I am wondering if there is some company I should send my engine to to be rebuild. if you have any sugestions please let me know. I am in montana.
Do it yourself. Otherwise take it to a good local wrench. These are easy bikes to work on so just about any bike mechanic should do.
I've did my 650 motor, all but the bottom end. What's wrong with yours? Those suckers are very strong, but for a few weak spots. Some of it is easy, some is imposible due to scarce or very expensive parts.
well my klx 650 is way down on power and it smokes badly untill it warms up. also the oil turns black emedatly. so I am hoping to get away with a top end rebuild. also the air cleaner was split open when I baut the bike so who knows how long it was ran that way. so I was wondering if their was a place that did full rebuilds nationaly. I would not trust any of the local bike shops from my experence. thanks Kris
Not very many of these things still around. The parts are really expensive. They are easy to work on. Anyplace that can do an XR650R can do a KLX. Is yours an R or C. The C version (street legal) has an iron sleeve that can be rebored. The R is Nikasil, so it is not rebuildable if the liner is scored. Valves are easy to refit and rarely need work. Replace the timing chain also. The cams on these thing have a bad habit of granading without warning. If so the head is ruined and can't be fixed. Yours is still runnning thats good. If it is the C version, a popular option is to buy a Vulcan piston and overbore the cyclinder thus raising displacement to 690, or sumthin like that. I did mine that way. The top end rebuild, without any valve work was about $400 including parts and machine time with my own labor.
I think theres some info in the yahoo forum about using a piston from a kawasaki cruiser to bump displacement and/or compression... If your going to go through all the work, Might as well end up with some extra ponies
My klx is 650 is a R type. why can't it be bored out and re sleaved? or boared out and renicasiled? it would be much fun to have a 690 . is there any thing that might go wrong with the botom end?
I see I am posting a bit late, but what the heck, maybe the guy is still working on it: Do yourself a favor and go to the Yahoo KLX650 group. Some of the guys here including myself are members. There is a fair amount of information there in the Files and Photos sections, not to mention the help the members offer. It is exclusive KLX650. You could see if you can find a used C model cylinder, it is a bolt on from what I understand. Otherwise call LA Sleeve and see if you can have the cylinder sleeved. Then get the Vulcan Nomad piston, rings, and clips. You will end up with a 678cc motor and a lot of power from 3000 on up. Usable stuff. Get the cam chain tensioner converted to a manual unit or buy an APE unit (much cheaper and easy to do the conversion if you have the skill).
If you need someone todo it, I have a friend in Northern Il, with a small bike shop, he does 100% top notch work. Just rebuilt a KLX took a bit to decypher what it was, and he has a spare piston now where they sent him the wrong on. PM me I'll get his number.
Yeah, what he said.... those are 2 GOOD names for the KLR and other bikes. Cary is AKA Schnitz racing: http://www.schnitzracing.com/ and Eaglemike is TOPS!
Just want to get a feel for what might be in store for me and my 1996 KLX 650. I bought it last fall from an inmate. I got it out on one good ride and, I am guessing, overheated the motor. I didn't notice that it was losing coolant until I got it home. A few days later, I got it started up for a bit, then it quit suddenly and, when I'd go to kick start it, it didn't feel like it was engaging anything and there was an awful sound when I would try to kick it over like a New Years Eve party noise maker. I am only just this week starting to clear enough space in my garage to be able to have the space to tear it down. I did try to bump start it as well. It made a terrible clanking sound and the wheel just locked right up. I am guessing that, at best, I'll be looking at a top end rebuild. The guy I bought it from said that it was recently rebuilt and a sleeve installed that would allow me to bump it up to 700cc somehow. This will be the first motorcycle engine I have ever tried to rebuild, if that is what I wind up having to do. Pointers, tips, advice is appreciated.
Too many possible problems to diagnose via the internet. You are going to have to tear it down. You can tell a few basics by seeing if you have water in oil or visa versa. Pull the valve cover off and check valve clearance. Too much by a lot, means bent valves. A common problem is the cam chain tensioner does not do its job. That causes slack in the top chain, it comes off or loose from the sprocket and bent valves are the result. One thing is odd though. Kick start means it is the R dirt model. The R model has a nikasil cylinder. To resleeve usually means the C cylinder has been transplanted for some reason, usually in order to bore it out. The aftermarket big bore is around 678cc. It is not unusual to do that, but my cell wasted brain tells me there is some difference with the water jacket or head gasket between the models. I would try to get that straight first, as it may be related to your current problem. Especially if there are a mix of C & R parts you are not aware of.
Damn Paul! i was checking to see how the bike was treating you, sure wasn't expecting this! More insight for those who know these bikes, this is an R model. When it started using oil and smoking, my mechanic tore it down..if i remember correctly, the cylinder was fairly scratched, so we sent it to LA Sleeve to sleeve it to stock specs, but allow for boring in the future. A new stock piston was installed at the time. New cam chains, as they had stretched a bit, and an APE manual cam chain tensioner was added and new valves. It ran like this for two seasons, but then it started having gremlins in the electrical system, and most of those parts were replaced, biggest being the CDI and voltage regulator. Overheating was never an issue, granted it mostly ran at high elevations where it is cooler so it may not have shown it? I don't know if any of that helps, but thought it couldn't hurt to share, someone with more experience might be able to help Paul out. He is a good guy!
