help!! 2001 klr650 for sale-nklr

[richardm@gowinnt.com]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., PRBKLR@c... wrote:

> I am all for working on your own bike and learning the ins and

outs, but with something this new, man you should have taken it back to Kawi dealer and had it fixed under warranty! Now you are stuck with a practically brand new bike with missing pieces... and I am betting close to void warranty! Good luck! Good point. My line of thinking is that the same dealer techs that screw up the valve jobs for which we PAY them full shop labor rate are just as, if not more likely to screw this job up, for which they are paid LESS than the normal shop labor rate. I'm fairly comfortable inside engines. This isn't bothering me (yet). If I do see broken or missing goodies that are difficult to reach and/or are expensive, I'll certainly button it up and cart it down to the dealer. "Missing part? I don't know nuthin' 'bout no pieces parts. I's just rides the damn thing..." RM

[richardm@gowinnt.com]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., k650dsn@a... wrote:

> Sorry about your misfortunes and not to be disrespectful, but from > what I've read, you have spent more time wrenching on you new KLR

that

> I have spent total on my 95 KLR650 with 30K miles. KLR650

reliability

> is not an issue.

Well, had I known that a Listquest search would be a vital part of every KLR wrench-twist, I might not be in this mess. Seriously, the design of this system is pure BULLSHIT, plain and simple. Don't go any more than one turn out? Make sure the bike is level or leaning to the right? The KLR is thought to be so reliable because its owners tend to tolerate this nonsense. I am not amused. RM

[Rich Kickbush]

Couple of points here - one, this is an excellent lesson to check the archives about almost anything you want do on the bike. There are gotchas with every bike, and you might just find a better way to do it - I usually end up learning more than I intended to find out in the first place. This is a pretty high volume list and there ain't much that hasn't been talked about - 'specially the 'portant things. I applaud you for getting in there and fixing it yourself - if you're comfortable with engines, why give it to a dealer? If they screw it up worse you'll be kicking yourself. Its a pain but a good opportunity to learn. Also - you're unlucky. I did the 3 turns thing for 30K miles before I was aware of the error of my ways, I bet others have too, with no problems. Yeah its a weak point in the design, no arguments there. Good luck getting it fixed and don't lose faith yet, its a fine steed... Rich

----- Original Message ----- From: To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 7:56 AM Subject: [DSN_klr650] Re: V-V-V-V-V-Vibration > --- In DSN_klr650@y..., k650dsn@a... wrote: > > > Sorry about your misfortunes and not to be disrespectful, but from > > what I've read, you have spent more time wrenching on you new KLR > that > > I have spent total on my 95 KLR650 with 30K miles. KLR650 > reliability > > is not an issue. > > Well, had I known that a Listquest search would be a vital part of > every KLR wrench-twist, I might not be in this mess. > > Seriously, the design of this system is pure BULLSHIT, plain and > simple. Don't go any more than one turn out? Make sure the bike is > level or leaning to the right? The KLR is thought to be so reliable > because its owners tend to tolerate this nonsense. I am not amused. > > RM > > > Visit the KLR650 archives at > http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 > Support Dual Sport News... dsneditor@... > Let's keep this list SPAM free! > > Visit our site at http://www.egroups.com/group/DSN_klr650 > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@egroups.com > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > >

[Krgrife@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/6/01 12:56:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, richardm@... writes: << Someone wrote to me and said that if the chain jumped a cog, the bike wouldn't run right. I'm thinking that maybe just one of the counterbalancers is out of sync while everything else stayed in proper timing. Then again, maybe I'm just full of shite. >> From my experience with the balancer system I think it is very unlikely that the chain could jump a cog. Is it possible that when doing your valve adjustment that you allowed the cam chain to move on the cam sprocket thus putting one or both cams out of time? Kurt Grife

[Steve Anderson]

......

> Seriously, the design of this system is pure BULLSHIT, plain and > simple. Don't go any more than one turn out? Make sure the bike is > level or leaning to the right? The KLR is thought to be so reliable > because its owners tend to tolerate this nonsense. I am not amused. > > RM

Every Japanese bike I've owned (20? or so) had all kinds of design and mfr BS that needed to be addressed in the first 10Kmiles or so. Some more than others. On the KLR there is the lack of grease and rust protection on all the suspension and wheel bearings and shafts. There is the weak front end (brakes and suspension), and the undersized rear spring. But I do agree with you somewhat on the whole freaking balancer mechanism. My old XT didn't vibrate much differently, and all it had was a single shaft, single weight, gear (not chain) driven with cush springs (not rubber). Much more bullet proof, doesn't require adjustment. Then again that XT had a finicky carb setup, no good stock rear rack, not so great suspension. Point being here, that just about every Japanese (and other I'd guess; I have only owned Japanese) bike has both strong points and weak points. The balancer system in the KLR is one of the weak points, certainly one of the most IMO, but it is something I can live with. I will only even consider touching any aspect of this mechanism if the left hand side cover is removed. To me this is a small price (five or ten minutes) to make certain something you really don't have to do very often is taken care of correctly; I'll bet you're considering the same approach ;-]. Yours definitely sounds screwed up now. My best advice is to get that magneto off, and make 100% certain that everything is right with this bastard mechanism, and then go on and ride with no worries! Good luck, Steve A.

[RM]

On Tue, 6 Mar 2001, Rich Kickbush wrote:

>Couple of points here - one, this is an excellent lesson to check the >archives about almost anything you want do on the bike. There are >gotchas with every bike, and you might just find a better way to do it - >I usually end up learning more than I intended to find out in the first >place.

Yes, and I'm actually enjoying getting my hands dirty. It would be much more enjoyable if I were somehow upgrading the bike or doing a 20k mile inspection. Instead, I'm hunting vibration problems that shouldn't exist.

>This is a pretty high volume list and there ain't much that hasn't been >talked about - 'specially the 'portant things.

Someday, when I hit the lotto, I'm going to write The Mother Of All FAQS for the KLR. It would be nice to have all of this information in one document.

>Yeah its a weak point in the design, no arguments there. Good luck >getting it fixed and don't lose faith yet, its a fine steed...

I love the bike. There's no doubt that I'll have it for a long time and will enjoy [most] every minute with it. I feel bad for the non-Internet-enabled guys who buy this bike. Their ownership experience can't be as good as yours, unless they're lucky or they have a good mechanic. RM

[RM]

On Tue, 6 Mar 2001 Krgrife@... wrote:

>From my experience with the balancer system I think it is very unlikely >that the chain could jump a cog. Is it possible that when doing your >valve adjustment that you allowed the cam chain to move on the cam >sprocket thus putting one or both cams out of time? Kurt Grife

Based on what I know about engines, my bike would be running like crap if this had happened. At very least, the idle would be affected. It runs fine. Idles at 1600rpm just like I set it the day I took it home. No loss of power, either. RM

[Susan Moorhead]

RM, Good mechanic, I haven't found one of those yet. Still looking in OK. Marshall '95 KLXC3

----- Original Message ----- From: RM Cc: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 11:52 AM Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] Re: V-V-V-V-V-Vibration > > On Tue, 6 Mar 2001, Rich Kickbush wrote: > I love the bike. There's no doubt that I'll have it for a long time and > will enjoy [most] every minute with it. I feel bad for the > non-Internet-enabled guys who buy this bike. Their ownership experience > can't be as good as yours, unless they're lucky or they have a good > mechanic. > > RM > > > Visit the KLR650 archives at > http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 > Support Dual Sport News... dsneditor@... > Let's keep this list SPAM free! > > Visit our site at http://www.egroups.com/group/DSN_klr650 > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@egroups.com > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ >

[Bogdan Swider]

> Is it possible that when doing your > >valve adjustment that you allowed the cam chain to move on the cam > >sprocket thus putting one or both cams out of time? Kurt Grife > > Based on what I know about engines, my bike would be running like crap if > this had happened. At very least, the idle would be affected. It runs > fine. Idles at 1600rpm just like I set it the day I took it home. No > loss of power, either. > > RM > >

RM, I agree. Still it wouldn't hurt to check. You don't have to pull the valve cover all the way off. Take out the bolts and lift it on the cam chain side. With the piston in TDC you should be able to see the arrows on the sprockets pointing forward or backward parallel with the head. Bogdan

[Richard Ohnstad]

> Seriously, the design of this system is pure BULLSHIT, plain and > simple. Don't go any more than one turn out? Make sure the bike is > level or leaning to the right? The KLR is thought to be so reliable > because its owners tend to tolerate this nonsense. I am not amused.

RM, Unfortunately, your editorial comments are right on when it comes to the cam chain tensioner adjustment. Richard in Tucson 94 KLR650 86 VFR750