Bought a KLR650

[patw]

After having it for a month or so, this is my new favourite sign.



She's pretty(ish), but still too clean:

[Z1K]

Congrats. Now put some knobbies on it and go looking for these signs:

[patw]

Already went with a buddy, but without knobbies. The sign looked more like:

[gcrouse]

That bike looks familair !!! Did you find it on kijji?

[patw]

That bike looks familair !!! Did you find it on kijji?

Yep, picked it up from a guy in Oro-Medonte. He has a business of grabbing bikes from Quebec, fixing/cleaning, and selling them in Ontario.

[shanekingsley]

I had a 2001 KLR for a few years and really liked it. I always thought they were some of the ugliest bikes around, but they are a lot of fun to ride. They are a very good bike for mixing street and ioff-road. Yours looks better in all black than the stock colours.

If you didn't already know about it, check out http://www.klr650.net/forums/ for lots of useful info. Congrats!

[gcrouse]

Just a heads up too. Make sure the doo hickey has been donw or some bad things can happen .. I would love to pick up one for cheap , becasue the dirt roads around here look inviting and the viffer isn't cut out for that lol

[patw]

I don't know much about the history of the bike, I'll get the dohicky checked out.

KLR650.net is great. Lots of good info there, thanks Shane.

[joeboo]

I don't know much about the history of the bike, I'll get the dohicky checked out.

KLR650.net is great. Lots of good info there, thanks Shane.

Tell them just to do the whatsmathinger at the same time, its easier when you're already in checking out the dohicky.

[Rotten_Ronnie]

Tell them just to do the whatsmathinger at the same time, its easier when you're already in checking out the dohicky.

They're horrible fugly beasts. I love mine. :PDon't modify the engine, carb, exh unless you want to pay more for gas$.Willys is the local klr guru, up in Pefferlaw.

[Heavy]

I had a 2001 KLR for a few years and really liked it. I always thought they were some of the ugliest bikes around...

...so you moved up to the sleek beauty of a V-Strom?

[patw]

They're horrible fugly beasts. I love mine. :PDon't modify the engine, carb, exh unless you want to pay more for gas$.Willys is the local klr guru, up in Pefferlaw.

I think that guy replied to my introduction post on KLR650 net. I remember the name of the town. I have the famous surging problem at 110-120km/hr, so I may have to visit him one day. The proposed solutions are numerous, but some would wreck fuel economy.

Right now I'm getting 285km before I have to switch to reserve and at that point, I had to put 18L in it. It may have already been modded

[RichinOville]

I love both of absolutely those two signs too, but I'm riding a FZ1, named Stupid. The more I ride it, the more fitting the name is for the bike and the rider.

[waterlilly]

I think that guy replied to my introduction post on KLR650 net. I remember the name of the town. I have the famous surging problem at 110-120km/hr, so I may have to visit him one day. The proposed solutions are numerous, but some would wreck fuel economy.

Right now I'm getting 285km before I have to switch to reserve and at that point, I had to put 18L in it. It may have already been modded

Yikes 285km there maybe a chance some one did modify it. I get 420kms then 450 on reserve.

[patw]

Yikes 285km there maybe a chance some one did modify it. I get 420kms then 450 on reserve.

That tank was an hour or so of off-road and city commuting. Are you getting 420km highway or mixed?

[waterlilly]

That would be mixed I'm not much of an off road gal with the KLR( to heavy) just gravel roads and hwy/city riding.

[Rotten_Ronnie]

I used to get 370 to reserve on a stock bike. You can't count offroad as "mileage", it varies depending on the terrain, your tires, and your wrist. :P

[shanekingsley]

...so you moved up to the sleek beauty of a V-Strom?

Ahh... the V-Strom, the KLR's fatter, but slightly prettier sister. Actually, I needed a bike that had could go somewhat off road and yet could be more comfortable 2up with more power - but not enough to get me into trouble. The KLR was great, but more of a solo riding bike than 2up.

For what it's worth, I used to also get around 350-400km/tank with no engine/exhaust mods on paved surfaces with ammo cans as my side cases/top box... It would burn a bit of oil on sustained highway riding over 120km/hr, but no oil burning at slower speeds. Sometimes, I used to get a bit of a speed wobble over 130km/hr on highways with all that turbulence from other moving vehicles. I hated the stock seat more than I liked the long fuel range so I got a sheepskin seatcover which helped a great deal. All in all a great bike for how cheap it was. Put 40,000km on it and sold it for about $1k less than I paid for it.

A few things I found really made the bike better: sheepskin seat cover, fork brace, taller windshield, studded foot rests/shifter, center stand, braided lines, Carb T-mod (since I used to ride in heavy, heavy rains), upgraded front suspension and thicker foam on the handgrips to dampen the vibration.

[patw]

I love the V-Strom as well. I tried a newer one (but not the new redesign) at the Suzuki demo event earlier this year and I had a smile the whole time on that machine

Sadly, the owners know what they're worth, and never let them go for cheap.

[klr_guy]

I believe I'm going to be getting back on a KLR shortly. GTAM handle notwithstanding (signed in in the very early days of GTAM when I had an '01) it's been a long time since I've had my butt on one. Had a v-strom too, which I really liked - maybe I like ugly bikes The economy tanking and being self-employed I had to sell the fleet. Back on my feet and have a line on a low mileage stock (ready for farkles) '06.

Can't wait.