Made you post three times so far, didn't it? :******: :****: :grin:Mega-apathy?
I now have three color options for my KLR
- Thread starter ShinyPartsUp
- Start date
Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:
Walden
Active member
Interesting that I have the same decision, looking at a new KLR as a learning bike for the Wifey/2nd bike for me. She and I agree that the blue is ugly. If it were not so near to periwinkle or baby blue, more like the '06 feej, things would be different.
Pros:
Black will look good with nearly any color riding gear (what you already have), and will look fine with stainless/aluminum panniers.
Red is more noticeable.
Cons:
Black will show more dirt and scratches. Then again, who would buy a KLR just to keep it as a trailer queen?
Faded red plastic looks horrible (my 84 Honda).
... Black it is.
Pros:
Black will look good with nearly any color riding gear (what you already have), and will look fine with stainless/aluminum panniers.
Red is more noticeable.
Cons:
Black will show more dirt and scratches. Then again, who would buy a KLR just to keep it as a trailer queen?
Faded red plastic looks horrible (my 84 Honda).
... Black it is.
rushes
Well-known member
Get the black one.
One ride and it'll be so scratched up and dirty, you'll look like you're hardcore.... :good:
One ride and it'll be so scratched up and dirty, you'll look like you're hardcore.... :good:
Last edited by a moderator:
beemerdons
Certifiable Old Fart
Trust me, I'm a fellow Irishman; and you know how damn trustworthy we are! Ha, ha: That statement probably cut it there!
Ask SkooterGreggie: I popped his Mexico motorcycle riding cherry back in November of 2004 when "Fast" Eddie Quarles, Chuck "Frenchie" Doucet and I led him on an 10 day, 6000 kilometer ride to Cabo San Lucas and back. Mi vida loca, ese.
Other than losing him once at Los Barrilles and an incident where he was standing in the lobby of the putas whorehouse in Guerrero ***** in his tighty ****** undies with a fistful of 50 peso notes trying to get laid: Twas a safe and sane adventure!
As of right now, the vote is split 9-9-9. So once again: Puke green spray bedliner over a black base would be Numero Uno!!
Philip V
Well-known member
Do you plan on puttin around? if so, go with red, but remember that red stands out and will attract the attention of law enforcement a lot easier.
charismaticmegafauna
Well-known member
I was at a Moto Guzzi Natl. Rally and way back in the back of the camping area were these long haired, bearded, dudes in bib-overalls. They had a few older M-Gs on display and they were all black -- flat black. I was looking them over and noticed a bit of chrome on a shock spring cover (or similar?) and mentioned it. Whereupon one of the elder campers hollered at 'Junior' (fifty-ish) who immediately grabbed a rattle-can of flat black and took care of it.
Black certainly does have its benefits....
Black certainly does have its benefits....
Geezer
Parsimonious Curmudgeon
It won't matter what color is under the layer of mud.
I voted red just to keep the numbers as even as possible. :lol:
I voted red just to keep the numbers as even as possible. :lol:
Somebody help me, I want to ride with you just to hear the stories.... if I find puke green bedliner you'll be the first to know Don
And when you say it was safe, you were not referring to prophylactics I assume
Bastage! lol vote is 12/11/10....
Well, as expected you were all sooooooooo helpful. But I learned some important things as I have to make my selection tomorrow.
Happy Trails ships fast and my doohickey arrives tomorrow...
BeemerDon is a guy I need to meet some day.... but not alone
The bike gives good vibes to the pillion... and my wife can't wait to research that.
The idea of a faded red (read pink) bike someday that looks like an old Honda has turned me off. And more LEO attention I don't need.
I already have a blue Yamaha in the garage with character marks so I don't need another.
So I guess black left dirty and gnarly it is!!
Probably with decals taken off and puke green bedliner (if found) hiding the character flaws that are inevitable...
And the last thing I learned besides there being some very twisted people here -- the vote was meant to be a lark (not the bird) but I learned things, and it made the decision easier and helped changed my mind. Thanks to all for the insights and laughs. I'll post pictures when I get 'em. Now to figure out a name... diablo ***** sounds cool....
Happy Trails ships fast and my doohickey arrives tomorrow...
BeemerDon is a guy I need to meet some day.... but not alone
The bike gives good vibes to the pillion... and my wife can't wait to research that.
The idea of a faded red (read pink) bike someday that looks like an old Honda has turned me off. And more LEO attention I don't need.
I already have a blue Yamaha in the garage with character marks so I don't need another.
So I guess black left dirty and gnarly it is!!
Probably with decals taken off and puke green bedliner (if found) hiding the character flaws that are inevitable...
And the last thing I learned besides there being some very twisted people here -- the vote was meant to be a lark (not the bird) but I learned things, and it made the decision easier and helped changed my mind. Thanks to all for the insights and laughs. I'll post pictures when I get 'em. Now to figure out a name... diablo ***** sounds cool....
beemerdons
Certifiable Old Fart
Ooooh, very nice; I'm interested! Is your bike a boy or a girl? All my bikes owned over 45 years time have been girls, just a few dual sport exceptions. My 1996 BMW R1100GS is "Mi Mexico Mule" and the KLR, now RJ's, was "Mi Mexico Mule II." My newest BMW GS is "Salma Hayek!"
Ernesto Che Guevara is extremely popular South of the Border, further South you ride, the more you see pictures of El Che.
You may want to consider "El Poderoso Diablo" if your KLR's a boy or "La Poderosa Diabla" if it's a girl. The Powerful Devil!!
La Poderosa II was Guerrillero Heroico's Norton 500 from his book "The Motorcycle Diaries." Chiapas restaurants have shrines to El Che!
Last edited by a moderator:
Wait... you still have to do the doohickey fix to the new KLRs?
I thought they fixed that in the new gen.
charismaticmegafauna
Well-known member
They did....., KLR folks now do it b/c it's become a "Tradition".... :huh:Wait... you still have to do the doohickey fix to the new KLRs? I thought they fixed that in the new gen.
A 'right-of-passage' -- you are not a true "KLR-ista" unless you've had your 'do-hickey' changed....
Last edited by a moderator:
I like the Che Guevera tie in. I like his T-Shirts, lol....I had forgotten the name of that bike! My bikes have all been nameless or girls. I likee La Poderosa Diabla.... though a bit of a stretch to call an old Norton or the KLR powerful. I always decide for sure after I ride them though.
Last edited by a moderator:
Better, but still vulnerable per the KLR gurus. Better safe than sorry is the concensus.Wait... you still have to do the doohickey fix to the new KLRs?
I thought they fixed that in the new gen.
EDIT: I just saw fauna's response, and I should add having your doohickey changed gives a wonderful sense of accomplishment and inclusion...
my mechanic had to dig out the broken parts from a 2008 KLR coming through Roseburg from a guy traveling from Australia. And I read the spring is still vulnerable... so
Last edited by a moderator:
SkooterG
Purveyor of Crooked Facts
Where's the choice of Cerulean Silver?
beemerdons
Certifiable Old Fart
Fred W: Kawasaki improved the balance idler shaft lever on 2008 models, but not enough to keep them from failing offroad!
The biggest puzzler is why they extended the extension spring, it is now so damn long it does not do anything but screw up!
I sometimes wonder why major manufacturers do not turn to the aftermarket vendors and simply buy their fine products directly to fix their problem children! Having two BMW's in my garage with the Achilles Heel final drives, an R1150RT and a R1100GS, I would jump at the chance to buy final drives made perfect by Gertrag, Hepco & Becker, Wunderlich, or others!
In case of KLR's, why doesn't Kawasaki just turn to a guy like Eagle Mike, buy his balancer idle lever and spring upgrades?
KLR650 Doohickey (Balancer Idle Lever & Spring Upgrade)
SKU KLR-EM-10
Doohickey 101 - In the '86-'07 KLR650’s chain-driven balancer subsystem, two related parts are prone to failure: 1) the balancer idler lever (Kawasaki part no. 13168-1436); and, 2) the idler shaft spring (Kawasaki part no. 92144-1860). The two parts serve to maintain tension on the balancer chain. The OEM idler shaft lever is a welded piece. Because it is improperly supported, the lever can be easily crimped, dented, or warped. Eventually, the damage can become so severe the lever “hangs” on the crimped part and fails to allow adjustment to the chain tension. In some cases (especially on ’96 - '07 KLR’s), the weld fails or the collar breaks so the lever is no longer attached to the idler shaft and pieces fall into the oil sump below. Tension on the system is now held entirely by the idler shaft spring. Under tremendous stress, the spring can fail either by breakage or being stretched beyond limits. In any of the above scenarios, when tension is lost the chain is capable of jumping a sprocket, jamming and locking the engine. It is also possible for the broken pieces to find their way into the oil pump (assuming the protective screen is missing) and cause engine failure at speed. What about the 2008> KLR650? The balancer idler shaft lever is improved but not nearly what it could be. But even more important, the factory extension spring is too long to do any good. It only gets worse with miles.
This Mike Cowlishaw (Eagle Mfg & Engineering) solution is made from 17-4PH stainless steel, heat treated to 44c on the Rockwell scale. The alloy is characterized by great strength, it is also tough and not brittle (corrosion resistance is a side benefit). The material is more than twice as strong as the factory part. Even more the one-piece billet design dramatically improves the strength over the OEM part. The design also increases the bearing surface (along the shaft) by about 100 percent in length. It also is reindexed to allow adjustment for the entire useful life of the chain.
Included in the Doohickey upgrade kit is: one balancer idler lever and two idler shaft springs (extension type) in 35 & 38 mm. If you prefer a torsion type spring we offer the Eagle Torsion spring kit (see below) which includes a 1/16" drill bit for creating an anchor for the stationary pin of the torsion spring. The torsion spring offers significant advantages over a conventional extension spring setup: ● it has enough adjustment range for the life of the engine; ● it is captured on installation; ● it takes the excess slack out of the system in the best possible way since it attaches directly to the adjustment lever. If you select this kit you will use the torsion spring instead of the factory style extension springs included in the kit.
The biggest puzzler is why they extended the extension spring, it is now so damn long it does not do anything but screw up!
I sometimes wonder why major manufacturers do not turn to the aftermarket vendors and simply buy their fine products directly to fix their problem children! Having two BMW's in my garage with the Achilles Heel final drives, an R1150RT and a R1100GS, I would jump at the chance to buy final drives made perfect by Gertrag, Hepco & Becker, Wunderlich, or others!
In case of KLR's, why doesn't Kawasaki just turn to a guy like Eagle Mike, buy his balancer idle lever and spring upgrades?
KLR650 Doohickey (Balancer Idle Lever & Spring Upgrade)
SKU KLR-EM-10
Doohickey 101 - In the '86-'07 KLR650’s chain-driven balancer subsystem, two related parts are prone to failure: 1) the balancer idler lever (Kawasaki part no. 13168-1436); and, 2) the idler shaft spring (Kawasaki part no. 92144-1860). The two parts serve to maintain tension on the balancer chain. The OEM idler shaft lever is a welded piece. Because it is improperly supported, the lever can be easily crimped, dented, or warped. Eventually, the damage can become so severe the lever “hangs” on the crimped part and fails to allow adjustment to the chain tension. In some cases (especially on ’96 - '07 KLR’s), the weld fails or the collar breaks so the lever is no longer attached to the idler shaft and pieces fall into the oil sump below. Tension on the system is now held entirely by the idler shaft spring. Under tremendous stress, the spring can fail either by breakage or being stretched beyond limits. In any of the above scenarios, when tension is lost the chain is capable of jumping a sprocket, jamming and locking the engine. It is also possible for the broken pieces to find their way into the oil pump (assuming the protective screen is missing) and cause engine failure at speed. What about the 2008> KLR650? The balancer idler shaft lever is improved but not nearly what it could be. But even more important, the factory extension spring is too long to do any good. It only gets worse with miles.
This Mike Cowlishaw (Eagle Mfg & Engineering) solution is made from 17-4PH stainless steel, heat treated to 44c on the Rockwell scale. The alloy is characterized by great strength, it is also tough and not brittle (corrosion resistance is a side benefit). The material is more than twice as strong as the factory part. Even more the one-piece billet design dramatically improves the strength over the OEM part. The design also increases the bearing surface (along the shaft) by about 100 percent in length. It also is reindexed to allow adjustment for the entire useful life of the chain.
Included in the Doohickey upgrade kit is: one balancer idler lever and two idler shaft springs (extension type) in 35 & 38 mm. If you prefer a torsion type spring we offer the Eagle Torsion spring kit (see below) which includes a 1/16" drill bit for creating an anchor for the stationary pin of the torsion spring. The torsion spring offers significant advantages over a conventional extension spring setup: ● it has enough adjustment range for the life of the engine; ● it is captured on installation; ● it takes the excess slack out of the system in the best possible way since it attaches directly to the adjustment lever. If you select this kit you will use the torsion spring instead of the factory style extension springs included in the kit.
Last edited by a moderator:
Similar threads
