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[techforlife]

Originally Posted by Ulyses

There's lots of thing I SHOULD have done before I left, but I didn't. Haha! LIke welding gussets to reinforce the rear subframe. Or finding something other than 44lbs of ammo can for panniers. Or having the bike totally tore down and rebuilt. Or learning more spanish. Or figuring out how I'm going to get a job after all of this. But sometimes you just have to stop talking about it, and preparing for it, and disecting each and every detail, and go and do it. Plus, there's this awesome forum where you can go ask people for advice on stuff you are unsure of! And generally you get some pretty good info and a few laughs. Haha!

Take for instance my luggage rack. It broke in San Diego after 1,000 miles. I had it rewelded in about 20 minutes, then re-thought my load out, moved some stuff around, sent some stuff home, and threw some stuff away. Problem solved....for now. It may break again. But who cares! If it does, I'll find a "soldaduro" or whatever it's called and keep pushing. Half the fun of this kind of a trip is figuring stuff out along the way. That's why it's called an adventure.

Plus, I'm far from being the least mechanically savy person to ever take this trip. I can change a tire in about 2 or 3 hours. That's pretty damn good, right? Just kidding. I can do it in about 20-30 minutes. Maybe faster. Who knows. I wasn't sitting in my garage, timing myself on tire changes for the last few weeks before this trip. I was drinking beer, saying goodbye to my girlfriend, and trying to convince my parents that I wasn't going to die.

I'm not trying to be snarky about this, and thank you for your advice, but I'm just tired of people telling me how everything is going to fail or my bike is going to blow up, or how I won't make it, or how I'm underprepared. Who cares! At least I'm doing it. And I'm having fun doing it. Sure, I don't know what the hell I'm doing half the time, and I generally make an ass of myself asking stupid questions about a bike that I've barely ridden, but yesterday I had a priest bless my bike with holy water (seriously), rode like a bat out of hell through the most dangerous state in Mexico, added 100ml of oil to my bike, and made friends with a Mexican Cop on a Sportster, and I'm still alive and riding, so I think everything is going to work out. Haha!

And seriously, no hard feelings. I just wanted to know what the best way to clean my air filter was.

So, I'll get off my soapbox now. Is the general opinion that dish detergent is the best way to go?

Dishsoap no gas mineral sprits yes......... dish soap may remove some oil.but you need ALL the oil off to release the dirt trapped into it....

B

[techforlife]

Originally Posted by guitarmy21b

Damn, wish I knew that before...can't you just repaint it?

Paint will peel right off.....

Caswell tank sealer.......line the tank with it and it`ll likely stay white forever..

B

[Brown Falcon]

Originally Posted by Ben99r1

This is the kit i replaced my oem clutch with. the oem clutch only lasted me 40,000 miles. http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/...50l+clutch+kit

That's the one I was looking at. Heard mostly good reviews on it and it is affordable.

[fritzcoinc]

Originally Posted by Sierra Thumper

I had some brake pads I bought too soon for my xrl, thought it needed new pads, but when I looked closer it has more than half the pads left front and rear at a little over 12k miles. So I decided to return the pads for something my bike will need much sooner......a rear tire
I was going to pick up a D952, but this is a predominantly dirt shop, and the shop folks recommended I try a Pirelli XC Mid Hard, they said it had some of the best dirt grip, and would last the longest. I've never really heard about them, whats the forum feedback on this tire? And how does the front do on and off road?

Also I have an almost new front Dunlop 742 knobbie that came with the bike, but its pretty hard from years of sitting in storage.....whats the risk of running it? Hate to waste good rubber

I had one of the Pirelli XCMH, great handling on and off road and good traction on and off road. Good ride.The front would head shake at around 7o MPH or so. POOR wear, I got like 2500 miles using then in a 80 on road 20 off road.

As to the old rubber, I have twenty something year old Metzlers on my Husky 400 XCE. If they are not cracked, run em!

[beechum1]

Originally Posted by techforlife

Paint will peel right off.....

Caswell tank sealer.......line the tank with it and it`ll likely stay white forever..

B

Ive heard however, that it should be done before the tank has been used. I don't know. that's what I heard.

[Brown Falcon]

Originally Posted by beechum1

Ive heard however, that it should be done before the tank has been used. I don't know. that's what I heard.

I would imagine that would be ideal. It would be hard to get all of the gas residue out of it, especially if it had started to soak into the plastic.

[smokeeater495]

Hi my names Terry and I was tempted by the Orange Kool-aid. I flirted with the idea of selling my 2007 XR650L and buying a KTM 690 Enduro R. Fortunately, I resorted to logic and conducted exhaustive research on the KTM. Although the 690 has way more power and better suspension, there are way more posts reference problems compared to the XRL. Therefore, I seek absolution for my temptations and ask to be forgiven. If any fellow XRL rider is tempted by the Orange demon, just remember, "What Would Spock Do".

Live long and prosper.

[XR650L]

Originally Posted by smokeeater495

Hi my names Terry and I was tempted by the Orange Kool-aid. I flirted with the idea of selling my 2007 XR650L and buying a KTM 690 Enduro R. Fortunately, I resorted to logic and conducted exhaustive research on the KTM. Although the 690 has way more power and better suspension, there are way more posts reference problems compared to the XRL. Therefore, I seek absolution for my temptations and ask to be forgiven. If any fellow XRL rider is tempted by the Orange demon, just remember, "What Would Spock Do".

Live long and prosper.

Terry

I went through exactly the same nightmare. Now I am planning to get my engine to Sir Cycle Wizard, pep the darling up a little.

Cheers

[smokeeater495]

How much can CW boost the engine and still keep it reliable?

[XR650L]

Originally Posted by smokeeater495

How much can CW boost the engine and still keep it reliable?

Not sure on numbers, maybe ask him

I just saw a number of inmates that went to him and all had good reports so far

Sort of planning this, not final yet

1. a cloverleaf big port cw head
2. undercut cw oversized valves
3. cw valve springs with ti retainers
4. 106mm piston 724cc 11.1
5. cw HRC 628 cam with hardened rockers
6. 42mm mikuni pumper carb


Planning to still use pump gas, we get 95 or 98 freely available

[techforlife]

Originally Posted by beechum1

Ive heard however, that it should be done before the tank has been used. I don't know. that's what I heard.

Well boss...we`re gonna find out.I`m going to air it out all winter and then put the sealer in..i`d like my decals to stop bubbling off.CW is gettin tired of sending me new ones

B

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by techforlife

Dishsoap no gas mineral sprits yes......... dish soap may remove some oil.but you need ALL the oil off to release the dirt trapped into it....

B

How about just straight gasoline? It's either that or I try and find an Auto Zone tomorrow in Puebla and figure out how to say "mineral spirits" in Spanish.

And BTW, one of the guys on a KLR that was riding with me for a while took some carb cleaner and cleaned his foam filter right up and had no issues. However, I don't really want to chance it.

[mcma111]

Originally Posted by Ulyses

How about just straight gasoline? It's either that or I try and find an Auto Zone tomorrow in Puebla and figure out how to say "mineral spirits" in Spanish.

And BTW, one of the guys on a KLR that was riding with me for a while took some carb cleaner and cleaned his foam filter right up and had no issues. However, I don't really want to chance it.

Do they paint houses down there? The paint store has mineral spirits. It's called PAINT THINNER.

[Ulyses]

Originally Posted by mcma111

Do they paint houses down there? The paint store has mineral spirits. It's called PAINT THINNER.

Okay, so Mexican Home Depot it is! Or even Mexican Walmart.

Will straight gas work? That would save me the hassle of riding all over a strange city with over a 1,000,000 inhabitants.

[Barron]

Originally Posted by smokeeater495

How much can CW boost the engine and still keep it reliable?

He's done lots for my bike and I can't wait to send some stuff back for more Wizard treatment

-Barron