--- In
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Richard Decker wrote:
>
> I too wouldnt mind some nice PD bars... I tend to end up falling.....
> alot.... offroad. I've gone through three sets of radiator shrouds now and
> my radiator is just about busted through. It's got a nice backwards "c"
> shape to the outside edge...
>
> -Rich in Newberg, OR (getting 'er ready!)
Ah, PD Nerf bars. smile.
There are the Happy Trails, PD Nerf bars, and some other knock-offs available.
The alternative is the 'interior' C-shaped radiator protection. interior = interior to the shroud
or
for the same price as a Nerf bar, the big, military style/copy gas tank.
I have two KLR650's, one (2001)with PD Nerf bars, the other (1998)with C-shaped radiator protection. Both have merits and failings.
NOTE: The protection offered (above) is at best, slow speed, dirt nap get-offs. No armor will fully protect all situations.
IMO switch--ON
In 2003, I bought the ebay PD Nerf bars--even before I had possession of my 2001 KLR. I thought about all the things that would break if I fell down, or dropped the bike and armored everything that could break--with the thought--I was going to drop the bike. Why break parts, then have to replace the parts, IE levers, radiator,and more--and then come back and armor it later. Everything that I have armored, I have not replaced on the PD Nerf bar bike.
The PD nerfbars offer full protection to the shroud and radiator. I did $30K damage/13 hospital days to me plus 14 weeks out of work with minimal damage to the bike in a 15mph, rider-over-the-handle-bars-in-the-prairie-rut of May 2006. The Nerf bars did everything I asked them to do. They were tweaked a little, not even visible to most folks. The deputy sheriff that wrote up my incident could not believe that I had sustained so much personal damage, and the bike was unharmed.
The down side of the Nerf bars is that they have to be removed to access the radiator cap and tank removal. Not a big deal--just painful.
If you want standard tank panniers, they might interfere with your knees--mine do. Happy trails makes a PD tank pannier specific for the Nerf bars--which were not available when I bought my Wolf-man tank panniers.
A second down side, I have had vibration cracks at welds twice. My KLR friend with a welder did a tech-day repair, which would have been at least $25 each time if I had to pay. Disappointing again--but dirt naps that I have taken may have had some input into that failure...its hard to say/quantify. I do not know if others have experienced this as well.
The 98KLR650 had Dual-Star copy's of the C-shaped radiator protection installed when I bought the bike in May 2008--which has not been as useful--although through 3 previous owners seemed to work OK. No telling if the bike was dropped previously--shrug. It was heavily farkled, to include new Rethenal bars and left lever/quadrant and battery acid on the frame--which leads me to believe it had napped on the left side. During the 2008 GDR, I had a low speed 180, the bike took a dirt nap, and a plowing straight line get off in the mud; and the items in my tank pannier pressed against the radiator rear edge, bending the fan shroud and broke the fan blade loose from its mounting point. From that incident, I am NOT a fan of the interior, c-shaped interior radiator protection.--acknowledging that you cannot protect everything, from every situation. I thought it should have done better than that!
I have looked at the tubing on the knock-off PD nerbars, and it does not leave me with the warm-fuzzy feeling that they are robust enough to take much beating--similar to the dual-star copy of the interior radiator protection; the tubing is some 40-50% less robust.
Others have gone to the large composite fuel tank (Acerbis?) with good results. as I have no experience with that tank--I will not comment other than I think it is a good/better choice than the PD nerf bars--if you like the 'look' which is so ugly, it is desireable. maybe.
One thing is for sure. If you ride where the terrain is difficult, IE, outside your garage door, you will need some form of protection. If a KLR rider tells you his bike has not been dropped, he is not riding it much, or any where difficult--which is OK. Dropping the bike is over-rated, unless you have a 14 Y/0 mule you can take with you. smile. which I do....
In reply to WHERE TO RIDE: My son Sam takes the Basic rider course, starting tonight and should have his restricted license on Sunday. Yep, South Dakota is high on the list as well, cough, just not in Dec-Feb....
IMO Switch--OFF
revmaaatin.
