Were you braking or off the throttle when the KLR threw you? KLRs
are squirrely in gravel (worse in sand), and love to push the front
end. Suspension changes might help, but the best solution I've found
is to use the throttle at the first sign of trouble.
However...I used that technique when going into some deep sand last
year, found that there were some crazy ruts below the sand, and got
spit off despite my best efforts with the throttle.
__Arden
--- In
DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "darkwing327"
wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
>
> I call upon all the KLR gods on the forum to help me solve a
> suspension problem (I think) before the bike drives me crazy or
kills
> me. This may be long winded, however bear with me as I think
eveyone
> aprreciates too much info rather than not enough when trying to
solve
> a problem.
>
> My bike likes to try and pitch me off not so much when off roading
> but when driving to the trails on the gravel road. Going up the
> mountain isn't bad but coming down is downright scary. It seems
like
> the bike is pushing the front tire too hard as it grabs onto
ridges
> in the road quite aggressively and then loses all traction and the
> front tire slides out(I know that statement contradicts itself,
but
> that's how it feels).
>
> 2002 A16 KLR-Bought new, rode it bone stock for about a month.
Never
> noticed this problem. With the style of riding that I was doing
the
> front and rear suspension was bottoming out so I ordered and
> installed LR progressive front springs and the 560 progressive
rear
> spring. Here's how it went.
>
> 1. Installed front springs, cut down the spacer to 2" and put
heavier
> fork oil in (sorry, can't remember what weight, does 15w sound
> right?). Also can't remember if we put the tighter wound coils on
> top or bottom. I will dissasemble to inspect if someone could let
me
> know if the tighter would coils should be on the top or bottom?
> Should the spacer be on the top or bottom of the springs?
>
> 2. Installed rear progressive 560 spring with no apparent problems.
>
> 3. From here we went out riding and I think I was so impressed
with
> the ability to ride without bottoming the suspension that I failed
to
> notice the instability at first. Coming down the fire roads after
> further rides I felt increasingly uncomfortable as the year
> progressed. I had a couple of other guys ride the bike with
emphasis
> on the front end and they told me it felt like the bike was
forcing
> too much weight forward and it was the back end causing the
problem.
> One of the fellows adjusted the rebound dampening for me to
position
> 2 and the stability felt much better. I rode like this for a year
> until it finally was able to pitch me off on a downhill road. The
> front tire grabbed a ridge, turned sideways and threw me down
hard.
> My KLR had hurt me more on a graded road more than any dirt bike
in
> the bush ever had. I had some more guys ride it again and they
> agreed it was squirrely.
>
> 4. Next-new tires. These felt better, but only until the sharp
edges
> on the knobs were worn off and then back to the same feeling.
>
> Here is where I am at today. I am thinking once I get verification
> from some knowledgeable listers I will take apart the front forks
and
> check the assembly to make sure it's correct. I have a stock rear
> spring coming from Devon already to swap in and check to see if
this
> is the problem (I think this is it).
>
> Has anybody done the same spring swaps as I have and can you let
me
> know if you have found any wierd handling characteristics?
>
> What, if anything could I have screwed up on the install of the
rear
> spring?
>
> If the 560 spring is the problem and I put the stock rear spring
back
> in, is there any other way to keep the rear suspension from
bottoming
> out, or does that even hurt it?
>
> Lastly, if the stock spring is too light and the 560 is too heavy,
is
> there something in between that you have found that works?
>
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks much in advance.
> Darren
You should see my new system, my wife thinks it some weird
science experiment gone haywire. It uses a chiller unit from an Hosp OR room
and other unlikely objects all hooked together.
Ron
