Wilsons Sandbox

On Sun, Jun 1, 2008 at 8:13 AM, kusstj wrote:

>Previously, I had the impression that > is was the same old bike with new plastic and some minor engine > updates.

My friend has an '07 and we've switched a couple of times. I agree with you about the motor... my '08 is definately smoother and more responsive, but his has more "grunt" to it. Of course, mine is still relatively new (2000 miles), so I expect it to wake up a bit more as it ages, so that may be a wash. Two things that I'm surprised you didn't mention, because they both smacked me in the @ss right away: -Lighting - Compared to the new '08s, the previous model's light is carp. Can't see squat with that thing. I think the '08 is much better in that department. -Brakes - I don't know how you guys on the previous models can stand the front brake... it's pretty close to useless IMO. The new one is still "weak" in my book, but it's way better than the '07. A car stopped to do a left hander in front of us one day, and I was pretty close to changing my shorts when all was said and done. The front brake on the '07 did little more than squat the front springs... The fork dive on the '08s feels to be a bit worse than the '07s, but it promptly starts stopping. On the '07, the attempted sudden stop was a serious wake up call and kept me quite paranoid for the rest of the ride. I'm sure you get used to it, but I'd rather not. Just my two cents... they're both good bikes, but I'm personally glad I held out for the '08. --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."

My $0.02. I've got an '06. Sounds like they've swapped low end grunt for more high-end power on the '08. Great for the road, but not for dirt. You get pretty much the same effect with the 16 tooth front sprocket. Which I use and love. But yeah, the KLR650 is pretty gutless on the highway regardless. A good headwind will convince anyone of that - 15 or 16 tooth. What Kaw really needs to do is join the 21st century and put in an EFI and a computer module. It would vastly improve the powerband thru the entire range. You can seal those up good enough to survive off-roading. A 6-speed with lower 1st and taller top gear wouldn't hurt either. I've never had a problem with the brakes. Several panic stops squeal the wheels just fine on asphalt. I'd look for something stronger offroad. The front suspension is another story, too much nosediving to make me comfortable. Stouter suspension on the '08 is a plus. On the road is also where the new plastic belongs. Looks great and superior wind protection but I figure it will look like crap after a few offroad adventures. IMO the Rubbermaid plastic on pre-'08's is better for off-roading. I find the '06 lighting adequate but will probably go with a higher output bulb when it's time to replace it.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "smthng else" wrote: > > On Sun, Jun 1, 2008 at 8:13 AM, kusstj wrote: > >Previously, I had the impression that > > is was the same old bike with new plastic and some minor engine > > updates. > > My friend has an '07 and we've switched a couple of times. I agree > with you about the motor... my '08 is definately smoother and more > responsive, but his has more "grunt" to it. Of course, mine is still > relatively new (2000 miles), so I expect it to wake up a bit more as > it ages, so that may be a wash. > > Two things that I'm surprised you didn't mention, because they both > smacked me in the @ss right away: > > -Lighting - Compared to the new '08s, the previous model's light is > carp. Can't see squat with that thing. I think the '08 is much > better in that department. > > -Brakes - I don't know how you guys on the previous models can stand > the front brake... it's pretty close to useless IMO. The new one is > still "weak" in my book, but it's way better than the '07. A car > stopped to do a left hander in front of us one day, and I was pretty > close to changing my shorts when all was said and done. The front > brake on the '07 did little more than squat the front springs... The > fork dive on the '08s feels to be a bit worse than the '07s, but it > promptly starts stopping. On the '07, the attempted sudden stop was a > serious wake up call and kept me quite paranoid for the rest of the > ride. I'm sure you get used to it, but I'd rather not. > > Just my two cents... they're both good bikes, but I'm personally glad > I held out for the '08. > > --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." >

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "nakedwaterskier" wrote: snipp...

> > I find the '06 lighting adequate but will probably go with a higher > output bulb when it's time to replace it. TWELVE DOLLARS AT PEP BOYS, > AUTOZONE, OR NAPA >

I've ridden the '08 and a legacy model with a hotter headlight bulb. There's really no comparison between more light coming from the small, dated reflector and lens on the pre-2008 bikes and the wide, usable spread of bright light generated by the twin headlights on the 2008. __Arden

Martin, Eric, Listers, Thought I'd change the subject line to resemble the subject and also throw in a couple of quick comments. I agree with Eric that heat will shorten tire life. Heavier tubes will help create and retain heat too so that could be a factor for some riders. What I think could help is a bit of perspective on what we're talking about here. Seems were talking about using a KLR 650 with heavy duty or ultra heavy duty tubes in other than street tires on highway at high speeds. Probably for extended running before it makes any difference. That doesn't seem realistic to me for the majority of KLR use. I'm sure some folks run with D606s at 80+ mph for hours on end or everyday during commuting. But I'd question if that is the norm and how that affects most users. I have a little experience using Kenda K270s front and rear with heavy or ultra heavy duty tubes for over 21,000 smiles. Some of that is under full touring loads at about 60-65 mph for 900 smiles in triple digit temperatures. That same trip ended with me riding 812 smiles in one day with the same tires and full touring load at 60-65 mph. Again fairly warm ambient temperatures. I got well over 5,000 miles of use from those tires. In between those days of pavement I rode the GDR which is mostly off pavement and did probably 3,500 miles. The last two days was a lot of pavement riding again at high temps but only 60-65 mph. I don't think those kind of speeds and conditions affect tire life one way or another. I do think proper tire pressure for the conditions is much more important for extending tire life. On that same trip I measured rear tire tread depth every day on all the KLRs participating in the ride. I think throttle usage was the big factor is how tires held up. Hope this helps the discussion a bit. 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 ____________________________________________________________ Need cash? Click to get a loan. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/Ioyw6i3mKiv5d7fttAUnpCAqbgaREKOdhDvwv3UtvnCoYtcbvNQMTq/