's going on in there. I got the KLX needle kit and the hex head replacement bolts from EM, and an extended thumb screw from ebay.

The carb with all the fixins...


The plug to the fuel screw was already drilled out (.22 cent mod).


It was turned out only 1.2 turns or so.


Fuel screws compared:


Thumb screw installed. In my head I pictured it longer. I'm happy with the length.


Pulled off the top and removed innards and needle. Originally I thought maybe the 22 cent mod wasn't done because I didn't see the washers. Good thing I double checked as they were stuck inside. It would have been interesting getting the bike to run if I left them in there...


It's a little dirty in there...


Needle compare. Original on the bottom.


I was waiting on my drill (lent out) to enlarge the hole in the slide to 7/64 in. After waiting a week and getting the drill I found out the hole was already enlarged (as per .22 cent mod) so it was an unnecessary delay.


While waiting for the drill, I pulled off the top to change the main jet.


Swapped the jet in there (I think a 148) for the recommended 142.5 with the clip on the needle set to the second groove and the spacer washer behind the clip.


There it is with a view of the thumb screw.


Comparison of the bolts. The new ones are longer, but there's space so it doesn't interfere with anything.


Top view with new hex head bolts.


You can see them protrude in this side view.


Then it was on to assemble the needle/slide combo.












I used thread locker on the new bolts. The washers off the old ones wouldn't come out, so I went sans washers here.


Side view. They also protrude from the bottom, but there's space.


Now fully assembled and ready to be installed.

I was also seriously considering putting in a hydraulic clutch. I don't believe it would reduce reliability as the brakes are hydraulic and those hoses usually don't fail, but the clutch cable gets replaced on the regular. If anything it would make it more reliable in my book. However, after looking at the cost to benefit ratio, and seeing as how I had a spare clutch cable I never used during my trip south, I decided to go with Ernie's extended clutch arm mod instead.

Clutch cable. Still works fine, but the exhaust did a number on it...


Original clutch arm.


Adjustment srew on lever turned all the way in.


Cable removed.


Clutch arms compared (original on left):




The new arm (on left) turned out to be ~1/8 in. (2-3 mm) longer than my original. I email Ernie and he said there was some variation and offered to shorten mine, but the one on his bike is similarly longer and has been doing fine for 40k miles. I opted to leave it.


Here is how it sits. I need to find some kind of spacer washer. I don't like how it just sticks out like that...


The email exchange happened after these shots, so it's not completely installed yet, but it'll look something like this:


The previous owner installed a "security" oil filler cap on the bike. While on my trip south I totally stripped the crap out of it (it was a 24mm bolt head) to the point where I had to JBweld a nut onto it to be able to open it. That nut lasted a couple of weeks but then came off. I ended up using the original plastic cap when I got home, but eventually ordered another security cap from EM (although I don't feel like I really need it...). I like the billet black look of it and it wasn't expensive.

Comparison shots: Original, PO, EM.




That's all for now. Waiting on that head... Some of the future plans involve lacing my own wheels, both 18 in. and better front brakes (not necessarily in that order)

nice build, thanks for taking the time to document it! I don't quite get the key thing though, are you having to leave the key in the ignition all the time now?

Pretty much. I had to hack off the top of the key and the plan is to JBweld (no fabricating capability) a "lever" perpendicular to the top of the key so that it more or less slides along the bottom of the dash mount, but hidden. I'd reach behind the dash panel and rotate the "switch" to turn it on and off (and maybe even lock the steering). And/Or, I'll wire an inline on/off button hidden as a safety feature and so that I can just leave the key switch in the on position and not have to mess with it.

Another option is to wire in an inline fuse somewhere hidden but accessible, and then just use the fuse as a key. Take it with you when you leave the bike... but that might be a little much...

Right now, for the test rides, I just reach underneath the dash and turn the key, but it's not comfortable or easy. The key can't be removed without removing the dash...

Wow, I'm impressed, and jealous. I wish I had the patience to do that kind of build, but I simply don't. I like to ride all summer, and when we start getting into fall, I start thinking about sleds.

Great job, though.

That's what the VFR is for! and thanks :)

Nice job!

But you will have to address the brake and suspension issues to really enjoy the bike. IME a woefully overloaded bike handles very nicely if you get the suspension tuned up right, not cheap to do either.
You will really like the 685 adjustment.

I'm really excited about the 685! The bike came to me with progressive springs in the forks, a fork brace and a progressive rear shock. Seems okay for now with what she has...

Having said that, I think doing a front end swap to inverted forks (just for fun) may well be in the future.

I'm seriously wondering about suspension upgrades, just having a hard time wrapping my head around spending close to $1000 for some minor mods.

I'll probably just end up rebuilding the rear, and changing the seals on the front.

Well, there's decent weather again and I have a place to live (but not so much to work on the bike) so I'll try to continue where I left off. I finished installing the 685 kit and broke it in with a couple of rides in the last week or so. The problem, you see, is that for the last month or so I've been riding the (beautiful, smooth, fast and powerful) VFR :eek1 When I got back on the KLR she felt anemic at best, vibrated like crazy and handled like a fat chick on a sloppy air mattress :huh I do like the ergonomics though. Very comfortable. So slowly, I'm acclimating back to the ol' tractor.

First off, I can't remember how weak (read: gutless) she used to be, but I don't think I'm getting the power I expected (or previously had). Since I did way too many mods at once it may be complicated to isolate. But since nothing is leaking and she runs great, I can't blame it on the 685 kit. What I can blame it on is the carb. 1st order of business is to rejet the carb a size higher to 145 (I'm at 142.5 now). She revs great in 1st - 3rd up to any rpm, but in 4th uphill she won't go over 4000 rpm and it 5th on the flat she won't go over 4000 rpm. Even in 1st - 3rd there's a flat spot about 4k rpm. I think that's the main jet... But maybe I need more air? Any suggestions?

Like I mentioned earlier... No Leaks!!! I think I assembled everything correctly and that even included dropping a bolt into the lower engine and having the cylinder gasket sealer go dry while I went to buy a tool to fish it out. Had to pull the left side engine cover off to do it



Cylinder on and piston in.


Setting the timing. Potential candidate for MC mod (advancing timing) LATER.


The rest of the reassembly was just dis-assembly in reverse. See previous posts. After riding just a bit, here's what I found:

The clutch extension from Ernie is pretty amazing. At a stop light I looked down to see that the neutral light wasn't on. I thought I had the wiring messed up (more on that later) only to look over and see my hand squeezing in the clutch. It's so light now I didn't even notice! More travel, less force and smooooth... Love it and highly recommended. Won't even consider a hydraulic clutch now.

The Vapor dash is sweet! But... since I used a common ground, everything works except when the neutral light is off, the right blinker indicator doesn't light up or blink (the blinkers work fine) :huh But it does blink with neutral light on. I need to separate the grounds for this to work properly. The temp gauge works and the speedo works and the tach works and it's great. Another highly recommended mod if your speedo fails at the gauge.

The LED Headlights. Holy Shit! I have it set to ~2/3 of full brightness for the low beam using the dimmer switch it came with. Even at that setting it's brighter and cleaner light than the stock low and high beams combined. I only turned on the high beam a couple of times and each time it blew my mind! It's like shining stadium lights down the road! :eek1 No. Joke. Mind blowing.

With everything said, I ride her every day and the VFR is back in storage.

So very near future plans involve rejetting the carb, rewiring the dash, lowering the forks a bit more (even lowered I can't flat foot and I want to). Also there's some serious dive while breaking so I think I need longer spacers. I'm going to replace the fuses with resettable circuit breakers (already have those) and put in a kill switch as there's the whole key issue. Then more stuff as time and money permit. Thanks for reading!

i know pretty much nothing about klr's, but it sounds like you didn't rejet post 685 kit?? so i'm guessing that its too lean up in the upper rpms, ie. needle and main. just my thoughts.

its crazy, but i too have owned several street bikes, and i could never see myself on one again, unless it was really cheap and inexpensive to run, or if i had no other choice, there is just something about being able to cruise down the street, and hop in the ditch or on a dirt road or any other type of off-road situation without thinking twice about if i have the right equipment to do it.

Nice work! You've actually made that KLR look good ;-) I didn't read all the txt, but did the piston/cylinder kit come with the ring gap pre set? I've not done a build that came with a replacement cylinder, usually just piston/rings, and you would have to measure the file the ring gap to fit the newly rebored cylinder. Just curious.

Thanks BushX. I really like the look of her now. I got the whole setup (although piecemeal and over time) from EagleMike. He bored the cylinder (I sent my original as core) and sent me the piston with the rings already installed. I didn't do anything to them so I sure hope they were set correctly :eek1 I actually went so far as to not measure them. This is my first rebuild of ANY engine and I didn't even know I had to!! What would be a symptom of incorrect gap?

Nice build mitchn06! Looks like went DEEP on that XR! I did rejet post 685 as I changed over the needle to a KLX one, and main jet (to much leaner) as the needle required it.

Yeah, I think I might be done with purely street bikes for a while. They're thrilling, but somehow not as satisfying...

Here's another variable I just though of: When reassembling the bike I BROKE (cracked) the enricher (choke) nut at the carb! (already ordered the brass replacement and waiting) It still works fine, but I'm wondering if that could be my revving issue?

Although I really think it's the main jet...

Awesome build thread! I'm glad to hear the 685 kit was so simple for you, makes me feel more confident about doing it down the road to my KLR. How many miles did your bike have on it before you tore down the engine? I didn't catch it...

Also, FYI, the little black looking thing that sits above the engine, had thick black cable, you refer to it as "THIS", is the ignition coil...

Thanks Xpress. The KLR is so easy to work on, you'll have no problem. It's the first bike engine work I've done and my only previous experience is working on VWs (plenty of that since I spent more time under them than in them ). The bike had just under 30k miles. It ran perfect... I just wanted to get to know her better

Ignition Coil... Thanks! I wondered where that was on this bike :huh

I've got experience working on all kinds of things, so hopefully this will be easy for me

Usually attached to the spark plug

I remember the first time I discovered what an ignition coil was. It was a rather, shocking, experience per say... :huh