V649HP-Kawasaki's new gravel runner

[Multisurface Rider]

Originally Posted by jdrocks

i wouldn't bet the farm on that 250.

agree with ya on the motor...as long as you're talking about the mighty 649HP.

I understand, but a good 200+ without any worry.

[johnwesley]

Originally Posted by jdrocks

tried these i other day after getting tired of the knee pads in my riding pants always being out of position. i put a high priority on protecting my knees.



these are a different deal, obviously locked right on the knee. wore them all day, worked great.

those are the ones I use and they are the best I have tried. comfortable, protective, and adds stability. I notice that I can ride standing up longer with out knee strain when I wear them

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by johnwesley

those are the ones I use and they are the best I have tried. comfortable, protective, and adds stability. I notice that I can ride standing up longer with out knee strain when I wear them

agree, another 600 mile day trip coming up and i'll have 'em on.


so are you taking that new bike north?

[MTrider16]

I haven't been on Adv for awhile. Looks like Baldy went and repainted the place.

Your bikes looking good. Do you like the stopping ability with one rotor when you are on pavement?

We're barely keeping our noses above the water here. The passes "might" be clear of snow when you come out, we'll see what this next couple weeks of warm weather does.

David

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by MTrider16

I haven't been on Adv for awhile. Looks like Baldy went and repainted the place.

Your bikes looking good. Do you like the stopping ability with one rotor when you are on pavement?

We're barely keeping our noses above the water here. The passes "might" be clear of snow when you come out, we'll see what this next couple weeks of warm weather does.

David

you can switch back to the old ADV page by using the pull down menu on the lower right and hit "crash".

two decent runs on consecutive saturdays to get some seat time. 600 miles last week and 500 today, just got home. plenty of gravel. bike runs beautifully. some overgrown and seldom used two track today that was as rough as anything i'm likely to see on this years route.

brakes work fine with single caliper and 300mm rotor. i replaced the OEM DRZ front brake line with an aftermarket ss braided line, and that helps too.

yeah, i hope it dries out. you getting in any riding at all out there?

[MTrider16]

I think I'm going to roll with Baldy's new style.

I haven't been riding as much as I'd like. Work and needing to clean up some things at the farm have been taking my time. The weather hasn't been very good either. I think we've finaly got summer here, but it rains if you look at the clouds wrong. The roads are pretty soggy and messed up from washouts etc. Lots of water running in the creeks now, water courses that are normally dry.

On the west side of the state there is still lots of snow in the mountians. It doesn't look like GNP will get the GTTS road open on the 4th, probably a week or two late. We are all crossing our fingers and watching how fast it turns to water and fills up our rivers. An interesting year to say it mildly. Don't come over too early. Balance that out with southern Colorado is dry as a bone.

David

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by MTrider16

An interesting year to say it mildly. Don't come over too early...

still have some time to go before i head west. the COE is taking some big time heat over how they managed those dams on the Missouri.

[jdrocks]

500 hundred miles saturday, including some little used, overgrown, and washed out rocky two track. bike ran really well, again.

post ride inspection, and i find the same motor mount bracket bolt missing on the right side, while the adjacent bolt was loose. i felt a familiar high frequency vibe on the way home, so i wasn't that surprised. the only time there is any vibration on these bikes is when those bolts are loose.



the right side bolts come loose despite blue, while the pair of left side bolts stay tight. it must have something to do with rotational energy. riding offroad, i'm on and off the gas constantly. the torque must cause the bolts to loosen up. one of these days, i'll learn to check them throughout the ride. i'll pull the remaining three, and then use loctite red to reinstall all four. the next step would be tie wire.


so, an old guy pounding around on those rocky roads, too tall and too heavy a freakin' beast, the 649HP snarlin' away, Big Blocks tossin' the gravel, forget the clutch just pound the shifter, sweat pouring off me 'til i was soaked...all in all, like an insanely adolescent experience.

i think i'll have to build another one.

[fredgreen]

time for loctyte red, or better yet, drill and lockwire the bugger, it'll stay in then. Cheers-Fred

[ktmklx]

"post ride inspection, and i find the same motor mount bracket bolt missing on the right side, while the adjacent bolt was loose. i felt a familiar high frequency vibe on the way home, so i wasn't that surprised. the only time there is any vibration on these bikes is when those bolts are loose.


the right side bolts come loose despite blue, while the pair of left side bolts stay tight. it must have something to do with rotational energy. riding offroad, i'm on and off the gas constantly. the torque must cause the bolts to loosen up. one of these days, i'll learn to check them throughout the ride. i'll pull the remaining three, and then use loctite red to reinstall all four. the next step would be tie wire."


Thanks for posting this information I will be looking close at this area. In fact I plan on mounting my skid plate with these 2 bolts.

[ktmklx]

[QUOTE


so, an old guy pounding around on those rocky roads, too tall and too heavy a freakin' beast, the 649HP snarlin' away, Big Blocks tossin' the gravel, forget the clutch just pound the shifter, sweat pouring off me 'til i was soaked...all in all, like an insanely adolescent experience.
[/QUOTE]

JD, you rock!

[Multisurface Rider]

JD,

You have built and own a very nice bike.

[/QUOTE]

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by fredgreen

time for loctyte red, or better yet, drill and lockwire the bugger, it'll stay in then. Cheers-Fred

i'll take that as gospel, 'cause ya know, the KLR guys have devised ways and means to hold a bike together that most of the beast crowd have never even thought about.

bike runs great Mr. KLR, i'd like to get up your way, test it out on the bush roads.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by ktmklx

Thanks for posting this information I will be looking close at this area. In fact I plan on mounting my skid plate with these 2 bolts.

i think that's a decent choice, and i looked at it also. the motech bars mount at the motor mount bolts also, so there's plenty going on in that area.

there must dynamic loads concentrated there to have those bolts come loose. i've completely lost a small one twice, had them loosen up many times, and almost lost the actual motor mount bolt once. that had a lock nut and blue.

further evidence was a stress crack on the aluminum section of my original gravel guard, a stress fracture at the right hand gravel guard mount, and an unexplained stress crack in the right motech bar. some evil forces at work considering the engine feels so smooth and vibration free.

my point is that whatever you end up doing in the way of fabrication needs to be strong enough to resist what's going on there. mine is done in steel so field repairs can be accomplished easier, but if i wasn't traveling, aluminum would be ok.

i was fortunate to get my aluminum guard welded in the Yukon, and it only happened because i knew the guy. he might have been the only one to make that repair for several hundred miles in any direction.

[jdrocks]

Originally Posted by Multisurface Rider

JD,

You have built and own a very nice bike.

[/QUOTE]

thanks, 1100 miles over two riding days, varied surfaces and speeds, and it performed great.

the Big Blocks have wear over towards the chickens, so it was cornering pretty well too, although i can't say i was pushing. no way fast these days.