KLE piston
 

Ok, I have now rebuilt the bike again, replacing the damaged piston. Went through everything, and can only conclude that The right hand plug was not screwed in properly, causing air to be sucked in and making the right hand side piston very lean.

Lessons learned: Make sure the hinge in the plug spanner is not pushing against the top of the engine block, simulating a tight plug.
Never trust a torque wrench that has not been calibrated. (snapping cam bolts in the engine is NO fun:censored:)

I want to buy a KLE 500. Advices ?
 

Hello all !

I seen that this topic is mainly on thechnical issues, but I lso seen that this subject is the often visited (all others are even at 4 weeks).

So I hope that you can advice me. As I said I am intersted to buy a KLE engine, but I also study the others (Vstrom, F650 GS, etc) being on the same class.

Can you give me some advices ? In one hand KLE has a good price. On the other is an EUR 2 motor and gossips are that will be discontinued (replaced by a new model). Is a twin cilinder and that is better than a single (less vibrations). I want to use it on city, but wery seriously to go on country roads.

Do you had other motors on the same class ? Is advicable to go for a vstrom as an example ?

Best regards

Petre

I want to buy a KLE 500. Advices ?
 

The KLE has a cracking little engine in it, not too vibey and gives enough power to satisfy most.

I took a gs650 out and a great bike though it was, I hated it in town or traffic having to feather the clutch all the time. Plus it was very vibey.

Im lucky coz I have a fireblade to go thrashing on when the mood takes me but to be honest, I seem to ride the KLE harder and get more enjoyment from it.

They all have good and bad points and the gs650 and the like will be better in a whole lot of other areas (tank range, build quality) etc...

BUT... for the money, the KLE is just amazing value. mines an 2006 and a paid £2500 for it with 800miles on the clock!. I thrash the pants off mine and it never fails to please and the complements it gets from shocked sports bike riders who think they will leave it on the twisties always makes me smile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:clap:

Roy
_____________________________

Whats in that thing?? "a R1 owner said"

RE: I want to buy a KLE 500. Advices ?
 

Regarding the motor: It really depends on what you are expecting from a motor and how you like to ride.
Regarding the bike: Same as above with the addition of where you want to go.

There is a good review in the April issue of Bike (a UK magazine) of four bikes in this class. The KLE doesn't fare well in the comparison, but that is mainly because it is essentially an old bike in new clothes and tuned down for commuter use. Having said that, it can behave well off road providing you give it a thrashing. A solid bike albeit a little sedate.

Check out the article.

Maybe this isn't the best forum for these questions? Everyone here likes their KLEs... as do I.

P

Advice on KLE
 

Hi there.

It all depends what you want to do. I recently took an offroad trip with my brother in law. He was driving a 125 hyosung. In the technical sections, I could not keep up with him, as the going was slow and tricky. His lighter bike was far easier to control. The moment we got to the open stuff it was a different story.

I did the BMW offroad course, with my KLE off course, and the guys on their 650s could not handle the situations as well as I did. The 1200 guys had a torrid time. Again it comes down to the weight of the bike. If you can get a copy of the "long way round" you will see what I mean about the bike's weight. On the road, the BMs were much faster of course.

If you are going to lift somebody a lot of the time, I suppose 650 would be a minimum.

I find the KLE (mine is a 400) a very good trade off for commuting, off road and some on road touring. It would be a little light for carrying a pillion along though. There is no one bike for all conditions, so trade offs will have to be made. If you are looking for a round the world bike, just make sure it is simple to fix. The newer bikes have way too many electronics controlling everything. You need spark, fuel and compression to run. Anything else will become a liability out in the bush. I recently replaced a piston on the KLE, and if you can get the parts, it is something that can be done in the field.

I hope we are providing more answers than questions with this. You can also look at the "which bike" forum on the main hub. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though, so the posts are not always objective. Take all the advice you can find, and then make up your own mind.

Regards

Purchase an KLE
 

Thank you for all the answers up to now. As it has been said here are the people who loves the KLE. Personally I have also this feeling since I seen it. And also the price...what can I say...is a nice buy
I admit that I am also impressed by the Transalp (which is more expensive).

Here posting the question (where are the guys who knows well the +/- of the KLE) I am trying to get convictions to stay in this choice of buying KLE. You asked me what I would like to do with the byke : to comute daily between my office and my customers ofices (Bucharest became a very difficult city for the cars), to use it in hanging around in weekends - and also to go on the mountains on mild-heawy roads (not in the forests... or rocky roads like the real off road bykes are prepared for). Either I do not plan to use it for speed or verylong distances. I plan to buy also a platform and in hollydays to move with it at long distances where to do some small local turism.

Which are my fears:

1.In one hand I know that KLE is an old model and the today good price may indicate that the model will be not manufactured soon. So maybe spare parts ar the value of the byke in two years will go down ?Also have the "new models" capabilities that in KLE are not available ?
2. I heared that KLE needs often services. What that means ? each 5000 km ? 10000km ? Eats oil ? in what quantity ? What parts has to be changed periodically ? Or what maintenance has to be done ? Compared with other bykes that needs what kind of interventions?...

3.Kumuya was saying that after a bad road had some parts lost. Is KLE resisting on country side roads ? or like only tarmak with some holes? (BTW, being on the same city I kindly ask Kumuya to contact me because I cannot write to hime before I have minimum 8 postings...)

4 I understand that depending on the road, and gear used the consumption can be from 4.5l/100km (contonous riding) and up to what ? 7-8l/100km on countryside roads. Can be even more ? ( I am speaking about a normal riding on climbing some hils on country roads). I am not concerned about the financial issue: I am concerned about the fact that the tank has only 15liters, and that on the mountains.... can let you let say 150 km or riding?
5. Has an EUR 2 engine. Is in your countries any additional taxes that are paid by the EUR2 owners ?


WHat I like at KLE:

1. It seems to have a robust design that gives me a confident sentation.
2 The ingine is protected by a shield ( and a frame).
3 The price.The price and also the price
4 The fame that can be fixed easy and on the site if I will develop some mecahnical skils ( up to know I got the electrical enigineering skills)


So please let me have a part of your experience, advices and of coarse a bit from your time and patience.

Best regards

Petre
maybe a future KLE owner

As I said the is also teh Vstrom, the Transalp. V strom I do not like because has not a shield around the engine and seems to be bigger so not so god for city comuting. Transalp is nice but I need some reasons to pay additional 1500 EUR.

Hey,

Buy a KLE500 now and think about it later. You won't regret it. Given how popular the model is southern europe, I doubt that Kawasaki will stop selling it anytime soon. Kawasaki only make two 500cc models at the moment, the ER-5 and KLE500, both of which use the same engine. So the availability of spares should stay good. Manufacturers also have a legal commitment to supply spares after the production has finished, but I'm not sure whether this is for 3, 5 or 10 years. Also, this is such a popular and reliable engine, there will be many around in breakers yards for years.

I'm not sure about the service requirements. I've done nearly 10,000 miles on mine since I bought it new last year and frankly, the servicing costs aren't too bad, mainly because nothing has really needed doing. If the bike wasn't still under warranty and if I had my own garage, then I would definitely be doing my own servicing, but as it stands, forking out £100-200 every 4,000 miles is about average in the uk. As for standard servicing, oil consumption is good, tyres are good, brake pads are very good. I've no real complaints.

There is an issue with number plates and rear suspension travel, but that has more to do with my lack of patience with Southwark council's road maintenance programme, than it does with the bike. Sensible riding and adjusting the preload might have prevented it.

I get around 7l/100km riding around London (first gear and second gear, 8,000rpm) and I've got 200km out of a tank before hitting reserve when riding sensibly, which I think is pretty good.

As far as I am aware, the current bike is EURO III compliant if that makes any tax differences. It doesn't in the UK, yet, but I'm working on changing that.

In short, it is a pretty good bike. The only real downsides are the crappy front brake and the lack of top speed. The seat is also a little uncomfortable for the first 5,000 miles, but you'll get used to it.

As for off-roading, it's a little too big for anything remotely serious, but trail riding is more possible on the KLE than on a Transalp or V-strom.

I would advise you read as many reviews as possible and give all the bikes on your list a test ride before buying. Try googling "Kawasaki KLE reviews", check out April issue of Bike. Check out this link: http://www.ukbike.com/Reviews.aspx~n...81~engineid~10

From what I understand the motor is virtually the same as the older GpZ 500s (I think? can someone correct me?) which have been around for a while. This suggests that it is tried and tested and found to be solid and reliable... "if it's not broken, don't fix it". Same goes for the rest of the bike. There must be a reason the basic design has remained unchanged for so long.

It isn't the best bike out there, but then again what is? Try it for yourself and if you like it then it may be the best bike for you. If you don't like it keep looking.

Bikes are like clothes, they have to fit you well, feel right and do what you require it to do.

Second hand dealer oppinion
 

Today I have been at a warehouse of a seccond hand dealer. I seen different models ( BMW 650 and the Transalp). However I found strange one of its remarks: he does not gets used KLE-s for resale due to low fiability !!!! I remained a bit surprised and I asked what kind of prblms he encountered. He told me about distribution chains or something ? ( he was speaking about chains... that are breaking easy...) I did not touched too much the subject as I knew from this site that all KLE users say's that the fiability is good.

However... he was possible to try to orientate me only on the direction he wanted (I think he was buying the stuff from Italy and maybethere the KLE are not so many... and was easier and mor rentable for him to bring other models)

So my question: in case of acceptable maintenance (I mean not excessive or obsesive one...) ther are some known problems wkth the KLE model ? (on the engine or other parts ?

Thank again to all that took time to explain to me up to know.

Best regards and :mchappy: :Beach: to all

Petre

Hi Petre,

Snapping chains on KLE's is just a load of rubbish. Chains are that well made now that its very hard to belive. Im sure there is not one owner on this forum who has had that problem.

I bought my KLE because, If I had gone for one of the other options (gs650 and the like) I would have had to trade in my fireblade. I wanted to keep it so I chose the cheaper option and got the Kwak.

I knew nothing about the bike apart from the engine came out of the gpz500 and I knew a few people who have owned them over the years with no bad reports. I took the gamble.

And I can tell you it was a good move, The KLE does everyting I could ask of it. I have a few minor gripes about it (seat, tank range when ridden hard, front brake)...but what bikers dont have some gripes about any machine they have owned...Why do you think theres an aftermarket???.

If you wanna spend less money, buy the KLE and be happy!
If you wanna spend more money, buy the others and be broke and happy!

They are all good bikes..... WHICH ONE DO YOU LIKE???? THATS IT!


Roy:thumbup1:

[quote=petre07;136404]Today I have been at a warehouse of a seccond hand dealer. I seen different models ( BMW 650 and the Transalp). However I found strange one of its remarks: he does not gets used KLE-s for resale due to low fiability !!!! I remained a bit surprised and I asked what kind of prblms he encountered. He told me about distribution chains or something ? ( he was speaking about chains... that are breaking easy...) I did not touched too much the subject as I knew from this site that all KLE users say's that the fiability is good.

However... he was possible to try to orientate me only on the direction he wanted (I think he was buying the stuff from Italy and maybethere the KLE are not so many... and was easier and mor rentable for him to bring other models)

So my question: in case of acceptable maintenance (I mean not excessive or obsesive one...) ther are some known problems wkth the KLE model ? (on the engine or other parts ?

Thank again to all that took time to explain to me up to know.

Best regards and :mchappy: :Beach: to all
Hallo Petre,

I have bought KLE because of following reasons : it is reliable, it is cheap (relatively small engine) and versatile - and it didn`t disapoint me yet.

Regarding realiabilty: KLE engine is known as almost bulletpoof, I have colleagues who have KLE`s with over 80.000 km and the only thing (besides maintenance) that was changed was camshaft chain.

BR
Danny

KLE advice
 

Hello Petre.

As you can see on this site, there are only good things said about the KLE.

Maintenance is every 6000 km for an oil and filter change, and a spark plug change every 12000km. There are some major services along the way, as described in the manual.

Just 2 things. Never believe a sales man. He will sell you what he has on the floor, and everything else will be rubbish according too him.
And second, any bike's reliability is only as good as the mechanic that works on it. Get a manual and do all the maintenance yourself. You then won't have any problems with this bike.

It seems you have made up your mind anyway, so enjoy your new KLE.:thumbup1:

Regards

Thank you guys
 

Yes I browsed in different sites and all oppinions are ok. You are right and you made dissapear that fear created by the story he told me.

Now I will go to try one KLE in the showroom, to see how it seems to fit on me. I am 99% convinced to buy one.

Sunday I will go for a training in Turkey for one week and at my return I think I will make the order to the KAW representative. When I will receive it I will make some photo's and share with you all.

So again thanks and hear you soon ( I hope)

Take care of all of you !

Best regars

Petre:flowers:

Hi petre07,

I see you are from Bucuresti so I hope all the others will excuse me but I will tell you something in our language: daca vrei sa bagi un deget in KLE, sa-l vezi o sa ai ocazia daca sti terasa Biker's de pe Matei Voievod - aka la Ursu daca nu-s cu motorul sunt cu cainele:thumbup1:.

But my distribution chain has some problems it's a little loose but I go with it about 1000 km and has no problem I think to get it fixed but I don't have the time ...... so no low fiability .... maybe they aren't a top bike in sale because of it's fiability .... you almost need nothing to go with it ...... is like cross bikes - can go with nothing working. Is a good bike and what I've lost on roads ..... I lost only plastic parts from foot rests and from vibration gear lever screw began loose .... somebody else lose his side stander .... but I think that it was an exception.

The only bike better than KLE on my opinion is KLR but for touring is a little bit more difficult than KLE.

I am the NINJA!!!!
 

Guys....


I am happy. I have the KLE. Soon I will put some pictures... I have been out for so many days cause I had to get the A licence... ( I just had only the B..)

So is nice... Is a bit older as model concept, but inspires me with elegance and power. Has nice shapes...

Suspension is good everything is PERFECT! for me.

I will come back

Best regards

Petre

Welcome
 

Hello Petre.

Welcome to the land of the free and wandering spirits. I am sure you will enjoy the bike as much as we other guys do. Little gravel back roads are the most fun. Just deflate the tyres a little, and you will have lots of fun.

Good luck and safe driving!

Regards

Pleco

High / low beam - one globe or two
 

I've just bought myself a 2007 KLE500. It's the first bike I've had for 25 years so I've been a little out of biking tech. After initially thinking I had a blown bulb on the way to the parts shop, I discovered that each beam had its own side with no state of working in unison - exactly as you describe for your bike.

Can you give me the link to the owners manual and any other helpful stuff? When I rode back in the old days, I would always buy a Haynes workshop manual for my current bike. Is that still the best option - are there others?
Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

High beam
 

Hello guys,

I'm a newbie on the forum, so I need to introduce myself. I'm a (51) old biker. I live in France. I've chosen a KLE for it's the cheapest bicylinder trail bike, and my purpose is to make it closer to an adventure bike. If you share the idea, then have a look at my site :
http://michel.erard.free.fr
The site is both in French and English. Any help to improve the english translation is welcome.

I don't drive much by night, but I've tested it, and share(d) your concern. When you use the passing button, you get the real high beam, with both bulbs, so you see what you should have...
A friend of mine with a KLE thought the same. So we went to the dealer's and asked for him to modify what's needed to have both bulbs litten on high beam position.
He did the job, :thumbup1: and all I can say is that it works and he had to add a relay (if it's the right english word). He didn't share the secret...:nono::censored:

It'll be cheaper if you have the modification done during a service session.

regards,

Michel

Headlight beams & Smoke Issue Update
 

Hi All

Yes Michel, yes that is the advice that I have recieved, although it was not from a dealer but another motorbike workshop. I'm a little concerned with doing any electrical modicfications as I know they can cause problems later on. At the moment, when I need good light I run the dipped beam with my finger on the pass (high) beam button as well. It's fine for short trips, but definitely not good for long distance. Also, I don't know if I'm causing another problem by holding the pass beam button for a long time.

Also, an update on the mysterious white smoke issue mentioned a while back...

I checked all the electrical connections, starter motor mountings (thx Peter S)and various intake/exhaust manifolds/connections (thx Pleco) and found nothing wrong. Smoke has never re-appeared though! I now think that it was just some water that may have collected in an electrical connector that shorted for a split second.? :confused1:

Steering Weave
 

Hi again everyone

Another thing that I have noticed recently is a side-to-side weaving in the steering when I'm on the highway (approx 100-120km/h on good tarred road). Its quite a quick movement with the bars moving from side to side about twice every second.

I've checked tire pressures and they're fine. I did some VERY :eek3: heavy trail riding about a month ago (slow but very rocky, quite big rocks but no jumps or anything crazy). Could this "abuse" be the route of the problem? I don't know what could have been affected - maybe steering head bearings?!

Do bike wheels have balance weights on the rim like cars? Could a balance weight being knocked off cause the wobble?

Cheers guys.

B

I have also noticed something similar at about 80 mph and I know someone else reported something similar on the forum a while ago. I increased the pre-load on the rear shock and it seems to have improved significantly. For me the movement was more of a slight wiggle coming through the bars. I put it down to the front end beginning to lighten.

Its just a tall and light front end, mine does it also at about 85 ish mph.


Adjusting the rear preload does help this. I went up two clicks from standard.

The old girl aint designed for top end speed, Keep her round 70mph and its fine. (apart from only doing 70 that is!!!).


Roy

I noticed the same thing when I first got the bike, but it's pretty much stopped doing it now. Now it will quite happily cruise at 90mph (with surprisingly good economy). I don't know whether it was the tyres (it was more pronounced on the OE Trailmax) or the fact that there's now 10,000 on the clock, but I haven't noticed it for a long time.

Front wheel smooth waving at 100-120 kph
 

I started to feel the same waving of the front wheel a couple of weeks ago, and I have noticed that one of the balance weights I have on the rear rim had gone out.
I will take her to the workshop this week for a rear shock absorber replacement and will have that fixed also.
Anyone knows about Bitubo rear shock absorbers. It is an Italian brand and I have heard that its good, but any advice will be wellcome.
Cheers

Worth a look @:-

Documento senza titolo

I've never used them, but they are made in the land of Ducati!!

Dave

Rear Shock absorber for KLE
 

Thanks for the info.
I had already looked at that webpage. They are nice and seem to be well-built.
I am waiting for the spare to arrive. There has been a truck drivers general strike here in Spain and it is taking two weeks more than expected to receive it from Italy.
I will tell you when it comes

Here it goes the description from the official web

For KLE500 '91-02

Shock Absorber ref XZE 11 - CZE 11
Single chamber pressurized gas compensated (Nitrogen) shock absorber, with oil/gas piston separator
XZE - CZE have body in Anti-friction trested steel, rod with low friction bushes, and head in Ergal worked from a single block by CNC machine.

Setting adjuster:
- Spring preload with millimetric aluminium special ring
- Rebound
- Adjustable inter-axis length (0 – 10 mm), only for certain models

Weaves & Wiggles
 

Thanks guys! Already set the rear preload to the max (made the handling way nicer for me (about 75kgs)), so can't turn that up any more. But glad to know that others have experienced it and that its unlikely that I broke anything while wacking through the bush!

Later all!
:clap:

Waving problems
 

Hi,
Going on with this issue, apart from a lost balance weight, one thing that can produce this waving on the front wheel is the worn out of the front and rear wheel. They don't usually get worn out exactly the same all around, and those diferences of weight around the tire make the wheel get unbalanced (specially on trail tires, due to the irregular thread). Replacing the wheel by a new one normally corrects, partially, the waving problems (having the right balance weights stuck to the rim, if needed, is the other thing to do)

see you on the tracks!

Gaaaas

waving problems
 

in the previous post, I meant that replacing the tire, not the entire wheel, you can partially correct the problem, if you replace the entire wheel with a new one I'm sure you get rid of any unbalance problems
:)

KLE front brake
 

Hi Guys/Girls,
I don't have a KLE but I have been reading your various threads about the bike and I love the enthusiasm that you all have for this bike!

Some of you think that the front brake is not good enough and I wonder if anyone has found a solution by fitting another brake from a different Kawa model or even from another manufacturer. Has anyone tried this or even succeeded in doing it?

Technical curiosity on my part,

Dave

I did once read a story about some guy who replaced the entire front end (forks, brakes and wheel) with a twin disced setup. The problem of course was that he couldn't find a 21" wheel with two discs so he used a 17" front. Naturally, the whole bike tilted forward. He seemed to like it, but I don't think it would suit me.

I have the same - have u ever manage to find the culprit?

What do u regard as good? at 120km/h I get about 21km/lt but running it flatout brings it down to 13km/lt. Granted I am still running it in but would like to know what to expect. A friend has 650 yamaha superbike and it still returns 20km/lt at speeds in excess of 200km/h (needless to say I am usually 'n bit late) I run onto reserve at 140km

I have NO idea if this fits the 500 or not - but there is a new disc for the 650 that might be of interest.

I have noticed that the instrument cluster also rattles round a bit, mine did that for a while. It went away by itself again, thankfully.

Indicator problems on KLE
 

The left-turn part of the indicator switch started giving problems recently - it would not switch on. I decided to investigate, and ended up cleaning the switch with contact cleaner. It is now back to the expected behaviour.

verry trustworthy bike if thats the extent of our technical problems

Mileage
 

Hello,

here are my my gas calculations : best score : 230 km with 11.7 liters->19.65 km/l. Usually : 200 km with 12.5 liters->16km/l. My KLE is the 2005 model. I think you should try and compare with other dual sport rather than road or sport bikes. When riding fast, you move much more air !

regards,

Michel
:mchappy:

So I take it you recon my consumption (the KLE's) is normal

Yep Same here. My manual actually says that only one works at a time. If you want both to work then hold down the paas switch

Yep mine has too. Got mine a month back. Somebody co-incidently said this weekend that he had a 2006 and the engin colour was differant. Maybe all the 2007's are black.

Hi Again
Going back to this vibrations problems I must say that after replacing the worn tires and the leaking shock absorber, the vibrations are gone and the bike seems to be another one. Apart from the absorber, which now makes the bike much more confortable (just as it is suppose to be), I installed a pair of knobby Michelin T63s tires. After the first bad impression (the bike is very unprecise with them on tarmac, as with any tire with that size of knobs) I had the oportunity to try them in a on/off-road trip to my bornplace in the southwest of Spain. I went with two friends (Suzi V-Strom 650 and KTM 640 Adv) through back roads, and we tried some of the tracks and pistes I usually rode through on my Mountain Bike when I was a kid. It was an amazing feeling doing 80 km/h in those pistes, and a good test ride for the KLE. In that route, and not going very fast, I had nothing to envy to the KTM ( which even finished with electrical problems, such as the temp. indicator and lights broken...) After that, which is the harder kind of route I pretend to use the KLE for, it showed to behave really well for its age ('95 model) and weight. I will attach photos of the route soon.

Keep those twin cylinders running!!

Cheers

Jules

Photos of the off-road route
 

Hello, here there are some photos of the route over pistes in Extremadura, in the South West of Spain. Note that the name of the region, Extremadura, means Extremely Hard in Spanish :)
The one in which I appears in a watercourse near the track was taken after the one with the V-Strom crashed slipping the rear wheel into it. At last, the only damage was incredibly a small dent on the exhaust cover...what a luck!!
Cheers

Jules

Interesting pics Jules!

Even taking into account that the KTM is on its centre stand, your pics show well enough the differences in the ground clearance of all 3 bikes.

ha, ha, ha, :) Tell that to the ktm owner, who is barely 1,65 m tall. He is improving his "classic ballet" style standing on one toe on every red light he stops at.
Apart from that, the ktm was more reliable on ground clearance terms...but a bit tricky with electrics, at least on that trip (which was the first one for him, who bought it second-hand recently, having 2 years and 20.000 km) I hope that it will show better reliability after repairing the temperature indicator and the lights (front and rear)...which refused to turn on after the off road section...What will be impossible to avoid is the strong VIBRATION. With that big cylinder and no balancing shaft is like those beds at motels you insert a coin and give you some minutes of "relax"...I´m amazed that he still has all his teeth on. :)

Hi,

Nice pics and nice KLE :thumbup1:. I don't want to look bossy in your eyes but for pics is already a topic here http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-pics-25296-2

To be on topic: Yes KLE has a lower ground clearance than KTM's I was with a friend who has an LC4 and I hit some rocks while he hadn't but that's the shield for, and anyway KLE has more ground clearance than other dual sport's (bi or mono cylinder) for example is higher than BMW F650, Transalp, Dominator, Africa Twin.

Now to be on topic tips and tricks, I have a question. Is there somebody who tried to tighten the drive chain (transmission chain)? I think that it became loose and it's kicking ... I ride with this problem for 3000 km but I think is better to tighten that chain. I saw that it has a screw on engine block but dis someone actually done that?

Thanks,

Hi Kamuya
Thanks for the link. I have seen yours there. Really nice with the high mudguard. Did you buy it ready to install? or did you make it by yourself?
Don`t you have problems with the temperature? The mudguard seems to cover a big section of the radiator.
Going to your question, adjusting the drivechain is easy, the only thing you have to to is put the bike on a stand to free the rear wheel. Then take the security clip out, loose the axle nut of the wheel and with the nuts you find at the back of the swingarm you can change the tension of the chain, having as the reference the lines you have on sides of the swingarm. The chain slack should be 35-45 mm. If it still sounds the problem is that the chain-sprocket kit is worn out and you should replace it. It starts sounding only when you apply throttle, but if the chain is really worn out is sounds even when you apply the clutch a a certain speed and go on idle (try that).
I hope this can help. If you need further detais try to look for the manual (there is a link for one in pdf here in this forum, I can´t remember where)
On the other hand, I would like to install a temperature sensor on mine (here in Spain is really hot during the summer and it will be nice to have a better indication than just the overtemp light). I don't want to spend a lot of money and, just to try, I will buy a temperature sensor which is made for computer motherboards. It has a temperature range of 0-120ºC so it should be enough.
REVOLTEC
As it has two probes I will stick one on the top of the engine (strapping the wire to the spark plug wire, maybe, and the other to the radiator. I will tell you if it works. At least it shoulg give an idea of the range of temperatures the engine is working on. Do you know of anybody who has done someting similar?
I also know about stickers which give you the temperature by changing colour. They are used in motocross bikes and even in aircraft engines. The only thing is that you have to stop, get down the bike and look to the engine...
As I said, I will inform you

Hi,

Is not about the chain from engine to wheel :rolleyes2: is about ENGINE TRANSMISSION CHAIN (inside engine) about that transmission chain I was talking about.

@JULESKLE500: front mudguard is from a shop, is some aftermarket part for enduro/cross motorcycles. I don't have problems with heating because of it. From my experience with my KLE in summer, and this summer was very hot here (over 43C announced and arround 60C in city :eek3: ) and I had problems with heating only at car lines but at a average speed my fan doesn't started. As you seen KLE has a big radiator and also a big cooler. I don't know anyone who put a temperature sensor on KLE, for me an better ideea is to put an fuel indicator.

You're actually talking about the camshaft chain tensioner on the front of the engine?

It is (should be) automatic, you should never have to touch it. There is a reset procedure in the manual for when you remove it though. If I remember correctly it is also an item to be inspected at the 4th service?


Nicki

4th service!?!?! :laugh:mine is second hand now it has over 47000 km, nothing changed ...... no kawasaki service and for other service "thanks but no thanks" :wave: i prefer to do it in my front alley.

About that chain tensioner I was talking, if it works or someone do it on their own, I don't want to make a stupid thing.

camshaft chain tensiometer
 

Hi Kumuya
I have never tried to adjust the camshaft chain, but I have heard that it is quite tricky, so be careful. Have you got the manual? If not, look for it in the forum and do not attempt to do it without instructions ( I work repairing aircraft and never do anything without checking at manuals first). If you have never checked it maybe you could consider to take it to a workshop and ask to be there during the repair to watch them and learn for the future.
Best regards

Jules

he pleco and radiohead and other southafricans i'm leaving for afrika (southafrika or namibia) overland from holland in 5 weeks. just 3 questions. what kind of coolad do you use in SA. and what kind of oil 10-w40/ 10-w50 or something else? any other modifications recomended?

Headlight bulb
 

Hi everyone,
I want to replace the headlight bulb and install a more effective one. The usual H4 is almost like a candle and I have heard about Philips Motovision or Premium (motorcycle specific bulbs) or Nightguide and VisionPlus (car bulbs).
Have any of you tried any of these bulbs? Is it noticeable the upgrading of light?
I also know about Phillips Rally 100W, but they are not legal, and they end burning the headlight itself, darkening it, and because of that I have rejected the idea of trying one of those.

see Philips bulbs here
Motorcycle and scooter lighting

Hi,

I use H7 VisionPlus and is OK, In city I don't see the difference except that the car drivers think that I'm on high beam, but on roads with no light they do their job, is real more light than at regular bulbs.

KLE Battery
 

I've got the same problem with my battery! Still the 9Ah one but loses it's charge quite quickly, I'll buy a new one from a reptuble battery dealer and let you know what' cooking!:scooter: Also try a sealed unit!! no maintenance on these batteries!

KLE timing chain tensioner
 

Hi to all the KLE buds!!

I got a problem with my timing chain tensioner, the tensioner (front one) is fine, but the pin connecting it to the engine at the crankcase are missing! I bought a new one but does not know how to install it, nowhere in the manaul they show how to install it!! There is a hole for it to fit but what keeping it there?? Please let me know!!

Africa trip
 

Hello Luuk.
We use normal antifreeze, mixed at the normal ration. I use castrol GTX (think it is 20W50) Very freely available, and works extremely well. We do not have the freezing winters here, so the 20 oil is fine. Please let us know what the conditions are like where you ride, as first hand experiences are much better than news reports.

Do not hand out sweets to the kids, ( there are no dentists around for them) and be careful of snatching thieves. Do not leave anything unattended that can be snatched. Keep smaller notes, and have change available at the border posts. Any and every "official" person will try and get you excited. This is their national sport. Keep calm and patient. The moment you loose your cool it can take a long time to get sorted again.

I am jealous of your trip, but enjoy it! Please ride careful, as the inside of an African hospital is no fun.

Regards

thanks for the tips. 3 more weeks before we leave. i want to go today

Hi Barry, A bit late in response but only just seen it, My 2007 spec 500 only has one h/light on at a time....would be better if it could have both for high beam:thumbup1:....TDMalcolm

HI Guys, Just a by the by...If you deviate from the correct road going presures you will experiance premature tyre wear or worst case, disintergration due to heating of the tyre structure, :nono:i have seen this happen on a car tyre, not good...worse for us on two wheels:oops2:
cheers TDMalcolm

KLE 400 manual...
 

Hi guys! I know that LOTS were asking for a downloadable manual for KLE400 ('99). :stormy: Is my turn to ask. :helpsmilie: After that, we can discuss technical stuff and parts and anything related with this lovely bike. So, can anyone help? My email address will be: remusv@paradise.net.nz. Cheers:scooter:

Tyres!
 

Hi fellow KLE dudes:thumbup1:, Hows about some input regarding what tyres you use and why?:rolleyes2: I will have to change mine soon (oem trailmax-3500mles):helpsmilie:, i do more on than off road..(if you disallow my 4" graveled 100mtre drive):eek3: It seems that this subject has been touched on but not dicussed in depth, with quite a few makes and models? of tyre available for our beloved kle, it makes sense to have your thoughts:cool4: yes!
TDMalcolm

KLE seat
 

Hi to all dear KLE fans
I have question, I am short leg man so every time Im on KLE Im touching ground with my leg fingers, does enyone have any ideas how to lower a KLE seat, I dont want to mess up with lowering suspension.
tnx and chears

KLE seat and tyres
 

I picked up my KLE two weeks ago :clap:and the dealer recommended 30 psi in the front and 30 - 32 in the rear for road work. He said the manual recommends 21 but said the higher pressures would be better.

I am also getting my seat reshaped by an upholsterer, he is moving the "bump" back approx 3". It will mean that the pillion seat will be very short but I never carry a pillion for any great distance. You should be able to get an upholsterer to take a few inches out of the foam to lower the seat height. A friend had his KLR seat reshaped and lowered, he said it was great (he is only about 5'6"). No change to the seating comfort but the lower height makes it easier to place you feet.

That seems quite a lot extra pressure to me, dont forget that the psi will go up quite a bit when the tyre gets hot.

I would stick to 21psi if I were you and 32psi in the rear.

If you go off road, you would lower those pressures.



good look!

KLE seat
 

thx I will try with seat reshaping
cheers

cold start
 

Hi All
Thanx for all the info shared heare, for the docs and for the thoughts.
I could just have been (GOD I love these english verbs) a happy KLE owner...but after first seeing and likeing the bike, today when i was suposed to pick her up she just didn't start. i was feeding her with 12V from a car battery, the motor turned a couple of times...and nothing...not at least a little PUF. it was a cold evening (about 2 degrees Celsius) but 3 day ago the actual owner started it after 4-5 tries.
Have you experienced something like that....can u please give me a hint..please...i don't know if i'm going to buy the bike afterall.....help...hel..he...h...,..

Thank you

KLE starting prob.
 

Make sure your choke is working. Full choke, no throttle. As soon as she fires give a little throttle. Even in Summer mine struggles to fire without the choke.

Regards

Hi All, My KLE's the same, full choke and ease off gradualy not to soon, if i shut off the choke <5mins from cold it will stall:rolleyes2:, but 5mins and two/three miles up the road and she's fine......do they have a thermostat? hmm!:confused1:
TDMalcolm

I start mine on full choke, but I can take it off quite fast and it will tick over quite happy.

Wot rpm does your idle at ??

Hi Roy, About 1200rpm, which is wat it should be +/- 200 (accoring to the manuel)
These machine are like us really:confused1: Individuals!:rolleyes2:
TDMalcolm

I've done a bit of research on this after over a year of wearing out front tyres before rears. Apparently, the pressure in the manual is only for the OE tyres, not after market ones. Best to stick to the tyre manufacturer's recommendation as they are the only ones that tested it.

Accessory fuse - permenently live.
 

I fitted heated grips to my KLE at the weekend. Noticed a spare fuse in junction box , I thought great - nice neat job and the grips will have a dedicated fuse with all the others. Ran a wire from the empty connection on the block connector up to the grips - only to discover the accessory fuse is permenantly live. Not suitable for heated grips because it is certain to lead to a drained battery when they are inevitably left switched on. I checked the wiring diagram and the accessory switch is fed from the same source as the radiator fan - yep I should have checked the diagram before I started DOH! I guess the fuse is for an alarm or something. I ended up breaking into the horn circuit down by the radiator and feeding the grips from there - nowhere near as neat a solution though. Is the 10amp horn fuse suitable for the grips ? , ran them for about 40 minutes and everything seemed O.K.
I certainly had nice warm hands when I took it for a test run.

The KLE floods easily IMHO, especially in the beginning when you don't know the bike, best not to touch the throttle at ALL unless it fires and wants to go.


Mine starts fine in summer without choke and a little bit of throttle, say 2k rpm.

Nicki

I am in the looking again for a dual sport touring bike. transalp too expensive and there is either a kle500 or a 660 tenere for handy money near me.

so the kle is 2000 year bike and i am looking to put a bill of parts together to turn it into a nice tourer.

so i walk up cash in hand what do i get?

i will be making my own panniers and rack.

what are the main mods or items to get?

oh nice thread by the way about time a decent kle500 forum was set up in english as i have been looking at this bike for some time now

Query New Bike
 

Wondered if someone could give me some help -
New bike, just a few weeks old and seat is starting to ruck up (have loose material) where I sit. Is this normal?

Fitted centre stand (sw motech) and it came with 2 springs of similar length but different diameter. Can get smaller diameter on with struggle but cannot get larger one on. For those who have fitted stands did you get 2 springs and which did you use?

Running in - did people keep to 4000prm for 800km and then 6000rpm for a further 800km?

Any help greatly appreciated

Neil

springs
 

hi nwil.
i got 2 springs the small one goes inside the big one.
hard work but u will manage

nmc

centre stand springs
 

Hi Neil,
Richard's (voleurs) got a pics of the centre stand showing 2 springs, the small one looks like inside the big spring.
Cheers. Dan

Thanks Guys,
:confused1:

A bit of lateral thinking goes a long way!!!! Will start an exercise regime to build up enough strength for the task at hand

Neil

running in
 

hi nwil
u are best to stick to 4000 revs.
if u use all the time round town u will soon have the miles on and get first service then take it up to 6000 revs.

:thumbup1:

Thanks for the advice regarding stand spring. Not the easiest of tasks, for me anyway, but managed.
My strategy was to place larger spring on first and then thread smaller through, attach one end and then the other. Wife thought i was going to have a coronary with the effort involved.

Neil

I have a KLE500 with a question pertaining to spark plugs.

When I did a service at 30000km, I decided to replace the plugs, as I had taken ownership of the bike at 27000km at the beginning of March 2010 and didn't know when last the plugs had been changed. Kinda fanatical about things like this.

The owner's manual says DR9EA is the plug to be used, but after driving to, or phoning 10 bike shops, I was eventually told by one techie that I could use the DR8EA, of which they had in stock, and that it would be fine.

Firstly. I'm wanting to know if the DR8EA can make such a difference as mentioned in this thread. Should I try source DR9EAs or just clean and put the old plugs back, or can I leave the DR8EAs in?

Secondly, prior to me servicing the bike, when cruising at 80/100/120, if I opened the throttle quickly to overtake, the bike would hesitate, almost as if it was momentarily flooding or being starved. When I took off the airbox to clean the air filter when doing the service it was full of petrol.

Then, a few weeks ago, after a ride, I noticed a puddle under the bike, and on inspection discovered it was petrol running out of the drainage pipe from the air box. I checked the float levels and they measured 12mm instead of 17mm. I adjusted the levels, and the petrol running out of the air box has stopped, but the hesitation when cruising and suddenly opening the throttle is still there.

I was told that it is most probably the needles and seats that are worn, so I've ordered replacements. But I've also been told that this should not be the case at 30000km.

Could the problem be caused by the incorrect plugs now, but prior to me changing the plugs, by the incorrect float levels.

Just spoke to the techie at a Kawasaki dealer, and they do not even stock the DR9EA. They use the DR8EA, and he assured me that this is 100% Fine. :confused: He should know what he's talking about.........I hope.:unsure:

So, then it must be the needles and seats that are worn that are causing my hesitation problem. Any thoughts?:helpsmilie:

kle 500 1996 overheating and spark plug fouling
 

hi guys.
im new and i have a few questions that im sure you pros can help me with.
i bought a 1996 kle 500 a few months ago, works gr8:thumbup1: (but not as powerful as my old gpz500):thumbdown: but i like the kle better due to the fact that its more rugged and convenient.
ok now for the issues, it worked great up until about 2 months ago. first it stopped starting so i got very nervous. but all it was, was the spark plugs were dirty. so i took em out and cleaned them well. put them back in and the bike runs like a baby. and this happens every 2 weeks or so depends on how much i ride it.. and for the second issue the bike overheats, (the guy before me installed a thermometer) it reads and average 190-200f. but then when i ride the bike at high speeds (8000rpm or so) it shoots up to 235-245 degrees Fahrenheit.. so i flushed the antifreeze and it helped for like one day. so i just never rode the bike hard.....(btw i dont have a thermostat in the bike)

ok now on the same page as the spark plugs i decided to clean the carbs, so i took those apart and cleaned every little hole and jet with carb cleaner and air. and then i brought it in to do a balancing. the mechanic balanced the carbs and also checked the valve clearance and adjusted them.. now i got home and the plugs fouled in one day and my bike is still overheating with new coolant.

so now i have my radiator off and i flushed it with a hose and hopefully that will solve the overheating issue. but if you think of anything else i can check or adjust please give me some advise.......:confused1:........ thanx

Only a motorcyclist understands why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.:mchappy:

Overheating???

Check the lines to and from the coolant filter on the LHS of the bike. Mine never overheated; but when i changed the coolant at 70,000km, I discovered that the filter was almost completly blocked by some silicone sealant applied at the factory.

I am in Aus, and for our climate the DR9EA plugs are the go - anything hotter is a no-go!

Have done the KTM pipe mod recently too - sounds better and saves a coupla kilos as well!

cheers

Ian

whats the KTM mod?..
and so i took off the radiator and cleaned it out really well and now it doesnt overheat anymore.. :clap: and to the spark plugs i just have to give it time to see it fouls again since my cleaning..

KTM silencer from EXC http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-exhaust-41157

Cheers

how much did it cost you??

Hey all!

I am having a bit of a problem with my suspension and didn't want to open a new thread so I will bring this one back to life.

Here is my problem: In the spring I have made made my suspension softer as it was to hard for my weight. I have set it from 5 to 3. Riding became better and softer but there is one down side.... Rear wheel is destroying my license plate. I have been trying to make the suspension harder again but cant get the wrench in to turn the ring on the shock. Any thought on how to turn the ring without having to dissasebmle the whole bike.

Thanks!

Use a hammer and big screwdriver, or drift. That's what I did.

Thanks to everyone!
 

Hi guys,

I'm a new member to this site but have been reading this forum and troubleshooting my own random issues for the past year. I own a 1992 KLE500 that had 82000+ klms on the clock when purchased, and still it ran well and didn't want to stop. Another 20000+klms have been added to that since I got on it and every K has been spectacular.

I had to join and say thanks to everyone who contributed on this topic as I've had at least half of the issues mentioned here, hehe. Without all of your input (admittedly unknown until now) and my surprisingly trustworthy mechanic, I'd have wasted a great deal of both time and money.

1992 KLE500 with 100,000+k's on the clock - still going strong!

Thanks again everyone,

Pete