Wilsons Sandbox

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 22:39:17 -0400 Ryan McNabb writes:

> What has been tried as regards putting on a larger front tire? I'm > wondering how feasible it is to simply duplicate the rear tire on > the > front, on a similar wheel. What handling/traction/etc. differences > are > there to deal with if you use a larger front tire up front? > > Thanks > Ryan

<><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><> Ryan, I'm no suspension expert, although I just received Tony Foale's book on Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design. : ) Got a personal inscription from him too. Anyway, I'd guess putting a larger front tire on the bike would add to the unsprung weight and would also slow steering response. I don't think it would be a benefit for braking as you'd have more revolving mass to stop with the stock brakes. I suppose it would also complicate matters in finding a larger tire and wheel and getting them laced to work on the KLR. If you used a rear size tire that would also change the suspension and steering geometry as the rear is a 17" wheel. I can't begin to guess what that would do to handling and also logistics while on the road. What might you be hoping to gain by changing the front tire and wheel? Best, Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Ryan McNabb wrote:

> > What has been tried as regards putting on a larger front tire? I'm > wondering how feasible it is to simply duplicate the rear tire on the > front, on a similar wheel. What handling/traction/etc. differences are > there to deal with if you use a larger front tire up front? > > Thanks > Ryan

Search the archives. zrod and his "chickey"(?) have done a wider-smaller tire up front. I think he hangs at klr650.net. Fred

I was at a tech day Saturday and a guy was running 18 inch rims front and rear with a fat tire up front (didn't notice what size). The bike was really tricked out and looked like street orientated type mods. I didn't get a chance to ask him how it handled at high speeds. Another guy I know super motarded his KLR with a 17 on front and a really fat tire and rim on the rear (think the rear was still 17). He said it got kinda wobbly at high speed when he took it to the race track for track days. The fat 18 on the front has kind of intrigued me as most of us know what fun the skinny 21 gives KLR riders in deep sand or gravel. I have always thought the skinny 21 is the wrong choice on KLR's if you plan to do some serious dirt. Back in olden days when desert racers rode stuff like Triumph Bonnevilles (with similar weight and power to a KLR) they rode with fat tires up front and I believe something like 19 inch up front for sand. The 21 became in vogue with light weight 2 stroke bikes with instant power ....... but the KLR has a heavy front end with our much loved big gas tanks and shall we say not the same instant power as a light weight 2 stroke. A KLR is not the easiest bike to wheelie. Criswell

On Jul 31, 2007, at 6:58 AM, kestrelfal wrote: > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Ryan McNabb wrote: > > > > What has been tried as regards putting on a larger front tire? I'm > > wondering how feasible it is to simply duplicate the rear tire on > the > > front, on a similar wheel. What handling/traction/etc. > differences are > > there to deal with if you use a larger front tire up front? > > > > Thanks > > Ryan > > Search the archives. zrod and his "chickey"(?) > have done a wider-smaller tire up front. I think > he hangs at klr650.net. > > Fred > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Rodney Copeland here in the Norman/OKC area runs a 17" rear rim & tire on the front of his KLR650, with D606s on both rims, I believe. Think he has a similar setup on the better half's 250. Only ridden with him once but the setup seemed to work very well in the deep sand roads we toured around a local lake. He does some riding in the sandy riverbeds around here and I believe he's very happy with the arrangement. First time I met him I heard him coming from a half-mile away on the 2-lane highway... those two big knobbies make some noise at speed on the pavement... Steve Dyer Stealthy on the street, but comical in the sand with stock rims and D607s.

I have been running a 120/80 18 on a 2.50 x 18 rim with a Michelin ACTIV for the past year. With lots of lightly patrolled desert curvy, roller coaster road just east of here, I have been able to check out the outer limits of the new front end quite thoroughly. The tire is strictly street so I can't vouch for it's prowess in the loose, silty sand of the high desert. My only other changes are anodized fork sliders, custom fork brace and cartridge emulators, thanks Eagle Mike, a KTM motard fender under the fork brace, a set of LR Progressives with 2.75" spacers and 10wt fork oil. The forks have been paralleled and my steering head nut is properly tight. Oh yeah, and one of the early MMP springs on the shock. Rated for a 175# rider, I weigh a good 270 with ATGATT. Preload jacked up to 4. At high speed (well above the legal limit, 90+ indicated, not sure of the actual speed because of the rolling diameter of the 18" tire) the bike turns on rails now, instead of the meandering looseness of the stock front end. A very planted and controllable front end. No problems from heavy side winds or bow wakes from the big hay haulers coming up from the Imperial Valley. Hey, I'm up to 65 - 70 MPG. VVBG. How much of the new feel comes from the new components and what is coming from the ever-so-slightly modified geometry.....approx 2 degrees less rake and an actual 1/4" less trail, steeper geometry=quicker steering, I can't really say. Let it suffice that my '99 handles identically to my '72 450 Ducati and most of my British fleet. This bike corners. I surprise a lot of crotch rocketeers on the 1900 ft drop of 7 miles of tight twisties of the Banner Grade (SR78). CaStu and RM know that road well. A tightened up and planted feeling is the best description I have for the bike. I have an '06 with most of the suspension mods, no emulators or anodized lowers, to compare with so my comparisons are valid. To Criswell, has your friend tightened up his steering head bearings and kept his swing arm and shock in proper fettle? What tires is he running? Is he mixing a radial and bias set of tires? I'll post a few pix on the Pix Page when I can figure out to do that. Buddy leftcoastklrsociety bseifert71@...

> [Original Message] > From: stevedyer > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 8/1/2007 6:24:44 AM > Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Re: larger front tire > > Rodney Copeland here in the Norman/OKC area runs a 17" rear rim & tire on > the front of his KLR650, with D606s on both rims, I believe. Think he

has a

> similar setup on the better half's 250. Only ridden with him once but

the

> setup seemed to work very well in the deep sand roads we toured around a > local lake. He does some riding in the sandy riverbeds around here and

I

> believe he's very happy with the arrangement. First time I met him I > heard him coming from a half-mile away on the 2-lane highway... those two > big knobbies make some noise at speed on the pavement... > > Steve Dyer > Stealthy on the street, but comical in the sand with stock rims and

D607s.

> > > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650 > Yahoo! Groups Links > > >

Buddy ... Can you explain how you paralleled your forks? TIA WVDoran Scottsdale, AZ Harry Seifert wrote: I have been running a 120/80 18 on a 2.50 x 18 rim with a Michelin ACTIV for the past year. With lots of lightly patrolled desert curvy, roller coaster road just east of here, I have been able to check out the outer limits of the new front end quite thoroughly. The tire is strictly street so I can't vouch for it's prowess in the loose, silty sand of the high desert. My only other changes are anodized fork sliders, custom fork brace and cartridge emulators, thanks Eagle Mike, a KTM motard fender under the fork brace, a set of LR Progressives with 2.75" spacers and 10wt fork oil. The forks have been paralleled and my steering head nut is properly tight. Oh yeah, and one of the early MMP springs on the shock. Rated for a 175# rider, I weigh a good 270 with ATGATT. Preload jacked up to 4. At high speed (well above the legal limit, 90+ indicated, not sure of the actual speed because of the rolling diameter of the 18" tire) the bike turns on rails now, instead of the meandering looseness of the stock front end. A very planted and controllable front end. No problems from heavy side winds or bow wakes from the big hay haulers coming up from the Imperial Valley. Hey, I'm up to 65 - 70 MPG. VVBG. How much of the new feel comes from the new components and what is coming from the ever-so-slightly modified geometry.....approx 2 degrees less rake and an actual 1/4" less trail, steeper geometry=quicker steering, I can't really say. Let it suffice that my '99 handles identically to my '72 450 Ducati and most of my British fleet. This bike corners. I surprise a lot of crotch rocketeers on the 1900 ft drop of 7 miles of tight twisties of the Banner Grade (SR78). CaStu and RM know that road well. A tightened up and planted feeling is the best description I have for the bike. I have an '06 with most of the suspension mods, no emulators or anodized lowers, to compare with so my comparisons are valid. To Criswell, has your friend tightened up his steering head bearings and kept his swing arm and shock in proper fettle? What tires is he running? Is he mixing a radial and bias set of tires? I'll post a few pix on the Pix Page when I can figure out to do that. Buddy leftcoastklrsociety bseifert71@...

> [Original Message] > From: stevedyer > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 8/1/2007 6:24:44 AM > Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Re: larger front tire > > Rodney Copeland here in the Norman/OKC area runs a 17" rear rim & tire on > the front of his KLR650, with D606s on both rims, I believe. Think he

has a

> similar setup on the better half's 250. Only ridden with him once but

the

> setup seemed to work very well in the deep sand roads we toured around a > local lake. He does some riding in the sandy riverbeds around here and

I

> believe he's very happy with the arrangement. First time I met him I > heard him coming from a half-mile away on the 2-lane highway... those two > big knobbies make some noise at speed on the pavement... > > Steve Dyer > Stealthy on the street, but comical in the sand with stock rims and

D607s.

> > > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650 > Yahoo! Groups Links > > >

WVDoran Scottsdale, AZ --------------------------------- Luggage? GPS? Comic books? Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Thu, Aug 02, 2007 at 05:44:48AM -0700, Luke in Brooklyn wrote:

> I bought a First Gear Kilimanjaro Air jacket

I had one of those too a couple years back when I was commuting on my supermoto. I agree, great jacket. Totally waterproof too, fairly warm in the winter and very very cool in the summer. Sorry to hear they no longer make them! Michael -- "Do you think that when they asked George Washington for ID he just whipped out a quarter?" --Steven Wright San Francisco, CA