Hello all,

I´ve just started another trip on my KLR 650, this time around South America and have been thinking a few months ahead to when I return to the UK. I have two options, either fly the bike back home again and wait a few years for another adventure, or sell it and let someone else get some use out of it. So I thought I´d post this advert to see if anyone´s interested.

The bike is one of the few UK registered KLR 650s (I imported it from Canada). It´s has been heavily modified and is adventure weathered as well as being adventure ready. By the time I sell it, it´ll have been on three major trips - Toronto to Guatemala, London to Cape Town, and a circuit around South America - a total of about 55,000 km. I´ve owned it since new.

Ideally I´d sell it to a fellow Brit because the paperwork would be simpler, but am open to offers from all over. In terms of the bike´s location, I aim to finish my trip in Buenos Aires, Argentina on May 12th 2010, so ideally that would be where and when I´d sell the bike. But I could potentially deliver it to any capital city in South America for the cost of getting me back to Buenos Aires in time to catch my flight!

I´m asking 2500 GBP for the bike. Open to offers, but I think it´s a reasonable price. The cost of shipping a bike from the UK or the States to South America is over 1000 GBP, and a three year old stock KLR 650 even if it´s not showroom, wont go for less than 1500 GBP. And as you´ll see below, this bike has been heavily modified and includes a bunch of extras. Put another way, if you´re on the continent for a month or two and you´re thinking of renting, then this will work out significantly cheaper.

I´m on the road at the moment, so will do my best to respond promptly. Either leave a message on here, or send me an e-mail - which is my username at googlemail dot com.

Thanks and happy travels everyone.

Tom


Bike details:
Make: Kawasaki
Model: KLR 650
Year: 2007
Registered: United Kingdom
Mileage: Currently 35,000km but it will be more like 55,000km by the time I sell it
Date available: just before 12th May 2010
Location: Ideally Buenos Aires, though potentially any major city in South America

List of Modifications:

685cc Big Bore Upgrade (done at 30,000 km)
Doohickey Upgrade
Braided front and rear brake lines
Oversized front brake rotor
Fork brace
Progressive rear shock absorber (adjustable)
Progressive front springs
Centre Stand
Aluminium Skid Plate
Sump Guard
Nerf Bars (tank guards)
Acerbis Handguards and Brushguards
Custom Dashboard with 12v plug, voltmeter, and Vapor Trailtech computer with coolant temperature sensor, tachometer and speedometer
Low cut Africa Twin seat (dished)
Magnetic Drain Plug
Stainless Steel Oil Filter
Mirror Mount upgrade
Upgraded indicator and headlights switch (with easier cancelling turn signals)
Rear master cylinder upgrade
Reinforced Studebaker gear shift lever
Heavy Duty IMS Footpegs
Subframe Upgrade Bolts
Locking axle nuts (no cotter pins required!)
A bunch of other smaller things like small bolt upgrades and a headlight guard

Known issues (character flaws)
Cosmetics - To best judge the look of the bike, you´re better off looking at pictures. There are plenty of them on my flickr page, such as this: The Phoenix on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Key points to note are that I´ve ditched the plastic side panels to make maintenance easier, most of the remaining plastic fairings have some scuffs from drops, and the tank has a scratch on the right hand side. But the KLR has never been a looker - the main thing is she´s robust.

History - To get an idea of what the bike has been through, feel free to check out my blog: musingsofanenglishman.blogspot.com

Technical issues - Following the 685cc big bore upgrade, the bike now has more power, less vibrations and doesn´t burn oil. The downside is that the increased power causes the clutch to slip at times. At the moment this may be due to the very high quality oil I´m using (10w60), but to be sure of rectifying the problem, the clutch springs should probably be upgraded. This is a minor, relatively cheap mod. Happy to discuss.

Extras:
In addition to the bike, I´m also including my panniers and luggage, a decent amount of spare parts, and tools. The luggage consists of two Pelican 1550 cases, two smaller Pelican 1200 cases (for tools and spares) and a Wolfman tank bag.

The larger 1550 cases are attached to the rear of the bike using Caribou´s luggage rack system. I´ve welded the rack to reinforce it as the Carbiou system is relatively weak. But the brackets which attach the cases to the rack are still relatively malleable and have the habit of popping off in spills. I now attach them with heavy duty ratchett straps (which I´ll include).

The smaller 1200 cases are attached to the nerf bars on either side of the fuel tank using ratchett straps. Pelican cases are absolutely bulletproof, and other than a few scuffs on the side they´re in much the same condition as when I bought them. The 1550s have been on the bike for all of its trips. The 1200s are new for this South American tour.

Spare parts - I´m setting off on this trip with four sets of fork seals, four sets of front and rear Galfer Green brake pads, fifty quid´s worth of high quality spare nuts and bolts, cable ties, clutch cable, brake and clutch levers, spark plug, magnetic drain plug, headlight bulb, electrical wire, spark plug. That´s over 200 GBP worth of spares. Anything I don´t use, you can keep.

Tools - All I need to service the bike. Monkey wrench, sprockets and wratchett, screwdriver, hand pump with pressure gauge, tyre irons, circuit tester, locktite, electrical tape, duct tape etc.

And that´s all folks!

Hello dude!!! i ll be landing in Santiago the 29th of April.... i am really interested!! i'm italian but resident in the UK, at the moment i am in australia.

The only probelm in the deal is the registration. How is that going to work, since we are both not in the UK?

ill e mail you so we can talk in more details.. but all up for it!!!

Hello mate - piacere!

If you are resident in the UK (even if you´re Italian), transferring the registration is actually relatively simple to do. I carry a laminated copy of the Bike´s registration with me, rather than the original which is at home in London with my folks. So all we´d have to do is:

1. Get me (i.e. my folks) to sign the original registration document informing the DVLA that the bike has been sold to you.

2. Get my folks to send off the old registration document to the DVLA and the counterfoil to you.

3. After about two weeks the DLVA will issue you with a new registration document, sent out to your UK address.

4. Then it´s just a question of getting that document sent to you abroad. Either by air mail, or alternatively you could get a mate to scan in a copy, e-mail it to you, print it out, and laminate it. Laminated colour copies arguably look better than the original and don´t cause any problems at borders from my experience.
Not too arduous I reckon. The only issue would be timing - i.e. when to get the process started.

What are your plans - would you ideally want the bike in Santiago, or Buenos Aires? They´re only a (long) bus ride apart, but I think the paperwork would be marginally easier in BA.

Feel free to e-mail me with other questions etc.

Ciao.

is this bike still for sale?

Hi Mate,

I am shipping my 2006 KLR650 from Argentina to the UK. I purchased it in Florida US in February 2009. After 12 months arriving in Argentina i didnt want to sell it.
Can you suggest any tips or modifications I might need to do to the bike once in the UK. I'm at a bit of a loss getting any info about this. I'm a UK resident.

Would appreciate any info you can offer.

Good luck on the sale.

Thanks

Dylan