oil filters

[steve pye]

----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Saltzer" > > I did not say there was NO problem, just that the problem affects a > > relatively small number of KLR's. > > Just for the record, that statement is still wrong. > > MrMoose > A8 (Barbie and Ken special) Aren't you the gentleman who suggested the 35 to 40 % failure rate?? I'd love to see some hard evidence to prove your point. Documented cases? Verifiable statistics? Maybe some market research? No? Just for the record, your numbers are still wrong. Steve

[george]

Gues they must ship all the lemons to North Platte, Nebraska cause we have 100 percent failure rate on the doohickey/spring. Five brand new KLR's sold in this area in the last 18 months and all five had either a broken spring or broken doohickey. Admittedly this isn't a huge sampling to draw statistics from but I think it might suggest this is a problem area that should definitely be looked at on all of the newer KLRs. Just my .02 worth! George It's never too late to have a happy childhood.

> > Aren't you the gentleman who suggested the 35 to 40 % failure

rate?? I'd

> love to see some hard evidence to prove your point. > Documented cases? > Verifiable statistics? > Maybe some market research? > No? > Just for the record, your numbers are still wrong. > > Steve

[Keith Saltzer]

> Aren't you the gentleman who suggested the 35 to 40 % failure

rate?? Yes, I am the gentleman that said, "my educated GUESS is a 35-40% failure rate." And that's just what it is, a guess. But let's get back to what the original topic was, that the internet was blowing this thing way out of proportion. I'd

> love to see some hard evidence to prove your point.

Ok, come on over to one of my doohickey party's and have a look inside the motor's. Or better yet, have a party yourself. They are a blast, and you meet alot of great people.

> Documented cases?

Yes, I'm writing down what I find in the motor's as I do them. Right now, the exact figure for those is 50%, but I've only done probably .0001 percent of all the KLR's built, so I gave the benefit of the doubt.

> Verifiable statistics?

Again, see above, and look at all the post's of people that have done the doohickey change on this list. And by the way, although there are over 2000 lister's here, MOST of them, like I already said, do not ride more than 2,000 miles a year. Most of them are not going to do the deed because of money, time, knowledge, fear, tools, etc. The failed doohickey reports that your reading about is the 5% of the people that are actually doing them. If all 2000 + listers did the deed and reported back, you would see the same percentages of broken vs. good doohickeys, and that would be ALOT of them. How much exactly, I do not know.

> Maybe some market research?

Yes, every single KLR owner that I run into. The first thing that I ask them is, "how's your doohickey?" So far, 90% + just look at me with a silly face and go "huh?" Or, if they have read this list, and know about it, they say "oh, well, er, yea, I'll get around to doing it someday." In fact, that's what I read on this list alot too. My point? MOST have not done it, and will not do it, unfortunately.

> No?

Oh yes.

> Just for the record, your numbers are still wrong. > Steve

I wish that they were. I really do. You see, I have the tools, space, and God given talent, to just dive into my motor and easily fix the problem. I hate knowing that most KLR riders out there are riding around on a bike, that although is probably not going to brake down on them, it is running poorer, rougher, will have a shorter motor life, and has the POTENTIAL of costing them alot of money and time to get fixed. That would put a damper on anyone's riding no matter what bike they were riding. I am here to preach and teach that the doohickey is a very simple thing to fix, thanks to some great people that have taken the time to make the better parts, and posted some great photo's and directions online. The majority of KLR owner's, that don't ride much, and can't tell if the doohickey/spring is broken or not, and don't post on this board, are reading these very words. I don't like it when someone else make's them feel falsely "safe", by saying that this issue is blown out of proportion, leaving them to think that the odds are good that they don't/won't have a problem at all. Especially when that person does not have anything to prove that, AT ALL. Once again guys, you may or may not have a failed doohicky or spring. But for a mere $40 - $70, you can upgrade both pieces, and KNOW that your bike, and wallet, will be much better off down the road. MrMoose A8 (Barbie and Ken special)

[leideli]

Since I am a new guy with a new KLR, I can't help but notice the doohickiphobia gripping the forum. The weird thing is that when I was doing my research on the KLR a few months ago, I decided that the KLR had one of the best reliability records of any bike, and I never heard the doohicky mentioned...maybe it was faulty research. Anyway, I have lots of other high-tech and sports equipment, and I have observed that often statistacally insignificanbt problems are blown completely out of proportion on the internet forums. I NEVER have had any of the problems that are cited as "big reliability problems" or "design flaws" on any of this equipment. Based solely on this past experience, I am naturally very skeptical of the magnitude of the doohicky problem. Note that i am NOT saying anyone is lying or deliberately misleading, only that I am naturally skeptical. So every time I meet someone who actually owns a KLR AND has redone their doohickey (so that I am sure they have actually seen the internals) I ask them if their old doohicky and spring was intact. I take face-to-face discussion as a LOT more credible than internet chatter (anyone who follows political discussions knows what I mean here ! ) So far, i have found four people who have redone their doohickies. They all did it for peace of mind, but NONE of them had any problem with the old system. This result tends to deepen my skepticism. I urge people to quote and believe statistics that come from reliable sources or personal research that they can believe. My four samples might be a fluke, but i am not planning to replace my doohicky unless I get more info, or suspect a problem with my own bike. I have been adjusting it per the instructions at the Eldon Carl site, and because I can feel it slip slightly on each adjustment I know the spring is still attached. ...and I may be back here with a personal sob story if my doohicky decombobulates. I am just explaining my persistent skepticism. thanks.

[Harry Seifert]

Hi Steve, With the first tech session we did a year ago, we found 3 broken doohickies, mine included, out of four bikes opened up; six bikes attended. The second tech session had two more broken doohickies out of three opened up, 4 KLR's in attendance; Tech III, IV and V all have had broken doohickies, springs and 1 starter idler gear shaft bearing failure. Broken doohickies and springs were repaired under the guidance of Mike Colishaw and Elden Carl..........I seem to remember that the crew replaced at least three broken doohickies per the later Tech sessions. These are cold, hard numbers. Looks like a 50% failure rate for the 5 Tech sessions held in Julian. A 10% failure rate is unacceptable, but a 50% failure rate is bullshit. KLRista's, being the superior tool wielding and fabrication creatures that we are, improvise, adapt and overcome any problem that gets thrown our way. That's part of what makes the KLR what it is. Like the Brit bikes of yore, you better damn well know your way around your bike and tool box; if you don't, maybe you shouldn't be riding. Buddy

> [Original Message] > From: Steve Pye > To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com> > Date: 9/28/03 9:32:53 AM > Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] Re: Doohickey > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Keith Saltzer" > > > > > > I did not say there was NO problem, just that the problem affects a > > > relatively small number of KLR's. > > > > Just for the record, that statement is still wrong. > > > > MrMoose > > A8 (Barbie and Ken special) > > Aren't you the gentleman who suggested the 35 to 40 % failure rate?? I'd > love to see some hard evidence to prove your point. > Documented cases? > Verifiable statistics? > Maybe some market research? > No? > Just for the record, your numbers are still wrong. > > Steve > > > > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ

courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html

> Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ >

[Keith Saltzer]

I have been

> adjusting it per the instructions at the Eldon Carl site, and

because

> I can feel it slip slightly on each adjustment I know the spring is > still attached.

I would like to know this trick. What do you feel slipping, or how do you do that? I have tried listening to the motor with a stethoscope, as I do the adjustment, and I can't hear or feel anything. I would really like to KNOW what is going on in there when I do the adjustment, but don't want to do all the extra modifications to the cover, or remove the cover each time I adjust the chain tension. MrMoose A8 (Barbie and Ken special)

[steve pye]

----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Saltzer" > Or better yet, have a party yourself. They are > a blast, and you meet alot of great people. I have. My '97 with 34,000 kms of hard use had a pristine balancer system. Ditto several of my buddies, including an A1, after 16 years of use. You are right, KLR owners seem to be a great bunch and I've made many friends from this list. > the doohickey is a very simple > thing to fix, True > thanks to some great people that have taken the time to > make the better parts, and posted some great photo's and directions > online. Also true. > I don't like it when someone > else make's them feel falsely "safe", by saying that this issue is > blown out of proportion, leaving them to think that the odds are good > that they don't/won't have a problem at all. Especially when that > person does not have anything to prove that, AT ALL. And there it is. I don't like it when someone makes them feel falsely "scared" by telling them there is a huge issue and their bikes are sure to blow up....when that person also does not have anything to prove that, AT ALL. Which sums up our difference in opinion. > Once again guys, you may or may not have a failed doohicky or > spring. But for a mere $40 - $70, you can upgrade both pieces, and > KNOW that your bike, and wallet, will be much better off down the > road. > > MrMoose I've told several new KLR owner's in my area that there is a 2 or 3 %, maybe as high as 5%, chance that there may be an issue with thier balancer system. I have offered to help them check out thier bikes BEFORE they spend money they may not need to. Absolutely no need to freak people out with horror stories when it just isn't so. Steve

[orc37]

> > Just for the record, your numbers are still wrong. > > Steve > > I wish that they were. I really do. You see, I have the tools, > space, and God given talent, to just dive into my motor and easily > fix the problem. I hate knowing that most KLR riders out there are > riding around on a bike, that although is probably not going to

brake

> down on them, it is running poorer, rougher, will have a shorter > motor life, and has the POTENTIAL of costing them alot of money and > time to get fixed. That would put a damper on anyone's riding no > matter what bike they were riding.

I have to back up Keith here. It seems like the people who have seen the most of KLR's insides are the most passionate about the doohickey replacement and that is because they HAVE seen so many failures. Just ask Tammy from dualsportrider.org, she has replaced probably 30+ doohickeys in the last year. I replaced mine and although it wasnt broken it looked like it was going to break soon enough.

[JOHN SHEAROUSE]

Hello from Florida, I just replaced my doohickey at 6100 miles and everything went fine. Thank you to the people that put out the fine info. on the list. It made the work less stressful. I was surprised how thin and fragile looking the stock doohickey part was. The spring had very little tension on it- took it off with my finger. I also just checked my valve clearances and they were fine. Now I can ride with fewer worries although my speedo cable broke last week and my warranty runs out in 3 weeks. I feel the speedo cable will break again because it has one odd turn just under the meter and thats where mine broke. Anyone else have that problem? John A17 --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[westnash1]

Who has the best doohickey and spring setup and about what is their price?