Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Good news everyone, it didn't explode! Started right up, took a quick ride to the grocery store and made it home with no strange noises, smells or oil leaks. Time to start planning those trips westward...
2017 KLR 650 Build
- Thread starter Gallowbraid
- Start date
Good news everyone, it didn't explode! Started right up, took a quick ride to the grocery store and made it home with no strange noises, smells or oil leaks. Time to start planning those trips westward...
Paddy klr650-Diesel
Adventurist
Nice thread, bought a 08 kl650 diesel with 336 miles on it. looking forward to riding a lot. Any ideas on maint. book?
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
From what I understand it's very difficult to find documentation on the diesel variants of the KLR's. For years the military wouldn't allow them to be sold surplus and chose instead to destroy them. A few leaked out, but not many. In the past several years though I've seen several folks over on Advrider.com picking them up in groups of 10 to 20 from auction and restoring them for sale. Is this how you sourced yours, from one of the restoration guys, or did you find it somewhere else?
Outside of some of the frame components and some basic mechanical parts and most of the transmission I don't think there's much cross over with the regular KLRs either. The engine is obviously very different, the electrical system I'd advise trying to find one of the guys on Advrider.com who has done restorations and see what sort of help they could provide.
Another source might be to go to Hayes Diversified Technologies directly as they're the ones that do the diesel conversion on the bikes for the Marines. They're based in Hisperia CA and might be able to give you some better direction.
I'd love to get my hands on a HDT M103M1 one day. That diesel grunt and 96 mpg would make for an awesome long distance touring machine.
Outside of some of the frame components and some basic mechanical parts and most of the transmission I don't think there's much cross over with the regular KLRs either. The engine is obviously very different, the electrical system I'd advise trying to find one of the guys on Advrider.com who has done restorations and see what sort of help they could provide.
Another source might be to go to Hayes Diversified Technologies directly as they're the ones that do the diesel conversion on the bikes for the Marines. They're based in Hisperia CA and might be able to give you some better direction.
I'd love to get my hands on a HDT M103M1 one day. That diesel grunt and 96 mpg would make for an awesome long distance touring machine.
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Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Added a rear master cylinder guard. Protection from rocks is a good thing. From Happy Trails Motorcycle Great it mounts using the stock hardware.
After this I tackled adding a center stand to make chain maintenance and tire changes easier. Another easy install. Pull the bolts holding the foot pegs on, put the stand in place and reattach the pegs using the included longer and stronger bolts. Torque everything to spec and call it a day.
After this I tackled adding a center stand to make chain maintenance and tire changes easier. Another easy install. Pull the bolts holding the foot pegs on, put the stand in place and reattach the pegs using the included longer and stronger bolts. Torque everything to spec and call it a day.
Wayne's Wagon
Adventurist
Nice build. I've started this on my 2013. Pretty much the same list. You should look into getting a better battery, mine I had to fill with water every 4 to 6 months. Replaced it with a AGM battery. No more issues. It was this way since new in 2013.
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Yeah I upgraded to an AGM a while back but never posted about it. No more battery maintenance is a wonderful thing.
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Took the bike out Sunday for a short 250 mile ride. Hit TN, NC and of course GA. Did a 50/50 mix of FS roads and paved back roads. Beautiful scenery all day long, but during the course of the day I only took one photo during a break in the shade. Lots of wildlife too, 4 ground hogs, 1 coyote, lots of squirrels and chipmunks, a suicidal mouse (crossing an expressway on ramp) and a few deer. Too much of a pain to stop and take photos while riding...that's not really the point of riding anyway. Wondering if a helmet mounted GoPro might work for quick shots of interesting things though....
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Headed out yesterday to find a Tag location. For those of you not familiar with the motorcycle world many forums have games of tag running for certain areas. Someone starts the game by riding their bike out to a location, taking a photo and then starting a thread with the geographical limits and rules for the game. Someone else then has to figure out where that location is, ride their bike there and capture a photo. Once they post the proof that they've gotten the current tag they post a new photo of their bike in a new location and the game continues. It's a good excuse to go ride and a good way to share interesting historical locations, great places to eat or your favorite back road.
This was the location of one of these tags:
Neat mural of a local distillery. After posting my proof I set off into the woods to bury the tag on a FS road that crosses the GA/TN border. I headed North until I could get to Old GA 2 and followed it up to the border. Some great riding and fantastic scenery. It also helped that under the shade of the trees it was in the upper 70's...any open tarmac was like riding in a blast furnace yesterday.
That last photo there was my contribution as the new tag location. The bridge in the background is in TN which is out of bounds for this game (has to be inside GA) but my rear wheel and this caution sign are firmly in GA.
After grabbing that photo I crossed over into TN and enjoyed some fantastic roads. Haven't explored this area very much in the past, and I'll be returning soon as there's a network of FS roads up here begging to become my new favorites.
Some great dispersed camping was available on the river along with some facilities that will have you digging cat holes.
Heading west from there the road just continued to get better and better.
Even had a bit of pavement for about 1/2 a mile surrounded by miles and miles of dirt on either end. Must have been erosion problems in this one section. Found a baptist church in the middle of nowhere that appeared as though it was still being regularly used. I'm not sure by who though as it wasn't close to anything resembling homes. Eventually I came out of the woods and wound my way into a small TN community that was having lots of road construction. After sitting in the heat at the mercy of some flaggers I opted to turn toward the highway and slab it back home. A solid day of riding.
This was the location of one of these tags:
Neat mural of a local distillery. After posting my proof I set off into the woods to bury the tag on a FS road that crosses the GA/TN border. I headed North until I could get to Old GA 2 and followed it up to the border. Some great riding and fantastic scenery. It also helped that under the shade of the trees it was in the upper 70's...any open tarmac was like riding in a blast furnace yesterday.
That last photo there was my contribution as the new tag location. The bridge in the background is in TN which is out of bounds for this game (has to be inside GA) but my rear wheel and this caution sign are firmly in GA.
After grabbing that photo I crossed over into TN and enjoyed some fantastic roads. Haven't explored this area very much in the past, and I'll be returning soon as there's a network of FS roads up here begging to become my new favorites.
Some great dispersed camping was available on the river along with some facilities that will have you digging cat holes.
Heading west from there the road just continued to get better and better.
Even had a bit of pavement for about 1/2 a mile surrounded by miles and miles of dirt on either end. Must have been erosion problems in this one section. Found a baptist church in the middle of nowhere that appeared as though it was still being regularly used. I'm not sure by who though as it wasn't close to anything resembling homes. Eventually I came out of the woods and wound my way into a small TN community that was having lots of road construction. After sitting in the heat at the mercy of some flaggers I opted to turn toward the highway and slab it back home. A solid day of riding.
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Exploring the NW side of the state the other day. Cool bridges and a canoe/kayak put in called The Devils Elbow. I can't find an official story for why it's called The Devils Elbow, but many folks online seem to report that there's a strong undertow in the curve of the river and apparently more than one person has drowned here.
Deer season is up and running so many normally gated roads in the WMA's are open now. I wasn't planning on going off pavement today but couldn't pass up some of the more inviting roads. If you call this a road:
That was actually a fork in the road...the split to the right had rules:
And some newly installed seating:
Overlooking a well worn game trail coming down this wash:
I went to the left where there weren't vehicle restrictions trying to head toward what appeared to be a remote waterfall on google maps. There was lots of this:
And this:
Spent plenty of time hopping wet logs and navigating around some downed trees. Finally came to a washed out culvert that ended my exploring. I probably could have pushed through, but being alone with a pig of an adventure bike the day after a heavy rain I decided not to push my luck and bury the bike in a wet muddy ditch. I turned around and headed back to the pavement. After taking a couple of turns guided by nothing more than "hey that looks neat, I'm going to turn that direction" I arrived at Eagles Rest Park near Jasper GA. This park sits atop a ridge with almost panoramic views to the south, east and west. Wooden observation decks have been built to get you above the tree line and show you views like this:
My cellphone wouldn't capture it but you could see the Atlanta skyline and Stone Mountain approximately 65 miles to the south. Met some riders from Kentucky who were following around a friend who lived local. We chatted about Atlanta and the overgrowth of the south before parting ways. I wandered the back roads for another hour or so before heading home for the day.
Deer season is up and running so many normally gated roads in the WMA's are open now. I wasn't planning on going off pavement today but couldn't pass up some of the more inviting roads. If you call this a road:
That was actually a fork in the road...the split to the right had rules:
And some newly installed seating:
Overlooking a well worn game trail coming down this wash:
I went to the left where there weren't vehicle restrictions trying to head toward what appeared to be a remote waterfall on google maps. There was lots of this:
And this:
Spent plenty of time hopping wet logs and navigating around some downed trees. Finally came to a washed out culvert that ended my exploring. I probably could have pushed through, but being alone with a pig of an adventure bike the day after a heavy rain I decided not to push my luck and bury the bike in a wet muddy ditch. I turned around and headed back to the pavement. After taking a couple of turns guided by nothing more than "hey that looks neat, I'm going to turn that direction" I arrived at Eagles Rest Park near Jasper GA. This park sits atop a ridge with almost panoramic views to the south, east and west. Wooden observation decks have been built to get you above the tree line and show you views like this:
My cellphone wouldn't capture it but you could see the Atlanta skyline and Stone Mountain approximately 65 miles to the south. Met some riders from Kentucky who were following around a friend who lived local. We chatted about Atlanta and the overgrowth of the south before parting ways. I wandered the back roads for another hour or so before heading home for the day.
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Maintenance day. Trying this semi synthetic Lucas oil for the first time. Thus far it's actually made a surprising difference in valve clatter and overall engine noise. Much quieter.
I've used Lucas in my old 74 CB200 and it gave me the same results. Bike seemed much happier.
Mucksavage
Adventurist
@Gallowbraid ...I just installed the same EMGO trunk on my V Strom. It seems pretty solid but I only have about 40 slab miles with it installed. Has it held up well with dirt road bouncing?
Are you on advrider?
Thanks in advance!
Are you on advrider?
Thanks in advance!
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
4500 miles on the bike and it's still firmly in place and working great. My only complaint is it's not quite big enough to hold my Shoei DS Hornet...it needs to be about 1/2 and inch taller.
I am on advrider, same username.
This is an interesting thread... I thought about buying an older (2012) KLR 650 with less than 3,000 miles on it, the dealership only wanted $3,750 and the bike was in showroom condition. But they turned me down for financing, due to the fact that I have no credit... and despite the fact that I have a steady gubmint job and I own my home free & clear (paid cash for it when I bought it). The rejection stems from the fact that I don't believe in credit card agencies and debt slavery, you understand... seen too many folks get mired in credit card debt, and I usually pay cash for everything I own. It's not that I have BAD credit, I just never bothered to establish it, I use a USAA Visa debit card or simply pay cash. Guess it's a moot point, I just went to the dealership website and it looks like the bike has already been sold... I was gonna post a link to the site so anybody else interested in the bike could check it out, but it's gone. 
I was also concerned about the weight of the bike in the dirt, even though I'm close to 200 lbs. and I've ridden dirt bikes and enduros all my life, as well as heavier street bikes & rice rockets. So I'm looking at bikes on C/L again, as I found out yesterday that I'm getting a thousand bucks back on my tax refunds... only been on the job a few short months, but I'll take it, maybe I can find a used bike if I pool that grand with part of a paycheck, aye? Thing is, I'd like an enduro that's street legal, what many makers now call a "dual sport bike"---that way I can ride to work in nice weather, and tool around some of these scenic highways & byways in Arizona. That's why I was considering the KLR 650, it'd have plenty of power for the road. Meh, I might go lighter anyway, and just haul the bike on my cargo carrier if I'm going any distance on pavement. I was originally targeting bikes in the 350-450cc range, but when I saw that KLR 650 for such a price, and in such good condition, I gave some serious thought to it.
Oh, well, things happen or don't happen for a reason, and the bike might indeed have been too heavy for what I have in mind: riding a thumper out to the Stronghold to shorten my approach to those primo crags. I've enjoyed reading this thread, and I must admit your comments practically convinced me that the bike would've been too heavy and unwieldy off road. A "pig" as you say, lol. What's more, I don't want to buy a bike which will require heaps of modifications, I'd rather narrow my search and find something more suitable for my specific purpose. Maybe a 400 or a 450, maybe something smaller which will get hauled around on my cargo carrier. I used to haul my dirt bikes on that carrier up in the White Mountains, it handled the job as long as one drove carefully to the trailhead, avoiding bumps & dips & whatnot. Steep driveways too, those can be difficult to negotiate without scraping metal.
I saw a cool KLX 250 in Camo Gray, that would've been ideal for stashing in the brush under the crags, but it'd wind out and make a heller racket at highway speeds, riding to Tombstone or wherever... heaps of vibration too, like riding an industrial paint shaker, lol. But it would be nice in the dirt, I can sling one of those around like so much hash off road. And riding surface streets to work under a 35 m.p.h. town speed limit wouldn't pose any problem, it's just the highway operation that concerns me... I like more power on the open road, mainly so I can twist the throttle and get away from bad drivers, some of those fooliots are downright dangerous. Meh, we'll see what happens, I'm enjoying the search all the same, and there are some good deals on C/L, ya just gotta buy from the right party... an older guy who has taken care of the bike, not some friggin' college student, lol. Anyway, I liked your comments and your photos, Georgia has plenty of pretty scenery on her back roads and byways, as I learned during my "trucking daze."
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, AND "HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU!!!" CHEERS!!!
I was also concerned about the weight of the bike in the dirt, even though I'm close to 200 lbs. and I've ridden dirt bikes and enduros all my life, as well as heavier street bikes & rice rockets. So I'm looking at bikes on C/L again, as I found out yesterday that I'm getting a thousand bucks back on my tax refunds... only been on the job a few short months, but I'll take it, maybe I can find a used bike if I pool that grand with part of a paycheck, aye? Thing is, I'd like an enduro that's street legal, what many makers now call a "dual sport bike"---that way I can ride to work in nice weather, and tool around some of these scenic highways & byways in Arizona. That's why I was considering the KLR 650, it'd have plenty of power for the road. Meh, I might go lighter anyway, and just haul the bike on my cargo carrier if I'm going any distance on pavement. I was originally targeting bikes in the 350-450cc range, but when I saw that KLR 650 for such a price, and in such good condition, I gave some serious thought to it.
Oh, well, things happen or don't happen for a reason, and the bike might indeed have been too heavy for what I have in mind: riding a thumper out to the Stronghold to shorten my approach to those primo crags. I've enjoyed reading this thread, and I must admit your comments practically convinced me that the bike would've been too heavy and unwieldy off road. A "pig" as you say, lol. What's more, I don't want to buy a bike which will require heaps of modifications, I'd rather narrow my search and find something more suitable for my specific purpose. Maybe a 400 or a 450, maybe something smaller which will get hauled around on my cargo carrier. I used to haul my dirt bikes on that carrier up in the White Mountains, it handled the job as long as one drove carefully to the trailhead, avoiding bumps & dips & whatnot. Steep driveways too, those can be difficult to negotiate without scraping metal.
I saw a cool KLX 250 in Camo Gray, that would've been ideal for stashing in the brush under the crags, but it'd wind out and make a heller racket at highway speeds, riding to Tombstone or wherever... heaps of vibration too, like riding an industrial paint shaker, lol. But it would be nice in the dirt, I can sling one of those around like so much hash off road. And riding surface streets to work under a 35 m.p.h. town speed limit wouldn't pose any problem, it's just the highway operation that concerns me... I like more power on the open road, mainly so I can twist the throttle and get away from bad drivers, some of those fooliots are downright dangerous. Meh, we'll see what happens, I'm enjoying the search all the same, and there are some good deals on C/L, ya just gotta buy from the right party... an older guy who has taken care of the bike, not some friggin' college student, lol. Anyway, I liked your comments and your photos, Georgia has plenty of pretty scenery on her back roads and byways, as I learned during my "trucking daze."
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, AND "HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU!!!" CHEERS!!!
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Came across this on Instagram and really have no where else to share it, just really liked it. So it's going to live here in this thread for now.
I'm currently hunting for a Gen1 KLR...
I'm currently hunting for a Gen1 KLR...
Mucksavage
Adventurist
Thank you! Interesting because my reason for buying the trunk is i just purchased a Schuberth E1 (size L). I stopped at a grocery store & was afraid to leave my new $600 helmet outside, hence buying the trunk. The E1 fits in it.
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Just finished reading In Search of Greener Grass by Graham Field and have now moved on to his second book Ureka. Great reads if you're into adventure motorcycles or world travel. I enjoyed this bit in Ureka when I came across it:
I discover in a gonzo style of research what a lone overlander does hidden in a forest once alcohol is consumed, when no one is watching. Alone with his thoughts and needs, his questions and reflections, his experiences and explanations, there is only really one true recreational act: he puts stickers on his panniers.
I discover in a gonzo style of research what a lone overlander does hidden in a forest once alcohol is consumed, when no one is watching. Alone with his thoughts and needs, his questions and reflections, his experiences and explanations, there is only really one true recreational act: he puts stickers on his panniers.
Haha, that line is hilarious, and ain't it the truth? I know y'all have done stuff like that, same way I have as a remote camper and technical rock climber... sometimes thoughts turn to your rig and ya just gotta dress her up a bit, lol.
Gallowbraid
Adventurist
Time for some new drive components...
You remind me that I have to do exactly the same thing...