Wow that's a LOT of upgrades...

I'm coming to the US in December to buy a KLR and ride it south, but it seems I will have to spend a month in a garage first (-:

Well you guys seem to have spent a long time looking into these things, so if you only had limited funds and very limited workspace/poor work conditions what would you do?

What are the vitals?

I am not an expert mechanic, so I may have to pay a someone to do the difficult stuff for me. And I can't wait for 8 weeks for some obscure part.

Any input for the poor europeans? (-:

Very nice post by the way, I felt enlightened after reading it.

Peter

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Peter Kongsbak
South East Asia, USA, Central and South America and Scandinavia.

I have a 2000 KLR 650 , which I have owned since new. It currently has 50,000 miles on it, and has had no major reapirs, and it still runs as well as it always did. It is a veteran of several trips from the US to Mexico, ! to Panama, and 1 to Argentina.

VITAL CHANGES
doohikey: No need to elaborate here

I chnaged mine to one of the Eagle Mfg. units at 20,000 miles, but the original was in fine shape.

Stainless Steel Break Line (Front): Increases safety in emergency stops

Didn't do it, didn't feel the omprovement justified the trouble/expense.

Rear Master-Cylinder Guard: Protect the cheap plastic from a crash

I got one off a parts bike cheap so I installed it. I don't consider it essential.

Wiring Hardness Upgrade: Increased headlight output

Didn't do it, didn't feel the improvement justified the trouble/expense.

Carb Vent Kit: Needed for water crossings

Didn't do it, no problems in numerous water crossings.

Low-profile magnetic oil drain plug: In case of narrow misses with a rock & trapping engine debris.

Didn't do it.

Subframe Bolt Upgrade: Don't want these to sheer off from vibration!

I drilled and tapped the upper bolts from 8 to 10mm, as I had these fail on a different KLR in the past.

Radiator Fan Blade (metal): Stock plastic blade is too easily damaged

Didn't do it, no problems.

Serrated foot pegs: For water & mud. Dual Star or IMS?

I bought some generic ones on ebay for $15

Enlarged side-stand foot: Stock is too small for soft surfaces

Didn't do it, would have been nice a few times, but no biggie.

Folding Shift Lever: Less chance it'll break. MSR or IMS brand?

My original lever broke while street riding at about 20k miles. I have a aftermarket one now, forogt what brand.

Acerbis Rally Pro hand guards & spoilers: Better protection for controls than stock

Didn't do it, no problems

Sealed Bearings: Increases longevity

Don't know which bearings you are talking about, but I have met 3 KLR riders in my travels who were stranded due to rear wheel bearings failing. I replacer mine at about 47,000 miles and on of the rears felt notchy.

LED flashing break light: Type that only flashes for a short time. Increases visibility & decreases power use & eliminates bulb use.

Didn't do it no problems

Progressive Springs (rear): Stock is insufficient for long-term heavy loads.

I machined a spacer to increase the preload on the stock spring. not the ideal solution, but it was free. Had no problems.

CONVENIENCE UPGRADES
ATO fuse upgrade/relocation kit: More durable & easier to reach

Didn't do it. One of the few failures I had on my S.AM. trip was an intermittent fuse contact. probably worth it.

Progressive Springs (front): Better overall performance & longevity

Got some of these off a parts bike, so I instaled them. IMO they are too stiff, would cut down spacer if I did it again.

Billet Oil Filler Cap: Needs wrench to open - prevents people from putting in things they shouldn't. For peace of mind mostly.

For conspriracy theorists only.

Break system speed bleeders: For ease of maintenance

didn't do it.

ScottOiler Dual Injector: Improved chain life & ease of maintenance

didn't do it, old fashioned can of chain lube got me 19,000+ miles on my last set.

LED Turn Signals: More durable than standard bulbs.

I still have the original indicator bulbs in mine and they still work. I just replaced the original tail/brake bulb about a month ago.

Stainless Steel Oil Filter: Because a non-reusable filter may be hard to find.

In Latin America, wouldn't be a problem, but I don't know hwere you are going.

REJECTED FOR WEIGHT, EXPENSE, ETC.

Stainless Steel Break Line (Rear): I can already lock up the rear break at will

Agreed

Centerstand: Not worth the weight. Use a length of tube to raise either tire & double as other uses.

I find a centerstand well worth the trouble.

UNKNOWN - FEEDBACK ON USEFULNESS?
Drive Chain with a Master Link: Am I correct that the stock chain has no master link? Should I use an X-ring or O-ring chain? Clip or Rivet style master link?

I used a DID x ring gold and went 19,000 miles through the Americas, and the sprockets wore out first. I think the chain could have been reused in a pinch.

HID Headlight: Need to find either a full HID headlight replacement (not just bulb) or HID driving lights.

I used a faux HID fron AutoZone. Noticeably brighter.

Heated Grips: Is there enough need to justify the cost & power usage?

I was leary of overloading a marginal alternator. Would ahve been nice e few times.

IMS Fuel Tank: Provides longer range & radiator protection, however cap does not lock.

I never used reserve on my trips with the stock tank, so feel no need for more capacity, but more is better than less.

Happy-Trails Nerf Bars: Protection worth the weight? Not for use with IMS tank.

Didn't use them no problems

Radiator & Reservoir Guards: Alternative to Nerf Bars for less weight (or if using IMS tank).

I have these, nice for peace of mind.

Fork Brace: I've never felt the need. What benefit would it provide?

I didn't do it, but it does provide a firmer feel to the steering.

Water Pump Guard: Is this worth the cost?
Skid Plate: Is the added protection really worth the extra weight?

I used an aluminum skid plate for peace of mind, but I think the stock plastic one is toughere than people give it credit for.

Locking Axel Nuts: Will the self-locking mechanism hold up throughout the trip? If so, better than cotter pins or hitch pins.

I used hitch pin clips

Locking rear-axle alignment nuts: Undecided if better or worse than stock dual-nut system

I like the nylock nuts here, but not essential.


I carried a bunch of stuff I never used, like clutch plates and brake pads, but would take them again,, just because. I used standard thickness tubes, no slime and never had a puncture from Texas to Tierra del Fuego. (I know I'm lucky) The only significant problem I had was my speedo drive locked up and ripped the drive tangs out of the hub, so I had no speedometer for the last 4-5,000 miles, a major pain for figuring distance to the next fuel.

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Andy Tiegs
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...lsouth-america

If you are on a tight budget you can get by with exactly one change: Upgrade the doohickey. If you have a recent model ('06 or newer I think) there is even debate if you need to do this. People have toured 30k miles through the Americas on a stock KLR.

Everything else I am changing fulfills two purposes:

1) Increases my personal safety.

2) Decreases the chance of damage when (not if) I go down. If I were planning a less ambitious trip (e.g. South America only) I might not bother with many of the changes I'm considering.

That said, here is the short list of what I personally would upgrade with minimal funds:

Doohickey, Seat, SS front break line, foot pegs, and the carb vent kit (my theory is AndyT is a lucky SOB for never having problems ).

For the seat, I like my corbin seat. Some people are happy with something as simple as changing out the foam for something more comfortable.

You note that you are not mechanically inclined. A fantastic way to get around this is to find a "Tech Day" in your local area where KLR riders get together and all work on their bikes at the same time. Header over to KLR650.NET - Your Kawasaki KLR650 Resource! Forums, Photos, Tech and search the regional forums to find one in your area. We're all also a very friendly lot. Around here, at least, people will gladly help out a fellow KLR rider in need for no more than the cost of a pizza to munch on.

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Traveling The World Since: 2011
Blog: The Seductive Life (General Travel)

Peter, doing all the modifications I listed is certainly not essential for most uses of a KLR. A friend of mine upgraded the doohickey, increased the shock compression damping and/or preload, and happily put many trouble free miles on his bike (although he did eventually add the front brake kit (larger rotor, stainless steel lines, and Galfer green pads). But he only rides locally and/or always with other riders so his risk isn't nearly as high as is the case with someone riding in remote areas in undeveloped regions of the world, especially if riding alone.

I would personally feel quite confortable with nothing more than the doohickey upgrade and front brake kit for most situations (assuming a pre-2008 model) and possibly a seat for comfort. But, the more remote and isolated the riding areas, the more I would choose to do to make the bike as reliable and crash damage resistant as possible. It all comes down to a matter of you assessing your particular risks and making a judgment as to what you need.

Mike
Idaho
Ride Around the World 2005

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Mike

Thanks for the fantastic posts liketoride2 & AndyT! I greatly appreciate the information, especially the contrasting views based on experience! I'm going to have to mull it all over a bit before I come up with any questions.

In the meantime, what follows is just a bit of idle musing on the theory of my upgrades and why I agree with you both in spite of the fact that a lot of the advice is contradictory. Mostly its the random babble I'm throwing out there for my own edification.....

A lot of what is driving my list of upgrades is not that I consider them vital to make the trip (even some of those in my "vital" category), nor even that I expect the changes to make a notable difference on a regular basis. Its all basically contingency planning to minimize the severity of the most common risks.

The rear master cylinder guard is a perfect example of this. It is somewhat unlikely the rear master cylinder will be damaged. Even if it is, running with a rear break is not a big problem. However you loose the use of the rear break which in turn means stopping power is decreased by 20% - 30%. Safety is thus decreased significantly. On a shorter trip I might accept the risk of going without for a time. Planning for several years on the road I'd rather pay the $15 to know I have that small extra margin of safety.

Yes, if you might guess by now, I am paranoid. Too many years making contingency plans for the (mission-critical) software I write. On the other hand, its not paranoia if the universe really is out to get you, is it?

And ignoring all of that, one of the original reasons I picked the KLR is that it has fantastic aftermarket parts availability and is inexpensive enough to make it into exactly the bike I want while still costing less than any of the alternatives which are only sort of what I'm looking for.

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Traveling The World Since: 2011
Blog: The Seductive Life (General Travel)