[dsn_klr650] covered with cable lube again, cable stuck

[Toby Lampson]

Bob Conklin wrote:

> Last weekend while riding near San Jacinto,CA my 1 yr. old A13 with 9000 mi. > on the odometer died a horrible death. Details from the dealer have been > slow in coming but it seems there was an internal failure of some kind that > took the rest of the motor with it - cases,crankshaft,pretty much > everything. I would imagine that this will come as a surprise to many of you > because this does not seem to be something that happens to these motors,or > at least not that I have ever heard in the year that I have been part of > this list. The bike has been used in a spirited way on and off road but not > abused. Also,it has been maintained at a very high level from mi. zero. I > was hoping never to have to take it to a dealer,but its sitting at one now > awaiting authorization from Kawasaki to go ahead with warranty repairs > (incredibly,this happened 3 days before the expiration date of the > warranty). Luckily,I have documented everything I have done to the bike,all > oil changes (every 800 mi),valve adjustments, balancer chain > adjustment,etc.,its a pretty extensive record. Hopefully this will all work > out OK and I'll eventually get my bike back. I can't help but feel though > that I might be in for a lengthly campaign. Although the KLR has been > everything I expected and much more,I can't help but feel a little let down > by what has happened and I have to admit while at the dealer tonight I took > a long look at the XR-650 and though about what it would take to modify it > for acceptable road use. > > Bob Conklin > Laguna Beach,CA

Sorry to hear it Bob.... This is the third story like this I"ve heard in 2 years......all with newer machines. One thing I would hope to see in next generation KLR's is the disappearance of the cam chain system. The 'automatic' cam chain tensioner on most KLR's is unnervingly wimpy in my view. The life of your whole motor depends upon the depth(of a few lousy milimeters) of a notch.......arrrrghghgh!! I can see why some have elected to retro to the old 'manual' type cam chain adjuster...... G'luck Slide

[Richard Ohnstad]

Bob, sorry to hear about this. Keep the group informed, please, about the outcome of the warranty repairs. Thanks Richard in Tucson 94 KLR650-Way out of warranty, but who knows when a new one will pop up. 86 VFR750

> Last weekend while riding near San Jacinto,CA my 1 yr. old A13 with 9000

mi.

> on the odometer died a horrible death. Details from the dealer have been

[Ted Palmer]

Toby Lampson wrote: [...]

> One thing I would hope to see in next generation KLR's is the disappearance > of the cam chain system. The 'automatic' cam chain tensioner on most KLR's > is unnervingly wimpy in my view.

Life on some models of ZX6 Kwaks hasn't been rosy, either. I think I read somewhere that they reverted to the spring wound type of tensioner instead of the ratchetting type. Science can put a man on the Moon but can they come up with a decent camchain tensioner? Maybe if the bike companies sponsored the Nobel Prize we might get somewhere. [...]

> I can see why some have elected to retro to the old 'manual' > type cam chain adjuster......

Bearing in mind that tensioners may be somewhat interchangable with other bike types made by Kwak, does anyone know what the KLR tensioners swap with? If they can swap with something like a ZX6 or somesuch sportbike, there may be race-style manual tensioners sitting on shelves waiting to go on our bikes. Mister_T

[Toby Lampson]

Ted Palmer wrote:

> Bearing in mind that tensioners may be somewhat interchangable with > other bike types made by Kwak, does anyone know what the KLR tensioners > swap with? If they can swap with something like a ZX6 or somesuch > sportbike, there may be race-style manual tensioners sitting on > shelves waiting to go on our bikes.

Mr. T, I beleive the 600 series machines all had manual type tensioners. Of course these were then 'upgraded' to the precarious thing we have now...... I still have the manual one, which I replaced when doing the last cam chain work on my b/u 600.........Why did I replace it, you ask? I trusted my routine maintenance practices less than the risks of the new tensioner.........afterall there is the risk of tightening something too much.....and with 'large length' of the cam chain, should it stretch considerably............I thought the adjuster stop post length might invite disaster as well..... Nevertheless......I'm re-thinking my thinking............ Slide

[Ted Palmer]

Toby Lampson wrote: [...]

> I beleive the 600 series machines all had manual type tensioners. > Of course these were then 'upgraded' to the precarious thing we > have now......

News to me. Neither my 600A base manual or the 600B supplement show a manual tensioner. Can't say I've seen any manual tensioners on these bikes, either. What does your manual tensioner look like? Is it like the one on base manual page 3-6; or 3-11? You can see a difference in the lengths.

> I still have the manual one, which I replaced when doing the last > cam chain work on my b/u 600.........Why did I replace it, you ask?

'Cos you didn't know it's a "race" item?

> I trusted my routine maintenance practices less than the risks > of the new tensioner.........afterall there is the risk of tightening > something too much.....and with 'large length' of the cam chain, > should it stretch considerably............I thought the adjuster stop > post length might invite disaster as well.....

Always a possibility. Race bikes tend to get better maintenance than most road bikes. Race bits are not always better. Mister_T

[Toby Lampson]

Ted Palmer wrote:

> Toby Lampson wrote: > [...] > > I beleive the 600 series machines all had manual type tensioners. > > Of course these were then 'upgraded' to the precarious thing we > > have now...... > > News to me. Neither my 600A base manual or the 600B supplement show > a manual tensioner. > Can't say I've seen any manual tensioners on these bikes, either. > What does your manual tensioner look like? > Is it like the one on base manual page 3-6; or 3-11? > You can see a difference in the lengths.

With further inquiry comes further clarity..... Tedmon- My 'base manual', on page 3-7, shows the best illustration of the manual type tensioner. This base manual is for the 84' year and has a pic of that bike on the front cover........a KL600 A series bike. My 'supplement' for the 85' (KL600 B) series bikes shows the 'newer' ratchet type(or automatic) tensioner......so I'm clarifying myself here as we go........ What's interesting is......my KL600 B had the earlier manual design tensioner in it when I did cam chain work. Indeed the bike was used.....perhaps this was done by the previous owner. So the 'upgrade' took place between 84'-85' according to my manuals................'possibly' some 85's still had the manual type according(to my experience), but this is still largely speculation. A parts number query on this ought to cement it.......... G'day...... Slide

[Mark]

At 6:25 AM -0700 8/2/00, Toby Lampson wrote:

>Ted Palmer wrote: > >> Bearing in mind that tensioners may be somewhat interchangable with >> other bike types made by Kwak, does anyone know what the KLR tensioners >> swap with? If they can swap with something like a ZX6 or somesuch >> sportbike, there may be race-style manual tensioners sitting on >> shelves waiting to go on our bikes. > >Mr. T, > I beleive the 600 series machines all had manual type tensioners. >Of course these were then 'upgraded' to the precarious thing we >have now...... > I still have the manual one, which I replaced when doing the last >cam chain work on my b/u 600.........Why did I replace it, you ask? > I trusted my routine maintenance practices less than the risks >of the new tensioner.........afterall there is the risk of tightening >something too much.....and with 'large length' of the cam chain, >should it stretch considerably............I thought the adjuster stop >post length might invite disaster as well..... > Nevertheless......I'm re-thinking my thinking............

I just periodically pull the end cap and spring off the tensioner and shove a 1/4 drive socket extension in and listen for a "click". If I can't get it to click without painfully pressing on the extension, then the chain is tight enough. No big deal. Mark B2 A2

[David Kleber]

----- Original Message ----- From: billmonahan To: David Kleber Cc: DSN_klr650@egroups.com> Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2000 4:01 AM Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] covered with cable lube again, cable stuck > You didn't have enough patience, it sounds like. I've been pulling it back > and forth and hitting it with WD from both ends *wanking it* if you will. Well, I poked and stroked 'till my wrist got numb, but I still didn't hear no Dynamo-Hum (sorry for the shameless/abstract Zappa quote). > It is coming loose. It now returns on spring power about one out of every > two or three pulls, almost good enough. Once I eat my leftover pizza and > finish my beer, I believe I'll have it freed up, at least well enough to go > to Idaho and replace it when I get back, if I can't find one in the > meanwhile. Mine was frozen solid. I did exactly what you did and I fully expected the same result as yours, but mine was really stuck. I cut it open after I got the working replacement installed and it had white powdery corrosion inside. It was so bad that the WD40 I used never got close to penatrating the entire cable length. It is a good lesson on why REGULAR cable maintenance is so important... especially your clutch cable. I busted one on my old Sportster many years ago and that isn't much fun. -Dave http://www.city-net.com/~davekle/ A8 > This job takes perseverance, that's for sure. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Kleber" > To: DSN_klr650@egroups.com>; "willy t wanker" > Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 4:05 PM > Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] covered with cable lube again, cable stuck > > > > I tried freeing mine up with no luck. I hosed the damn thing down with > > penetrating oil for 2 days straight and I couldn't get it to move at all. > > > > I'd recommend ordering the replacement. > > > > -Dave > > http://www.city-net.com/~davekle/ > > A8 > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: willy t wanker > > To: DSN_klr650@egroups.com> > > Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2000 2:44 AM > > Subject: [DSN_klr650] covered with cable lube again, cable stuck > > > > > > > trying to finish up getting ready to go to Idaho, and I saved the > > > hardest for last. > > > > > > Got the carb rotated, not easy. Got the cable out, even harder. Can > > > not seem to free up the cable, even though the plunger spring seems > > > quite strong. Can anyone offer a tip that might work? This is > > > getting frustrating, and the keyboard's getting covered with lube too. > > > > > > ps. Fred, do you have any choke cables? I have a feeling it might > > > need replacement. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > 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 >