KLR Evening Ride in HD

You can also find this video on my You Tube channel.

2012 KLR650 Prices and Buying Tips

This week I visited the local Kawi dealer to see and talk about the 2012 KLR. Imagine my surprise when I learned they were sold out. More bikes are on order, but the salesman could not say when they would arrive. So, I chatted with my friend who owns the dealership and came away with 4 important points to consider before putting down your money on this bike.....

• Don't wait too long to buy: The new look is very popular and the bikes are selling well over the country. Dealers in larger markets will get more of them, but in a larger market, more people will be buying. With these bikes in short supply - and it's only February - get one while they are available in your area. Wait for a better price, and you may have to wait another year to get one. 
• Bring your checkbook and do your homework before buying. MSRP is $6,300 and depending on your market, you may not get it for much less. I've heard of 2012s selling at $5,800 but most buyers will not get that price. My dealer friend said the 2012s will sell at, or very near, $6,300 because people like the new look and only the 2012 has it.
• Simple economics: Short supply and high demand will make this a seller's market for the 2012. Gas prices are going up now, and are expected to rise more before summer. With their great gas mileage, street and trail capability, and cool new looks, more people will be shopping KLRs to save money at the pump. The dealer's know this and set prices accordingly.  
• Be sure you want the 2012: Remember, the 2012 KLR has no significant technical or mechanical improvements over last year's model. It's the same bike with the exception of the blacked out rims and so on. If looks are less important to you, shop around for a deal on the leftover 2011s. If only the 2012 model will do, be prepared to pay for it. 

Eagle Mike Reply on Fork Brace

I am a big fan of Eagle Manufacturing and Engineering because of their first-rate customer service. You buy a part from them, have a question or concern, and they take care of you right away. By the way, I am not being paid to say this; just passing some solid information to my KLR brothers and sisters.

After my last post on the fork brace I emailed Eagle on my concerns over dirt entering the fork boot. A couple of hours later I received a reply from Eagle Mike and I am posting it here for everyone:

Lorenzo,
The holes are actually supposed to be open. On the pre-2008 they are open from the factory. The intent is to allow air to enter and leave as the fork compresses and extends. The application on the 2008 and later is a design flaw. Normal maintenance even with the boots is to push them up from time to time and use a small brush to LIGHTLY brush away the dirt. Every six months or so I suggest removing the outer clamp and doing this with the fork brace. Some people only do it as part of the annual maintenance. This depends on how much dirt riding is done. If proper maintenance is done there isn't any increased wear on the fork seals. On the other hand, I've seen seals go away in less than a year on a stock bike ridden a lot in the dirt with no maintenance done in this area. I hope this helps... (also, all fork braces work like this, unless they don't have any attachment for the boots, which is much worse.)
all the best,
Mike

That is a good enough answer for me. Get the Eagle M&E fork brace and you will be glad that you did. 

Eagle Mike Fork Brace

Among KLR riders there are two schools of thought about installing a fork brace. Most Gen 1 riders seem to agree a fork brace will benefit the thinner forks on those early models. The Gen 2 bikes have slightly larger fork tubes so installing a fork brace is less a necessity and more about preference. I decided to install one on my Gen 2 bike.

I ordered the Eagle Mike Fork Brace on-line from Eagle Manufacturing and Engineering, it arrived quickly. Right out of the box, I was very impressed by the quality. It installed in about 10 minutes with a set of metric allen wrenches and was well worth the effort.

The bike had always handled fine around town but was much better on the highway. The brace had eliminated any fork flex and the front wheel felt very solid and stable as all speeds. Unless you have ridden with a fork brace installed, you don't know how much the stock KLR's handling can be improved. I recommend this upgrade to all other KLR riders.

As with many things in life, solving one problem often creates another problem, and it is the same with the fork brace.

To mount the brace, the lower end of the fork boots must be moved up from the stock position. With the brace mounted, the boots slide down and fit over the fork brace. That's easy enough, but the vent holes at the bottom of both boots are exposed. This will allow dirt and sand into the forks where they will eat away at the fork seals.

The bottom line here is; the fork brace is a great upgrade, but the devil is in the details and something needs to be done about protecting the fork seals from foreign contaminates.

Click the image above to read the follow-up from Eagle Mike regarding this post.

2012 KLR650 Change Can Be Good

Ask anyone and they will tell you that I do not like change. I generally prefer things to stay as they are. I will concede that 8 track tapes, Low-D TV, dial-up internet, and That 70's Show were all things that needed to change and the world is a better place for it. But, most change is not so significant and is therefore not needed. You might dismiss my attitude by saying, "Well, those old guys are all that way," and I would agree. Except in my case.

I was never a fan of change, even while looking over my shoulder at Wal-Mart to be sure that nobody noticed me in front of the Just For Men hair color display. Besides, restoring my hair to its youthful, sun bleached, brown was a good change; a needed change...and nobody even knows....

This brings us to the changes on the new 2012 KLR650.

Pictures and specs for the 2012 model are online at the Kawasaki site, with no surprises for the new model year. That's good, because most change is bad; remember that "superman" who replaced Christopher Reeves? The one improvement for 2012 is the blacked out rims, fork, and swing arm. This looks good in pictures and I am excited to see this bike in the flesh. Kawasaki carried forward the varied shades of  Red, Blue, and Black paint and plastics from previous years with one exception.

Last year's "burnt candy orange" is not in the new line up, which surprised me. I seriously considered the Orange 2011 KLR over the Blue model that I finally chose. I finally chose the Blue model because of its performance. The Blue KLRs are much fast than the other colors. Don't take my word for it, ask any Blue KLR rider. But the Red 2012 would be my choice this time around and is probably almost as fast as my Blue bike. I can always tell a fast bike just by observation - it's a gift.

While I enjoy the new Red model as eye candy, I will not be trading in my Blue 2011 for a Red 2012. Although I could understand anyone feeling the pull of that Red model. The blacked out rims and so on, are a great look for the new bikes. A color change like that is sure to add a couple of MPH to top end speed, the same effect that Just For Men had on me!

Baby Motorcycle Ride

This would be great for Halloween and would turn a few heads on the street.

Click here to see a baby on a motorcycle.

1000 Miles On the KLR

This was a beautiful morning and afternoon for Father's Day. I took advantage of the weather and went for a ride around town. This was the big ride that the KLR rolled 1000 miles. This was an important moment for Long Tall Sally, so I pulled over and took a picture with my phone. The city streets are still really  broken and full of potholes. Some of those could swallow a small car. The KLR does just fine on rough roads, but I could see those cruisers having a rough ride. I really doubt the city is going to do too much about the roads with all of the flooding going on this year, but we will see.