My bike has 550 miles on it now. I want to change the oil/oil filter today before I put on any more miles. I was thinking of using the factory filter and mineral oil for another 500 miles. Then I'd like to switch to full synthetic. Any thoughts on oil filters for this bike? And when is it a good time to use full synthetic oil? Also, I'm reading the Periodic Maint. Chart and I see that I'm due for a valve adj./check, amongst other things to adj./check. I guess its off to the dealership? Since some of the adjustments read that it "should" be serviced by an authorized Kawasaki dealer, does it preclude be from doing some of the simpler adjustments myself, and will it negate any potential future warranty issues, ie. doohickey (although I plan on replacing it with a billet when it comes in)? Thoughts? Flames?
A new KLR owner should go to these two places first:KLR List, and FAQ's. These sites are the first and best sources to the wonderful world (or Dante's seventh level of hell) of the KLR. To answer your questions, I use the Kawi filter from the dealer or Arrowhead. As for oil, I always use conventional oil in the KLR because of the wet sump tranny. I'm not anti synthetic, because I use Mobil 1 in my oilhead BMW, or at least I started after I reached 12,000 miles. Opinions on oil, of course vary wildly. You do NOT need to go to the dealer for a valve check/adjustment. The valve check isn't bad, but the adjustment is more involved...doable but involved. The above sites will be great starting points on valve adjustment questions also. Good luck!
Arrowhead is the shiznit, you should also stop in at dualsportnews . Thats where I got the skinny on valves and changing out the shims when I had my KLR. SATEX is right, it isn't a big deal, no special tools or anything. Way easy compared to my bavarian shitheap.
One more thing, if you go to the dealer to have your valve clearances checked on the KLR, There'll be no need for the dealer to bend you over, I'll shoot you myself. . Seriously, no prob. They shouldn't be far enough out that you have to change the shims at 550, or 600, or even 800 and next time, if they are, you will have at least seen the guts and know your way around.
...go 'head...shoot me...with my cat-like reflexes and my bullet-proof vest, I have a 50/50 chance of surviving...so'long as you don't scope my head ...but hey, thanks for the info on the valves...I'm waiting for my shop manual/supplement...gonna go git' me some o'dat harbor freight ATV/MC lifts up the street...$69.95+tax:lol1
Haven't adjusted the valves on my KLR yet, though it's certainly due. Oil changes are certainly easier than on the old airhead GS. I ran some Spectro 4, it was good, but not five times as good as Valvoline. Convenience led to one fill with Castrol. It sucked. Noisy, harder shifting--I ditched it in less than a thousand miles. Have fun.
I used oem filters and Hondaline oil cauze thats what the Kawi honda dealer always sold me. I liked that oil in the bike a lot. worked well ran well, shifted well. Hmmm, I think it was 20-50 but I can't remember for sure. Don't listen to that texan camel guy. He'll steer you wrong for sure.
I would suggest that you purchase a Counter Balancer form Happy Trails. On my ride to Boise to get tons of stuff on my 99 KLR they took the side cover off to find my Counter Balancer had broke off. Thank God that both the Counter Balancer and the Spring missed the gears and settled in the bottom of the engine. When I got home to Abbotsford, B.C., I had the motor taken down and apart and there they where, sitting in the bottom. I have met 4 riders since being back (trip was June 12 to 26, 2003) and all of them have had the same problem. Three of the bikes had to have the engine re-built as the Counter Balancer got caught in the gearing. It is a worth while spending of money and time to get this done. Steve
Watch that lift. I have looked them over and you are getting what you pay for. I also have a loathing for turning my bike into an inverted pyramid. Thats looking for trouble. I suggest either ponying up for a handy lift. (I miss my room mates lift) or building something. Or use the lift as a jack to raise a table that holds the whole bike steady. Rally nothing more than a solid, flat, top with enough height to get the lift underneath and eye bolts for tie downs. Then you can raise it and stick sturdy sawhorses underneath. I have used something similar for a few years now and it works really well. It is of course up to you, but I simply dont trust wrenching on something where the base is smaller than the top.
I hear ya'...I bought one anyway and I am concerned about the inversion...I saw a similar lift at PEPBOYS at $80 more, but it had two single square tube outriggers that swung out fore and aft to counter the potential of the bike tipping forward or rearward because of wheel removal (more so towards the rear if the front wheel was removed)...at any rate, I use a canyon dancer strap on the handle bar and two soft straps on the grab handles of my KLR650 and lash it down at four points/corners with four cinch-type straps...so far so good...I suppose I could get a welding buddy to rig up some of my own outriggers...make each outrigger a two-tuber that splays out to form a "V"...that'd be plenty stable, yes?
