KLR 650 Modifications

[2bold2getold]

Just finished reading this whole thread after finishing the Transalp Mod thread. There's been some mention of skid plates, so, here's an option. I first made one of these in 1975 when I noticed our trials bikes hanging up on big rocks...instant "5" (bad trials thing). So went to the Plastic place and related the problem to the plastic guy and he came up with this stuff. It's called "High Strength-Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethelene". Kind of like the old "unbreakable" combs from long ago, or cutting board material. You can get it in large sheets in different thicknesses. It cuts, drills and shapes easily. It's tough, fairly ridgid at normal temps, and slides over rocks. I've made many of these for all kinds of bikes, and no regrets. Enough for a bike costs about $25.00. I use a heat gun (usually get impatient and get out the plumbers torch---be careful, it will burn) and heat till pliable---bend to shape and let cool. It's not as easy as it sounds though. I use Jacks, tie downs, gloves and any thing else I can think of to hold the stuff while it cools. With the KLR, used some blind nuts and added a thinner piece on the right side to cover the pump. It's relatively cheap (klr friendly) and you don't need a welder.

[wowsers]

Wow 2 bold. I really like. Nice job.

[2bold2getold]

Originally Posted by wowsers

Wow 2 bold. I really like. Nice job.

Thanks. If you want to try it. Buy a bigger piece than you need, so you have room on the sides to grab with "Vice Grips" or to drill holes in to pull with tie downs. Then cut off the ugly bits when done.

[JTT]

That looks like what is commonly referred to up here in the Great White North as "puck board"....it's the stuff they use on the boards on an ice hockey rink. It is virtually indestructible and cheap. I used to make skid plates out of it for MX bikes (much more rudimentary than the previous poster's example as the intent was only to cover between the lower frame rails)....casing out on a nice slippery plate is much nicer than digging in.

I was told by my local supplier that heating too much will make it more brittle, but that is relative, as the stuff is so incredibly tough.

[2bold2getold]

Originally Posted by JTT

That looks like what is commonly referred to up here in the Great White North as "puck board"....it's the stuff they use on the boards on an ice hockey rink. It is virtually indestructible and cheap. I used to make skid plates out of it for MX bikes (much more rudimentary than the previous poster's example as the intent was only to cover between the lower frame rails)....casing out on a nice slippery plate is much nicer than digging in.

I was told by my local supplier that heating too much will make it more brittle, but that is relative, as the stuff is so incredibly tough.

Makes sense to me. Don't Know much about hockey (with the exception of "the Dallas Stars"). We don't get much ice in these parts. Back in the '20s they say Lake Worth (near Ft. Worth) froze over. Drove cars on it and everything. It was a big deal. There used to be some big time Speak Easys and gambling in the area and a famous bet about how far you could hit a golf ball. The legend goes, they cleaned off the ice and won the bet. One of the more famous gambling establishments is now a Baptist College in Arlington. Figures.

[intotheabis]

Originally Posted by JTT

That looks like what is commonly referred to up here in the Great White North as "puck board"....it's the stuff they use on the boards on an ice hockey rink. It is virtually indestructible and cheap. I used to make skid plates out of it for MX bikes (much more rudimentary than the previous poster's example as the intent was only to cover between the lower frame rails)....casing out on a nice slippery plate is much nicer than digging in.

I was told by my local supplier that heating too much will make it more brittle, but that is relative, as the stuff is so incredibly tough.

Where can I get this stuff in the Great White North?

[JTT]

Originally Posted by intotheabis

Where can I get this stuff in the Great White North?

There's a couple of places here in Halifax. HERE I'm sure there is someone in your area. Just do a search for plastic suppliers.

[Jettn Jim]

Originally Posted by DirtyDog

14/48 PBI Sprockets

Best I have tried for woods riding. I can pop a 16T on for mild road duty and it works fine (though it howls at highway speeds).

Edit: Newner- you suck.

Right on.. thanx and again gooood luck!

Aaand excellent skid plate man!

[2bold2getold]

Originally Posted by intotheabis

Where can I get this stuff in the Great White North?

Just Google UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight) plastic. You'll get a lot of hits. I bet, if you ask around, you can find a local plastics supplier. Sometimes they have off fall pieces they sell by the pound. It's really pretty easy to work with, and once you have some , you'll be surprised how many other uses you'll find for it. I try to keep pieces of different sizes and thicknesses on hand. Good luck.--- Royce

[cdnarcher]

Originally Posted by JTT

That looks like what is commonly referred to up here in the Great White North as "puck board"....it's the stuff they use on the boards on an ice hockey rink. It is virtually indestructible and cheap. I used to make skid plates out of it for MX bikes (much more rudimentary than the previous poster's example as the intent was only to cover between the lower frame rails)....casing out on a nice slippery plate is much nicer than digging in.

I was told by my local supplier that heating too much will make it more brittle, but that is relative, as the stuff is so incredibly tough.

Puck Board and UHMV Plastic are two different things. The UHMV will be a much better product for this use. We use it as sliders on our Twin Otter and DC3 Ski equipped aircraft and it is bullet proof. It takes a real beating. I have build a few skid plates for quads out of it, and it works great.

[doorman]

Just put on a headlight guard today. Total cost was 11$. Bought a work light at Menards and took the wire guard off of it. Cut a few wires off and bent some into loops to rivet the guard onto my fairing. I'm pretty pleased with it.

Here is the work light




Here it is on the bike




And the guard even came with a free work light.

[DirtyDog]

Why not try to mount the halogen light in place of the stock headlight?

[Mile Maker]

Hey guys. Which one is better? The Cee Bailey adjustable shield? Or the Madstad rotobrackets adjustable windshield?
http://www.ceebaileys.com/kawasaki/k...8_ws_adjs.html
http://www.madstad.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.492/.f
Ive tried the kawi tall, and a laminar lip before with no success. Too much buffeting. I cant stand it anymore. I want a shield that will direct the wind over my head, with no buffeting, for longer trips. Maximum protection! I also want to be able to stand up comfortably behind the shield for light off road use. I would probably change the shield out if i was going to do some more involved off road.
I am 6'2" with a 37" inseam.

I'm looking for the opinions of those who have tried these two shields. or if you know of another product that offers what these two do, i would have a look at those as well.


My last ride was rather....... unpleasant.

[DirtyDog]

Indian Nations Enduro 2012 is in the books. Here's some eloquent prose to offset my limited images.

Like I mentioned earlier, I made a last minute decision to ride in this enduro. I was scheduled to work, but we closed my research station early (for the season) so suddenly I had Thurs-Sun off.

I was aiming to ride the Blackjack Enduro Circuit on my KLR this year and had already missed the first race of seven. (Indian Nations would be the second.) To qualify for seasonal point tallies, you have to complete (or work) 5 of 7 events. The wife was scheduled to be out of town, so that made me the dog-sitter for the weekend. This meant I could only do an enduro day trip. Additionally, my truck was giving me some quirks I hadn't solved yet, so I decided the timing was right for an Ironman Enduro. My buddy Redeye_AZ would qualify this as worthy of the "5RH Society".

Ride to the Ride. Ride the Ride. Ride home. No trailer Queens.

I had a whole list of maintenance issues that I wanted to address before my first enduro (which would have otherwise been in a few weeks). Scrap the list. What can I do to make the bike reliable for this ride this weekend?

Needed brakepads, fresh oil and filters, and that rear tire isn't gonna cut it.



Had the stator cover removed and working on a leak, so I got that buttoned up first. Begged a decent 606 from Newner and installed that late the night before the race.

Made an attempt to rig up an odometer for the bike (I have no gages except GPS). Abandoned this idea due to apparent fragility. I'll use it on my mountain bike instead.


Shop dog was tired of my wrenching. He's good company though.


All ready to go.


Woke up at 4am so I could have a 5am departure. Had a nice breakfast beforehand. The slab ride to Scipio, OK was uneventful except for the hummingbird-sized insect that splatted against my goggles. Rolled into the staging area at about 645am and woke up Fotobo.

Started tearing down the bike for offroad duty. Stripped the mirror, GPS, and other minor bits. Changed from 16T to 14T and aired down the tires.

Had a snack, registered (C Veteran, row 22D), and tried to relax a bit. Yeah right.

Had a decent row with some nice riders (as always, it seems). Two of them were veteran timekeepers, so they were leading the charge at times when we had resets, pauses, etc. The fourth in our row was a first-timer and he did well.

Yes, I had the biggest bike there. Otherwise, a 450 was large and 250-300 was normal. None were street-legal, but my KLR. Understandably.

To be continued...

[Czechsix]