KLR 650 1st adventure

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

I bought a KLR 650 yesterday. It is a 2007 Generation 1 KLR with many upgrades. I could have bought a newer duel sport but the 2008 - 2016 do not look like a duel sport with the fancy fairing and the 2008 - 2011 Generation 2 had some bugs that needed to be worked out. Anyway, I wanted my KLR to have the upgraded do-hicky and crash protection at the very least. I might ride this to Prudhoe Bay so I needed farkles.

What I ended up with is Big Ugly. What a KLR. There are over $6000 of farkles on this KLR. Progresive shocks, Cabon fiber fairing, adjustable windshield, Led headlights, dohickey, flow bob, luggage rack with waterproof painers, aftermarket handlebar, handlebar riser, flush drain plug, grip protector, ufo fender, fan switch, biger carb, kick stand safty switch deactivated, fuse box relocated and changed to minis, sub frame bolts changed and lock tighted, garmin trip computer and wiring for the ipod / earphones. I sure there is more but this is just what I remember.

Mike told me the battery was iffy when I bought it. Iffy meaning if the battery would start the bike. Anyways, I was certain that the battery was fine enough to ride over to Lowes. I was wrong. The battery died. I left my cellphone at home. I was on my own with the manufacturer KLR tool box. I ended up having to go into Lowes to buy an allen wrench to get the side panels of Big Ugly off to get to the battery. Unbelievably, Lowes also had the battery I needed. After the battery install, Big Ugly fired right up.

Thus ended my first adventure on Big Ugly.


Bill

[buzglyd Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close buzglyd]

You could have spent a ton of dough on one of those lithium batteries and saved 10 pounds in weight.

KLR guys are nuts.

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

Im not too concerned with the weight of Big Ugly, yet anyway. I plan on loading Big Ugly up with about 80+ pounds of gear. A couple more tweaks like heated vibration dampening hand grips, new high gear ratio 16/40 sprockets for road riding, new Heidenau K60 Scout tires and a phone mount and I will be ready to head north.

I had a turn light out so I stopped at Auto Zone and bought led's. They are really bright, way brighter than an oem bulb. Im going to change the tail light out to led as well. The problem now seems to be the flasher relay. Im going to need to change this as the oem relay will not accommodate the led's for some reason.

Big Ugly is for my cabin mostly. There are many jeep trails, motorcycle trails, abandoned logging roads, Chinook Pass and Mount Rainier that will be my main destinations.

I agree that KLR riders are nuts but I think that goes for most adventure riders. My old Honda 250 was off road only and every bit as tall as the KLR but way more able on the trails. Now that Im older I don't seem to like going as fast or catching air on trails so the KLR should be a good fit for me is what I hope.

[buzglyd Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close buzglyd]

Make sure you find a suitable milk crate for the rear.

[easyrider Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close easyrider]

I am reminded of the story of the turtle and the rabbit regarding Big Ugly. I went on a ride with some friends and their younger friends. These guys are riding Triumph Tigers and BMW GS so they can go very fast very quick. Big Ugly sports a 650 cc single piston engine but chugs right along and has lots of storage. Anyway, everyone seems to get to the intersections before me and it seems they are waiting, like Im slowing them down by doing the speed limit.

We finally hit the dirt and gravel. I let everyone go ahead but soon end up passing everyone as they begin to have problems with traction and tire wobble because of the loose road. So I end up on top of the mountain first and it was about 10 minutes before the last bike made it. My buddy on a GS was right with me everywhere and could have passed me at any time is what I think. His GS had the same type tires as Big Ugly.