nklr new profit potential for klr's

[Jim]

I'm in search of a rear tire...again. Original tires lasted around 2k miles or so. Next set were Avon AM44/45. Those lasted about 6k miles until the rear was gone and the front was getting choppy. Since almost all of my riding is on the street, and what little dirt I do is on graded roads (only place bikes are allowed up here), so for set #3 I chose Bridgestone Battlaxes because they are kind of known for taking abuse on the street. Unfortunately my choice of a pure street tire didn't get me longer wear. In fact, this set barely lasted 3k miles. Front is like new, rear is smooth. The only thing I can think of is that there is too much weight on the rear of the bike for a tire this narrow, combined with high speed highway cruising and lots of cornering are doing these tires in. Can the bike handle a larger rear tire? Initial thoughts are NO since the stock size seems to barely fit in the swingarm. Next question- what would a good, durable option be for a set of tires, something that will last well, be decent in the rain, and handle some cornering? I really need to change something here, and if I can't average more than 4k miles out of a set of tires, I need to find a bike that will take larger/more durable tires. Jim

[smthng else]

On Sun, May 25, 2008 at 10:54 PM, Jim wrote:

> The only thing I can think of is that there is too much weight on the > rear of the bike for a tire this narrow, combined with high speed > highway cruising and lots of cornering are doing these tires in.

I can think of two things that are killing your mileage... I'll knock the easy one first... Your right hand. Are going nuts on the throttle on every take off? Don't get me wrong, I'm not assuming you are and I don't want to start a flame fest. But, if you're really hard on the gas, that'll chew up rears pretty quick. If that's not the issue, then I'd seriously take a look at... Tire pressure. If you're running the "Kawasaki recommended" 28 lbs, that's the culprit. Boost that up some. Most ppl think that the 28 lbs is a compromised between good pressure for street vs good pressure for dirt. I've never run any bike with pressure that low on the street and I'm not about to with the K. I'm just passing along info here, as I haven't actually chewed through a set of tires yet, but I've seen a LOT of bikes running a LOT more rear weight, a LOT more power and they can all handle it and get decent miles with more pressure in the rear. I'm currently running 32 with no issues, but I'll probably go with higher when I get real streetable tires on there after the stocker goes south. --Jonathan "smthng" Kalmes Springfield, VA 2005 Yamaha FJR1300ABS - "Blue Bayou" 2006 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon - "Teflon" 2008 Kawasaki KLR 650 - It's here, but it hasn't earned a name yet. http://smthng.info "Look, the truth is, I've been trying to save the world, one person at a time, but, I'm meant for smthng bigger. Smthng important. I know it now."

[Ed Dobson]

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

> > I'm in search of a rear tire...again. Original tires lasted around 2k > miles or so. Next set were Avon AM44/45. Those lasted about 6k miles > until the rear was gone and the front was getting choppy. Since almost > all of my riding is on the street, and what little dirt I do is on > graded roads (only place bikes are allowed up here), so for set #3 I > chose Bridgestone Battlaxes because they are kind of known for taking > abuse on the street. Unfortunately my choice of a pure street tire > didn't get me longer wear. In fact, this set barely lasted 3k miles. > Front is like new, rear is smooth. > > The only thing I can think of is that there is too much weight on the > rear of the bike for a tire this narrow, combined with high speed > highway cruising and lots of cornering are doing these tires in. > > Can the bike handle a larger rear tire? Initial thoughts are NO since > the stock size seems to barely fit in the swingarm. Next question- > what would a good, durable option be for a set of tires, something > that will last well, be decent in the rain, and handle some cornering? > I really need to change something here, and if I can't average more > than 4k miles out of a set of tires, I need to find a bike that will > take larger/more durable tires. > > Jim >

There are probably several reasons for rapid tire wear ~ I would look into them. ED

[Jim]

You don't need to worry about insulting me by being honest...I asked for opinions, and I want honest ones. -Throttle. I'm not easy on this bike, and ride it fairly hard, so I'm sure thats part of it. But considering the low power output of this bike, I don't see how this could be the *main* culprit. Especially considering I've owned a CBR1000 Hurricane that I rode the wee out of and the Dunlops on it wore like iron. I also abused my ST1100 fairly hard with no tire issues. I will say that this bike sees pretty high speeds for a KLR...quite often running at 70-80 on the highway. Starting and stopping are actually minimal for the mileage I put on...for example, most of my mileage on this set was 300+ mile days on the highway and secondary roads without a lot of stops. Pressure: I run about 35 in the rear. This may be a little low considering I have run much of this spring with my ammo can panniers on the bike (usually fairly empty though). I'm looking at some Kendas right now, since I can get a pair for less than I paid for each of my last two rear tires alone. My thoughts are that if more expensive tires don't last, I might as well try the cheap ones. If they last 3k each, cost will be less than half of what I'm burning through now. I have nothing to lose, right? Jim

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "smthng else" wrote: > > On Sun, May 25, 2008 at 10:54 PM, Jim wrote: > > The only thing I can think of is that there is too much weight on the > > rear of the bike for a tire this narrow, combined with high speed > > highway cruising and lots of cornering are doing these tires in. > > I can think of two things that are killing your mileage... I'll knock > the easy one first... > > Your right hand. Are going nuts on the throttle on every take off? > Don't get me wrong, I'm not assuming you are and I don't want to start > a flame fest. But, if you're really hard on the gas, that'll chew up > rears pretty quick. If that's not the issue, then I'd seriously take > a look at... > > Tire pressure. If you're running the "Kawasaki recommended" 28 lbs, > that's the culprit. Boost that up some. Most ppl think that the 28 > lbs is a compromised between good pressure for street vs good pressure > for dirt. I've never run any bike with pressure that low on the > street and I'm not about to with the K. I'm just passing along info > here, as I haven't actually chewed through a set of tires yet, but > I've seen a LOT of bikes running a LOT more rear weight, a LOT more > power and they can all handle it and get decent miles with more > pressure in the rear. I'm currently running 32 with no issues, but > I'll probably go with higher when I get real streetable tires on there > after the stocker goes south. > > --Jonathan "smthng" Kalmes > Springfield, VA > 2005 Yamaha FJR1300ABS - "Blue Bayou" > 2006 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon - "Teflon" > 2008 Kawasaki KLR 650 - It's here, but it hasn't earned a name yet. > http://smthng.info > > "Look, the truth is, I've been trying to save the world, one person at > a time, but, I'm meant for smthng bigger. Smthng important. I know it > now." >

[Kerry Stottlemyer]

My stock tire lasted to 5K and now have a Mefo on the rear it's lasted 2500 miles with out so much as even looking a little worn. Just slightly rounded edges but thats it. Gotta order on for the front now.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Jim" wrote: > > I'm in search of a rear tire...again. Original tires lasted around 2k > miles or so. Next set were Avon AM44/45. Those lasted about 6k miles > until the rear was gone and the front was getting choppy. Since almost > all of my riding is on the street, and what little dirt I do is on > graded roads (only place bikes are allowed up here), so for set #3 I > chose Bridgestone Battlaxes because they are kind of known for taking > abuse on the street. Unfortunately my choice of a pure street tire > didn't get me longer wear. In fact, this set barely lasted 3k miles. > Front is like new, rear is smooth. > > The only thing I can think of is that there is too much weight on the > rear of the bike for a tire this narrow, combined with high speed > highway cruising and lots of cornering are doing these tires in. > > Can the bike handle a larger rear tire? Initial thoughts are NO since > the stock size seems to barely fit in the swingarm. Next question- > what would a good, durable option be for a set of tires, something > that will last well, be decent in the rain, and handle some cornering? > I really need to change something here, and if I can't average more > than 4k miles out of a set of tires, I need to find a bike that will > take larger/more durable tires. > > Jim >

[jokerloco9@aol.com]

I don't know what you do with your tires but my 2006 KLR rear tire lasted exactly 6000 miles, and I weigh 260 lbs. Sounds ok to me. This was 99% street. To try to figure out what others are using and make any judgement is tough at best. Off road riding thrashes any tire fast. Some people thrash faster than others. Check the KLR faq's for comparisons between tires to find the long wearing ones. The stock tires are noted for less than long lives. Jeff A20 In a message dated 5/25/2008 10:33:11 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, kcstott00@... writes: My stock tire lasted to 5K and now have a Mefo on the rear it's lasted 2500 miles with out so much as even looking a little worn. Just slightly rounded edges but thats it. Gotta order on for the front now. --- In _DSN_KLR650@yahoogroDSN_KLR_ (mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com) , "Jim" wrote:

> > I'm in search of a rear tire...again. Original tires lasted around 2k > miles or so. Next set were Avon AM44/45. Those lasted about 6k miles > until the rear was gone and the front was getting choppy. Since almost > all of my riding is on the street, and what little dirt I do is on > graded roads (only place bikes are allowed up here), so for set #3 I > chose Bridgestone Battlaxes because they are kind of known for taking > abuse on the street. Unfortunately my choice of a pure street tire > didn't get me longer wear. In fact, this set barely lasted 3k miles. > Front is like new, rear is smooth. > > The only thing I can think of is that there is too much weight on the > rear of the bike for a tire this narrow, combined with high speed > highway cruising and lots of cornering are doing these tires in. > > Can the bike handle a larger rear tire? Initial thoughts are NO since > the stock size seems to barely fit in the swingarm. Next question- > what would a good, durable option be for a set of tires, something > that will last well, be decent in the rain, and handle some cornering? > I really need to change something here, and if I can't average more > than 4k miles out of a set of tires, I need to find a bike that will > take larger/more durable tires. > > Jim >

**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&?NCID=aolfod00030000000002) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Mike Grace]

>>I don't know what you do with your tires but my 2006 KLR rear tire lasted

exactly 6000 miles, and I weigh 260 lbs. Sounds ok to me. This was 99% street. Another plug for the MEFOs although I've never used them: I've read enough consistent comments about their longevity there must be something to it. I've also heard good things about Kings tires (about half the price of MEFOs) which are what I'm going to replace the stockers with - I'll report later how they hold up. And I believe heat is a big factor: if you ride in cooler climes my guess is tires last longer. Finally and this is a tangent but given how tire wear is so constant and little things can affect it I wonder if all other things being equal a thumper wouldn't wear tires faster than a smooth v-twin or inline four just because the power pulses are less evenly distributed (yes, I have too much time on my hands). [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Eric Rickel]

Hiya Jim. I've got a lot of the same problems as you. On the front, I have a Dunlop 607 that has 26k on it, ( before the cat calls come, it really looks nasty and shoulda been changed a lot sooner) but I've gone through rears like.. well I don't wanna talk about it. I weigh in at about 285 and ride about the same style a you. I've always ran the recommended 28 psi until the last few tires but can't tell you when I raised it to 35psi for the highway. Here's a partial list. Stock- 4,660-4k-4k Trail wing-2k damage-3,600 wearout Dunlop 607-5k( about didn't make it back from Colorado) Dunlop 404-5k Duro median- 3,500 damage- 7k flat- 5k and still running. The problems with Duro's (that I've had) are that they develop cracks in between the center lugs that don't seem to hurt anything, it just don't look too good and wet city street braking is a bit scary. They are not too good in the mud. The up side is that at 7k they were not worn "slick" and maybe had a few more miles in them and the price. They can be bought for less than $50. They also run well on gravel roads for me. Hope this helps, 05 with 45,000 miles. -------Original Message------- From: Jim Date: 5/25/2008 9:54:46 PM To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Are there any tires that LAST on these bikes??? I'm in search of a rear tire...again. Original tires lasted around 2k miles or so. Next set were Avon AM44/45. Those lasted about 6k miles until the rear was gone and the front was getting choppy. Since almost all of my riding is on the street, and what little dirt I do is on graded roads (only place bikes are allowed up here), so for set #3 I chose Bridgestone Battlaxes because they are kind of known for taking abuse on the street. Unfortunately my choice of a pure street tire didn't get me longer wear. In fact, this set barely lasted 3k miles. Front is like new, rear is smooth. The only thing I can think of is that there is too much weight on the rear of the bike for a tire this narrow, combined with high speed highway cruising and lots of cornering are doing these tires in. Can the bike handle a larger rear tire? Initial thoughts are NO since the stock size seems to barely fit in the swingarm. Next question- what would a good, durable option be for a set of tires, something that will last well, be decent in the rain, and handle some cornering? I really need to change something here, and if I can't average more than 4k miles out of a set of tires, I need to find a bike that will take larger/more durable tires. Jim ------------------------------------ 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/dsnklr650Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Shane]

Jim There is a mechanical reason for these machines to kill rear tires so quickly, that being a single cyl. engine. Take your bike out to a dirt road to learn what I'm talking about. Lug that engine hard and look in the mirror and you will see it. You will get a dotted line which matches the power pulse of the engine. The killer is when we accelerate hard on pavement, the power pulse tends to try to slip the rear tire at each hit of the piston. Back off on the launch and you will see much better tire wear. A customer in my shop recently asked my opinion between the KLR and the SV650. I told him all the advantages of both (tire wear of the single compared to the twin included) and he bought the KLR. Another customer bought the '08 KLR and can't believe the tire wear. He is used to multi cyl. machines. Just ease up and you will save tires & fuel. I am currently getting 58 MPG in town riding, although it isn't nearly the FUN of 40 MPG! Shane --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Eric Rickel" wrote:

> > Hiya Jim. > > I've got a lot of the same problems as you. On the front, I have a

Dunlop

> 607 that has 26k on it, ( before the cat calls come, it really

looks nasty

> and shoulda been changed a lot sooner) but I've gone through rears

like..

> well I don't wanna talk about it. > > I weigh in at about 285 and ride about the same style a you. I've

always ran

> the recommended 28 psi until the last few tires but can't tell you

when I

> raised it to 35psi for the highway. Here's a partial list. > > Stock- 4,660-4k-4k > > Trail wing-2k damage-3,600 wearout > > Dunlop 607-5k( about didn't make it back from Colorado) > > Dunlop 404-5k > > Duro median- 3,500 damage- 7k flat- 5k and still running. > > The problems with Duro's (that I've had) are that they develop

cracks in

> between the center lugs that don't seem to hurt anything, it just

don't look

> too good and wet city street braking is a bit scary. They are not

too good

> in the mud. > > The up side is that at 7k they were not worn "slick" and maybe had

a few

> more miles in them and the price. They can be bought for less than

$50. They

> also run well on gravel roads for me. > > Hope this helps, > > 05 with 45,000 miles. > > > > > > -------Original Message------- > > From: Jim > Date: 5/25/2008 9:54:46 PM > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Are there any tires that LAST on these

bikes???

> > I'm in search of a rear tire...again. Original tires lasted around

2k

> miles or so. Next set were Avon AM44/45. Those lasted about 6k miles > until the rear was gone and the front was getting choppy. Since

almost

> all of my riding is on the street, and what little dirt I do is on > graded roads (only place bikes are allowed up here), so for set #3 I > chose Bridgestone Battlaxes because they are kind of known for

taking

> abuse on the street. Unfortunately my choice of a pure street tire > didn't get me longer wear. In fact, this set barely lasted 3k miles. > Front is like new, rear is smooth. > > The only thing I can think of is that there is too much weight on

the

> rear of the bike for a tire this narrow, combined with high speed > highway cruising and lots of cornering are doing these tires in. > > Can the bike handle a larger rear tire? Initial thoughts are NO

since

> the stock size seems to barely fit in the swingarm. Next question- > what would a good, durable option be for a set of tires, something > that will last well, be decent in the rain, and handle some

cornering?

> I really need to change something here, and if I can't average more > than 4k miles out of a set of tires, I need to find a bike that will > take larger/more durable tires. > > Jim > > > ------------------------------------ > > 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/dsnklr650Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[Kerry Stottlemyer]

Well I just looked over the net and the Mefo seems to still be the best deal out there for a 50/50 or 70/30 tire on road to off road. You could get a Metzler for $130+ or a Michelin For the same price but since they don't make it in a 17" size you'd have to shell out for a new rim.