I know that doesn't seem fair.........to the 650!!! OK here's the deal. A guy that works here lives an hour and a half away and only comes in about once a month. He bought the KLR 650 late in 05. Anyway He walks in this morning and asked me if I could do him a favor. On his way in today he kept hearing a whistling or hissing sound in 5th gear at around 4 grand. So I said sure.

I wore his helmet as I only had my MX helmet and sun glasses. I headed out of town and got the bike up to speed and soon realized that the sound he was hearing happened to be coming out of the helmet. It was some sort of air noise passing through or over, I tried to close or open the vents but it didn't really make a difference. The helmet by the way was waaaay too big for me, but I wanted to try and duplicate his ride to work. I think I found the noise. As soon as I turned my head to the left or right, the sound would go away.

Ok now for some things I didn't like about the bike. The very first thing I noticed was that the forks have been tweaked and the bars are off by a half inch or so. I'll have to help him get them straightened out. The second thing I noticed as soon as I went to shift to second out of the parking lot was that I could barely get my boot in between the foot peg and the shifter, I mean it was tight. It felt like my foot was getting Claustrophobic. So I might see if he wants to raise that a notch or two.

The gearing was so low that first felt like second on my bike. I almost killed the engine the first time taking off. But I guess that is because it’s designed as a road bike with highway gears. Another thing I noticed was that if your rpm's were even a little low when you gave it gas the engine would really vibrate, I'm sure this is typical for a large thumper and the low gearing again. But it looked funny because every time I hit the throttle the turn signals would start flapping up and down until I got the rpm's up to 4 or 5 grand. Oh well I guess that's just the nature of the beast.

I have to hand it to anyone who can trail ride one of these beasts. I would never try it. Another thing I didn't like, and not sure why Kawi did it was the fact that the turn signal switch doesn't have a centering cancel switch within the switch. So you had to pull it back and I would inadvertently pull it too far and would start signaling to go the other way while I was trying to cancel it.

It did have a lot of power, but not really twice the power of the KLX. I thought it was going to be weird riding a bike where the headlight didn’t turn with the bars, but you don’t even notice it once you start moving. Anyway I think I will stick to my KLX for what I like to do, but who knows in a couple of years I might start looking at a used 08. I really like the style of the new ones. And of course it would have to be green.

On the plus side, the seat is a lot more comfortable to sit on. Kawasaki may have made it more comfortable to try and disguise the vibration in the motor.


Here's a picture or twoof both bikes from last year.

 

Cool. Thanks for the wright-up. However that is HIGH geared, Deej. It's geered HIGHER becuase it'sa street bike. It stalls easier in 1st becuase it has HIGHER gear ratiothan ours.

Just having some fun. I know that you know that you know that I know that you thought one thing a wrote another.

 

Yep I heard that about the red ones, my 650 is the same green as my KLX and a "little" different to ride. But yes, it is a beast on the trails that's why I got the KLX.

 

Thanks for setting me straight on that one. I can never remember if its high or low or which one means what. Ok all together now everyone give deej a big old "dee dee dee.[8D][8D][8D]

 

Lots of typos lately Deej, distracted? Spending too much time in the HOTD room! [sm=guilty.gif]

 

HOTD? I'm sorry I have no recollection of that.

 

Actually Deej is correct, the KLR has a lower numerical gear ratio, as such the motor spins fewer times per rev of the wheel. Higher numerical ratio's make the motor spin more rpm per rpm of the wheel, ie when you go from the 14 to the 13 tooth sprocket.

 

Actually deej is indeedincorrect. Raising the numerical ratio lowersthe gear. Lowering the numerical ratio raises the gear.

 

I was pretty amazed at what a KLR650 can do, or rather, what a good rider can make one do, or any bike, really. An older fella at the NE ride was on a KLR650. He was blowing through whoops like Ricky Carmicael on that pig, passing any one of us at will and making it all look effortless. His right wrist was even fused from a bad break and he had to work the throttle with his fingertips. You'd never know he even had that handicap. Extremely humble too - just talking with him, you'd never know. But watch him ride and he was fluid as the wind. I think he was an ex pro racer, from way back.

 

Oh, yeah, he had a little cooler of beer on the back of that bike and we'd be taking a break sucking wind and you'd hear psssffft and he'd be cracking one open.