KLR riders out there

**Crim** · 11th August 2010, 22:05

G'day, went down to Timaru today to do the Eagle Mike Doohickey and torsion spring (thanks Woodman) with Stu, arrived and Stu's first bit of advice was "let's wash down your bike, Crim" - I declined
note to self - always wash your bloody bike down when you are doing anything in the motor!
Anyway got into it, got into the motor and hey presto broken spring flopping round in there like that fish that ADVGD caught in the weekend, there was a groove worn in the case where the spring was rubbing and also spring was slowly getting worn through by the ,untensioned, balancer chain rubbing along it - I was stoked that a problem was there to be fixed! Got it all in (scheeze that tensioner spring is hard fiddly work to get in!) and all back together - used same gaskets and rotor bolt - no problems (Stu popped over the road and got his mates torque wrench which was great!). Things started going tits up when I replaced the sump plug and overtensioned it - it now leaks, so am going to investigate oversizes plugs (or wooden ones, eh Nordie?) and heli coils tomorrow - bugga bugga bugga!

Anyway another good thing about doing the doo at Stu's place is that he has got some wicked photos of the problem which I / he will post soon!

Cheers, Crim

post scriptum: finally got some tension in the balancer chain, and I know that the oil change will help, and it may be my imagination but she appears to be running heaps smoother now.

**Woodman** · 11th August 2010, 22:18

Goodonya, its not that hard once you are in there

Mine too had the broken spring etc. And its not your imagination, they do run smoother once the doo is done. And quieter.

Crazy bit of engineering that doohickey.

**Padmei** · 12th August 2010, 07:39

Good on ya mate welcome to the doo dunnit club - oh hang on the shop did mine... but I did have to open everythng up when this oaf dropped a screw down the camchain hole while checking the valves (stuff arag down the hole)

**Crim** · 12th August 2010, 18:45

Originally Posted by Padmei

................ when this oaf dropped a screw down the camchain hole while checking the valves (stuff arag down the hole)

Who's arag, he must be small and doesn't he get sick of waiting for you to drop stuff?

**NordieBoy** · 12th August 2010, 20:54

Originally Posted by Crim

Who's arag, he must be small and doesn't he get sick of waiting for you to drop stuff?

Nah, he dosn't have to wait long usually.

**Padmei** · 12th August 2010, 20:58

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

Nah, he dosn't have to wait long usually.

I wish he'd come to work with me - my days would be so much more productive

**pete376403** · 12th August 2010, 23:56

Originally Posted by Padmei

Good on ya mate welcome to the doo dunnit club - oh hang on the shop did mine...

You've got an '08, which had the new and improved Doo (although still perhaps not as good as an EM unit) but did it really need changing, or was it just a pre-emptive strike. Was there any wear or other damage to the original Doo, or anything wrong with the spring? How many kms when you had it done?

Should check mine, but can't be arsed pulling the flywheel off.

**Padmei** · 13th August 2010, 08:45

Originally Posted by pete376403

You've got an '08, which had the new and improved Doo (although still perhaps not as good as an EM unit) but did it really need changing, or was it just a pre-emptive strike. Was there any wear or other damage to the original Doo, or anything wrong with the spring? How many kms when you had it done?

Should check mine, but can't be arsed pulling the flywheel off.

It went in for a service - I think 12k? or whatever it should have been & it was really noisy in that dept. I wasn't confident doing it myself but got an EM from overseas.
The dealer did it as partof the service & Kawi paid for it. The spring was rooted however the doo was fine & I think the modern doo will actually be fine but if you are replacing the spring why not.

If I was to get another undooed KLR I would do it myself as all you really need is the manual & rotor puller (woodmans homemade one is good) but probably reuse the doo & just replace the spring - I used the normal type not the torsion type which sounds like bit of a prick to work with.

**Crim** · 13th August 2010, 21:40

Well, as I said in the last post thought I had stripped the sump when over tensioning the plug so took it in to Superior Motorcycles (they always seem really good when I wander in window shopping and really helpfull) told them to bang a Heli Coil in but ring if it was anything more - got a real Friday the 13th call this morning at work

............
"the sump is cracked

, you have three options

1. Bog it up and get it going - but next time you change oil - same problem

2. Get it welded - could be a couple of hundy if they can do it as is or up to a grand if we have to strip it and give them the pan only

3. Get the parts from Japan and replace - looking at 3 to 4 k(very pessimistic - ie - if they find anything else)

Paid 5k, if I spend 4k getting it fixed may be worth 4.5k at the end of the exercise

so told them to check it out if they can do it for a hundy or two go for it - anything more I'll grab it back, strip it and take it to the engineer myself - am now awaiting one of two calls;
1. G'day Crim, all fixed coupla hundy and we'll even throw in a free Shoei Hornet

2. Will be at least a grand - come and grab it and stuff up your whole weekend and half of next week while you are at it

Thing is I struggle to understand how I cracked the sump in the first place as I was being quite careful and trying not to be too hard

**dino3310** · 13th August 2010, 21:56

or the third call
3) sorry crim i got shitty after fucking up the helicoil and banged it a little with the hammer so i guess where paying for the new sump.

bugga mate, hope you get it sorted at the cheaper option

**marks** · 13th August 2010, 23:10

Originally Posted by Crim

Well, as I said in the last post thought I had stripped the sump when over tensioning the plug so took it in to Superior Motorcycles (they always seem really good when I wander in window shopping and really helpfull) told them to bang a Heli Coil in but ring if it was anything more - got a real Friday the 13th call this morning at work

............
"the sump is cracked

, you have three options

1. Bog it up and get it going - but next time you change oil - same problem

2. Get it welded - could be a couple of hundy if they can do it as is or up to a grand if we have to strip it and give them the pan only

3. Get the parts from Japan and replace - looking at 3 to 4 k(very pessimistic - ie - if they find anything else)

Paid 5k, if I spend 4k getting it fixed may be worth 4.5k at the end of the exercise

so told them to check it out if they can do it for a hundy or two go for it - anything more I'll grab it back, strip it and take it to the engineer myself - am now awaiting one of two calls;
1. G'day Crim, all fixed coupla hundy and we'll even throw in a free Shoei Hornet

2. Will be at least a grand - come and grab it and stuff up your whole weekend and half of next week while you are at it

Thing is I struggle to understand how I cracked the sump in the first place as I was being quite careful and trying not to be too hard

I wonder if its been cracked for a while - say from a stone or other impact - and tightening the bolt caused it to spread?

**pete376403** · 14th August 2010, 00:41

I agree with Mark - if Crims KLR is anything like the '08 (and I cant see anything about the cases being changed for the newer models) the drain plug hangs down a long way and it's not well protected by the bash plate. Hang that drain plug up on a rock at any sort of speed and somethings going to give.

**Crim** · 14th August 2010, 08:11

Originally Posted by pete376403

I agree with Mark - if Crims KLR is anything like the '08 (and I cant see anything about the cases being changed for the newer models) the drain plug hangs down a long way and it's not well protected by the bash plate. Hang that drain plug up on a rock at any sort of speed and somethings going to give.

Yeah - agree, when I get it fixed (hopefully with heli coil welded in) I might invest in a low profile bung - and also investigate extending the bash plate - not really a problem to undo 3 bolts to take off bash plate to access - at least gives peace of mind

**Padmei** · 14th August 2010, 09:07

Originally Posted by Crim

Yeah - agree, when I get it fixed (hopefully with heli coil welded in) I might invest in a low profile bung - and also investigate extending the bash plate - not really a problem to undo 3 bolts to take off bash plate to access - at least gives peace of mind

If you find these mythical low profile bungs buy many & sell them & they will pay for your repairs & a trip across mongolia.

Before you buy cases etc I'll have a look & see if I've got some in this box of KLR crap. Will check it out today.

**Woodman** · 14th August 2010, 09:09

Ouch... bad luck mate.

we were discussing this on here somewhere recently about the sump bungs.
Mine hangs below the bashplate and now it will definitely be sorted. The amount of times the thing gets hung up on rocks etc its only a matter of time before the bung gets punched through the case.