HadesOmega
Well-known member
Jeez I thought the frame on the DR was in bad shape =P
You can't kill the KLR650
- Thread starter HadesOmega
- Start date
OaklandF4i
Darwin's exception
god bless Kawasaki! :toothless:gsxrgrlarty
John, I am beginning to think that yours and Kalle's KLRs did not come equipped with kickstands. Lots of KLR naps...... :laughing
ratsblast
Well-known member
I like it sounds a lot like George Washingtons motorcycle, replaced engine a few times, and frame twice, and . . . George Washington owned this bike.
I actually ran my BeLast half outta oil once where the tappets started a banging, I thought it was a new exhaust so I opened it up full throttle between black mtn and junipero/19th on 280n. Right when I started slowing for traffic fucking oil light came on. Put a whole quart in, fired it up and bike lived. When I rebuelled the bike bottom end was still tight and nothing was cooked, got lucky.
I actually ran my BeLast half outta oil once where the tappets started a banging, I thought it was a new exhaust so I opened it up full throttle between black mtn and junipero/19th on 280n. Right when I started slowing for traffic fucking oil light came on. Put a whole quart in, fired it up and bike lived. When I rebuelled the bike bottom end was still tight and nothing was cooked, got lucky.
SFMCjohn
13
John, I am beginning to think that yours and Kalle's KLRs did not come equipped with kickstands. Lots of KLR naps...... :laughing
:rolleyes
always seem to be dropping my KLR off the kickstand,
so I know it has one ... :facepalm
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I've had my truck start tapping too. Didn't let it go on for very long though. Still runs ok but it's an old 350 so it's pretty bulletproof.
HadesOmega
Well-known member
For the record I do ride my KLR in the dirt sometimes, it's too nice for a dirtnapping =P
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HadesOmega
Well-known member
Yep it's a poorman's supermoto setup. Klr600 rear rim laced to KLR600 front hub. It's nice to be able to carry only one size tube =)
moto-rama
Well-known member
They don't look killed at the Kawasaki website...
https://www.kawasaki.com/ShoppingTools/ViewInventory/2018-KLR650
Also chime in with my endorsement. I rode a borrowed KLR that I needed a step ladder to get on (the owner was 6'6'" and had shimmed the rear to add 2" of height, and it was great out in the desert for the 5 day camping/riding trip we did. As long as I didn't stop, I was fine.
The owner claimed he changed the oil every 2 years, but had never washed it, so I have no idea what color it was underneath the mud.
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HadesOmega
Well-known member
Yeah if they came out with a 400 I'd get on that, if I can find a used X300 for a good deal I wouldn't mine trying it out. I rode one and it has good ergos for off road riding but yeah you have to wind that sucker out.
The KLR650 is still on the Kawasaki website but they only list the 2018 model =/
onto1wheel
Riding All The Time
As a fan of the KLR650, I should chime in:
I bought my 1st one brand new in 1992(?).
After the first one started making a lot of noise after the doohickey broke, I bought a used 2001 in January 2002 and still have it.
It's been a few good places: Troll trail, full rubicon, Clear Creek, some dualsport events.
Yeah, if you land it on the drain plug (like in that vid), things might break. That's why I have an alum skid plate and a low profile drain plug :teeth
Two in the garage for a month or two:
I bought my 1st one brand new in 1992(?).
After the first one started making a lot of noise after the doohickey broke, I bought a used 2001 in January 2002 and still have it.
It's been a few good places: Troll trail, full rubicon, Clear Creek, some dualsport events.
Yeah, if you land it on the drain plug (like in that vid), things might break. That's why I have an alum skid plate and a low profile drain plug :teeth
Two in the garage for a month or two:
HadesOmega
Well-known member
Nice Barbie! Yeah when I got mine the doohickey was broken and it like riding on a paintshaker . Was surprised how smooth it was after I retimed the counterbalancer system, it was smoother than my DR650!
. Was surprised how smooth it was after I retimed the counterbalancer system, it was smoother than my DR650!
onto1wheel
Riding All The Time
haha! I never heard that one before, that fits. (or wait... is my barbie doll collection visible in my garage mess ??!:laughing)
HadesOmega
Well-known member
That's what they call the early 90's KLR650s with colorful (or I like to call it fruity pebbles) paint scheme, because it's like something Barbie would ride =P I didn't really like the color before but I've grown to like it, it the most colorful eyecatching color scheme of the whole KLR650 line.
SFMCJohn's bike is also considered the Barbie also. I guess the Tengai would be also.
Here's a cool PDF that shows you all the KLR650 colors over the years
http://watt-man.com/uploads/KLR_Timeline.pdf
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SFMCjohn
13
Teal and purple, ftw! got that bodywork on a parts bike and had to mount it up and run it ... so ugly it’s beautiful ... :laughing
would love to own the early fruity pebbles Barbie bike someday ... :thumbup
had an ‘01, too, last model built in Japan ... was my first KLR I got from bicycle phil on ADV ... think I’m still running the bash plate, rear break lever and hand guards from that bike ... come to think of it the ‘01 tank started to leak, which is another reason the Barbie tank was mounted ... :gsxrgrl
they stopped making real KLRs in 2007 when they changed the ignition system so they wouldn’t run with a dead battery anymore ... :x
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HadesOmega
Well-known member
Oh yeah speaking of green KLRs, the motorcycle I first learned to ride on was a 2000 KLR250. It was the Army Green color the GI Joe bike =P I regret never being able to ride it in the dirt, my dad used it to commute to work then one day it wouldn't start anymore and he stopped riding it. I couldn't get running again and we wound up just selling it. It was great for putting around town but it was damn scary trying to ride it on the freeway. That poor little 250 was working so hard on the freeway and lacked any kind of passing power. Hated the kick start on it also =P
A cool thing about the KLR250 is the JGSDF or the Japanese Army used to use the a KLX very similar to the KLR250 before the KLX250 they use currently. I took a picture of one on a trip to Japan. It's got a special rack to mount a radio to it also. So you can ride up a hill communicate.
Speaking of military motorcycles the USMC used KLR250s and the KLR650. They also had a special diesel version. 110MPG! It's got some serious range!
youtu.be/qtcd1kSdlQY
Found on that was at a government auction, looks like a KLR650 with a KLR250 headlight assembly. Of course it has the special diesel engine built by Hayes Engineering. It's got the little blackout light on it. Haha imagine riding this at night with night vision goggles on. That would be pretty terrifying though because you have no dept perception with NVGs.
youtu.be/iEDDvgcvqtc
A cool thing about the KLR250 is the JGSDF or the Japanese Army used to use the a KLX very similar to the KLR250 before the KLX250 they use currently. I took a picture of one on a trip to Japan. It's got a special rack to mount a radio to it also. So you can ride up a hill communicate.
Speaking of military motorcycles the USMC used KLR250s and the KLR650. They also had a special diesel version. 110MPG! It's got some serious range!
youtu.be/qtcd1kSdlQY
Found on that was at a government auction, looks like a KLR650 with a KLR250 headlight assembly. Of course it has the special diesel engine built by Hayes Engineering. It's got the little blackout light on it. Haha imagine riding this at night with night vision goggles on. That would be pretty terrifying though because you have no dept perception with NVGs.
youtu.be/iEDDvgcvqtc
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