mvh labrador expedition update?

[matteeanne@yahoo.com]

When I was much younger and more spupider (stupider?) I used to ride the draft on my z1000. About 10 feet from the bumper of the semi it turns into a vacuum. Why I am alive to say that I will never know. --- "Judson D. Jones" wrote:

> I dont think I have ever ridden a bike that didn't > move around in the turbulence > of a semi's wake. > > > > > --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Mike Frey > wrote: > > Yes, stock everything. Tire inflation is at > factory recommendations. > > > > I'll take it back to the Kawasaki shop and ask > them to look at it. They > > are good and I trust them. I used to work there, a > long time ago. > > > > I should note that, at 85 mph on a smooth, empty > road, the bike tracks > > straight and true. > > > > CA Stu wrote: > > > > >--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Mike Frey > wrote: > > > > > > > > >>Today, for the first time, I rode my KLR on the > freeway. I was > > >> > > >> > > >behind an > > > > > > > > >>18 wheeler, boxed in by traffic. The buffeting > was strong enough to > > >> > > >> > > >make > > > > > > > > >>the front oscillate - so I got off the next exit > and took an alternate > > >>route. > > >> > > >>It also didn't help that my jacket was halfway > unzipped and flapping. > > >> > > >>Has anyone else experienced similar conditions? > > >> > > >>Mike - w/100,000 miles (approx) > > >>A18 - w/600 miles > > >> > > >> > > > > > >Hey Mike, I'm assuming with 600 miles you still > ahve the stock tires? > > >I'm assuming with 100k miles, your tire is > mounted correctly and isn't > > >flat, too... > > > > > >Several people have had this weave/wobble thing > happen, including me. > > >I don't know if it's in the FAQ, but it should > be! (Hint hint). > > > > > >My fix for it was to put the bike on a stand, > loosen all the front end > > >hardware (fork pinch bolts and axle), realign the > forks and make sure > > >everything was even and square, then retorque > everything to spec. The > > >front end is solid on both my KLRs, one with a K9 > fork brace, one without. > > >Try trueing up everything in the front end and I > bet it helps. > > > > > >My guess is that my forks weren't exactly even > and were putting a bind > > >on something. > > > > > > > > >Thanks > > >CA Stu > > >A13 > > >A14 > > > > > > > > > > > >List sponsored by Dual Sport News at > www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ > courtesy of Chris Krok at: > www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > >Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: > > >DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > > > > > > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at > www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ courtesy of Chris > Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > > > >

__________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

[swampyankee45]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Devon wrote:

>Best to give them lots of room.

A couple weeks ago i was slabbing and saw a rack body truck hauling a heap of pallets and the voice in my head said no f'ing way do i want to be behind that. i got around him and watched in the mirror as a pallet blew off and slid into the breakdown lane. never let your gaurd down. now speaking of normal... i slabbed monday and tuesday to an advanced botany class and got to see what "normal" people do with there lives. apparently "normal" people like to get there cages all jammed up on the highway and just park there or crawl. I felt fantastically patriotic lane splitting and using a little bit of median once in awhile and passing by literally thousands of cars each one, almost to the last, occupied singly. Indeed, I felt it was my civic duty to pass by these normal people and let them see that 50 miles to the gallon and a world of klrs would put al kita out of business. ef arab oil oil should be 20 bucks a gallon. normal? give it a rest! Andy with two boys that i pray to christ all (definitely NOT normal) mighty don't turn out normal

[Doug Herr]

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004, Mike Frey wrote:

> Yes, stock everything. Tire inflation is at factory recommendations.

I don't think anybody else mentioned.... Factory rec is 21/21 right? On the freeway with the stock tires I would go to something like 30F 32R and see how that feels. For me it was a noticeable improvement. The factory rec is a compromise between street and dirt and not good for either. Air down for real dirt and air back up to those higher figures for high speed street. If you don't want to be messing around with airing up and down and you want to do "real" dirt then the 21/21 is not *that* bad. -- Doug Herr doug@...

[Mike Frey]

I'll try higher psi. Or, just keep out of turbulence. The general consensus was that I was in the wake turbulence of the truck in front of me (which I was keenly aware of). I posted because none of my bikes had ever done that before, to that degree, including old bikes in the 70s that I would ride on the slab and do the same things with. The most comparable bike to a KLR back then would be my 350 F9. A big honker, but it would run 70 on the highway. But... I was younger then. On the way home last night, I took the less traveled route. Ran the KLR up to a steady 65 and took my hands off the bars - nothing. Then I wiggled the bars. I can get the whole bike to wag front and rear - like a dog shaking itself off after swimming. There is definitely a flex in there, and it's probably the tires. Doug Herr wrote:

>On Wed, 16 Jun 2004, Mike Frey wrote: > > > >>Yes, stock everything. Tire inflation is at factory recommendations. >> >> > >I don't think anybody else mentioned.... > >Factory rec is 21/21 right? > >On the freeway with the stock tires I would go to something like >30F 32R and see how that feels. For me it was a noticeable >improvement. The factory rec is a compromise between street and >dirt and not good for either. Air down for real dirt and air >back up to those higher figures for high speed street. If you >don't want to be messing around with airing up and down and you >want to do "real" dirt then the 21/21 is not *that* bad. > > >

[Devon]

mike21b@... wrote:

>Then I >wiggled the bars. I can get the whole bike to wag front and rear - like >a dog shaking itself off after swimming. There is definitely a flex in >there, and it's probably the tires. > >

Or the swingarm bearings. Or the steering bearings. Or the forks. Or (and this isn't logical but in practice it REALLY seems to matter) loose subframe mounting bolts. ALso if you are using the stock fork springs, that can give you a very nose-down attitude and the steeper head angle won't help stability. Progressive springs help stabilize ride height, and that improved the handling. Progressives are the only springs available for the forks, but you can get rear springs at eshocks.com. Straight rate springs are actually better than Progressives if you've got a rising-rate linkage (like the KLR). Devon

> >

[Jim]

Mike, Probably repeating what you have already heard, but I too had the head shakes (noticed it at freeway speeds behind trucks, wiggly rain grooves or even seams on the pavement) and suspected the tire, front fender, tall bike etc. Now I bought my bike used with the K-9 fork brace and the previous owner sold the KLR I believe because of the shake, (he rode Bay Area freeways and I got a great deal). Anyway what fixed it for me was getting the bike on a lift with the front tire off the ground, disconnect the handle bars, loosening the top fork pinch bolts, loosen the top steering stem bolt, then tap to tighten the slotted nut on the stem until you feel some steering resistance then back it off until resistance is gone. Torque the top bolt, torque the pinch bolts (go round all of them several times until fully seated) finally reinstall the bars and torque those hex nuts. This made a world of difference on my A-15. By the way I reinstalled the tire I thought was the source of the problem (IRC GP-1)and she is still stable. Sure when you get behind a big truck trailer you can feel the buffeting from the disturbed air flow but I know what the head shakes are and there is no reason you should accept that nonsense as normal KLR handling when the fix is so simple. --Jim A-15

> The general consensus was that I was in the wake turbulence of the

truck

> in front of me (which I was keenly aware of). I posted because none of > my bikes had ever done that before, to that degree, including old bikes > in the 70s that I would ride on the slab and do the same things with. > > The most comparable bike to a KLR back then would be my 350 F9. A big > honker, but it would run 70 on the highway. > > But... I was younger then. > > On the way home last night, I took the less traveled route. Ran the KLR > up to a steady 65 and took my hands off the bars - nothing. Then I > wiggled the bars. I can get the whole bike to wag front and rear - like > a dog shaking itself off after swimming. There is definitely a flex in > there, and it's probably the tires. > > Doug Herr wrote: > > >On Wed, 16 Jun 2004, Mike Frey wrote: > > > > > > > >>Yes, stock everything. Tire inflation is at factory recommendations. > >> > >> > > > >I don't think anybody else mentioned.... > > > >Factory rec is 21/21 right? > > > >On the freeway with the stock tires I would go to something like > >30F 32R and see how that feels. For me it was a noticeable > >improvement. The factory rec is a compromise between street and > >dirt and not good for either. Air down for real dirt and air > >back up to those higher figures for high speed street. If you > >don't want to be messing around with airing up and down and you > >want to do "real" dirt then the 21/21 is not *that* bad. > > > > > >

[Devon]

Besides properly tightening the head bearings (something that does NOT always happen from the factory), there are a few other things that will help the stock front end. Also, if the steering bearing races were tapped in .5 or .25mm too short, they will settle in and you'll have loose bearings in a few hundred miles or less. Note that besides a fork brace, and revalving, I didn't bother with most of this stuff preferring to fit the front end off another model bike. but..... "Blueprinting" the front end reportedly makes a big difference. Loosen up the axle, and see how much the forks flex, ie how much tightening the axle draws the fork sliders together. Cut washers out of steel shimstock to take up this slop. Fit a flat, hard-ground, hardened steel washer under the head of the axle, and under the axle nut- this will make the axle tend to stay square to the fork sliders. Devon mah78@... wrote:

> Sure when >you get behind a big truck trailer you can feel the buffeting from the >disturbed air flow but I know what the head shakes are and there is no >reason you should accept that nonsense as normal KLR handling when the >fix is so simple. >--Jim >A-15 > > > >

[kdxkawboy@aol.com]

In a message dated 2004-06-17 7:50:35 AM Pacific Daylight Time, doug@... writes:

> > Factory rec is 21/21 right? > >

The front is 21, but the rear is 21-28, depending on load. The 21 for the rear is based upon a 200 pound payload with the OEM tire. I didn't like the OEM tire at any pressure but with my GP1s like running about 23 in the rear. Pat Pat G'ville, Nv [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jay Hummer]

Mark & Harry aren't due back until Monday. Not sure about Sheldon. He should be home by now. Jay

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "xt535" wrote: > Has anyone heard from Mark or the crew? I think that they should > have been back yesterday. > > Eric Stevens > Mechanicsburg, Pa