Wilsons Sandbox

http://photos.robdiesel.com/viewer.php?albid=121&stage=3 It sticks out too far, so I'm thinking I'll lop off the leading edge of it where it mates with the rest of the bike. Not sure what to do about the color. Also, removing the stock rear fender means that the tool tray doesn't go in the big hole in the rack, nor do all bolts fit 'nicely', so I'll need a few washers methinks. Ideas/comments/invectives? //Reverend - in Denver

At 3:49 PM -0600 8/24/08, Reverend wrote:

>http://photos.robdiesel.com/viewer.php?albid=121&stage=3 > >It sticks out too far, so I'm thinking I'll lop off the leading edge of it >where it mates with the rest of the bike. > >Not sure what to do about the color. Also, removing the stock rear fender >means that the tool tray doesn't go in the big hole in the rack, nor do all >bolts fit 'nicely', so I'll need a few washers methinks.

So.... why did you remove the stock fender then? Mark

Good question! I think I'm a geek who like to play around a bit, there's no functional reason. The stock fender looks like the John Deere of fenders, very utilitarian. Ugly. I don't think my swap was a huge improvement if I don't manage to... do something more to it.

> -----Original Message----- > From: Tengai Mark Van Horn [mailto:tengai650@...] > > So.... why did you remove the stock fender then?

On Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 05:08:02PM -0600, Reverend wrote:

> I don't think my swap was a huge improvement if I don't manage to... do > something more to it.

I'm always amazed when people find ways to make the KLR even uglier. I wouldn't have thought it was possible, but then look what KHI did in '08... beat the poor thing senseless with the ugly stick. -- "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open manhole and die." -- Mel Brooks San Francisco, CA

On the upside, the KLR can be changed, unlike people's kids. I think the charm is that the KLR can't get much uglier, so even tossing it down a hill will be an improvement. Street-cred, right? It's a disposable bike that serves a purpose and being so damn cheap, it encourages people to experiment. The Hayabusa was far more comfortable, got similar mileage, had better power and was a good bit more fun on the road. I would never cut into it though. (bonus points to the person who recognizes the white fender)

> -----Original Message----- > Behalf Of Michael Nelson > On Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 05:08:02PM -0600, Reverend wrote: > > > I don't think my swap was a huge improvement if I don't manage to... > do > > something more to it. > > I'm always amazed when people find ways to make the KLR even uglier. I > wouldn't have thought it was possible, but then look what KHI did in > '08... > beat the poor thing senseless with the ugly stick.

And How do you throw a KLR off a hill ? Simple as per a buddy of mine, he was crusing along with Soon to be wife following him on her HD on the Tail of the Dragon, then out of nowhere comes a crazy turkey off the side of the road, he clipped the bird, front end washed out of course and his KLR when down the side of a mountain, with him bailing off it. Bike ended up in a tree top aside the mountain, took a while but the tow truck managed to drag it up the side of the mountain and get it back to its kickstand, he bungied the broken plastics down and rode it down the mountain for a photo op at the tree of shame holding the parts. Bike did'nt look that UGLY !!! Dooden A15 Green Ape Btw I kinda like the look of the fender, except not in white. In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Reverend" wrote:

> > On the upside, the KLR can be changed, unlike people's kids. I

think the

> charm is that the KLR can't get much uglier, so even tossing it

down a hill

> will be an improvement. Street-cred, right? > > It's a disposable bike that serves a purpose and being so damn

cheap, it

> encourages people to experiment. The Hayabusa was far more

comfortable, got

> similar mileage, had better power and was a good bit more fun on

the road. I

> would never cut into it though. > > (bonus points to the person who recognizes the white fender) > > > -----Original Message----- > > Behalf Of Michael Nelson > > On Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 05:08:02PM -0600, Reverend wrote: > > > > > I don't think my swap was a huge improvement if I don't manage

to...

> > do > > > something more to it. > > > > I'm always amazed when people find ways to make the KLR even

uglier. I

> > wouldn't have thought it was possible, but then look what KHI did

in

> > '08... > > beat the poor thing senseless with the ugly stick. >

Reverend wrote:

> > http://photos.robdiesel.com/viewer.php?albid=121&stage=3 > http://photos.robdiesel.com/viewer.php?albid=121&stage=3> > > It sticks out too far, so I'm thinking I'll lop off the leading edge of it > where it mates with the rest of the bike. > > Not sure what to do about the color. Also, removing the stock rear fender > means that the tool tray doesn't go in the big hole in the rack, nor > do all > bolts fit 'nicely', so I'll need a few washers methinks. > > Ideas/comments/invectives? > > //Reverend - in Denver > >

It would look better if it was not so BLUNT at the end, maybe sit and play with some cardboard and attempt to make it more sleek and not square at the end. Send it to the chopper guys in NY with $5000 and they would fix it up for ya, custom paint too!

Hehe, I haven't tossed the KLR around (yet?!) but I've thrown a GTS around on the freeway. I've seen an FZ1 get a little flight over a hillside in Malibu. It didn't do the FZ any favors, nor did the fwy do the GTS any favors. The KLR would probably not show much from a hill slide. The fender might look better if it's cut to size a bit better. It was a test fit for my amusement, so I might modify it a little and make it fit better - and yes, the color is definitely wrong, but that wouldn't change unless I got the fender to a point where I'd mount it for a longer period of time.

> -----Original Message----- > Behalf Of Dooden > > And How do you throw a KLR off a hill ? > > Bike did'nt look that UGLY !!! > > Dooden > A15 Green Ape > > Btw I kinda like the look of the fender, except not in white.

That's an idea. Except that $5K would a couple of good KLRs. I haven't decided entirely, something different would be nice, which is why I have that fender in th first place, and trimming it a bit is something I'm not too scared of doing.

> -----Original Message----- > From: Jim Douglas [mailto:james.douglas@...] > It would look better if it was not so BLUNT at the end, maybe sit and > play > with some cardboard and attempt to make it more sleek and not square at > the end. Send it to the chopper guys in NY with $5000 and they would > fix > it up for ya, custom paint too!

Reverend wrote:

> > That's an idea. Except that $5K would a couple of good KLRs. > > I haven't decided entirely, something different would be nice, which > is why > I have that fender in th first place, and trimming it a bit is > something I'm > not too scared of doing. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Jim Douglas [mailto:james.douglas@... > ] > > > It would look better if it was not so BLUNT at the end, maybe sit and > > play > > with some cardboard and attempt to make it more sleek and not square at > > the end. Send it to the chopper guys in NY with $5000 and they would > > fix > > it up for ya, custom paint too! > >

I wish I could remember the site, years ago a dude make a fairing, front and rear fenders that were totally bad ass! Very sleek and futuristic looking, at the time he was trying to get the process completed to make the available but it had made the somewhat boring KLR into a bike quite a bit better than anything dual sport I had ever seen, will surf around as here it is 2:15AM and got up with back pain, having surgery Wednesday, can't frigging wait much longer!