03-06-2016, 04:51 PM | #11 |
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: CO
Posts: 1,525
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I personally love my 'heavy' 1999 KLR 650, sure I put a bunch of $ into it but it has yet to leave me 'permanently' stranded anywhere, the few times she did randomly have issues it was a 5 minute head scratching fix to get back home, then fully fix the issue for the next rides... and I was lucky to get all those bugs worked a few rides into owning the bike
I'm fairly small at only 120lbs but I still have plenty of strength/technique/leverage to easily lift the bike off the ground (26+ years of "Karate" experience/training also coming into use)... It also helps that I started gutting weight off the bike as soon as I got it, so far I have a box full of heavy/useless crap that I have removed and it is well over 35lbs of crap last I weighed it and I just dropped a little more weight from the FMF Header and LEXX exhaust upgrade (still have the old heavy battery to replace too and that will shave several more lbs of weight). Sure I added a little weight too here and there, but no way it's more than a few (2) lbs so far with the Fork Brace and Thermo Bob 2 kit, and I will add another few lbs (4 or 5?) when I upgrade to Fuel Injection, but I should still be able to lift it no problems (unless I'm extremely tired of course ) it will still be lighter than it was stock when I wanted to power lift it a few times just to see if I could on my own "just in case" . I have been riding different bikes on the dirt for 26 or more years now (I usually rode my 100cc Yamaha, and started on a PW50 a few months before I turned 4yrs old), but I haven't really had much issues with the hefty KLR off road. After I installed the Eagle Mike Fork Brace and new Wheel Bearings I have no "wash out" issues and I can just haul ace off road now... and I still need to save up to upgrade/rebuild the suspension Still really lucky I haven't been down on or off the road, just dropping the bike on purpose to lift up a few times Thanks for stopping by everyone
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"Think as you like... but this self proclaimed Professor is always right" - Buckshot "You never know what someone is hiding beneath their smile..." - NinjaTom - R.I.P. |
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