sputtering klr

[Bogdan Swider]

> Since then, I've relegated Kenda > 270's and their ilk (Chen Sheng, etc.) to the dumpster and stuck with > tires that have, like, actual *traction* when the pavement is wet. > > -E > >

I didn t like the way the bike handled on pavement with 270s front and rear. Didn t have an adventure like E.L. but I especially hated the squirrelly feeling on interstate highway rain grooves. My solution was to run an Avon Gripster front with the Kenda 270 rear. Works for me. Hey...a dual sport is by definition a compromise. Married guys will understand. Bogdan, who remembers the song titled The Great Compromise but can t recall the singer. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[rockiedog2]

I put one of the high dollar Mefo Explorers on the rear just before departure on my recent Alaska trip. It went 6053 miles and was slick. I replaced it with a 5.10/17 Kenda 270 in Fairbanks. It has 6205 miles on it now and probably has at least 2000 local miles left in it. So much for the big shot Mefo(same roads, same loads). The Mefo does handle better tho but not that much better. I left home with a Kenda 270 4.10/18 on the front. It went 10891 miles before I replaced it and probably would have gone 2000 more and maybe 4 or 5 more if I had reversed it at around 8000 miles. Joe --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "fasteddiecopeman" wrote:

> > When my OEM Dunlops died (rear at 2897 miles, front at 8957, but it

was WAY past safe in

> the dirt - pavement only by then) I went to Kenda K270s, 3.25 x 21

front and 5.10 x 17 rear.

> At 27,596 miles now, I'm on my 3rd set of rears, 2nd set fronts,

and I changed out early, last

> year, just before a trip to Alaska, so THAT rear is still good for

around 3600 miles tho' it also

> has 10,000 miles and about 1/2" of tread remains on the centers -

probably not good for

> serious dirt/mud. I got 9610 out of the first front as the center

knobs were 'cupping', and on

> the present one I removed it at around 4800 miles when it

started 'cupping', reversed it and

> re-installed it - now has 10,000 miles and LOTS left! The first

rear gave me 9680 miles but I

> changed it w/ quite a bit left. I run 36 psi both ends, and 'air

down' to 18 psi IF I hit the

> single track.... > When the center tread wears flat the rears start to 'howl', but as

I wear ear plugs, I don't care,

> and I've never been bothered by the knobs 'squirming' when

cornering, ONCE I got used to it

> the first time. At less than $100/pair I can't think of a better DS

tire, and ...try 'em, you'll like

> 'em...! > Cheers, > Ed >

[fasteddiecopeman]

MY experiences with K270s in the wet are FAR different: I rode to Alaska last summer, mostly in rain (in fact, day 2 was 9 hours in some of the heaviest rain I've EVER been in) on a fresh pair of K270s. NEVER once did I have any issues with wet traction. Where I HAVE had issues with traction is when they are down to the point that they don't have enough tread for dirt, but still enough for pavement (DRY PAVEMENT!!!). I gave some other riders a REAL treat on a dirt ride when my front end 'washed out' on a wet dirt road - I saved it, but God was DEFINITELY looking out for THIS fool! Changed the front tire AND my shorts. Ed

[Jim Douglas]

fasteddiecopeman wrote:

> > MY experiences with K270s in the wet are FAR different: I rode to > Alaska last summer, mostly > in rain (in fact, day 2 was 9 hours in some of the heaviest rain I've > EVER been in) on a fresh > pair of K270s. NEVER once did I have any issues with wet traction. > Where I HAVE had issues > with traction is when they are down to the point that they don't have > enough tread for dirt, > but still enough for pavement (DRY PAVEMENT!!!). I gave some other > riders a REAL treat on a > dirt ride when my front end 'washed out' on a wet dirt road - I saved > it, but God was > DEFINITELY looking out for THIS fool! Changed the front tire AND my > shorts. > Ed > > >

Hopefully my new MEFO Explorers will be here soon and I have setup a friend of my daughter to install them for a case of beer, Think he believes the daughter will there helping as he has been trying to go out with her! Interesting the costs differences between various places in the area, dealer want $50.00 each off the bike, while Bates right down the road will do it for $20.00 each off the bike, the dealer estimated about $300 on the bike! WTF, thats way too much! . The kid has been riding dirt bikes for years and actually quite fast on a Yamaha YZ450F, least it looked that way on the video and hopefully I can learn wome tips from him it's been a long time since I put a tire on a bike,in face never on a street bike! Lastly, anyone know what type of tire the BMW GS 800 comes with? I have started saving to get one when they becomes available here, still need 90% of it though, I love the BMW dual sports, the big one is just TOO BIG for me and the 800 seems to be perfect. Crap, I am now waiting on the BMW and a Kawasaki Ninja 250 for my son, which seems even harder to find, the local dealer indicates he gets about (6) every few months and they are sold before they get there. From what I have read about those they are one of the best bikes to start with and he's starting to feel the $$$ associated with the weekly fillup of his car! Anyone know of either a new or used on in the Dallas area either new or couple of years old let me know. He's already signed up for the safety course and is going to pay for me to do it again.

[Spike55]

Jim: MEFOs - I could see a dealer charging $300 ($200 for the tires, if not stocked, $20-$30 ea to change/balance/dispose, and the remainder for dis / assembly). I don't mean any disrespect to all of our KLRistas buddies but I'm a bit at a lost why so many (not all) put on the Kendas and then have to compromise their riding in some form or fashion while saving a relatively small amount compared to the overall coat of the bike and life & limb. To me, I'll spend the extra $100+ (1.4% of a $7,000 KLR's cost - farkle included) for my MEFOs and then pound the crap out of it on wet, dry, dirt (I'm not a heavy dirt / mud rider) and never have a worry that they aren't going to stick. BMW F800GS - Looking at currency exchange rates, do you realize a $11,000 F800GS would only coat $5,700 if the US dollar was as strong as it was in 2000? The war debt, the mortage mess, and the cost of crude oil (priced in ever weakening US dollars) has really pushed down the US$ (it lost 50% of its value against the Euro so far). Don R100, A6F --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Jim Douglas wrote:

> > fasteddiecopeman wrote: > > > > MY experiences with K270s in the wet are FAR different: I rode to > > Alaska last summer, mostly > > in rain (in fact, day 2 was 9 hours in some of the heaviest rain

I've

> > EVER been in) on a fresh > > pair of K270s. NEVER once did I have any issues with wet

traction.

> > Where I HAVE had issues > > with traction is when they are down to the point that they don't

have

> > enough tread for dirt, > > but still enough for pavement (DRY PAVEMENT!!!). I gave some

other

> > riders a REAL treat on a > > dirt ride when my front end 'washed out' on a wet dirt road - I

saved

> > it, but God was > > DEFINITELY looking out for THIS fool! Changed the front tire AND

my

> > shorts. > > Ed > > > > > > > Hopefully my new MEFO Explorers will be here soon and I have setup a > friend of my daughter to install them for a case of beer, Think he > believes the daughter > will there helping as he has been trying to go out with her!

Interesting

> the costs > differences between various places in the area, dealer want $50.00

each

> off the bike, > while Bates right down the road will do it for $20.00 each off the

bike,

> the dealer estimated > about $300 on the bike! WTF, thats way too much! . The kid has been > riding dirt bikes for > years and actually quite fast on a Yamaha YZ450F, least it looked

that

> way on the video and hopefully I can > learn wome tips from him it's been a long time since I put a tire

on a

> bike,in face never on a street bike! > > Lastly, anyone know what type of tire the BMW GS 800 comes with? I

have

> started saving to get one when they becomes available here, still

need

> 90% of it though, I love the BMW > dual sports, the big one is just TOO BIG for me and the 800 seems

to be

> perfect. > Crap, I am now waiting on the BMW and a Kawasaki Ninja 250 for my

son,

> which seems even harder to find, > the local dealer indicates he gets about (6) every few months and

they

> are sold before they get there. From what > I have read about those they are one of the best bikes to start

with and

> he's starting to feel the $$$ associated with > the weekly fillup of his car! Anyone know of either a new or used

on in

> the Dallas area either new or couple of years > old let me know. He's already signed up for the safety course and

is

> going to pay for me to do it again. >

[Jud Jones]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Spike55" wrote:

> > I don't mean any disrespect to all of our KLRistas buddies but I'm a > bit at a lost why so many (not all) put on the Kendas and then have > to compromise their riding in some form or fashion while saving a > relatively small amount compared to the overall coat of the bike and > life & limb.

I can't say that I have ever compromised my riding to run K270s, or ever worried that they would not stick. I'm not the fastest guy on the planet (or even the block), but on the road, I ride faster than most of the guys I ride with, and fast enough so that the rest usually don't think I am getting in their way. But the best part about them is that I can squeeze close to 10,000 miles out of them, just about the number of miles I ride in a season. As soon as the reports roll in of 25,000 miles out of a set of Mefos, I'll try a pair. I'll do it sooner as soon as I can buy a set for $80.

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "rockiedog2" wrote:

> > I put one of the high dollar Mefo Explorers on the rear just before > departure on my recent Alaska trip. It went 6053 miles and was slick. > I replaced it with a 5.10/17 Kenda 270 in Fairbanks. It has 6205 > miles on it now and probably has at least 2000 local miles left in > it. So much for the big shot Mefo(same roads, same loads). The Mefo > does handle better tho but not that much better. I left home with a > Kenda 270 4.10/18 on the front. It went 10891 miles before I replaced > it and probably would have gone 2000 more and maybe 4 or 5 more if I > had reversed it at around 8000 miles. > > Joe >

Joe, You have not said what the actual tire depth remaining....slick conjures up several different versions of 'slik' I believe common wisdom suggest 2/32 is the minimum tire tread--at least it is for me; I change before that. I see far to many rocks and gravel/prairie roads to run a 'slik'. A side bar comment: By the measurements/observations taken in '04 on the GDR by Jeff Saline on two sets of brand new K270's, the tire wear is faster in the first 2-3 thousand miles and slows down after that. This observation was the same for two other brands as well. IRT to wear, and when to change the tires: Jeff is fond of the saying, "90% of the flats occur in the last 10% of the tires life." I believe it as well. revmaaatin. who has never met a flat that he liked 26,000 KLR flat free miles. 80% of those on K270

[Kevin Powers]

revmaaatin. who has never met a flat that he liked 26,000 KLR flat free miles. Now you've gone and jinxed it... -- Kevin Powers White Bear Lake, MN [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[rockiedog2]

Hello Rev By "slick" I mean like no tread left, smooth, bald, no measureable tread...SLICK. I see lots of slick tires on cars/pickups here in MS. I ran the Dempster with the Mefo approaching slick but had a new K270 tied on the back. Didn't need it. I wouldn't have run the Mefo as far as I did if I didn't have the new Kenda tied on. The Mefo was a disappointment for me. I expected it to run further than it did. All the knobs on it were cracked at the bases but none separated. Have a great day Joe 21000 flat free KLR miles in the last 12 months

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "revmaaatin" wrote: > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "rockiedog2" wrote: > > > > I put one of the high dollar Mefo Explorers on the rear just before > > departure on my recent Alaska trip. It went 6053 miles and was slick. > > I replaced it with a 5.10/17 Kenda 270 in Fairbanks. It has 6205 > > miles on it now and probably has at least 2000 local miles left in > > it. So much for the big shot Mefo(same roads, same loads). The Mefo > > does handle better tho but not that much better. I left home with a > > Kenda 270 4.10/18 on the front. It went 10891 miles before I replaced > > it and probably would have gone 2000 more and maybe 4 or 5 more if I > > had reversed it at around 8000 miles. > > > > Joe > > > > > Joe, > You have not said what the actual tire depth remaining....slick > conjures up several different versions of 'slik' > I believe common wisdom suggest 2/32 is the minimum tire tread--at > least it is for me; I change before that. I see far to many rocks and > gravel/prairie roads to run a 'slik'. > > A side bar comment: By the measurements/observations taken in '04 on > the GDR by Jeff Saline on two sets of brand new K270's, the tire wear > is faster in the first 2-3 thousand miles and slows down after that. > This observation was the same for two other brands as well. > > IRT to wear, and when to change the tires: > Jeff is fond of the saying, > "90% of the flats occur in the last 10% of the tires life." > I believe it as well. > > revmaaatin. who has never met a flat that he liked > 26,000 KLR flat free miles. 80% of those on K270 >

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Brent Tegler" wrote:

> > Sounds like it may be an electric fault, insufficient spark at high rev > under load.... could be a short, wetness or failing CDI.... >

Could be anything. Heck, could be Martian invaders taking up residence in his airbox and peeing into the carb input when it gets too windy in there. But probability is, it's the air filter, given how dry and dusty the 'Slaw is this year. I had the same problem, except worse -- my KLR started overheating too as well as sputtering at high RPM's. I "fixed" it by yanking out the filter and WD-40'ing it to a fare-thee-well and squeezing all the dirt out, then re-oiling it with some motor oil (yes, I carry WD-40 and motor oil with me on long multi-day trips, why do you ask?). Then I did the correct thing (washed it out with detergent, re-oiled it with sticky air filter oil) once I got back home.

> > I had a great 3 days of riding in the Stanislaus Natl Forest near my > home. > > On Sunday, however, my 06 began missing at higher rpm's under power. > Ran just fine as long as I shifted into higher gear or when revving > the engine in neutral. I rode at several elevations from 3500 ft to > 7000 ft. Didn't matter. After a couple of times experiencing this, > I just rode it easy the rest of day without getting rpm's up high > enough to miss. Got home and have not had a chance to check anything > out yet. Any thoughts??? > > Air filter clogged with dust. Been there, done that. The Slaw is d**n > dusty this year, isn't it? >