Low cost Mods and Tricks for KLR 650

[eaglemike]

Pulling the snorkel from the airbox makes the biggest single difference in airflow. Don't use a K&N, expensive, don't sela well in the klr airbox at the base, and flow less than the stocker. Use the stockfilter, Uni (flows best), or TwinAir, or NoToil. Adjust the idle mixture screw. Often waaay wrong fromt eh factory. If you're at sea level and jetting is close, remove the airbox door when you go to high altitude. Grease the rear suspension linkage before it's too corroded to remove. If it's too late, do it anyway. There's about $.0001 worth of grease from the factory. You can put is $.50 and be good for a loooong time. Same with steering head bearings. Drain fork oil and put in proper amount, cost about $10, takes just under 1 liter. IF you have a stock type battery, keep it full of water. If you don't check it every 2 or 3 months, you will likely run it dry. Check you oil every fuel stop when running highway. Way cheaper than running it out of oil and buying a new engine. Change the oil every 2K miles or so.
hope this helps!
all the best,
Mike

[leon kawasaki]

If I had it to do over, I would just buy some good quality soft luggage for the KLR. The Happy Trails are great, especially for highway trips, but for me they are awkward offroad and maybe a bit dangerous. I was working daily off the bike when I got mine (forestry) so they were good for carrying tree marking paint by the gallon, etc. I am keeping them anyway, but looking to go with some bags in the future. The other upside is that the bike is easier to pick up off the ground with the boxes. heh heh.

[kudos]

I only intend using panniers for long on-road hauls, weekends away etc.

Other than that I would expect the racks to offer some bodywork protection in a "falley over" scenario

[kudos]

Can anyone recommend any inexpensive additional lights that would neatly fit in the area under the headlight.

It would be good if they were square (in keeping with the stock headlamp)

Also, can I fit a Sylvania H4 Halogen in the standard headlight assembly with out creating too much heat or a melt down?

or... am I better off going to HID?

[roborider]

I found some 12v driving lights, and am replacing the bulbs with 20w spot halogens. I spend less than $20 on the lights, and about $12 on the new bulbs, and expect to have some decent aux lighting without taxing the stator output too much. As long as it's a 55W bulb, you can replace the headlight bulb no problem.

Also, suggest you replace the battery with a sealed, no-maintenance one. Saves the aggravation of getting to it under the seat.

I found a set of Ortlieb dry saddlebags for only $100 used here - look around on the forums, including KLR650.net. I also picked up side rear racks on eBay for $95 - they look good, protect the rear plastics, and are great for mounting/holding the soft bags. I decided on soft bags to keep the weight down, and I also have a Wolfman Alta bag for camping and extra gear for longer rides.

Originally Posted by kudos

Can anyone recommend any inexpensive additional lights that would neatly fit in the area under the headlight.

It would be good if they were square (in keeping with the stock headlamp)

Also, can I fit a Sylvania H4 Halogen in the standard headlight assembly with out creating too much heat or a melt down?

or... am I better off going to HID?

[Kitsune]

For the cheap driving lights.... I have seen a thread about making your own LED floods out of stuff from the hardware store. I remember something about the household LED flood being 12V and fitting directly into a 2" PVC pipe cap. Total cost was like $25.

I run the Happy trails panniers, would defiantly remove them when going off-road exploring. Dangerous as hell if you have to put a foot down while moving. I have dinged my calf on them a few times on gravel roads. I got the tapered bottom ones that seem to be not as bad as the flats.

Spend the money on a thermo-bob, it is worth every cent.

I argue the oil change interval and am currently working on real world data. Testing my oil for indicators is better then guessing at when to change it. (lower cost due to longer change interval is good for me!!)

Change/Check your sub-frame bolts before they shear! mine were partially backed out already at only 500 miles.

PM me if you have any specific questions, I don't cruz the 4m's too much.

***edit*** Eaglemike is spot on, have not pulled my snorkel though, since I cross water often.

[8lives]

Oh my,today I spent about 25.00$ on the green love of my live,been needing to move my rear turn sigs for my soft bags,cyclegear had some bright flush mount sigs and I thought it would be a kind thing to save this innocent pair of lights from some fairinged sport bikendrilled some holes in the rear fender and I think they will be happy for their life as KLR turn sigs,or at least until I cross a deep creek.The 2nd event was I had a plastic breadboard I used as a rack for my beloved DR350 and cut off some pieces to make an heat shield for my repositioned soft bags,I think its gonna be a great day fer me and the Mistress KLR as we have new cheap fixes to bragg about at the next Harley biker event I sneak my way into.Those Harley people throw away stuff that will always make good KLR farklels.

[brendonb11]

On another forum they were talking about "free performance". It's called the MC Mod and you just have to advance the exhaust cam one tooth (7.X degrees).
Apparently, a significant amount of horsepower and torque are achieved throughout the power band.
I haven't done it yet, but next valve check for sure!