klrs and 1/4 mile times

[klrdon@aol.com]

Johnny Winter's lesser know brother Edgar said it well - "I may not walk the way you talk, but I get there just the same" See you on the road, trail etc. Don M Atlanta, GA A16 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[kdxkawboy@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/26/2005 6:24:00 AM Pacific Standard Time, Streetfighters@... writes: 8) New Dawn. One day, for no particular reason, you realize that you've been having fun riding it (at least alone) the whole time. Thinking about it a little more, you realize that you can go everywhere a GS1200 can get to (just maybe not as quickly), that you're more offroad capable than a GS650 Dakar, and probably just as on-road capable, and all for several thousand less dollars. It can do more highway miles than a DR without having to spend $250 on a Corbin saddle to avoid picking it out of your backside after half an hour on the highway, and you can have it serviced anywhere on the planet unlike a KTM (which was also a lot more). Whoa, hold on, this bike is pretty cool! .... 10) Happily deluded. The KLR rocks! Yeah, it still sux, but it rocks! Some of reach the New Dawn with the very first ride, others, like this author, resist enlightenment a little longer. Some of us don't see it as being deluded but having found a slice of nirvana. While he may still see a downside to life with such a plebeian bike, at least he understands the bike plain just rocks!!! Pat G'ville, NV [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[klr250not]

Sportbikes are a lot faster than KLRs and seem even faster because the rider is a lot closer to the ground, just like go-kart riders think theyre flying at 35 mph. I still maintain that a KLR650, at least my A19, will outaccelerate 0-60 (1)all but a few cars, (2) most midweight cruisers, and (3) all mopeds and (4) most lawn tractors. Some of you might argue with all four but I say a KLR that cant outaccelerate these vehicles is a broken KLR, probably with watery gas or no gas at all. ---------- Having said all this, I like the KLR. I haven't grown to love it yet

> (only 460 miles on the clock so far). But when you're used to

some

> higher performance bikes (CR500R), the first step is a big one.

And,

> I may need to tweak things here or there (jetting), I'd call the > Hyundai face-off too close to call, especially with a running

start.

> > Troy > A19 > Castle Rock, CO

[Rodney Copeland]

I bought a new DT400 in 75. Had a blast with that buzzy roostin bastard! I wanted it cuz of my history with the ole 360s I watched my buddies ride in the early 70s. It was stolen from the parkin lot at Tinker AFB a year later. I purchased an XT 500 with the insurance bucks, first year edition 76. After prolly 50,000 miles and 20 years later, the Mighty KLR was the only bike that could finally fill the shoes of my DualSport riding requirements. And this shtuff about the KLR not bein fast, I don't subscribe to it! I did real well against an XR-R on pavement from a rollin, 2nd gear start, through the 1/8th mile and less than half second from a 640 KTM in the quarter at ThunderValley dragstrip. Course the 950 Adventure whipped my ass hard! HHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAARR! Rod --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Tom Hayslett" wrote:

> I had a Yamaha DT 400 Enduro. Two stroke single, kick start - could

really

> mess up your knee if you locked your leg while kicking. I did love

the

> immediate throttle response on that bike - but wouldn't want to

ride an hour

> on the freeway. > > Tom > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mike Frey [mailto:mike21b@d...] > Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 6:05 PM > To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com > Subject: Re: [DSN_KLR650] Re: Phases of KLR ownership . . . > > > > > > > I sure didn't expect it to be slower > > than a 350cc 1970's vintage twin that I rode in the past > > 1970's 350 twins... Yamaha RD comes to mind, and that bike today is

still

> more than capable against anything it's size. It will easily pull

away from

> a KLR in a drag race. The KLR should have no problem keeping up

with a Honda

> > 350 twin. > > We're spoiled by the blistering acceleration of today's bikes, and

the KLR

> disappoints in that role. > > If the KLR-650 existed in 1974 in the exact form it does today, it

probably

> would have been pronounced "The best Enduro bike you can buy" > > Anyone ever ride a Suzuki TM-400 or a Yamaha YZ / IT-490? Those

bikes (and

> others), although powerful, were turds compared to the KLR. > > Having said all of the above, I do wish the KLR had more power. > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: > http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > > Yahoo! Groups Links

[Rodney Copeland]

Maybe it won't do it for you Troy. That's cool, but most didn't become one with the KLR for it's horsepower,,,it was for the freedom. cheers, Rod --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "troyzellers" wrote:

> > With all due respect to the Fellowship of the KLR, I thought the 10 > phases were spot on. I did my fair share of research on-line, not > this group per se, but plenty of lurking on-line. > > I found alot of bravado, including plenty of talk of whipping > sportbikes on asphalt. I found of negative talk, from those > possibly suffering from .....shortcomings. And there is alot of

good

> info(doohicky, subframe bolts, cost against BMW,etc). > > However, it seems like very few dealers let potential buyers ride

one

> prior to purchase. And to call a private seller just to test ride

is

> wrong, without full disclosure. > > Having said all this, I like the KLR. I haven't grown to love it

yet

> (only 460 miles on the clock so far). But when you're used to some > higher performance bikes (CR500R), the first step is a big one.

And,

> I may need to tweak things here or there (jetting), I'd call the > Hyundai face-off too close to call, especially with a running start. > > Troy > A19 > Castle Rock, CO

[kdxkawboy@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/26/2005 9:03:38 PM Pacific Standard Time, robertfloren@... writes: Sportbikes are a lot faster than KLRs and seem even faster because the rider is a lot closer to the ground, just like go-kart riders think theyre flying at 35 mph. Most of the magazines show the KLR being just a bit slower than a big HD in the 1/4 mile, not that the HD accelerates faster, it has a higher top end speed that makes the difference. While the KLR may not have the get up and go to keep up with sportsbikes, when you get into the world of serious twisties, where the sportbike rider is doing everything not to use all of his awesome power, when he is trying to only use about what a KLR has to give, the KLR power becomes the model of practical power as it is spread out over 4000 rpm where on the sportbike it is packed into about 1000 rpm range making it very much like a light switch. And that is when sportsbikes sux and KLRs rock. Pat G'ville, NV [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Don Bittle]

I'll say it again. Buy a $20 14 tooth sprocket from Fred and you may be surprised at how zippy this thing is. It puts the fun back into twisties. And remember, if you had great speed, you'd probably sail off a corner in Deal's Gap like the crotch rocket pilots. So as it turns out, our KLR's keep us alive. don

> >

.

>> The KLR is *SLOW*. No two ways about it. It's plenty powerful for > the >> city,

[klr250not]

I was using this chart linked below--scroll down to 14.8s and youll find the KLR650 and the Harley 883 is at 15.6. Another Harley 883 model--the Hugger does show up a little faster, 14.5 I think. http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/downloads/carmotorcycleperformancechar ts1.htm Dang, I tried to find that earlier post about how to shorten these links so they'll work without cutting and pasting, but now I cant find it. Theres another site: www.ravenshadow...something which I can't get to come up right now. It shows about 13.9 for the KLR and 0-60 in 4.74 s, which is trucking pretty fast in the 4 wheel world, but of course slow by sportbike standards. -------------------------------------

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, kdxkawboy@a... wrote: > > Most of the magazines show the KLR being just a bit slower than a big HD in > the 1/4 mile, not that the HD accelerates faster, it has a higher top end > speed that makes the difference. While the KLR may not have the get up and go to > keep up with sportsbikes, when you get into the world of serious twisties, > where the sportbike rider is doing everything not to use all of his awesome > power, when he is trying to only use about what a KLR has to give, the KLR power > becomes the model of practical power as it is spread out over 4000 rpm > where on the sportbike it is packed into about 1000 rpm range making it very much > like a light switch. And that is when sportsbikes sux and KLRs rock. > > Pat > G'ville, NV > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Michael Silverstein]

I read an interview of Valentino Rossi in which he said that a lot of his success in racing has come from working with the engineers at Honda and now Yamaha not to make more power but to make the existing power more usable/controllable. He gives up a bit on the straights but has much more control and speed within and coming out of the corners. Mike A18 Pad G'ville, NV said:

> While the KLR may not have > the get up and go to > keep up with sportsbikes, when you get into the world of > serious twisties, > where the sportbike rider is doing everything not to use all > of his awesome > power,

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[Tom Hayslett]

Try this: http://tinyurl.com/5tyfj Tom -----Original Message----- From: klr250not [mailto:robertfloren@...] I was using this chart linked below--scroll down to 14.8s and youll find the KLR650 and the Harley 883 is at 15.6. Another Harley 883 model--the Hugger does show up a little faster, 14.5 I think. http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/downloads/carmotorcycleperformancecharts1.htm Dang, I tried to find that earlier post about how to shorten these links so they'll work without cutting and pasting, but now I cant find it. Theres another site: www.ravenshadow...something which I can't get to come up right now. It shows about 13.9 for the KLR and 0-60 in 4.74 s, which is trucking pretty fast in the 4 wheel world, but of course slow by sportbike standards.