KLR650 Only Thread......

[sandalscout]

Originally Posted by Tsotsie

KAWA are notorious for textual mistakes. (6th gear etc).

Absolutely, it is entirely possible that the numbers listed in the manual are incorrect.

I guess more appropriate to my last statement would be that the service manual numbersleads me to believe that Kawasaki THINKS that they changed the stator sometime between 1996-2000. I would hope that the folks writing technical manuals for Kawasaki are less inclined to making mistakes than the PR folks that release (wrong) new specs on jobs, but who knows for sure.

That said, Clymer writes tons of things every year and are possibly just as likely to make mistakes.

[jonyfi]

Originally Posted by newcastleadam

Yeah, remember thinking that the first time I went in there. You'll be glad for that large internal hole to get the old water pump seal out. Get the right tools together, it comes right out. And by tools you'll need a bolt, washers, nut, and sockets. Things all KLR riders have lying around

Hey newcastleadam, well things went much smoother than expected with the removal and installation of the seals last night I was a little worried after viewing that write up and seeing all the washers and bolt set up and dreaded trips to the Home Depot and other stuff...

Turned out I could just use an american penny with a punch to push out the bearings, an american nickle and a punch to install the oil seal, and I found a pipe in the garage that matched the flange diameter of the other seal to push that into place! all done in a matter of minutes, nice...put it all back together with new oil, filter, coolant, spark plug, and new air filter and she is ready to go!
Thanks for all the helpful advice...
John
aka jonyfi

[newcastleadam]

Glad it's back together, and sounds like you used objects found in any Wal Mart parking lot. You sir are a KLR rider

[XpressCS]

Well... What an eventful night... I'm in pain, bike is perfectly fine though.

Going around a corner, some guy was all the way on my side of the road, about 20 feet in front of me. Kind of a blindish corner, but I was going slow. Squeezed the front brake, guess my tire locked up and down I went. Bike came down ontop of my ankle, it's messed up pretty badly right now. Have an appointment at the hospital tomorrow. Road rash too, guess I'm buying riding gear sometime this week. Not that I'll get to use it anytime soon, I feel this ankle issue might be a long one...

What would someone recommend for gear brands?

[XDragRacer]

Originally Posted by XpressCS

What would someone recommend for gear brands?

Close to the, "What oil . . . " question, XpressCS!

Were you wearing boots at all?

Regardless, even the most protective boots won't guarantee the invulnerability of your feet/legs/ankles, but they can help minimize the damage. The level of protection, in some cases, goes up with cost; knowledgeable sales staff can explain and demonstrate the features available from their merchandise.

Obvious considerations, maybe; assume you have a proper helmet; wouldn't neglect knee and shin protection, and the elbow/forearm/shoulder/back armor of your outfit; don't forget some gloves, likely to take some punishment and stay on in a crash.

Back to your "brand" question: I think lots of responsible manufacturers offer quality protection; brands chosen largely a matter of personal preference, and maybe wallet size!

Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery; maybe your experience can be considered a worthwhile "wake-up call!"

[PWRCRZR]

Originally Posted by XpressCS

What would someone recommend for gear brands?

Anything that you will wear is better than none at all...

Hope the ankle is better today

[Murphy Slaw]

Originally Posted by PWRCRZR

Anything that you will wear is better than none at all...

You can say that again.

[Tsotsie]

Originally Posted by PWRCRZR

Anything that you will wear is better than none at all...

Read a report several years ago - the writer claimed that the average pair of blue jeans lasts/protects you for about 0.7 of a second before wearing through in an a nap.

XDrag is correct - like oil posts - you can argue forever and spend anything from $70 - $700 for a pair of riding pants. All makers claim protection with very few, if no real tests or reviews of if they actually work for the wearer.

Having taken several naps without and with protective wear through my years of riding, I can certainly say that AGATT - wearing all the gear all the time - has its definite benefits!

Go to the "Equipment" forums here on ADV - there are constant comments about gear.

At a minimum, above the ankle boots, gloves, pants, jacket and a good fitting full face helmet, all the time, every ride, will go a long way.

And, what about the idiot that caused your nap? I guess they rode off without helping you?

[Danger4u2]

I'm a big Alpinestars fan. We had been riding some very rough single track running very fast when we had to drop onto state maintained dirt road. We were running about 45/50 mph. Our 2 leaders were riding side by side when we came up on our right hand turn. It was a lazy turn more like a Y. I was behind the guy on the left. He was afraid he would get clipped by the rider on the right, behind the right side leader so he just slammed on the brakes and stopped in the middle of the road. It was close, I came to a stop 3 feet from him.
The guy behind me was trying to catch up and didn't see us until it was to late. He was in a skid but hit me about 30 mph. His right hand guard hit me in the left arm just above the elbow. The back end of his skidding bike was on a right side bias and ran over my left ankle. The impact was so hard it knocked the screws out of the steel heel guard. I was able to limp away from this accident. Instead of riding the dirt roads and trails back to camp, 27 miles away, I was injured enough that I had to take the highway back, 73 miles. The guy in front of me had a Go Pro camera running and caught it all but the main impact. He turned his head attempting to get out of the way. He got hit by the guys body flying through the air. The guy in front of me was not hurt just knocked off his bike. The other guy got a big road rash on his hip with sand and gravel imbedded in the wound. Big time bruises from the rocks in the ditch and a major concussion. All I can say is "it would have been very ugly if we didn't have our gear on." Do your research, high price does not always equate into better gear. Buy the best gear you can afford.

Tech 8 boots
http://www.alpinestars.com/shop/cate...id=13787323499

Bionic 2 Protection Jacket
http://www.alpinestars.com/shop/cate...onic-jacket-2/

[DirtyDog]

The one time I biffed on the street (...knock on wood...) was completely unavoidable like the experiences of many of you, I assume. I rolled into a left hand arrow at an intersection in Tempe, AZ and leaned a bit into the turn. Not speeding... maybe 25-30mph? Anyhow, somehow there was a fresh diesel or petroleum spill in the intersection and I lowsided flat in an instant.

My ankle would have been thrashed, but I happened to be wearing some North Face hiking boots. All the metal lace holder thingys were ground slick. My jeans didn't protect me so well. My left knee got a decent fist-sized rash on it, but I was lucky at the time. Later, the rash turned into a black eschar and had to be PICKED off bit by bit with tweezers by an attractive doctor. No anaesthetic. Extreme pain, believe me. Sort of like death by sparrow. Felt like some old west movie shit where the gunshot victim has shots of whiskey and a stick between his teeth to deal with the pain while the medic digs out a bullet.

Take home message: riding pants and proper boots are pretty important, even in a very minor crash.

[XpressCS]

The guy did help me get the bike off my foot. I'm not one to hold grudges, said thanks and rode off. I was wearing riding gloves and my helmet- I have never ridden without my helmet, nor do I plan on doing such anytime in the future.

Otherwise I think I would have made off better had I been wearing some good protective pants and over the ankle boots. A riding jacket wouldn't have hurt either...

The road was kind of narrow, so a bigger vehicle like his van might have had to take the corner a bit wide (there is 2 corners through this bit of road) which would explain why he was all the way over on "my side" of the street. Guess it's better to learn firsthand than to take heresay....

Case in point- Bikes are dangerous animals, stick to 3 and 4 wheelers kids

[WARRIORPRINCEJJ]

I have a strange, high-pitch, vibration hum that occurs between about 3700 and 4200 RPM (every gear...accel and decel).

Oddly, I can reach down (while the bike is humming), grab the left crashbar, and push up or down on it, to quiet the hum.

I have checked all the mounting bolts (kinda' half-ass...may have to check them again), and looked-over all the welds. Everything appears to be in order.


Any ideas?...Any known problems?


.

[bigdon]

Originally Posted by WARRIORPRINCEJJ

I have a strange, high-pitch, vibration hum that occurs between about 3700 and 4200 RPM (every gear...accel and decel).

Oddly, I can reach down (while the bike is humming), grab the left crashbar, and push up or down on it, to quiet the hum.

I have checked all the mounting bolts (kinda' half-ass...may have to check them again), and looked-over all the welds. Everything appears to be in order.


Any ideas?...Any known problems?


.

Tighten all bolts.! If that does not work, foam ear plugs!

[WARRIORPRINCEJJ]

Originally Posted by bigdon

Tighten all bolts.! If that does not work, foam ear plugs!

Great advice, Big D.



Man to Doctor: "It hurts if I do this."

Doctor to man: "Well then...don't do that"


.

[bigdon]

I would start by tightening the left crash bar!