Wilsons Sandbox

-----Original Message----- From: Curtis R Spivey [mailto:curtspivey@...] Sent: Friday, December 19, 2003 6:06 PM To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSN_klr650] First upgrades to a new KLR650 Unless something tragic happens next year I will have a nice new 2004 RED KLR650 in my garage. So here is my question, "What are the first things you would replace/upgrade on a brand new KLR?" And in what order? I would say 80% of my riding will be on the street or easy trails. I will be doing very little touring on the KLR. Maybe a few day trips, but no 700 miles days like I do on my ST. TIA, Curtis Spivey '97 ST1100 (#3289) '97 PC800 (Roja) Nampa, Idaho --------------------------- REPLY ----------------------- Congratulations on your impending acquisition! As the upgrades? Ride it first. Get a feel for it. The doohickey should be done, but everything else is based on what YOU want. My bike has the following, but you make the choices for your bike. Rick Mayer Solo seat in leather, and a Corbin dished seat for off-roading Acerbis Pro rally Brushguards w/ spoilers, SW-Motech centerstand, Dynojet stage 2 kit, Avon Distanzia - new - front and rear, w/ Bridgestone HD tubes, Wolfman tank panniers as a backup set, Clearview 11+ windshield, Sagebrush's doohickey and spring, Jake's sprocket nut, handlebar control set allen screws, Wire rock guard for headlight and Hitch pins (axles), Dual Star fairing pack, Dual Star Galfer green pads (front), SuperBrace fork brace, Dual Star serrated foot pegs, Dual Star 16t and 14t sprockets (15t on bike), Turatech MvG handlebar mount for Garvin GPS hard wired to harness, Happy Trail Pannier set / w canyon cut boxes in Gray, Big gun ceramic head pipe and Laser Pro Duro exhaust, Aerostich competition tank panniers (on bike), Wolfman explorer tank bag, Dual Star IMS 6.6 gal fuel tank, Big Cee subframe upgrade, Dual Star Progressive suspension 420 series shock and fork springs, Dual Star Rental bars, both service manuals, Dual Star K&N filter, Dual Star braided steel brake lines (f&r), Dual Star brake caliper speed bleeders, Dual Star 714 rally grips, Dual Star skid plate, Dual Star stainless steel cleanable oil filter, Dual Star Motor Mount upgrade, Dual Star shift lever, Dual Star Brake bracket and Masterguard, Dual Star oil filter cap and keychain wrench, Dual Star Radguard, Dual Star Pumpguard, Westco sealed battery, a hardwired 12v accessory plug unit with hinged sealing cap, airbox modified Mike T A16 Las Vegas

On Fri, Dec 19, 2003 at 07:05:38PM -0700, Curtis R Spivey wrote:

> Unless something tragic happens next year I will have a nice new 2004 RED > KLR650 in my garage. > So here is my question, "What are the first things you would > replace/upgrade on a brand new KLR?" And in what order? I would say 80% > of my riding will be on the street or easy trails. I will be doing very > little touring on the KLR. Maybe a few day trips, but no 700 miles days > like I do on my ST. > > TIA,

None, ride it first, see if it fits what you need of it. Doohickey might be worth considering after the initial break-in and valve change at 500 miles. Check http://www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html to answer the other options and frequently changed out pieces. -- ___ ______ _____ __ ________ ___ / _ |< < / == / ___/__ / /_ /_ __/ / __ ____ _ ___ /__ \ / __ |/ // / ****/ (_ / _ \/ __/ / / / _ \/ // / ' \/ _ \ /__/ /_/ |_/_//_/ == \___/\___/\__/ /_/ /_//_/\_,_/_/_/_/ .__/ (_) 8600 miles*Russel Lines*Supertrapp Race* /_/ http://www.panix.com/~cesser/mybike/

Change the oil after a few miles with fresh filter and dino juice, ride it until the 500 mile mark, then adjust the valves, then change the oil and filter again with dino juice and ride it until the break-in is complete. @ 1000 miles change the oil and filter again and just ride it. You will pick out the upgrades that matter to you, if your a light trail rider the suspension is fine, maybe change fork oil to 7 or 10 wt, depending on your weight. Ride it and then ride it some more, as you see the need upgrade. Some ideas would be protection of the bike, skid pan, rear brake master guard, brake saver on the rear pedal, or better billet mount, these break pretty easy it the pedal catches a stick or a branch in the woods. Out of the crate the KLR is very capable, and dont let anybody tell you different, can it keep up with a MX bike ? hell no, but can a MX bike keep up to a KLR on the streets and highways ? hell no.. (at least leagally) As somebody once said, the KLR is great at nothing, but good at everything. Oh you have to pick out your own name for the bike.. Mine gave chase to a DRZ400 with real knobby tires off road and just about everytime he looked back my front end was under heavy braking compression, but again he mostly only looked back heading into corners, where in the corner and out he was dusting me, but a bit of a straight run and I had the power/speed to get right back behind him for the next corner. (of course dogging the monkey fist size rocks his Kenda tires were tossing at me) Dooden A15 Green Ape --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Curtis R Spivey wrote:

> Unless something tragic happens next year I will have a nice new

2004 RED

> KLR650 in my garage. > So here is my question, "What are the first things you would > replace/upgrade on a brand new KLR?" And in what order? I would

say 80%

> of my riding will be on the street or easy trails. I will be doing very > little touring on the KLR. Maybe a few day trips, but no 700 miles days > like I do on my ST. > > TIA, > > Curtis Spivey > '97 ST1100 (#3289) > '97 PC800 (Roja) > Nampa, Idaho

The first thing I did was to bypass the clutch switch. It wouldn't work properly from the get-go and if you have to find N after you stall in an intersection, you're gonna die. don

----- Original Message ----- From: "Curtis R Spivey" To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Friday, December 19, 2003 8:05 PM Subject: [DSN_klr650] First upgrades to a new KLR650 > Unless something tragic happens next year I will have a nice new 2004 RED > KLR650 in my garage. > So here is my question, "What are the first things you would > replace/upgrade on a brand new KLR?" And in what order? I would say 80% > of my riding will be on the street or easy trails. I will be doing very > little touring on the KLR. Maybe a few day trips, but no 700 miles days > like I do on my ST. > > TIA, > > Curtis Spivey > '97 ST1100 (#3289) > '97 PC800 (Roja) > Nampa, Idaho > > 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 > > To visit your group on the web, go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DSN_klr650/ > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >

curtspivey@... wrote:

>Unless something tragic happens next year I will have a nice new 2004 RED >KLR650 in my garage. >So here is my question, "What are the first things you would >replace/upgrade on a brand new KLR?" And in what order? I would say 80% >of my riding will be on the street or easy trails. I will be doing very >little touring on the KLR. Maybe a few day trips, but no 700 miles days >like I do on my ST. > >

I agree with the "ride it and see for yourself" advice. I don't know that the brakes are like on an ST, but I'm betting you won't be impressed with the KLR brakes. The carb vent mod, and then the doohickey once the engine's run in, maybe around 1000mi. Changing out the oil when you get it home isn't a bad idea. It totally depends on your riding style, habits, suspension preferences, etc. A radiator bar and hard handguards will pay for themselves very quickly in parts you didn't break. The stock "bash plate" should not be taken offroad. -- Devon Brooklyn, NY A15-Z '01 KLR650 '81 SR500 cafe racer "The truth's not too popular these days....." Arnold Schwarzenneger, in The Running Man