Smart Technologies on the KLR650?

"The Kawasaki KLR650 is one of the most wanted dual sport models from the market. The bike has all it needs to be able to feel similarly comfortable both on the dirt and paved roads, and is fitted with a wide range of smart technologies designed to make it reliable and agile as possible."
--Top Speed.com

Having a 2016 KLR650 on order with my dealer at the moment, you can correctly assume that I've been through more than a few reviews and articles, such as the article above (actually a 2015 Review). What's clear from the brief, professional reviews is that the KLR650 is currently one of the most popular adventure-class dual sports. Obviously I want one. It's been around since 1987! It's cheap!

I also have some experience in the saddle of the KLR650 that was helpful in my purchase decisions and I have ridden side-by-side with them in adventure challenges throughout the US and western Canada. (I was riding the blue Super10 in the photos below taken during the inaugural Texas Adventure Challenge in 2012. Another source of good info is the real-life experience you get on blogs and forums, such as Adventure Rider. Anyway, point is, I'm not all that unfamiliar with the KLR650 ...

... and it's LACK of Smart (or any) Technologies!

It's indeed off-road capable, yet devoid of any fork adjustment, it aspirates through a circa-1960s constant velocity (CV) carburetor and it doesn't even have a fucking gas gauge! LOL! Seriously, I'd like to ask that article's author what Smart Technologies he's referring to.

Let me go through the upgrades and accessories that I think are necessary after my research and have planned for my 2016 KLR650, then I'll comment on why I still want the stupid thing.

The Infamous Doohickey:

Foremost on the list of goofy things about the Kawasaki KLR650 is its doohickey. At this point, it would be virtually impossible to have a conversation with a knowledgeable KLR650 owner that didn't include a discussion about how one's doohickey modification went or, God forbid, why one hadn't done the modification to their doohickey.

The doohickey problemo dates back to the origins of the KLR650 and I was naturally curious whether, after all the years of production, Kawasaki had taken corrective actions to fix the problem when they introduced the 2nd Generation KLR650 in 2008 or if they, perhaps, corrected it in a later year. At first I was led to a FALSE conclusion that the doohickey problem had been cured and that I wouldn't have to worry about it. Well, after digging a little deeper it became clear that, while Kawasaki apparently made some effort to correct the problem, the doohickey is as fucked up in the 2016 model Kawasaki KLR650 as it is/was in the first year KLR650 in 1987.

So what is the doohickey?

Well, most motorcycles have an mechanical counterbalancing function ("counterbalancer") designed to offset the force imposed from of rotation of the piston/crank as the engine operates under normal conditions. In the absence of counterbalancers, engines would produce an unacceptable level of vibration that would certainly create for a great degree of riding discomfort, but also damage. The KLR650 has a chain-driven counterbalancer that is designed to offset the force of the piston/crank. (See Dan's Description of Counterbalancer).

Since the counterbalancing function is chain driven, there is a requirement for a chain-tensioning system that keeps the chain tightly situated on the associated gears and/or pullies. The tensioner lever and the tensioner spring that make up this chain tensioning system are the doohickey. Here's a peek at it. The doohickey lever rocks to the right and left under the tension of the tensioning spring that is directly behind it.

The problem with the doohickey is that the tension lever has been prone to fracturing on GEN 1 KLR650s and to a lesser extent on GEN 2s (see photo below). As I understand it, at some point, Kawasaki finally conceded that there was a problem and manufactured the lever in a heavier grade steel. All fixed, right? Not quite, and this is where I got a little confused thinking that, perhaps, I wouldn't have a problem on my soon to arrive 2016.

First, it turns out that the factory spring, which was not modified, has a propensity to fracture just like the lever does (see photo below). Second, if the spring doesn't fracture, it becomes sprung (i.e. stretched beyond its functional limit) and completely ineffective in as little as 5,000 miles use. Third, even when the spring is functional, it allows the lever to move only about 1/3 of the range of its arced groove; that's an ineffective range.

Bottom line, the damn doohickey still isn't right. As a result, the owners of KLR650s and the mechanics who understand this issue continue to recommend that the doohickey be replaced. The doohickey modification includes a new "aftermarket" lever and replacement of the stock spring with a more effective torsion-type spring as shown in the photo below to get more range out of the lever. Add to that special tools and other parts necessary to fix this glitch and it's a $138 fix ... if you do it yourself. Link to the EagleMike Kit.

Here's a look at the corrected Doo with a torsion spring. Some drilling required :).

Inadequate Front Forks:

The KLR650 is equipped with 41mm KYB damping-rod front forks on springs rated 0.40kg/mm. The pre-load, which is not adjustable, is fixed at 6mm. There are no compression or rebound adjustments, either. The pre-load and dampening you get is as they decided it should be set at the factory. I guess that they don't know that us peeps come in many different sizes.

Pre-load is probably one of the most important adjustments that is necessary to dial in the overall suspension. Pre-load adjustments don't affect spring rates; rather, they are necessary to establish the proper static sag. Sag is the distance the bike settles on its suspension is subjected to load. Although, pre-load can also be used to change ride height, it's generally more appropriate to move the forks up or down in the triple trees. Without the ability to "properly" adjust pre-load, the ability of the suspension to operate under the specific load each of us put it under is literally hit-or-miss.

I may be able to play around with spacers, but I am likely to have a number of different riding configurations. That is, myself, myself+luggage, 2-up, 2-up + luggage. There are a lot of variants and I don't want to be taking my forks about to change spacers. So my plan to compensate for this shortfall is to install a set of Cogent Adjustable Fork Caps. Not an inexpensive fix at $169, but indications are that Cogent has the best product in this class.

On another front suspension matter, one of the 2016 improvements to the KLR650 that Kawasaki is claiming is the installation of stiffer fork springs (currently 0.40kg/mm). Complaints have abound about weak springs causing diving during braking and bounce off rebound. I note that many owners have installed spacers to compensate for this problem. However, installing spacers does not change the spring rate; all it does is advance the compression stage by the length of the spacer.

Finally, there is no compression or rebound adjustment. There's not too much we can do about that, but if I feel some improvement is necessary, I'll probably look to the Ricor Intiminator Fork Valves for help. Intiminators are billed to provide faster wheel and suspension response making for a more comfortable and safer ride. They run about $180.

Cooling System Flaw:

There isn't much to the KLR650 liquid cooling system, but apparently what there is of it doesn't work very well. The problems are twofold. First, the stock thermostat doesn't allow the engine to reach temperatures high enough to promote proper operation. Second, the stock configuration does not allow even circulation of coolant throughout the cylinder head. In other words, the top of the cylinder head runs hotter than the bottom of the cylinder head. This issue promotes a number of problems from problems warming up the engine (important for CV Carbed aspiration) to lowering the life expectancy of the engine.

For this issue, the aftermarket has created a solution called Thermo-Bob. Thermo-Bob requires removal of the factory thermostat for a much larger integrated thermostat that provides hotter temperatures.

Then, the assembly provides a bypass to reroute and recirculate coolant to the lower end of the cylinder head. A great diagram comparing the stock flow to the Thermo-Bob is provided below.

I found it interesting on some forums, youtube vids and other sources that the decision whether to install a Thermo-Bob might be based on how long you plan to keep your KLR650. If that's to be a long time, the Thermo-Bob would be appropriate; if a short time, go ahead and skip it. Well, hmmm. I would have thought that the decision tree would have been grounded more in whether you want your bike to run and operate properly ... or not. The Thermo-Bob runs $125.

A Carburetor ... in 2016 ... Really?

At a time when just about every motorsports manufacturer is leaning the air/fuel mixtures under federal mandates with electronic fuel injection, the KLR650 continues to operate under the same constraints with a Constant Velocity (CV) Carburetor (a Keihin CVK40). However, if you had to get lean in a carb'd situation, in my experience, the CV is probably the way to go.

Personally, I don't take issue with the CV, except for the fact it did get screwed down a little too tight on the fuel/air mix and, in it's present form, it really doesn't accommodate throttle response very well. The remedy ... well, the 22 Cent Mod. First we have doohickeys and then we have 22 cent mods. WTF!

The 22 Cent Mod is actually three modifications to the Keihin CVK40 Carburetor.

First, is the installation of 2, #4 washers at the top of the needle jet to shim it higher and produce a richer air/fuel mix. Apparently the washers cost 11 cents each.

Second, is digging the cover/plug off the idle jet port and turning it out a little further.

Third, is increasing the size of the vacuum hole on the slide itself by drilling it out. One of the unique aspects of the constant velocity carb is that the throttle cable doesn't attach to the slide. Rather, the slide relies on the creation of a vacuum in the carb body to raise and lower the slide. The hole expanded is the vacuum port.

Well, at least this is a cheap modification!

Low-Profile Oil Drain Plug:

Believe it or not, but the oil drain plug on the KLR650 is so big, it protrudes dangerously below the factory skid plate. A solid rock or tree stump out on the trail and ...

Wow! That's amazing. On a recent trip to my dealer for parts I crawled under the KLR650 they have on the floor to see this for myself. Sure enough, the bolt issue really needs to be addressed.

Hey, no big deal as long as you know about it. I've ordered a Tusk Low Profile drain bolt for $11. It's a magnetic plug as well. This will definitely be the first little mod I install!

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Smart Rider Technologies, heck no. Doohickeys, Thermo-Bobs, 22 Cent Mods, yup.

There are quite a few things that need to be addressed on the stock KLR650, and that's just the shortlist. I actually have a number of other planned mods including an exhaust and some protection mods and, of course, I need to work on some luggage. Quite a few dollars to do all this.

The good news is that I'm starting at so low a price to begin with, as in less than one-half of what my Yamaha Super Tenere cost. I put thousands on top of the OTD in that bike, so the couple hundreds in the KLR aren't going to break the bank.

In addition, I look at the KLR650 like a blank canvas with lots of opportunities for a wrencher like myself to improve and modify to the way I want the bike. Yes, a bike that doesn't do anything particularly well. But that's the beauty of the KLR along with the fact that it's an out right blast to own and ride.