engine seize

[thomaspaul1925]

Hello to everyone ! Back in '03 my son gave me his Kawasaki EX500 to ride for the season and I had a great time being on two wheels again. I had some issues with that bike; foot pegs, not where I like them non-adjustable handlebars. I loved the engine; amazed at how fast a 500cc could be. If Kawasaki had made a bike with that engine and set up like a 650 Bonny I would have bought it in 2003. Over the winter I started doing research to find out which bike I was going to buy in 2004. Having owned a Triumph 650 in the `70s, I wanted something around the same weight and power. In the 80s I had purchased a Suzuki 650 Savage and put 900 miles on it, breaking it in for the wife, I owned a BMW R100 at the time. I was impressed with the power of the 650 single. Back to winter research . Seating position, adjustable handlebars, foot peg location, weight, 650cc single, price and the same model made since the 80s; the KLR 650 was looking like a good choice. I spent many hours on the "klr650.net" forum reading about KLR issues and how they could be customized and decided to get one. Great group of people on that site. Because of the forum I was an informed consumer and got a great deal, 60 miles from home. I started customizing it soon after I got it home. This machine was intended for 100% road use and NYC driving, which some might consider off road [read potholes]. Lowering it was first ! ! Driving home from the dealer I hade a laugh at every stoplight when I put my feet down and didn't make contact with the ground as usual, toes only. Next were the handlebars too wide for the city, the mirrors, relocated to the faring made the bike slim enough [29"] to fit almost anywhere. The Break-in was a real test of patience but it was worth doing it right. I changed the "DOO" shortly after break-in and street tires made a big difference in the ride. Other Mods included "Progressive Suspension" Fork Springs, "Happy Trails" - K-9 Fork Brace, Low Front Fender, Lowering Links, Shortened Side Stand with a larger footprint, stronger Shift Lever. Carb. Modification. I fabricated a `Vertical Headlight Adjustment' from outside the faring, using a long 6mm Allen wrench and a special adjusting bolt. I was very pleased with the results of the transformation from Dual Sport to City Sport. I had other Mods planned, but then the medical problems started with the right hip and the left wrist and left elbow; operating the clutch becomes painful after 75+ shifts. I never intended to sell this machine, especially after the successful transformation; I thought I would ride it to motorcycle heaven one day. Looks like, if I'm going to ride on two wheels, it's going to be a maxi-scooter. With a heavy heart, I placed her on eBay. She needs someone who will take her out more often. I will miss her. Still has a year to go on the Kawasaki Good Times Protection Plan - Expires 5/15/2009............ http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/1025/fender4ii9.jpg eBay --- Item number: 260230802063 Thanks for the time and keep safe ! Tom

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "thomaspaul1925" wrote:

> > Hello to everyone ! > > Back in '03 my son gave me his Kawasaki EX500 to ride for the season > and I had a great time being on two wheels again. I had some issues > with that bike; foot pegs, not where I like them non-adjustable > handlebars. I loved the engine; amazed at how fast a 500cc could be. > If Kawasaki had made a bike with that engine and set up like a 650 > Bonny I would have bought it in 2003. Over the winter I started

doing

> research to find out which bike I was going to buy in 2004. Having > owned a Triumph 650 in the `70s, I wanted something around the same > weight and power. In the 80s I had purchased a Suzuki 650 Savage

and

> put 900 miles on it, breaking it in for the wife, I owned a BMW R100 > at the time. I was impressed with the power of the 650 single. Back > to winter research . Seating position, adjustable handlebars, foot > peg location, weight, 650cc single, price and the same model made > since the 80s; the KLR 650 was looking like a good choice. I spent > many hours on the "klr650.net" forum reading about KLR issues and

how

> they could be customized and decided to get one. Great group of

people

> on that site. > Because of the forum I was an informed consumer and got a great

deal,

> 60 miles from home. > I started customizing it soon after I got it home. This machine

was

> intended for 100% road use and NYC driving, which some might

consider

> off road [read potholes]. Lowering it was first ! ! Driving home

from

> the dealer I hade a laugh at every stoplight when I put my feet down > and didn't make contact with the ground as usual, toes only. Next > were the handlebars too wide for the city, the mirrors, relocated

to

> the faring made the bike slim enough [29"] to fit almost anywhere. > The Break-in was a real test of patience but it was worth doing it > right. I changed the "DOO" shortly after break-in and street tires > made a big difference in the ride. Other Mods included "Progressive > Suspension" Fork Springs, "Happy Trails" - K-9 Fork Brace, Low

Front

> Fender, Lowering Links, Shortened Side Stand with a larger

footprint,

> stronger Shift Lever. > Carb. Modification. > I fabricated a `Vertical Headlight Adjustment' from outside the > faring, using a long 6mm Allen wrench and a special adjusting

bolt.

> > I was very pleased with the results of the transformation from Dual > Sport to City Sport. > I had other Mods planned, but then the medical problems started with > the right hip and the left wrist and left elbow; operating the

clutch

> becomes painful after 75+ shifts. > I never intended to sell this machine, especially after the

successful

> transformation; I thought I would ride it to motorcycle heaven one > day. Looks like, if I'm going to ride on two wheels, it's going to

be

> a maxi-scooter. > With a heavy heart, I placed her on eBay. She needs someone who will > take her out more often. I will miss her. > > Still has a year to go on the Kawasaki Good Times Protection Plan - > Expires 5/15/2009............ > > http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/1025/fender4ii9.jpg > > eBay --- Item number: 260230802063 > > Thanks for the time and keep safe ! > Tom >

Tom, Have you considered the new auttomatic REKLUSE clutch for the KLR. There was recent discussion, and it is for sale by 'FRED'. The video was awesome. I don't think they even used the clutch to put it in gear. There is a u-tube video as well. google and find it. Just a thought. http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/parts_frames.html Rekluse z-Start Pro Automatic Clutch PIC 20-4404 z-Start Pro All KLR650 699.95 Premium Auto Clutch 30 day Money Back Guarantee INFO revmaaatin.

[dooden]

Alright 3 rd attempt... @#$@#%$!%@ laptop keep loosing signal last night. 4x4 electrical box that has rounded corners, get a cover that fits it, if you use a rounded corner of the cover it acts as a screwdriver for that large plastic plug on the engines left side. Basically just peaking into the locked up engine looking for signs of damage. This same device stays on the bike in a ATV handlebar pouch I picked up, and I use that cover as a kickstand plate when parking on soft stuff. Dooden A15 Green Ape --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Horton Oliphant wrote:

> > I wondered about that myself! Some kind of electro mechanical

Voodoo

> perhaps? Al A13 IA > > Richard A. Butler wrote: > > What is this?... > > > > " heck might even get a > > clue by sticking a corner of a rounded corner 4x4 electrical box

cover

> > on the side of the motor and see its a mess, only takes a few

seconds."

> > > > Ive been a wrench for decades but have somehow missed this one.

Please

> > help me to understand how it works. > > I'll go back to lurking now, thanks a bunch. > > uflated >

[Horton Oliphant]

That's exactly what I was going to suggest. Great minds think alike? I had a lot of trouble with one hip with the stock seat and built my own that's quite a bit wider than stock. It's not perfect but my hip doesn't bother me anymore. Alan A13 Iowa revmaaatin wrote:

> Tom, > Have you considered the new auttomatic REKLUSE clutch for the KLR. > There was recent discussion, and it is for sale by 'FRED'. The video > was awesome. I don't think they even used the clutch to put it in > gear. There is a u-tube video as well. google and find it. > > Just a thought. > http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/parts_frames.html > Rekluse z-Start Pro Automatic Clutch PIC 20-4404 z-Start Pro All > KLR650 699.95 Premium Auto Clutch 30 day Money Back Guarantee INFO > > revmaaatin. > >