Since I got the Doohickey knocked out early, I decided to get the Thermo-Bob done as well. I got a little excited when a forum member indicated that there was a possibility of doing the Thermo-Bob upgrade without lifting the fuel tank, but that wasn't to be. I just couldn't get to the thermostat housing without taking the tank off. The Nomad Rider Bar right in the way there didn't help either. Removing the tank and all the panels probably took three times the amount of time it takes to actually fit the Thermo-Bob in the KLR650.
Again, similar to the Doo Upgrade, there are so many online videos and tutorials for doing the Thermo-Bob upgrade that I won't bore you with all my details. It was an easy modification.
Here's what came in the package from Watt-Man.
Included in the parts are two 195 degree (F) thermostats; one for the install and one for a backup. Right out of the gate that's a big improvement over the 160 degree (F) stock thermostat. The higher rated thermostat provides for higher temperatures before it opens allowing the cooler water from the radiator to flow through the engine. That helps stabilizing the temperature throughout the engine.
Also, the thermostat is mounted externally in the Thermo-Bob Housing with a channel that routes water back to the water pump for rerouting through the engine, as opposed to the stock stet up where hot water is just directed to the radiator.
So, here's a photo of the Thermo-Bob thermostat housing installed on my KLR650. Pretty neat! When all is said and done, it's mostly out of sight up under the left side of the fuel tank.
There is some fabrication involved where the stock hose from the radiator to the water pump has to be cut and the bypass installed. The instructions were fairly straight forward to do this but they did not provide a photo of the finished product. So, here's a look at the hose and bypass...
...and here's a look at the configuration that I wound up with that slipped perfectly into place. Left side to radiator...right side to water pump...small hose to Thermo-Bob thermostat housing.
What you don't see in the photos is my alignment line that was recommended in the Watt-Man installation instructions. That was a good recommendation and helped me figure out how to put this thing together.
A few cuts, three bolts and four hose clamps. Seriously, if I didn't have to pull the panels and tank it would have taken no time at all.
Results...
The first observation right out of the gate following installation of the ThermoBob was that the wild fluctuations on the temperature gauge were all but eliminated. As discussed the prior post those fluctuations were significant enough in my mind to report them to my dealer and discuss them with the KLRista groups. All parties advised that the fluctuations are normal for an unmodified KLR. Obviously, that really can't be good for any engine over a long haul. The Thermobob appears to be living up to the claims.
One additional item is Wattman offers a useful temp gauge overlay. As you know, the current temp gauge does not provide monetary readings, only a range from C to H...with a red zone. The following photo of the overlay reflects the actual numeric temp readings along that range. I think its a good add-on following the ThermoBob install and will purchase one in short.
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