nklr: iron butt

[david wilhite]

I have found a source for replacement Tengai body parts located outside of the USA that does ship stuff here. The parts are fiberglass and consist of a left and right panel, a center panel and a +size windshield. If at least 3 units can be ordered the cost would be around $300.00 based on current exchange rates. This is based upon a phone conversation I made to them today. I am considering purchasing this to install on my 01' KLR650. I have never seen a Tengai in person, so I don't know if it would be difficult to fabricate additional mounts, or if they would even be needed. Another thing I don't know about is how the headlight is located. I would appreciate it if anyone on the list can give some insight regarding the fairing mounts of the Tengai vs. the regular KLR. If this seems plausible, I would like to get a group of people together to order at least 3 units at one time so we can get a discount. I will not be ready to order for a month or so, so there should be plenty of time to find enough people wanting to do this and whether or not it would be a good endeavor. I am not looking to make money off of this. I am just looking for a way to get the bodywork as inexpensively as possible. Let me know if you are interested. Later David Wilhite dnmwilhite@... 01' KLR650 84' Subaruvanagon 'Westy'

[Mark]

David, I have a Tengai parts bike that I want to restore, so I may be interested, although strapped at the moment. I would rather have genuine Kawasaki plastic and asked one of our Aussie listers who owns a Tengai if they can get in OZ since the Tengai was available there during all 5 yrs of production (only 1 year in the US). My other computer is at the factory for a warranty item, so I can't recall who it was. If they can get it, I'd like to know the price. Your fiberglass source may be a better deal though. Do they also make the side panels for under the seat? Also, does the glass come painted or primed? As far as differences go pertaining to fairing attachment: 1) the Tengai headlight is bigger, but I don't think a standard KLR headlight would look goofy. 2) You will need to weld two mounting tabs on the top of your gas tank on either side of the filler cap about 4 inches away 3) The instrument cluster is different, but I think a standard KLR cluster will be fine Please keep me informed, Mark B2 A2 A3 At 8:43 PM -0400 6/12/2001, David Wilhite wrote:

>I have found a source for replacement Tengai body parts located outside of >the USA that does ship stuff here. The parts are fiberglass and consist of >a left and right panel, a center panel and a +size windshield. If at least >3 units can be ordered the cost would be around $300.00 based on current >exchange rates. This is based upon a phone conversation I made to them >today. > >I am considering purchasing this to install on my 01' KLR650. I have never >seen a Tengai in person, so I don't know if it would be difficult to >fabricate additional mounts, or if they would even be needed. Another >thing I don't know about is how the headlight is located. I would >appreciate it if anyone on the list can give some insight regarding the >fairing mounts of the Tengai vs. the regular KLR. > >If this seems plausible, I would like to get a group of people together to >order at least 3 units at one time so we can get a discount. I will not be >ready to order for a month or so, so there should be plenty of time to find >enough people wanting to do this and whether or not it would be a good >endeavor. > >I am not looking to make money off of this. I am just looking for a way to >get the bodywork as inexpensively as possible. Let me know if you are >interested.

[Zachariah Mully]

David- I would be interested in the parts as well, though looking at the parts diagrams for the Tengai, I don't think the retrofit is going to be as straight forward as you hope. I have never seen a Tengai, nor removed the body panels, so take my observations with a grain of salt, I suppose Mark would be the authority on this. *Tabs on the tank: Those are the upper mount points for the side fairings, I can't tell from the diagram, but even if you had an original Tengai headlight/fairing tree, I think that the tabs would be necessary to keep the side panels from banging and fluttering against the tank. Might be able to whip up a brace that would fasten to the tank using the gas tank cap bolts so you don't have to weld anything to your tank. *Tank: Mark can speak to this, is it basically the same shape and size as the KLR-A's? *Headlight/Fairing tree: *very* different than the KLR-A, it looks like the speedo/tach cluster is fairing mounted, not handlebar mounted as on our trusty steeds. *Bottom sidepanel mounts: It looks like the bottoms of the side panels have two mounts, one bolted and one rubber grommit type. I think the rubber grommit mounts on the enormo bashplate. *Fiberglass: I dunno about anyone else, but I have whacked up my fairing headlight cluster so many times I care not to think about it. I know that it was one of the first things Tumu and Robb pulled from their KLR's when we went MX'ing with them. If you're off roading (gravel, whatever) and drop that sucker, I would hate to see the damage. My stock fairing I have JB welded back together after a small collision with a tree took the lower left of it clean off. This conversion would win serious style and envy points in my book, though that would end as soon as the stutter bumps started or the trail becomes rutted and muddy. Our bike is *damn* ugly, but it sure does recover well from most any mishap. Still keep me posted, I've always wanted to make a Rallye version of the KLR ------------------ Zack Banana Republic of Washington, DC KLR650A5 "Buster" ZG1000A1 1966 Vespa 125 COG #4664 -----Original Message----- From: David Wilhite [mailto:dnmwilhite@...] Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 8:44 PM To: dsn_klr650 Subject: [DSN_klr650] Tengai Body Parts I have found a source for replacement Tengai body parts located outside of the USA that does ship stuff here. The parts are fiberglass and consist of a left and right panel, a center panel and a +size windshield. If at least 3 units can be ordered the cost would be around $300.00 based on current exchange rates. This is based upon a phone conversation I made to them today. I am considering purchasing this to install on my 01' KLR650. I have never seen a Tengai in person, so I don't know if it would be difficult to fabricate additional mounts, or if they would even be needed. Another thing I don't know about is how the headlight is located. I would appreciate it if anyone on the list can give some insight regarding the fairing mounts of the Tengai vs. the regular KLR. If this seems plausible, I would like to get a group of people together to order at least 3 units at one time so we can get a discount. I will not be ready to order for a month or so, so there should be plenty of time to find enough people wanting to do this and whether or not it would be a good endeavor. I am not looking to make money off of this. I am just looking for a way to get the bodywork as inexpensively as possible. Let me know if you are interested. Later David Wilhite dnmwilhite@... 01' KLR650 84' Subaruvanagon 'Westy'

[david wilhite]

All Interested, So far there are three people that have expressed interest in the parts. It has been brought up that we would have to do a few modifications to make the body work fit. Mark, who has a Tengai has mentioned likely items that need to be modified. The toughest thing seems to be adding tabs or some sort of secondary support mounts on the tank and doing something with the headlight. However, it shouldn't be above the skills of anybody that tinkers with these types of projects. As far as I know at this time, they only have the upper fairing pieces. They do not make the front fender or the rear side panels. Evidently, those must be a little easier to come by, or don't get damaged as often. I have the same concerns as many of you when it comes to how it will hold up. From my perspective, I am looking to make it so it can be removed easily in case I do some serious off road riding. Most of my time is spent on the road however, so I shouldn't have to do it often. I think if a group of us get together and go through with getting these items we will be able to work out the mounting details satisfactorily. These Internet groups can be powerful tools for passing knowledge and best practices for a variety of things. In January of this year I completed installing a Subaru Legacy engine in a Volkswagen Westfalia (camper). It is computer controlled, fuel injected, DOHC, etc., etc. I never would have been able to do it, or even have known about it, if I hadn't come across it on the Internet. So a body work job shouldn't be too difficult to overcome. I'll pass along more information as it comes available. I plan on doing the order sometime in July (I have to get the AC fixed on the wife's car 1st). I am thinking of getting money orders or checks from each person; making one large order; shipping it to my place and then distributing it out. If I can have it shipped to multiple locations, I'll take that route. Later David Wilhite dnmwilhite@... 01' KLR 650 84' Subaruvanagon

[monahanwb@yahoo.com]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "David Wilhite" wrote:

> All Interested, > > So far there are three people that have expressed interest in the

parts.

> It has been brought up that we would have to do a few modifications

to make

> the body work fit. Mark, who has a Tengai has mentioned likely

items that

> need to be modified. The toughest thing seems to be adding tabs or

some

> sort of secondary support mounts on the tank and doing something

with the

> headlight. However, it shouldn't be above the skills of anybody

that

> tinkers with these types of projects.

I think the Tengai fairing pieces are a different kind of plastic than the ABS or whatever it is on the KLR fairing, and also that the tabs that need to be on the tank may or may not fit the Tengain fairing; the tengai tank is a completely different tank. So I am wishing you good luck, and let us know how it all fits up.

[Mark]

At 1:18 AM +0000 6/14/2001, monahanwb@... wrote:

>I think the Tengai fairing pieces are a different kind of plastic >than the ABS or whatever it is on the KLR fairing

The Tengai plastic is ABS. The KLR plastic is polyethylene.

>and also that the >tabs that need to be on the tank may or may not fit the Tengain >fairing; the tengai tank is a completely different tank.

I'll make a few measurements, but the Tengai tank is the same, just with different mounting points. Mark B2 A2 A3

[monahanwb@yahoo.com]

While on the subject of Iron-Buttedness, I was just looking at the route for the Three Flags Classic which begins tomorrow in Tijuana BC MX and ends up in Penticton BC CAN (Black Alice's there is the place to see - awesome strippers and good chinese food). It seems like a waste of time to me, these guys don't ride back roads at all; it's all along freeways and other major routes. How un-fun! Bill (backroad-predisposed)