I have been riding bikes for a long time and never had to deal with the wind this way before, it sucked for sure. But I have been riding long enough I can handle it and know what to do, and I do remember way back in the day on My old Honda 750 it was about the same on it, but that was way back in the early 80's and I have been riding big bikes ever since then...lol
I own this bike and it is not a light bike. It is 230 plus KG! I think the issue you face is it's height of the bike and you catch the wind more due to this. I have ridden mine in strong winds and although initially I found it uncomfortable I kept on it and my trust grew and the feel was better. Good luck with your bike and I am sure you get more comfort with it.
Compared to my Gold Wing that weighs 980 pounds this bike is a feather, and a mild cross wind is no problem but we get 50 MPH gusts of wind here that makes it hard to keep any bike on the road and the lighter the bike the harder it is to keep on the road when a 50 MPH wind gusts suddenly hits you. I've been riding for 38 year, all types of bikes..
Lol ! I've experienced this and I still don't regret the KLR. It is one of the best bikes for taller riders to learn on. As far as the wind goes, the bike can become a sail sometimes.
I don't regret buying the bike but for trips like this I wish I would have kept my gold wing for sure, Lucky I don't have to do this very often Or I might end up Making payments on a bigger big bike as well...lol
I see all the comments about the wrong bike for you, and had to laugh. I've ridden a DR650 for 9 years. You're right, they're not interstate bikes, especially in high winds. You're about the same horsepower and at least 70 pounds heavier bike. Way to endure, lesser men would've quit. Some guys get real butthurt when you don't say glowing things about "their" bike. I think your observations are spot on.
right on , one thing about this bike I am finding out what it can and can't do and figuring out my limitations as well. so no matter what this is a good experience for me. My brother was thinking about the DR650 but he really hasn't made his mind up yet.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle DR s are also great bikes with limitations as well. Sometimes when I'm struggling with it in a tough section I ask myself why, then later when I'm comfortably cruising down a backcountry road, knowing my KTM wouldn't been nearly so composed. As for fuel mileage your getting, I wonder if there isn't a fueling issue with the ECU. I would expect it to be better. The old DR will get anywhere from 40-48 depending what I'm doing and it's jetted up from factory. Just a thought, take care.
this bike if EFI and I had it all checked out and the reason it's not getting as good as people say is because I actually use the throttle on the bike, I am not going to spend 15 minutes getting up to 45 MPH...lol
Couple months ago I purchased a 2023 KLR650 S, which is my twenty-eighth motorcycle and third KLR, other two were a 2006 and 2008. The KLR is not fast like my ZX10-R, nor is it like a cruiser. But wow! It is a blast to ride. I’m impressed with how little vibration there is, I was expecting more. When you get up to 70+ you will feel more vibration, but nothing like the 2022 Harley 48 I owned. Have to keep in mind what the KLR was made for. I haven’t ridden for long distances in strong wind nor carried any luggage. I have been averaging 54mpg, but I ride lot of dirt roads as well as running errands to town on pavement which is about 50 miles round trip. My normal speed on highway is around 60/65MPH but have reached 90mph. Felt like it still had some power left. I was surprised how maneuver this bike is. Planning long trip this Summer.
Break in the seat real good before a long trip or you will feel like you are sitting on a steel fence after about an hour into your trip and it just gets worse the farther you go...lol
Fighting a strong head wind can be tough! My bone stock, carbureted 2015 has never averaged less than 50 mpg. I topped up last night. 156 miles ÷ 3 gallons = 52 mpg. Hang in there!
Thanks for posting this, I've been considering buying a KLR for a couple years now. Its refreshing to see a real unfiltered review on a real trip in harsh conditions. Too many reviewers just read the spec sheets and show a quick little ride. Great advice about riding in the wind too. You remind me a lot of my old man and it made me laugh! Thanks for that. Your wisdom is much apprecaited as a new rider. Ride safe my friend.
On my first long trip the wind scared the crap out of me. I lowered the rear 2 1/2 inches and dropped the front an inch. Bought an aftermarket windshield and added the stock windshield on top of it. Sounds crazy but looked pretty good. I also put a padded strip of sheep wool on my seat, which made a world of difference. On my next trip through windy Wyoming the wind was not a problem. Im now riding my 43 year old Yamaha XT 500.😊
Wind force is the square of velocity. My Africa Twin ate 18mpg in a similar Las Vegas wind at 70mph. I came home in no wind at 60mph and made 55 mpg. Parasitic drag is expensive on a bike!
I did the same thing coming home for 420 miles with no wind and still got 35 MPH on this bike...lol riding around town or on the HWY or in wind or no wind it seems to be stuck at 35, and that is fine with me because at least I know, reminds me of an old chevy I had, up hill down hill pulling not pulling wind no wind didn't matter that truck was always 8 MPG no matter what..lol
I've been researching the KLR650 for years now and have just only found your channel a few days ago. Every KLR rider will tell the comfortable truths. But you say the things most don't. I respect you for that sir. I think I'm still gonna give the KLR a shot just because the price. I priced out a few upgrades for highway as well. So hopefully it will be a bit more compliant.
I found out something that might help you as well, I haven't done it to my bike because I rarely ride it on the highway anymore, but this video from swanky cat might help you. th-cam.com/video/Ifan0BFOiBQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=WQFzr2TDaDaKymhU I normally don't promote other channels but his video about this issue with the wobble is really good.
You did a great job making this video in your commentary. Sometimes you got a little real, don't, but that too. Is got a little real. But it proves the frustration that the KLR650 Truly offers. As I have this 2023 as well. You did a real job telling are story Great bike! Yes. Just not for long trips.
I found that using a little MMO in the gas tank smoothes the engine quite a bit and helps with gas mileage. Also, do the clutch switch disconnect bypass hack ( this makes the bike much better to ride and doesn't cost a dime).
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle I think he means Marvel Mystery Oil. I've used it over the past 50 years in older engines, don't know about EFI or newer tighter engines.
Now that's real riding. I ride a 2000 Transalp in the Netherlands, flat as a pannenkoek and windy and rainy af. Always set your Navi to avoid highways, bring a rain jumpsuit overshoes and over- handschoenen😁(gloves). And get a more aerodynamische helmet. You'll be just fine, not great not comfy, but just fine.
the helmet was fine very little buffering on it at all, and in my next video you will see why I can wear this helmet with no problem at speed, but the bike really is not comfortable at all, and does not like a strong cross wind at all...lol I was never intending to ride on the free way for long distance but the boss Called and said he needed me in Vegas and that was a perfect chance to test the bike and high speed for long distance, something I have never seen anyone else do a video about, granted the conditions were not ideal but that does not take away from the fact that this bike is very uncomfortable for long periods in the saddle..lol
I think I get better gas milage on my 2007 Honda Shadow 1100. You remind me of myself when I'm pissed. I'm happy to see that there's other grumpy old men like me out there.
I am glad you arrived safely. I had a fight with crosswinds when I was traveling through Amarillo Texas with my trailer and I pulled into the first place i found where I could park my trailer and spent the night. The next day was better. You are right the wind is no fun and it makes you feel like you can lose control and I don't like that feeling.
since making this video, I have now started getting about 50 MPG, but I am at about 5000 feet in elevation and from talking to a friend here that's a mechanic he said it will take a couple thousand miles for the computer to learn the elevation and give me the best milage, he was right, because once I was over 2000 miles on the bike it's getting 50 MPG, I made a video all about that as well.
I check my mileage the same way you do. I ride a 2006 KLR 650. At my last fill up last week I got 49mpg. That was on country roads. My rpm's never above 4500. Perfect weather conditions (no strong winds). My tire pressure is 26psi rear, 28psi front. I am running Shinko 244 tires front and rear, not balanced. Engine is stock. Exhaust is stock. I ride it like an old man... because I am an old man :-) I weigh 180lbs. My KLR has 29,590 miles on it. I got to hand it to you, I couldn't have done the ride that you did in the video. All that wind for so many miles. No way! Don't forget to check your oil. I would have probably gone thru a couple quarts of oil on that ride! My favorite part of the video was when you had your melt down in Mesquite. I laughed hard because it reminded me of myself. I have experienced everything that you cussed about! I listened to the whole video from beginning to end. It was very good. You highlighted that not all long rides on the KLR are "Sea shells and Balloons". And that riding in strong winds can be down right dangerous!.
I'm glad you liked the video and I do think maybe the fuel mileage will increase as I get more miles on the bike so hopefully that will happen. I will not be doing rides like that any more because it is very dangerous. I was going to cut out the part with the jacket but I figured since these videos are about the bike my frustrations with it need to shown as well....lol
Very entertaining and informative vid sir! I rode my '22 650 Adventure 100 miles yesterday, the 4th. got 46+ mpg's, 65-66 mph into a 22 mph headwind, empty panniers, Guaimi manual cruise control, Delkevic slip-on and a National Cycle tall V Stream windshield. I weigh 240. I now have 1250 miles on my bike. seat started getting better at about 800 miles, but I have a Seat Concepts seat right here in front of me ready to staple on, which I will do tomorrow. I plan on doing a 700-800 mile ride later this year when the weather cools (I'm in South Texas) and hope I don't hit 40 or 50 mph headwinds like u did. Keep up the great work!
I think a lot of what is going on with the fuel millage for me is that I am at high elevation so the bike is using more fuel, I have noticed that most people that say they are getting in the 40s' or near 50 are at lower elevation or even at sea level.
Regarding gas mileage, my 2023 gets 50 mpg on average. Just did a 900 mile round trip from NH to northeast Quebec with 50 mpg. My buddy was riding his Africa twin 1100 and was getting 35ish mpg.
Thanks for the video. I live on the plains of southeast Colorado. The trees are constantly tired and the flags are wide a wake. I feel your pain. I just bought my first motorcycle which also happens to be a 2024 KLR. I mostly do a lot of road cycling (pedal bike) I got to referring to the wind as my virtual hills. Cross winds are the worst. I don’t know if you watch professional cycling but watch when the peloton hits a crosswind and it will tear the peloton apart. I try to stay relaxed but collected at the same time
I have been riding motorcycles for nearly 40 years all over the country I have lived in many places, and yes the wind in Colorado can get pretty bad as well, and yes I rode a bicycle when I was young and had to deal with the wind then as well, and I have watched a couple of the races or marathons, and see how the wind affects them as well. the wind is my nemesis and I hate it, we fight all the time and I always win...lol
I do actually need to settle down my language a little bit...lol This bike has been very frustrating for me since coming off a big cruiser, this bike is uncomfortable and unstable at highway speed...lol
From personal experience :any light bike especially with knobby tires in a cross wind can be very dangerous. Put street tires on & it hold the road much better. Huge difference. I know that may defeat the purpose but this has my experience. I’ve been pushed into incoming traffic & it’s scary as hell.
Oh I understand what you are saying, and if I had extra wheels and tires I would have done that but I just bought the bike and broke it in the 600 miles just before the trip, I have never ridden an adventure bike like this one long distance before, I hear that the heavier ones like the BMW's and Tennere 700 do much better on the highway, and I would not disagree with that because they are much heavier, the little Honda Rebel 250 I had years and years ago was all over the road on the highway, if a car passed you the wind would push you across the road, if a Semi passed you then it was best to move over and try to avoid the wind from that truck as much as possible because it would send you into a death wobble if you weren't careful.
I got my 2022 KLR in November of 23, I noticed immediately that the gas mileage was definitely not 50 mpg. I love the bike, but it's not the prestine claim that some youtubers say. The seat sucks. I hate it after 15 miles on the road. That is by far my only real complaint with it. I get to work on many bikes at work, I love the KLR. It is far from a bad bike. Like you said, the wind sucks and so does the seat, it has quirks like every bike. Hopefully the trip back home for you was not as bad.
the trip home was much better, thanks for asking, also I have now owned the bike for two years and although it still sucks in the wind, the seat is much more comfortable it just takes a while to break in I guess, but now I can ride the bike for hours and not have a sore a.s.s....lol
I rode a Honda helix 250 cc scooter out Westin 2021. I mostly stop for gas at shell stations and Sinclair’s because they never use ethanol in the gas. My carburetor wasn’t set up for altitude. That’s the biggest mistake I made on that whole trip was not thinking about the altitude and I plain didn’t know about the headwinds and Crosswinds despite living in Las Vegas for three years And riding everywhere from San Diego up to Zion Park in death Valley out to Arizona.
Right on. Since making this video a year ago my fuel mileage has come up to about 45, but I'm at pretty high elevation so it's never going to get over 50
Congrats on your ride. But i must say that my 22 KLR and my sons 22 KLR are both getting 50+ mpg. Had a couple of tanks in northern minnesota that got 57mpg (89 octane). I keep both tires at 28 pounds. I dont understand why you only getting 37mpg,,,unless that strong wind and elevation is drawing that 20% mpg loss. Keep riding...
that is exactly what is going on , the bikes are programmed for best fuel milage at sea level and it takes time for the computer to re program it's self to the thin air up here. it's been a year since this video and I am not getting 45 MPG but don't think I will ever get 50 at my elevation.
The F bombs are cracking me up Bill, you sound just like me lol!!! Anyway, those were some CRAZY winds you endured. I’m really liking this channel it’s going to really help me decide which bike to buy.
I planned a trip for over a year. The day we leave 20 miles into the trip, it rained for the next 10 hours! 😂 I was pissed! Just like your venting, I was venting too! My wife was calm as a cucumber. She ask why I was so upset? She said you always ride in the rain…
Well I don't mind riding in the rain but not for ten hours...lol. My wife and I were in a trip on the gold wing once and it started snowing, I was pissed, wet and cold, she couldn't understand why so I explained to her that she is behind me, so I get all the wet, the wind and the cold. I am her shield...then she understood...lol
Which is why i can't stand interstates,and that bike is not the bike for that. 70 mph and high wind resistance, no wonder you're mileage stunk. That bike, secondary and backroads compatible, plus it's a better ride. My 89' gb 500 single averages 70 mpg on secondary roads , average speed, 45 to 60. Weighs 389 wet, a no-no for highways and interstates. 😅 good video 👍
I have never owned an adventure bike before and wanted to get a cheap one for my first one, I should have went a little bigger and better, but I learned a few things, like don't ride this bike in a 50MPH cross wind and it sucks for me on long road trips. Since making this video I have done some stupid off road riding and got even more pissed off about how hard it is to handle, but again I learned some things...lol
Im pushing 80 and have ridden my whole life. Recently I rode my KLR from Cedar City to Butte Montana in one day. With a little side trip, it was 750 miles. The next year I rode it to So. Dakota. Recently sold it because in the 5000 plus miles i rode it, I just never felt safe or very comfortable. At 500 pounds off road it's a fat pig.😖
Just got mine. My weight +passenger = 330 pounds ( plus the gear). KLR had a average of 45.7mpg on 400miles ( commuting + highway speed over 70mph). Maybe we face small differences on the standard of the bikes.
this video was a year ago and I am over 4500 feet in elevation so it took a while for my computer to recognize the elevation and do all the stuff it does to get me the best milage. I now average about 45 so that is much better than when I made this video.
I just bought the Traveler, has 58 miles on it, LOL. I think if you put the shield in the lowest position and take the beak off that helmet, you'd be much better off. I have one of those dual sport helmets, anything over 35 is like a tornado coming through your helmet. Those tires are making you drift also. You should start your own podcast this is great, love the complaining, that's why I like sports radio. See you out there, thanks
you may want to watch the next video because I did just that, I moved the window down and too the risers off and that was a huge mistake, believe me having the windshield that high makes a huge difference, and as far as the helmet goes you are right if you don't have any wind protection then I would have at least taken off the visor for sure, but you will see in the next video what is going on . Also it's not the tires making me drift it is the 60 mile an hour gust of wind coming from the side making me drift....lol
I can imagine, after riding your Gold Wing, how naked you must feel on the highway fighting headwind and crosswinds on your KLR. On CA state hwy S2 in high crosswinds, I had to park my full-dress UltraClassic ElectraGlide on the side of the road and lean against my bike (on it's side stand) just to keep it from blowing over! That was about my scariest time in the wind. Interstate 40 in NM and Death Valley in CA we're also lots of fun in crosswinds! However, I would never trade Motorcycling for driving a cage. I'm learning about my new KLR by watching your videos. Thank you sir, keep the shiny side up!
I have ridden my gold wing in 60 mile an hour gusts and had little trouble keeping in my lane, the wind on this trip was sustained 30-40 MPH they were pulling big trucks and campers over and telling them to take the nearest exit and wait it out, and it was terrible for real, on the gold wing it wouldn't have been a problem but this thing scared me a couple times and I am really had to scare...lol I have ridden across country many many times and never go this worried before, it was stupid to keep going and I learned a great lesson, next time I will find somewhere to stay for the night.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle Yeah, I agree. Sometimes the wise move is to get off the road and wait it out. For guys like us that's a hard pill to swallow. Ride safe and may you have following winds!
I got a little frustrated on this trip, this bike was very uncomfortable considering I was just coming off a gold wing and let me tell you the frustrations were getting to me, and the wind as well.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle I'm looking into selling my 2003 Harley Dyna superglide and getting this bike.I'm 63 but i live in WV and the open crosswinds won't be an issue
Well I hope you enjoy the new bike but I have to say it was a huge change for me coming off a gold wing to this light bike and dealing with the wind here that has never been a problem on the gold wing...lol
The only way to get fifty miles to the gallon is to drive it like a moped.. I stay at 60 to 65 to get that milage. I am looking to buy another bike just for the interstate ya our bike is not meant for the interstate. Great skills you have
Yea I have noticed that people like to be in fifth gear before they get to 35 and most people only commute to work and back, so maybe that's why so many people get 50. I also am going to get a big cruiser again for long trips looking at the Kawasaki Vulcan voyager, because it's a great bike and easy on the budget.
Nice, I am getting better fuel mileage now, I think it has to do with my altitude here and the computer having to learn because you know they are all programmed for sea level when they leave the factory and they have to learn and set themselves for the altitude you are at.
you are welcome, this bike is good and will do speeds all day long if you can keep it on the road in the wind and don't mind feeling like you are sitting on a board all day long...lol
Keep em coming I loved the video it is reality of the KLR and highway trips plus adventure riding and it’s also hilarious how you are in a fight with the bike, gear and the elements.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle I couldn’t stop laughing when your jacket was capucha by the watch. It has happened to me so many times and it is super annoying LOL
Enjoyed the video of you riding in the wind!🤪 I just did a shorter 120mile wind ride myself the other day (It sucked!) on my NC700X, so I feel your pain. Found out when I got finished there was a tornado warning in the area I was riding (double suck!). Cheers!
the wind knocks this bike all over the place like a toy...lol and we get some 60 and 70 mile and hour gusts at times as well, but on this trip they were more like 45 mile an hour gusts, but on my Gold wing they would have barley been noticeable...lol
Bikers are the most friendly people it don’t matter what bike you ride . Lol 😂 I’ll stick to my 950 lb Roadglide Limited on the long highway rides after watching this . It cruises steady at 85 MPH all day long no matter what the wind is , & use my KLR for the trails . 😂 & backroads.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle Goldwings & Roadglide Limiteds are tailor made for long highway trips for sure in ultimate comfort. My Roadglide Limited laughs at the wind from semis & weather at 950 Lbs .
His misery is my entertainment! I've done many cross-country rides on my large displacement sport bikes. I now have a KLR and this kind of trip looks brutal.
Thanks for the great video. Awesome riding, great tips. Appreciate the honesty and showing us exactly how the bike is on the highway. Your right, nobody has any videos like this online. I see your maxed out at 71, do you think if you went with a smaller back sprocket or larger front sprocket you could get more than 71mph out of the engines torque? Is there anything you can change to make it more comfortable on the highway? Lower seat to tuck you into the bike?
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle I bought a 2022 last week and put 350 miles on it. I've been getting 59-60 mpg, I fill it up every hundred miles and i took it on the highway today on a really windy day and it rode great at 65-70. Yes I think it was revving a bit and would benefit from a 16t sprocket. Also at 65 -70 if you crack the gas it pulls nicely and picks up speed no problem. I can't understand why in your videos you bad mouth this bike. Almost seems like your an ambassador for another brand because most of the stuff you said could only have been your perception or fiction. After your video I was almost thinking about backing out of the deal and thank God I didn't because this is one serious machine.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle if your bike is unstable you should check your tire pressure, head bearing torque or anything else that could make it feel unstable because mine doesn't feel that way at all and in coming from a BMW f800gt that had the best of the best components.
You have to remember that I come from riding a big heavy road bike so this light little bike to me feels unstable on the highway and the seat honestly sucks, no I am not bad mouthing the bike because I am an Ambassador for another brand this is just my experience with the bike and not everyone will have the same experience, some people buy the bike and love it right off the bat and ride it and just love every min of it, and other people buy the bike and within a month they are selling it because the simply can not stand it. I am sticking to it.
I had all that checked at the sop last week and still when I get up around 70-75 any slight movement I make on the bike causes the front end to go into a slight wobble, just enough that I have to roll off the throttle, believe me I have had bikes go into death wobbles and throw me to the ground, it's not fun and this wobble isn't scary at all it's enough to make me roll off the throttle to get it to stop.
Currently ride a Wing F6B and have been considering a KLR as a cross-country+off-road bike for something different to try. I knew the KLR “is what it is” before watching this video, but I think this video and ride experience single handedly destroyed any interest I had in it.
this bike is great for back roads and dirt roads and things like that it's not really good at high interstate speed for long periods, and it sucks in this strong of a wind to be sure.
yes full throttle is bad for millage so is the wind, but like I said in the video, just riding around town still only got 38 and that is fine for me, I do know one thing for sure, that is a lot of people with the older bikes are getting better millage with the carburetor than this one get's with EFI..
😂 Dude you are hilarious 😆 I got me one when they first came out and sold it after a month, there is not fixing that wind buffering on a 2022 KLR. Since then I got me a 2018 Versys, and I have no wind issues at all. Some bikes are just designed to be a win nightmare. For how little I like to go off road, the wind issues with the KLR makes it not worth it for me, and I tried several accessories recommended but none worked. There is not fixing that bike.
it really does suck in the wind, but I mainly bought the bike for going off road and not having trailer a bike to the trails, will not be doing any more long trips on this bike for sure..lol
How is the Versys comfort? I used to have a CB500X, nice bike but it felt cramped to me. I’m only 5’11”. It felt like the seat was leaning me towards the tank too much. I’ve been considering a KLR but thinking about a Versys. I’m not into off road as much anymore.
I am really surprised that the gas mileage is so low. It may need to be remapped. With 136 pounds of gear ( including luggage weight) I get 41 to 40.3mpg on the highway running 85 mph most of the time. It’s a 2019 CRF1000L standard shift Africa Twin. I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s because it’s not working as hard ? I don’t know.
The fuel mileage came up once the bike got used to my elevation, most people that have these bikes are pretty close to sea level and they come programed that way, it took about 2000 miles for it to reprogram it's self to my elevation now I average about 45 MPG
When does the wind in Utah doesn't beat you to death? Moving from Michigan to California I stopped to visit my uncle in Orangeville, UT and had to wait out 2 days because the wind was so bad. I was looking at a 2023 KLR the other day and thinking I would need to buy a cramp buster if I rode this thing any kind of long distance. The cramp Buster was my best friend when I had my '85 Yamaha Maxim XJ-700.
The KLR really isn't a good long distance bike at all.. lol I mean I guess if it's what you have and your aren't used to riding anything else then it would be fine, But when you come off a giant comfortable bike like a Gold Wing and try to take this thing cross country, Well let's just say, it's like going from a Cadillac to a Pinto...lol
@klr6506 😅 love the car reference because I've driven a Cadillac the day I took my driver's test but not a Pinto. Used to own a '73 Vega for what's worth. Guess I'll stick with my 2017 Road King if I go back to Utah.
Thanks for your video. 60 mpg gusts, would make me shake in my boots. Something that helped me was a low fender kit. Not sure anything would of helped in that type of wind but I can tell a difference. Everyone complains about this bike being to heavy, I think you proved that complaint wrong. Take care
when you come off a 900 pound cruiser to this it's like a feather, now if you come off a 250 pound dirt bike then yes this one weighs twice as much so I can understand them saying it's heavy, but for me this is a feather and way to light to be taking on a long road trip because of the winds and things, because you never know what you are going to get into on a trip.
I feel your pain brother! Done that many times. I just realized this video is a year old. Your mileage will improve with break-in, but the wind will definitely decrease the mileage a bunch. And I don't care who ya are, you will NOT get 50 mpg at 70mph. My KLR wouldn't do it, and my T7 won't do it either. And I have a 6th gear! I have noticed that the vibration that gets to your eyes....may be your sun visor on your helmet vibrating. My Scorpion helmet does that at about 60 mph or higher and actually distorts my vision. Just something to check into. Also, a word of advice. GoPro sucks!
I switched from go pro because you are right they do suck...lol. and because the bike is a thumper it don't matter which of my 7 helmets I wear anything over about 60 mph gets my eyes vibrating...lol. never happens on the gold wing so that was all new to me for sure
Adventure is different from cruiser. Seems like you are used to cruising. The wind sucks but the klr is not a light adventure bike. How was the oil and coolant during the ride?
the oil and coolant were fine this bike will do this all day long every day if someone needs it to, it's just not a good bike in the wind and yes I am used to big cruisers so to me this is a light bike ....lol
You don't need to use the higher octane gas. I run 87 all the time in both of my KLRs and get over 50mpg on both. These are not high compression bikes, so the higher octane may be less efficient.
it's not less efficient to run higher octane it will just keep the engine cleaner, however I did figure out later on that I am at higher altitude and it took some time for the computer to learn the oxygen levels and things, so now I am getting around 45, but have never gotten 50...lol
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle About the octane, that's not necessarily true. Octane is the ignition point for the fuel, or if you will how much pressure it takes to detonate it. If you are running a lower compression engine, using higher octane fuel doesn't give it more power or make it run cleaner. It retards the detonation point so it will actually be sending a lot more unburned fuel out of the tail pipe. Glad your KLR is getting better mileage. What's the point of riding a bike if you get crappy mpg. If mine got 38 I would sell it lol.
I have not had a problem with the higher octane fuel at all, and now that the computer learned everything about my altitude and things it's running great and getting good fuel milage. you will laugh at this though, My big 6 cylinder gold wing today told me I am getting 52.5 MPG on it...lol you know it has that digital fuel milage thing on it to tell you what your fuel milage average is.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle I was just talking to a friend of mine about his Harley trike. He gets almost 60mpg with it. How??? LOL. But he does and that's awesome. I doubt you will have problems running the higher octane in the KLR, it's just kind of a waste of money as it isn't necessary. 87 is just fine. Most gas stations around me are 86 and both of my KLRs feel a bit sluggish on 86. In that case I will fill up with the 88, which pisses me off to pay 30 or more pennies for 1 more octane. LOL
Well I run the same gas in everything I have even my stupid lawn mower...lol The gold wing need the high octane or I will get valve ping, so I always run that in the gold wing and I found that my 94 GMC Safari actually does better on higher octane as well, better fuel milage and just a tad more power, so I just run it in the KLR as well. Filling up the van pisses me off because it's a 35 gallon tank and that is very expensive to be getting 10 miles to the gallon, the bikes on the other hand is a drop in the bucket compared to that...lol
Slow down to 65 mph. This will save fuel, Vibration and help with the wind. And if the riding conditions aren't good. Then go Home. Some riding simply is not fun. Best Wishes! M.H.
Well it was not fun but I had to get there, and I wanted to test the bike at full speed to see what it's like. Remember I've never owned one of these before and I want to test everything and show and talk about my experience and what it's like instead of just repeating what everyone else says about the bike
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle yes I understand. Sometimes changing plans is easier said than done. And it's nice to see what your bike is made of. Getting into tough conditions is often just part of traveling. I've driven 3.5 million Trucking miles. Ridden Adventure bikes a fair amount. And have close Friends who are pilots that have Shared their misadventures with me as well. Not knowing what the day brings is some of the Fun of traveling. I enjoyed your video. It's good to know that I am not the only one who curses his phone. Haha. Best Wishes from Montana M.H.
My brother has been driving truck for 40 years and still to this day has never laid one on it's side in Wyoming where most of them lay over in the strong winds...lol but he has had some close calls to be sure, and we both ride bikes and together we have had some close calls...lol
I have a vstqr 950 that's about 650 pounds and is solid on the highway. Do you think it would be better on the highway than the klr with those crosswinds? I've never driven in crosswinds like that.
Yes yours would be better on the highway...lol. If I would have been riding my gold Wing that weights 900 pounds the wind would have had no affect on me
I just bought a 2022 klr650 and I have never gotten anything below 60 mpg from 0 on the odometer. I wonder why there is such a huge difference in usage?
60 is great, fuel milage does depend on lot on riding style, say like if you are reaching max rpm before shifting, or if you lug the bike a lot a slow speed in higher gear it also has to do with altitude and other things play into it, but I am getting on average 35 MPG and that is fine with me.
i can understand the wind problem in the southwest . i live in so az and i ride a kawa 650 vulcan s and thats a low cruiser . thats a higher bike eve that center of gravity is lower than other adventures bikes i think other brands would be more trouble becouse wind is wind . even harley heavy cruiser gets whip . hope you ge safe to your destination . i also ride a mp3 piaggio 500 scooter those are tall and the wind is trouble . but i dont do long road trips only day trips .
Man I been watching your videos in my qeust for an adventure bike.I live in kansas and the good places are all 6 hrs and more away so watching this I have to look for something bigger. The only criteuqe I have is that if riding the bike of your choice gets you so frustrated and agrevated then maybe you should rethink what you really want to do. At this rate you are going to work yourself into a heart attack. My own approach is that ever happen it was my choice so smile and eat that shit.
I do get upset but not because of the bike or what I am doing, I get upset because I expect more out of myself than what I am getting, but it's all good I don't get upset on the highway any more, and yes if you are going to be doing mostly road riding then a bigger bike would be better for sure.
of course, I had just bought the bike and did the break in miles before this trip, but this video was over two years ago and since then the seat had broken in nicely and feels pretty good today.
I almost bought a T7 but the problem in my area was that I would have to be put on the list and might have had to wait a year for it, I didn't want to wait that long to get in the dirt...lol
The wind is definitely whipping. I think as far as you mileage is concerned it’s just the cards to be a little crappy with those conditions. I have the same bike and live on Oahu. I’m getting about 55 mpg with about 50/50 short freeway and urban city type riding. I familiar with what everyone else says about these KLR’s and how they will supposedly cruise at 80 mph all day long. I’m saying 60-65 is freeway happy zone. We’ll anyways, they do call it the Adventure model. Aloha be safe.
yes once you get over about 70 the vibration goes right to the brain and eyes, could barley read a street sign because of the vibration, 55-60 is great though and you know it may be that I am at higher altitude or something and that is why I am not getting great millage, because riding around town with very little wind, mix of freeway and city riding I am still only getting about 39 MPG on average.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle good point about sea level. These were of course assembled in Thailand. Can’t get much closer to sea level there. For your grips I recommend grip puppies. Then are great. I did a few others things to add comfort. Love the bike
The wind in Oklahoma was like that all the time, My poor Old DRZ, would alot of times feel like I was wearing the sidewalls out on my tires. I need to do better on getting actual mpg rates on my bike, I know I had blown doing my milage a few times and forgot to write it down. Ha, one of the times I said something in the video with my milage and how many gallons I got, I think I forgot to write down the first fill up was , so it averages out at 100 miles per gallon which we know isn't right, I will do a better job and see how close we are. I just messed it up last time. I will make a point to do the same and show some milages in the various videos, I generally fill up prior to any little trip I take. Spoiler alert, I am doing at min 2400 mile round trip coming up soon. I will be changing tires out this next week. There is not enough tread left on the stock ones to make this trip safely. Yes sir, Cross winds suck. I so agree. Go Pro issues with heat and or another problem, I have had good luck with pulling battery, might be worth trying if it happens again. I know you are flustered by the time you are at the gas station from the elements and I get it, but thought i would offer a possible fix that might help you next time. Thanks for sharing, gong to go back out in the shop and get some work done before i start getting ready for my trip. Keep up the fun videos. Dale
I changed the batter on the go pro but it didn't help at all, this one is ruined, I can turn it on now and see the front screen but the back screen will not light up at all so there is no way to get to the setting or anything, it's junk...lol I did say in the video that the seat is not broke in yet and I am hoping that over time and milage that it will get a little softer, but only time will tell, right now I am not planning on taking any more long rides on this bike ever...lol it's just not comfortable and it sucks in the wind. Keep an eye out for my next video because there is something in that you may really want to know but I am not going to give you a spoiler...lol
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle Yes sir, I get it. I am a gluten for a challenge this trip I have planned in the hot summer heat may not be my best plan I have ever made hahaha. I will keep you posted on my seat as well. Yes sir, I will , looking forward to seeing it. Keep up the fun videos. dale
right on, I hope you have a very safe trip, and just remember one thing, if you are going to slide back or forward on the seat at high speed be careful because sudden movements will put the bike into a wobble, now all you have to do is roll of the throttle a little and let the engine braking straighten out the bike, but I sent my bike into a high speed wobble a few times on the trip and wouldn't want you to have a bad day...lol
I'm not really loaded with gear just a change of cloths in the bag, over night trip, however the bike needed to get used to the elevation where I am the computer had to learn, after a little while they computer learned to read the air correctly and everything and I now get 50 + MPG but at first I did not.
Most people that live at higher elevations will have to break the bike in and will simply get less fuel milage till the computer can learn the oxygen at that elevation and learn to mix the fuel correctly, it took about 2000 miles in total for my bike to learn everything and since then I have been getting great fuel milage.
Not sure what the Flappy Knee thing is, but I have to say my gold wing would not have even felt the wind, this bike if someone sneezes it blows you clear across the road...lol
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle Ah, okay. I found out about it on a European Wild Weather riding skills website. It involves leaving your knees a bit loose either side of the tank. When a gust hits, for example, from the right side, you let the right knee "catch" the gust. It will pivot the leg outwards acting like a wind brake, and to simplify the physics, it "slows" down the windward side of your motorcycle, which has the effect of pulling the bike upright and towards the side that the wind is gusting from. When the gust subsides your knee will naturally cantilever back in again. Same goes for both knees. They can act as wind brakes which pop out automatically depending on which side the gust is coming from. I ride a lot of distance in open country in Australia and find it a very useful technique. Cheers.
The wind is definitely not a friend to tall bikes. The KLR is a terrible highway bike for lots of reasons. You're better off taking smaller roads if you're taking a trip on a KLR.
You are right on both accounts, however I had not seen anyone doing a long trip like this on a KLR so I figured I would see what it was like, yes it's tall and it hates the wind, and yes you are better off just using it to get to the dirt to ride and not taking long road trips, although I have to say the bike faired much better than I did...lol
Okay...gais...tq for the honest review...i think you must be working with sales before..thats why you can give honest review..lol..dont smash the camera..granpaa....haha..
This was one of the wort rides of my life and I thought Harleys were bad for going cross country, this beats them by ten fold for sure...lol This bike just isn't good for long distance that's for sure...lol
I put a 16 tooth front sprocket on my 2018 KLR and it made a pretty big difference in the vibes at higher speeds. Doesnt completely eliminate it but definitely helps. Also the eagle mike fork brace makes a huge difference in the way it handles.
Well if you read thru the comments people swear they are getting that in MPG not KLG but honestly it really don't matter any more. 35 MPG is still way more than my van get at 8 MPG..... 🤣
This video should be called old man yells at wind. lol. JK sir. This is a great highway review. It’s rare to get this wind in Michigan where I am at, I’m still Very much considering a KLR for a do everything type of bike.
It really is a great all around do everything bike, just not good at speeds above about 65 because the front will start to wobble on you and definitely not good in a 30-45 mile per hour cross wind...lol. Or you might also be an old man yelling at the wind... LMAO
lol most of the time I’m riding 55-65 on back roads. Some highway here and there but I prefer as little hwy as possible lol. I really hope I don’t have any 45 mph crosswinds. That’s not ideal at all
this bike will do those speeds all day every day with not problem at all. Hope you don't get those hard cross winds because it took every bit of skill I had to keep that bike on the road.
I normally use the highest grade or at least the mid grade. in any bike I have ever owned, in this case I will do the same, I am not sure if the lower grade is better or not, it's just what I have always used and always will.
from what I know about engines and I know quite a bit to be sure, running low octane in a low compression won't hurt anything, but at the same time running higher octane, won't hurt anything either, but in fact will help keep from building up a lot of carbon in the piston and will keep the engine running cleaner, now the fact is that running low octane in something that specifically requires high octane will cause engine noise and rattling and could actually damage the engine, but running higher octane in an engine that will run on lower octane don't hurt anything at all except maybe the bank account...lol
well when we do the fuel milage we don't care what the fuel gauge says, we just go by how many miles we went and how many gallons it took to refill it. So by calculating my fuel milage and knowing how many gallons the tank holds I now know that I can get 210 miles out of a tank of fuel, so I can just set the trip meter to 0 when I fill up and around the 200 mark I will need to start looking for somewhere to get gas...lol
Well remember I was fighting winds that were strong enough to blow cars around also, but at the time of making this video I was really upset that I rode 400 miles fighting the bike all the way, the last hundred miles there was no wind..then the trip back I hit wind again just not as bad.
This my friend is what real riders deal with, looks like you're on an adventure 👍
I have been riding bikes for a long time and never had to deal with the wind this way before, it sucked for sure. But I have been riding long enough I can handle it and know what to do, and I do remember way back in the day on My old Honda 750 it was about the same on it, but that was way back in the early 80's and I have been riding big bikes ever since then...lol
I own this bike and it is not a light bike. It is 230 plus KG! I think the issue you face is it's height of the bike and you catch the wind more due to this. I have ridden mine in strong winds and although initially I found it uncomfortable I kept on it and my trust grew and the feel was better. Good luck with your bike and I am sure you get more comfort with it.
Compared to my Gold Wing that weighs 980 pounds this bike is a feather, and a mild cross wind is no problem but we get 50 MPH gusts of wind here that makes it hard to keep any bike on the road and the lighter the bike the harder it is to keep on the road when a 50 MPH wind gusts suddenly hits you. I've been riding for 38 year, all types of bikes..
Lol ! I've experienced this and I still don't regret the KLR. It is one of the best bikes for taller riders to learn on. As far as the wind goes, the bike can become a sail sometimes.
I don't regret buying the bike but for trips like this I wish I would have kept my gold wing for sure, Lucky I don't have to do this very often Or I might end up Making payments on a bigger big bike as well...lol
I see all the comments about the wrong bike for you, and had to laugh. I've ridden a DR650 for 9 years. You're right, they're not interstate bikes, especially in high winds. You're about the same horsepower and at least 70 pounds heavier bike. Way to endure, lesser men would've quit. Some guys get real butthurt when you don't say glowing things about "their" bike. I think your observations are spot on.
right on , one thing about this bike I am finding out what it can and can't do and figuring out my limitations as well. so no matter what this is a good experience for me. My brother was thinking about the DR650 but he really hasn't made his mind up yet.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle DR s are also great bikes with limitations as well. Sometimes when I'm struggling with it in a tough section I ask myself why, then later when I'm comfortably cruising down a backcountry road, knowing my KTM wouldn't been nearly so composed. As for fuel mileage your getting, I wonder if there isn't a fueling issue with the ECU. I would expect it to be better. The old DR will get anywhere from 40-48 depending what I'm doing and it's jetted up from factory. Just a thought, take care.
this bike if EFI and I had it all checked out and the reason it's not getting as good as people say is because I actually use the throttle on the bike, I am not going to spend 15 minutes getting up to 45 MPH...lol
Couple months ago I purchased a 2023 KLR650 S, which is my twenty-eighth motorcycle and third KLR, other two were a 2006 and 2008. The KLR is not fast like my ZX10-R, nor is it like a cruiser. But wow! It is a blast to ride. I’m impressed with how little vibration there is, I was expecting more. When you get up to 70+ you will feel more vibration, but nothing like the 2022 Harley 48 I owned. Have to keep in mind what the KLR was made for. I haven’t ridden for long distances in strong wind nor carried any luggage. I have been averaging 54mpg, but I ride lot of dirt roads as well as running errands to town on pavement which is about 50 miles round trip. My normal speed on highway is around 60/65MPH but have reached 90mph. Felt like it still had some power left. I was surprised how maneuver this bike is. Planning long trip this Summer.
Break in the seat real good before a long trip or you will feel like you are sitting on a steel fence after about an hour into your trip and it just gets worse the farther you go...lol
Fighting a strong head wind can be tough!
My bone stock, carbureted 2015 has never averaged less than 50 mpg.
I topped up last night.
156 miles ÷ 3 gallons = 52 mpg.
Hang in there!
Right on since making this video the fuel Mileage has been coming up some
This is the funniest video I have seen in a very long time. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for posting this, I've been considering buying a KLR for a couple years now. Its refreshing to see a real unfiltered review on a real trip in harsh conditions. Too many reviewers just read the spec sheets and show a quick little ride. Great advice about riding in the wind too. You remind me a lot of my old man and it made me laugh! Thanks for that. Your wisdom is much apprecaited as a new rider. Ride safe my friend.
Right on I'm glad the video helped you and thank you for the compliment
I just made a new drinking game every time you say 50 MPG take a shot!!
That would get you wasted for sure...lol
On my first long trip the wind scared the crap out of me.
I lowered the rear 2 1/2 inches and dropped the front an inch. Bought an aftermarket windshield and added the stock windshield on top of it. Sounds crazy but looked pretty good. I also put a padded strip of sheep wool on my seat, which made a world of difference. On my next trip through windy Wyoming the wind was not a problem. Im now riding my 43 year old Yamaha XT 500.😊
right on, sounds like you did all the right things, and I love the xt 500 great bike.
I rode my KLR 725 miles in a day, and I followed it up with a 250 mile day. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't terrible.
Well I came off a gold wing so to me this was very uncomfortable.
Wind force is the square of velocity. My Africa Twin ate 18mpg in a similar Las Vegas wind at 70mph. I came home in no wind at 60mph and made 55 mpg. Parasitic drag is expensive on a bike!
I did the same thing coming home for 420 miles with no wind and still got 35 MPH on this bike...lol riding around town or on the HWY or in wind or no wind it seems to be stuck at 35, and that is fine with me because at least I know, reminds me of an old chevy I had, up hill down hill pulling not pulling wind no wind didn't matter that truck was always 8 MPG no matter what..lol
I've been researching the KLR650 for years now and have just only found your channel a few days ago. Every KLR rider will tell the comfortable truths. But you say the things most don't. I respect you for that sir. I think I'm still gonna give the KLR a shot just because the price. I priced out a few upgrades for highway as well. So hopefully it will be a bit more compliant.
I found out something that might help you as well, I haven't done it to my bike because I rarely ride it on the highway anymore, but this video from swanky cat might help you. th-cam.com/video/Ifan0BFOiBQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=WQFzr2TDaDaKymhU I normally don't promote other channels but his video about this issue with the wobble is really good.
You did a great job making this video in your commentary. Sometimes you got a little real, don't, but that too. Is got a little real.
But it proves the frustration that the KLR650
Truly offers. As I have this 2023 as well.
You did a real job telling are story
Great bike! Yes.
Just not for long trips.
I always keep things real because there are too many people reviewing bikes that are reading from a script and they all say the same things...lol
I found that using a little MMO in the gas tank smoothes the engine quite a bit and helps with gas mileage. Also, do the clutch switch disconnect bypass hack ( this makes the bike much better to ride and doesn't cost a dime).
I have no idea what MMO is
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle I think he means Marvel Mystery Oil. I've used it over the past 50 years in older engines, don't know about EFI or newer tighter engines.
Now that's real riding. I ride a 2000 Transalp in the Netherlands, flat as a pannenkoek and windy and rainy af. Always set your Navi to avoid highways, bring a rain jumpsuit overshoes and over- handschoenen😁(gloves). And get a more aerodynamische helmet. You'll be just fine, not great not comfy, but just fine.
the helmet was fine very little buffering on it at all, and in my next video you will see why I can wear this helmet with no problem at speed, but the bike really is not comfortable at all, and does not like a strong cross wind at all...lol I was never intending to ride on the free way for long distance but the boss Called and said he needed me in Vegas and that was a perfect chance to test the bike and high speed for long distance, something I have never seen anyone else do a video about, granted the conditions were not ideal but that does not take away from the fact that this bike is very uncomfortable for long periods in the saddle..lol
I think I get better gas milage on my 2007 Honda Shadow 1100. You remind me of myself when I'm pissed. I'm happy to see that there's other grumpy old men like me out there.
I used to be a grumpy young man so it just carried over as I got older...lol
I am glad you arrived safely. I had a fight with crosswinds when I was traveling through Amarillo Texas with my trailer and I pulled into the first place i found where I could park my trailer and spent the night. The next day was better. You are right the wind is no fun and it makes you feel like you can lose control and I don't like that feeling.
Good idea you had to pull out very for sure. I really couldn't do that because I had to get there for business
🙋 24 adventure 900 miles down and I get 50 mpg all day long. I calculate my mileage every fillup never seen less than 48.
since making this video, I have now started getting about 50 MPG, but I am at about 5000 feet in elevation and from talking to a friend here that's a mechanic he said it will take a couple thousand miles for the computer to learn the elevation and give me the best milage, he was right, because once I was over 2000 miles on the bike it's getting 50 MPG, I made a video all about that as well.
I check my mileage the same way you do. I ride a 2006 KLR 650. At my last fill up last week I got 49mpg. That was on country roads. My rpm's never above 4500. Perfect weather conditions (no strong winds). My tire pressure is 26psi rear, 28psi front. I am running Shinko 244 tires front and rear, not balanced. Engine is stock. Exhaust is stock. I ride it like an old man... because I am an old man :-)
I weigh 180lbs.
My KLR has 29,590 miles on it.
I got to hand it to you, I couldn't have done the ride that you did in the video. All that wind for so many miles. No way!
Don't forget to check your oil. I would have probably gone thru a couple quarts of oil on that ride!
My favorite part of the video was when you had your melt down in Mesquite. I laughed hard because it reminded me of myself. I have experienced everything that you cussed about!
I listened to the whole video from beginning to end. It was very good. You highlighted that not all long rides on the KLR are "Sea shells and Balloons". And that riding in strong winds can be down right dangerous!.
I'm glad you liked the video and I do think maybe the fuel mileage will increase as I get more miles on the bike so hopefully that will happen. I will not be doing rides like that any more because it is very dangerous. I was going to cut out the part with the jacket but I figured since these videos are about the bike my frustrations with it need to shown as well....lol
Very entertaining and informative vid sir! I rode my '22 650 Adventure 100 miles yesterday, the 4th. got 46+ mpg's, 65-66 mph into a 22 mph headwind, empty panniers, Guaimi manual cruise control, Delkevic slip-on and a National Cycle tall V Stream windshield. I weigh 240.
I now have 1250 miles on my bike. seat started getting better at about 800 miles, but I have a Seat Concepts seat right here in front of me ready to staple on, which I will do tomorrow.
I plan on doing a 700-800 mile ride later this year when the weather cools (I'm in South Texas) and hope I don't hit 40 or 50 mph headwinds like u did.
Keep up the great work!
I think a lot of what is going on with the fuel millage for me is that I am at high elevation so the bike is using more fuel, I have noticed that most people that say they are getting in the 40s' or near 50 are at lower elevation or even at sea level.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle Yessir, I believe elevation could be the culprit.
Regarding gas mileage, my 2023 gets 50 mpg on average. Just did a 900 mile round trip from NH to northeast Quebec with 50 mpg. My buddy was riding his Africa twin 1100 and was getting 35ish mpg.
I am now getting 50 MPH but it took a while for my bike to acclimate to the elevation I live at.
Thanks for the video. I live on the plains of southeast Colorado. The trees are constantly tired and the flags are wide a wake. I feel your pain. I just bought my first motorcycle which also happens to be a 2024 KLR. I mostly do a lot of road cycling (pedal bike) I got to referring to the wind as my virtual hills. Cross winds are the worst. I don’t know if you watch professional cycling but watch when the peloton hits a crosswind and it will tear the peloton apart.
I try to stay relaxed but collected at the same time
I have been riding motorcycles for nearly 40 years all over the country I have lived in many places, and yes the wind in Colorado can get pretty bad as well, and yes I rode a bicycle when I was young and had to deal with the wind then as well, and I have watched a couple of the races or marathons, and see how the wind affects them as well. the wind is my nemesis and I hate it, we fight all the time and I always win...lol
I’m so glad I saw this video, I rather get a Versys 650 LT with knobbies than getting the KLR 650 Adv.
thank you, I made my choice !!!
Glad I could help!
Thank you for not bleeping. Great video!
I do actually need to settle down my language a little bit...lol This bike has been very frustrating for me since coming off a big cruiser, this bike is uncomfortable and unstable at highway speed...lol
From personal experience :any light bike especially with knobby tires in a cross wind can be very dangerous.
Put street tires on & it hold the road much better. Huge difference.
I know that may defeat the purpose but this has my experience.
I’ve been pushed into incoming traffic & it’s scary as hell.
Oh I understand what you are saying, and if I had extra wheels and tires I would have done that but I just bought the bike and broke it in the 600 miles just before the trip, I have never ridden an adventure bike like this one long distance before, I hear that the heavier ones like the BMW's and Tennere 700 do much better on the highway, and I would not disagree with that because they are much heavier, the little Honda Rebel 250 I had years and years ago was all over the road on the highway, if a car passed you the wind would push you across the road, if a Semi passed you then it was best to move over and try to avoid the wind from that truck as much as possible because it would send you into a death wobble if you weren't careful.
I got my 2022 KLR in November of 23, I noticed immediately that the gas mileage was definitely not 50 mpg. I love the bike, but it's not the prestine claim that some youtubers say. The seat sucks. I hate it after 15 miles on the road. That is by far my only real complaint with it. I get to work on many bikes at work, I love the KLR. It is far from a bad bike. Like you said, the wind sucks and so does the seat, it has quirks like every bike. Hopefully the trip back home for you was not as bad.
the trip home was much better, thanks for asking, also I have now owned the bike for two years and although it still sucks in the wind, the seat is much more comfortable it just takes a while to break in I guess, but now I can ride the bike for hours and not have a sore a.s.s....lol
I rode a Honda helix 250 cc scooter out Westin 2021. I mostly stop for gas at shell stations and Sinclair’s because they never use ethanol in the gas. My carburetor wasn’t set up for altitude. That’s the biggest mistake I made on that whole trip was not thinking about the altitude and I plain didn’t know about the headwinds and Crosswinds despite living in Las Vegas for three years And riding everywhere from San Diego up to Zion Park in death Valley out to Arizona.
We definitely get some real strong winds here in Utah for sure,
I get 55 mpg on my 1999 klr with 73000 miles. Worst I ever got was 38 after I let it sit for 4 years. Had to clean the carb and back to mid 50s.
Right on. Since making this video a year ago my fuel mileage has come up to about 45, but I'm at pretty high elevation so it's never going to get over 50
Congrats on your ride. But i must say that my 22 KLR and my sons 22 KLR are both getting 50+ mpg. Had a couple of tanks in northern minnesota that got 57mpg (89 octane). I keep both tires at 28 pounds. I dont understand why you only getting 37mpg,,,unless that strong wind and elevation is drawing that 20% mpg loss. Keep riding...
that is exactly what is going on , the bikes are programmed for best fuel milage at sea level and it takes time for the computer to re program it's self to the thin air up here. it's been a year since this video and I am not getting 45 MPG but don't think I will ever get 50 at my elevation.
The F bombs are cracking me up Bill, you sound just like me lol!!! Anyway, those were some CRAZY winds you endured. I’m really liking this channel it’s going to really help me decide which bike to buy.
right on I know I dropped a few more F bombs than I should have...lol but man the wind was trying to kill me...lol
I planned a trip for over a year. The day we leave 20 miles into the trip, it rained for the next 10 hours! 😂 I was pissed! Just like your venting, I was venting too! My wife was calm as a cucumber. She ask why I was so upset? She said you always ride in the rain…
Well I don't mind riding in the rain but not for ten hours...lol. My wife and I were in a trip on the gold wing once and it started snowing, I was pissed, wet and cold, she couldn't understand why so I explained to her that she is behind me, so I get all the wet, the wind and the cold. I am her shield...then she understood...lol
Which is why i can't stand interstates,and that bike is not the bike for that. 70 mph and high wind resistance, no wonder you're mileage stunk. That bike, secondary and backroads compatible, plus it's a better ride. My 89' gb 500 single averages 70 mpg on secondary roads , average speed, 45 to 60. Weighs 389 wet, a no-no for highways and interstates. 😅 good video 👍
I have never owned an adventure bike before and wanted to get a cheap one for my first one, I should have went a little bigger and better, but I learned a few things, like don't ride this bike in a 50MPH cross wind and it sucks for me on long road trips. Since making this video I have done some stupid off road riding and got even more pissed off about how hard it is to handle, but again I learned some things...lol
2011 KLR 50+ mpg. daily driving, dirt roads, forestry roads. On the interstate around 47-49 mpg.
right on
Im pushing 80 and have ridden my whole life. Recently I rode my KLR from Cedar City to Butte Montana in one day. With a little side trip, it was 750 miles. The next year I rode it to So. Dakota.
Recently sold it because in the 5000 plus miles i rode it,
I just never felt safe or very comfortable. At 500 pounds off road it's a fat pig.😖
it is a fat pig off road for sure...lol
Hahah you sounded like Napolean Dynamite when you got pissed. In all seriousness i love watching your videos.
right on thank you.
Just got mine. My weight +passenger = 330 pounds ( plus the gear). KLR had a average of 45.7mpg on 400miles ( commuting + highway speed over 70mph). Maybe we face small differences on the standard of the bikes.
this video was a year ago and I am over 4500 feet in elevation so it took a while for my computer to recognize the elevation and do all the stuff it does to get me the best milage. I now average about 45 so that is much better than when I made this video.
I just bought the Traveler, has 58 miles on it, LOL. I think if you put the shield in the lowest position and take the beak off that helmet, you'd be much better off. I have one of those dual sport helmets, anything over 35 is like a tornado coming through your helmet. Those tires are making you drift also. You should start your own podcast this is great, love the complaining, that's why I like sports radio. See you out there, thanks
you may want to watch the next video because I did just that, I moved the window down and too the risers off and that was a huge mistake, believe me having the windshield that high makes a huge difference, and as far as the helmet goes you are right if you don't have any wind protection then I would have at least taken off the visor for sure, but you will see in the next video what is going on . Also it's not the tires making me drift it is the 60 mile an hour gust of wind coming from the side making me drift....lol
You’re not kidding about the brutal headwinds and Crosswinds out west
LOL.... small or light bikes just are not good for the sort of winds we get here.
I can imagine, after riding your Gold Wing, how naked you must feel on the highway fighting headwind and crosswinds on your KLR. On CA state hwy S2 in high crosswinds, I had to park my full-dress UltraClassic ElectraGlide on the side of the road and lean against my bike (on it's side stand) just to keep it from blowing over! That was about my scariest time in the wind. Interstate 40 in NM and Death Valley in CA we're also lots of fun in crosswinds! However, I would never trade Motorcycling for driving a cage. I'm learning about my new KLR by watching your videos. Thank you sir, keep the shiny side up!
I have ridden my gold wing in 60 mile an hour gusts and had little trouble keeping in my lane, the wind on this trip was sustained 30-40 MPH they were pulling big trucks and campers over and telling them to take the nearest exit and wait it out, and it was terrible for real, on the gold wing it wouldn't have been a problem but this thing scared me a couple times and I am really had to scare...lol I have ridden across country many many times and never go this worried before, it was stupid to keep going and I learned a great lesson, next time I will find somewhere to stay for the night.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle Yeah, I agree. Sometimes the wise move is to get off the road and wait it out. For guys like us that's a hard pill to swallow. Ride safe and may you have following winds!
@kent Kyle it's very hard for me to do, especially since I knew the wind was going to keep blowing for a couple days, lol
Love how you run into a Canuck :)
Right never expected that ..lol
I think I met that old dude every time I stopped for gas on my Triumph
lol could be...
my favorite part 24:50 and the next 5 min. thats me to a tee
I got a little frustrated on this trip, this bike was very uncomfortable considering I was just coming off a gold wing and let me tell you the frustrations were getting to me, and the wind as well.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle I'm looking into selling my 2003 Harley Dyna superglide and getting this bike.I'm 63 but i live in WV and the open crosswinds won't be an issue
Well I hope you enjoy the new bike but I have to say it was a huge change for me coming off a gold wing to this light bike and dealing with the wind here that has never been a problem on the gold wing...lol
39:05 “I never get a tailwind” 😅 you gotta love Canadian sometimes
This bike really sucks in the wind more than any bike I have ever owned, A tail wind would have been nice for sure...lol
ive been there, just started laughing my arse off at the memories🤣
it was terrible for sure, but you know it just takes a little getting used to.
The only way to get fifty miles to the gallon is to drive it like a moped.. I stay at 60 to 65 to get that milage. I am looking to buy another bike just for the interstate ya our bike is not meant for the interstate. Great skills you have
Yea I have noticed that people like to be in fifth gear before they get to 35 and most people only commute to work and back, so maybe that's why so many people get 50. I also am going to get a big cruiser again for long trips looking at the Kawasaki Vulcan voyager, because it's a great bike and easy on the budget.
22 Adventure here first tank 57.1 mpg hand figured.
Nice, I am getting better fuel mileage now, I think it has to do with my altitude here and the computer having to learn because you know they are all programmed for sea level when they leave the factory and they have to learn and set themselves for the altitude you are at.
You seem like a pleasure to be around
Thank you
Thank you for this demonstration. I whole heartedly agree. I would definitely ride the KZ1000 I had though.
you are welcome, this bike is good and will do speeds all day long if you can keep it on the road in the wind and don't mind feeling like you are sitting on a board all day long...lol
Keep em coming I loved the video it is reality of the KLR and highway trips plus adventure riding and it’s also hilarious how you are in a fight with the bike, gear and the elements.
real life my friend, that is what this channel is all about , the KLR and real life experience with it.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle I couldn’t stop laughing when your jacket was capucha by the watch. It has happened to me so many times and it is super annoying LOL
I don't know why I don't remember that is going to happen and just take the dam watch off before taking off the jacket...lol
Every time I go out West from IL, mpg goes out the window, basically climbing the whole way, and winds, just the way it is.
yup the higher you get the less fuel milage you will get for sure...lol and the wind don't help with that either.
Enjoyed the video of you riding in the wind!🤪 I just did a shorter 120mile wind ride myself the other day (It sucked!) on my NC700X, so I feel your pain. Found out when I got finished there was a tornado warning in the area I was riding (double suck!).
Cheers!
the wind knocks this bike all over the place like a toy...lol and we get some 60 and 70 mile and hour gusts at times as well, but on this trip they were more like 45 mile an hour gusts, but on my Gold wing they would have barley been noticeable...lol
I've got a gell wheelchair cushion I'm gonna try on my next road trip.
Right on let me know how it works for you
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle Will do...as soon as my 2009 is out of the shop.
Ah, the Cannery. I miss that place.
wow this video was from last year...lol I have only been here one time so far...lol
Bikers are the most friendly people it don’t matter what bike you ride . Lol 😂 I’ll stick to my 950 lb Roadglide Limited on the long highway rides after watching this . It cruises steady at 85 MPH all day long no matter what the wind is , & use my KLR for the trails . 😂 & backroads.
Yup you are smart to keep the road glide I had to buy another gold Wing for long road trips
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle Goldwings & Roadglide Limiteds are tailor made for long highway trips for sure in ultimate comfort. My Roadglide Limited laughs at the wind from semis & weather at 950 Lbs .
yup you are correct, I have traveled all over the country on a gold wing and never got frustrated about the wind...lol
His misery is my entertainment! I've done many cross-country rides on my large displacement sport bikes. I now have a KLR and this kind of trip looks brutal.
The wind sucked, had I known it was going to blowing this hard I would have stayed home... Would not have even fazed me on my gold Wing...lol
Thanks for the great video. Awesome riding, great tips. Appreciate the honesty and showing us exactly how the bike is on the highway. Your right, nobody has any videos like this online. I see your maxed out at 71, do you think if you went with a smaller back sprocket or larger front sprocket you could get more than 71mph out of the engines torque? Is there anything you can change to make it more comfortable on the highway? Lower seat to tuck you into the bike?
The reason it was maxed out was because of the wind, it will do 85 on a calm day but it's very unstable at those speeds
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle I bought a 2022 last week and put 350 miles on it. I've been getting 59-60 mpg, I fill it up every hundred miles and i took it on the highway today on a really windy day and it rode great at 65-70. Yes I think it was revving a bit and would benefit from a 16t sprocket. Also at 65 -70 if you crack the gas it pulls nicely and picks up speed no problem.
I can't understand why in your videos you bad mouth this bike. Almost seems like your an ambassador for another brand because most of the stuff you said could only have been your perception or fiction.
After your video I was almost thinking about backing out of the deal and thank God I didn't because this is one serious machine.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle if your bike is unstable you should check your tire pressure, head bearing torque or anything else that could make it feel unstable because mine doesn't feel that way at all and in coming from a BMW f800gt that had the best of the best components.
You have to remember that I come from riding a big heavy road bike so this light little bike to me feels unstable on the highway and the seat honestly sucks, no I am not bad mouthing the bike because I am an Ambassador for another brand this is just my experience with the bike and not everyone will have the same experience, some people buy the bike and love it right off the bat and ride it and just love every min of it, and other people buy the bike and within a month they are selling it because the simply can not stand it. I am sticking to it.
I had all that checked at the sop last week and still when I get up around 70-75 any slight movement I make on the bike causes the front end to go into a slight wobble, just enough that I have to roll off the throttle, believe me I have had bikes go into death wobbles and throw me to the ground, it's not fun and this wobble isn't scary at all it's enough to make me roll off the throttle to get it to stop.
Currently ride a Wing F6B and have been considering a KLR as a cross-country+off-road bike for something different to try. I knew the KLR “is what it is” before watching this video, but I think this video and ride experience single handedly destroyed any interest I had in it.
this bike is great for back roads and dirt roads and things like that it's not really good at high interstate speed for long periods, and it sucks in this strong of a wind to be sure.
My carburated 2008 gets between 44 to 50 mpg at 65 to 75 mph. Full throttle is bad for mileage.
yes full throttle is bad for millage so is the wind, but like I said in the video, just riding around town still only got 38 and that is fine for me, I do know one thing for sure, that is a lot of people with the older bikes are getting better millage with the carburetor than this one get's with EFI..
😂 Dude you are hilarious 😆 I got me one when they first came out and sold it after a month, there is not fixing that wind buffering on a 2022 KLR. Since then I got me a 2018 Versys, and I have no wind issues at all. Some bikes are just designed to be a win nightmare. For how little I like to go off road, the wind issues with the KLR makes it not worth it for me, and I tried several accessories recommended but none worked. There is not fixing that bike.
it really does suck in the wind, but I mainly bought the bike for going off road and not having trailer a bike to the trails, will not be doing any more long trips on this bike for sure..lol
How is the Versys comfort? I used to have a CB500X, nice bike but it felt cramped to me. I’m only 5’11”. It felt like the seat was leaning me towards the tank too much. I’ve been considering a KLR but thinking about a Versys. I’m not into off road as much anymore.
The best part is when you were in Mesquitte NV
Hahaha ! Reaction is genuine.
I have never ridden a more uncomfortable bike fighting the wind and ass hurting so bad...lol. I was beginning to be in a bad mood..
I am really surprised that the gas mileage is so low. It may need to be remapped.
With 136 pounds of gear ( including luggage weight) I get 41 to 40.3mpg on the highway running 85 mph most of the time. It’s a 2019 CRF1000L standard shift Africa Twin.
I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s because it’s not working as hard ? I don’t know.
The fuel mileage came up once the bike got used to my elevation, most people that have these bikes are pretty close to sea level and they come programed that way, it took about 2000 miles for it to reprogram it's self to my elevation now I average about 45 MPG
I live off mine. Fsckin beautiful rides.
Right on.
When does the wind in Utah doesn't beat you to death?
Moving from Michigan to California I stopped to visit my uncle in Orangeville, UT and had to wait out 2 days because the wind was so bad.
I was looking at a 2023 KLR the other day and thinking I would need to buy a cramp buster if I rode this thing any kind of long distance.
The cramp Buster was my best friend when I had my '85 Yamaha Maxim XJ-700.
The KLR really isn't a good long distance bike at all.. lol I mean I guess if it's what you have and your aren't used to riding anything else then it would be fine, But when you come off a giant comfortable bike like a Gold Wing and try to take this thing cross country, Well let's just say, it's like going from a Cadillac to a Pinto...lol
@klr6506
😅 love the car reference because I've driven a Cadillac the day I took my driver's test but not a Pinto.
Used to own a '73 Vega for what's worth.
Guess I'll stick with my 2017 Road King if I go back to Utah.
well if you had a Vega you get the reference just fine..lol
I would have got off in filmore and taken the highway down to Alamo then las Vegas in that kind of wind. Much longer of a trip, but more enjoyable.
My ass was hurting so bad I just wanted to get there and the wind would have been blowing just as hard on any other road ..lol
Thanks for your video. 60 mpg gusts, would make me shake in my boots. Something that helped me was a low fender kit. Not sure anything would of helped in that type of wind but I can tell a difference. Everyone complains about this bike being to heavy, I think you proved that complaint wrong. Take care
when you come off a 900 pound cruiser to this it's like a feather, now if you come off a 250 pound dirt bike then yes this one weighs twice as much so I can understand them saying it's heavy, but for me this is a feather and way to light to be taking on a long road trip because of the winds and things, because you never know what you are going to get into on a trip.
I feel your pain brother! Done that many times. I just realized this video is a year old. Your mileage will improve with break-in, but the wind will definitely decrease the mileage a bunch. And I don't care who ya are, you will NOT get 50 mpg at 70mph. My KLR wouldn't do it, and my T7 won't do it either. And I have a 6th gear! I have noticed that the vibration that gets to your eyes....may be your sun visor on your helmet vibrating. My Scorpion helmet does that at about 60 mph or higher and actually distorts my vision. Just something to check into. Also, a word of advice. GoPro sucks!
I switched from go pro because you are right they do suck...lol. and because the bike is a thumper it don't matter which of my 7 helmets I wear anything over about 60 mph gets my eyes vibrating...lol. never happens on the gold wing so that was all new to me for sure
My 2022 gets 50 to 54MPH cross country twice now.
After I got past 2000 miles mine started doing better. It has to get used to the altitude where I am
You would like the national cycle windshield better.
I actually really like the stock windshield just had to put some risers on it and it works great.
Adventure is different from cruiser. Seems like you are used to cruising. The wind sucks but the klr is not a light adventure bike. How was the oil and coolant during the ride?
the oil and coolant were fine this bike will do this all day long every day if someone needs it to, it's just not a good bike in the wind and yes I am used to big cruisers so to me this is a light bike ....lol
You don't need to use the higher octane gas. I run 87 all the time in both of my KLRs and get over 50mpg on both. These are not high compression bikes, so the higher octane may be less efficient.
it's not less efficient to run higher octane it will just keep the engine cleaner, however I did figure out later on that I am at higher altitude and it took some time for the computer to learn the oxygen levels and things, so now I am getting around 45, but have never gotten 50...lol
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle About the octane, that's not necessarily true. Octane is the ignition point for the fuel, or if you will how much pressure it takes to detonate it. If you are running a lower compression engine, using higher octane fuel doesn't give it more power or make it run cleaner. It retards the detonation point so it will actually be sending a lot more unburned fuel out of the tail pipe. Glad your KLR is getting better mileage. What's the point of riding a bike if you get crappy mpg. If mine got 38 I would sell it lol.
I have not had a problem with the higher octane fuel at all, and now that the computer learned everything about my altitude and things it's running great and getting good fuel milage. you will laugh at this though, My big 6 cylinder gold wing today told me I am getting 52.5 MPG on it...lol you know it has that digital fuel milage thing on it to tell you what your fuel milage average is.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle I was just talking to a friend of mine about his Harley trike. He gets almost 60mpg with it. How??? LOL. But he does and that's awesome. I doubt you will have problems running the higher octane in the KLR, it's just kind of a waste of money as it isn't necessary. 87 is just fine. Most gas stations around me are 86 and both of my KLRs feel a bit sluggish on 86. In that case I will fill up with the 88, which pisses me off to pay 30 or more pennies for 1 more octane. LOL
Well I run the same gas in everything I have even my stupid lawn mower...lol The gold wing need the high octane or I will get valve ping, so I always run that in the gold wing and I found that my 94 GMC Safari actually does better on higher octane as well, better fuel milage and just a tad more power, so I just run it in the KLR as well. Filling up the van pisses me off because it's a 35 gallon tank and that is very expensive to be getting 10 miles to the gallon, the bikes on the other hand is a drop in the bucket compared to that...lol
Just subd, I like your videos. I had a gen1 about 5 years ago and regret selling it. Been eyeing the 22s a lot.
They are great bikes if used for what they are intended for...lol
My 2018 averages 40 to 42mpg. Checked it multiple times
right on that's actually pretty good, I am perfectly happy with 35 for the time being and we will see what happens as I get more milage on the bike.
Hello from ohio. I really enjoyed your video.
Awesome! Thank you!
Slow down to 65 mph.
This will save fuel, Vibration and help with the wind.
And if the riding conditions aren't good. Then go Home.
Some riding simply is not fun.
Best Wishes! M.H.
Well it was not fun but I had to get there, and I wanted to test the bike at full speed to see what it's like. Remember I've never owned one of these before and I want to test everything and show and talk about my experience and what it's like instead of just repeating what everyone else says about the bike
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle yes I understand.
Sometimes changing plans is easier said than done. And it's nice to see what your bike is made of.
Getting into tough conditions is often just part of traveling.
I've driven 3.5 million Trucking miles.
Ridden Adventure bikes a fair amount.
And have close Friends who are pilots that have Shared their misadventures with me as well.
Not knowing what the day brings is some of the Fun of traveling.
I enjoyed your video. It's good to know that I am not the only one who curses his phone. Haha.
Best Wishes from Montana M.H.
My brother has been driving truck for 40 years and still to this day has never laid one on it's side in Wyoming where most of them lay over in the strong winds...lol but he has had some close calls to be sure, and we both ride bikes and together we have had some close calls...lol
I have a vstqr 950 that's about 650 pounds and is solid on the highway. Do you think it would be better on the highway than the klr with those crosswinds? I've never driven in crosswinds like that.
Yes yours would be better on the highway...lol. If I would have been riding my gold Wing that weights 900 pounds the wind would have had no affect on me
I just bought a 2022 klr650 and I have never gotten anything below 60 mpg from 0 on the odometer. I wonder why there is such a huge difference in usage?
60 is great, fuel milage does depend on lot on riding style, say like if you are reaching max rpm before shifting, or if you lug the bike a lot a slow speed in higher gear it also has to do with altitude and other things play into it, but I am getting on average 35 MPG and that is fine with me.
Ride to the conditions, don’t blame the bike.
Stating facts is not blaming the bike, this bike sucks in a hard cross wind. That's not blaming the bike it's just a fact
You then say “the bikes too light” you are blaming the bike.
Look.....lighter bikes suck in a strong cross wind no matter who's riding them again facts are not blaming the bike they are just facts.
i can understand the wind problem in the southwest . i live in so az and i ride a kawa 650 vulcan s and thats a low cruiser . thats a higher bike eve that center of gravity is lower than other adventures bikes i think other brands would be more trouble becouse wind is wind . even harley heavy cruiser gets whip . hope you ge safe to your destination . i also ride a mp3 piaggio 500 scooter those are tall and the wind is trouble . but i dont do long road trips only day trips .
Yeah this bike is tall and light so the wind just pushes it all over the road, never had this problem on my gold Wing....lol
Man I been watching your videos in my qeust for an adventure bike.I live in kansas and the good places are all 6 hrs and more away so watching this I have to look for something bigger. The only criteuqe I have is that if riding the bike of your choice gets you so frustrated and agrevated then maybe you should rethink what you really want to do. At this rate you are going to work yourself into a heart attack. My own approach is that ever happen it was my choice so smile and eat that shit.
I do get upset but not because of the bike or what I am doing, I get upset because I expect more out of myself than what I am getting, but it's all good I don't get upset on the highway any more, and yes if you are going to be doing mostly road riding then a bigger bike would be better for sure.
Are you running a stock seat?
of course, I had just bought the bike and did the break in miles before this trip, but this video was over two years ago and since then the seat had broken in nicely and feels pretty good today.
Awesome input on the klr I will stick with the Tenere 700 no much bigger than the klr!!!!
I almost bought a T7 but the problem in my area was that I would have to be put on the list and might have had to wait a year for it, I didn't want to wait that long to get in the dirt...lol
The wind is definitely whipping. I think as far as you mileage is concerned it’s just the cards to be a little crappy with those conditions. I have the same bike and live on Oahu. I’m getting about 55 mpg with about 50/50 short freeway and urban city type riding. I familiar with what everyone else says about these KLR’s and how they will supposedly cruise at 80 mph all day long. I’m saying 60-65 is freeway happy zone. We’ll anyways, they do call it the Adventure model. Aloha be safe.
yes once you get over about 70 the vibration goes right to the brain and eyes, could barley read a street sign because of the vibration, 55-60 is great though and you know it may be that I am at higher altitude or something and that is why I am not getting great millage, because riding around town with very little wind, mix of freeway and city riding I am still only getting about 39 MPG on average.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle good point about sea level. These were of course assembled in Thailand. Can’t get much closer to sea level there. For your grips I recommend grip puppies. Then are great. I did a few others things to add comfort. Love the bike
I like the grips just fine don't have a problem with them at all, My throttle hand always goes numb when I am riding no matter what bike it is...lol
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle atlas throttle lock
I just turn my hand over and throttle upside down...lol
The wind in Oklahoma was like that all the time, My poor Old DRZ, would alot of times feel like I was wearing the sidewalls out on my tires.
I need to do better on getting actual mpg rates on my bike, I know I had blown doing my milage a few times and forgot to write it down. Ha, one of the times I said something in the video with my milage and how many gallons I got, I think I forgot to write down the first fill up was , so it averages out at 100 miles per gallon which we know isn't right, I will do a better job and see how close we are. I just messed it up last time. I will make a point to do the same and show some milages in the various videos, I generally fill up prior to any little trip I take.
Spoiler alert, I am doing at min 2400 mile round trip coming up soon. I will be changing tires out this next week. There is not enough tread left on the stock ones to make this trip safely. Yes sir, Cross winds suck. I so agree.
Go Pro issues with heat and or another problem, I have had good luck with pulling battery, might be worth trying if it happens again. I know you are flustered by the time you are at the gas station from the elements and I get it, but thought i would offer a possible fix that might help you next time.
Thanks for sharing, gong to go back out in the shop and get some work done before i start getting ready for my trip. Keep up the fun videos.
Dale
I changed the batter on the go pro but it didn't help at all, this one is ruined, I can turn it on now and see the front screen but the back screen will not light up at all so there is no way to get to the setting or anything, it's junk...lol I did say in the video that the seat is not broke in yet and I am hoping that over time and milage that it will get a little softer, but only time will tell, right now I am not planning on taking any more long rides on this bike ever...lol it's just not comfortable and it sucks in the wind. Keep an eye out for my next video because there is something in that you may really want to know but I am not going to give you a spoiler...lol
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle Yes sir, I get it. I am a gluten for a challenge this trip I have planned in the hot summer heat may not be my best plan I have ever made hahaha. I will keep you posted on my seat as well. Yes sir, I will , looking forward to seeing it. Keep up the fun videos.
dale
right on, I hope you have a very safe trip, and just remember one thing, if you are going to slide back or forward on the seat at high speed be careful because sudden movements will put the bike into a wobble, now all you have to do is roll of the throttle a little and let the engine braking straighten out the bike, but I sent my bike into a high speed wobble a few times on the trip and wouldn't want you to have a bad day...lol
09 KLR, KLX jet kit, Big Gun exhaust amd I get 50mpg every tank. A KLR will never get 50mpg going 70 or 75 loaded with gear.
I'm not really loaded with gear just a change of cloths in the bag, over night trip, however the bike needed to get used to the elevation where I am the computer had to learn, after a little while they computer learned to read the air correctly and everything and I now get 50 + MPG but at first I did not.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle good deal, I'm actually about to pick up a Gen3 and was curious if it actually still got good mileage
Most people that live at higher elevations will have to break the bike in and will simply get less fuel milage till the computer can learn the oxygen at that elevation and learn to mix the fuel correctly, it took about 2000 miles in total for my bike to learn everything and since then I have been getting great fuel milage.
You are wasting money on premium gas, does it require high octane ?
It does not require it but I put the good gas in everything even my old van.
Any one else use the "flappy knee" technique to deal with variable cross winds?
Not sure what the Flappy Knee thing is, but I have to say my gold wing would not have even felt the wind, this bike if someone sneezes it blows you clear across the road...lol
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle Ah, okay. I found out about it on a European Wild Weather riding skills website. It involves leaving your knees a bit loose either side of the tank. When a gust hits, for example, from the right side, you let the right knee "catch" the gust. It will pivot the leg outwards acting like a wind brake, and to simplify the physics, it "slows" down the windward side of your motorcycle, which has the effect of pulling the bike upright and towards the side that the wind is gusting from. When the gust subsides your knee will naturally cantilever back in again. Same goes for both knees. They can act as wind brakes which pop out automatically depending on which side the gust is coming from. I ride a lot of distance in open country in Australia and find it a very useful technique. Cheers.
The wind is definitely not a friend to tall bikes. The KLR is a terrible highway bike for lots of reasons. You're better off taking smaller roads if you're taking a trip on a KLR.
You are right on both accounts, however I had not seen anyone doing a long trip like this on a KLR so I figured I would see what it was like, yes it's tall and it hates the wind, and yes you are better off just using it to get to the dirt to ride and not taking long road trips, although I have to say the bike faired much better than I did...lol
Okay...gais...tq for the honest review...i think you must be working with sales before..thats why you can give honest review..lol..dont smash the camera..granpaa....haha..
This was one of the wort rides of my life and I thought Harleys were bad for going cross country, this beats them by ten fold for sure...lol This bike just isn't good for long distance that's for sure...lol
I put a 16 tooth front sprocket on my 2018 KLR and it made a pretty big difference in the vibes at higher speeds. Doesnt completely eliminate it but definitely helps. Also the eagle mike fork brace makes a huge difference in the way it handles.
The sprocket is great if you do a lot of highways but I only ride the highway now to get to the dirt...lol
Could it be 50 ks ( kilometres) to the gallon ? 🇦🇺
Well if you read thru the comments people swear they are getting that in MPG not KLG but honestly it really don't matter any more. 35 MPG is still way more than my van get at 8 MPG..... 🤣
This video should be called old man yells at wind. lol. JK sir. This is a great highway review. It’s rare to get this wind in Michigan where I am at, I’m still Very much considering a KLR for a do everything type of bike.
It really is a great all around do everything bike, just not good at speeds above about 65 because the front will start to wobble on you and definitely not good in a 30-45 mile per hour cross wind...lol. Or you might also be an old man yelling at the wind... LMAO
lol most of the time I’m riding 55-65 on back roads. Some highway here and there but I prefer as little hwy as possible lol. I really hope I don’t have any 45 mph crosswinds. That’s not ideal at all
this bike will do those speeds all day every day with not problem at all. Hope you don't get those hard cross winds because it took every bit of skill I had to keep that bike on the road.
Next time you’ll have to take all back roads
I would have loved to do that but I had to get there for a meeting and then get back to work so I didn't have time for all that...lol
Why 91? Shouldn’t 87 be better for a low compression engine?
I normally use the highest grade or at least the mid grade. in any bike I have ever owned, in this case I will do the same, I am not sure if the lower grade is better or not, it's just what I have always used and always will.
@@mymotorcyclelifestyle try 87 and see what happens.
from what I know about engines and I know quite a bit to be sure, running low octane in a low compression won't hurt anything, but at the same time running higher octane, won't hurt anything either, but in fact will help keep from building up a lot of carbon in the piston and will keep the engine running cleaner, now the fact is that running low octane in something that specifically requires high octane will cause engine noise and rattling and could actually damage the engine, but running higher octane in an engine that will run on lower octane don't hurt anything at all except maybe the bank account...lol
Did you experience any oil loss driving like that?
Haven't yet
I have a 2022 klr and I best I ever got was 48 but, never hire than that plus, my gas Guage anyway is not the most accurate
well when we do the fuel milage we don't care what the fuel gauge says, we just go by how many miles we went and how many gallons it took to refill it. So by calculating my fuel milage and knowing how many gallons the tank holds I now know that I can get 210 miles out of a tank of fuel, so I can just set the trip meter to 0 when I fill up and around the 200 mark I will need to start looking for somewhere to get gas...lol
That's very true. I guess we're both in the same group of not getting over 50 mpg like others do.
Bummer to light on the highway, to heavy on the dirt.
Well remember I was fighting winds that were strong enough to blow cars around also, but at the time of making this video I was really upset that I rode 400 miles fighting the bike all the way, the last hundred miles there was no wind..then the trip back I hit wind again just not as bad.
38 MPG is horrible on a KLR. My 2018 gets 50-55. 45 if I’m getting spirited
I am at higher elevations and it took a little time but I am now after 2000 miles averaging about 47 so that is much better for sure.
Mine doesn't vibrate at all.
that's great I am glad you have good bike.
You wont ever get 50 mpg at highway speeds. Keep it under 50mph and you'll get 45-50 mpgs.
I don't do a lot of highway any way, mostly at this point just use it around town and such, but will be playing in the dirt more this summer.