Check out Torque's RT700 Brake Fluid and feel the difference for yourself. I'm definitely switching all my bikes over to this. torque.ultracartstore.com/cgi-bin/UCEditor?merchantId=TORQE&ADD=RT700-3%2F4
Spite, my friend, my brother in brap. HARBOR FREIGHT HAS YOU! I have multiple sets of Allen head drivers, all of them pitsburg brand and they have lased 4 years as a weld shop repair technician, and 2 years and counting in my current job as a Maintenance technician for industrial compressors. from my half inch hand tools to my 3/8" impact rated set i have only had one Allen head break and that was going to happen when you were trying to ugga dugga loose something you had to melt apart anyway.
Use a pair of 8 or 11-inch dikes (diagonal cutting pliers) on those cotter pins, like the one on the rear axle. After straightening out the cotter pin, grab the pin with the dikes close to the nut and twist back and forth. The head of the dikes will work as a lever against the nut, pulling out the pin. The dikes won't slip like needle nose, and you won't hit yourself or you bike. This is if you're planning on reusing the cotter pin. Otherwise, those same dikes will cut through the pin easily. Also in an emergency you could have used a bolt with 2 nuts as your 14mm Allen key. Lock the 2 nuts together nuts together. Stick the head of the bolt in the recess for the Allen key. The 2 nuts should not be in the recess. Though the nuts should be locked together as close to the head of the bolt as you can, to prevent twisting or shearing the bolt. Grab a wrench, and loosen from the nut closer to the head of the bolt. To tighten you would have the wrench on the nut furthest from the bolt head. This is how you would do it if the stores were closed or you were in the middle of nowhere. You would take the hardware off another part of your bike. Sometime you have to make it work with what you have.
Additionally I saw another youtuber who sprays silicone lube on the tube to make it last longer and help it slide out of the way when inserting it, and supposedly makes it more slippery in a pinch flat scenario! ARieman1 is the channel I believe!
Ya gotta make sure both sides of the tire stay broken down in the center of the rim while you're mounting the tire. Otherwise, it gets real super hard and won't go. It took me forever to figure that out lol. Also, I put one side of the tire on the rim, stuff the tube in there, line up the valve stem and barely put the nut on it, then put the other side of the tire on the rim.
What he said. Narrow wheels make it more challenging. The last 8 tires or so I've changed since 2010 were hand spooned on wood blocks. It can be done just learning the tricks is key.
This is where having the service manual comes in really handy. They usually include a complete list of all the tools you need to take everything apart. Makes it easier to put a tool kit together for repairs away from the shop.
Regarding not having a socket for the front axle, doesn't the OEM toolkit contain a 8/10 mm box spanner? Oftentimes, the outside of the 10mm box is designed to fit inside the 14mm hex of the axle.
Fun tidbit I had heard somewhere. Kawasaki never felt the need to replace the dohicky because they didn't have enough data on repairs and warranty replacement on the part since so many people bought a KLR and immediately replaced the dohicky before it could fail
Kawasaki probably didn't fix it because kawasaki is a shit lazy company. They bring a product to market and never make improvements or fixes. They've completely abandoned the vulcan lineup, the 2023 voyager is the same bike as the 2011. Kawasaki can't be bothered to fix their output shaft flaw, the heat issue, or even make a minor change and add factory bluetooth. Nope. They will happily sell you a $22,000 motorcycle that's identical to an $7000 motorcycle with a radio from a 1990s base model chevy.
I'm halfway through your flick Spite, in your kwakka tool kit you will see tubular spark plug sockets, that actually fits the front axle believe it or not, it was a moment of discovery I had checking out how useful the KLR Tool kit was.. 👍
Spite - thanks for taking us along with the KLR improvements. Such a legendary machine!!! Love how you celebrate the small victories "Didn't spill any oil!! Didn't lose any parts!! Yay!!"
Another great video. Yes those new tires are crazy tight. Worth having 2 sets of rims with different tires to swap out for different uses. I wish more people maintained brake fluid .
Kawi mechanics claim it’s not an issue on the newer bikes and haven’t seen one fail, while the solitary individual selling the “fix” is claiming all will fail. We’re in quite the conundrum of interests here.
@@krashgamingandoutdoors1125I’ve seen the spring run out of tension, but that then makes you wonder if the cam chain is “too long”. And should a shorter spring even be considered or tolerances elsewhere be adjusted.
This video of yours is really helpful as a supplement to Eagle Mike's video (courtesy of Ian's Big Rock Moto video). The more I watch and learn, the better I'll do when I do the doo! Thank you. Hope you had fun in Sturgis!
I just bought one a few months ago for the same uses. I like it…..for what I paid for it. That said, if I money wasn’t much of a concern I’d definitely get something else, like the T7 or a smaller GS. I’d even possibly go with the Vstrom over the KLR if I had to do it again. The KLR is definitely more off road oriented but the size and weight of the KLR make it not ideal for a lot of off-road anyway. I’ve just had enough issues with mine and with it’s inherent limitations that I have a hard time recommending it to anyone who’s not on a pretty tight budget. I also did not buy one that was beat. I got a 6k mile one that still looked like new. I even paid a bit extra because it was so clean and was the color I wanted and had most of the extras I wanted already on it.
@@mcearl8073 So in my case budget is a limiting factor for me. But also I'm not sure what I'm going to enjoy when it comes to riding. So I figured I'd start with a KLR build up my skill and give my insurance time to come down before picking up something like the vStrom or GS.
Honest opinion from some who doesn't miss their KLR. For building offroad skills, this bike will punish you and make it impossible to learn. It'll fight you and make your feel it's you're not progressing while it's just the bike making it hard to learn. For the street, they're ok to learn on, but it's top heavy and the forks dive really bad. Those two things combined make low speeds maneuvers harder to learn because, the bike is working against you. You also develop bad braking habits learning to ride on a KLR because you have to force these brakes to work and when you transition to something with proper brakes you'll totally have to learn again. I don't know what kind of riding you want to do. For the street, you can get a used MT07 cheap, twice the power, better fuel mileage and SO much lighter and easier to ride. Offroad...well, my FZ 09 handles gravel roads way better than my KLR ever did, so pretty much anything would be better😁 Not trying to be negative, just honest with you.
When I saw how dry the tires were while you were trying to change them, I figured you would have trouble. Murphy's tire and tube mounting compound makes them soo slick, they almost slide on by themselves. I'll never try to change a tire or tube without it again. Helps prevent your tube from getting pinched if you brush a little on it too.
your face when you slowly moved in when you started it up, hahah i got a good laugh.. WE have all been there before like... DONT BLOW UP listening for ANYTHING hahah ahh man that brings back memorys working on my mini cooper and evo back in the day hahaha
My OEM spark plug tool fits perfectly in my front axle's hex. Try it maybe your will as well as an emergency tool. Also, Windex works great to put tires on rims. As it has been said before, put it in the sun to warm it up or put a air dryer in it. I've mounted Heidenau's with that method with no issue at all.
That Mitas is a very tough tire to mount. I got the back on my wife's KLR but just couldn't muscle the front on (finally did but pinched the tube). Got mad. Threw shit. You know the drill. Realized that I have the Dakar version (even stiffer sidewall) to mount on my 890 ADV, and did the same thing you did. Brought it to a place with the proper machinery, who told me that tire was a pain to mount for them lol. FANTASTIC tire, though.
I don't have a KLR, but still thoroughly enjoyed watching the video. Good stuff. Especially liked the 'concentration face' when you started it up after putting the case back together. lol
Had an engine vibration on my KLR600 when i bought it. Removed the casing to find the balance weight was cracked, also needed a doohickey , fitted a timing manual chain tensioner as well. Ran great afterwards although not what i would call good on the road. Sold it to buy a XSR900.
Aircraft mechanic here - a better method is to straighten the legs as well as possible, stick a pick through the end and twist. Never reuse split pins. Edit; needlenose pliers or just angled cutters (dykes) are excellent tools too.
Dang Spite! I did the rear tire on my supermoto right here in my office a couple of days ago. I used to do tires for people at dirt bike rides while drinking beer. My brother lives in Austin, TX. Maybe next time I get down there I'll see about giving you a tutorial, and maybe swap out a tire or two for you. My wrists are arthritic AF now so I'm a bit slower. But I still got game.
As of 07/23 just had my dohicky replaced on my gen three KLR that had only 1300 miles on it under warranty. Bought this bike new and treated it like a baby. Dealer had no answer why it failed.
Vacuum pump makes bleeding brakes easier. Pump the master cylinder to the bottom and start filling to minimize cross contamination. Braided Brake lines make a big difference as well but then your brakes will be way sketchy off road.
I never did the Doohickey on my bike I did however put on the Thermo Bob on my 2021 KLR which has 45,000 miles on it now. No issues with the Doohickey the only thing I do is each time I've done the oil change is to loosen the bolt and give it a tap which allows the spring to adjust. I think the issue is that most don't do this adjustment when they do their oil change.
I heard it's really a non-issue with well-maintained bikes. There's a video on YT of a Kawi mechanic stating he's never seen an issue and he has been working on Kawis over 20 years.
@@747fixr I've heard the spring breaks but again that has not been my experience and I have 45,000 miles on my bike and I have plenty of travel since I adjust the spring each time I do the oil change.
I’m not sure if you know or if anyone has told you but the best way to adjust the doohickey is hot in TDC. Along with make sure the torsion spring doesn’t fall behind the tensioner foot or else it will still move.
Hey Spite! This is so interesting because I swear Kawasaki claimed that the infamous KLR 650 "Doohickey" was redesigned along with a number of other features with the 2022 redesign. I'm glad you caught yours before running out of adjustment, but, Man! That sucks! C'mon Kawasaki! Fix it, for crying out loud!
Glad to see you are heading to Get On ADV Fest! I feel a lot of my projects and videos are being drawn out too because it's 100 degrees in Austin by 1p...
I've tried the zip tie method with new tires and tubes four times at this point. With a 75% success rate. I'm thinking next time around I'll try out the sunshine and see how it goes. Love the channel and comradery in the comments section, you guys make being a new rider inclusive, so thanks again. @SGTvolcan rocks!
I have those E07s on my Himalayan and love them. The 21” front is absolutely a pain in the butt. LOL. Also if you bought the Dakar front be careful on cold wet pavement. The Dakar is a harder compound and will slip in the wet.
I feel your pain. I had a rear tyre on my road bike that would not bead no matter what I tried. Eventually I had to go to the last resort & use explosive methods to get it seated. I'm keen to see how the Mitas E-07's work for you. I have the 70/30 Mitas Enduro Trail-ADV fitted to my Yamaha Scorpio at the moment. They handle like I'm on rails on the road so I'd like to see how 50/50's perform on the street.
Bro ty for saying toll bills lol I forgot I went riding with my gramps to San Mateo to cross a few bridges and they sent the invoice last week and I took a glimpse and have been ignoring it until right now lol
My biggest "game changer" touse the over used... is the check valve for bleeding the brakes/clutch. No more open/close/open/close... Just continually fill and pump the lever. Makes life so so much easier. And if it is easy you will do this more often. A win win for sure. Brake/clutch fluid is cheap. Do it every year.
The joys of tires. Mounting compound like Ruglyde (I swear it's not bedroom lube lol), makes a big difference. As well....ye olde' ziptie method helps too. Have you tried the Baja NoPinch tool or similar? Makes it stupid easy getting the last bead over. (Come to the Shenandoah 500 in VA and I'll show you in the field : p )
Seriously guys, it's all about technique. I fitted a set of MITAS EO7+ to my Yamaha SuperTenere with only shortie levers. It isn't that hard. The reason I fit my tyres with shortie levers is so that I can be assured that I can do repairs on the trail/road.
When I was taught by a grey head in Houston, he impressed on me that if you can’t get it done with short levers you are doing it wrong. Long levers bend rims. Using a machine and brute force almost guarantees a lack of developing a feel for levering on tires. Make sure the part of bead opposite the one you are levering on is down in the center of the wheel, the wheel is sized to allow the bead to slip over the flange when it’s set that way.
I went over 20k miles without doing the doohickey mod. No problems. That being said, on my next KLR I'll probably do one for piece of mind. The high output stator was worth it however, since we're on the subject of engine stuff.
I put 52,000 klms on my 2013 KLR before I sold it, original doohickey! From memory I had a Shinko (705?) on the rear which worked well. Can't remember the front, think it was another Shinko. I am a tightass though. The only reason I sold the KLR was I felt like a change. Did some big trips on it, most memorable was up to Radisson at the end of the road in Northern Quebec, needed to carry fuel, didn't see a living soul for three days. Young guy bought it off me, said first job was the doohickey, I'd actually never heard of it. All in all, sounds like I was lucky.
Honestly the doohickey mod is one of those things that people make it out to be worse then what it is, i know of countless klr’s in the area with anywhere from 15K miles to 50k miles & never had a DH failure. Kawi would not continue using this design after all these years if it was actually prone to failure.
Ever consider Shinko 705 for tires? They are like 70 on 30 off. Lets be honest. The KLR is more geared for on road than its counter parts like the Honda xr650 or the Suzuki dr650.
Just a comment for those not in the states. If you have a requirement for really good brake fluid and the torque brake fluid mentioned here is not available (as in my country) you have a couple options. 1. Motul RBF 660 (205C wet boiling point) will do the job in most cases 2. Motul RBF 700 (Synthetic, 205C wet boiling point) good enough almost always 3. Castrol SRF React racing (270C wet boiling point) this is pretty much the best brake fluid available, but not cheap If your requirement is not quite that demanding, Motul dot 5.1 will probably do the trick. (note, NOT dot 5) For comparison, Torque claim 226C wet boiling point for their RT700. Note that dry boiling point is not of much value - you need to compare wet boiling points.
The Mitas E07s are famously difficult to fit! Much like Heidenau K60s. I would only go for either of those tyres if i was going on a huge trip and knew they'd last me the entire duration tbh. Continental TKC80s or Bridgestone AX41s are easier to fit but don't last as long - I don't mind the shorter life if I'm not going to be doing thousands of miles in a very short period of time.
Got the E-07+ on my T7 recently and it was a fight with only 3 tyrespoons. Never again at least with these. The Rims now have those fancy scratches in the blue paint... So far the E-07+ are great on my T7. Not had any Grip Problems on the street so far. In the dirt they are great too. Could not test those in the rain.
to get tires back on put your tube in it slightly aired. Then zip tie the tire. Ive only encountered one tire that was a pain. Needed bigger zip ties lol I changed out front and back tires and tubes with nothing but the long motion pros zipties and baby powder.
The problem with getting tools from the auto parts store is that they're usually too heavy for your motorcycle tool kit. It might be necessary to pull a wheel when you're on the road.
@@fishwhisperer03 True. It could be like cam chain tensioner on the MT09 first gen (the part itself got many revisions), while probably a more common issue than this, it doesn't detract much from a solid bike 👍
When I did my dookicky. The needle bearings for the starter gear was gone. Not there or broke. Just not installed. I had to order some more off eBay for cheap. I would have finished that day if not waiting for parts. I put the doohickey and thermobob, brakes and sprocket. All before it's first real oil change. I changed the oil and filter, plugs and air filter when I bought it. Just to start fresh.
PIrelli Scorpion Rally STR, or Shinko E804/805, for the KLR. Rounded profile lets you corner well when playing on the road and curvy mountain highways, but blocky tread that does well in most terrains. Not as good as something like Michelin Anakee Wild or TKC 80's when faced with actual mud or sand... but far better on the road than those. As for the E-07's, I've tried them twice. Very long life tire, but they tend to feel dead on the road. Performance is adequate in most dirt conditions except big sand and mud. E-07's suck to put on and take off. Don't get a flat with them.
I plan on visiting stigis during adventure fest in the future but I don't own a ADV yet so I got during the rally. Riding some mid sized ADVs this year to decide what I want next spring. Tiger 900, KTM 890, or the pan am. I know you love the pan am but I'm hoping they have the bugs worked out by the 2024 model year.
I'd go pan am. If worse comes to worse there's plenty of parts and services available all over the United States, the ktm and triumph aren't gonna have that
@@mrspeigle1 That's the reason I'm considering the pan am but if they don't figure out all the issues I'm not going to go that route because you'll be using the dealer network for sure haha.
Funnily enough, when looking for the right sized allen socket for my kawasaki, Lowes was the place I found everything I needed. 6mm to 32mm. Wasn't cheap, but at least I have it all now. Just keep in mind that if you're looking for the whole range, you're going to have to order some in from other stores. I wasn't in a rush, so it wasn't that great of a deal for me.
Have any KLR owners destroyed their engines by not replacing the doohickey? My 2022 will be a year old in September. I'm thinking maybe I should do the same as Spite. I need tires as well those 50/50 look really nice.
you dont need a socket for that. you punch that out the pinch bolts are all you need then you can loosen t3eh nut on the other side and punch out that axle
Had the same issue with tyres once before but the last time I did my tyres, I left them in the sun for about 15 minutes and it was a breeze. Aslo what Happens when the doohickie hits end of travel? 6k and it's near the end. That spring seems to push it towards the end rather than fighting the travel.
Hi Spite! As a KLR 650 owner (you, not me), I would love to see you do a ride/review on a Suzuki DR 650. It seems like the KLR is better on the highway, but I'm curious about the 15 tooth front sprocket change on the DR. Just on a stock DR, would you feel like that extra tooth would put it on a more level playing field without destroying off road capability? Just a 650 enthusiast's rambling thought. Anything to justify not bending time, space, and money to aquire a Tenere.
What a nightmare. I will never buy a KLR. Even the latest version of the KLR has a "Spring" problem i.e. the spring as shown in this video eventually is subject to significant fatigue and failure. It is recommended you replace it with a torsion spring after warranty runs out (10,000 miles)
The HTF is a hike from where I live, and I have some HFT stuff, it's not great for precise measurements like high and low torque values and some of the milling in a their sockets has loose tolerances. It's good but not great.
I have seen that concerning “don’t fuck me now” stare a few times in my lifetime. Glad to hear I’m not the only one that forgets to bring necessary parts with me. 😉😉👍👍
Will be interested in your opinion of the Mitas E-07. I run these on a DR650 and love them. Yeah they can be tough to fit but I sure get a lot longer out of them than the 606's
I'd say the dr650 is better for this.. although they still haven't fixed the NSU bolts being loose and hand tight directly over a oil passageway to the gearbox...
What state? I would love to come visit, maybe bring my KLX 300SM to the garage to turn some wrenches together. I now wonder if it has the same issue as the KLR? Just had the engine rebuilt at 9k miles in 1 year, the cam froze.
Check out Torque's RT700 Brake Fluid and feel the difference for yourself. I'm definitely switching all my bikes over to this. torque.ultracartstore.com/cgi-bin/UCEditor?merchantId=TORQE&ADD=RT700-3%2F4
Spite, my friend, my brother in brap.
HARBOR FREIGHT HAS YOU!
I have multiple sets of Allen head drivers, all of them pitsburg brand and they have lased 4 years as a weld shop repair technician, and 2 years and counting in my current job as a Maintenance technician for industrial compressors. from my half inch hand tools to my 3/8" impact rated set i have only had one Allen head break and that was going to happen when you were trying to ugga dugga loose something you had to melt apart anyway.
Use a pair of 8 or 11-inch dikes (diagonal cutting pliers) on those cotter pins, like the one on the rear axle. After straightening out the cotter pin, grab the pin with the dikes close to the nut and twist back and forth. The head of the dikes will work as a lever against the nut, pulling out the pin. The dikes won't slip like needle nose, and you won't hit yourself or you bike. This is if you're planning on reusing the cotter pin. Otherwise, those same dikes will cut through the pin easily.
Also in an emergency you could have used a bolt with 2 nuts as your 14mm Allen key. Lock the 2 nuts together nuts together. Stick the head of the bolt in the recess for the Allen key. The 2 nuts should not be in the recess. Though the nuts should be locked together as close to the head of the bolt as you can, to prevent twisting or shearing the bolt. Grab a wrench, and loosen from the nut closer to the head of the bolt. To tighten you would have the wrench on the nut furthest from the bolt head. This is how you would do it if the stores were closed or you were in the middle of nowhere. You would take the hardware off another part of your bike. Sometime you have to make it work with what you have.
Massive tip for putting new tires on your rims. Leave the tires in the sun for about 4 hours. They will heat up and become very flexible.
That's a brilliant idea actually. I'm gonna keep that in mind.
Additionally I saw another youtuber who sprays silicone lube on the tube to make it last longer and help it slide out of the way when inserting it, and supposedly makes it more slippery in a pinch flat scenario! ARieman1 is the channel I believe!
Ya gotta make sure both sides of the tire stay broken down in the center of the rim while you're mounting the tire. Otherwise, it gets real super hard and won't go. It took me forever to figure that out lol. Also, I put one side of the tire on the rim, stuff the tube in there, line up the valve stem and barely put the nut on it, then put the other side of the tire on the rim.
What he said. Narrow wheels make it more challenging. The last 8 tires or so I've changed since 2010 were hand spooned on wood blocks. It can be done just learning the tricks is key.
I wonder if location matters. The florida or Texas sun might or might not work better than the Canadian sun
I can definitely feel the placebo effect of the brake fluid! 😂
You are not the first person to struggle mounting a tire. I must admit that I also tapped out on one recently.
Try using the ziptie method. Worked for me like a charm
Murphy's tire and tube mounting compound makes them slide right on and helps seat the bead easily.
This is where having the service manual comes in really handy. They usually include a complete list of all the tools you need to take everything apart. Makes it easier to put a tool kit together for repairs away from the shop.
Regarding not having a socket for the front axle, doesn't the OEM toolkit contain a 8/10 mm box spanner? Oftentimes, the outside of the 10mm box is designed to fit inside the 14mm hex of the axle.
Fun tidbit I had heard somewhere. Kawasaki never felt the need to replace the dohicky because they didn't have enough data on repairs and warranty replacement on the part since so many people bought a KLR and immediately replaced the dohicky before it could fail
Kawasaki probably didn't fix it because kawasaki is a shit lazy company. They bring a product to market and never make improvements or fixes. They've completely abandoned the vulcan lineup, the 2023 voyager is the same bike as the 2011. Kawasaki can't be bothered to fix their output shaft flaw, the heat issue, or even make a minor change and add factory bluetooth. Nope. They will happily sell you a $22,000 motorcycle that's identical to an $7000 motorcycle with a radio from a 1990s base model chevy.
@@SweetLou0523
Well!
I'm halfway through your flick Spite, in your kwakka tool kit you will see tubular spark plug sockets, that actually fits the front axle believe it or not, it was a moment of discovery I had checking out how useful the KLR Tool kit was.. 👍
Spite - thanks for taking us along with the KLR improvements. Such a legendary machine!!! Love how you celebrate the small victories "Didn't spill any oil!! Didn't lose any parts!! Yay!!"
Also hard to believe a sixth gear hasn't been added either. Especially when the last major revision occurred a couple of years ago.
Get a crashed Vulcan S and swap trans
Another great video. Yes those new tires are crazy tight. Worth having 2 sets of rims with different tires to swap out for different uses. I wish more people maintained brake fluid .
Kawi mechanics claim it’s not an issue on the newer bikes and haven’t seen one fail, while the solitary individual selling the “fix” is claiming all will fail. We’re in quite the conundrum of interests here.
I'm not worried about my doohickey.
@@krashgamingandoutdoors1125I’ve seen the spring run out of tension, but that then makes you wonder if the cam chain is “too long”. And should a shorter spring even be considered or tolerances elsewhere be adjusted.
Kawi mechanics don't see it because the problem doesn't present itself until after the bike is out of warranty
@@Coltron_Actual EM's doo upgrade replaces the linear spring with a torsion spring, which allows even and constant application of tension.
I really like Ian's videos, he's such a chill guy.
Damn son, your eyes and expression when you fired it up was f'in hilarious. I know that look! LoL
This video of yours is really helpful as a supplement to Eagle Mike's video (courtesy of Ian's Big Rock Moto video). The more I watch and learn, the better I'll do when I do the doo! Thank you. Hope you had fun in Sturgis!
As someone who is looking at picking up the KLR as my daily rider and adv bike this is really great to see. Keep up the awesome work spike
An eye-ronic statement 😅
You won't regret it, the klr is a great all arounder. Got a 22 myself
I just bought one a few months ago for the same uses. I like it…..for what I paid for it.
That said, if I money wasn’t much of a concern I’d definitely get something else, like the T7 or a smaller GS.
I’d even possibly go with the Vstrom over the KLR if I had to do it again. The KLR is definitely more off road oriented but the size and weight of the KLR make it not ideal for a lot of off-road anyway.
I’ve just had enough issues with mine and with it’s inherent limitations that I have a hard time recommending it to anyone who’s not on a pretty tight budget.
I also did not buy one that was beat. I got a 6k mile one that still looked like new. I even paid a bit extra because it was so clean and was the color I wanted and had most of the extras I wanted already on it.
@@mcearl8073 So in my case budget is a limiting factor for me. But also I'm not sure what I'm going to enjoy when it comes to riding. So I figured I'd start with a KLR build up my skill and give my insurance time to come down before picking up something like the vStrom or GS.
Honest opinion from some who doesn't miss their KLR.
For building offroad skills, this bike will punish you and make it impossible to learn. It'll fight you and make your feel it's you're not progressing while it's just the bike making it hard to learn.
For the street, they're ok to learn on, but it's top heavy and the forks dive really bad. Those two things combined make low speeds maneuvers harder to learn because, the bike is working against you. You also develop bad braking habits learning to ride on a KLR because you have to force these brakes to work and when you transition to something with proper brakes you'll totally have to learn again.
I don't know what kind of riding you want to do. For the street, you can get a used MT07 cheap, twice the power, better fuel mileage and SO much lighter and easier to ride. Offroad...well, my FZ 09 handles gravel roads way better than my KLR ever did, so pretty much anything would be better😁
Not trying to be negative, just honest with you.
When I saw how dry the tires were while you were trying to change them, I figured you would have trouble. Murphy's tire and tube mounting compound makes them soo slick, they almost slide on by themselves. I'll never try to change a tire or tube without it again. Helps prevent your tube from getting pinched if you brush a little on it too.
The best tool for cotter pins is side cutters -pinch and pry . It's too easy. Works to straighten the pin also !
your face when you slowly moved in when you started it up, hahah i got a good laugh.. WE have all been there before like... DONT BLOW UP listening for ANYTHING hahah ahh man that brings back memorys working on my mini cooper and evo back in the day hahaha
Shinko 705/805 are the official choices along with Rotella!
Only tire that BLEW while riding. Shinko. Never again.
Thanks for showing the truth about the doohickey. Good seeing you last weekend!
My OEM spark plug tool fits perfectly in my front axle's hex. Try it maybe your will as well as an emergency tool.
Also, Windex works great to put tires on rims. As it has been said before, put it in the sun to warm it up or put a air dryer in it. I've mounted Heidenau's with that method with no issue at all.
That Mitas is a very tough tire to mount. I got the back on my wife's KLR but just couldn't muscle the front on (finally did but pinched the tube). Got mad. Threw shit. You know the drill. Realized that I have the Dakar version (even stiffer sidewall) to mount on my 890 ADV, and did the same thing you did. Brought it to a place with the proper machinery, who told me that tire was a pain to mount for them lol. FANTASTIC tire, though.
I don't have a KLR, but still thoroughly enjoyed watching the video. Good stuff. Especially liked the 'concentration face' when you started it up after putting the case back together. lol
Looks like good insurance to me. The tension provided by the OE spring was clearly almost gone.
Had an engine vibration on my KLR600 when i bought it. Removed the casing to find the balance weight was cracked, also needed a doohickey , fitted a timing manual chain tensioner as well. Ran great afterwards although not what i would call good on the road. Sold it to buy a XSR900.
The mad scientist look as you stare into the void as you stared the bike post reassemble 😂
A trick for pulling cotter pins use Grass trimmer line wrap around hand and through the pin easy tug and no lost pin or scraped knuckles
Aircraft mechanic here - a better method is to straighten the legs as well as possible, stick a pick through the end and twist. Never reuse split pins.
Edit; needlenose pliers or just angled cutters (dykes) are excellent tools too.
Dang Spite! I did the rear tire on my supermoto right here in my office a couple of days ago. I used to do tires for people at dirt bike rides while drinking beer. My brother lives in Austin, TX. Maybe next time I get down there I'll see about giving you a tutorial, and maybe swap out a tire or two for you. My wrists are arthritic AF now so I'm a bit slower. But I still got game.
I use tubes - but not sure why I decided to. For example, how to repair on the road compared to plugging a tubeless I am concerned about
Love the music, feels like I’m playing a motocross game
As of 07/23 just had my dohicky replaced on my gen three KLR that had only 1300 miles on it under warranty. Bought this bike new and treated it like a baby. Dealer had no answer why it failed.
Loved the music in this one, especially the one w/ the Rev. Willie G - feel
Vacuum pump makes bleeding brakes easier. Pump the master cylinder to the bottom and start filling to minimize cross contamination. Braided Brake lines make a big difference as well but then your brakes will be way sketchy off road.
I never did the Doohickey on my bike I did however put on the Thermo Bob on my 2021 KLR which has 45,000 miles on it now. No issues with the Doohickey the only thing I do is each time I've done the oil change is to loosen the bolt and give it a tap which allows the spring to adjust. I think the issue is that most don't do this adjustment when they do their oil change.
I heard it's really a non-issue with well-maintained bikes. There's a video on YT of a Kawi mechanic stating he's never seen an issue and he has been working on Kawis over 20 years.
did they even make a 2021 klr ????
@@CesarRamirez-cn5fw Ooops sorry 2022 them damn sausage fingers typing... LOL
No the arm breaks or spring breaks or runs out of travel and no longer tensions the arm
@@747fixr I've heard the spring breaks but again that has not been my experience and I have 45,000 miles on my bike and I have plenty of travel since I adjust the spring each time I do the oil change.
24" harbor freight Irons will lever most tires on
Tire change Tip, when in the Budget, get a Rabaconda, makes it stupid easy.
I’m not sure if you know or if anyone has told you but the best way to adjust the doohickey is hot in TDC. Along with make sure the torsion spring doesn’t fall behind the tensioner foot or else it will still move.
Hey Spite! This is so interesting because I swear Kawasaki claimed that the infamous KLR 650 "Doohickey" was redesigned along with a number of other features with the 2022 redesign. I'm glad you caught yours before running out of adjustment, but, Man! That sucks! C'mon Kawasaki! Fix it, for crying out loud!
Glad to see you are heading to Get On ADV Fest! I feel a lot of my projects and videos are being drawn out too because it's 100 degrees in Austin by 1p...
The more I've talked to kawi places and mechanics a lot of things one sees online are very insignificant or simply bloggers just blogging.
I've tried the zip tie method with new tires and tubes four times at this point. With a 75% success rate. I'm thinking next time around I'll try out the sunshine and see how it goes. Love the channel and comradery in the comments section, you guys make being a new rider inclusive, so thanks again.
@SGTvolcan rocks!
Murphy's tire and tube mounting compound slicks it up to make mounting easy and seats the bead quickly.
I have those E07s on my Himalayan and love them. The 21” front is absolutely a pain in the butt. LOL. Also if you bought the Dakar front be careful on cold wet pavement. The Dakar is a harder compound and will slip in the wet.
changes to the motor may subject the bike to current emissions standards, which would mean no more KLR. right now it's grandfathered to an extent
I feel your pain. I had a rear tyre on my road bike that would not bead no matter what I tried. Eventually I had to go to the last resort & use explosive methods to get it seated.
I'm keen to see how the Mitas E-07's work for you. I have the 70/30 Mitas Enduro Trail-ADV fitted to my Yamaha Scorpio at the moment. They handle like I'm on rails on the road so I'd like to see how 50/50's perform on the street.
I've had some trouble seating beads before and found Murphy's tire and tube mounting compound slicks it up and seats the bead quickly.
Bro ty for saying toll bills lol
I forgot I went riding with my gramps to San Mateo to cross a few bridges and they sent the invoice last week and I took a glimpse and have been ignoring it until right now lol
damn those blasted doohickeys! XD
My biggest "game changer" touse the over used... is the check valve for bleeding the brakes/clutch. No more open/close/open/close... Just continually fill and pump the lever. Makes life so so much easier. And if it is easy you will do this more often. A win win for sure. Brake/clutch fluid is cheap. Do it every year.
The joys of tires. Mounting compound like Ruglyde (I swear it's not bedroom lube lol), makes a big difference. As well....ye olde' ziptie method helps too. Have you tried the Baja NoPinch tool or similar? Makes it stupid easy getting the last bead over. (Come to the Shenandoah 500 in VA and I'll show you in the field : p )
Seriously guys, it's all about technique. I fitted a set of MITAS EO7+ to my Yamaha SuperTenere with only shortie levers. It isn't that hard. The reason I fit my tyres with shortie levers is so that I can be assured that I can do repairs on the trail/road.
When I was taught by a grey head in Houston, he impressed on me that if you can’t get it done with short levers you are doing it wrong. Long levers bend rims. Using a machine and brute force almost guarantees a lack of developing a feel for levering on tires. Make sure the part of bead opposite the one you are levering on is down in the center of the wheel, the wheel is sized to allow the bead to slip over the flange when it’s set that way.
I went over 20k miles without doing the doohickey mod. No problems. That being said, on my next KLR I'll probably do one for piece of mind. The high output stator was worth it however, since we're on the subject of engine stuff.
I put 52,000 klms on my 2013 KLR before I sold it, original doohickey! From memory I had a Shinko (705?) on the rear which worked well. Can't remember the front, think it was another Shinko. I am a tightass though. The only reason I sold the KLR was I felt like a change. Did some big trips on it, most memorable was up to Radisson at the end of the road in Northern Quebec, needed to carry fuel, didn't see a living soul for three days. Young guy bought it off me, said first job was the doohickey, I'd actually never heard of it. All in all, sounds like I was lucky.
Thanks for the reminder to pay my txtag bill. Enjoyed the video!
My 2005 gen 1 has 99,000 kms on it and ive never done the doo. Runs fine.
D606 on the back and Perelli M21's on the front. You're welcome. 😁
Honestly the doohickey mod is one of those things that people make it out to be worse then what it is, i know of countless klr’s in the area with anywhere from 15K miles to 50k miles & never had a DH failure. Kawi would not continue using this design after all these years if it was actually prone to failure.
Sometimes maybe, I had one fail on one of my Gen 1’s though.
Ever consider Shinko 705 for tires? They are like 70 on 30 off. Lets be honest. The KLR is more geared for on road than its counter parts like the Honda xr650 or the Suzuki dr650.
1. Pour kerosine on tire. 2. Light kerosene on fire 3. Put kerosene out before the rubber melts. 4. Mount softened tire.
Check your dohickey chain sliders and guides, the dohickey is never the problem.
Just a comment for those not in the states.
If you have a requirement for really good brake fluid and the torque brake fluid mentioned here is not available (as in my country) you have a couple options.
1. Motul RBF 660 (205C wet boiling point) will do the job in most cases
2. Motul RBF 700 (Synthetic, 205C wet boiling point) good enough almost always
3. Castrol SRF React racing (270C wet boiling point) this is pretty much the best brake fluid available, but not cheap
If your requirement is not quite that demanding, Motul dot 5.1 will probably do the trick. (note, NOT dot 5)
For comparison, Torque claim 226C wet boiling point for their RT700. Note that dry boiling point is not of much value - you need to compare wet boiling points.
The Mitas E07s are famously difficult to fit! Much like Heidenau K60s. I would only go for either of those tyres if i was going on a huge trip and knew they'd last me the entire duration tbh. Continental TKC80s or Bridgestone AX41s are easier to fit but don't last as long - I don't mind the shorter life if I'm not going to be doing thousands of miles in a very short period of time.
Got the E-07+ on my T7 recently and it was a fight with only 3 tyrespoons. Never again at least with these. The Rims now have those fancy scratches in the blue paint...
So far the E-07+ are great on my T7. Not had any Grip Problems on the street so far. In the dirt they are great too. Could not test those in the rain.
It is no longer a bug, but a time tested feature.
Steel lines and some after market pads helped my KRL breaks a ton. I wish I had a video back when I did my doohickey....
to get tires back on put your tube in it slightly aired. Then zip tie the tire. Ive only encountered one tire that was a pain. Needed bigger zip ties lol I changed out front and back tires and tubes with nothing but the long motion pros zipties and baby powder.
This is one of the many reasons I've never considered a KLR650.
Don’t let the bike cool down before chaining the oil. Let the gunk stay suspended in the oil so it will come out and not settle.
The problem with getting tools from the auto parts store is that they're usually too heavy for your motorcycle tool kit.
It might be necessary to pull a wheel when you're on the road.
I blame you guys, you keeping buying it. 🤣
Cause it's been a good bike in reality lol , I blame the internet age for overhyping 😂
@@fishwhisperer03 True. It could be like cam chain tensioner on the MT09 first gen (the part itself got many revisions), while probably a more common issue than this, it doesn't detract much from a solid bike 👍
When I did my dookicky. The needle bearings for the starter gear was gone. Not there or broke. Just not installed. I had to order some more off eBay for cheap. I would have finished that day if not waiting for parts. I put the doohickey and thermobob, brakes and sprocket. All before it's first real oil change. I changed the oil and filter, plugs and air filter when I bought it. Just to start fresh.
I haven't change the tires. I'm so lazy.
Wanna know how I know Spite has a cat?
2:28.
I recognize that tiny piece of plastic.
PIrelli Scorpion Rally STR, or Shinko E804/805, for the KLR. Rounded profile lets you corner well when playing on the road and curvy mountain highways, but blocky tread that does well in most terrains. Not as good as something like Michelin Anakee Wild or TKC 80's when faced with actual mud or sand... but far better on the road than those.
As for the E-07's, I've tried them twice. Very long life tire, but they tend to feel dead on the road. Performance is adequate in most dirt conditions except big sand and mud. E-07's suck to put on and take off. Don't get a flat with them.
I plan on visiting stigis during adventure fest in the future but I don't own a ADV yet so I got during the rally. Riding some mid sized ADVs this year to decide what I want next spring. Tiger 900, KTM 890, or the pan am. I know you love the pan am but I'm hoping they have the bugs worked out by the 2024 model year.
I'd go pan am. If worse comes to worse there's plenty of parts and services available all over the United States, the ktm and triumph aren't gonna have that
@@mrspeigle1 That's the reason I'm considering the pan am but if they don't figure out all the issues I'm not going to go that route because you'll be using the dealer network for sure haha.
Funnily enough, when looking for the right sized allen socket for my kawasaki, Lowes was the place I found everything I needed.
6mm to 32mm. Wasn't cheap, but at least I have it all now. Just keep in mind that if you're looking for the whole range, you're going to have to order some in from other stores. I wasn't in a rush, so it wasn't that great of a deal for me.
Harbor freight has the sets in a couple different quality levels!
Metro!! Didn't expect to see that!
Should try Heidenau K60 scout tires!
I never noticed Spite was dripped out with the chrome hearts bracelet like that
It's the only piece of jewelry I wear.
@@spitescorner It's all you ever need 🥶
Did you spin the front tire and hit the front brake before tightening the axle all the way? If not your forks will probably bind.
Have any KLR owners destroyed their engines by not replacing the doohickey? My 2022 will be a year old in September. I'm thinking maybe I should do the same as Spite. I need tires as well those 50/50 look really nice.
you dont need a socket for that. you punch that out the pinch bolts are all you need then you can loosen t3eh nut on the other side and punch out that axle
Well done mate, I watch every door Hickey vid as I haven't done mine yet and it interests me immensely, I might try the brake fluid to that brand too
Had the same issue with tyres once before but the last time I did my tyres, I left them in the sun for about 15 minutes and it was a breeze. Aslo what Happens when the doohickie hits end of travel? 6k and it's near the end. That spring seems to push it towards the end rather than fighting the travel.
I use german torque specs on my oil drain plug. Guten tight!
Lowkey watching your KLR650 videos makes me wanna grab one myself
That's way more work than I'm ever doing to a bike, and I rebuilt a xr500r back in the day with only a dennis kirk.
Rub your tubes in baby powder and use 4 tyre levers on stiff tyres
Love the heavy rock music 🤘
I'll be doing all this soon.
Hi Spite! As a KLR 650 owner (you, not me), I would love to see you do a ride/review on a Suzuki DR 650. It seems like the KLR is better on the highway, but I'm curious about the 15 tooth front sprocket change on the DR. Just on a stock DR, would you feel like that extra tooth would put it on a more level playing field without destroying off road capability? Just a 650 enthusiast's rambling thought. Anything to justify not bending time, space, and money to aquire a Tenere.
What a nightmare. I will never buy a KLR. Even the latest version of the KLR has a "Spring" problem i.e. the spring as shown in this video eventually is subject to significant fatigue and failure. It is recommended you replace it with a torsion spring after warranty runs out (10,000 miles)
Still going to keep the 990
Good video. I am thinking about a generation 1 klr. A 9/16 socket is pretty much the same as a 14mm
Spite, Harbor Freight has tools also if there is one near you..... Metric and SAE...
The HTF is a hike from where I live, and I have some HFT stuff, it's not great for precise measurements like high and low torque values and some of the milling in a their sockets has loose tolerances. It's good but not great.
I have seen that concerning “don’t fuck me now” stare a few times in my lifetime. Glad to hear I’m not the only one that forgets to bring necessary parts with me. 😉😉👍👍
You were using a torque wrench. But I did not notice it clicking when you reassembled the sprockets? Is that safe?
Front tire same spec as stock. Looks small. Does the doo hicky mod void warranty?
Will be interested in your opinion of the Mitas E-07. I run these on a DR650 and love them. Yeah they can be tough to fit but I sure get a lot longer out of them than the 606's
Thats my hope. I'm gonna go thrash em in Sturgis so we'll find out!
I'd say the dr650 is better for this.. although they still haven't fixed the NSU bolts being loose and hand tight directly over a oil passageway to the gearbox...
Don't they just have pills that fix your doohickey?
Is there no gasket for those engine case pieces you removed? I was in the market for this bike, but not sure after seeing all the videos about this.
What state? I would love to come visit, maybe bring my KLX 300SM to the garage to turn some wrenches together. I now wonder if it has the same issue as the KLR? Just had the engine rebuilt at 9k miles in 1 year, the cam froze.