Sold my GSA and am back on a KLR !!!

[PWRCRZR]

Originally Posted by GAS GUY

Yeah, I'm trying to cover all the bases, so it's ready to roll in the spring.

If you weren't so far away I could give yours the treatment !! Lol.

I was out your way this past summer, I rode to Acadia NP., and Bar Harbor.I camped out in Acadia.

Beautiful spot to camp isn't it.

I may get out today and do more maintenance, I am sure with the pile of snow we have had lately that I will have plenty of time to get it done this winter.

Happy New Year to you as well

[Unclejimmy1]

Originally Posted by GAS GUY

Tonight I changed out all the fluids.
I replaced the brake fluid front and rear with LiquiMoly Dot 4.
I used Cummins Fleetguard blue coolant for the cooling system.
And Mobile 1 -15w50 Full Synthetic motor oil.

I really don't want to tell you this ,,,but you will find out if you read the Jackson Ms. NYD ride report,,,,,I whimpered out riding with them today Rainng I'm Mississippi,,,,they are going to meridian ms and back to Jackson to day,,,,,,But at the big 70 I would hold them back so I will wait and read of the experiences I could have had!
I hope you have a Happy New Year, !,,,and maybe we can meet at the MTF. Founders Feast in Ohio. Uncle Jmmy:. Got the LRP dressed with top case,,,crebris hand guards. Windscreen Cycle rack,, and ordering a Seat Concepts kit......still loving it.

[jules083]

I've been lurking in this thread from the beginning, looks excellent.


I was a bit backwards from you, I was looking for a GSA and ended up getting a KLR. Similiar reasons, leave the expensive bikes for the rich. I could have gotten the GSA if I really wanted it, but to me it would have been a sacrifice that I'm glad I didn't have to make.

Now if I can find the time and money to do what you're doing I'll be set. You're doing this thing the way we all want to but very few actually take the time to do. Maybe (hopefully) next winter for me.

[Murphy Slaw]

Originally Posted by jules083

You're doing this thing the way we all want to but very few actually take the time to do.

Amen.

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by GAS GUY

I put the front end back together and sure enough the front forks are bent.
I noticed the misalignment before, but was hoping they were just shifted and that after loosening it all and retorqing that it would be ok.But, no such luck.


If you look at the fender and tire you can see the misalignment, they should move together.
Also, I noticed the rear subframe is tweaked to the left a bit, causing the seat to tank fit to be too tight.
I am going to have to pull the rear subframe and front forks back off and replace them.
The PO is a stand up guy, and is going to send me replacement parts.
He swapped ends at 30-40 miles an hour on gravel and didn't realize the extent of the damage.

In the meantime , while I am waiting on parts,I am going to pull the shock off and freshen that up.

Wow! Did the PO Flip the bike? Did it get air borne and land upside down?
On the DR forums lots of guys "think" they have bent forks or handlebars ... but 90% of the time they are wrong.

I'm sure you've done all the checks on this ... like loosening all four triple clamp bolts and wiggle bars back and forth ...then use front axle to re-align the forks during reassembly. Axle get tightened first ... then triple clamp bolts.

Also ... don't know if the KLR has rubber damped bars ... the DR does ... and in a fall the bars get twisted ... but NOTHING IS BENT ... you simply need to push the bars back to center. The rubber dampers allow movement
in a fall ... but don't self correct. You have to push against bar stop to get them straight. Easy.

Try to find out if its the tubes that are bent ... or the triple clamps. Could be either one ... but more likely fork tubes. Really hard (for me) to tell on triple clamps. But fork tubes, once disassembled, you can roll the tubes on flat surface (like glass) to look for the bend.

Fork tubes can be straightened. Any suspension guys can do it.
Triple clamps? I'm not sure on this ...

With the DR650 guys always think they've bent their handlebars. Same deal, the bars are rarely bent. It's either the forks just tweaked in the clamps or its the rubber dampers holding bars out of true center.

I fixed two DR's from DR riding friends who were ready to buy new forks! One already bought new Pro Taper bars! (thinking stockers were bent!)
Boy, were they surprised when I straightened everything in under ten minutes.

A little Knowledge is a dangerous thing!

Good luck!

[GAS GUY]

They are definatly bent, I had it all apart and methodically reinstalled it all.
I would rather just install new parts and be done with it.

[EMTNEK]

Thanks, Gas Guy. This is excellent. I own a BMW (expensive repairs) K1200GT and have wanted a dual sport for when the dirt starts. Bought 2001 R11500S last spring, put a few thousand miles on it and did one organized mixed road ride. It is tough in mud to manhandle. I helped a few other 1200GS owners drag them through the muck. Then decided that mechanically I did not trust it enough to go to James Bay and sold it, at a loss. My little BMW dealer was not a fan of the 1150GS. Thought the ABS system was not reliable with dual fluids and all. Unless one had it out of the box one did not know what one was getting.
Love to have a GSA if money did not matter. It does. Something smaller as well for when things get boney or muddy. The KLR as a simpler machine and a lot cheaper can do what I want to do on a dual sport bike. I like the simpler cheaper thing and thank you for going through it on here so I know what to look for. Excellent.

[GAS GUY]

Yesterday Ernies clutch arm came in the mail, so I got out in the garage today and installed it.
It is about 5/8" longer than stock to provide more leverage and less effort.

[GAS GUY]

Here is a pic of it installed.

It is an amazing difference in how easy the clutch pull is now, especially my bike because it has the heavier clutch springs installed.
It is a very easy installation also.You just disconnect the cable, then rotate the arm counterclockwise a quarter turn and lift it out.Simple.
I like the lighter clutch pull effort while still keeping the simplicity and reliability of a cable clutch.
While I was at it, I also put a new clutch cable on.

[PacificPT]

I did something similar, went from these


to this


did some of this


Ended up looking like this


Looks like you are having fun both wrenching and riding the KLR, good times.

[GAS GUY]

PacificPT- Your bike came out really nice.That fairing is sharp.

[PacificPT]

The fairing is a generic Lynx from Britania, I fabbed up some mounts so it attaches to the forks. I like my headlight to turn with my handlebars. The HID really is much better than the stock unit. I use the bike as my primary form of transport so it gets ridden a lot at night and I wanted more light than the stock unit. I got the unit from another inmate after his KLR 600 rebuild went bad. Been very happy with it.

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by PacificPT

The fairing is a generic Lynx from Britania, I fabbed up some mounts so it attaches to the forks. I like my headlight to turn with my handlebars. The HID really is much better than the stock unit. I use the bike as my primary form of transport so it gets ridden a lot at night and I wanted more light than the stock unit. I got the unit from another inmate after his KLR 600 rebuild went bad. Been very happy with it.

Nice bike! Have you managed to do something with the stock muffler?
It's even worse than the one on my DR650! ... and the sound is truly pathetic. I hate LOUD pipes ... but is there a sensible option for the KLR that sounds a little better and lightens the load a bit? I'm not a fan of mufflers that need re-packing ... like FMF and loud pipes bring "unwanted" attention!

The HOT ticket for the DR650 is using on older GSXR Titanium muffler. Mine was $50 ... plus $200 for the mid pipe to make it ft. Light, nice sound, lasts forever, no re-packing. ALL GOOD!

[GAS GUY]

Originally Posted by Adv Grifter

Nice bike! Have you managed to do something with the stock muffler?
It's even worse than the one on my DR650! ... and the sound is truly pathetic. I hate LOUD pipes ... but is there a sensible option for the KLR that sounds a little better and lightens the load a bit? I'm not a fan of mufflers that need re-packing ... like FMF and loud pipes bring "unwanted" attention!

The HOT ticket for the DR650 is using on older GSXR Titanium muffler. Mine was $50 ... plus $200 for the mid pipe to make it ft. Light, nice sound, lasts forever, no re-packing. ALL GOOD!

I think the pipe to get for the KLR is the LEO VINCE.

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by GAS GUY

I think the pipe to get for the KLR is the LEO VINCE.

Leo Vince are consistently doing very nice pipes for a variety of bikes. I first saw them back in around 2005 on DL1000 Stroms. Very Nice pipes. I used a Remus pipe on my Vstrom but the Leo Vince was nearly as good ... and less expensive by about $100.

They also make a very nice pipe for my "other" bike, my Triumph Tiger 1050.
Light, well made, not too loud. The Tiger one comes with a removable baffle.