Tales from the Emporium

**NordieBoy** · 5th February 2009, 20:20

Originally Posted by talbertnz

you might be intrested in this (post no 4):
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=429917

Dad is getting my old spare head to have a play with.
He's going to clean it up, 3 angle valve seat job and taper the 90 deg lip out to the exhaust header.

It's cool. 1 brother is a bike mech and dad does porting jobs

Although other than the valve seats I'd be happy having a play with a sanding drum on a dremel in there

**NordieBoy** · 7th February 2009, 09:11

Just pulled the clutch cover off and checked the NSU.
Only 1 loose screw

The other one isn't there at all...

**warewolf** · 7th February 2009, 09:27

Do you feel lucky, punk? Do ya?

**NordieBoy** · 7th February 2009, 09:45

Originally Posted by warewolf

Do you feel lucky, punk? Do ya?

I'll just pick the bike up and shake any loose bits towards the back and then...

**NordieBoy** · 7th February 2009, 12:39

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

I'll just pick the bike up and shake any loose bits towards the back and then...

Shane came around with a good telescoping magnet/probe and we found...

Nothing...

Tipped the bike around and over and there were no rattles or anything.

It may have come out with a previous oil change.

I'm getting a magnetic sump bung on monday just in case.

We put a cap screw with studlock in the bottom hole and tightened up the upper one (1/4 turn).

Shane wasn't too worried about it and headed out to French Pass on it with Grace on the back.

**NordieBoy** · 11th February 2009, 07:03

Shane and Grace got back from French Pass Sat arvo and I have a shufti at the rev counter telltale... 7,000rpm. Apparantly around the outside of a sportsbike in 3rd gear 2up up the Wangamoas.
I think he had punch marks in his kidneys from Grace.

The exhaust mid-pipe has melted quite a bit more of the rear brake line clip and bit of the brake line with a bit of serious 2up bottoming out through the Maungatapu.

The rear tyre has more damage to it in one day than I'd see in a month.

But it survived!

**NordieBoy** · 11th February 2009, 07:24

Yesterday I pulled out the stock 1997 Denso spark plugs and cleaned up and put in my NGK twin electrode jobbies from my old engine.
Also checked the valve clearances and the intake were spot on at 0.1mm and the exhaust were a bit tight at about 0.1mm so I adjusted to 0.2mm.
A bit more tappety but after warming up and getting some oil flowing through the head they quietened down.

Headed off out to Atawhai on a chocolate mission and met up with Padmei so we headed up the caretakers up the dam instead.

I rode the mighty Gonzo back...

If you duck down behind the screen it's as though you're riding stoned

Not quite optically correct...
But neither are the mirrors. Which of the 3 or 4 cars in the right mirror should I be worrying about?

Nice seat.
Squats a bit under acceleration - spring rate?
Smooth power delivery. You're not going to kill yourself accidentally giving it a handfull.
Not enough room for my knees. Very wide tank when standing but still slimmer than the DR Big

Loved the highway bars/engine protectors.

The biggest problem for me was the feeling of the front end being "hidden" behind all that fairing. If you were used to it and had confidence in your front tyre it'd be no problem at all and on the seal the fairing proved it's worth but I'm so used to seeing where the front is pointing that it was weird.
Even swapping between my Nordwests was the same with one having the stock non-moving headlight/dash and the other a naked style. Both felt so different even though they were otherwise identical.

I can see why that guy in the States has removed all the fairing on his "adventurised" one. Hidden underneath it is quite a nice bike.

**Woodman** · 11th February 2009, 17:31

Was working in Nelson today and on my commute the only 3 bikes I saw going the other way were KLR's.
The universe is ok.

**NordieBoy** · 11th February 2009, 17:52

Originally Posted by Woodman

Was working in Nelson today and on my commute the only 3 bikes I saw going the other way were KLR's.
The universe is ok.

It's the vibration. There was only one of them

Saw Warewolf coming back down from the Maunga today too.

**Padmei** · 11th February 2009, 18:54

Yep the DR is a great bike. It had heaps of grunt, felt lighter & more controllable with the body position seemingly right over the front wheel. The burbling pipe has a great note too. I could ride it all day just to hear the exhaust.

I would like to ride some other KLRs to compare suspension. Perfomancewise it has enough to keep me happy. I enjoy riding behind the screen

- I find the wind in my eyes annoying.

**pete376403** · 11th February 2009, 19:48

Have you got the tall screen or the standard one?

I can't look through the standard screen unless lying on the tank. As far as seeing the front wheel goes, I can see it ok when standing. When sitting I trust it to be in the right place, doing the right things

**NordieBoy** · 11th February 2009, 20:06

Originally Posted by pete376403

When sitting I trust it to be in the right place, doing the right things

Ahhh...
You're one of those other KLR owners. One with actual tread on his front tyre

**NordieBoy** · 11th February 2009, 20:08

Originally Posted by pete376403

Have you got the tall screen or the standard one?

He's got a (very) home-made tall screen which actually works. Especially if you're shorter than me. I copped the wind in the middle of the forehead.

**Woodman** · 11th February 2009, 20:21

Originally Posted by Padmei

Yep the DR is a great bike. It had heaps of grunt, felt lighter & more controllable with the body position seemingly right over the front wheel. The burbling pipe has a great note too. I could ride it all day just to hear the exhaust.

I would like to ride some other KLRs to compare suspension. Perfomancewise it has enough to keep me happy. I enjoy riding behind the screen

- I find the wind in my eyes annoying.

Dunno if its much of a comparison, but you can have a go on mine, it may be somewhere between yours and a DR except for horsepower

. I have my suspension as hard as it will go with extra springs in front , and it is still too soft especially on the rear.
Have forgotten what its like to ride a light bike, and I agree Nordies pipe does sound good.
BTW I highly recommend a good bash guard, mine paid for itself coming back over the maunga last weekend. If it wasn't there I would no longer have a waterpump at best. Bashplate is now a completely different shape.