Klr oil burning question.

[Xcuvator]

Originally Posted by coolerthanethan

so i just picked up a 99 with 5,400k last week being my 5th kawi in 10 years thinking i was getting a bullet proof machine capable of traversing over any terrain. A week later and the petcock has died engine flooded with gas and the carb needs a rebuild. Now i'm reading around here learning that there is a dohickey which if i don't spend $100+ on can blow my engine, cylinders go oval, people burn more than a quart of oil in between changes, pistons crack, race overbore kits and engine rebuilds for reliability, subframe bolts snap and so on. So why does everyone rage about the KLR even though it seems to be plagued by problems? what the F was kawi thinking? what did i get my self into?

Seems like i should have stuck to what i know and gotten an inline 4.

On the internut all you hear about are the problems. If it an't broke, ride the SOB till the wheels fall off or you die of old age.

[XDragRacer]

Originally Posted by coolerthanethan

so i just picked up a 99 with 5,400k last week being my 5th kawi in 10 years thinking i was getting a bullet proof machine capable of traversing over any terrain. A week later and the petcock has died engine flooded with gas and the carb needs a rebuild. Now i'm reading around here learning that there is a dohickey which if i don't spend $100+ on can blow my engine, cylinders go oval, people burn more than a quart of oil in between changes, pistons crack, race overbore kits and engine rebuilds for reliability, subframe bolts snap and so on. So why does everyone rage about the KLR even though it seems to be plagued by problems? what the F was kawi thinking? what did i get my self into?

AFAIK, if you're puking fuel and have an OEM vacuum-activated petcock, you have two failures:

1. Petcock.
2. Float valve (and/or float valve seat).

An operational, functional float valve will not leak overflow fuel, even if the petcock fails to shut off with no intake vacuum.

Further, AFAIK, the stock Generation 1 doohickey (flawed as it might be) has NOTHING to do with the cylinder bore cross-section configuration, nor with excessive oil consumption. Still, replacement of OEM doohickey on Generation 1 KLR's remains sound maintenance, as well as spring tension examination and replacement as necessary for both generations.

Aftermarket subframe bolts, 4-piece or 3-piece retrofit kits, aren't a bad idea.

Countermeasures exist for some KLR weak points; yet . . . some muddle through, as-built.

[bigdon]

Originally Posted by coolerthanethan

so i just picked up a 99 with 5,400k last week being my 5th kawi in 10 years thinking i was getting a bullet proof machine capable of traversing over any terrain. A week later and the petcock has died engine flooded with gas and the carb needs a rebuild. Now i'm reading around here learning that there is a dohickey which if i don't spend $100+ on can blow my engine, cylinders go oval, people burn more than a quart of oil in between changes, pistons crack, race overbore kits and engine rebuilds for reliability, subframe bolts snap and so on. So why does everyone rage about the KLR even though it seems to be plagued by problems? what the F was kawi thinking? what did i get my self into?

Seems like i should have stuck to what i know and gotten an inline 4.

Does it have 5,400 miles on it or 54,000 miles on it?

The gas that we use is very hard on rubber parts. It eats them up. If let to sit it will gum up the carb.
If I bought a 13 year old bike , I would expect it to need a little TLC.

My 03 has 35,000 miles on it. I would/do ride it anywhere. I've been through quite a few Thumpers and one, that cost 4 times as much as my KLR.
My bike is more comfortable and just as reliable as any thumper on the road. If I drop it I pick it up. If it stops working I fix it. It is as simple as a hammer.
Oh and it's sooo pretty too!

[RoberTx]

Originally Posted by byways

KLRs consume inordinate amounts of oil, among many other defects. Schnitz Racing's 685 overbore kit is the solution.

A load of bullshit. My '08 has 36,000 miles on it and has never burned any oil. My '06 KLR was exactly the same with 14,000 miles, it never burned any oil at all.

[VikB]

Originally Posted by coolerthanethan

so i just picked up a 99 with 5,400k last week being my 5th kawi in 10 years thinking i was getting a bullet proof machine capable of traversing over any terrain. A week later and the petcock has died engine flooded with gas and the carb needs a rebuild. Now i'm reading around here learning that there is a dohickey which if i don't spend $100+ on can blow my engine, cylinders go oval, people burn more than a quart of oil in between changes, pistons crack, race overbore kits and engine rebuilds for reliability, subframe bolts snap and so on. So why does everyone rage about the KLR even though it seems to be plagued by problems? what the F was kawi thinking? what did i get my self into?

Seems like i should have stuck to what i know and gotten an inline 4.

I'm on my 2nd KLR first was a '97 and I'm on a 2010 now. Great bike for the price.

Some people want to sell you shit and others want to justify their own purchases. The internet is great at building fear/paranoia. So beware of people trying to freak you out to buy stuff from them or their friends. Also be aware of people freaking out themselves who are stuck in the better do "X" mod or else you bike will spontaneously explode.

The tens of thousands of KLRs that are out there running stock without problems make no "noise" online. The few that have issues get all sorts of coverage especially when folks can sell you a kit to fix the problem.

Does that mean the KLR has no problems = no. It means that you shouldn't let people freak you out and you should look at the situation dispassionately and assess what to do as best you can.

I never did done the Doo on my '97 when I sold it and I doubt the new owner did either. Most of the KLRs I see on the street probably ain't got a done Doo neither. There are lots of high mileage KLRs out there without done Doos. OTOH the pre-2008 models definitely did have some Doos break. First thing to keep in mind is the torque spec on the Doo bolt is low and I suspect some folks broke their Doos by over tightening them. For a '99 I'd probably consider a Doo upgrade at some point. I wouldn't worry about it today or tomorrow. Find a time when you can mess around with the bike without cutting into your riding season.

My 2010's doo ain't been done neither. I just looked and it hasn't exploded - so far anyways.

My KLR doesn't burn oil. I wouldn't worry about it unless yours actually does. Ride it and see what happens before you spend any time thinking about engine rebuilds and such.

Breaking sub-frame bolts is a matter of how hard you ride and how much weight your bike carries. It's also not something you have to panic about.

Beyond that it's all personal choice if you want to farckle the crap out of your bike or not. Just read up in the BMW forums what sorts of problems folks are having with bikes that cost up to $20K. You'll appreciate the affordability and reliability of your KLR.

[Adv Reilly]

My 2000 with 11,000 miles does not burn oil.

[Kurt Franz]

Originally Posted by VikB

I'm on my 2nd KLR first was a '97 and I'm on a 2010 now. Great bike for the price.

Some people want to sell you shit and others want to justify their own purchases. The internet is great at building fear/paranoia. So beware of people trying to freak you out to buy stuff from them or their friends. Also be aware of people freaking out themselves who are stuck in the better do "X" mod or else you bike will spontaneously explode.

The tens of thousands of KLRs that are out there running stock without problems make no "noise" online. The few that have issues get all sorts of coverage especially when folks can sell you a kit to fix the problem.

Does that mean the KLR has no problems = no. It means that you shouldn't let people freak you out and you should look at the situation dispassionately and assess what to do as best you can.

I never did done the Doo on my '97 when I sold it and I doubt the new owner did either. Most of the KLRs I see on the street probably ain't got a done Doo neither. There are lots of high mileage KLRs out there without done Doos. OTOH the pre-2008 models definitely did have some Doos break. First thing to keep in mind is the torque spec on the Doo bolt is low and I suspect some folks broke their Doos by over tightening them. For a '99 I'd probably consider a Doo upgrade at some point. I wouldn't worry about it today or tomorrow. Find a time when you can mess around with the bike without cutting into your riding season.

My 2010's doo ain't been done neither. I just looked and it hasn't exploded - so far anyways.

My KLR doesn't burn oil. I wouldn't worry about it unless yours actually does. Ride it and see what happens before you spend any time thinking about engine rebuilds and such.

Breaking sub-frame bolts is a matter of how hard you ride and how much weight your bike carries. It's also not something you have to panic about.

Beyond that it's all personal choice if you want to farckle the crap out of your bike or not. Just read up in the BMW forums what sorts of problems folks are having with bikes that cost up to $20K. You'll appreciate the affordability and reliability of your KLR.

Very well stated

[g23.40sw]

I get what you're sayin. Done a lot of research on just about everything and have farkeled what I wanted. As for the oil burning it's been minimal for daily commuting if I've even worried about it at all. Checked before every ride but nothing to worry about. It's been on this long haul with many super slab miles at 75+ mph for long periods. The big picture it's been less than a quart for 1000 miles. I just don't like the fact it does. Used to not having to worry about it with other vehicles. I'm not worried about it causing major issues and will once back on the road have another quart to top off if or rather when needed. Thanks to you all for the feedback and input.

[Beezer]

The KLR is a known bike... the issues are known. It is what it is, and it is still the best bang for the buck. It also has more adventure touring miles than other single bike.

Subframe bolts.... really hard to break them if they are tight. Replacing them with stronger bolts is about $2 at the bolt store.

Oil... pour in the 2.5 liters it calls for and you will see that the glass is covered just before you pull the bike level.

Pistons... yes there is a rash of bad ones in the 02-07 range and bad rings in the 08-09 (and the occasional one outside those years). 685 or a 688 will fix that. There is not much of a power change unless you diddle with the head, but they are smoother. Some pistons last forever... drive it until it gives problems then do the mod. Mine puked at about 20k. I did the 685 & the guys that bored the hole dicked it up & it started burning oil after about 3k. I now have 7k on a 705 (done right) and it does not use oil. 1000 miles of high speed hiway with a load & no noticible change.

The doo is something that needs to be done even on the Gen II bikes. My new 05 had a broken spring at less than 3000 miles, less than 6 months old. I did one that had 1200 miles, never serviced, but... broken. Now I've done dozens, there are a lot of bad & broken parts and mostly due to the design. Yes, overtorquing bends the lever so it won't adjust. It is a bad design, period. Gen II is better, but not good enough, do it, the fix is $40. I have also seen a few grenaded engines from doo lever & spring parts going where they were not meant to be.