frozen bolt's aftermath...

[Mark St.Hilaire, Sr]

> Recently I added a pair of stainless lines and pads provided gratis from > Galfer http://www.galferusa.com/homeframes.htm as well as a spectacular

deal

> on CycleBrakes' recently released oversized rotor kit developed

specifically

> for the KLR. They are at http://cyclebrakes.com and seem to be great

people.

> As I said at the beginning of this post, I wouldn't consider a different > caliper as I believe that the current setup I have is more than sufficient > for the riding I do. I have nothing but praise for this setup and the kit > that Galfer and Cycle Brakes have come up with. It's a win win in my

books!! Dave, it sounds like you're very happy with your new set up. Which rotor(s) did you get, the standard or the wave one? Did you rebuild the stock caliper in any way, or just bolt it back on "as is?" Thanks... and by the way, you KNOW I was giving you hard time about your saddle upgrade in completely good-natured fun, right?! Mark KLR650 Motorcycle Pages: http://klr6500.tripod.com/ HomePage: http://home.adelphia.net/~msaint/index.html My Adelphia Email can be "iffy." If you don't get a response, please try: KLR6500@...

[Rex]

The thought occurs to me about possible tire slip on the rim due to improved brakes which could cause tube failure at the valve stem. Am I nuts? Rim locks were added to dirt bike rear wheels to prevent such occurrences from a combination of sudden acceleration and high traction, is it possible to experience the same phenomenon from a KLR front wheel stoppie? Maybe there's no need for worry about this. A 21 inch rim may provide plenty of grip to the tire bead compared to smaller rear rims regardless of whatever slippery stuff some of us might use to mount a tire. I haven't heard of any dual sport with this kind of problem or even see rims locks on newer bikes. Suffice it to say the KLR engineers didn't design for such forces. Or did they? Anyway, food for thought Dave. I'd note the tire markings position in relation to the valve and keep track of possible movement. Maybe go out and practice some stoppies in a safe place. Fully loaded for maximum affect. Let us know what you learn. Rex Colorado Springs

> After Moab I continued to travel south to The Grand Canyon and

surrounding

> areas and was continually amazed at how much better the brakes

were. Ever do

> a stoppie with a 585 Lb KLR surrounded by deer? I did! Startled the

hell out

> of me but it stopped in time. The last couple of yards the rear end

started

> to come up. So, if you've got the traction it will rise.

[Dave Watkins]

This just in from "The Great White North", Any stoppies I do are purely by accident and at this time total exactly one. Realized some time ago that I don't heal as fast as I used to and have adjusted my habits accordingly. Thanks for the info though, I'll look at the tire position anyway. Cheers, Dave Watkins 1998 KLR 650 " The Prodigal Son" Calgary, Alberta, Canada dave@... Voice: 1-403-701-5746 Fax: 1-403-266-0626

----- Original Message ----- From: "Rex" To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 10:42 PM Subject: [DSN_klr650] Re: KLR Oversized Rotor / Stainless Lines / Pad Replacement Evaluation > The thought occurs to me about possible tire slip on the rim due to > improved brakes which could cause tube failure at the valve stem. Am > I nuts? Rim locks were added to dirt bike rear wheels to prevent such > occurrences from a combination of sudden acceleration and high > traction, is it possible to experience the same phenomenon from a KLR > front wheel stoppie? Maybe there's no need for worry about this. A 21 > inch rim may provide plenty of grip to the tire bead compared to > smaller rear rims regardless of whatever slippery stuff some of us > might use to mount a tire. I haven't heard of any dual sport with > this kind of problem or even see rims locks on newer bikes. Suffice > it to say the KLR engineers didn't design for such forces. Or did > they? > Anyway, food for thought Dave. I'd note the tire markings position > in relation to the valve and keep track of possible movement. Maybe > go out and practice some stoppies in a safe place. Fully loaded for > maximum affect. Let us know what you learn. > > Rex > Colorado Springs > > > > After Moab I continued to travel south to The Grand Canyon and > surrounding > > areas and was continually amazed at how much better the brakes > were. Ever do > > a stoppie with a 585 Lb KLR surrounded by deer? I did! Startled the > hell out > > of me but it stopped in time. The last couple of yards the rear end > started > > to come up. So, if you've got the traction it will rise. > > > > 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 . > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >

[John Biccum]

I have exactly the same setup, but I paid for mine . The difference is phenomenal. I weigh 240, make that 260 in Aerostitch and usually am carrying some luggage. The brakes stop now, no feeling like I need to drag my size 14s.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Watkins" To: ; "cyclebrakes" ; DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 15:03 Subject: [DSN_klr650] KLR Oversized Rotor / Stainless Lines / Pad Replacement Evaluation > This just in from "The Great White North", > > WITH APOLOGIES FOR DUAL POSTS > > Many of you commented on and were interested in the front brake system > improvements I made in Moab. For those of you who didn't get a chance to > experience the changes firsthand I offer the following comments. > > Recently I added a pair of stainless lines and pads provided gratis from > Galfer http://www.galferusa.com/homeframes.htm as well as a spectacular deal > on CycleBrakes' recently released oversized rotor kit developed specifically > for the KLR. They are at http://cyclebrakes.com and seem to be great people. > > The deal was that I would install the kit and give them, and the riding > public, an honest evaluation. I rode my KLR from Calgary, Alberta Canada to > Moab, Utah, USA a distance of 1107 miles and was as usual totally > unimpressed with the braking ability of the KLR. Even without a load I'm > still unimpressed. When I arrived in Moab I went over to Arrowhead > Motorsports http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/index.html and picked up my > rotor kit, pads and lines that I had shipped direct to him as there was no > way I could get them shipped and installed before I left on my trip. Fred > offered to let me use his tools and AIR CONDITIONED shop which I very > graciously accepted. Thanks again Fred! > > The rotor arrived safely and was very well packaged as were the pads and > lines. Removal and replacement of the rotor went well and without a hitch. > Basically you remove the stock rotor and replace it with theirs. The > existing front brake caliper is reinstalled using their relocating bracket > and the two supplied bolts. There was a note in the installation instruction > that mentioned I may have to use shorter bolts but on my 1998 KLR 650 this > was not the case. The only hiccup was when I had to remount the magnet used > by my Touratech rally computer to obtain speed readings. A quick to the toy > store, a 10 cent magnet and a dab of JB Weld and I was good to go. There are > places to add the bolt on sensor but I didn't want to take the time to do so > then. > > Once the complete setup was installed and after a 60 mile or so "bed in" > period I felt confident in putting it all to the test. > > Without a doubt, this is the best modification I have done to this bike! > With rider and minimal gear I was surprised just how much difference there > was compared to the stock braking system. I felt much more confident in the > braking ability and this translated to better handling and rider comfort in > my opinion. A point to note is that I had previously replaced the front > springs with Progressive Suspension's KLR kit which helped reduce the front > end dive I had previously experienced. I hesitate to guess how much dive > would be there had I not do so. Because of the increased performance I found > that a lot less effort was required when braking which was nice. Often only > very slight pressure on the front was all I was required to use whenever > necessary. I did find on occasion that I was forgetting all about the back > brake and had to slap my fingers a couple of times to jog my memory. Fully > loaded with a total weight of 585 Lbs. I was still amazed at the difference. > On the way to Moab I had narrowly missed running into my riding partner as > he pulled a quick stop in front of me. Obviously, with the heavier load the > stopping distance will increase but I hazard to guess that it never gets > close to that of the stock setup. > > After Moab I continued to travel south to The Grand Canyon and surrounding > areas and was continually amazed at how much better the brakes were. Ever do > a stoppie with a 585 Lb KLR surrounded by deer? I did! Startled the hell out > of me but it stopped in time. The last couple of yards the rear end started > to come up. So, if you've got the traction it will rise. > > As I said at the beginning of this post, I wouldn't consider a different > caliper as I believe that the current setup I have is more than sufficient > for the riding I do. I have nothing but praise for this setup and the kit > that Galfer and Cycle Brakes have come up with. It's a win win in my books!! > > Cheers, > > Dave Watkins 1998 KLR 650 " The Prodigal Son" > > Calgary, Alberta, Canada > dave@... > > Voice: 1-403-701-5746 > Fax: 1-403-266-0626 > > > 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 . > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >

[Dave Watkins]

Tony, Here's a copy of an earlier post.... Long but, IMHO worth the read. To date I have had no problems at all with this setup and would certainly recommend it to anyone. Dave

----- Original Message ----- From: Dave Watkins To: EdmontonDualSportRiders@... ; cyclebrakes ; DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 4:03 PM Subject: [EdmontonDualSportRiders] KLR Oversized Rotor / Stainless Lines / Pad Replacement Evaluation This just in from "The Great White North", WITH APOLOGIES FOR DUAL POSTS Many of you commented on and were interested in the front brake system improvements I made in Moab. For those of you who didn't get a chance to experience the changes firsthand I offer the following comments. Recently I added a pair of stainless lines and pads provided gratis from Galfer http://www.galferusa.com/homeframes.htm as well as a spectacular deal on CycleBrakes' recently released oversized rotor kit developed specifically for the KLR. They are at http://cyclebrakes.com and seem to be great people. The deal was that I would install the kit and give them, and the riding public, an honest evaluation. I rode my KLR from Calgary, Alberta Canada to Moab, Utah, USA a distance of 1107 miles and was as usual totally unimpressed with the braking ability of the KLR. Even without a load I'm still unimpressed. When I arrived in Moab I went over to Arrowhead Motorsports http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/index.html and picked up my rotor kit, pads and lines that I had shipped direct to him as there was no way I could get them shipped and installed before I left on my trip. Fred offered to let me use his tools and AIR CONDITIONED shop which I very graciously accepted. Thanks again Fred! The rotor arrived safely and was very well packaged as were the pads and lines. Removal and replacement of the rotor went well and without a hitch. Basically you remove the stock rotor and replace it with theirs. The existing front brake caliper is reinstalled using their relocating bracket and the two supplied bolts. There was a note in the installation instruction that mentioned I may have to use shorter bolts but on my 1998 KLR 650 this was not the case. The only hiccup was when I had to remount the magnet used by my Touratech rally computer to obtain speed readings. A quick to the toy store, a 10 cent magnet and a dab of JB Weld and I was good to go. There are places to add the bolt on sensor but I didn't want to take the time to do so then. Once the complete setup was installed and after a 60 mile or so "bed in" period I felt confident in putting it all to the test. Without a doubt, this is the best modification I have done to this bike! With rider and minimal gear I was surprised just how much difference there was compared to the stock braking system. I felt much more confident in the braking ability and this translated to better handling and rider comfort in my opinion. A point to note is that I had previously replaced the front springs with Progressive Suspension's KLR kit which helped reduce the front end dive I had previously experienced. I hesitate to guess how much dive would be there had I not do so. Because of the increased performance I found that a lot less effort was required when braking which was nice. Often only very slight pressure on the front was all I was required to use whenever necessary. I did find on occasion that I was forgetting all about the back brake and had to slap my fingers a couple of times to jog my memory. Fully loaded with a total weight of 585 Lbs. I was still amazed at the difference. On the way to Moab I had narrowly missed running into my riding partner as he pulled a quick stop in front of me. Obviously, with the heavier load the stopping distance will increase but I hazard to guess that it never gets close to that of the stock setup. After Moab I continued to travel south to The Grand Canyon and surrounding areas and was continually amazed at how much better the brakes were. Ever do a stoppie with a 585 Lb KLR surrounded by deer? I did! Startled the hell out of me but it stopped in time. The last couple of yards the rear end started to come up. So, if you've got the traction it will rise. As I said at the beginning of this post, I wouldn't consider a different caliper as I believe that the current setup I have is more than sufficient for the riding I do. I have nothing but praise for this setup and the kit that Galfer and Cycle Brakes have come up with. It's a win win in my books!! Cheers, Dave Watkins 1998 KLR 650 " The Prodigal Son" Calgary, Alberta, Canada dave@... Voice: 1-403-701-5746 Fax: 1-403-266-0626 To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: EdmontonDualSportRiders-unsubscribe@... Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. ------------------------------------------------------- -- Cheers, Dave Watkins Voice: 403-701-5746 Abacus Technologies Fax: 403-266-0626 dave@... http://www.davewatkins.net "For all your hardware, software and networking needs" [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[juanbalam]

Thank you to all who sent help info. This is how the story ended: I Loosend all pertienent bolts, put the bike on a milk crate, rear tire barely touching the ground. Placed a huge I beam against the wall and pushing against the frame exactly where the frozen bolt sits. I soaked it silly with three cans of pentrating oil, I put the stuff everywhere even through the little oiling holes in the frame. I Turned it (nut removed completely) for 5 minutes with an impact tool. Then I hit it with a 4 lbs mallet using an old rachet extension as a punch. When I write I hit it, I mean I HIT it. I hit it so hard that the frame actually dented the I beam. Then I gave up. All other needle bearings were perfect, I have no reason to believe the two placed on this shaft are not. The bike is very old (An A6) but it has less than 10k miles on the clock. That bolt has rusted there for over ten years!!! I'm just going to forget about it, because I did everything I could to take the sucker out and couldn't. Have you ever tried to reason with an angry woman? There is a point in which you just HAVE to give up, kill her or jump out the window!!! If you love her, then you learn to live with that, even enjoy it (mmm maybe not that)... That's my feeling exactly, I can't fix this and it's not that important... my girlfriend has her quirks (sp?) too, but the rewards of coping with them exceed the discomfort by plenty!!! Thanks again to the collective... we have failed to remove that frozen bolt... but then again, the bike still runs with flamming passion!!!... Juan