Beware. The new valve requires a major amount of fuel line rerouting. That took me longer than everything else. If I could turn back time, I would’ve skipped this Farkle. That said, I’m a huge fan of Tim 2 Wheels. Love these videos!
Hi Curt - That is true, the line does route at a different angle and you do want to be careful not to 'kink' the line. Thanks for the comment and for watching.
The spring is on the back on the vacuum side of the diaphragm ... Put the spring on the other side of the diaphragm to mechanically force it out forcing the pet talk to work as an old style. I did this you don't have to buy some fancy kit you just have to switch the spring around make sure your seals are good.
After some carb problems in the middle of the desert outside Ajo, AZ. I finally fixed my problems (with help form Josh at the NAPA there) but learned that my vacuum was not working, so I was basically working with a manual petcock in the on position all the time. I did have a hydrolock - not pretty when alone in the desert. Discovered gas in my oil a few days later thanks to the hydrolock. Changed the oil and then again changed it when home. I think from now on it's a $10.00 manual petcock and another along as a spare. Rebuild kit for the vacuum petcock is $30.00.
Hey Robert, Thank for the comment. That is a serious problem out in the desert! The manual petcock are much simpler. Riders just have to remember to turn it of when parking the bike. Some younger/newer riders have to learn that. Thanks for watching.
I am about to buy a new KLR and have been researching modifications. I admit that this one perplexes me. I like automatic systems and haven't had a bike with a petcock since 1984 (current bike is fuel injected). Trying to remember to turn off a petcock every time, and back on again, is going to be a less than a 100% occurrence. This vacuum system should be easy to rebuild and should last at least 5 years. If you are really paranoid, just rebuild it every valve adjustment. 🙂 And I would hate to lose reserve margin. If I decide to disable the vacuum valve, I think I will go with the flat plat mod and keep the majority of the stock parts. Unfortunately, the gentleman who sold those parts as a kit no longer does so, but he has drawing on his web site and told me that fabrication is pretty straightforward. Too Eagle Mike doesn't sell such a kit.
Robert, you may want to make sure the tank is seated properly on the front mounts (they look like rubber hockey pucks). The tanks should feel secure without fairings, etc. The two bolts should tighten on the sleeves / inserts. Thanks for watching.
Good video I’m researching this because thinking of doing the mod on my 15 klr650 good to know about the crash bar interference , I don’t have the motech. I have the alba racing set however they mount at the same point at the upper subframe mount. Will have to ask EM before purchase. And do more research. Thanks again for the video.
Way back in the 70s i used to turn off my petcock on my little qa50 but never since then. It sucks running put of fuel on a busy highway when the bowl runs dry.
Thanks for the info Tim. I switched to the manual petcock on my KLR yesterday. I notched the relay cover like you did, but the fuel line is still bent at a pretty severe angle. Did you ever have issues with yours? Thanks again! Still using the your KLR vids.
Hi Cappy, My line still had a bend in it, but not a kink. I used a good heavy fuel line and never had any issues. You can always make a larger notch in the cover to relieve any stress on the line if you think it may kink on you. Thanks for watching.
So with this setup will I have to switch the petcock to off anytime the bike is off? Lets say im riding around town and running errands, will I be switching the valve on and off all the time?
My 2016 KLR has the Nomad crash bars. No modification needed on the new Yamaha fuel valve. In other words, I didn’t have to grind down the valve handle. Plenty of room.
muddieair - I really like inline fllters, especially if you ride in areas where there could be dirty fuel. When I did this upgrade, i bought the EM inline filter with the bronze element but did not find a good way to mount it yet. I will get to it this winter. Thanks for the comment and for watching.
great info! subscribed. Had the tank off my KLR for the first time recently. when reinstalling the tank it seemed that the bolts could not compress the grommets at all due to the metal sleeves in them. as a result the tank seems quite unstable when bolted down. Is this normal? maybe once the fairing and everything is back on it stabilizes everything? thanks for any feedback and again, great video!
I forgot to turn on my standard vacuum petcock and rode my KLR 12 miles to work without the engine dying. Does that mean my petcock isn’t working? Bike is running really rich so maybe gas is bypassing the carburetor?
so in theory, you don't need to remove the fuel tank to replace this? I can just run the gas on my tank down enough to where I don't waste much if at all any gas?
Tim I have a 2014.5 KLR650 that I recently bought. Can you please recommend what mods are truly necessary in your opinion. Petcock, Doohickey .....?? Thank you
Hi Phillip, The KLR will work just fine "as is". There are many improvements that can be made to suit your type of riding. The most critical mod would be the Doohickey once your OEM tensioner reaches its limits. Everything else is helpful once your bike gets some age and miles on it, or you are outfitting the bike for travel, ADV, etc. My personal top 5 mods would be: 1) Doohickey 2) crash protection for off-road use (good skid/bash plate, engine/crash bars, wrap around hand guards) 3) seat (personal choice for longer trips) 4) suspension upgrades if your planning for harder off-road . Although this may not be needed on your '14 model. 5) LED lighting for better night vision A bonus for me was better wind protection for the longer trips at higher speeds. The mods you pick should be the ones you need or want for your style of riding. Others, like this fuel petcock will come as parts fail or need replacing. My suggestion would be to ride your KLR as it is for a while and get to know the bike. you will get a feel for what you want to change. Then do your mods one at a time to see how it changes the bike. It should be a very personal choice. Best of luck and enjoy the ride. Thanks for watching. Tim
I know this is an old video but I just came across it.... I have one question.. putting a new petcock in the KLR does it make it start easier when you drop the bike?
I have not hit reserve yet, but I want to test that soon. However, on my last trip, I ran 245 miles (mixed conditions) before re-fueling. I will run it to reserve on this tank and post the results. Thanks for the comment and for watching.
Interesting...but all you really had to do was, remove the diaphram, go buy some gasket material or some fuel proof silicone and plug off the vacuum hose, and the vacuum fitting on the petcock. Would have had the job done in less time waiting for parts and for $5 or less. Just sayin'
The number on the Yamaha box was 5LP-24500-01 and K151111A. I ordered it from Eagle Mike and the link is in the video description. I hope this helps. Thanks for the question and for watching. Good luck with your project.
You are correct, the float will stop the flow of fuel, but with a manual petcock it is good practice to shut it off to remove the possibility of flooding the carb. Thanks for the comment and for watching.
ronenfe: The float will stop the flow of fuel this is true, however on occasion I have come into a garage and had a surprise puddle of fuel on the floor because of a gone faulty float bowl needle. Like Tim said, good practice. I've been tossing around the idea of modifying the stock unit but even then my unit is an 11 model and could start leaking at anytime so I will go ahead and use the Yamaha petcock. I also don't want to take a chance on a potential faulty diaphragm on the trail.
@@Tim2Wheels okay thanks what do you think it was for sound dampening ?I have the 2006 model finally got it going again I like your videos keep them going
@@bh7480 - Thanks for the comments. I think the foam was there for sound dampening and to avoid any part of the frame rubbing on the tank. Possibly some heat shielding, but since there was no foil on it, that may not have been a purpose. FYI this bike was a 2009 model.
hi there, will this manual peacock make the bike run out of gas when you are low on fuel and going up a hill? the vacuum is to provide fuel no matter what angle the machine is at.
Sam Wilson - Hey Sam, we'll I finally got around to it. I ran it down to reserves at 246 miles of mixed riding (Highway, back roads, twisties, and many mountain roads). Of course, your results may vary. On reserves I rode for about 10 miles to fill up and it held 5.5 gallons. So, I still had about 1 gallon in tank. I figure that means there was about a half gallon on the fuel pickup side of the tank. I hope this helps all of you who wanted this info.
Tim2Wheels and Sam. My bike usually goes to reserve at about 190 miles. Then the standard petcock reserve gives me another 30 miles then it is empty. Supposedly you then can lay bike down on left side which allows fuel from right side to fall over to left side of tank. I haven't tried this yet. I actually strapped on an extra fuel can to refill after I was empty.
I let my bike sit in sun for a month now it doesnt start. I added 2 gal new gas to tank to mix old and new. Bike did start for a minute when I sprayed starter fluid into air filter . Doing it again didnt work . What now.
Well a bike need Fuel, Air, and spark to run. I would make sure you're getting fuel by disconnecting the fuel line from the carb (use a catch can/bottle) The stock fuel switch is vacuum operated so you will need to crank the engine to see if fuel is flowing. If it is, pull the spark plug and ground it to the head, see if it sparks when cranking the engine (make sure there's no fuel near it). If both of those check out okay, your carburetor may be gummed up from sitting. Gas with Ethanol will start to break down after a month. I hope this helps.
@@Tim2Wheels I unplugged the gasoline and gas was coming out. Then I kicked the carburetor, put it on a trailer drove it on bumpy road. Hour later tried to restart again. To my surprise it started right up . When I give gas there is no hesitation.
@@Tim2Wheelsone of my rule for buying a bike is to never buy carburetored bike (after tons of issues with Suzuki gs500). I will try to sell this and get r1200gs or convert my fz09 for long distance
That may work, but I have not tried it. I have heard of kits with a new back plate that does what you are saying. Thanks for the comment and for watching.
Beware. The new valve requires a major amount of fuel line rerouting. That took me longer than everything else. If I could turn back time, I would’ve skipped this Farkle. That said, I’m a huge fan of Tim 2 Wheels. Love these videos!
Hi Curt - That is true, the line does route at a different angle and you do want to be careful not to 'kink' the line.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
The spring is on the back on the vacuum side of the diaphragm ... Put the spring on the other side of the diaphragm to mechanically force it out forcing the pet talk to work as an old style. I did this you don't have to buy some fancy kit you just have to switch the spring around make sure your seals are good.
After some carb problems in the middle of the desert outside Ajo, AZ. I finally fixed my problems (with help form Josh at the NAPA there) but learned that my vacuum was not working, so I was basically working with a manual petcock in the on position all the time. I did have a hydrolock - not pretty when alone in the desert. Discovered gas in my oil a few days later thanks to the hydrolock. Changed the oil and then again changed it when home. I think from now on it's a $10.00 manual petcock and another along as a spare. Rebuild kit for the vacuum petcock is $30.00.
Hey Robert,
Thank for the comment. That is a serious problem out in the desert!
The manual petcock are much simpler. Riders just have to remember to turn it of when parking the bike. Some younger/newer riders have to learn that.
Thanks for watching.
I am about to buy a new KLR and have been researching modifications. I admit that this one perplexes me. I like automatic systems and haven't had a bike with a petcock since 1984 (current bike is fuel injected). Trying to remember to turn off a petcock every time, and back on again, is going to be a less than a 100% occurrence. This vacuum system should be easy to rebuild and should last at least 5 years. If you are really paranoid, just rebuild it every valve adjustment. 🙂
And I would hate to lose reserve margin. If I decide to disable the vacuum valve, I think I will go with the flat plat mod and keep the majority of the stock parts. Unfortunately, the gentleman who sold those parts as a kit no longer does so, but he has drawing on his web site and told me that fabrication is pretty straightforward. Too Eagle Mike doesn't sell such a kit.
Robert, you may want to make sure the tank is seated properly on the front mounts (they look like rubber hockey pucks). The tanks should feel secure without fairings, etc.
The two bolts should tighten on the sleeves / inserts.
Thanks for watching.
Good video I’m researching this because thinking of doing the mod on my 15 klr650 good to know about the crash bar interference , I don’t have the motech. I have the alba racing set however they mount at the same point at the upper subframe mount. Will have to ask EM before purchase. And do more research. Thanks again for the video.
Thanks for another terrific video ..... I’m doing this along with my carb rebuild. Nicely done.
Thanks for the vid. I’m about to do my fuel tap on the weekend.
Way back in the 70s i used to turn off my petcock on my little qa50 but never since then. It sucks running put of fuel on a busy highway when the bowl runs dry.
Thanks for the info Tim. I switched to the manual petcock on my KLR yesterday. I notched the relay cover like you did, but the fuel line is still bent at a pretty severe angle. Did you ever have issues with yours? Thanks again! Still using the your KLR vids.
Hi Cappy,
My line still had a bend in it, but not a kink. I used a good heavy fuel line and never had any issues. You can always make a larger notch in the cover to relieve any stress on the line if you think it may kink on you.
Thanks for watching.
@@Tim2Wheels Thanks Tim!
Yo tim where did you purchase it
The link doesn't go to the correct part. What is the Yamaha part number for the petcock?
You are a genius man, why you so good?
keep teaching us
So with this setup will I have to switch the petcock to off anytime the bike is off?
Lets say im riding around town and running errands, will I be switching the valve on and off all the time?
Dont have to bother unless your turning off the bike for multiple hours/overnight around town I would just leave it on
Tim, how about a fuel gauge fix for the KLR. Forget to punch your trip meter and you could be in a world of hurt.
That would be a nice addition. I've always depended on the trip meter and refueling before I needed to.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
My 2016 KLR has the Nomad crash bars. No modification needed on the new Yamaha fuel valve. In other words, I didn’t have to grind down the valve handle. Plenty of room.
Good to know for those considering crash bar options. Thanks for the info.
No problem with the Tusk ones either
@@olneymaryland77 is the Olny Ale House still there ?
Great job as always
Thanks Clint.
Excellent video/tutorial sir!
Thanks for watching!
Whats the exact Yamaha part number you used there? I DESPISE the petcock on my vn800, and I'm assuming kawasaki uses the same petcocks
Excellent video!
Good advice. I will do the same . Great ideas. Great video
Great video very helpful.. What do you think about an inline fuel filter? Thanks Dave
muddieair - I really like inline fllters, especially if you ride in areas where there could be dirty fuel. When I did this upgrade, i bought the EM inline filter with the bronze element but did not find a good way to mount it yet. I will get to it this winter.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
Good informative video..but those crashbars...they seem to cause more issues than the solve.
Thanks for sharing. Awesome info.
Suzuki DRZ 400 petcock works also, but like yours has a side discharge.
great info! subscribed. Had the tank off my KLR for the first time recently. when reinstalling the tank it seemed that the bolts could not compress the grommets at all due to the metal sleeves in them. as a result the tank seems quite unstable when bolted down. Is this normal? maybe once the fairing and everything is back on it stabilizes everything? thanks for any feedback and again, great video!
Hello. !thanks ,good film ! please have you link for this part ?part number is 5LP-24500-01-00 ?
Nice video 👍🏻
I forgot to turn on my standard vacuum petcock and rode my KLR 12 miles to work without the engine dying. Does that mean my petcock isn’t working? Bike is running really rich so maybe gas is bypassing the carburetor?
so in theory, you don't need to remove the fuel tank to replace this? I can just run the gas on my tank down enough to where I don't waste much if at all any gas?
What happened if i take off the tube longer and only use the tube short?
Where did you obtain that petcock where did you purchase it
Hi there from South Africa. Can I ask you why would my kilt cut out and start two days later.
Please
Hi. Thanks for the vídeo. i got it on My klr, But it start to have problems on morning cold starts... Do You have they same issue?
Tim
I have a 2014.5 KLR650 that I recently bought. Can you please recommend what mods are truly necessary in your opinion. Petcock, Doohickey .....?? Thank you
Hi Phillip, The KLR will work just fine "as is". There are many improvements that can be made to suit your type of riding. The most critical mod would be the Doohickey once your OEM tensioner reaches its limits. Everything else is helpful once your bike gets some age and miles on it, or you are outfitting the bike for travel, ADV, etc.
My personal top 5 mods would be:
1) Doohickey
2) crash protection for off-road use (good skid/bash plate, engine/crash bars, wrap around hand guards)
3) seat (personal choice for longer trips)
4) suspension upgrades if your planning for harder off-road . Although this may not be needed on your '14 model.
5) LED lighting for better night vision
A bonus for me was better wind protection for the longer trips at higher speeds.
The mods you pick should be the ones you need or want for your style of riding. Others, like this fuel petcock will come as parts fail or need replacing. My suggestion would be to ride your KLR as it is for a while and get to know the bike. you will get a feel for what you want to change. Then do your mods one at a time to see how it changes the bike. It should be a very personal choice.
Best of luck and enjoy the ride.
Thanks for watching.
Tim
@@Tim2Wheels Thank you for the reply and for the very well illustrated videos. Your videos will be a big help.
I know this is an old video but I just came across it.... I have one question.. putting a new petcock in the KLR does it make it start easier when you drop the bike?
I think it helps. there's nothing (vacuum) interfering with the fuel flow.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
question what rear shock do you use other than stock and why??? Thx Tony
Brilliant thank you
Hi Tim, great video! Wondering how many more miles are you riding before you hit reserve compared to stock?
I have not hit reserve yet, but I want to test that soon. However, on my last trip, I ran 245 miles (mixed conditions) before re-fueling. I will run it to reserve on this tank and post the results. Thanks for the comment and for watching.
Thanks!
Interesting...but all you really had to do was, remove the diaphram, go buy some gasket material or some fuel proof silicone and plug off the vacuum hose, and the vacuum fitting on the petcock. Would have had the job done in less time waiting for parts and for $5 or less. Just sayin'
Did you shut fuel off regularly with the stock petcock? Also what do you mean it lowers your reserve supply
some of the reserve fuel supply is now part of the normal fuel supply because of the shorter tube, total amount of fuel is the same
Hi very helpful video, do you know the part number for the Yamaha replacement? Thanks
The number on the Yamaha box was 5LP-24500-01 and K151111A. I ordered it from Eagle Mike and the link is in the video description. I hope this helps. Thanks for the question and for watching. Good luck with your project.
Why do you have to turn it to the off position if the float in the carburetor will just stop the fuel stream when the bowl is full?
You are correct, the float will stop the flow of fuel, but with a manual petcock it is good practice to shut it off to remove the possibility of flooding the carb.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
ronenfe: The float will stop the flow of fuel this is true, however on occasion I have come into a garage and had a surprise puddle of fuel on the floor because of a gone faulty float bowl needle. Like Tim said, good practice. I've been tossing around the idea of modifying the stock unit but even then my unit is an 11 model and could start leaking at anytime so I will go ahead and use the Yamaha petcock. I also don't want to take a chance on a potential faulty diaphragm on the trail.
I know you said it about 20 times during this video but what brand of crash bars are you running ?
Bill LV Eightfivefive They are SW-Motech.
Hello did you put that foam rubber or whatever that is under your tank for sound or vibration ?
I did not add it, it was stock.
@@Tim2Wheels okay thanks what do you think it was for sound dampening ?I have the 2006 model finally got it going again I like your videos keep them going
@@bh7480 - Thanks for the comments. I think the foam was there for sound dampening and to avoid any part of the frame rubbing on the tank. Possibly some heat shielding, but since there was no foil on it, that may not have been a purpose. FYI this bike was a 2009 model.
What is the Yamaha part number? Would it be cheaper to buy the petcock from Yamaha?
Go to eagle Mike's. Com
The vacuum line between the petcock and carb is no longer used. Do I need to plug it?
Yes, you should plug the line if not in use. I just used a bolt and clamp to provide a good seal.
The valve I got from Eagle Mike contained a plug to go over the vacuum line. No bolts or clamp needed.
With all due respect you didn't convert the vacuum petcock to a manual one. You just replaced one part with another. Good quality video though.
What do you mean? He did convert from a vacuum petcock to manual
True, I did not convert the petcock itself, I converted the bike/tank to a manual petcock by replacing it.
Thanks for watching.
Was the part# 5lp-24500
What bike is that from
Think I found it 5lp-24500-01-00
hi there, will this manual peacock make the bike run out of gas when you are low on fuel and going up a hill? the vacuum is to provide fuel no matter what angle the machine is at.
Mark, the vacuum in this case only opens the petcock, it does not pull fuel with the vacuum.
Tim.. how far can you go now on the new petcock?
Sam Wilson - Hey Sam, we'll I finally got around to it. I ran it down to reserves at 246 miles of mixed riding (Highway, back roads, twisties, and many mountain roads). Of course, your results may vary. On reserves I rode for about 10 miles to fill up and it held 5.5 gallons. So, I still had about 1 gallon in tank. I figure that means there was about a half gallon on the fuel pickup side of the tank.
I hope this helps all of you who wanted this info.
Tim2Wheels and Sam. My bike usually goes to reserve at about 190 miles. Then the standard petcock reserve gives me another 30 miles then it is empty. Supposedly you then can lay bike down on left side which allows fuel from right side to fall over to left side of tank. I haven't tried this yet. I actually strapped on an extra fuel can to refill after I was empty.
I let my bike sit in sun for a month now it doesnt start. I added 2 gal new gas to tank to mix old and new. Bike did start for a minute when I sprayed starter fluid into air filter . Doing it again didnt work . What now.
Well a bike need Fuel, Air, and spark to run. I would make sure you're getting fuel by disconnecting the fuel line from the carb (use a catch can/bottle) The stock fuel switch is vacuum operated so you will need to crank the engine to see if fuel is flowing. If it is, pull the spark plug and ground it to the head, see if it sparks when cranking the engine (make sure there's no fuel near it). If both of those check out okay, your carburetor may be gummed up from sitting. Gas with Ethanol will start to break down after a month.
I hope this helps.
@@Tim2Wheels I unplugged the gasoline and gas was coming out. Then I kicked the carburetor, put it on a trailer drove it on bumpy road. Hour later tried to restart again. To my surprise it started right up . When I give gas there is no hesitation.
@@Tim2Wheelsone of my rule for buying a bike is to never buy carburetored bike (after tons of issues with Suzuki gs500). I will try to sell this and get r1200gs or convert my fz09 for long distance
That's great. It could have been some blockage that formed while sitting and the trailer ride on a bumpy road shook it loose.
Would not take much effort to fix the length of tge fuel pipe to match stock.
why not just remove the rubber diaphram of the original?
That may work, but I have not tried it. I have heard of kits with a new back plate that does what you are saying.
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
thanks for the vids,i am in the market for a 2016 klr,and the mods are great
I have done that. Just remove the plastic plate and use the rubber gasket.
No reserve
Still has reserve, just not quite as much
Just did mine. Love your vids Tim. Check out my channel too. Gave you a shout out!