I forgot to mention that last weekend I headed back to the bolt shop with a list and a bunch of samples, and got stainless steel allen bolts and washers to replace the bolts on the radiator shrouds, the side covers, the pack rack and the hand brake lever.
Another one ticked off…
Just picked up the bike from its first service. As helpful as the Kawasaki dealer has been, I decided to get my mate Richie to do the first service. He did the de-restriction of my KLX250, and he’s a top-notch wrencher.
So, the plan was to do the normal first service stuff (at 1000km I was a couple of hundred kays late), plus plug up the holes in the carby that Kawasaki (in their wisdom) add to the Australian KLR. What I got was a Richie-special. He did the service, plugged the holes, then kept going.
He pulled a big rubber restrictor out of the airbox, plus some big dicky plate off the top of the opening. I’m not sure I even get the point of the restrictor. The snorkel on the old KLX at least sat on the outside of the airbox, and had a hope of keeping water and gunk out. This one must have sat entirely inside the airbox, so other than to keep things quiet and literally restrict the flow of air into the bike, the thing seems pretty useless.
He also punched a couple of holes in the exhaust baffle. The combined effect means that the bike is breathing a little freer, and is a little bit louder both at intake and exhaust. The extra noise is not much (and it’s a pretty nice sound at that), and the power gains are worth it.
Richie also shimmed the carb needle to suit the changes. I’ll need to take it back in another 1000kms to check the spark plug and work out whether the mixture is right.
The bike pulls better from lower revs, and even from the quick ride home it feels more responsive.
That’s a few more mods ticked off.
I can’t recommend Richie’s work highly enough… so this is a shameless plug for Valley Force Husaberg.
I’d got the impression that the ‘bars on the KLR were mounted by the dealer a little lower than they might have been. I have every intention of replacing them at some point soon, but I figured it would be worthwhile getting the best position I could out of the existing ‘bars before forking out for a new set. It means that if the new ones are a similar bend, they’ll be a more direct swap.
So I loosened them and raised them a little (after marking the old spot with a sharpie), then set about adjusting all the switch gear to match. Initially I wasn’t going to bother, but the mirror posts were pointing too high, and when I went to move them, I found that they fouled the throttle cable. But you can’t loosen or adjust the throttle cable without removing the hand guard… etc. Got there in the end. The indicator switch is possibly a little high, but it hasn’t been too noticeable when I’m riding.
I took it for a quick spin around the car park next door to se how I’d go standing on the pegs. It’s great. I still find myself putting a little too much weight on the ‘bars, but at least I can stand up straighter now, and don’t have to crouch at all. Another inch might be needed, but there’s still vertical swing I can do. Also the Pro Taper SE ATV High handlebars I’m looking at will need an adapter kit, which will add up to an inch to the whole affair anyway.
All up the control of the bike is probably better, and the riding position feels more commanding without being too high or uncomfortable on-road or in traffic. I’m happy with the change so far.
I found out the other day that I can’t change gears on the KLR with my dirt bike boots on. This morning I adjusted the gear lever up one notch and tested the theory again: much better. The other problem I find with the boots is that they push my knees up just enough to touch on the ridge of the side fairing. I haven’t swapped out the rubber foot pegs for metal dirt bike pegs, so that might help when the time comes. I’ll try to get some lower (or at least lower profile) pegs, and I might even be able to move the gear lever back down. I’d still rather ride in regular shoes, but after riding for a while in the boots today, I pretty much forgot about them.
I’ve been checking out the options for a bigger windscreen for the KLR. The stock screen isn’t bad, but the turbulence hits right on the visor line, and also tends to hit the tops of my shoulders, which is not so good on a cold night. There are a number of suppliers who make screens and spoilers for the KLR, but so far the choices seem pretty subjective, and I’m loth to spend over a hundred dollars on a piece of plastic that doesn’t do the job (for that matter, not keen on spending $100+ on any piece of plastic). I’d also read that the screen is a cause of turbulence itself, and that removing it can make a difference. I tested that today, and while the overall buffeting is not as intense, the wind hits the whole front of you, and hits hardest just below the helmet line. I’ve put the screen back on…
I still like the idea of the Laminar Lip or the MRA Vario Touring Screen. The former is a spoiler for the existing screen (or a taller one), and the latter is a spoiler and screen combination, with a range of positions to deflect the wind to best suit the height and riding position of the rider. Most reports are good, particularly of the Vario screen. It’s not much taller than the stock one, but apparently does an amazing job of deflecting the wind over the rider’s head. While a taller screen is still an option, the truth is I’d rather a short screen and spoiler that can do near enough to the same job. If only there was somewhere I could try them all out…
The crash bars are doing their job, and feel fine on the road. I tightened them up today.
I hit reserve for the first time today, as well, after 345km. I’m pretty impressed with the range of the 22l tank. It appears that the reserve is about 3 or 4l.
Nearly had a spill on the way to the servo this afternoon, though. I approached (downhill) a roundabout a little fast, and decided too late not to take the gap I was looking at. I hit the back brake too hard and locked the wheel, and black-patched all the way to the line. I couldn’t stop myself from hitting the back brake, but eventually managed to ease off it and apply more of the front. It was a stupid mistake, but fortunately I managed to keep the bike upright and stopped just over the line.
Forgot to mention that the Wolfman Beta has also finally arrived. It’s a nice bag (which it would want to be for the money), and it mounts really well to the bike, with plenty of pressure straps for the bag’s contents as well. All the straps have plenty of length in them, and it’s very simple to attach and remove it. Saddle bags would still be better (required) for two-up riding, but for a solo ride the Beta is great. And big.
Yesterday I bought a new KTM SuperMoto front guard for the KLR. The standard one (pictured in the masthead at the top of the page) is not the prettiest thing in the world, and from certain angles looks like a broken nose or a duck bill. I’d seen a few posts on klr650.net suggesting that the KTM guard was an almost perfect fit, and the photos (like the one you see here) looked great.
The guard went on easily enough. I needed to drill out the two rear mounting holes a little – back, and diagonally out to the sides – but apart from that it went straight on with the original bolts.
Some forum posters also said that they felt greatly reduced buffeting on the handlebars at high speed. I can’t vouch for that, but then again I haven’t had the bike long enough to make any real comparison. From what I can tell it isn’t any worse, but I don’t think it’s significantly better, either. The main wind interference that I get is off the top of the windshield… and that will be the next thing to be replaced on the bike.
Just an update on the crash-bars: the bars themselves don’t seem to amplify vibration back through the bike, but they do vibrate a little, particularly at speed. The only time I’ve noticed it is when I’ve bothered to check by reaching down and touching them (not something I’d normally do) and occasionally when my left leg has touched the bar near where is comes out from the subframe under the seat, when I’m changing gear. Sill, I’m more than happy with how they’ve gone on.
My Wolfman Beta bag still hasn’t arrived. After about two weeks of waiting, no one seems to know where it is. The dealer tells me it has left the warehouse, but that’s all he knows. I’m not in any great rush, but it would be nice to get the bag and try it out.
SW Motech Crash Bars
Well, the deed is done. Mod number 1 has been made to the bike. They probably constitute the most expensive add-on I will ever make to the bike, and I have every hope that they’ll be a complete waste of money. And if that makes no sense, I’m not explaining it to you.
Took it out for spin today to try out the bars, and I’m pretty happy. There’s no hint of vibration at any speed, any revs or any load, and though the bars themselves are pretty solid, there’s no sense of added weight at all.
The install was simple enough. The kit comes with clear instructions. Not so much step-by-step, but a detailed diagram showing the fixing points, the parts required and a few extra notes. The kit also comes with a collection of extra bits to allow the bars to fit with a centre stand and/or an aluminium bash plate. The bash plate’s a very likely future addition, and the centre stand holds some appeal as well (not least because it makes the rear rack a reasonably straight table at a campsite… though that probably isn’t the smartest reason for fitting it). I managed to break 2 pieces of my crappy socket set in the process, but a quick trip to Bunnings got that sorted.
It has got me thinking about the adequacy of the tool kit. For starters, the included screwdriver is too fat for the fairing screws, and the allen key doesn’t fit the subframe bolts (too small, but they’ve been replaced now anyway) or the rear rack bolts (too big). The tube spanners are OK, though my time with the KLX taught me that they have a pretty limited life. Also, the crash bar kit introduces a new size bolt to the collection (13mm) which the tool kit doesn’t allow for. At this point I’m thinking that I’ll extend the basic kit a little, so that it still fits in its box, and I’ll look at a more comprehensive kit for longer trips. There are plenty of tool kit posts on the forums, so that shouldn’t be too hard to work out.
I am loving how the bike goes… not that I really have any idea what I’m talking about. My prior experience is limited to a gutless 250, and that’s it. Anything was going to feel as though it was a rocket after that. Still, after a longish ride through 100kph straights and uphill twisties with a pillion passenger, I can safely say it suits me just fine. If there’s stuff it can’t do, it’s probably beyond my abilities anyway.
Now if the weather would just improve…
UPDATE: Added picture at the request of Jackal, below. The bars were purchased from Motorrad Garage, and cost about $260, though they’ve gone up considerably since then.
It’s amazing the difference in perspective you get when you have a guide. I spent a couple of weeks in the Solomon Islands with a group of friends last month, and I was surprised at how someone with local knowledge (and language skills) could open the place up in new ways. It was great to meet people, rather than just see places. And once you start to hear people’s stories you get a new perspective not only of the place you’re visiting but also of the place you come from.
Last night I listened to some friends talk about the successes and challenges of the education system amongst the indigenous people of Northern Territory. It was great to hear about tribal elders making significant plans and decisions that would help protect their communities and educate their children and grandchildren… exciting stuff.
But it also got me thinking about The Trip, and how easily it could turn out to be a view of the world from the saddle of a bike as it zoomed past… and how desperately I don’t want it to be that. I’ll be following up the stories my friends told, and seeking out the stories of other friends who live and work up north. I hope that by the time we set off we’ll have a long list of contacts and stories – people we can meet along the way, who can open up the places we see and help us to understand what life is like for them.
On a completely different topic, I ordered my crash bars today.
On Monday morning I dropped in to Hands On Motorcycles in Lilydale and put a deposit down on a new KLR650. On Tuesday afternoon I picked up my shiny new bike! I’ve already put about 50kms on it, and though it was cold, it was great to ride.
It was also a good chance to try out the new helmet, and see what it is like at highway speeds. I’m petty impressed. There’s nominal wind noise, even at 100km/h as long as you hold your head straight. The wind resistance on the peak is also pretty low. If you turn your head the noise and the resistance increase, but that’s to be expected.
The stock windscreen on the KLR deflects the wind to the bottom edge of the helmet, which means my neck is reasonably protected, though my helmet is taking the full force. A taller screen will be great for longer rides, particularly in cold weather, but I can understand why some riders complain that things can be a little too isolated behind a big screen.
I’ll need to look at thicker gloves, and probably some easily removed waterproof or thermal pants for the winter. The ride home was great fun, but I didn’t have a whole lot of feeling in my fingers by the time I got home.
First thing to go will probably be the “beak” front fender. Swapping that for a KTM fender is a cheap and simple modification. After that I’ll look at the SW Motec crash bars and skid plate. The main carburettor mod is don at first service (woo hoo!) so I won’t have to worry about that, and the dealer said I needn’t worry about shimming the carb needle unless I also plan to open or replace the exhaust. And that I won’t be doing for a while.
One down, heaps to go…
A lot of the material I read about adventure riding mentions the pros and cons of hard panniers and saddle bags. I’ve never been a fan of panniers, particularly on an off-road or adventure bike, where the rider frequently has to put his feet down, and where dropping the bike is a reality. Most panniers have hard corners, which I wouldn’t like to connect with in a fall. Also, being both rigid and metal, they really don’t seem likely to survive an impact (or frequent impacts, for that matter). Plastic panniers seem to be more rounded, but they’re usually smaller than their metal equivalent, and look as though they would hold less than a saddle-bag.
So, I’m settled on saddle-bags. No surprises there.
There also seem to be some differing schools of thought on how best to support saddle-bags. There’s a few reasons for this. Heat is an issue on whichever side of the bike the exhaust sits. I experienced this in Tasmania, where my buddy and I both managed to melt our side plastic, though this was only a little, and only on long, slow, difficult stretch, where the bikes were running hot and the bags were tied down hard. If heat is the only issue, I’d rather find a heat shield or spacer behind the plastic that stopped contact with the muffler. (We also found out, after some of the mount points tore off the bags, that you don’t need to tie them down all that much. They tend to move with the bike.)
Another issue, particularly where there’s dirt involved, is that of scratching the side-panels. My KLX-250 came back from Tassie with plenty of scratches, and the ones under the saddle-bags managed to get fine dust ground into them over the 10 days of the trip. Some saddle bags offer soft backing material, but I can’t see that making much difference. Even soft cloth with grit in it will scratch the plastic.
I’ve seen a variety of frames for the KLR and other bikes which can support saddle bags. Some of these are as heavy and involved as pannier frames, which seems a bit over-the-top to me. Some follow the contour of the side panels. Some push the bags out wide to give them a straight drop. None of them do it for me. As long as the sides of the bike are roughly symmetrical (something the KLR does better than my KLX, and even that was fine) and the plastic panels cover enough of the exhaust (and on the new KLR they do), I’d rather just let the bags sit.
The other day I found a product which looks as though it will address some of these issues. StompGrip is a clear, self adhesive rubber surfacing which provides grip and protection on hard surfaces. Most applications seem to be on the tank area, to give the rider knee-grip. I’m not sure if that’s a great idea on a dirt-bike, or even a dual-sport, where your ability to move independently of the bike seems to be just as important as your ability to hold on. But putting it on the side panels where the saddle-bags would rest might make sense. It would provide some grip for the bags, provide protection for the bike, and probably add another layer of insulation from the muffler.
Unfortunately there’s no kit specifically for the KLR, but they sell sheets of the stuff, so I could cut my own easily enough.
Now I just need to find that heat-shield or spacer for behind the plastic and I’m all set.
Roughed out the first 10 days of the route tonight. Had some trouble embedding the Google Maps, so you’ll have to be brave and live with links for now. Take a look.
I also updated the Bike Page. There’s a few extra mods I want to make, and I’ve also added links to a few extra resources.