Motorcycle Test & Tech

"draggin' knees & rippin' T's"

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  Kawasaki KLR 650

I thought after five kids I was done bringing home new additions to my family. That was before I fell in love with the 2000 Kawasaki KLR650 Dual Sport, which I purchased from Kawasaki of Riverside in California. I was on a mission to find a Dual Sport that would strike an equal balance to haul my six foot four inch, two hundred and sixty pound body around. I looked at all the DS series bikes, the new Suzuki DRZ 400S(too small and a tiny gas tank 2.64 gal), the Honda XR 650L (2.8 gal gas tank including a .06 gal reserve) I didn't want to spend my days at the pump and the KTM 640 Adventure R which is a great bike for the serious off-roader but about three grand more than I wanted to spend on my first Dual Sport.

After much research I decided the KLR was the best bike for me. Notice I said for me, your research and ultimate selection might vary from mine. Choosing a motorcycle is an extremely personal decision and I would not presume to sway you toward buying the KLR merely because I think it's a great all around bike for me. This is about you and a choice you'll likely live with for at least a few years unless you buy it outright and can sell it to someone else should you not enjoy it.

But alas I digress; this shouldn't be about a bunch of what ifs but rather what now. What now indeed, the first thing I did is to purchase the tank bag, saddle bags and tail bag from the Kawasaki accessories book. The second remedy was to change the grips, what a difference a ten-minute job makes. I chose Renthal waffle grips of the soft variety and for the twelve buck they cost I can live with having to change them about every 6-8 months depending on how much I ride.

As you can see I shot a few pictures of the KLR at rest with the bags already mounted and the new grips in place.

Below are some shots of the bike showing how it comes equipped. Notice the large front disc and the protective cover for the rear brake reservoir, also seen is the factory plastic skid plate, not exactly the best for hard core use but for now until I become an off road super stud it will do.

Future plans for the bike are to make it a bit stouter for backcountry exploration and cross-country use. I am looking into exhaust mods and a new high performance air cleaner. Of more importance however is a new rear coil spring or even a new coilover shock if necessary. The problem is a combination of my weight and a soft rear coil from the factory, I also intend to do two-up riding as well and my wife is also over 6 feet tall.

I have already put in a call to Works Performance and they do indeed make a replacement system to replace the factory shock, however it retails for over five hundred bucks. In the meantime I am looking to see if a different spring rate will solve the problem. I will keep you informed.

If you own a dual sport and have any tips, tricks or ideas let me know and I will share them here. Until then, Rubber side down!

Andy.

Front disc/crossdrilled rotor	Front Tire tread design, as you can see this is more street friendly. Future plans call for a more aggressive pattern to assist in off road fun.
The difference is in the grips, the factory grips were designed by Marquis De Sade, the Renthal full waffle are like sex for the hands.	The instrument cluster is very easy to read and well laid out, a gas gauge would be a nice touch but with a six gallon tank I guess you cant complain too much.
The majority of the weight of this bike is right here, this muffler is not only huge, but very restrictive. I'm lookin' for a new one.	Yes Virginia that is a radiator. Behind it sits an automatic thermostatic controlled fan. Can you say Southern California traffic?
The rear crossdrilled rotor is almost as big as the front, I've read some other articles about the KLR dogging the brakes but I have yet to experience any type of fade even with two up riding. Some of us can ride, and some can't.	I thought this was a great feature on the KLR, even though the protective cover is plastic, look though the cover and you can see that the master cylinder cover also has clamp to keep the cap on.
The rear tire pretty much mirrors the front pattern, not very aggressive, I have noticed they are grippy on the street even when taking a turn through water.	Here is the skid plate I spoke of, with only three hundred and fifty miles on the bike I have already noticed there are more than a few dings and scrapes in the plastic.

 

Engine type	4-stroke, DOHC, 4-valve single
Displacement	651cc
Bore x Stroke	100.0 x 83.0mm
Cooling	Liquid
Carburetion	Keihin CVK40
Ignition	Electronic CDI
Transmission	5-speed
Frame	Semi-double cradle, high-tensile steel
Rake/trail	28 degrees/4.4 in.
Suspension, front	38mm, leading-axle air-adjustable fork
Suspension adjustments, front	Air-adjustable preload
Suspension, rear	UNI-TRAK® single-shock system
Suspension adjustments, rear	5-way preload and 4-way rebound damping adjustment
Wheel travel, front	9.1 in.
Wheel travel, rear	9.1 in.
Tire, front	90/90 x 21
Tire, rear	130/80 x 17
Brakes, front/rear	Hydraulic disc/Disc
Overall length	86.8 in.
Overall width	37.0 in.
Overall height	53.0 in.
Ground clearance	9.4 in.
Seat height	35.0 in.
Dry weight	337 lbs.
Fuel capacity	6.1 gal.
Wheelbase	58.9 in.
Color	Olive Green
MSRP	$4,899

Copyright 2005-2008

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Site last updated: 03/13/2008 03:48:43 PM