Running on empty—my journey on a bike

Clutch/Side Stand Safety

2011-04-25T17:46:00.015-05:00

Okay, so there is a safety feature on new bikes that will not allow the engine to start if it is not in neutral nor will the bike run if the side stand is down and the bike is in gear. Sounds like good features unless you are sitting in the middle of an intersection with a stalled bike and you can't find neutral (yes it has happened). The kick stand switches are easily damaged off road also. I feel like I am pretty methodical in my starting sequence so I decided to disable both features.
But how to do it? Looking at the wiring diagram and with lots of internet searching it looked like the best bet would be to bypass the Interlock diode unit. This unit controls the kick stand switch, the neutral start only switch and the neutral light. By bypassing the switches and the diode I would be eliminating as much of the system as possible thereby eliminating future trouble.

Note: The following procedure worked on a 2009 KLR650. I THINK it would work on the 2008 also, because those are the years that my Clymer manual covers. It MIGHT work on later models but I don't think it will work on earlier ones.....no interlock diode.

Here is a photo of the interlock diode which is located behind the dash.

You will need to do the following to bypass the interlock and the switches. Cut all six (6) wires from the interlock diode plug (I left enough slack so I could put it back in the future if needed). Tie the following wires together 4 and 3 (green/white & black/red) and 1 and 2 (blue/red & black/red) and ground them. The wires 6 and 5 (green & blue/red) should be cut and left open (insulate them well) they are for the Neutral Switch and you want it to continue to work. That's it!

Although very simple, I would get a wiring diagram for the 2008/2009 bike so you can identify the wires by number and color.

The above photo shows how I tested the work around. I strongly recommend you do this! The two red wires went to the ground on the battery.

From Interlock diode unit

Here is the finished product. I soldered all of the wires together and used heat shrink wrap to insulate. Then wrapped it all in electrical tape. I drilled a hole though the old bracket for the diode and grounded the wires to that. You can see the blue terminal that is in the above photo.

T Mod? looks like it is not necessary on the 2009 model

2011-04-24T21:15:00.006-05:00

It looks like Kawasaki has taken the hint and moved the vent line under the seat, so the T mod is not necessary. The T mod re-routed the carburetor vent line from down by the kickstand to under the seat. This kept the bike from stalling in heavy rain or water crossings. My 2009 model looks as if it has been re-routed to the seat by the factory. Would love some confirmation on this from experienced KLR owners. Here are some photos.

This is looking at the left side of the bike at the carb vent, see how it travels up?

And this is looking at where the seat goes. Thats the vent!

New Bike!!

2011-04-24T21:08:00.004-05:00

Okay! I am going to try and start blogging again! As some of you know, I just got a new 2009 KLR 650! Wahoo! Lots of fun, and I have been riding her hard. I got her on March 17th and have put a bit over 1,800 miles on her so far. I will be playing a bit of catch up, so not everything will be in order.

Still riding, just not writing

2009-05-20T06:35:00.001-05:00

Not sure where I want this blog to go, if anywhere.

In Search of Dirt!

2008-10-26T13:18:00.003-05:00

I just finished rebuilding my 1986 XT350 last weekend. I commuted all this week and felt comfortable taking the bike out for a long ride. I had yet to take the bike off-road, so I decided to ride back roads from Kemah to Sam Houston National Forest which is around 125 miles one way. I posted a invitation for other inmates to ride with me or meet me up there but alas there were no takers.

My trusty little bike

My route in blue

I thought I was going to be able to spend all day in the NF, but I had forgotten a party my wife and I were going to. Drats! I would have to be back by 3 PM. I left just before sunrise on a crisp and cool Saturday morning. The key word here is cool, I was not dressed near warm enough.

The one thing I really wanted to do on this trip, other than get the XT in the dirt, was to take some photos. I like to consider myself a decent photographer, but it is often hard to stop and take that shot. As I was riding over the Fred Hartman bridge, I was thinking “man you should get a shot of the bay and that sunrise” right when my phone rang. I pulled off on a wide shoulder and took care of the call, and then I took a couple of shots of the sunrise and yours truly.

Houston Ship Channel from the Fred Hartman Bridge

Fred Hartman Bridge and me

By the time I got to Dayton, my teeth were chattering, so I pulled into a Jack in the Box and put all of my extra clothing on. That helped a lot, but I was still cold. Through Cleavland to 1725 which runs through the National Forest. One wrong turn that cost me about 30 minutes, but finding 1725 was well worth it! Lots of twists and fast turns!

That took me into New Waverly, where I fueled up and looked at the map to find Sam Houston National Forest. It did not take me long to find the mult-use trail head. It was just after 11:00 and I figured I needed to start heading back home by 12:30. That would only give me an 1 ½ on the trails. But I figured as a noobie that would be long enough.

I met two guys at the parking lot that had been riding. I asked if they knew of a loop that a novice could do in about 1 ½ hours. They suggested that I do an out and back. What was good about the out and back was that the turn around was on the main highway. “Cool, now all I have to worry about is breaking my only way back to Kemah!” “Not to worry” one of them said “I live in Dickinson and can drive you back if need be”

We introduced ourselves and Kent, the guy from Dickinson, offered to ride with me! And with that off we went! The SHNF is lots of sand and tight single track through Pine trees. I had ridden the like on a mountain bike but never on something that with a twist of your wrist would accelerate to 20 mph!

Kent

I was slow, but boy did I have fun and get an upper body workout in! Kent was awesome and was constantly checking on me. I laid the XT down a couple of times. Both when the front wheel washed out in the sand. I finally made it to the turn around point and Kent was waiting there for me. It was a few minutes after 12:00 and I decided to head on home. My upper body was worked and I knew that if I continued to trail ride the chance of making a bad mistake would increase. I thanked Kent and headed back into New Waverly. I was pumped!

I stopped at the Waverly House, a little mom and pop café that had tons of cars out front, for lunch. I was hot, sweaty and very hungry! But I did not want to over eat, so I just had water, a BLT and two cookies. Boy was it good!

I left New Waverly at 1:00 and knew that I would have to push it to get back at 3:00. That meant that I would not be able to stop by the old New Waverly Cemetery or some of the historical markers in the area. O-well, that is just one more reason to make the trip again.

The trip home was uneventful except for one really scary moment on 1725. I was going about 60 mph through a twisty section and I was thinking about turning, counter steering, leaning, and the mechanics of it all. When for just a second, my brain locked up and I could not make the bike turn! I remember thinking “Monty, turn damn it! Turn!” Then I turned and everything was back to normal. It absolutely scared the shit out of me. It really showed me that I still have lots to learn and that turning is still not instinctual. I am definitely going to start drilling those basics again. I am going to post about this in "The Perfect Line" hopefully someone can give some advice.

Arrived home without any other incident at 2:50 in the afternoon. I was happy with how well my little 22 year old bike performed and overall with my riding. Still lots to learn, but don’t we all. Total mileage was just over 250 in just under 8 hours.

Trip planning

2008-10-19T18:36:00.001-05:00

Would like to take a long trip on the XT to South Dakota. Jackie will be competing in Primal Quest in August of 2009 and maybe I will ride the bike there and back.

In the mean time, I need to plan a long weekend trip........

35 mile test drive

2008-10-19T18:15:00.005-05:00

I headed out for a test ride after breakfast with my sister Gail at IHOP. Mmmmmm, Viva French Toast!!!!

She started right up and she is idle is right around 1,600 with choke and 1,400 with out the choke. However, I found later (after I had been riding for a while) that the idle was at 1,900 at stop signs and lights. It would eventually idle back down to 1,600 or so.

Nothing too spectacular as far as the ride went, except that the bike performed flawlessly! I really don't know how the bike could have done better. No backfires, no stutters, no dieing at stop signs, and I took her to 75 mph and there was still plenty of throttle.

Just perfect.

Finished!!

2008-10-18T16:28:00.006-05:00

For the time being......!!!!

I finally got her completely back together and she runs fine. I installed new Baja Design flashers and really that is the only problem that I have right now. The new LED flasher does not draw enough amps to fire the flasher. I am going to order a flasher from Baja Designs ASAP.

I need to give her a full wash and find a way to polish the plastic.

I am going to take her out for a long ride tomorrow, and see how she performs. It is so good to know that I have a reliable and "ready to go" bike under me.

She Runs!

2008-10-17T07:04:00.002-05:00

I put oil in her on Tuesday. Yesterday, I cleaned a bunch of plastic parts and installed the fuel tank and chain/drive sprocket. Hooked up the battery and started checking the electrical. After inspecting the electrical and then doing a through inspection of the completed repairs, I decided to see if she would run.

I made sure she was in neutral, backed her out into the driveway, and fueled her up. She coughed on the third kick and started on the eighth kick! She purred like a kitten. I could not believe how quite she ran. I checked for leaks or other problems, but found none. Let her run for about five minutes and then pushed the choke in. The idle dropped to <1,000 rpm and she started to stall. I gave her some gas and she revved back up.

Looks like I will need to do a bit of work on the idle. I shut her down and then restarted her. Then shut her back down for the night. Overall, I am ecstatic about how well she runs! If all goes well, I should be able to take her for a spin by this weekend.

Getting closer

2008-10-15T21:20:00.003-05:00

All I have to do now is finish it! There are so many small things that need to be done! Like clean every piece of plastic that goes back on the bike and painting every scrap of metal. Most of the major components are installed and I got oil in the engine tonight.

With luck, I should be able to start her up by the weekend.

I will try and post a photo or two tomorrow.

Finally! The engine is back together!

2008-10-13T05:59:00.006-05:00

Received the head that I purchased off ebay on Friday. It was in perfect shape! The cams were within specs, the valves did not leak, and all the parts were in like new condition. After cleaning old gasket material off the head and cylinder, I was able to start going back together with everything.

All went well until I measured the valve clearances. One of the intake valves was too tight. I worked on it for ages! After a number of different tries with different shims, I was back to my original shim setup. This time, when I measured the clearance, it was within spec. Go figure! All I can think is that the shim was not sitting in the shim cup properly.

Got the timing chain in place and the timing set. Torqued all the bolts and installed the valve cover. As I was torquing the valve cover bolts one of the threads stripped. So, I had to remove the cover, then remove the cam bearing cap that the valve cover bolt threads into (the one that was stripped). I Helicoiled the hole and replaced. All was good with that hole, but then I stripped another one of the same holes! Process was repeated. But when I torqued the bearing cap, one of those bolt holes stripped! I was able to Helicoil that hole as well. Got everything back together without anything else stripping....which was a good thing because I was out of Helicoils.

Next up is to clean and paint the exhaust and clean the shop!

Messy shop

Starting to get her back together

2008-10-04T18:31:00.007-05:00

It was a slow process, but I finally started to get the XT back together. It has been a month since I stripped the bike and I am sooooo glad that I took photos of the bike before I started dissembling it! I started with the back end, pivot arm, shock, swing arm, it all went together pretty well.

I then worked on installing the head set and shocks. I found that I had not protected the top head set bearing well enough and it got sand in it when I had the frame sand blasted. In hind site I should have removed the bearings all together. Sooooo, I spent 20 minutes cleaning the bearings. I think they are in good shape now. Only time will tell.

Now for the bad news. The head that I received from ebay is not in that good of shape. I started cleaning the valves and checking the fit, and found that both intake valves are bent. It also looks like something went through the engine. The intake valves from my old head do not fit the new head very well.....looks like the new head needs to be ground. Right now I don't know what to do. I have spent too much time on the old bike to to fix it right. Will make a decision tomorrow. Options are: have a Yamaha dealer fix this head, purchase a new head, or purchase a rebuilt head from ebay.

STOP!! for Hurricane Ike

2008-09-23T13:45:00.003-05:00

Bike repair came to a screeching halt with the arrival of Hurricane Ike. I was so lucky! No damage to the house, shop, or bike. But lots of clean up. I had the bike repainted in Galveston and picked up the frame on Thursday, the day before the storm hit!

Jackie and I are heading out to Arizona on Wednesday to see our friends Michael, Karina and their son Sebastiana. So it will be a while before I get back to putting the bike together.

2008-09-09T11:54:00.004-05:00

Lots of changes since I last logged on! The used cylinder appears to be in good shape and after a few minor repairs, it will be ready in install. But, when I had the engine apart I decided to go ahead and strip the frame for a paint job. Big decision and a big job....parts are everywhere. I had the frame sandblasted at work and a local paint shop is going to repaint it for a reasonable price.

I thought that I was going to also have to paint the plastic parts, fenders, cowling, etc. But I found that with 320 wet/dry sandpaper it would clean up like new. What great news! I will have a 22 year old bike that looks brand new!

head damage and repair!

2008-09-02T20:24:00.001-05:00

I found a used head on ebay for $200 and went ahead and got it. Hopefully, it will be in as good of shape as the seller says it is in.

2008-09-01T16:33:00.003-05:00

Ok, so now I am totally depressed. I just pulled the head off the XT, so that I could get at the broken bolt that was in the exhaust manifold port…..well it was not a broken bolt. Sometime in the past, the threads must have stripped and the hole was filled with epoxy. I have cleaned most of the epoxy out and there is NO metal left on the head side.

I am considering welding it, but it is super close to the head. Obviously, epoxy will not work and a new head is $550……..maybe I should just part the poor thing out.

Exhaust manifold leak

2008-08-26T06:53:00.002-05:00

A bolt is broken off on the right exhaust manifold flange. It has been that way since I purchased the bike, but it did not seem to be leaking so I just wired the flange down so it would not rattle. It is difficult to get to, because of the frame is in the way, and my plan has been to let it go until I had to fix it.

But today, I noticed a rat tat tat tat sound and I THINK I saw the exhaust pipe vibrating away from the manifold. I am now starting to worry that the exhaust may etch a grove in the aluminum cylinder head or the vibrating may damage the head. So…..I think it is time to make this repair. At first I thought best way is to remove the engine and have a local machine shop drill it out.But after looking at it again, I think I might try first with a left hand drill bit. It will require removing the exhaust manifold, wheel and shocks, so that I can drill it straight.

We will see! If I screw up, then the head is destroyed..........

First Road Trip!

2008-08-23T18:51:00.004-05:00

This was first published on ADVrider.

First road trip! This is not worthy of the ADVrider forum but it was my first trip so I am posting it…..no mater how lame.

I started riding just a few months ago. I have be a cyclists for 20+ years (both road and mountain) but not until recently have I ridden a motorcycle. The wife was not too happy about me spending what I wanted to spend on a bike (KLR650) so I ended up buying a 22 year old Yamaha XT350. Not the best bike ever made, but I felt it would be a good first bike. The funny thing is I almost spent as much on my Shoei helmet! I started riding it right away (with a few weekends and days spent working on it) and a couple of weeks later I took a beginners riding course. After a couple of more weeks working on the carburetor the old bike was running pretty good. This is after….new front tire, SS brake hose, readjusted rear brake, oil change, fork oil change, Pelican case added, new flasher, all new fuel hoses, and a few other things that I can’t think of right now.

So the old beast is running pretty well and I am ready for my first long day trip. The few people that I know that ride duel sports are busy so I decide to make a solo trip to my family’s farm in Sealy Texas. I live down by Kemah, so taking the Interstate you are looking at 85 miles, but I wanted to avoid the Interstates and stay on FM roads and the like.

So, I went SE and stayed well South of Houston, I won’t bore you with the route but lets just say I made a few wrong turns and it was more like 120 miles or so to the farm. Had a great lunch in Rosenberg and got to the farm at around 1:30. My plan was to do a little off road riding, but I got worried about what would happen if I had bike problems. So, I road the gravel and dirt roads for a bit and then headed back to Kemah.

The XT taking a break at the farm…..

One funny story: I ended up stopping in Rosenberg again to get a map, but the place I first stopped did not have one. I used their A/C while I looked over the map that I had printed. A few seconds later another rider (HD) came in asking for a map. We chatted for a bit and he asked where I was going. I told him Kemah and he looked at my bike and said….. “You’re riding all the way to Kemah on THAT?!” “Sure”, I said “That is where I came from.” He shakes his head and we part ways with a mutual “Ride safe.”

The trip home was uneventful, minus a wrong turn. My riding improved a 1,000% over the course of this one trip and I had a blast! Although, I am still vibrating and my shoulders are sore I am ready to go again. Total trip was 6.5 hours and 214 miles. Oh, the bike got 48 mpg.

2008-08-22T17:00:00.001-05:00

Road to work today! The old XT did ok, but it does seem to die and the most embarrassing times……like when pulling out of the parking lot from work! The bike really is too small for me, but I have to keep telling myself that it is a good first bike! Besides, it is good to have something mechanical to work on, those skills had become rusty.

I would really like to find somewhere that I can practice my riding skills. Long, smooth curves, tight u-turns, quick stops, and avoidance techniques. Not too mention some off road!

Carburetor Difficulties

2008-08-21T05:58:00.001-05:00

In my last post, I talked about how I ran out of gas while I was finishing up my ride. Well it turned out not to be out of gas, but a carburetor problem. Monday was the first day that I had a chance to look at it. I had heard such horror stories about the XT's carburetor! Such was not the case, it is very simple and easy to remove and work on. Disassembled and cleaned it on Monday, but the carburetor cleaners fumes got so bad that I abandoned the shop. Tuesday I reassembled it and fired the old bike up! It ran like a top, but I had a slight leak from the bowl. Yesterday, I took it back off and was able to stop the leak with some sealant. I am going to purchase a new gasket with my next order to Babbits Online.

The bike still takes a long time to warm up and I still can't get it to idle <2000 rpm. But the good news is I can start riding again!!

Maintenance items—or how to give a facelift to a 22 year old bike

2008-07-23T10:33:00.001-05:00

This is a partial list of items that either needed to be repaired or at least looked at looked like after the second week of owning my new/old Yamaha XT350.

· Rear brake- check pads and replace if needed (done, new pads ordered but old are ok

· Shock covers- replace because of holes

· Handle bar- replace because original is bent. My friend and neighbor, Paolo, hooked me up with a good used one that came off his KTM 650 Adventure.

· Grips- Replace, old ones are torn and nasty

· Blinkers- Flasher is not working. This is one of the first things I replaced...and the easiest! They work great now.

· Shock air valves- The Schrader air valves on top of the shocks are broken. The left was broken when I got the bike the right was broken by me, through carelessness. New ones are on order.

· Rearview Mirrors- The left side was missing and the back side of the clutch clamp, which it mounts to was also broken. Ordered new clamp from ebay and new mirrors online somewhere. Left side is mounted, but the right is still on order (Yamaha left hand thread).

· Brake line- The front brake is mushy and the brake line looks original and is cracked. Replaced with a new stainless steel line from Cycle Brakes.

· Chain- I need to replace the chain and sprockets, but before I do I want to figure out the best ratio. Right now at 60 mph the engine is running at 5,000 rpm. So, I have just oiled the chain and will make a decision later on the ratio.

· Tires!- What a mess this has been! The rear tire was new when I got the bike, Bridgestone Trail Wings 4.10x18. The front was also a Trail Wing (3.00-21) but was badly dry rotted and cracked. I replaced the front with a Pirelli MT 21, which turned out to be a big mistake! It was way to off road oriented for a new street rider. I needed something that I could totally trust. I ended up getting a Metzeler Tourance at a drastically reduced price, $139 tire for $60! So far, I love it!

· Carburetor Boots- These boots connect the carburetor to the intake manifold and both of them were cracked and leaking. Ordered new ones online and replaced them last week. The engine runs much smoother!

There are lots of other things that need or have been done like replacing the engine oil and fork oil (both done), cleaning and painting the bike (future).

Right now I just want to ride............

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

2008-07-23T08:22:00.000-05:00

Road the XT this evening, after I reattached the Pelican case on an aluminum plate to stiffen it up some. Also, my new left hand mirror came! It is a Ken Sean Dual-Sport Mirror and it looks like it is really going to work well.

I road for 18 miles, left Clear Lake Shores and traveled towards Dickinson then back to Kemah and some back roads. The XT ran really rough and I think there was too much free play in the decompression cable that I installed yesterday. I readjusted it when I got back to the house....hopefully it will run smoother now that it is adjusted properly.

Oh, also, I almost ran out of gas! I was coming over the Kemah bridge when she started sputtering. I switched to the reserve and the sputtering only got worse! Turned the valve back to how it was and was just able to make it into a gas station! LESSON LEARNED!

learning to ride

2008-07-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

I have always wanted to ride a bike, be it motorized or otherwise. In fact, one of the first books I ever read was on racing motorcycles. But, I grew up in a very safety conscious family and riding a motorcycle was out of the question....I never even asked. Flash forward some forty years and I am talking to my wife Jackie about fuel costs. I mention that I would rather ride a motorcycle then drive a used small car and she says “ok.”

Over the next few weeks, I mulled the idea over in my head and did a lot of research. The first thing I found out was that I needed to take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course. (to be continued)

new adventures

2008-07-23T08:17:00.000-05:00

I have not been very successful blogging on any kind of regularity, nor on anyone subject, but even with some trepidation I am going to try and blog about my newest adventure......riding a motorcycle. It is July 21, I bought my bike on June 29, and I got really serous about getting a bike around June 8th or 9th, so I have some catching up to do.

I am going to start posting my thoughts and experiences on riding and motorcycle repair, but they will not be in any sort or order......

BTW my first bike is an 1986 Yamaha XT350 Dual Sport