Riding the modified KLR 650 in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico...

[Bacpacker]

Looks like a great day for a ride.
Looks like a good place for a brew and sammich

 

[Pearl]

GREAT PICTURES!! Love the views!! What an awesome place to live and ride!! To thanks for sharing!

 

[snappy1]

That sure looks like fun! Glad you could get out and ride!

 

[Wingnut]

Okay, I spent several hours working on the bike today: removing the saddlebags which need to be rerigged, washing the bike, wiping it down with Armor All and WD-40, applying chain lube, etc. Went to adjust the clutch and... SURPRISE!... the circular adjuster locknut was heller loose, and the cable itself was frayed (near the drum under the clutch lever), I'm talking a few cable strands left intact, the rest doing no good whatsoever, lol. But here's the good news... maybe... I checked the box of parts the former owner gave me and there was a brand-new clutch cable sitting right there, which makes me wonder how bad the existing cable was when I bought the bike, lol. Dude probably had plans to swap out the clutch cable, bought the part, but never did the work before unloading the bike on ME, aye?

Oh, well, "Caveat emptor!" As you may recall, I bought this bike while I was camping in the field in Whetstone, AZ, living out of a tent with three cats, so EXCUSE ME for not checking the goldurned clutch cable at the time, lol. Meh, the piece o' junk worked at that point, and I've gotten some use out of it, that's for sure, so tomorrow, I swap out the cable! Wow, it's gonna feel nice to have a new unstretched & undamaged clutch cable on the bike! I actually adjusted it today so it would work, then went back to "dial it in" and discovered the frayed cable under the clutch lever, lol. Oh, well, if that fresh new cable works, I'll be STYLIN', and it looks to be the right cable... we shall find out manana. Back was starting to ache from all the stooping & bending involved with cleaning the bike, or I would've tackled the job today...

I'm still gonna hafta figure out a way to rerig those cheesy Sedici saddlebags, those things did NOT hold up to the abuse on the trail, lol... but then again, I'm HARD on bikes & gear on the trail, I put 'em to WORK, yeah? Probably how that clutch adjuster locknut came loose, lol... bike took a beating and the cheesy part couldn't handle it, pffffft... Japanese junk. Still a cut or two above Chinese junk, lol... but that's about it. Speaking of cheese, y'all have heard of grated cheese, right? Well, that clutch out of adjustment could've led to some "grated gears!" NOT what I want on my hot & spicy homemade carne asada burritos, "10-DASH-FO'???" So I'm thinking I may buy some fresh oil for the bike too (wet clutch), and style out the gearbox as I swap that clutch cable, lol. Don't need any "grated gear shavings or fragments" in the bike!

SO-O-O, I have my work cut out for me tomorrow, I'm gonna swap that cable first and dial in the clutch, then all I have to do is buy a new fuel filter and put it on the bike... oh, that's right, I didn't tell y'all, the last time I rode the bike it started to "stutter" a bit, which is a classic sign of a fuel delivery problem. It still ran, but whenever I twisted the throttle wide open, there was a slight stutter... moi, I don't like ANY stutter, so I'll buy a new fuel filter, then check the carb adjustments if necessary. I already talked to my good friend Matt in Colorado, he's the best mechanic I ever met, and he clued me in so I know exactly what I have to do. I might still check out some video tutorials tomorrow, but Matt is the man when it comes to mechanical work... I'm no slouch, but he's in a different & higher class, lol. Meh, fuel filters are cheap!

UH-OH, I NEED ANOTHER BEER... HERE'S A SHOT OF THE BIKE AS I WORKED ON IT TODAY!

AND HERE'S THE NEW CLUTCH CABLE, ALONG WITH SOME CUERVO I'M ABOUT TO SHOT, LOL...

P.S. When ya get right down to it, I've thrashed the heck outta this bike on the trail, and these trails in the Sacramento Mountains can be ROUGH, lol... so I'm probably overdue for some minor mechanical work & adjustments. Dunno how I missed spotting that loose cable adjuster locknut, but that has happened to me before... maybe I should paint the goldurned locknuts NEON ORANGE or NEON YELLOW, lol. Meh, I suppose it's easy to overlook an adjuster locknut which has just come loose, it takes awhile for it to shake its way & travel around the threads and show a gap, lol. Good thing I caught the problem before it got any worse, or before it led to some disaster on the trail as the frayed clutch cable snapped, lol. Just when I needed it most, of course... that's usually when these things happen, right when ya need it the most, lol.

 

[Heartbroken]

Dang, Wingnut, you sure have me wanting to get out on my bike! Great pictures, thanks for sharing.
My bike is new to me, heck I don't even have the title made over or plates for it yet, so I have to wait for decent weather to get it out and get used to it. It's supposed to snow tonight/tomorrow morning but I think I'll go uptown in the afternoon and try to get the plates.
Awfully glad that clutch cable didn't snap when you were out in the mountains!

 

[Bacpacker]

Wing nut I know how you missed that frayed cable. It's hard to spot something like that when you're grinning from ear to ear like I know you do when you're thumpin around the trails.
Bike looks much different with the saddles off it. Kind of stripped down. Bet that cut some weight too.

 

[hashbrown]

Beautiful scenery! Motorcycles have been a big part of my life. I have a 1976 Electra Glide I’ve had since I was young and I’ve always

kept a chopper around. The boy and I have a couple of old beater dirt bikes we ride around the place. I’ll get the old Electra glide out in a month or so and get a new battery so it’s ready for warm weather. I’m kind of a fair weather rider since I’ve got older but I don’t ever see myself without a scooter of some sort.

 

[Pearl]

Dang, Wingnut, you sure have me wanting to get out on my bike! Great pictures, thanks for sharing.
My bike is new to me, heck I don't even have the title made over or plates for it yet, so I have to wait for decent weather to get it out and get used to it. It's supposed to snow tonight/tomorrow morning but I think I'll go uptown in the afternoon and try to get the plates.
Awfully glad that clutch cable didn't snap when you were out in the mountains!

Waiting to hear about the first major ride! Spring is here!!

 

[Wingnut]

Coming back to this thread after a tequila shot break, if a clutch cable were to ever snap on me in the field, the results might not be so bad... same goes for pavement, depending upon traffic. On the trail, I could always kill the motor and let the bike die, lol... even in gear, it would slow down fast enough. Might still be able to downshift too, though it would be rougher than downshifting with a clutch, lol. Pavement scares me more, since there *might* be TRAFFIC in the friggin' boondocks, lol. Meh, hasn't happened yet, and I'm glad I checked out that cable under the clutch lever earlier today...

Heartbroken & Hashbrown, I certainly hope that my humble pics inspire you to get out and ride, as motorcycling has always been a BIG-TIME form of FREEDOM for me... four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul, AYE? Of course, a friggin' Lamborghini Aventador with 700 ponies on the deck might *ALSO* move my SOUL, lol... or what's left of it. I can just see myself ROBBING the Circle K in town with the Lambo as my escape vehicle... local cops would have no chance at running me down, but then again, it's hard to outrun that ol' Motorola, lol. Damn, I hate it when that happens!

P.S. Hashbrown, I hope you are gonna teach Jake everything he needs to know about riding bikes, dealing with traffic, and all that good stuff... young men need a father or a mentor, just to get their priorities straight, YEAH?

 

[montanabill]

Might want to check your throttle cable also....broken cables are a pain when out and about which is why some people route a spare cable right along side the existing cable and tape over the ends. Much easier to change on the trail or road. Still waiting for spring here in montana, at least the ice houses are off the slowy thawing lakes.

 

[Wingnut]

Good idea, I'll check it when I work on the bike next... I'll probably pull that fuel filter tomorrow before I go to town, luckily the previous owner installed a larger aftermarket fuel tank on the bike for his Baja trips, and he wisely clamped a short section of fuel line with the filter right there by the petcock, easy to remove and replace. Maybe I should go take a picture of the setup, that'd be easier than trying to describe it, lol...

Those little metal coil clamps come off pretty fast with a pair of pliers... looks like I need to slide the protective cover back over that wiring in the background, lol. That last ride sure beat the bike to death, so this is a good time to check all the equipment. I would've removed the filter section right now, but my knee is a little stiff & sore, so I'll save the task for tomorrow. Any replacement fuel filter will work, as long as it fits the fuel line, and vice versa. I hope that'll solve the stutter with the throttle wide open, if not I'll have to make some carb adjustments... worst-case scenario, take apart the carb and clean it, or even buy a new carb, though I hopefully won't have to do that, lol.

 

[montanabill]

Those white filters should show debris in them....if you want to check for flow or to see if the fuel flow is limited so it would cause problems at full throttle.....pull the fuel line off the end of the filter on the carb side and direct it into a container and turn on the valve for a while and let it run. It should stay strong stream for a couple of cups worth. If you have a tank air vent look at that or pop the cap loose to see if it flows better.
carb clean might be in order, slightly clogged main jet. Lots of you tube info on line. Whatever just don't buy a junk china carb.
I just picked up some triple barrel rum from a tiny distiller here, the guy packs heat in his little tasting room......

 

[Wingnut]

Could be the mesh filter is gunked up but not really visible... and fuel filters are cheap, so that's my first step, lol. That "triple barrel rum" sounds good, as a lifelong small craft sailor I love rum, lol. I usually have a bottle on my bar, maybe I should buy another since the last one went dry, lol. At least I still have my tequila... not in the mood for a shot yet though, maybe later when I watch a movie. Right now it's "beer-thirty" and that's good enough for me, lol.

 

[Heartbroken]

Waiting to hear about the first major ride! Spring is here!!

Well, maybe in Texas...... But the redwing blackbirds are back, and I took a shot at a groundhog today, so spring is sort of here.....though it did snow yesterday. That first long ride is going to have to wait until we get a little warmer.

 

[Wingnut]

Shots of my new $5 ultra-deluxe fuel filter, it'll probably go on the bike manana if the friggin' wind ever dies down, lol...

 

[Pearl]

Well, maybe in Texas...... But the redwing blackbirds are back, and I took a shot at a groundhog today, so spring is sort of here.....though it did snow yesterday. That first long ride is going to have to wait until we get a little warmer.

And that could be a while in Michigan!

 

[Wingnut]

Shots of the frayed clutch cable off the bike...

I just watched a Partzilla video tutorial on replacing the clutch cable, looks pretty easy, and I paid attention to the tips the guy offered to make it even more simple. But first, I gotta oil the new clutch cable, that's important even though the guy didn't mention it in the video. Meh, I'm no rookie when it comes to dealing with cables, lol... looking at that frayed cable, I think I dodged a bullet with so few strands still in place.

 

[Wingnut]

Okay, I am now STYLIN' with a new clutch cable, the swap wasn't bad, that video was helpful... that's the part of the web I like, being able to find specific info and video tutorials on DYI work. No paying some chump $100 per hour to work on the bike... no thanks, I'll do it myself! That nice clean fuel filter made a huge difference too, I'm thinking the last one had crud in it from Baja (former owner took the bike down there multiple times), not to mention the trail dust and cr@pola I've introduced to the system, lol. Now, when I twist the throttle, I get a nice throaty growl from the DG pipe, lol... no stuttering either, like the kid in 'THE COWBOYS' with John Wayne. Buh-bye!!! I took a little test ride out to the highway to check the cluster mailbox, and the machine is running smoothly... I snugged up that clutch cable because I reckon there'll be some initial stretch involved as I break it in, but I'll keep an eye on it and see how it feels as I go riding again. I'm just glad that cr@ppy frayed cable is gone, that thing looked like a disaster waiting to happen, lol...

Beer-thirty now, and I've gotta do some watering in the yard... but that work on the bike went pretty smoothly overall, just had some minor fuel spillage when I swapped out the fuel filter. Nothing major, just enough to make my hands reek of gas, handy rag or no handy rag. One of these days, I'll learn to don some latex gloves before I do that task... I actually have a box of latex gloves in the 'War Room' but of course I didn't take the time to go grab 'em, pfffffffft.

 

[Bacpacker]

Glad you caught that before it broke. Might wanna take a look at the throttle cable as well. Just in case

 

[Wingnut]

Yeah, I have to remove a cover or whatever to check the throttle cable, I looked today but didn't feel like dealing with it... it feels good, but I'll check it manana, along with the air element. I think those are both okay, but we'll see... I wanna catch up on lubing parts of the bike too, including the kickstand, lol. That kickstand does a job of work, might as well style it out too! Right now, my feet are tired, always a sign that I've done enough for one day... gettin' dark anyway, so it's beer time!

 

[hashbrown]

Back in my early 20s the 73 flh is long gone as well as the girl sure miss the 73! We took these photos in front of some rental cabins my dad had on lake Taneycomo.

 

[Peanut]

Shots of the frayed clutch cable off the bike...

looking at that frayed cable, I think I dodged a bullet with so few strands still in place.

I'm thinking... Me, I'd keep an eye on that cable. Maybe that spare wasn't a spare but a consumable. Meaning - maybe it tends to fray on your bike, repeatedly. Might be worth a look at bike forums, maybe that model has a small issue. I'd dig into the engineering specs, but that's just me.

 

[Wingnut]

I'll toss out the question in one of the Kawi forums, but as my friend Matt the Mechanic thinks, it was probably the original cable on this 2011 KLR, so it has seen some abuse. Those trips to Baja would put extra wear & tear on anything, lol. The new cable looks & feels good, I'm not seeing any "chafe"---I think the wire strands just pulled out of that little cable drum or barrel over time. The kinks in the cable are from my extracting it, the new oiled cable runs smoothly in its casing. But I'm gonna keep an eye on it anyway, just to make sure no problems exist. Probably gonna go riding this week, today the natural gas company is rerouting a line out by the street, so I'm gonna stick around and make sure I'm here if I need to be.

 

[montanabill]

Just be aware due to the design the clutch csble after the intial break in and all will tend to reduce the freeplay at the lever. That is there should always be some slack in the cable so the clutch doesn't start slipping. Depending on the modle i like to have at least the thickness of a nickle freeplay at the lever where you see the cable....before it starts pullin the actual clutch in.

I have installed hundreds of those exact fuel filters. In a worse case scenario just pull the fuel filter and plug it onto the tank backwards and flush the crud out into a cup or the ground.

Best thing for getting rid of gas smells is that cat odor spray...I would always manage to spill old gas on my shoe or something at work.....

 

[Wingnut]

I hear ya... a close inspection of the old fuel filter did indeed reveal some crud in there, not a whole lot, but it doesn't take much to affect the flow at full throttle. Luckily, fuel filters such as these are cheap, only $5 at our local cycle shop. There's actually more than one shop, but this is the best shop according to my standards... a regular dealer of Suzukis & Kawasakis too, plus a bunch of other stuff like side-by-sides. They're alright, I get along well with the guys who work there, and that's always good thing, to have a good rapport with the shop where ya choose to buy your parts and/or get work done. Same goes for O'Reilly Auto Parts in Alamo, that's my go-to shop for car parts & oil, but I must admit it's also the closest to my home... NAPA & AutoZone might be fine, they're just farther from my house, lol.

P.S. I also made some slight adjustments to the carburetor, so the bike is running strongly right now... we have gusty winds in the forecast until Wednesday, but Thursday is looking like a good day to ride, with a high temp of 74* F.

 

[Wingnut]

Missed riding last week, so I may go tomorrow... I told myself I'd start painting this week, and I will, but first I believe I'll go for a ride in the mountains, lol.

Nice forecast for tomorrow, high will be around 84, which means it'll be in the mid-60s up there at 9000' elevation.

Good riding weather, I'll be sure to bring a picnic lunch with me and eat somewhere on the trail...

Note to self: must rig saddlebags this afternoon!

 

[Wingnut]

Holy Cow! It has been awhile since I rode the monster thumper... time to dust off this thread so it's handy when I post pics of my ride manana! I'm looking forward to this ride, now that the bathrooms have been decorated. I have some good leftovers to take with me for a picnic lunch somewhere on the trail... probably go with a BBQd beef burger this time, lol.

I'm gonna hafta stop and get fuel on my way out of town tomorrow, luckily there's a Speedway situated on US-54 before I hit the bypass, so I don't actually have to go into town, lol. The bypass makes it easier for me to reach US-82 and head up to Cloudcroft, which should be pretty nice this time of year! I like that little Alpine village, it's a cool place!

Not sure which way I'll head once I'm in Cloudcroft, I might revisit that tall fire tower I discovered earlier, just to check the views! Or I might head up NM-244 toward Ruidoso, who knows? In fact, I could ride all the way to Sierra Blanca and go as high as possible on the 12,000' mountain, something I have not done yet... only made it to 9,000'+ last time, yeah?

That's actually an attractive idea, that mountain has some serious curves on it, and in nice weather those twisties will be fun! Wouldn't wanna ride 'em in the dead of winter, but tomorrow's forecast (for Alamo) calls for 89* F, so it'll be 70* F high on the mountain... hmm, sounds like good picnic weather, lol. Find a shady spot and have a beer with my burger...

 

[Wingnut]

Okay, I checked the bike and had a brief scare while looking at the little window (or viewing port) on the right side of the engine, where ya check the oil... forgot that I dumped the last of the Castrol 4-stroke oil in there and the level went a little higher than the port, lol. Not much, certainly not enough to harm the bike, but for a moment I thought the oil was heller low, since I couldn't see a level, lol. Meh, been away from the bike too long, something I'm gonna rectify manana...

I also forgot to put the cover on it last time, so even in the shed the bike was dusty from all the high winds we've had lately. I wiped it off with a rag, the rest will come off during tomorrow's ride, and I'll probably wash it anyway on Friday, then cover it properly, aye? Dunno how I missed covering it last time, I guess I had stuff on my mind. No worries, these KLRs are bulletproof and can take a lot of punishment, I just wish they were about 100 pounds lighter, lol.

I made a primo BBQd beef guacamole cheeseburger for lunch tomorrow, I actually used 1-1/2 leftover burgers and cut some fresh Italian bread for a bun, lol. Slapped some mayo, ketchup & a little mustard on there as well, I was gonna add fresh onion slices and vine-ripened tomato on top of the lettuce I jammed in there, but I didn't want the big ol' burger to become unmanageable, or downright unruly on the trail, lol. So it's a guacamole cheeseburger with lettuce & condiments, 10-4?

I have a Payday candy bar to take as well, and I'll probably take my usual slug or two of milk with me to help wash down that sandwich. I use a clean Kombucha bottle for the milk, the thick glass helps keep the milk cold on ice. I'll take some beer with me too, gotta have that cold beer out on the trail where nobody is around (except other riders). Might as well take some chronic too, just in case I meet the dirt biking woman of my dreams, lol... they're out there, I've seen 'em!

I charged up my camera battery and phone battery too, I'll top 'em off tomorrow before I roll outta here on my mission... I expect to ride at least 200 miles tomorrow, I have a plan, you understand. I'm not sure I like the way my saddlebags are rigged right now, they look kinda ghetto with the utility line wrapped around the racks... you'll see what I mean after I post pics of my ride, I'm just gonna keep the bags the way they are for now, and if there's any problem I'll cut 'em loose.

ENOUGH RAMBLING FOR TONIGHT, Y'ALL CATCH A BREAK MANANA TILL I RETURN FROM MY RIDE, LOL...

 

[Wingnut]

Dang, after all that buildup, the ride was a bust... had carb trouble once I hit the grade, more stuttering & sputtering and no power at all. Worse yet, I ran up on road work which was all backed up, so I figured I'd limp home in roundabout fashion: Cloudcroft to Mescalero to Tularosa to Alamogordo and home. Didn't realize the loop was actually 101 miles long, pfffft. So I pulled a lame duck loop while passing a skills test to avoid getting whacked by other vehicles (especially those Mexican NAFTA trucks on US-54/70).

AARRRRRRGH!!!

But I made it home in one piece, next step will be to try clearing the obstruction with chemical additives, but I reckon a carb rebuild is in future. I already put a new fuel filter on awhile ago, so I'll continue to try the cheap fixes until I'm forced to tear the carb apart. Out of curiosity, I called Southwest Suzuki and they want $300 for a simple carb rebuild... f#% them, lol. I'll do it myself if necessary, but I'm starting to wish I had already sold the bike, lol. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't buy one of these KLRs again.

Didn't get many pics today, since I was dealing with the problem and tinkering with the bike at the roadside on several occasions. I managed to get these pics in a nice valley on NM-244 between Cloudcroft and Mescalero. Oh, yeah, even with the trouble I noticed several cool trails to ride in the future, leading back to various recreational areas in the forest, so in that sense the ride wasn't a complete bust. My luck hasn't been so good lately: I lost Z-Girl a week ago and now this bike trouble crops up, there must be a bad planetary alignment or something...

 

[Pearl]

I was beginning to worry about you!! Glad you are home!! At least you had pretty weather! Hopefully a better ride next time!!