60-70mph

Old Aug 12, 2006 | 12:48 AM
  #11  
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Default RE: 60-70mph

Have you checked the psi in the tires? Speaking from experience, an underinflated tire can cause severe handling issues on the road.
 
Old Aug 12, 2006 | 02:43 AM
  #12  
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Default RE: 60-70mph

hmm..ust checked the pressure....the dealer inflated them before i picked it up.....how does 35 in each tirre sound...thats 13psi over inflated!!!!!that would reduce the contact patch and potentally make the bike unstable...ill take it for a ride when i get back from tank gunnery...
 
Old Aug 12, 2006 | 02:45 AM
  #13  
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Default RE: 60-70mph


ORIGINAL: espacef1fan

how does everyone else's klx feel at 60-70mph? mine gets nervous feeling...and ill get alot of shake esp compared to like 50-60...is it suspension settings? or do i need a steeering damper?

Yeah pretty much all Dirtbikes with the high fenders do that. You can't fight law of physics. Once in a while the wind catches the fender just so that it starts to oscillate. It's not a head shake. It's much much slower and totally controllable. A headshake is much much more violent and a totally different problem(and much much scarier!).

A few things you can do...

1. Loosen up on the bars.
2. Sit closer to the gas tank to weight the front more.
3. Adjust the suspension to lessen this effect.
4. Make sure the tire PSI is set properly.
5. Give it a little gas when it happens so the load is transferred more to the rear.
6. In other forums, some riders have chopped their fenders or gone with a shorter supermotard type to eliminate this oscillation. I believe on this forum, Marty has installed a supermotard type front fender. It would be interesting to hear from him if this helped stability on the highway.
 
Old Aug 12, 2006 | 02:47 AM
  #14  
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Default RE: 60-70mph


ORIGINAL: espacef1fan

im a new rider..could anything im doing cause this?

Yes very likely you are gripping too tight on the bar making the oscillation worse or making it happen more often. Loosen up.
 
Old Aug 12, 2006 | 03:07 AM
  #15  
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Default RE: 60-70mph

what kind of suspension settngs might you recomend to make this more comortable at speed?
 
Old Aug 12, 2006 | 04:19 AM
  #16  
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Default RE: 60-70mph

ORIGINAL: FM_Thumper


ORIGINAL: espacef1fan

how does everyone else's klx feel at 60-70mph? mine gets nervous feeling...and ill get alot of shake esp compared to like 50-60...is it suspension settings? or do i need a steeering damper?

Yeah pretty much all Dirtbikes with the high fenders do that. You can't fight law of physics. Once in a while the wind catches the fender just so that it starts to oscillate. It's not a head shake. It's much much slower and totally controllable. A headshake is much much more violent and a totally different problem(and much much scarier!).

A few things you can do...

1. Loosen up on the bars.
2. Sit closer to the gas tank to weight the front more.
3. Adjust the suspension to lessen this effect.
4. Make sure the tire PSI is set properly.
5. Give it a little gas when it happens so the load is transferred more to the rear.
6. In other forums, some riders have chopped their fenders or gone with a shorter supermotard type to eliminate this oscillation. I believe on this forum, Marty has installed a supermotard type front fender. It would be interesting to hear from him if this helped stability on the highway.
Man, your #2 and #5 are really confusing.

I experience the same headshake on mine. Usually only at 70+mph. I tend to scoot back on the seat to add weight to the rear. This unloads the front and changes the geometry giving the bike a bit more stable rake angle. If you go forward on the bike, you will compress the front giving your bike a really steep rake thus much better turn in characteristics. This of course, is not what you want at 75mph.

Whatever the case, it is a geometry issue. The headshake may be initiated by the fender as previously mentioned but the cause is a very aggressive dirt bike geometry up front. My KLR 250 had a big front fender on it too. That bike was stable as a rock all the way to 90+ mph. It had a much more roadworthy steering geometry though. It was not even close to the KLX on dirt. Bottom line is, you can't have it all. You get one or the other.
 
Old Aug 12, 2006 | 04:26 AM
  #17  
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Default RE: 60-70mph

ill have to try sitting back more..as well as see waht my air pressure adustment gave me.......

off topic..who stocks oil flters for these things?does autozone or anyone?
also whats a good website to orders stuff like this online?
the nearest bike shop is 40 miles...lol
 
Old Aug 12, 2006 | 04:50 AM
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Default RE: 60-70mph


ORIGINAL: Cowboy 6



Man, your #2 and #5 are really confusing.

I experience the same headshake on mine. Usually only at 70+mph. I tend to scoot back on the seat to add weight to the rear. This unloads the front and changes the geometry giving the bike a bit more stable rake angle. If you go forward on the bike, you will compress the front giving your bike a really steep rake thus much better turn in characteristics. This of course, is not what you want at 75mph.

Whatever the case, it is a geometry issue. The headshake may be initiated by the fender as previously mentioned but the cause is a very aggressive dirt bike geometry up front. My KLR 250 had a big front fender on it too. That bike was stable as a rock all the way to 90+ mph. It had a much more roadworthy steering geometry though. It was not even close to the KLX on dirt. Bottom line is, you can't have it all. You get one or the other.

I most definitely believe that the oscillation is being caused by the wind lifting up on the fender. If it was a geometry issue as you state, it should happen all the time at the same speed which it doesn't. Sometimes the bike is rock steady to 85mph(indicated) and sometimes the bike wobbles like a drunken fool at 65mph.

As for #2 I have stated on previous posts that I like to ride on the passenger's seat on the highway. The downside is that it does cause this oscillation more. If I move up closer to the tank the oscillation lessens. It may be due to the fact that the center of gravity is lowered. Keith Code always said, to stand up on the pegs if you get a headshake to lower the center of gravity and reduce your bodymass from contributing to the shaking.

As for #5, why is that confusing??
 
Old Aug 12, 2006 | 06:42 AM
  #19  
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Because in #2 you say to move forward in order to put more weight to the front. In #5 you say to throttle it to put more weight to the rear. You can't fix the problem by doing opposite things. Either #2 will help or #5 will help. They have the opposite effect on the bike so only one will be the right answer.
 
Old Aug 12, 2006 | 07:29 AM
  #20  
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Default RE: 60-70mph


ORIGINAL: Cowboy 6

Because in #2 you say to move forward in order to put more weight to the front. In #5 you say to throttle it to put more weight to the rear. You can't fix the problem by doing opposite things. Either #2 will help or #5 will help. They have the opposite effect on the bike so only one will be the right answer.

??? [&:]

I said in #2 to move forward to put more weight on the front. That is a given. Any tankslapper remedy instruction would tell you that.

I said in #5 to give it gas to load the rear. I never said to put more weight to the rear. By giving it gas, the rear end will rise NOT compress. This slows down the steering response hence minimizing the oscillating front. The worst thing you can do is to get off the gas. This will overload the front, the rear will compress, severely quickening steering response, and will severely add to the already oscillating front.
 

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