My Pig Gots Gas

Being a beginning rider and without any friends to ride with yet I am bound to make some mistakes.

Well I made one this past Monday. After meeting with my wife for a nice Mexican lunch I started riding back to work. I had begun to merge onto one of the faster drags in the city limits and my bike began to surge. "that’s odd"

Soon after the surges it began to sputter and I was losing power. A quick look at the odometer indicated 196Miles. I thought I could get a little over 200 but I did tear down the carb ran it at idle for long periods and had some terrible starting problems the past week on this tank of gas. I quickly tried to reach for the reserve and adjust it from memory. I was to late and completely stalled. The bike refused to start as I coasted to a stop. I tried a couple more 5 second cranks without success. "Could the problem I was having still be there?"

My paranoia set in and I pictured myself on the side of the road with a Sloooow cranking dying battery. I called my wife with a description of where I was and asked her to bring the tools. After getting off the phone I figured I would give it a couple more tries. It probably was just out of gas as my quick peek in the tank confirmed. A couple more cranks and the bike roared to life and idled calmly. "Guess it was the gas"

Now I read some people indicate you can get significant miles on reserve but did not take any chances and headed for the gas station about 6 miles up the road. All seemed well except for the last 3\4 of a mile. The KLR began to sputter and wanted to stall if I gave it significant gas. I used my momentum and idle to keep me moving forward. It crawled along in first gear without stalling a good 1\2 mile until I reached a pump. Filling it up confirmed my theory that it was just running out of gas and not that phantom stalling I was sure to have resolved.

I rode home and to work this morning without incident. I guess this noob will have to pay more attention to my gas levels.

Rolling in Farkles

The farkles continue. This past weekend I devoted some time to remedy last Thursdays stall and difficulty starting. I spent significant time Friday researching the KLR carburetor and proper adjustments as well as a write-up on the .22 cent mod and other carb mods. This thread at KLR650.net really makes it look easy. http://www.klr650.net/forums/showthread.php?t=41112

I decided if I was going to pull the carb I would go ahead and make some of these popular and cheap adjustments to make my pig more responsive, stronger feeling and start up better despite the fact that it may drink a little more. In a sense I figured an attentive adjustment to the fuel system would remedy my running woes and possibly make it better.

Armed with the Clymer manual some detailed reading of the KLR650.net posting above, a pan full of basic tools and a blanket I began my tear down of the carb and connectors. Pulling the carb was surprisingly easy. The only difficult part is stretching the sub frame a little so that the air intake could be pulled from the carb as it was shimmied out and detaching a somewhat delicate choke cable.

Once the carb was out it was disassembled a little and the floats were checked and jets were cleaned with a carb cleaner spray. Overall it was nearly clean as new already. Using a drill the slider was drilled out slightly to increase vacuum a little to improve off idle response. A stainless steel #4 washer from Ace Hardware was placed on the needle as per the directions. We went to drill out the plug on the idle mixture screw and it appeared the previous owner had already done it and the mixture screw was 2.5 turns out resulting in a significantly rich carb. "Maybe that was part of my problem as it would want to stall when it warmed up or hard to start when hot"

The screw was removed and a slightly smaller bolt was ground down and soldered to the end of the Idle mixture screw. Also the insert(hole) to the screw was ground down a little on the carb as to make quick adjustments much easier.

The Idle mixture screw was turned completely in and turned out 1.75 turns as per the KLR650.net suggestion. The carb was completely reassembled and carefully placed back into the pig. Attached hoses and lines as well as choke, re-bolted the sub frame and attached the gas tank. The battery quickly wore down as I tried to crank it over. I grabbed some starter fluid and a battery charger and had it running a few minutes later. The KLR idled for about 10 minutes warming up and the cooling fan kicked in. During this time I reattached the tank, seat and plastics. All seemed fine and after about 10 minutes I cut the engine. Then AGAIN it would not start and the battery quickly slowed the cranking only after a couple 5 sec attempts. "Maybe its electrical?"

The plastics were once again removed and seat detached. It was late so a charge was set on the battery for the night.
The next morning the pig turned right over and was quickly turned off after running some tests on the electrical to check for voltage drops and its ability to hold a charge. It was determined that the battery was not great. The voltage would drop to 6v or so under load frequently after the fan would run while the KLR was powered off. This drain on what appeared to be a weak battery as well as a very rich adjustment was the best guess as to why the KLR would not start when hot or want to stall when warming up.

The Idle mixture screw was adjusted a little more while watching idle speed drops and it was left to idle until hot. We settled on about 1.9 turns out.

After about 7 or so minutes the engine showed 3\4 temp on the gauge. It was powered off and then amazingly it powered back on after the second attempt cranking it over. It was again powered off and again it turned over on the second attempt to crank it over. DEFINITELY AN IMPROVEMENT.

I dawned all my gear and took it for a spin...with my cellphone on me. I worked it hard maxing the throttle and pushing it toward 85MPH. It felt more solid and in a strange way smoother all the way through the RPM range. Those mods seemed to help. I got carried away and at least once red lined it quickly shifting through the gears and feeling the front slightly lift each time I released the clutch under my 260lb body.

I rode back and quickly powered it off. Once again it turned over on the second attempt. Its not perfect but predictable and reliable enough. Conclusion...crappy battery combined with poorly adjusted carb = stalling with hard to start when hot. "I hope"

This has lead me to my very soon to be done farkle. An Odyssey PC545 battery.

There are no guides on installing this somewhat odd shaped but powerful battery in a KLR. I do know it has to be mounted sideways and the negative battery cable will likely need extended. I will do a write-up and picture walkthrough as I do this mod.

Farkles to date:

Tank bag (Original owner mod)
Doohicky (Original owner mod)
Happy Trails engine guard (Original owner mod)
Safety interlocks disabled\removed (Original owner mod)
Reloacated license plate (Original owner mod)
Dual 12V waterproof cigarette lighter outlets. (Original owner mod)
Low profile magnetic drain plug
Eagle Mike drill through 10MM sub frame upgrade
Carb Shim Needle .22 cent mod
Carb slider drill vacuum hole mod
Carb idle fuel mixture adjusted 1.9 turns out
Idle fuel mixture soldered screw on for easy adjustment
Amsoil 20w-50 synthetic oil and filter


Upcoming projects:
Odyssey PC545 battery upgrade
Pro Rally 714 gel grips
Carb T(V)-mod
Tusk bark busters

Involuntary Mechanical Education

Yesterday was an eventful one as my pig was determined to take the day off. It started like any other morning work day. I got started on my trek to work. It was a little cooler than normal and about the second stop light from the house I thought "Something is not right". I could not tell you exactly what but I thought I heard a faint noise or maybe it just sounded a little different. It felt right and accelerated great so I continued on and ignored my paranoia. I was riding like the wind accelerating past the cars only to be tagged at the next stop light. I began my braking routine. I was slowing to about 15MPH when I noticed my pig was no longer running. STALLED!

I tried over the next 20 seconds to get it started again with no success and the light was now green again. I had about 6 cars behind me so I made a snap decision to get out of the highway asap. I hopped off and quickly tried to push through the two lanes of traffic. A quick brake to stop me from being driven over by a passing car and then I was across.

I tried over the next 10 minutes to get my KLR started but no matter what I tried...nothing just quiet cranking that was quickly getting slower as my battery was drained. "Check, I need to get a better battery sooner than later".

I was stuck. I called my wife and about 10 minutes later she showed. One more attempt to crank my KLR over confirmed that it was staying put.

We drove to the local Bike shop and were told they could not help retrieving it and that it was going to be two days before they could even look at it. "I need a truck" I thought. Being without a truck and no help from the repair shop I decided; I would get it started. All I need is some starting fluid, some basic tools and some jumper cables.

After getting all these items we drove back to the pig and I began taking off the seat and plastics. The battery from the powered off car (bad idea to have the car turned on as they would fry my KLR electrical system) was jumped to my KLR battery and we started to crank.

"Why cant my battery crank that well? I definitely need a better battery." I thought. We sprayed a little started fluid in the air box. Still just empty cranking with and without the choke. I emptied the carburetor bowl of gas and checked that the gas tank was pumping gas during cranking. All good. Still nothing during cranking but I decided to hold the throttle as if it was flooded and it started to respond. Held a little more throttle and it turned over sputtering to life.

I knew there was a possibility that it may stall again and my reading of the manual earlier in the day indicated how easy it was to adjust the idle. Some quick finger turns and it idles faster but It still wanted to stall. Some more adjustments and it now stayed running but idled at nearly 2500-3000 RPM's. Threw the seat back, got my gear on and rode my idle revving bike home.

Once I got home I slowly reduced the idle back down to the normal 1200-1500 range and it stayed. No stalling. I spend the next hour making adjustments to the throttle tube and idle as well as adjusting the choke. Started up every time I tried to turn it over. /Shrug

It looks ok now. Guess I now need to decide if I am going to tear down the carb myself with the help of my step father or pay to have it adjusted properly by the bike shop. I am leaning toward spending my Saturday breaking down, cleaning, checking and adjusting my carb\fuel system.

At least that way I can learn enough to work on it if later repairs are needed.

Mechanical education. Here we come.

Another Day to Ride

Motorcycles scare me. As well they should. We all know someone who has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident. The simple fact remains that you have less protection from the other tons of steel herding around you; couple that with poor riding practices and your odds of riding tomorrow get lower.

I am loving my bike and every time I go for a ride I accept some inherent risk but this risk can be reduced. There are a number of things riders of dual sports or any bike can do to improve their odds.

I have taken the MSF basic riders course and made sure I had all my riding gear all the time before going anywhere. I plan on taking the advanced riders course as soon as I get a few more miles under my belt. In the mean time I think I will pick up the following two books:

The Essential Guide to Dual Sport Motorcycling: Everything You Need to Buy, Ride, and Enjoy the World's Most Versatile Motorcycles http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Guide-Dual-Sport-Motorcycling/dp/188431371X/ref=pd_sim_b_7

Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques http://www.amazon.com/Total-Control-Performance-Street-Techniques/dp/0760314039/ref=pd_sim_b_2

When I have completed them I will return to this post and provide a review.

Both come highly rated and should improve my rider skill, help me to prepare for challenges and improve my chances of having another day to ride.

Congratulations! You Have Reached Level 2

My background in riding is very thin. My first really motorized vehicle was a moped I could at most get to about 38MPH (I got beat in a race by the local kids on bicycles). I used to ride it hard up and down the fields in the backyard where I lived in Ohio. I can remember more than once crashing it into some of my friends who ride bicycles or dragging other neighbor kids down the street on thir skateboards. When I decided I wanted to be a rider some months back I did not take it lightly. My one year of experience when I was a careless 14 and the fact that I was now an overly cautious 33 clearly indicated that I was gonna have to take this slow.

The next several months I prepared my car for sale, took the basic rider course and researched gear and different kinds of motorcycles that appealed to me. I ultimately settled on my KLR as my beginner bike and a full set of mesh riding gear.

When I bought my KLR a few weeks back it terrified me. My first thought when I saw it were "Wow that is bigger than I realized" well also...."It so beautiful." I was more than 60 miles from my house with not a single piece of riding gear purchased yet. It scared me, the idea of having to ride this over 40MPH. After taking a very hesitant spin and going through as much as I could on a used motorcycle checklist, the bike was in great condition and the price was right.

I made my offer. "I will buy it today in cash if you will ride it to my house"

Yes I felt a little inadequate not at all like the fearless rider that the news and TV portrays. I knew my limitations and held to my safety standards and without a truck or trailer or any riding gear this was my only option at the moment. I was a level one noob and knew it.

The seller agreed and I followed over the next 50 minutes as my new KLR was being ridden home. I was so excited I could barely stay still in my seat.

I did not ride it for three days as I waited for all of my riding gear to arrive. I would go out each night and start it and just sit and listen thinking about the day very soon when I would be riding.

All my gear arrived on a Friday so as soon as I got home from work I dressed in all my Darth Vader gear and took it for my first real street ride.

It felt good. I felt apart of things and could feel the weight and tires as they propelled me slowly through some back streets. I learned my braking limits and tried to apply other drills I learned in the basic riders course as I pushed lightly on my abilities. (The turn signals were an interesting challenge getting to know when to turn them on and off). I spent about 2 hours exploring those back streets behind my house that I otherwise would never have seen. My skills improved but I still felt far from ready to be surrounded by a slew of inattentive drivers.

Over the last few weeks and about 500 miles my abilities have shown significant improvement. My turns are less inhibited, my stability at high speeds is much better and I finally clicked on that whole counter steer concept...well that it works anyhow but I still scratch my head when trying to grasp why the bike corners in the opposite direction I turn.

I have reached noobish level 2

Fuel The Obsession

I consider myself somewhat of a perfectionist. That does not mean that I want everything to be perfect or I have a temper tantrum but that I am willing to put inordinate amounts of time into my hobbies and projects. I also know when to give credit where credit is due and there are a lot of other people who have taken the same path that I have just began. These people have asked the same questions, researched and through trial and error found an answer. Sometimes that answer works out and sometimes it does not. Many times its recorded and disucussed. Below is a list of sites that I find helpful in the dicovery of my KLR and myself as a rider. Just about anything you want to know about riding or the KLR can be found in these sites. Someone probably has already done it, did not like it or has an opinion on it.

http://germz.org/klr650/maintenance.html
http://www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html
http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html
http://motorcyclejourney.com/
http://www.advrider.com/
http://www.klr650.net/
http://www.klrworld.com/
http://www.freewebs.com/daddyjoe/changesandupgrades.htm

Round 1

I have spent a lot of time reading about my KLR on web forums. There are some remarkably large active discussion groups on this particular model bike and style (Dual Sport and Adventure Tour). This was one of the primary reasons I went with it...that and I am a big supporter of function in my vehicle purchases. I have popped around a lot of sites and learned a lot about my purchase choices benefits and shortcomings. The shortcomings is what I decided to focus my attentions on first..the potentially more dangerous ones.

The last owner made a couple of changes that include Doohicky mod, (Known failure point that can cause engine failure) Side stand and in gear kill switch removal, (Known problem area as they cause start problems when damaged) and a nice set of Happy Trails engine guard and nerf bars (They protect my fairings, tank and engine well.)

I decided to replace\purchase:

1. Subframe Bolts. - http://www.eagle-m-e.com/productlist.htm Most everyone agrees to replace them with higher grade 8MM bolts and some take it further with a larger 10MM hardened bolt but requires drilling into the frame for extra protection. (I went with this drill through bolt mod as I weigh nearly 260lbs.) Bolt failure could result in significant damage to the bikes electrical, exhaust, airbox or worse the rider as the frame the rider sits on is no longer bolted to the bike.

2. Low profile oil drain plug. - http://www.dual-star.com/index2/Brand/Kawasaki/KLR%20650%20Magnetic%20Drain%20Plug.htm Another common failure point that required very little cost and effort to replace. It has been known to get caught on rocks resulting in oil loss in engine and possible engine failure. I bought one with a magnet that is supposed to help capture metal debris in the oil.

3. Clymer Manual. - http://www.motors.ebay.com Now where does this bolt go?

4. Second key- http://www.motors.ebay.com I only got one from the previous owner so I got a second key from a seller on ebay for about 6.00 uncut. Far less than it would cost from the dealer.

5. Amsoil 20w-50 Synthetic Motorcycle oil and filter. www.Amsoil.com This was recommended by my long time friend who races sport bikes. 20W-50 was the weight most KLR owners suggested to use.

The Install. As I mentioned earlier I went with the drill through subframe mod. I read that some think this is overkill but had found at least one occurrence of the basic bolt upgrade kit also failing so the drill through seems the best option. This mod sounded a little scary as I have never drilled through metal and could cause major damage if not done properly but I have my stepfathers 20+ years as a mechanic and a fully stocked tool set I could draw from. Despite this I have found this mod to be a PITA.

The instructions indicate something like 15 minutes drill time and that sounded a bit overestimated but I can honestly say that was far underestimated. After the first 10 minutes we determined that the middle of the frame was solid steel and this quick one hour job was not going to be quick. I spent the next 2 hours slowly drilling through 4"-5" of solid steel. The drill and the bit would get hot and you would have to stop and re oil the hole and bit every couple minutes. Also its a constant effort to try and evaluate if you are in fact straight while maintaining pressure on the bit. Throw in the summer Arizona sun and you end up with a mild case of heat stroke, a shorted out drill that throws sparks (had to have cord rewired) and a dull bit that has to be manually re-sharpened. Finally we were through. Drilled it out with the larger bit..It looked straight and the bolt fit through.

It was probably worth it. I do feel more secure knowing that no matter how hard I ride it now, my subframe will stay attached. The Amsoil oil and new drain plug change went smoothly. The bike runs smoother and a touch quieter. Well worth it.

A Wet Piggy

I rode my KLR to Sahuarita on Saturday morning. It was all going smooth and then I realized that I could see rain in the distance. Not that rainbow misting rain but that rain that comes down so hard it almost looks like a solid wall blocking the view of the mountains. I realized I was riding directly toward it. Now I have put on about 500 miles on my bike the last two weeks as a new rider but never have I ridden in any sort of rain. It was in my path and it had to be done. I thought to myself "This is exciting. Now take it easy and keep it steady when the roads begin to get wet." It started and all was well as I maintained about 60 in a 65 zone. It sheeted over my helmet as beads of rain rolled over my face shield. My mesh gear was designed to breath in high heat to keep me cool but now..It was betraying me. The COLD water globules were spraying right through the mesh jacket and pants. It was a little surprising but invigorating initially. As it continued to blast me coupled with the wind of the 60 MPH ride I could not help but think. "This stuff is really cold for being a summer rain." All this time my tank bag was accumulating water and it now was all rolling down on to the seat where I straddled the motorcycle. I could feel icy water as it beaded down and continued to accumulate and pool in the dips of my seat with only my mesh pants to protect me.I could see it was not going to last long with the sunlight showing on the hills just up ahead. I was nearing the end.

Just before I completed the home stretch, another rider was going past me in the other direction wearing blue jeans and un-sleeved black vest. He was holding his left hand up to his bandana wrapped head as if to salute me shielding some rich dark sunglasses with a look on his face that could only say disgust...."At least I am not him" I thought.

What is FarklePig

This is a place for me to reflect capture and express myself within the limits of my latest hobby my 2006 Kawasaki KLR 650. This blog is as much about my Pig (KLR) as it is about my experiences and expressions. I will try to better myself and my KLR as we explore new interests skills and motorcycle tech.

The name FarklePig is a combination of two words I see used a lot in the motorcycle community.

Farkle - The word is generally accepted to mean a combination of "function" and "sparkle", hence, farkle. (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=farkle)

Pig - Term used to describe a big, heavy, slugish or off balance motorcycle. (Best guess within context used. Sorry no reference)

Combining these seemed to express exactly what my goal\perspective is with reagrd to my new bike. To make more functional and jazz up what many consider a solid but heavy and somewhat unattractive dual sport bike. The same could be said about my riding skills..for now.

I love my Pig. Now on to the dressing up part.