Wilsons Sandbox

Posted: **Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:52 am**

I guess my electrical question about my Concours was my battery. I put a new one in and everything seems fine now. I found the receipt for the old battery in my tool box. I just wonder why it went out at about a year and a half??? It was a maintenence free AGM type. Criswell

Posted: **Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:20 pm**

I had an AGM battery (Batteries Plus) go bad in the Super Sherpa after only 8 months. Of course the warranty was only 6 months..... I had a slosh battery last only a year and a half in the KLR. My remaining batteries in miscellaneous bikes are now all AGM and all are over a year old. My most reliable battery is one I got at Wal Mart. That bike sits for 12 months then starts right up. All the rest are either Die Hard or Yuasa batteries. The ZRX's battery has been in the bike for about 5 years. All batteries have given me fair warning before expiring - slow cranking, won't hold a charge for long, etc. None ever died suddenly. Mike

On 1/3/2012 11:52 AM, Ronald Criswell wrote: > > I guess my electrical question about my Concours was my battery. I put > a new one in and everything seems fine now. I found the receipt for > the old battery in my tool box. I just wonder why it went out at about > a year and a half??? It was a maintenence free AGM type. > > Criswell > >

Posted: **Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:10 pm**

Until the introduction of the 2008 models, there used to be threads on the various forums on what improvements we wished the factory would make to the KLR. Tops on just about everybody's list was a wider spread of gear ratios, either by adding a cog, or simply by widening the 5-speed's ratios. It seems pretty clear by now that a new gearbox from the factory is never going to happen, so we are going to still need to rely on sprocket swapping to customize the KLR's gearing to our purposes. Having tried both smaller and larger countershaft sprockets, I can see the value of a lower low gear. I don't see much point in taller road gearing, as my bike will not quite pull its red line in top on the stock 15/43 gearing. With the upright riding position, I don't want to spend much time over 70 mph anyway, so the stock gearing works fine for me on the road. I am about due for a new chain and sprockets. I like jeff Saline's idea of running a 45t (46 if you can find it) sprocket with a 16t chainwheel, for close to stock gearing on the road, and the option to swap to 14 for much better off-road (or mountain road) gearing.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, RobertWichert wrote: > > One thing I will give the KLR 650 is that it keeps up just fine on the > freeway. Even with my 13 tooth front sprocket, it will run with > anybody. I'm not so sure about smaller bikes. > > I would give money for less weight on a KLR, but how to achieve that? > Titanium frame? Aluminum swingarm? > > I would also give money for another gear, or two! This thing needs a > really tall sixth gear for the freeway. With my sprocket, I'm over 6000 > RPM lots of the time. Not a real problem, but it does use more oil and > it can get hot in the summer. I would even be OK with a really tall > fifth gear, if that was available. > > More power? Don't need it. It's got plenty of power. Remember, it's a > DIRT BIKE (OK, a really heavy dirt bike). > > > Robert Wichert P.Eng. LEED AP > +1 916 966 9060 > FAX +1 916 966 9068 > > > > > > > > =============================================== > > > On 1/3/2012 8:11 AM, Craig Kahler wrote: > > > > For 3 years I tried to get my 2007 KLR650 to fill my dirt bike needs, > > but gave up. It was just too big and heavy. While my buddies were > > having fun on their 250s, I was white knuckled, and working much to > > hard to enjoy myself. > > So, I bought a 1990 TW200. It was a blast in the dirt and mud. It was > > the easist bike to ride off road I ever owned. light weight, low seat > > hight, fat knobby tires, It was like a big mini bike. If you don't > > mind its lack of power and just want a fun dual sport, any > > newbee/novice rider can handle, this is the bike I would get. > > However, I found myself wanting something more powerful, more rugged, > > (and more manly). > > So, last spring I sold it and bought a new leftover. 2009 KLX250s. Its > > power, ruggedness, and suspension make it a much more serious dirt > > bike than the TW200. Although, because of the taller seat, not quite > > as easy to ride for the novice. > > > > Craig > > > > From: Mike Frey > > > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > > Sent: Monday, January 2, 2012 2:55 AM > > Subject: RE: [DSN_KLR650] NKLR: Best smaller DS bike? > > > > > > Not in any particular order . > > > > Kawasaki KLX-250 > > Yamaha WR-250 > > Yamaha XT-225 > > Suzuki DRZ400 > > Yamaha XT-250 > > Honda XR250L > > Honda CRF230L > > Kawasaki 250 Super Sherpa > > > > Husqvarna TE-250 > > Husqvarna TE-310 > > Husqvarna TE-449 > > KTM 450 EXC > > > > I left a couple out. I also grouped them by Japan vs everyone else. The > > Huskys and KTMs are little more than street legal enduro bikes " but > > if all > > you are doing is using roads to get to your favorite off-road riding area, > > they may be the better choices. > > > > If you are looking for used, the first 4 on the list are most easily > > found. > > > > From: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > > [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > > ] On > > Behalf Of jwflower53 > > Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2012 8:28 PM > > To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com > > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] NKLR: Best smaller DS bike? > > > > > > So, I'm having trouble learning dirt on my KLR. I'd like to find about > > a 250 > > dual sport to learn on. I had a KLR250 and liked it, though it didn't seem > > to have much low end power, even for a 250. I sold it when I bought > > the 650. > > Any recommendations for a lighter sport bike I can learn the dirt on? > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

Wilsons Sandbox

nklr: best smaller ds bike?

electrical problems.

electrical problems.

nklr: best smaller ds bike?