problems with my 09'

[Peter Dore]

I want to thank you all for your info on all topics. I religiously read all the posts. I am a new rider, and not a mechanic type, but have been doing more and more to my own bike each week. Too slowly perhaps. I had been noticing my bike feeling a little rough (lots of vibration) and seeming to idle slow, and rather scary feeling on the highway. One Saturday morning, in St. Louis I had the speedo at 75 (mine reads 5 miles per hour slow compared to my GPS at 60 MPH) and everyone, I mean everyone was passing me, and I felt like I was flying. So thinking back on all the posts first thing I do is work on the slow idle (decided it might be the air filter). Open her up, expecting a foam filter to wash, and find what looks like an upgrade that is fairly dirty (I have put 1400 miles on her since I bought her in April). Take the filter to the auto parts store, show them what I expected in the Clymer manual and asked if mine was an upgrade. They said with reverence "That is a K& N". I said it looks pretty dirty, do I need a new one? "That is a K and N!, you don't get a new one, you wash it. Those cost like $60 bucks, it will last a lifetime." So I was happy, washed it all up, and dried over night and put it back in. At the same time I put in some Seafoam since several had mentioned it. I thought maybe the slow idle and the apparent speed loss was carborator based as well. So poured in some Seafoam. Then I squeezed my tires with my hands (up to now, my normal tire pressure check), hmm they seem a little low I can push in the rear with my fingers. So I get out my gauge and check. 14 psi on the front and 7 psi on the back! My close up vision isn't that great, so struggled to read the side of the tire, but think it says 35 on the front and 40 on the back (but both those seem really high, could that be right?) I have a Continental on the back, and I think a good year on the front (I will definitely be changing the front soon). So I put 30 psi in both knowing that had to be better than 14 and 7. Immediately the ride was much smoother, way way way less vibration. After about 30 minutes of riding, the idle was feeling confident, and the acceleration was nice! I was so used to the vibration telling me I was nearing 4000 rpm and past time to shift, that I had to start watching the tack, I was easily getting near 5 without any noticeable vibration. I think the point of all this is for new riders. Check your tire pressure, really, these guys aren't kidding, it makes a huge difference. HUGE. Also I wanted to ask, how close did I come to killing myself for riding around on such low tire pressure? Peter [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[mark ward]

Speedo ALL bikes run about 5mph off (70=65 etc) For Deep sand and mild speeds, tire pressure would get you by, 18/18 better. For street, You could EASLY LOSE CONTROL in a quick swerve, (= Injury or DEATH??) Braking not to great either, not to mention POOR Gas mialege, tire slipping tearing the valve stem,...........................ETC. SO YA!!!! TIRE PREASURE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

--- On Mon, 9/24/12, Peter Dore wrote: From: Peter Dore Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Thank you and a few questions To: "DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> Date: Monday, September 24, 2012, 2:38 PM I want to thank you all for your info on all topics. I religiously read all the posts. I am a new rider, and not a mechanic type, but have been doing more and more to my own bike each week. Too slowly perhaps. I had been noticing my bike feeling a little rough (lots of vibration) and seeming to idle slow, and rather scary feeling on the highway. One Saturday morning, in St. Louis I had the speedo at 75 (mine reads 5 miles per hour slow compared to my GPS at 60 MPH) and everyone, I mean everyone was passing me, and I felt like I was flying. So thinking back on all the posts first thing I do is work on the slow idle (decided it might be the air filter). Open her up, expecting a foam filter to wash, and find what looks like an upgrade that is fairly dirty (I have put 1400 miles on her since I bought her in April). Take the filter to the auto parts store, show them what I expected in the Clymer manual and asked if mine was an upgrade. They said with reverence "That is a K& N". I said it looks pretty dirty, do I need a new one? "That is a K and N!, you don't get a new one, you wash it. Those cost like $60 bucks, it will last a lifetime." So I was happy, washed it all up, and dried over night and put it back in. At the same time I put in some Seafoam since several had mentioned it. I thought maybe the slow idle and the apparent speed loss was carborator based as well. So poured in some Seafoam. Then I squeezed my tires with my hands (up to now, my normal tire pressure check), hmm they seem a little low I can push in the rear with my fingers. So I get out my gauge and check. 14 psi on the front and 7 psi on the back! My close up vision isn't that great, so struggled to read the side of the tire, but think it says 35 on the front and 40 on the back (but both those seem really high, could that be right?) I have a Continental on the back, and I think a good year on the front (I will definitely be changing the front soon). So I put 30 psi in both knowing that had to be better than 14 and 7. Immediately the ride was much smoother, way way way less vibration. After about 30 minutes of riding, the idle was feeling confident, and the acceleration was nice! I was so used to the vibration telling me I was nearing 4000 rpm and past time to shift, that I had to start watching the tack, I was easily getting near 5 without any noticeable vibration. I think the point of all this is for new riders. Check your tire pressure, really, these guys aren't kidding, it makes a huge difference. HUGE. Also I wanted to ask, how close did I come to killing myself for riding around on such low tire pressure? Peter [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jud]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Peter Dore wrote:

> > > Also I wanted to ask, how close did I come to killing myself for riding around on such low tire pressure? >

That depends on how well you can ride on a flat tire. In any event, you were pretty close to ripping the stem out of the tube. It sounds like you ought to read the FAQ (link on the home page of this group), and maybe do some basic reading on motorcycle ownership and maintenance. Of course, you will want to hang out here, too, because the advice you will get is 100% pure sterling, look at Moto Mark's maintenance pages, and maybe some of the regional forums on advrider.com or the other KLR-specific forums in order to find some fellow riders in your area, tech days, meet and greets, etc. Your fellow riders will generally go out of their way to help a newb find his way.

[pdstreeter@mmm.com]

Peter Dore asked:

>"That is a K and N!, you don't get a new one, you wash it. Those cost

like $60 bucks,

>it will last a lifetime." So I was happy, washed it all up, and dried

over night

>and put it back in.

Ah, maybe you knew this, maybe you didn't, but the K&N filters need to be oiled after you wash and dry them. Paul Streeter [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[revmaaatin]

Peter, Welcome to the world's finest cult! Beware of the man that only has one bike (sic: Ruger scout rifle commercial) and knows how to ride it! The VERY first thing i notice is 'location'. You are riding in St. Louis, Misery and that is more than 1/2 the problem!!!!! As a former resident of Misery, I would suggest you take that bike to the Ozarks, NC, GA or SD where it is meant to SING! oh, and take a riding partner to help pick up the pig when you drop it! Hopefully, the things you have done have been helpful to you as they have been to all of us as well. Tire pressures slowly slip away becuase we have tubes; decreasing temps affect tire pressusre as well. some check tire pressure daily; at least check it Weekkly. NAPA has a 90degree digital gauge that is the cats meow for the vision challenged. A couple of farkles that I think are absolutely essential for all riding ocosions are lever protectors; and if your bike is a gen 1 (pre 08), put a mirror perch on the clutch lever to protect the switch quadrant. Fred has this stuff. Be sure to seafoam the fuel befor you put it away for the winter and let the bike carb run itself dry when you shut it off for the last time. Opinion alert: I have a K & N airfilter in a box on the shelf. It was installed on a used bike when I bought it and it came off just as soon as I could buy an OEM filter skeleton for a replacement. I don' think the K & N is a good filter to use if you are #2 or more in a group ride or ride into conditions where other vehicles are making dust for your bike to eat. It is ok for street use only, and then, only maybe. IMO. Curious: did you retreat the K/N filter before you installed it again? Your post does not indicate anything other than 'cleaning'. shameless plug: I have been using NoToil filters and their bio-degradeable filter oils for years and really like how it works. The filter treatement system is also badged as Kawi, Honda filter oil, small print indicates packaged by NoToil. Notoil on the OEM foam filter will work just as well. Clothing-- Think about ATGATT, all the gear, all the time. How do you want to be dressed when you fall down? revmaaatin.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Peter Dore wrote: > > I want to thank you all for your info on all topics. I religiously read all the posts. > > I am a new rider, and not a mechanic type, but have been doing more and more to my own bike each week. Too slowly perhaps. > > I had been noticing my bike feeling a little rough (lots of vibration) and seeming to idle slow, and rather scary feeling on the highway. One Saturday morning, in St. Louis I had the speedo at 75 (mine reads 5 miles per hour slow compared to my GPS at 60 MPH) and everyone, I mean everyone was passing me, and I felt like I was flying. > > So thinking back on all the posts first thing I do is work on the slow idle (decided it might be the air filter). > Open her up, expecting a foam filter to wash, and find what looks like an upgrade that is fairly dirty (I have put 1400 miles on her since I bought her in April). Take the filter to the auto parts store, show them what I expected in the Clymer manual and asked if mine was an upgrade. They said with reverence "That is a K& N". I said it looks pretty dirty, do I need a new one? "That is a K and N!, you don't get a new one, you wash it. Those cost like $60 bucks, it will last a lifetime." So I was happy, washed it all up, and dried over night and put it back in. > > At the same time I put in some Seafoam since several had mentioned it. I thought maybe the slow idle and the apparent speed loss was carborator based as well. So poured in some Seafoam. > > Then I squeezed my tires with my hands (up to now, my normal tire pressure check), hmm they seem a little low I can push in the rear with my fingers. So I get out my gauge and check. > > 14 psi on the front and 7 psi on the back! My close up vision isn't that great, so struggled to read the side of the tire, but think it says 35 on the front and 40 on the back (but both those seem really high, could that be right?) I have a Continental on the back, and I think a good year on the front (I will definitely be changing the front soon). So I put 30 psi in both knowing that had to be better than 14 and 7. > > Immediately the ride was much smoother, way way way less vibration. After about 30 minutes of riding, the idle was feeling confident, and the acceleration was nice! I was so used to the vibration telling me I was nearing 4000 rpm and past time to shift, that I had to start watching the tack, I was easily getting near 5 without any noticeable vibration. > > > I think the point of all this is for new riders. Check your tire pressure, really, these guys aren't kidding, it makes a huge difference. HUGE. > > Also I wanted to ask, how close did I come to killing myself for riding around on such low tire pressure? > > Peter > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[Jud]

Maybe you knew this, too, but K&N filters do not filter nearly as well as a conventional oiled foam filter. OK for a street bike, maybe, but I would not run a K&N on a bike that is going to see a lot of dust.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, pdstreeter@... wrote: > > Peter Dore asked: > > >"That is a K and N!, you don't get a new one, you wash it. Those cost > like $60 bucks, > >it will last a lifetime." So I was happy, washed it all up, and dried > over night > >and put it back in. > > Ah, maybe you knew this, maybe you didn't, but the K&N filters need to be > oiled after you wash and dry them. > > Paul Streeter > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[Ronald Criswell]

I would not run a K&N filter again. I tried one and it started smokin at 25,000 miles after really dusty riding in Oklahoma, Moab, and Mexico....and like Jud says, the fit is not that good. I run UNI now and no more problems at 55,000 after a friend fixed the smokin. I think the only place for K&N is racetrack maybe (paved of coarse). Criswell

On Sep 25, 2012, at 10:54 AM, Jud wrote: > Maybe you knew this, too, but K&N filters do not filter nearly as well as a conventional oiled foam filter. OK for a street bike, maybe, but I would not run a K&N on a bike that is going to see a lot of dust. > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, pdstreeter@... wrote: > > > > Peter Dore asked: > > > > >"That is a K and N!, you don't get a new one, you wash it. Those cost > > like $60 bucks, > > >it will last a lifetime." So I was happy, washed it all up, and dried > > over night > > >and put it back in. > > > > Ah, maybe you knew this, maybe you didn't, but the K&N filters need to be > > oiled after you wash and dry them. > > > > Paul Streeter > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[James W. Flower]

Loan it to me for a week.

[Jeff Khoury]

//Re: K&Ns I don't trust them any further than I could spit a rat. An old, crusty bike mechanic once told me "When a bike comes in that's burning oil or has low compression, 90% of the time it's got a K&N on it." Correlation or causation? Dunno but I won't use them. -Jeff Khoury