My KLR

[Frank]

I may be down in Noblesville around the Thanksgiving time...maybe a short ride then?

[Willman]

Nicely done!

[Frank]

Thank you sir! The big brown truck will be pulling up sometime today!

The downside, my HT rear top box will not be here until next weekend, shipping today. This was the biggest thing I was looking forward to. Still, everything else comes in today and lots to go on the bike. I will also be hard wiring my GPS (Garmin NUVI 550) and my Aerostich heated fleece/Darien Jacket.

Pics to follow.

[Frank]

Lots of progress on my bike today. Ive had the bike a week as of this past Friday and its close to where I want it to be, for now.

Everything came in except my top box which is what I was most looking forward to having. HT sorta upset me with how they handled it. Evidently, the top box I ordered was not in stock and wouldn't be in stock for about 3 weeks when my order was placed and shipped. HT never notified me of this and I found nothing in my package that would have told me why my top box was not in the package. After a few phone calls, a box is on its way and will be here Thursday. All of that said, I would buy from HT again.

After reading all of the claims of what to do with the bike right out of the box, we decided to tear it down to the frame and look into everything for ourselves.


DSC_0371-3 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

What was found was nothing that we didnt expect to see. -lots of potential prone failure areas with wiring.

The entire main harness was very loose and of course this could lead to major issues down the road with rubbing.

DSC_0376-6 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

If you look dead center in the picture, you will find a 100% pinched wire. Im going to assume this is from when the sprocket was changed via the previous owner

DSC_0386-10 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

In the bottom center of the picture, you will see a hose with a red line on it. This was actually resting right on the engine and already had a decent rub mark on it.

DSC_0381-7 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

Everything was tied back and/or re-routed. I left the tabs on the zip ties so you could see where I tied everything back. Almost everything got lock tight "blue" when going back together

DSC_0389-12 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

That hose that was rubbing...no longer sitting on the engine

DSC_0390-13 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

Then it was onto the new Happy-Trail windscreen relocation:

DSC_0367-1 by Frank Vest, on Flickr


DSC_0369-2 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

The install was fairly simple. The instructions are fairly worthless.

Wiring for my GPS and the meter I also purchased was cleanly installed behind the "dash"

DSC_0374-4 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

Installed with the meter and my RAM ball mount for my GPS. This meter is ok, not great. The wires coming out of the unit are the smallest wires I have ever seen. I didnt have a wire stripper that would strip them and my fingernails actually ripped the wire in half. Be careful if you decide to get this meter.

DSC_0382-8 by Frank Vest, on Flickr


DSC_0396-15 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

From the front

DSC_0383-9 by Frank Vest, on Flickr


DSC_0391-14 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

I also mentioned that I am tall, 6'3". I decided to add Eagle Mike 38mm risers and play with the location of my handle bars a bit. The bar risers and moving my bars forward a little made a massive difference. My posture on the bike is totally different now. I cant wait to take it on a long ride

DSC_0375-5 by Frank Vest, on Flickr

I still have to install my shift lever and magnetic oil plug. Not pictured but is installed is my wiring for my Aerostich heated fleece and battery tender. Its coming along...

[Frank]

Tomorrow I will hopefully get a few miles on the bike to try out the new windscreen location. Initial reaction on my short trip home, it deflects A LOT of air and the dash NEEDS to be more secure. I almost couldnt even read my GPS as it was bouncing around so bad. A simple hole at the top of the dash and a zip tie I think would secure it. More pictures will follow on that.

[Frank]

Cogent moab rear shock and Eibach spring, Cogent fork springs, Race Tech emulators, and the Happy-trail fork brace are all on the way.

This is reported to be the best suspension set-up on the market for the KLR. Did it need it, well...I will leave that to personal preference. I haven't owned a vehicle in the last six years I didn't modify the suspension in some way or another.

Now its time to save for crash bars and panniers. Generally, I get about 30 hours a month OT at work but it has been very slow lately....and I work in the steel industry. Lets not hope this is a sign of future comings.

I hope to get my shift lever and top box on this week yet. -and I have yet to get on my bike since the weekend...so no new updates on the windscreen

[TACODOC]

[Loco-Nomad]

I have always been a Beemer owner but have been without a bike since I sold my last one 3 years ago. My biggest complaint with them was that every stock seat was absolutley unbearable on long trips, and even spending $600 on after market seats were no different. How are the KLR seats? Been contimplating getting one of these due to the price of Beemers now...

[TACODOC]

How are the KLR seats?

They ROCK for the first hour...

After that they become an instrument of torture IMO.

YMMV!

[Frank]

Suspension and upgraded sub frame bolts go on this weekend and maybe a trip to the UP of Michigan in a few weeks for the Lake Superior Rally...work depending.

As for the seat...the stock seat is what it is. An upgrade looks to be between 275-400. It's not on the top of my list of things to do.




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