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Looking for info on a klr 650
- Thread starter ToSlow
- Start date
I ride an '04. What do you want to know?
Buy one. You'll instantly become more of a man than any other rider, lol. Oh, and do the doohickey
How tall are you? 
Fun bikes - had one as my first getting back into riding - sold it for more than I paid for it.
Just bought one in Australia for second season riding. Looking forward to it - just have to remember how to shift manually....such ancient tech
Bikes are bullet proof and every model just about identical up to 2008 - 20 years plus they've been making th suckers with little change at all.
All you need to know is here
http://www.klr650.net/forums/
Fun bikes - had one as my first getting back into riding - sold it for more than I paid for it.
Just bought one in Australia for second season riding. Looking forward to it - just have to remember how to shift manually....such ancient tech
Bikes are bullet proof and every model just about identical up to 2008 - 20 years plus they've been making th suckers with little change at all.
All you need to know is here
http://www.klr650.net/forums/
The Road Warrior
Well-known member
How tall are you?
Is it a very tall bike?
awonderfulworld
Well-known member
The 2008's had problems with oil consumption.
I used to ride a 2001 - rebuilt the cylinder with a 685 kit and it was amazing.
Bike will take you anywhere, but be warned - it's not really good at anything - but it will do everything. Compared to other modern bikes, it feels old. The bike didn't have any real changes since the 80's. It's not great on the road (though I did many 1000+ km days), it's too big for real off road riding though it took me to amazing places. A forest service road, or gravel, it's a fine machine.
The suspension sucks, and will bottom out quickly (especially with panniers loaded with weight). The headlight is so weak, it might as well not work, but there isn't much spare power in the stator to put on aux lights. The seat hurts after a couple hours, you get head shake from semi's and you have to wring it out to pass them.
All that said, if I had to go on a long trip somewhere far and remote, I'd take a KLR over my BMW.
I used to ride a 2001 - rebuilt the cylinder with a 685 kit and it was amazing.
Bike will take you anywhere, but be warned - it's not really good at anything - but it will do everything. Compared to other modern bikes, it feels old. The bike didn't have any real changes since the 80's. It's not great on the road (though I did many 1000+ km days), it's too big for real off road riding though it took me to amazing places. A forest service road, or gravel, it's a fine machine.
The suspension sucks, and will bottom out quickly (especially with panniers loaded with weight). The headlight is so weak, it might as well not work, but there isn't much spare power in the stator to put on aux lights. The seat hurts after a couple hours, you get head shake from semi's and you have to wring it out to pass them.
All that said, if I had to go on a long trip somewhere far and remote, I'd take a KLR over my BMW.
Love mine. It's and '08 and was a oil burner. I had a 685 kit installed and that was the end of that. The 09's and up seem less affected by this issue (lighter piston rings than 2007 and earlier).
Bike are pretty much the same all years. '08+ added slightly beefier forks, better lighting, better cooling, a little more stator output. Fatter spokes. Many of the parts carry over between gens.
No matter the year replace the doohickey with an eagle mike replacement (not a cheap knock off). Otehr than that farkle and mod as little or as much as you want.
I recommend crash guards, the rad isn't cheap.
jsv650 is right it is a jack of all trades, master of none.
Bike are pretty much the same all years. '08+ added slightly beefier forks, better lighting, better cooling, a little more stator output. Fatter spokes. Many of the parts carry over between gens.
No matter the year replace the doohickey with an eagle mike replacement (not a cheap knock off). Otehr than that farkle and mod as little or as much as you want.
I recommend crash guards, the rad isn't cheap.
jsv650 is right it is a jack of all trades, master of none.
By far, most value going for a bike. I got mine (2008 ) with only 4000 kms on it, did the 685, front and rear suspension, doo and thermo bob, many other little mods, and I'm still under 7 grand all in. Insurance is dirt cheap, it gets over 60mpg, tires cost is very low with a low wear rate. I'm 6'4 and the suspension is easily dropped to suit a 5"10 rider. I've had two of them, and I've owned 29 bikes in total. Easily the most versatile and fun machine, and I've ridden this one more than any other bike.
stevie t
Well-known member
You can do almost anything on them and they are way too much fun, both on and off road...
Here I am testing my technique for the 'emergency laydown stop' that was so hotly debated previously on this forum...you can see how it stops on a dime....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23128731@N06/6642499947/
....and yes, the rider and bike stopped at the same place....
....and yes, I did steal the photo from Rotten Ronnie.....
Here I am testing my technique for the 'emergency laydown stop' that was so hotly debated previously on this forum...you can see how it stops on a dime....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23128731@N06/6642499947/
....and yes, the rider and bike stopped at the same place....
....and yes, I did steal the photo from Rotten Ronnie.....
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stevie t
Well-known member
Yah I know, other than climbing up (almost dismounted over the crest!) and then down the hill in the still photo, I had about 300 meters of dirt riding experience....by the end of the afternoon it made alot more sense....more gas, NO front brake....blah blah....never had so much fun falling off a bike though....
In your video - do you know what brand of rear rack the guy in the red jacket is using? Starting to look for farkles.
stevie t
Well-known member
It's a Packrat or Packrack. Have a look at my blog, I mounted it with cases for my trans lab trip, and 20 km north of Manic Cinq it saved my leg.
It's shrugged two getoffs, one on gravel at 60kph and one street when I slid sideways after a front tire blowout.
A one piece rack with four attachment points, the absolute workhorse of racks.
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