KLR650 Only Thread......

I must be an extra special 1%er...I bottomed the suspension all the time, and I am 155lbs.

I am in the "If you're gonna upgrade the KLR, go for known mechanical reliability issues (doohickey, subframe bolts) first, then suspension and brakes" camp.

I personally decided to do the TBob, because even here in coastal SC, I'd see wild temp swings on the bike, and once at speed in weather below about 50 degrees F, the needle would barely come off of cold. After T Bob install, temps are consistent, no matter ambient temps.

As for power upgrades, it'll get a 685 when it starts burning serious amounts of oil. Right now, @ 50K, it doesn't use a discernible amount. I won't spend $1,000s to gain 2-3 hp and kill my mpg. Set up right, the KLR makes and pretty darn good overland bike. However, I shall stick to back roads if at all possible. It is just my preferred method of travel on a bike.

At the moment, I am waiting for a new wiring harness from partzilla, as I have a mysterious ground fault issue somewhere. Bought the complete harness for an '07 plus the rear brake light switch for 100.00 shipped. Small price to pay, I think.

There's your problem (i'm thinking), or at least part of the problem right there. The sleeve should be perfectly flush with the top of the cylinder. Get that decked flushed.

But shouldn't the sleeve start off proud and be machined down to flush with the rest of the cylinder?

Starting from where it is now, the engine will be gaining compression to get that flush.

Looks to me like whoever installed the sleeve didn't seat it. Then the machinist decked it but then the sleeve slid down to seat well but that left a gap at the top. Just guessing.

Yup. ...unless you can press it in perfectly flush. I've had two cylinders where they decked the head about .001" in a milling machine. It's gotta be flush for the head gasket to seal.

Just two thoughts..
maybe i didn't see it but was there a picture of the sleeve being flush at the bottom/ and not proud ?

second... i would not be beyond using a thicker base gasket to compensate for more machining to get the top end flush..{if the sleeve is ok at bottom} As many may chime in.. it was a very viable option in the past to swap klr base gaskets to obtain higher compression.. dont think that is offered anymore by rebuild houses ...but may work "in reverse" to your benefit...
be as simple as obtaining stock jug length...

best of luck

Bill

edit: trying to remember what the bottom of the sleeve sets on... whether a ledge of some sort that sits on the water jacket casting...

Lots of '08's burned oil and quite a few '09's. There are many other documented problems with these model years, the'08's being the worst. Personally, if I was considering one of these years, I'd need the price discounted enough (at least) to cover the cost of one of the big bore kits available.

So the sleeve should have been proud when fully pressed in then milled to match? So either this one was not fully seated when milled and shifted down when running, or was never flush to begin with?

I'd rather not take that much material off the head... so it looks like I'll be finding someone to redo the sleeve. This way I can confirm the clearancing required to the jacket has been done too.

There is nothing in my books about this and it's the first time I've done this. I just assumed the work done on the part I was supplied was done correctly.

Yes, exactly. The new HD sleeve final position should sit slightly proud, and the cylinder surface is then decked bare minimum to flush the sleeve to the cylinder. .001" (or less) makes minimal difference, raises compression ratio very slightly.

Here in this pic of the removed stock sleeve (to the right), you can see where the O-rings contacted the sleeve.



...and here you can see how much the sleeve protrudes from the bottom of the cylinder:

I just roughly measured... the sleeve is about 15 thou below the cylinder.

I appreciate all the input and help everyone.

That the best you can do....????

I must also be in the 1% group.
I'm also in the fix known issues then brakes and suspension before hp group.
Reliability stopping and handling before extra speed/power is a wise choice IMHO.
As previously stated to each his/her own.
A simple respring may be enough for some, others may require a different option. It all comes down to how you use your bike and how close to its limits you regularly push it. I know that the KLR will never compare to the bikes I've raced, but I would still like to be able to tune my suspension for how and where I ride (a lot of single track and rocky hills)
So yes, it all comes down to what you want to do with and to YOUR bike. With my past experience I already know that I don't need a heavier spring, just better and more consistent compression and rebound control and adjustment.
If it offends anyone that I have a different point of view...may I suggest a cup or two of cement so you can harden the F up?

Thanks for the jug picture of the liner protrusion gwn its been at least three years since i bored out the jug on my bike for the 685 install.Did a quick look on the net...Here is the direct .pdf down load link for the klr 685 kit install... suggests using two base gaskets on the jug as one option to alter compression ratio.


On another note....... since many folks are getting bikes prepped for riding season... spooning on new "front" tires etc....... I'll re-post this old picture of my klr speedometer dirt seal spring that i found floating around in pieces in the worm drive grease/ lube during a routine clean and re-grease of the unit.....

20150914_063846 by Freewillie KLR, on Flickr

As I recall, you're somewhat of an authority on the Thermo-Bob, willys!

You reported in this thread that the Thermo-Bob you installed nearly burned up your engine (because of faulty product design/manufacture), and that you had a posse of a half-dozen other KLRistas who had the identical experience with the allegedly toxic product.

You, as the "World's Foremost Authority" (q.v., "Professor" Irwin Corey), have spoken.

I spent too many years racing both street and dirt. Most important to me was always suspension. I was fortunate I was 'just' fast enough that Ohlins components were available to me. I wasn't talented enough to need HP be number 1 and certainly wasn't talented enough to be able to ride on less than perfect suspension. I know a few fellow racers who could ride just about anything faster than you'd have ever thought. Me? I needed every bit of help I could get (confidence from good suspension) before I could two wheel slide into corners. Still scares me.... though, now I'm just old and slow and about the only thing I'll slide now is the rear tire! Probably a good thing....

Great post. I find it interesting when some will comment that a newer rider doesn't need a great suspension, and certainly not on a KLR. I think a less talented and inexperienced rider needs a good suspension just as much, if not more, than a competent experienced rider. Good riders can better adapt to the poor suspension than a noob. Thus one of my early upgrades to my KLR was full Cogent, and I have never regretted it. It transformed the bike and gave me an immediate boost of confidence. I should further note that I tried Willys idea. I put a bigger spring on the stock shock. What a disappointment. Over-sprung + Under-damped = Crappy suspension.

The cylinder can be decked the .015" to make the sleeve flush , I did it with the '05 I had , it does retard timing a little , not noticeable power loss or running issues but that would be the most to go without adjustable cam gears so the cams can be brought back into timing. New timing chain is best . Thicker base gasket would bring the height back to fairly normal height . That still doesn't answer why the sleeve is short to start with or if things were clearance inside like it's supposed to be.

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Any battery experts around? I have 2013 that still has the stock battery and I keep a pretty close eye on it as far as charging and fluid level. I haven't ridden it in a couple weeks so I tried to ride it yesterday but the battery was dead. I took it out today to top off the fluid level and recharge it. I noticed the level in all the cells was very low (about 1/2) like it had been over charged (not true). I've got it on a trickle charger now and all the cells are bubbling except one. Shouldn't they all be bubbling? Does that mean the battery is toast?

Could go either way. See how it works. You could take it to a shop and have it load tested, too.

Might be worth getting a battery hydrometer and checking the s.g. of each cell to determine if you've got a bad cell. Or, just buy a new battery...figure that battery is close to 5 years old, about the limit of most flooded cell batteries.

KLR charging system is not very 'modern' and will contribute to a wet cell losing water thru evap. Given its age and fact water level was not maintained (normal maintenance item) you could have permanent battery damage. I won't go into that... At the very least, refill battery using distilled water. Place battery on a charger and let come to full charge. In your particular case I'd suggest a trickle charger is not the best method. Faster charge to induce a bit of heat into the battery can help 'restore' its condition. I like to see 120-140F. I'd then let it cool and go have it load tested (even walmart tire stores have load testers at no cost) to determine its current condition. If you need to replace I'd suggest stepping up to a maint free battery. Lots of other battery chemistry's to choose from as well....