Super Sherpa thread

I am also evaluating the Super Sherpa vs. XT250. I have been over to the XT225/250 website, but have not found one similar for the SuperSherpa. Not sure which one I will go with yet, but it sure looks like a very close call. The '09 Super Sherpas have not arrived in the showrooms yet, but the dealers tell me they will be here in just a couple of more months.

I want something that will get me into Mexico by road and allow me the flexibility of going off-road when getting to various destinations. I have also been looking at the various motards, but I see they all seem to be liquid-cooled.

Thanks in advance for any advice concerning either the Super Sherpa or the XT250. Turbo City seems to have a nice set of farkles for both bikes.

Mike

Stock headlight is a 65/55 watt H4 halogen bulb. I would not go with a higher wattage bulb without replacing the stock wiring with something beefier. You might also need to replace the bulb socket and possibly the reflector with something that can take more heat. The reflector/lens assembly and mounting bracket are the same parts as an 07-older KLR 650.

Stator output is spec'd as 15amps, 14 volts, at 7k RPM. So that would make it 210 watts.

They're both good bikes. The new Yamaha is the 225 bumped up to 250cc.

In a serious lapse of judgement, Yamaha took the 6-speed away and it's now a 5-speed. The XT-225 had one of the best transmissions in the world of motorcycles. But, the Sherpa is another bike with a very good (6-speed) trans.

Virtually all Kawasakis "clunk" into gear, especially from neutral to 1st and frequently 1st to 2nd (that doesn't make them bad transmissions, though). The Super Sherpa trans is smooth as butter.

The XT has finally been given a rear disc brake. The headlight is probably better than the Sherpa's.

But, as I said in the first sentence, they are both good bikes. If you like one, you will like the other. Get the one that you like - either one - and you'll be happy.

= = = =

+1 to that.

I'm about the same size as you and recently did my first extended ride on my Sherpa: about 120 miles on rural roads. Cake for some people, maybe, but as a new rider on a new-to-me bike, it was a test of sorts. I was totally comfortable except for the cold, which mainly affected my hands. I had temps in the low-40s/hi-50s and foggy damp conditions. Thinking now about better gloves and/or some type of handguards/brushguards as a wind break.

Oh man, I’ve done it now. I just did the Dr. Jekyll jet upgrade on the 2002 Sherpa. Now the bike won’t start and I need some help.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
The first problem involves a very small diameter hose that comes off a hard plastic elbow on the left side of the carb (riders left, while astride the bike). The end of the hose away from the carb pulled free as I was moving the carb. Where does it go? I thought it was simply a drain tube. But now I’m not so sure.
<o></o>
Any ideas on how to approach the bike not starting? It started once after I did the jet installation. Now it cranks strongly but won’t start. It started okay before klutz the wrench here worked on it.
<o></o>
Thanks for any help you can offer.
<o></o>
Thumpero:jose

There are two hoses that come out of the left side of the carb. One is a small diameter drain hose that goes down and back between the engine and the rear shock. There should also be a similar drain hose on the right side of the carb. There is another slightly larger vent hose that comes out very close to the drain hose fitting, and goes up, around the shock, and back to next to the air box snorkel. There should be a small fitting on the rider's left side of the snorkel where the L-shaped end of the vent hose can be put.

As far as the not starting, check that you reconnected the vacuum hose to the fuel petcock and the fitting on the cylinder head. Also, try putting the petcock into Prime position and cranking the bike. My experience is that you do still need full choke to get a cold Sherpa to fire, even after the DrJekle jetting is done.

You're my hero. You we're right on the money. I'd neglected to connect the fuel petcock to the cylinder head. I plugged it in and she cranked right up --- my day is going considerably better. What a great on line community! Many, many thanks, Tomatoe333.

Hey Thumpero ....

After you have gone thru a few cold start-ups .... reply back and tell us the difference the jetting change made to your Sherpa ....

Thanks ....

Stock jetting, needs a healthy 10 minutes and 5 miles to warm up.
130/20 Jetting, 3-4 minutes and 1-2 miles to warm up.
And noticeable increase in acceleration/power. Not huge, but it's there.

im interested in a dual sport for a winter commuter and summer beater. i wouldn't be doing much highway only a rare 30mi strech but i would like to take my mountain bike with me, so chock that up as 45lbs of gear. plus i am 6' 250lbs how will the sherpa take it. i would consider my self a seasoned rider and would like to shy away from the standard klr650. thanks for any help.

I've got the same vital statistics as you... she runs ok but has to work up the hills. If 40-45mph is good with you, then I don't think there'll be a problem. It was about 30 when I ventured out today... the cold air makes it feel a little peppier. BTW just added the reasonably priced heated grips from Trackside and they work nicely. A little trimming required but no fuss otherwise. The controller sits right below the dash on the top triple... like it was meant to be there :)

What kind of bars and bark busters do you have there? I got a set of cheapo bark busters for my wife's sherpa and they just don't fit right. I like how clean your set up is

Thanks for the compliment The handguards are Tusk p/n 1096330001 that I got from Rocky Mtn ATV Link
Nothing exciting with the install, just have to open up the ends of the handgrips. I had already planned on adding the risers but if you elect not to, some creative routing of cables might be necessary. It'd still work (tried it) ...there's just 'one spot' that the clamp goes that makes it all come together. With the riser, there is a little more flexibility of how you pick the angle of the guards.

The handlebars are stock with addition of another value priced Tusk riser p/n 1134270003. Link goood luck

Any problem meeting the electrical needs of those heated grips on the little Sherpa?

So far only limited time spent with the grips. They get warm and a restart is about as fussy as always (still haven't installed Dr Jekle's jets). When we get slightly better weather, I'll stick a voltmeter on and do a little testing.

I am wondering if anyone can help me out?

Unless I was dreaming, I am sure I ran across some pics of an aftermarket set of plastics for the Sherpa that were pretty radically different looking. I remember it having a sort of "beak" and a different style of headlight(s).

I thought it was on this site, I don't cruise many bike forums. I was trying to find pics to show a friend, and of course could find no trace.

were you thinking of this post? Those are Uly headlights...

Nope Nope. I've spent hour pouring through this and any other thread I can find.

Definitely a different front fairing, I think it had additional off-road lights on either side, and a very BMW-like beak.

My memory is fuzzy, but I thought some shop in Washington state maybe was developing it? Perhaps its only in the prototype phase...

But I am going sorta crazy trying to rediscover it, I am sure I stumbled across it sometime in the past month or so.

If its not here, and I do rediscover it, I will provide a link.

Edit - I found the link : http://klrworld.com/forums/index.php/topic,6680.0.html I've read through that entire thread, and I still have no idea what forum and what thread led me to it, but somewhere someone was discussing something along the same lines as a kit for the Sherpa... and yeah, I realize those are the bigger KLRs.

Was someone looking for a different fender?
http://www.dual-star.com/index2/Brand/Kawasaki/Sherpa/Super%20Sherpa%20High%20Fender.htm