: (nklr) roughing it???? ps:

[sopris_2000]

We've been on the road south of the border for 2 months. I apparently didn't replace these bolts even though I thought I had. Here's a report I posted on Advrider this afternoon. My wife and I have been riding in Mexico/Central America for 2 months on 2 KLR's. A week ago in Lanquin, GT I had to tighten up the sub-frame bolts. And I thought we were ok. Today, in Tehuantepec, MX, I could feel the sub-frame loose again. We were heading to Oaxaca (160 miles) and I told her I thought we could make it. Wrong thought. About 50 miles outside of Tehuantepec, her sub frame top bolts sheared off. She said it felt like her butt was dropping. Off to the side we pull off at a road side tienda under construction. No one was there. I pull all her boxes, drybag, tankbag, tank saddle bags, seat and gas tank off. Yes, we have a situation. The top 2 bolts were sheared, I couldn't put a new bolt in if I wanted to. Now, this was a head scratcher. Out in the middle, only 100 miles to Oaxaca and a bike that needs to go. I didn't have much but I had some jumper cables. So I cut one of the cables apart and started threading from one support on the sub-frame to another support on the main frame. While I was doing this, my wife found some construction wire that was being used for the concrete. So I threaded both sides to pull the sub-frame tight to the main frame. When we pulled out the support holding us the sub-frame nothing moved. Ok, we put her bike back together, loaded all of her side boxes and tank bags on my bike (now I am overloaded) and took off. And yes, she rode 100 miles with no more issues. When we got to our hotel, I told the desk man one of the bikes broke today and I needed a moto shop. He pointed out the door. Across the street is a moto repair shop. Within 15 minutes of checking in, her bike was across the street. The mechanic speaks English. He saw what I needed and he asked how many miles did she ride like this. I told him 100 miles. Short story, he will have the bike ready by tomorrow morn Here are the links: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickandchris/6873007420/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickandchris/7019111581/

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "sopris_2000" wrote:

>

SNIP Short story, he will have the bike ready by tomorrow morn

>

Hurray! Colomtnbiker for KiLeRista president! revmaaatin.

[SM]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "sopris_2000" wrote:

> > We've been on the road south of the border for 2 months. I apparently didn't replace these bolts even though I thought I had. Here's a report I posted on Advrider this afternoon. > My wife and I have been riding in Mexico/Central America for 2 months on 2 KLR's. A week ago in Lanquin, GT I had to tighten up the sub-frame bolts. And I thought we were ok. Today, in Tehuantepec, MX, I could feel the sub-frame loose again. We were heading to Oaxaca (160 miles) and I told her I thought we could make it. Wrong thought. About 50 miles outside of Tehuantepec, her sub frame top bolts sheared off. She said it felt like her butt was dropping. Off to the side we pull off at a road side tienda under construction. No one was there. I pull all her boxes, drybag, tankbag, tank saddle bags, seat and gas tank off. Yes, we have a situation. The top 2 bolts were sheared, I couldn't put a new bolt in if I wanted to. > Now, this was a head scratcher. Out in the middle, only 100 miles to Oaxaca and a bike that needs to go. I didn't have much but I had some jumper cables. So I cut one of the cables apart and started threading from one support on the sub-frame to another support on the main frame. While I was doing this, my wife found some construction wire that was being used for the concrete. So I threaded both sides to pull the sub-frame tight to the main frame. When we pulled out the support holding us the sub-frame nothing moved. Ok, we put her bike back together, loaded all of her side boxes and tank bags on my bike (now I am overloaded) and took off. > And yes, she rode 100 miles with no more issues. > When we got to our hotel, I told the desk man one of the bikes broke today and I needed a moto shop. He pointed out the door. Across the street is a moto repair shop. Within 15 minutes of checking in, her bike was across the street. The mechanic speaks English. He saw what I needed and he asked how many miles did she ride like this. I told him 100 miles. Short story, he will have the bike ready by tomorrow morn > Here are the links: > http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickandchris/6873007420/ > http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickandchris/7019111581/ >

Excellent job with the wire! Ten out of ten. Thanks CA Stu PS Taking KLR to CHP tomorrow to get new VIN approved after replacing the frame PPS Not me with the packing wisdom, but it is definitely good advice. Signed, a chronic over-packer.

[sopris_2000]

The repair cost $300P or about $24US. He drilled through the main frame and put in one long bolt, the way I should have done it originally. Now I just need to put it all back together. I'd rather do it myself and know everything has loctite on it. Plus I said 4,000 miles so far, it's actually 5,000 miles. I changed the oil at my same hotel 5 weeks ago and now I'm going to change it again. Plus the other moto parts shop 1/2 block away recycles used oil.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "SM" wrote: > > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "sopris_2000" wrote: > > > > We've been on the road south of the border for 2 months. I apparently didn't replace these bolts even though I thought I had. Here's a report I posted on Advrider this afternoon. > > My wife and I have been riding in Mexico/Central America for 2 months on 2 KLR's. A week ago in Lanquin, GT I had to tighten up the sub-frame bolts. And I thought we were ok. Today, in Tehuantepec, MX, I could feel the sub-frame loose again. We were heading to Oaxaca (160 miles) and I told her I thought we could make it. Wrong thought. About 50 miles outside of Tehuantepec, her sub frame top bolts sheared off. She said it felt like her butt was dropping. Off to the side we pull off at a road side tienda under construction. No one was there. I pull all her boxes, drybag, tankbag, tank saddle bags, seat and gas tank off. Yes, we have a situation. The top 2 bolts were sheared, I couldn't put a new bolt in if I wanted to. > > Now, this was a head scratcher. Out in the middle, only 100 miles to Oaxaca and a bike that needs to go. I didn't have much but I had some jumper cables. So I cut one of the cables apart and started threading from one support on the sub-frame to another support on the main frame. While I was doing this, my wife found some construction wire that was being used for the concrete. So I threaded both sides to pull the sub-frame tight to the main frame. When we pulled out the support holding us the sub-frame nothing moved. Ok, we put her bike back together, loaded all of her side boxes and tank bags on my bike (now I am overloaded) and took off. > > And yes, she rode 100 miles with no more issues. > > When we got to our hotel, I told the desk man one of the bikes broke today and I needed a moto shop. He pointed out the door. Across the street is a moto repair shop. Within 15 minutes of checking in, her bike was across the street. The mechanic speaks English. He saw what I needed and he asked how many miles did she ride like this. I told him 100 miles. Short story, he will have the bike ready by tomorrow morn > > Here are the links: > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickandchris/6873007420/ > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickandchris/7019111581/ > > > > Excellent job with the wire! > Ten out of ten. > > Thanks > CA Stu > > PS Taking KLR to CHP tomorrow to get new VIN approved after replacing the frame > > PPS Not me with the packing wisdom, but it is definitely good advice. Signed, a chronic over-packer. >

[Eddie]

Lew was living up the highway in Atlanta the last I heard from him via a V-Strom list. I lost track after he got a Concours 1400(?).{or was it a ZX-14?} Anyhow... Long story short: He went somewhere up north, bought the bike, got home and farkled it with a cuitom seat, pipe, etc... only to discover *AFTER* he registered it here in Ga. that the shop had sold him one bike and gave him paperwork for another bike sitting in the showroom. They wanted him to bring the bike back so they could switch things around. Talk about a headache! eddie

> [Original Message] > From: eddie > To: KLR650 list DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 3/28/2012 7:30:41 AM > Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Re: (NKLR) roughing it???? > > > The LWR guys rode the Road of Bones. But, agreed - the support crew was

enormous. Although in all fairness Charley and Ewan did tend to get a fair distance ahead and suffer their choice of motorcycles alone (weight/complexity) more than once.Still, it was more of a National Geographic expedition than two friends taking a trip. {I confess! I have an autographed photo of Charley Boorman on his Dakar race bike that my ex got me. LOL}

> > If you ever get to the Barber Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Alabama near

Birmingham, you can see the two bikes the investment banker and his girlfriend used on their journey. If I recall, she didn't know how to ride when the trip began and he had sent her to BMW mechanic's school to act as their support crew. I saw a VHS of their trip and remember her confidently rebuilding a set of forks in remote Russia. Adventure!

> > eddie > > > > [Original Message] > > From: Ron Criswell > > > > > > You have to hand to the real ones that do a difficult trip solo with no

nada. I read a book last year about an Australian who rode a KLR from Vladivostok Russia to Istanbul Turkey and even rode the Road of Bones which I think Long Way Around bypassed. To top it off, he was a lousy mechanic and the engine cratered a couple of times. Once he fixed it but had to get a real mechanic in China after his work caused it to explode. He even traveled close to the Afghanistan border. Those guys never get much fan fair. I read another book, Investment Biker is the title (I think) where a guy who had made some money investing took he and his girlfriend all the way around the world on 2 airhead BMW's. He even rode through Peru in the days when a gringo should not have due to the Marxist rebels which gave him some scary moments. I met Dr. Gregory Frazier in Moab once. What a character. And then, their is always the immortal....Punky and Lew.....who I met in Moab at the start of their journey. That should be a movie.

> > > > Criswell