I`m just curious. I`m wondering how many have taken the KLX on long journeys. I`m planning on maybe taking a trip to the Adirondacks in NY. I used to have a cottage on Lake Champlain. Thing is, I live in Barrie Ont and it`s an 8 hour ride.
I will be putting a new seat on before I go

 

sf to sd was the furthest...500 miles down and 500 miles up...15/39 with jetting, intake and exhaust...full throttle most of the way required...no problems cruising 80 mpg flats...uphills required downshifting to 5th full twist to cruise up 70 mph...extreme uphills were little tough with strong winds...60 to 65 mph on the slow lanes with the big trucks

 

About 100 miles or so in one day, not fun on the freeway imo (even with the big bore kit), but do able for sure.

 

I did 200 miles in one day on mine for sure (152km of that was non-stop! feet-up to next foot-down).

 

I rode 2400 miles to S. Carolina and back last spring. I made 700 miles in one day. Lots of WOT in the south where speed limit was 70.
I would highly suggest a different seat and some sort of windshield. Highway pegs mounted off the skid plate would have been nice to have as well.

 

One of our members did the Iron Butt on his KLX. IIRC, he had a windshield, Sweet Cheeks, cruise control.

 

That would be me.

Actually, it was two Iron Butts combined into one ride. First a SS1000 (1000 miles in 24 hours), then I continued on to complete a SS1500 (1500 miles in 36 hours).

Ron

 

So I`m thinking most of NY is still 55mph...even 65 is doable on a stock KLX. But I was going to do the carb and cam mods anyways. Better to wait till I come back? I was just thinking if I did the mods and went to a 15 front sprocket just for the trip that it might be better....

Did someone say 'cruise control' lol? you mean the throttle strap?

 

Just wondering why you had issues with that gearing and hills. I would think you would do better on hills with the mods over stock?

 

didn't have any issues staying with flow of traffic on the flat interstate 5 highway (speed limit 70 mph, but flow of traffic was at about 80 mph)....15/39 was just to tone down the rpm for constant high speed and makes 5th useable for freeway hills....most hills i can manage to stay with the flow of traffic by wot on 5th to stay around 70 mph..this probably wouldn't have been possible with a stock klx250

there is a stretch on the 5 highway where you have to go over the tejon summit (grapevine)....this is a steep straight-up hill with winds gusting hard sometimes....big rig trucks crawling up....speed limit reduces down to 65 mph, but cars still seem to keep an average speed of 75 to 80 mph...with my mods and gearing, even shifting down to 5th, i'm barely able to stay near the 65 mph speed limit because of strong gusts of wind that can push me down to 60 mph....it's about 6% grade most of the way....it felt a bit dangerous with car passing fast to the left....and, i'm riding with big rig trucks slowly passing the trucks....only time i felt little embarrassed by the little klx250