87 KLR650? Opinions?

[hospitalfood]

hi all. thinking of getting an 87 KLR 650.
anybody got anything to say about them ?
thanks.

[buggsubique]

yeah, when a guy I was riding with got his stuck in the sand it was a ball tearer to pull out. He turned around and went home while we cracked on on the dirt bikes for another 20 odd km acoss rivers, along beaches and farmland.

[hospitalfood]

yeah, i know they are heavy. just wondering if they are shit ? what problems they have etc ?

[tri boy]

They were built strong, but suspension and brakes were average.
Avoid ones that have signs of neglect, and engine noise.
A good one will still be chugging away long after the latest models have shit themselves.
Owned one years ago. Good honest sickles. MHO

[pete376403]

KLRs are more or less the same bike as they started with about 20 odd years ago. Motor has gone from a 600 to 650, they lost the kickstarter about the same time. The new (2008) have new plastic, a bit more weight and a bit less off-road ability. The doohickey is the major failing in the motor (look it up on klr650.net, or advrider.com) but apart from that they are the sort of bike you would choose for a round the world trip.
Good honest no frills bikes that are far more than the sum of their parts.

[Padmei]

KLRs are more or less the same bike as they started with about 20 odd years ago. Motor has gone from a 600 to 650, they lost the kickstarter about the same time. The new (2008) have new plastic, a bit more weight and a bit less off-road ability. The doohickey is the major failing in the motor (look it up on klr650.net, or advrider.com) but apart from that they are the sort of bike you would choose for a round the world trip.
Good honest no frills bikes that are far more than the sum of their parts.

How have they lost off-road ability?

I had to laugh when I saw is one on KLR650.net.
http://www.klr650.net/forums/showthread.php?t=53932
I had to ask myself why didn't he just buy a DR?

[Moki]

KLRs are more or less the same bike as they started with about 20 odd years ago. Motor has gone from a 600 to 650, they lost the kickstarter about the same time. The new (2008) have new plastic, a bit more weight and a bit less off-road ability. The doohickey is the major failing in the motor (look it up on klr650.net, or advrider.com) but apart from that they are the sort of bike you would choose for a round the world trip.
Good honest no frills bikes that are far more than the sum of their parts.

I have a complete doohickey kit (with wrench, gaskets, puller, springs, and of course, doohickey (Eagle)). Had a brain haemorrage and bought an old Husaberg instead of an intended project KLR650. Mid-life crises I guess. May sell if interested.

[Padmei]

I have a complete doohickey kit (with wrench, gaskets, puller, springs, and of course, doohickey (Eagle)). Had a brain haemorrage and bought an old Husaberg instead of an intended project KLR650. Mid-life crises I guess. May sell if interested.


how much?



silly ten character rule

[pete376403]

How have they lost off-road ability?

I had to laugh when I saw is one on KLR650.net.
http://www.klr650.net/forums/showthread.php?t=53932
I had to ask myself why didn't he just buy a DR?

The older model was a lot closer to the DR in terms of crashability off-road.

The new fairing seems to nice to bash up.

[Padmei]

So they haven't lost ability just got a bit more plastic.


I can't see why the older ones are better apart from looking more utilia utalitar basicerer. The oil burning thing?

[hospitalfood]

ok, well i bought it. had a great ride hm on it.

it is old, rattles, drips a little oil but nothing major, knocks when being lugged and shakes around 5000 rpm in 5th, and absolute joy to ride and fugly to look at.
what is the doohickey?????
what else do i need to know ?
can i adjust the preload on rear shock ?
how hard is it to strip the frame etc ?

thanks

[pete376403]

Read this: http://www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html

The doohickey is the balancer shaft chain tensioner. They are known to fall apart, causing grief (minor to very major) inside the engine. The factory (finally) redesigned the part on the '08s so it is better, but still not considered excellent.

[RedKLR650]

ok, well i bought it. had a great ride hm on it.

it is old, rattles, drips a little oil but nothing major, knocks when being lugged and shakes around 5000 rpm in 5th, and absolute joy to ride and fugly to look at.
what is the doohickey?????
what else do i need to know ?
can i adjust the preload on rear shock ?
how hard is it to strip the frame etc ?

thanks

If you want it to look a little less fugly, I do have a full set of new ( OK, 4 week old ) plastic panels off a Kawasaki Green 2005 KLR for sale ( I changed my first one to a red one before they were available here in NZ )

Cheers, Stu
0274 342 372

[marks]

it rattles, drips a little oil but nothing major, knocks when being lugged and shakes around 5000 rpm in 5th, and absolute joy to ride and fugly to look at.

sounds like my 12 month old one

[Moki]

how much?



silly ten character rule

Hundred for the kit- well below what I paid. PM me if interested

[Woodman]

Read this: http://www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html

The doohickey is the balancer shaft chain tensioner. They are known to fall apart, causing grief (minor to very major) inside the engine. The factory (finally) redesigned the part on the '08s so it is better, but still not considered excellent.

Hmmmm, has anyone here ever had any bad doohickey problems? There seems to be a bit of divided opinion in various forums I have read, but seeing that every other "character trait" seems to be appearing on my klr the question whether or not to do the doohickey is startin to bother me. My stuff ordered from the states arrived today and is now attached to the killer.maybe should have ordered the doohickey to make the freight fee worthwhile.

[Woodman]

ok, well i bought it. had a great ride hm on it.

it is old, rattles, drips a little oil but nothing major, knocks when being lugged and shakes around 5000 rpm in 5th, and absolute joy to ride and fugly to look at.
what is the doohickey?????
what else do i need to know ?
can i adjust the preload on rear shock ?
how hard is it to strip the frame etc ?

thanks

To stop the knocking when lugging run it on 91 octane. Pulls better too.

[pete376403]

Hmmmm, has anyone here ever had any bad doohickey problems? There seems to be a bit of divided opinion in various forums I have read, but seeing that every other "character trait" seems to be appearing on my klr the question whether or not to do the doohickey is startin to bother me. My stuff ordered from the states arrived today and is now attached to the killer.maybe should have ordered the doohickey to make the freight fee worthwhile.

Buy the one Moki is offering. The KLR you have is definitely in the range that has the problem.
I'd get it myself but I am hoping that the redesign has, if not fixing the problem altogether on the '08s, at least made it go away for a long time.

[Crisis management]

Just a suggestion.....maybe a start a short tread on the bits of the KLR that actually work?:chase:

[Woodman]

Just a suggestion.....maybe a start a short tread on the bits of the KLR that actually work?:chase:
Very droll

Everything works fine really, and they are a lot of bike for the money. Only problems with mine in the 6k I have had it for is the bash guard has been bashed senseless and has not guarded very well :((have a studebaker one now),:2thumbsup the rear subframe has shaken loose, and the forks twist out of alignment on a regular basis, oh and it uses oil when ridden hard.

[cobber]

Very droll

Everything works fine really, and they are a lot of bike for the money. Only problems with mine in the 6k I have had it for is the bash guard has been bashed senseless and has not guarded very well :((have a studebaker one now),:2thumbsup the rear subframe has shaken loose, and the forks twist out of alignment on a regular basis, oh and it uses oil when ridden hard.

72500 kms on the Dr650 in 6 and a half years and a set of starter motor brushes , no oil useage , with a lot less weight.
You to hard on

[Woodman]

72500 kms on the Dr650 in 6 and a half years and a set of starter motor brushes , no oil useage , with a lot less weight.
You to hard on
Yes i could lose a bit of weight, with a full tank and my weight it is very hard on the poor beastie, especially on long downhills with the klr's fading not real powerful front brake. But thats what makes it interesting.