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KLE tips, tricks and other technical stuff
So as Pleco said ... maybe is better to have a separate thread for other question regarding our beloved bikes. And because the KLE manual thread became a little mess I think that this is a good point of view and also a opportunity to start a new thead about other technical question .... not to use manual thread so here it is!
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I will start by telling what I use and what question I have. I hope that this is a good ideea.
So as you could see in KLE manual thread I raised the tail so I will not bore you again with this subject. Other thing that I use .... please let me know if you know a better way or something better. Fuel filter - Mann WK 21 (is that tiny one but I have to change it often 200-600Km - depends on how clean is the fuel) Oil Filter - Also from Mann MW 68 (I choosed Mann for a reasonable price/quality) Engine oil - Motul 5100 ester 10w40 Chain oil - Motorex Chainlube 622 fully synthetic for cross, enduro, off-road ( I use this because I used for street and it gathered dirt, with this one it looks a little nicer) Battery - here is a big question for you - the original was 9Ah but because of the power of recharging slowly it was drained, than I took a Varta (because I had a Varta on my car and it was good) with no meintenace but same problem ... now I had a no name at 11 Ah and it survived for a year and now when are -2 or -3 Celsius it starts ok ... but once a month I had to put water in it :thumbdown: Could you give me an advice? because at a long trip lat's say over 600 km on hot summer I had to keep in mind to have a bottle of water to put in battery. Brake pads - Godfren but I intend to buy a complete Brembo system - what you know about this? Tires - I changet the stock with enduro ones and the rear is 130 :cool4: all from Mitas Exhaust - is changed is from inox and I gained 1 or 2 hp Other to do and don't: :biggrin3: Because my contry learns you to do all kind of bullshits just to save money I learned that fuel lines from tank to fuel filter and from fuel filter to carburetors can be from a car :innocent:. Our car Dacia (not the new Logan)(The only car made in Romania) can be a cheaper way to mentain your bike so fuel lines are from Dacia, that cable for tachometer is also from Dacia :eek3: clutch cable again from Dacia. So I discovered that not only Kawasaki genuine parts are working. Chain washing - I found that is more cheaper than to buy chain solutions to make a coktail from fuel (leaded NOT unleaded) with oil for small mechanism and it works ( but first try your coktail on an old chain). Here is a DON'T: Don't use unleaded fuel on your chain it alters the o-rings - trust me I used to clean up my chain because it was to greasy and after a month I had to buy a new chain. That's all folks! I I remember other changes I will share with you |
My bikes only 6,000 miles old, so I haven't needed to do much maintenance on it but here goes...
Oil - Motul 5100 50/50 ester 10w40 - works a treat and the oil they put in it after the last disaster, sorry, service is crap. I think it's probably Silkolene. Stick to Motul. Brake Pads - I've had Dunlop and Ferodo recommended, but I have no idea what's on there at the moment. Tyres - Avon Distanzias - good wear rate with high road use and work well enough off road, especially gravel. Chain Lube - The best I've used is Wurth High Performance Dry Chain Lube. Lasts for ages. I've tried Silkolene (OK) and something like Motex which was crap. |
kle500 manual
hi.
i bought a KLE500 year 2003 two months ago and i really appriciate if anyone can help me to get the KLE500 Manuals... Thank you in advance... Long life KLE OWNERs...... Email :- mamuxs@gmail.com |
KLE technical
Hello Mamuxs. Please go find the manual on the download link in the manual fthread. One of the guys kindly put it on a download site for us.
We are trying to get a purely technical forum going here on this thread. Hello Kumuya. Thanks for starting this thread. I had so many run ins with mechanics, that I would rather run things by some friends. There are only so many thiings that can go wrong on the bike, and if we can list them all here, it would be a great assistance to all of us. |
KLE problems
Hello there.
I had a problem where the bike would have a flat spot at about 6000RPM. Very annoying if you want to take a gap. The rubber connecting the carb to the head had come loose, and this caused the lack of performance. Refixed the clamps, and all sorted. I currently have a problem that if I ride at constant revs for about 200m, and then open the throttle fully, the bike smothers and dies on me. Very frustrating. Does anybody have any ideas. (not the vacuum hose on the tap. does the same at prime. not dirty fuel changed that. will be trying to clean the tap next.) I am loosing both cylinders at the same time, and I do not think both carbs can go faulty together overnight. Any ideas would help. |
KLE tips
Hello Kumuya.
There is only way in lifting the tail. It is the way you did it. The other mounting holes at the top of the shock is not supported properly. Please clean your chain with Diesel fuel. Any petrol will cause your O rings to expand and deteriorate fast. I work in the fuel industry, and only very specialised and very expensive O rings will tolerate petrol. Where is the fuel filter, or did you install an aftermarket one? |
Pleco: If nobody fiddled with your carbs try and drain the float bowls and check if they have water (= don't drain onto the pavement).
If the fuel is good I would suspect a problem with vacuum to operate the slides. |
KLE problem
Hello Le Cap. Would you take R50 for the DR? Jou Bleddie grapgat!
I will have to remove the carbs, and look at the vacuum. The engine runs fine, until you demand power from it, and then it falters. Your explanation sounds good. Do you run a workshop where I can maybe bring the bike in? By the way what is the correct plug? D8ea or D9ea? Would it make a difference? Regards |
As I said .... 8EA is for KLE 400 ....
You asked about fuel filter ? where is? "Where is the fuel filter, or did you install an aftermarket one?" When you take out the fuel tank you should see it on the hose between fuel tank and carburetors .... only if it was removed you will not find it .... for example if you look at an KLE not "worked" or in the manual you also see a hose from cooling system that is connected to carburetor (the only explanation is that is for cooling carburetor because as I remember when I looked in manual I saw that in winter is recomended to stop that circuit) but mine hasn't, this hose was removed by previous owner and it works fine without it (one less hose to check for faults :biggrin3:) So I don't know if fuel filter is a must or not but I haven't meet a bike without fuel filter :cool4: . So check under the fuel tank on those fuel lines that goes out from it And by the way .... at what RPM you change gears? You say that at 6000 you have problems when you want to accelerate fast? :eek3: man :eek3: I change gears at 4000-4500 maximum 5000 and only once I get at 7000 rpm in 5th gear when I was forced to get speed wery quickly :scooter: but to go over 6000 .... hmmm is not a computer game to change gears when you are on red Is this happening when the engine is cold or when? I had at 3500 a problem like this but only when the engine is cold or fuel filter is dirty and in this situation I can't go over 4000 and engine dies because is geting no fuel. |
KLE problem
Hello Guys. Thanks for all the input. The fact that Mutha also had the same problem only after a service, put me onto the items I replaced. As I was loosing both cylinders, I took a look at the plugs (8EA as supplied by the bike shop according to their book). I could see from the colouring, that they were running very hot. When all else fails RTFM. (read the f... manual!) The manual specs a 9ea. So I go looking at the web and found the following:
Heat range The operating temperature of a spark plug is the actual physical temperature at the tip of the spark plug within the running engine. This is determined by a number of factors, but primarily the actual temperature within the combustion chamber. There is no direct relationship between the actual operating temperature of the spark plug and spark voltage. However the level of torque currently being produced by the engine will strongly influence spark plug operating temperature because the maximum temperature and pressure occurs when the engine is operating near peak torque output (torque and RPM directly determine the power output). The temperature of the insulator responds to the thermal conditions it is exposed to in the combustion chamber but not vice versa. If the tip of the spark plug is too hot it can cause pre-ignition leading to detonation/knocking and damage may occur. If it is too cold, electrically conductive deposits may form on the insulator causing a loss of spark energy or the actual shorting-out of the spark current. As I was experiencing similar problems, I went out this morning, and bought 9ea plugs. Problem solved right away. Bike peaks out at 165 KMH again, and I have the surge of power back around the 7000 RPM range.:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: Kumuya if you are running the 8ea plugs, you must have set the timeing and or fuel mixture to compensate, or it is very cold there by you guys. We are running at about 30 deg celsius day temps here. Apparently all of the above affects the heat range of a plug. The max torque is at abot 7200 RPM, so I change gears there about if I look for a bit of oomph! No use in running to the red line as the curve comes down quite a bit after 9000 RPM. I hope this solution will help somebody in the future, as the bike shop books specified the wrong plug for my bike in our hotter climate. Regards |
I don't want to argue but if you have KLE 500 DR9EA is good ... as in manual - manual on this site is for KLE500 not 400 so .... is normal to have little differences betwen kle400 and kle500.
But if you have KLE 400 those are the sparks (from producer catalog) : NGK: DR8EA, DR8EVX, DR8EIX DENSO: X24ESR-U BOSCH: XR5CC, XR4CS About the temperature .... hmm ... in summer is hot 34-38 (and over 40 real) so temperature is not an issue for dr8ea sparks maybe other settings on your bike. About power ... yes you are right ..... but also fuel consumption is bigger, the usage of engine moving parts also is bigger but you get the maximum from bike. Regards, |
KLE spark plugs
Hello Kumuya.
I wonder if somebody did not retune my bike to fit the D9ea plug. :(It has me a little worried, as the wrong plug and wrong tuning can be very bad for the engine. I will have to investigate a little further. Unfortunately Kawasaki SA does not want to assist me as this was a "grey" import over here. Your climate sounds very much the same as ours, and if you sre running normally, Kawasaki either changed specs on my bike (KLE 400E) or someone fiddled. I would like to find out sooner than later. Thanks for your assistance so far. Why are you other guys so quiet, or are you all riding 500s?:helpsmilie: Regards |
The 400 is a grey import because it was built mainly for the Japanese market and wasn't widely sold eslewhere. I suspect the majority of other KLE owners have 500s. Your best bet may be to try and contact some Japanese owners or trying to phone Kawasaki Japan. Find a friend who can speak Japanese first though.
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Hei! Nobody out there can help me with my qustion about battery? :confused1:
@ pleco - Specs for spark plugs for KLE 400 are applied for models since 1993 - maybe is something worked on your bike or somebody did something like I want .... to change engine caqpacity from 400 to 500 .... but I still wonder if it worth the effort to do something like this or not .... because if I do this it will becme a kle500 but is sure that I will have problems with other parts:( What mileage has your bike? Mine has almoust 44.000 Km and nothing changed to engine but is not working like a brand new and started to give signs of fatigue :helpsmilie: I think is time to get engine down and rebuilt it ... what are your opinions? Thank you |
KLE engine rebuild
Hello Kumuya.
I have done 22000km. No problems with fatigue yet. All the newer bikes should be good for about 100 000 km if serviced regularly. My friend is riding an 1982 GSX 1100 with 220 000 km on the clock. Only proper servicing done and 2 head gaskets. a full rebuilt has not been necessary yet for him. I would first try and properly service engine, and make sure all valve clearances and timings are set properly before rebuilding. But if you go the rebuilding route, have the cylinders bored to the 500 spec, and change internals as necessary. This would make future spares easier to get. Just be careful that you do the rebuilt at a good workshop. Have a good look at the costs involved. Might rather be worth your while to trade in on a standard 500. Good luck and let me know how it goes. Regards |
There is no problem with settings ..... after the accident I checked all this but I experience a little loss of power, is not disturbing but overall it makes me to get a plan in replacing cylinders - and about workshops .... :censored: here nobody works with special tools and service manual to verify torque applied when mounting parts so .... what you do with your hand is well done and so you get experience and you know that is your ass in your saddle and how you repair is how you will ride and this makes you be careful and do a good job.
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KLE rebuild
Hello Kumuya.
I wonder if it woulb be possible to change the top and pistons to a 500's only. That is if the rest of the parts are the same. I would do everything myself as well, but the reboring to the bigger size, I would not be too keen to do. The tolerances are way too small to make an error there. As I understand, europe is quite small maybe you can catch a train and get it done in a neighbouring country? I know we have discussed the plugs issue already, but try a set of 9 plugs and see if there is an approvement with the power issue. I took my bike on a 150km ride this morning, and it is riding like a dream. Let me know if I can assist in any way with your rebuild. The experience might come in handy for me again one day!:biggrin3: Regards |
Hi Pleco,
Yes we allredy discussed the sparks issue but I took them out and are OK. Instead I talk with other bikers here in Romania and they told me that I could have this problem because in carburetors can be watter retained from fuel or when is cold outside and I run with it when I stop because of temperature difference between engine and outside. So what I've done was to buy a bottle of Fuel carburetor cleaner, put in a full tank of fuel and entire bottle and after 200 km since I used that ... I can feel improvements :thumbup1: - on the bottle sais that is to be used for 35 liters of fuel and it removes water from tank, carburetor, cleans fuel system etc. and it seem to be as advertised ... but used with 15 liters of fuel :biggrin: I'm still in doubt if I will try to use pistons and etc for 500 or try to find for kle400 I don't know if it worth the effort. As original it had 31KW and KLE500 has 34KW. I have a custom made exhaus so I have as many as a KLE500 and since I don't intend to do performance with it (:lol2: since is a heavy cow) I will make this transformation only if I can't find what I need for it. Anyway I still want to make a brand new engine (changing pistons, etc.) because I intend to keep it for a long period. Is a good bike to ride with passenger and lugage on a road with many holes :clap: |
Pleco, I went past the workshop where I have mine serviced, they say D8EA. I suspect the 500 takes D9EA because it runs hotter due to more power. On my dads 500 the fan comes on more than on my 400, I've only had the fan come on once that I can remember.
It was a very hot day in the beginning of this year, was already in the high 20's when I drove to the City Bowl in rush hour traffic. It briefly came on when I stopped in the parking garage. Maybe your bike is running a bit lean? Is the air filter clean? And how is the fuel consumption? Nicki |
KLE 400 plugs
Hello Nicki.
Thanks for that feedback. I will have to look at this straight away. I will have to retune the bike, so that it can run properly on the 8 range plugs. The thing is the bike seems to run fine as it is. Maybe we can meet and swap bikes on a short trip to see if there are any differences. Then I can visit Dirkie if necessary. I get between 18 and 22 kms per liter at this stage, depending on how I drive. Give me a shout if you have time. |
HELLO EVERYBODY FROM GREECE.
I HAVE IN MY POSSESSION A DOCUMENT FROM MOTODATA 2000 AND IT SAYS THAT FOR KLE 400 FROM 1991 SINCE 1997 WE SHOULD USE SPARKPLUGS NGK OF TYPE DR8EA (GAP O,6-O,7) OR DENSO OF TYPE X24 ESUR-U (GAP 0,6-0,7) AND FOR BATTERY TYPE YTX12-BS (V/Ah 12/10). I HAVE MORE INFORMATIONS AND FOR MORE BIKES(KAWASAKI ONLY), BUT IN A BOOK. I'LL TRY TO MAKE TIME AND GET THEM IN PDF FILES TO SHARE THEM WITH EVERYONE. IT,S A SHINY DAY HERE IN THESSALONIKI ALTHOUGH ITS WINTER AND I THINK I'M GOING TO GO FOR A RIDE. |
Rattle
Hello guys and girls.
Just another small problem and solution. I had a very annoying rattle on my right hand side fairing panel, and could not find out what it was. Took it to a friend with knowledge, and he found that the front black air deflector that mounts onto the side of the radiator were rattling on the front edge of the fairing. Bent the mounts out of the way a little, and no more rattle. Regards |
I also have the same problem, mine is the left side. Yesterday when I took all the fairings off before taking the bike for a service, I noticed that the right side has a small block of foam rubber on the corner that pushes against the radiatorguard, and the left hand side does not, so I'll be fitting one to the left side as well to try and cure the problem.
Pleco, usually it only vibrates when you are going to slow/idling, so just open it up, man:biggrin: |
Voltage regulator
Hello There guys.
I need some help here. I went on a long trip on the weekend. 5hour continuous on Saturday, and about 9 hours on Sunday back along the scenic route. Somewhere along the way my voltage regulator / diode pack overheated, and burnt out. Now if you read brian's thread about the funny ignition system, you will know that this bike does not run if the headlight has drained your battery flat. I found that out while being about 60km from any assistance if I did not have a backup pickup along for the ride. I would still be walking!:mad2:. I have been told many things on possible causes from battery to bttom half of field coil overcharging, to faulty component. I was also told to not fit this unit myself, and to not use a replacement part. (the one from Kawasaki is about 200USD and the replacement about 40 USD) Guess which one I bought, and guess who fitted it? I took my ammeter and found all three coils charging exactly the same. 1 theory down. I checked the battery after it standing overnight after a short charge. 12.7 volts. 2nd theory down. There is a 30 Amp fuse in the main charging circuit, which did not blow. No faulty components then. This was the first time I rode the bike for such a long period over some very rough terrain. Maybe the prolonged effect of running the bike with headlights on bright (lots of dust) and continuous driving ( the guys in the pickup never got tired and just kept on going) overheated the regulator. Did anyone else have this problem before? I have driven the bike about 15km and back, and the replacement regulator is quit warm but I can still touch it without changing my finger prints. Any and all ideas and tips would be welcome here.:helpsmilie: Regards |
I had once a problem with battery .... and I don't know if is your case but I found on my own way that KLE has a powerfull recharge system that is designed to work at a full consumption rate (all "electricity eaters" turned on). So as I had a crap battery (no name) with servicing and with KLE powerful recharge I somehow managed to "dry" the battery and make calls to be picked-up :mad2:
After this incident I started to check once a month the level of battery fluid. Even if this is not your problem this is a little "trick" to keep in mind - because I also had a Varta battery on gel an my little bike dryed that battery too and I chosed to have one with servicing because I could add fluid in it :cool4: Anyway after 60 km in summer I can't touch even bike frame so .... everything is overheated and this helps battery to become dry |
Voltage regulator
Thanks for the advice Kumuya.
I also have a sealed batt, and cannot check fluid levels. I found this website, and will be trying to work through it some time. It is a very comprehensive test. It seems that I need to draw more current away from the regulator, so that it does not have to dissipate excess voltage into heat. Maybe I should have kept my headlights on bright for longer? http://www.electrosport.com/Images/fault_finding.pdf I would maybe temporary connect a voltmeter over the regulator to see whats happening to it. Regards |
Engine covers
Hi all,
I know this isn't a pressing issue like a lot of the mechanical and maintenance issues that have been posted, but i was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this... I recently bought a new KLE500 (supposed to be 2007 spec), and the lower engine covers (clutch etc.) are painted with gloss black paint. This is the only recent (2005 onwards) KLE that I've seen that doesn't have the copper/magnesium look covers. Even the latest pictures on the net show the 2007 model (blue body colour), still with the copper coloured engine covers! I read in another forum somewhere that guys were complaining that the copper coloured paint was rubbing off after just a few weeks! :mad2: I wonder whether the decision to change to the (seemingly) more hard-wearing gloss black was a direct result of complaints or if it was just a styling 'upgrade'? Or maybe I just have a re-worked/"dodgy" KLE engine!!!:rolleyes2: Extremely unlikely I guess, as it was bought from an official dealer! Anyone else get gloss black covers from new? PS:I'm loving the bike! :lol2: Going up to the mountains (Drakensberg) for the weekend, for the first longish ride on the new bike (+-500kms round trip, with some good farm roads and gravel tracks thrown in for good measure!). |
I've got a 2005 spec which I bought this year. The covers are copper/magnesium coloured and I have not seen any other colours. However, the cylinders are bare metal and black paint. Maybe they deemed it cheaper to use the same paint all over?
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You should know that as you have higher rpm's you have higher recharge power and as you said that you use to roll throttle to use that maximum torque at 7000 rpm .... you have a little excess of power on recharge .... I usualy use high beam on day light ... and fitted a higher capacity battery - that's how my bike works |
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Headlight settings
My 2007 spec KLE500 low beam operates high beam and low beam independently. One globe on at a time only. A lot of other bikes have this system, so I thought that this was the way it was on my bike.
But then I had a squizz through the service manual (that I downloaded from this forum...thanks man!!), and it says that on high beam, both globes should be lit.:confused1: Before I go searching for blown fuses etc, I want to know what other guys have. :eek2: Maybe mine is a different spec from the model in the service manual (although they don't suggest this (they usually specify that certain things may not apply to certain spec models)). Any feedback from other owners would be appreciated. Cheers Barry |
That's incorrect, if the specs are still the same. Mine operates both globes separately so that the pass light still works on high beam.
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I remember reading a hint on another forum about another bike that used to commonly burn out voltage regulators...the accepted solution was to stick a small 12 fan to the regulator [the type that is used to keep pc processors cool]. If you were to wire this fan up through the ignition switch so it runs whenever the bike is turned on [might be best to do it via a 12v relay] it should keep the regulator cool and prevent it burning out. The cheaper regulator and a cheap fan still work out a quarter of the price of a new Kawasaki replacement!
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Regulator problems
Hello Brian.
Thanks for the feedback. I went through the faultfinding file which link i posted previously, and found that I had 2 bad joints on the signal wire that runs from the battery through the ignition and back to the sensing wire on the regulator. White towards the ignition, and brown from the ignition to the regulator. It was telling the regulator that the battery was at 11.5 volts, while it was at 14volts already. It then tried to over cook the battery, and then blew the regulator. A small file and lots of contact cleaner, and all is well again. Had a 2 day run of 11 hours and 9 hours one after the other, and no more regulator problems. I would suggest you guiys download the charging fault finding diagram, and add to the service manual. Also, I am sure the same fault will show up in all the bikes some time or later. Hope this info helps. Regards |
pleco, where can i find this charging fault finding diagram?
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Charging fault finding
Hello Luuk.
First, all my thanks and gratefulness to you for making the manual available. You are THE MAN!:thumbup1: You should find the file at this link: http://www.electrosport.com/Images/fault_finding.pdf Otherwise pop me a mail, and I will send it to you. I suggest printing it and adding it to the manual. It will save you a few bucks, and sort out any breakdowns like I had. Regards |
I'm sure this fault finding procedure will be well used, thanks to all for providing. Glad you found the fault, pleco.
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thanks mate. ill sure use it |
Hello guys, I am a new member riding a 96 model kle500.
I am riding this bike for app.3 years and fully satisfied and never had a problem but last week, I tried to start the engine but it didn't work. It never happener before. I am not riding it for 3 months but it stayed more than that before and runned perfect. I don't feel that it is because of battery, but maybe due to a failure at the starter. Doe anyone have an idea. Also can you please e-mail me the manuel. Thank you. |
he robassi, check the KLE manual thread, one of the last pages tels you where to find the manual. good luck finding the gremlin in your bike
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Hi rotbasi,
in general can be more causes for your starting failure - a starter problem, battery problem etc .... but I never had this kind of problem .. just another big problem. When I pushed the start buton it was making a noise like a click. After several :censored: I got an ideea .... KLE has a lot of safety systems for starting the engine or run it like: if is not in neutral, if you have your stander down etc .... so I started to look at those ..... finaly I found that I had a bad contact .... that one who prevent engine start if you are not in neutral .... even if it was on neutral ... so I put it on first gear ... few front-back movements, returning to neutral .... and it started :cool4: ... after that I opened the gearbox to take out that contact and clean it ..... now it works fine. Maybe this helps you. |
KLE 400 spark plugs
Hello Guys.
I see this thread has gone quite quiet. It means all our KLEs are running fine!:thumbup1: I just finished servicing the bike for the 25000 km service. I changed the plugs back to the 8ea, as I had problems previously as discussed in this thread and changed to the 9ea. It seems the previous set of 8ea plugs were duds,:censored: as the new set runs fine. I would like to see if I can get an improvement on the fuel figures, as I was only getting 20km/L at best. (cruising 80 to 90km/hr in 5th on open rd. I was accompanying another rider on a 125) I am sure the economy should be better than that. Just a note, that the oil that came out there was almost like water, so it would be a bad idea to wait longer than 6000km for service intervals.:nono: Regards |
Not quite true, mine has knackered its front tyre.
We really have to find out what the correct pressure is for the front tyre. Although my rear tyre has squared off a bit, I must be the first person in the world to wear out a front tyre before the rear and I'm guessing it has something to do with running fairly random tyre pressures throughout last year ranging from 22 to 32 psi. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the real correct pressure is? Also, after nearly 7,500 miles, the chain needs to be tightened a little. Not bad for riding mostly in London. |
tyre pressure
Hello Mutha.
The front tyre is supposed to be 1.5psi. Can yousend a pic of your tyre tread? I am sure it is run through in the middle, ans has lots of tread on the outside. Regards |
1.5 psi would only be for sand riding. I'm not quite sure what you mean.
I don't have a digital camera anymore, but I'll see if I can borrow one. You are correct, the majority of the wear is around the middle. |
tyre pressure
Hello Mutha.
The sand pressure is 100 kpa for front, and 150kpa for the back. The road pressure is 150kpa (21psi) for the front, and 225kpa (32psi) at the back. Sorry I always get confused with the psi/kpa story. Regards |
This is what I mean: the manual says 21 psi for the front, but most handbooks and people I've spoken to say 30 psi for the front. So far only the manual says 21 psi. I've tried both and feel wise 30 psi is better.
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Tyre pressure
Hello Mutha.
I have been running at the recommended pressure, and find it quite OK. If your tyre is wearing down the middle, then the pressure is too high. If it wears along the sides, the pressure is too low (although you might find that out the hard way before the tyre wears enough). If the tyre pressure is correct, the wear would be reasonably uniform, unless you do not do any corners on your way to work. The 150kpa sounded too low for me as well, but my tyre is wearing OK, and the cornering is fine even down to touching the footpegs in the corners. Why are all the other guys so quiet. Are we the only guys on this forum? Come on guys give some input, just be careful to not mix up the units! Mutha, a picture of the tyre tread might help a bit. If you have a cellphone that can take a pic, you can MMS the pic as well. +27795228937 Regards |
I have also been running on the recommended pressures and have had no problems. My guess (like the others here) would be that if you are getting centre wear you are running too high a pressure.
What problems do folks feel they are getting that is causing them to raise the pressure up? Is it the feel when cornering? As I am new to the forum can I also ask if anyone has been able to find a rear hugger that fits? I know there appear to be no ones specific for the KLE, but I would have thought that one of another bike type might be similar enough. I want to try and save my rear sock and exhaust and my partners legs a bit from the crud during the winter. Has anyone managed to kuldge one to fit? |
[quote=paulwt]
What problems do folks feel they are getting that is causing them to raise the pressure up? Is it the feel when cornering? The problem with too low pressure in the front is that the tyre will fold in under the rim, causing you to try and corner on the rim. The results are a bit rough. But if the tire is too hard,then you are making the contact patch way too small, giving you the same tar kissing effect. There is a formula to calculate tyre pressures, using the tyre's maximum load rating and the weight on the axle. I will try and find that. Regards |
Not sure of the exact formula myself. However basically tyres are marked up with a load rating at a given maximum PSI. That represents the pressure you need to safely carry a load of the specified amount up to the speed rating of the tyre. So if the tyre is rated at 450Kg at 45psi then if you want to carry that load you must inflate the tyre to 45psi.
Potentially opposite to what one might expect, tyres that are underinflated overheat and may blowout. This is because the tyre wall flexes too much building up heat in the tyre. Tyres that are overinflated don't normally blowout (unless significantly overinflated). Instead they wear prematurely down the centre and reduce grip because of a reduced contact area. I guess the formula would relate to the percentage of the full pressure for the maximum load. Probably with a minimum that is required to ensure the tyre sits properly on the rim. But would be interested to see if anyone finds it. |
Tyre pressure
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Hello Guys.
Attached is the formulas, and a full explanation on tyre pressures for 4x4 vehicles. The same applies for bikes and bike pressures. Unfortunately, I do not have the proper equipment to weigh the final weight of my bike, myself and luggage, as well as the different weights between front and back axles. If there is anyone out there that can help with this, give some input and let us apply it to these formulas and see where we get. Regards |
Hi,
Have a tip::thumbup1: 1. I have raised tail on my KLE with dogbones which I found in bikefarm http://www.bikefarmmv.de/EN/tail-riser/index.php. Declaration said it raises 3cm but I had to extend my side stand for 5cm so that bike could stand normally again. I heavent measured it yet but I assume ground clearance is up for 4cm which is excelent if you like dirt ride, and got better front/rear wheel weight balance. Much better front wheel grip when bike is loaded+passenger for long distance travels:mchappy: . Perhaps even better conrering but I have to test that little more :scooter: :cool4: . KLE looks mean, is mean :nuke:, pics will come in a few days, (I'm still testing:thumbup: |
I run the front and rear at 250kPa for tar, and for gravel I use 150kPa front and rear. My front (Dunlop Trailmax) did not wear off in the middle, it was just to the side of the middle row of tread blocks. I replaced it today at 27122km with a Michelin Sirac, let's see how long that lasts!
The only reason I replaced it is because I have a drivers license test in two weeks, and it was just about at the wear limit in a few places, don't wanna take chances. |
Tyre pressure
Hello Nicki.
I suggest that you be very careful in the winter time on the wet roads with the front tyre that hard!:eek3: Good luck with your road test. Maybe you must ask the guy how many sheep your license will cost. Regards |
Sorry I haven't put that picture up yet; it will be coming eventually. 250kpa does sound quite hard, but it should be fine on wet roads. I'd love to know how you got 27,000km out of a set of Trailmax.
I'm beginning to wonder whether someone should phone Kawasaki and get a definitive answer on this. This debate has been raging for quite a while now. |
Tyre pressure
Hello Le Cap.
Your input please.:helpsmilie: Regards |
shock absorber
Hi all,
I have a problem with shock absorber on my KLE500 '93. It seems that I cannot find the proper identification code for it. Can anybody help me? Quote: Quote: Originally Posted by beefjerky http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-manual-9079-7 Link to KLE500 manual. Scroll down a little bit to download. Has some good pics of the linkage, etc. That manual has deficiencies. E.g. most of the part numbers are prefixes only, hard to determine which parts are common to the EX. For example it lists the shock as a 45014. Almost every Kawi shock has 45014 as a prefix, you need to know the suffix as well. EX500 shock p/n is 45014-1365, for example. Mainly I'm curious about the shock rocker and dogbones. Peaces me off. Haven't found much on the KLE out there. http://www.advrider.com/forums/image...er_offline.gif |
I must admit, I rarely check my tyre pressures unless something feels wrong when riding, but last week I called into my local Kawasaki main dealer [they had a sale on leather jackets...half price!!] and as I was parking up one of the mechanics shouted me and said the back tyre looked a bit flat. I rode over to the workshop and he checked both tyres [they had about 17psi in both front and rear] and he pumped them up to 22psi in each. Now, I am not saying this is the correct book pressures but it rides ok...and this guy is a proper mechanic!
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The "correct" tire pressure does not only depend on the surface you travel on but also (and sometimes even more) on the type of tire you use.
Some examples: Bikes on tarmac: A Tourance f.ex. will only last long if run at correct pressure. The tire is pretty useless on gravel and dirt and won't become much better by running it on lower tire pressure. I ran Tourances on my F650GS at 190KPA front and 210KPA rear. Gross weight 350kg. Without luggage or passenger you can go some 10 or 20 KPA lower. (180 front / 190 rear, weight 280 kg). My R1100GS is on Anakees with 220KPA front and 250 KPA rear. Fine for 420kg gross, with panniers you can go up to 280 KPA on the rear. I ride all my 21" / 17" bikes (KLR650 / DR650 / BMW F Dakar) on Kings KT966 (50:50 tire similar Dunlop K750 but lasts much longer). As tire pressures I found 170KPA and 170 to 200 KPA to work very well. You can deflate to 150 KPA on the front if you are light (bikes like DR650, KLR 650, below 250 kg gross) but the soft front end supports the bike's tendency to develop a high speed wobble on tarmac. I also ran the F650 Dakar on these tires and tire pressures and the bike felt fine and settled at any speed. Deflating is safe to about 130 to 140KPA. Below that you run the risk of damaging your rims on rocks as well as to puncture tubes (snakebite) or tear off valves (tire rotates on rim). In very sandy and soft conditions you can go down to 100KPA and below but you should have tire clamps (especially at the rear) or at least spare tubes and tire levers. Note that deflating the rear tire does less to stabilize the bike in soft sand than the front (it's more about traction) but the rear is the one with more tendency to rotate. While low pressure of around 140KPA will only wear the tire quicker but will see the bike travelling safely on tarmac everything below that pressure bears various risks: Desintegration of tire due to overheating. This can happen after only a few fast kilometres on tarmac or hard gravel. Unseating of tire or folding of side wall around a corner. And as said a snakebite over a bump or rock. Bottom line: For the KLE tire pressures between 150 and 170KPA front and 150 and 200KPA rear should be fine. A little bit more if you run road tires or load the poor thing like a donkey. |
KLE Lowering
Hallo,
It`s very nice to find a KLE forum as there are very rare :cool4: I own a 2004 KLE with 13.000 km. I like the bike, the only problem is that it is quite high. I lowered seat a little bit but it`s not enough. I`m thinking of buying "dog bones" to lower rear and to lower front side with steering stem adjustment. Has anybody done something like this, all experiences and commnets are welcome. Best regards, |
Item not in toolkit
On a trip through a remote area this past weekend, my dad got a puncture on the front. Got the toolkit out to loosen the axle, and found that there is not a size 22 to loosen the nut! We ended up using the 17 to turn the bolt, and the 24 for the rear at an angle to prevent the nut from turning.
I checked my bike's toolkit as well, it is not there! What an oversight IMO! Let it be a fair warning to all KLE owners! |
Any Idea how many litres the reserve is on a kle500(2006).
Its got a 15ltr tank, but dunno wot the reserve is? answers anyone? |
In practice, the main tank is about 11 litres and the reserve is about 3 or 4 litres.
I've just had my tyres changed and the dealer but an H (as opposed to an S or T) on the front. Not what I would have immediately thought of, but it certainly feels and stops better now. Is this a solution to the KLE braking problem? Also, the rear pad lasted 8000 miles. |
tyres
Cheers for that. May make the tank mod to make reserve kick in later.
Sorry for sounding think, I know tyres have speed ratings and such but run it by me again?. I was thinking of changing to a more road type tyres when these are knackered. Any recomendations? My mate pulled up on his gs1200 the other day and I noticed the tyres on the gs where not half as nobbly as the kwaks, and he goes down all sorts of back beaten tracks. Mabey better handling and fuel range to be gained on more road based tyres. :thumbup1: |
kle lowering
hi dannykle
got two new kles my wife is 5'.4" we also had some padding taken out of the seat but that was not enough so we ordered a lowering kit from pidcocks in derby. this reduced the front by about 1" and the rear about 2" the bike handling feels better for the reduction but obviously you loose some ground clearance but if you dont do too much off road riding it was worth it. they charged us about £90 for the kit and ftted it for free. hope this helps ash and deb |
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You wrote that you bought lowering kit - you mean kit for rear end, front end (as I know) is lowered just by untigthning screws and lowering stem ? You wrote that handling feels better, you mean because of hight or feeling when driving? BR Danny |
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I ditched the stock Dunlops after about 1500 miles as I got down to rear wear indicator and decided not to look back. Bearing in mind that this was the running in period, they should have lasted a hell of a lot longer. Other users haven't experienced the same problems though. I currently use Avon Distanzias which are excellent tyres and I was going to try the Avon Gripsters, but they didn't have any in stock, but I'm happy to have Distanzias again. |
tyres
My Kle has got just over 2000miles on the clock now. The front tyre looks like new but the rear is starting to square off now (thats if I understand these tyres right?)
The very centre of the tyre is almost a flat with the grip. How much did u pay on new tyres?, are you likley to get more milage out of these?. Also, are the new tyres still nobbly or more road based?. :thumbup1: cheers Roy |
The Distanzias were about £100 for the pair and the rear squared off a bit but would have lasted more than the 6500 than the front did. Maybe it's worth leaving the Trailmax on the front and putting a Distanzia on the back. As for bias, yes the Distanzias are more road biased. Avon claim 50/50 between on and off road, but they're not serious off road tyres, but then the KLE is not a serious off road bike.
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Cheers for that.
The wife has just buggered off sking with the school so ive got a week to play!!!! Off to have a spin round NW Wales. Catch ya ltr. Roy |
Avalible power
Hi from Aussie KLE rider and thanks for starting a much needed thread. I have just bought a 2006 KLE and would like to fit grip warmers and maybe some lights to it but I am unsure what power I have avalible. If anyone knows how much I have or how to work it out, please let me know.
Thanks in advance Doc |
Fitting heated grips is no problem, Ive just fitted the Oxford ones. Dunno if they are down under?.
As for lights, Mabey LED versions may be the answer? cheers Roy |
KLE extra electrical
Hello Roy.
Have a look in the manual, and see what the alternator output is in amps. Then clamp an ammeter over the battery wire while you have everything switched on and the headlights on bright. Do not start the bike. Check how much current you use. You should be able to add additional stuff safely up to 80% of the alternator output. Remember the alternator must charge the battery as well, about 2.5 amps as well as pull all the electrics. You should have enough power to run heated grips and some extra driving lights. The smaller metal 4x4 lights should work quite well. Send some info and pics after you have done this. Regards |
Thanks for the update. I am planning on fitting crash bars. I was going to fit the lights to the these bars. When I do get it done I will post pics. We have 238 watts total so I need to work out how much is getting used and go from there.
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are '92 kle parts the same as the 2001 ones?
Hi guys,
Inspired by the postings of this forum I bought a 2001 KLE 500 in pretty bad conditions (dropped on both sides, so with some aesthetic defects, but a good engine, 25000 km on board). Now I 'm about to buy some missing/broken parts, such as clutch lever, brake pedal and hand protectors. I found a bloke sending the parts of his '92 KLE 500, I wonder whether they will fit mine. The difference between the two models is 9 of years, but as I understood KLEs did not undergo any radical upgrade during this period. Does anyone know it by chance? regards, Boti |
From what I understand, there are virtually no differences between the A version and the B version. The only differences are mostly cosmetic, such as new nose fairing and different colour schemes. The other key difference is the exhaust system. Clutch lever, brake pedal and hand guards should be the same.
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lowering kit
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hi danny lowering kit was different dog bones and inserts from the front forks the better handling is due to the bike being lower which felt better when cornering |
Hi guys,
I have a big question and maybe you can help me solve the problem. I was on a very bad road (hole near hole) around Bucharest (never mind the location, is not real important) something like a 100Km trip and I put gas on it - something like 80km/h and I managed to lose some screws and some other accessories from vibration and of course bad road. (Next time I'm afraid that I will get back home only with a wheel :laugh: ) After noticing those parts are missing I noticed that my signals are not working :confused1: but my signal regulator works on other bikes, fuses were checked, wires are on their places ... I really have no idea where to check:confused1: If someone has an idea .... |
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It must be an unlucky place for KLEs. Lost my sidestands an had to lean it on trees and fences for another 5000km in Turkey until I got a new one. :) Photo documentation at: Picasa Web Albums - Witek - Travel Albums KLE500 rules! Regards, Wicjo |
KLE signals
Hello Kumuya.
Nice to see u are still around. If all turn signals stopped working, you might have a loose earth wire somewhere. It is the only common point among them if your signal relay is working. If the relay is not working, check the connectors under the tank. I have had a few problems with those. Just a tip I got from Nicki. If you take any bolts loose, add Loctite when you refit them. I had the screws of my camera's body come out while it was wrapped in cushioning in the back box. The vibration gets worse the further you get away from the centre of the bike. Happy travels. |
Just thought I'd keep you updated with the continuing saga of my KLE500.
Having changed the tyres and rear brake pad, I then took my bike in for it's 8,000 mile service. The first thing they said was that it needed a new chain and that would be 100 pounds plus 80 pounds for labour. Is that included in the service? I asked. No, they replied. I then waited for a day to get my bike back only to pick it up the next day to discover a fairly terminal fault 20 miles down the road. Basically, the engine was just dying for no apparent reason everytime I got on the gas in low gears. Naturally, they couldn't find the fault and told me to come pick the bike up. I did and I got 1 mile down the road before it happened again. I don't know how they test ride these things, but I think it involves looking at it with a cup of tea in their hands. After this, they lent me another bike, an Aprilia Pegaso 650 Trail, which is shit. Unfortunately, I crashed it. No major damage, but the forks are twisted and the rear brake pedal is bent and the mirror and indicators are broken, but all in all, it was my kit that came off worse and the bike is mostly cosmetic damage. Anyway, long story short, I hope that warranty agreement covedrs damage to courtesy bikes. I'm pretty sure my insurance doesn't. Also, that bloody warranty has been more of a curse than a blessing. The last two times I've taken my bike in for a service, I've been without it for two weeks or so after. How can you screw up a bike changing the oil and filters? Not only that, but the minor service was 150 pounds and a major was 280 pounds. Not funny. |
Stealers, smealers, dealers:nono: I wouldn't let any of those grease monkeys within a mans trap distance of my bike:censored: Rip off UK, you buy a bargain bike, and they try to take your pants down for servicing:(
Aquire some mechanical skills and do your own servicing/repairs:thumbup1: Trophymick |
Servicing
I fully agree with T/ Mick.
Use the manual, and do your own servicing / repairs. Have your chain fitted by any bike shop other than a dealership. With all things, where mechanics are involved, take a day off, and spend it in the workshop with them and your bike. Tell them you do a lot of far away travels, and you need to see how to fix these things. If they do not want you to watch, they have something to hide, and take your business elsewhere. |
Hey, Pleco, do you know how my pricing works?
1hour of mechanics work: R 200 You want to watch: R 400 You want to help: R 600 You have tried to fix it yourself: R 800 |
Mechanics
My sincere apologies "Oh Great One''.
Please note to all. The above issues with mechanics does not apply to Le Cap. If you can find a proper mechanic like himself, you may leave the bike with him. Of course they are scarcer than tanzanite. Le Cap, the extra rates per hour will be worthwile to watch an artist. Regards |
This is the response I got from Kawasaki Australia in regrds to my Wattage quirey.
Thanks for your enquiry. The official stance of Kawasaki Motors Pty. Ltd. regarding your question is that any modifications to your electrical system away from standard are not recommended. The Kawasaki KLE500A6F has been designed to operate with the electrical system fitted by the factory & by adding additional amperage draw such as accessory driving lights an adverse affect may occur to various electrical components especially to the charging system. The maximum rated output of the charging system on you model is 17amps. If however you, or an experienced technician perform an amperage draw test on your battery with the engine running & all the lights operating you would be able to deduce how many amps you have in reserve. This can then be converted into a safe working capacity for how extra many watts your standard charging system may cope with. This type of test could be performed at any authorised Kawasaki motorcycle dealer by a trained Kawasaki technician. The formula is watts = amperage x voltage. If you believe you have enough spare amperage to run an extra set of lights then it would also be advisable to fit a relay to the accessory lighting circuit to reduce the extra load to the charging system. |
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Thank you for your tip and I will study wiring diagram to look for loose or broken wires |
Turn signals
Hello Kumuya.
Good luck with those. Send us some pics on the gearbox work, and the removal procedure. Any shortcuts will be appreciated in a bush repair. When you have everything out, wire the turn relay directly to the battery and 2 lights. If that works, bring the other sections in one by one and see which part is faulty. Regards |
Mysterious White Smoke?!
Hi guys!
I have just had my first real worry with my bike! Still almost brand new (+-3000kms) and yesterday when I went to start the bike (from cold) and thumbed the starter, a little trail of white smoke crept out from between the tank and the seat! I had only pressed the starter for about 1.5 secs and the bike hadn't started. I switched off the ignition and the smoke stopped. I whipped off the seat (thinking I would find a pinched wire or something) but nothing looked wrong at all! No wires running near there...no blown fuses...nothing!! After checking it out, I tried starting it again, and this time no smoke, and it started fine. I put the lights on etc to see if the electrical load affected anything, but still...no smoke! Put the seat back on and went for a short ride without any problems. Any ideas?! Two things which I'm thinking may have some bearing on the situation are; 1. I washed the bike down the day before (with a hose pipe) - but I still went for a longish ride afterwards to dry everything out and the bike started and ran fine. 2. Could the problem be related to the exposed connector blocks on the fuse box? (The connector blocks onto the fuse box under the left side cover face forward and a bit back, so it is possible that some water may have collected in them. Could that cause a small short and the smoke? I'd like to see if I can find what's wrong before I take the bike back to dealer. |
Hi Radiohead,
Check your starter motor connections. A loose connection can cause a spark and possibly a small amount of smoke if dirty or corroded. Also check the bolts which bolt the starter motor to the bike as it is grounded there and if loose may spark too. While you're at it, check your battery connections for the same reasons. Peter |
Will try that..
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Already checked the battery connections while the seat was off, but I'll definitely check the starter connections and mountings. After doing a bit more reading up on the subject, I'm going to check the starter relay as well. Thanks for the advice. Will let you know what happens.:thumbup1: |
Smoke.
What did the smoke smell like. You will get different smells for arcing, burning insulation and exhaust smoke.
Just for info I got white smoke coming out from under the seat, and it was the pipe from the carb that was loose on the block, allowing smoke to escape there. It smelt like exhaust smoke though. Regards |
KLE 400 to KLE 500
I had a rather unfortunate experience. I blew a hole through the right hand side piston.:censored::censored::censored::censored: Will submit pics a little later.
I see the 400 has quite a thick sleeve. What are the chances of boring it to the 500 spec, and replacing both pistons with 500 pistons? As far as I know, the only difference between the 400 and 500 is the piston size. I would like to confirm this before I start boring the head. Urgent advice needed. I also need to try and find out how this happened. The plug electrode looks like it exploded, with little welding beads on the bottom of the plug. I used the same range in the other piston, and that is fine. |
:scared: sucks
But I get this proposal from a friend of mine to transform kle400 to kle500, he told me that the only differences are at piston size and I have to buy entire engine set for 500 - cylinder, piston and piston rings and also spark plugs for kle 500. But I don't know how safe is this operation because it must be made with 100% accuracy. It can be made but not in my yard :oops2: and only by people who know what they are doing. If is working maybe I'll reconsider :thumbup1: Good luck!!!! |
1 Attachment(s)
I got myself one of these jobbies today, seeing that the KLE toolkit does not contain a spanner to loosen the front wheelnut.
A bit expensive at R125, but I suppose one can try to shop around. |
Rattle?
Does anyone else have a really annoying plastic sounding rattle?
When I first got the bike there were a few... all at around 3,000 rpm. The most annoying turned out to be the little black plastic panel between the side faring and the radiator. I fixed that with a bit of rubber. Then there was a metalic rattle which bugged me for months. It took me ages to track it down, finally I realised it was the horn which had slumped down a bit and rested on the frame. But this one has me stumped. It sounds like it is coming from the instruments, but no matter where I put my hand to deaden it, it persists. Must be inside somewhere? Anyone else have this? P |
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