Kawasaki KLR 650 Mods

[Rotten_Ronnie]

Originally Posted by Rotten_Ronnie




Tell me about the hard cases on the bike in this shot...ammo boxes?

Originally Posted by Rotten_Ronnie
Packrat luggage rack with two ammo cans as panniers, but they're pretty heavy.

I am liking them as panniers as well as sliders....if need be.
Other than weight, how do they work on long trips?
Are they bolt on, bolt off, or did you McGyver something more exotic?
What size/cal are the cans?

The rack is probably the heaviest on the market, but it's shrugged off a few get offs, and the ammo cans were purchased by a friend and sold to me when he sold his KLR. I've no idea what they held, but 20mm chain ammo would have fit in them easily.

http://www.packratadventuregear.com/

http://www.packratadventuregear.com/...ckwebpage.html



Here are the other Farkles on it:

1. farkle
accessory. The word is generally accepted to mean a combination of "function" and "sparkle", hence, farkle. Motorcycle enthusiasts may install accessories, called farkles (also spelled farkel), to customize their machine.
F.A.R.K.L.E. -- Fancy Accessory Really Kool Likely Expensive


Well, the very first farkle I put on my bike was GPS holder from Ram. There was no turning back.


On my 2004 Kawasaki KLR 650:

1. Ram Ball mount
2. Garmin eTrex Vista Cx (gets you there and back even in the dark)
3. Progressive dual rate fork springs
4. K9 Fork Brace
5. Progressive 420 rear shock
6. Aluminium bash plate
7. Fairing guards
8. SW Motech quick release luggage racks
9. Givi EZ-Flow Top Box
10. Givi E41 Monokey side cases
11. Symtec heated grips
12. Attachment for heated jacket
13. 12v Accessory outlet
14. Aftermarket 400watt Stator
15. Aftermarket Regulator/Rectifier for hd stator (Dead!!! I had to switch back to stock)
16. KLX carburettor needle kit
17. carburettor slide vacuum hole enlarged to 7/64"
18. DR-650 metal foot pegs
19. IMS extended gear shifter
20. Ascerbis aluminium hand guards (These are priceless! Saved my hands offroad and on)
21. Manic Salamander throttle lock and bar ends (removed at present)
22. Knurled screw to adjust the low speed circuit (pilot screw)
23. LED Battery voltage monitor (on the kitchen table)
24. Schnitz Racing 685cc Big Bore kit
25. PIAA Super Plasma GT-X H4 Bulb (55/60watts)
26. Zip Ties as required
27. $12.00 Rear right chinese turn signal courtesy of mud hill
28. Spare front and rear rims mounting Kenda Trackmaster2's
29. Corbin saddle (I now have the flat seat as opposed to dished and it makes a world of difference off road, but I can't flat foot anymore)
30. IDS2 Supertrapp exhaust (loud and prone to spit bolts out and now missing the end cap. Darlooney says it shot past her near Truro, Nova Scotia)
31. All Balls Fork Seals
32. EC - Battery voltage monitor
33. GPS power supply cord for Garmin 60Cx
34. Paris Dacre Nerf Tank & Radiator Guards with highway pegs (saved my bacon 20km north of Manic Cinq in Quebec on 389 Nord)
35. Anti-vibration mirror mounts (I pulled them off when I put on the folding mirrors, and they ARE going straight back on this weekend! I can't see behind me when I accelerate!
36. Emgo folding dual sport mirrors (slid it off a gravel corner in Quebec and broke both OEM mirrors)
37. Polisport "Supermoto" fender (left pieces of the OEM one north of Manic Cinq)
38. Front brake master cylinder replacement cap screws (yes, the OEM Phillips heads will strip, I've seen it on three bikes now)
39. Eagle Mike footpeg bolt upgrade
40. PackRat luggage rack (Crash tested and approved!)
41. Ammo Can Panniers (Too heavy really, see the picture below)

[stevie t]

Ok, so I am hearing that they are just too heavy?

The other option is a couple of seahorse cases mounted on the packrat rack.
Hi Viz yellow most likely.

What did you do with the Givi/mototech stuff on your list?

You also forgot the lobotomy on your list of farkles...kinda smooths out all the vibes...

[Rotten_Ronnie]

I forgot to answer your touring question. The racks and panniers were brilliant for all the highway bits, a Trans Labrador Highway crossing and Newfoundland tour over 8,000 kilometres. The weight was only a problem when I drifted a gravel corner on purpose north of Manic Cinq in Quebec, and the lighter front end hit washboard on the exit and began to oscillate from side to side until it hit steering lock and I went down fast and hard. The cases and rack shrugged off a 60kph getoff, scratching only the paint on the cans.



Another get off involving a blown front tube that failed at 80kph on asphalt that left the rack with the powder coat scraped off after a twenty foot slide down the road:

[Rotten_Ronnie]

I use the GIVI cases on my Bandit on SW-Motech racks.

The racks I bought for the KLR (The sw-motech) are going to be sold as they're perfect for street tours, acceptable for gravel runs on street tires, but not strong enough to take the hit while riding off road. Too heavy because they lighten up the front contact patch in gravel or mud, and in really really strong winds. I may go with plastic or aluminium cases for the next big gravel / offroad adventure, but I'm sure I'd ride out to Alaska a back tomorrow and be fine provided I watched my corner speed on the rough stuff...

The Packrat is held on with four bolts, one piece. The cans had to be drilled as the rack comes with four bolts with ergo heads that allow you to screw them onto the rack, You'd leave the cans on the bike if you pulled into a hotel for the day.

Seahorse? Are they similar to Pelicans?

[stevie t]

Seahorse? Are they similar to Pelicans?

Seems like it, around half the price...maybe even half the weight of the ammo cans?

http://seahorsecases.com/Merchant2/m..._Code=SE_CASES

[Rob MacLennan]

I use the GIVI cases on my Bandit on SW-Motech racks.

The racks I bought for the KLR (The sw-motech) are going to be sold as they're perfect for street tours, acceptable for gravel runs on street tires, but not strong enough to take the hit while riding off road. Too heavy because they lighten up the front contact patch in gravel or mud, and in really really strong winds. I may go with plastic or aluminium cases for the next big gravel / offroad adventure, but I'm sure I'd ride out to Alaska a back tomorrow and be fine provided I watched my corner speed on the rough stuff...

The Packrat is held on with four bolts, one piece. The cans had to be drilled as the rack comes with four bolts with ergo heads that allow you to screw them onto the rack, You'd leave the cans on the bike if you pulled into a hotel for the day.

Seahorse? Are they similar to Pelicans?

They're doing luggage systems using pelican cases now too. Sounds like they use SW Mototech racks too.

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade...view/5572/614/

[lucky2]

.
.
.
.

[stevie t]

Interesting mod....

[Rotten_Ronnie]

Interesting mod....

I saw that in another thread. I wonder what kind of torque and HP he develops with it? You'd pretty much have to rebuild the suspension from the ground up to support tat kind of horsepower I think.

Have you seen the one with the zx-10 motor? Another Modtard.