Having watched your channel for a few years now, I've only just taken my first adventure tour with a friend up into New England from Northern New Jersey. Total miles: 2050. Whereas he rode his very road oriented VStrom 650, I was extremely happy with the handling characteristics on gravel/dirt roads and with the recently installed 16 tooth front, found highway speeds to be a breeze at lower rpms on my 2009 KLR. Of course, if I had more off road opportunities, I might consider returning to the 15 tooth, but knowing that 75-90% of riding my KLR will be on the road, I wanted to lower the engine rpm for highway speeds. And whereas I had TKC80 tires installed a year or so ago, it's quite obvious that they're far too dirt oriented and have worn down significantly at around 2500 miles. I'll see if you have a video on what tires you use, as I'd like to get longer wear while still having enough grip for gravel or fireroad riding. Considering Anakee Adventure tires among a few others. LOVE that your channel has been loyal to the KLR platform from the beginning, as I've truly learned a lot more about the capabilities of the bike as a result of watching your adventures on it!
I actually went up a tooth to a 16 but here in Australia where i am we have a lot of big highway miles to chew up, Its a slight draw back in the bush but i find the bike needs a another gear as most people may agree with, It suits my riding in my enviroment but your gearing suits your enviroment , love the channel, and the KLR passion for a simple down to earth bike in this high tech world, Cheers
Good morning Paul, yes the 16 is very popular and I actually have one sitting here but the 14 is the direction I needed to go for where I ride. The 15 stock sprocket is likely the middle ground for this area but the 14 is a ton of fun :)
The things we do! Love the upgrades! Ya know, I did the fork brace too, but I succumbed to the "better get it to avoid highway death wobble," etc..I've no idea if it makes a difference, or not....but it's on there.
It's a well built piece of kit, Ron, and I'm sure it seriously helps strengthen/stiffen the forks but there wasn't a noticeable difference on my bike. It may be one of those things I notice more if I was to remove it now. Cheers!
Hi Mason, I went down that road with the 14 tooth, barely put 200kms on it and had to go back to the 16. I could not stand it! It felt like it wasn't even Hwy capable. Keep an eye on the oil level, above 5000rpm you'll likely be burning. You've got a Triumph and KTM to keep up with now lol. Also, I didn't see any difference in the fork brace on mine pre or aft suspension upgrade, although there is piece of mind knowing the front end is structurally stronger under load. Cheers!
I went with the acerbis generic fender and moved it down to the EM brace (I don't have much mud where I ride) . Moving the fender eliminated the wind sail effect on the front end at US highway speed. The EM brace helped alot with the stock suspension. Also running the same tail light as old Mason , fast strobes to solid on. Wakes people up behind me all the time
I have been wanting a Garmin Zoomo since the day I picked up the tiger. I have yet to mess with the hearing on the bike as I tend to stick to faster roads. Thanks for sharing your mods!
Hey Mason. With the fender, wabble at speed...I found that the KLR runs much better on highways without the knobbies. Since I went to the Trail Attack Continentals I no longer get any wabble at those speeds. Those tires make a huge difference of the stock Dunlops. It turned the bike into a Super-Moto. I went the other way with the 16-tooth front and now it keeps the RPMs down below 5k at 70 MPH. The biggest wow factor I've found is running 93 octane premium. It really perks up the motor nicely.
Good info Don! I have only had an issue with the Kenda Big blocks but since switching back to the TKC 80's it has never given me any wobble issues. Last week we did 1500kms of trail and highway running the 14 tooth sprocket and everything was fine there too. I will say the 14 tooth is amazing off road! Cheers!
Lol glad I’m not the only one suffering from fuzzy screen syndrome. My six power port just died on me after a year of use and 8000 miles. Mine was a Marine grade unit that had 2 USB ports and a cigarette adapter outlet. I might try that 14 tooth combo if I keep the KLR after the Tenere arrives. Safe riding!
Haha, fuzzy screen syndrome! Oh man it sucks getting old! 😆 This hub I'm using now is a water proof one too and hopefully I have better luck this time ;)
I have heard the MCP mod is the new must do mod. Maybe will give it a go over the winter. At times I see the new bikes and think it is time to change but then I go out for a ride on the KLR and it puts a smile on my face, and really that is all I am looking for. I honestly can keep up on the road with just about anything, just get blown around a bit at times.
I honestly haven't done any research on the mcp mod but I have seen that people are happy with it. I did the klx needle and re-jet with fantastic results so it isn't something i've looked into. Cheers!
Great mods, as usual. Your KLR has always been dialed in nicely. I think that you have an great opportunity to run the KLR with these newer top of the line bikes and make a case for simplicity. If I were to buy a new Dual Spot/ADV bike right now it would be the T-7 for the same reason, simplicity and reliability. Looking forward to the ride report on this week's ride!
That's the game plan Pinkie :) It gets harder to hold out when manufacturers turn out machines like they did this year! It's a great time to ADV for sure and I think the older machines will be able to hold their own for some time to come. Cheers!
The best mod that I have done to my KLR was last month when I installed a carby kit from MCP in Canada. The bike is way better to ride in every gear, more power, better throttle response and no more back firing.
@@FocusedUpward I've heard this is the way to go. I wasn't considering modifying the carb or rejetting. but hearing about this makes me think it might be worth it
Changed my OEM headlight bulbs to Cyclops LED’s years ago. Tremendous advantage and worth the $160. I understand the nature of your Ram mount for the cell and find it very appealing but cannot figure out how you have it attached. If it is mounted via Ram’s typical ball and socket, how on earth do you get your hand in behind the thing to adjust and tighten it? I sincerely appreciate your generosity in sharing your experiences in these regards. Go well indeed🤗
I have the same issue with my USB's. I have a unit with a 12v on one side, and dual USB's (with LED voltage display) on the other. One of the USB ports failed after just a few rides. I have a 2002 KLR.
Yeah, what a pain! I have deleted all of the usb ports now. I just gave up! my dash gear now plugs into a usb block in my tank bag and the outlet on the bars is now a switched 12v outlet just for my compressor.
Thanks for the mod updates! It's always great to see options with valued feedback. I've been using a multi charger that also failed. The 12V still ran...when I took it apart I found a few loose pieces in the housing...probably happened during trail rides?! Great info. Cheers!
I have thought about trying a fork brace on my KLR, but I suspect the fork is only a small part of the overall chassis flexibility. I know when I go from my BMW K1200LT to the KLR and do some sharp maneuvers at 60 MPH, the BMW responds crisply and sharply with virtually no oscillation after a quick swerve maneuver. The KLR feels like a sponge at the swerve imitation and then oscillates a few times when coming out of the swerve. However, that is likely just the steel frame and conventional forks on a lighter weight bike being compared to a cast magnesium frame and telelever forks on the BMW which are stiff as a poker. I thought about trying to “fix” the KLR, but decided in the end that it really isn’t broken and is just the nature of the beast. And since I seldom ride much distance on a highway at speeds above 60 mph, it really doesn’t matter. If I have to go any distance on the highway, I hop on the LT as it is the tool for job.
My experience has been that the tire combo and steering stem tension are the biggest culprits for the KLR handling coupled with the light front suspension and they feel a bit loose ;) It has amazed me how much difference there is in handling between tire types and the Cogent suspension has made an incredible difference. Cheers!
Thanks for your thoughts on the 14 tooth sprocket, sounds interesting. I am in the same boat with the eyesight, I'm thinking of trying a 7" android tablet for navigation, getting harder to see on my phone. Before you get another phone mount you might check out the mounts at Hondo Garage. I don't have one yet but it may be my next upgrade. I've been using the same ram mount for 3 years or so and it has worked great.
The 14 tooth is a blast! just back from a week trip of mixed highway and trails and it worked fine on the highway and was amazing on the trails. I did see some oil usage on the long highway runs though. first time my KLR has used any oil but it was expected when you hold 5500 rpm for hours ;) Cheers.
I tried to go to the LED headlights when I first got my 2011 KLR (in 2018), and I found that most had the large round heat sink/fan on the back. Most people cut their dust boots to accomodate for this, but I didn't want to lose the waterproofedness (if that's a word) of the OEM boot. I can't remember right off which headlight I went with, whether it was the Philips, or the high end Silverstar (I'd have to look) but went with the highest light output because I do like riding at night. Great amount of light. I had the EM Fork Brace when I bought the bike, and it does have an aftermarket front fender as well, but can't tell which model etc (I just don't have all this stuff memorized and don't follow parts enough to look at something to visually identify it). Funny, I was running some maps for my Garmin 64s, but wanted better maps, and was just on a 7-day paddling trip where one of the people with me had a BRMB set for our area, and I couldn't believe the amount of detail on them so was considering purchasing them, but didn't know it tied up the card slot. I already have a 64GB card in there, which I will likely never fill, so would be in the same boat as you (could run the BRMB card and not miss out) ... if I understood the section you were talking about that, the BRMB card occupies the slot and you can't run another card because of that?
Hey Zerzil, yeah, the brmb ties up the card slot but you can order it in a 16 GB card. Mine unfortunately is the 8gb and I reached out to them to see about switching the maps to a larger card and they said if I send back the 8gb and pay the difference they would switch it to the 16 GB but no bigger. It's another reason why I went up to the 66s. It has a larger internal memory. As for the lights I went with the Phillips city vision bulb this time and it's nice an bright without cutting my boots and I also have the lights on the fender if needed so I'm covered without going to LED. Cheers!
I was running one of those really cheap dual usb chargers (non 3.0) with no fancy anything and it shit the bed on me. It "worked" at extremely high rpm for whatever reason though lmao. I just switched it out for the one that crapped out on you so my fingers are crossed.
Had the EM fork brace on for a weekend. It just collects too much mud. Put some NOVSIGHT H7 LED bulbs in 2 klr and never had one die yet. Can find them on Amazon. The one bike has had them for 5 years. You must throw away the rubber boots and make small brakets using the factory scews. The H7 led have large heat sinks or fans that are impossible to use with factory mounting. Got tired changing bulbs every year.
Yeah the led's are the way to go for sure but with the amount of mud and water we get into up here i'm scared I will have a full headlight lens in no time ;) Great info Cheers :)
@@masonsadv you will never get water in there, unless your deeper than the windshield. Just checked cyclops led for the klr...$149.95 🤯 that is insane.
You've given me some ideas. I've never heard of the highway death wobble, but certainly experienced it. Scary as hell! I first thought it was the front tyre, then the mudguard. Even thought it could be my crappy helmet.
@@Derkiboi You mean the fact that I'd never heard of it, or the ridiculousness of my thought process? 😀 Only had the bike now for a month or so. The tyres are 90/10 Bridgestone Battlax A41s (more street than DS) and the front is very narrow compared to my previous road bikes.
@UC0wog5CZN0_XKVFovteg2iw Thank you very much. I'll definitely check it out. I'm a newby on adventure bikes and do tons of TH-cam watching and reading to get as much info as I can. We really do need more newby channels.
I too experienced it. Didn’t have a name for it. But I like that name it feels like that harmonic could end disastrously. Even backing off the throttle. What I’ve found was it caught the wind from the side terribly compared to my 250 Super Sherpa which is much lower and has no cowling. But once I placed Zega Pro hard panniers I didn’t experience it anymore except maybe a couple times but way reduced. I ride the same routes pretty much and think that fixed it somehow. I don’t think it’s a change in the wind from changing seasons. I think it’s from the either profile break up. Or the wind has surface front and rear both now. Thoughts?
I would love the GPX file for the trail and others in your area. Spent the weekend in Owen Sound Tobermory area with my cruiser buddies. Unfortunately no gravel with that group didn't see any paths like that for me to blast on the 1090
I think Procycle in Oregon (?) sells short lengths of chain. Are you still liking the Cogent suspension? As far as the USB's, I have had good luck with my cheap Amazon set up. That being said I have my voltmeter mounted directly above my two USB outlets in two separate 'pods.' I also like in a semi arid climate so water intrusion is less of an issue than what you have up there
Loving the Cogent setup!! Great people and great products. As for the usb chargers, I went with a marine grade setup this year and so far it's working perfectly. I will up date the changes shortly ;)
Had the exact same issue with the USB accessories. I bought the marine-grade ones that had the 2 USB, 1 12V, 1 Volt readings and on/off switch. Seems every 2-3 months one of them had to be replaced. I have sort of given up on them and just went with an industrial-grade 12V which I wired into the battery and have in my tank bag so it is not exposed to the elements and potentially less vibration. I then plug a USB adapter in there and my tank bag allows me to feed a cable in it while remaining water-resistant. I am going to assume it is the vibration that is causing the other ones to die so quickly.
I have a gen1. Most of my riding is off road and since it's such a whale on single track, I fall on my head. Often. I got the Eagle Mike brace because the forks were regularly getting tweaked out of alignment. Haven't had to straighten them since.
As you get older Mason your eyes will get more mature lol . The KLR is a bike to Tinker with and it shows with yours , nice mods tho take care be safe ..
Hey Mason, you fit a lot of mod & upgrade info in this video, thanks! I do have a few of non-KLR questions though. (1) What 'pencil' do you use to manipulate your smartphone screen? (2) Have you found one that works better than others? (3) How do you have it mounted/adhered to your bike, so it's easily and quickly accessible and stowed? (4) Maybe a magnetic sleeve around the barrel of it to stick to a metal area? (5) Do you have a lanyard on it also, so you can't drop and easily lose it? Keep up the great content!
Hey Mcrider! I use this amzn.to/2G5XHKp It comes with a lanyard that I attached to one of the windscreen lower bolts and slip the clip on the side of my riser. Haven't lost it yet ;) Cheers!
At what mileage do you change the oil. I will be getting a KLR soon. I ride a 2021 Road glide limited that I synthetic in and change it every 5000 miles.
hard wired usb port on my 2018 klr. rode 450 miles to my camp in the u.p. michigan, got to cabin, slept rode back home usb was not working, got home and forgot about it, week later battery was dead, negative side of battery terminal somehow got hot, battery was smoked,
Yeah, sounds about right. Switching the usb is the fix for that but my new usb port has failed again so im done with them now and have gone back to a 12v outlet and am running my dash from my tankbag.
I am of the same opinion on the EM fork brace. Used it to lower my new fender. Next for me is the Cogent shocks, BUT the US-CDN exchange rate right now is making it a $2000 hit. NOPE!
@@masonsadv I have no doubt they would be a great addition, but with my Tuktoyaktuk/Prudhoe Bay trip cancelled due to covid I'll wait this year out and possibly get them over the winter. Great channel by the way. Was hoping you had a review of the Mosko Moto Backcountry 35L Pannier Kit (V2.1) bags. I did watch, and enjoy, the other reviews you did of their products.
Ah, yeah. That makes sense. Thank you 🙂 I'm glad your enjoying them, Paul. I don't have a machine to try the panniers on unfortunately so no, I don't have a review of them but I am going to do a long term review of the R80 and nomad here at some point. Cheers!
The difference between 15 and 14 is only 6.7% so not a huge change. I think my KLR runs about 4,500 @ 60 MPH indicated (which really isn’t 60 MPH, but that is another story), so 6.7% or that is only 300 RPM which could take me to 4,800 with a 14 tooth sprocket. 100 kph is 62.1 mph so factoring that in would give me 4,968 rpm at 100 kph which sounds pretty close to what you are seeing. Math works! 😁
Great question Chris. You do need to be careful. Gen2 Stator: 17 Amps x 14 Volt Capacity = 238 Watts less all the lighting = Total left over at maximum draw Gen2: 98.6 watts, or about 7 amps. I switched to led dash lights and tail lights saving some extra wattage but i also have heated grips, off road lights and charge all my camera and dash gear too but i'm still under the total. I hope this helps. Cheers!
@@masonsadv thank you! That's good information! I've just recently got an 09 and I'm loving it. I have been watching your channel religiously for tips and tricks. Your roadside carb service has saved my sorry ass once!
Twisted Trottle has them. If the glass breaks you can cut replacements to fit. If you break the housing like where the ram ball is, you can send it back to Twisted Trottle and they just charge for shipping.
Having watched your channel for a few years now, I've only just taken my first adventure tour with a friend up into New England from Northern New Jersey. Total miles: 2050. Whereas he rode his very road oriented VStrom 650, I was extremely happy with the handling characteristics on gravel/dirt roads and with the recently installed 16 tooth front, found highway speeds to be a breeze at lower rpms on my 2009 KLR. Of course, if I had more off road opportunities, I might consider returning to the 15 tooth, but knowing that 75-90% of riding my KLR will be on the road, I wanted to lower the engine rpm for highway speeds.
And whereas I had TKC80 tires installed a year or so ago, it's quite obvious that they're far too dirt oriented and have worn down significantly at around 2500 miles. I'll see if you have a video on what tires you use, as I'd like to get longer wear while still having enough grip for gravel or fireroad riding. Considering Anakee Adventure tires among a few others.
LOVE that your channel has been loyal to the KLR platform from the beginning, as I've truly learned a lot more about the capabilities of the bike as a result of watching your adventures on it!
A little older making it hard to see......
I’m watching this on a 14’ home theater screen and still have to squint, 🤣🤣🤣
Mods are FUN!
Bahaha, so true! Cheers CM!
I actually went up a tooth to a 16 but here in Australia where i am we have a lot of big highway miles to chew up, Its a slight draw back in the bush but i find the bike needs a another gear as most people may agree with, It suits my riding in my enviroment but your gearing suits your enviroment , love the channel, and the KLR passion for a simple down to earth bike in this high tech world, Cheers
Good morning Paul, yes the 16 is very popular and I actually have one sitting here but the 14 is the direction I needed to go for where I ride. The 15 stock sprocket is likely the middle ground for this area but the 14 is a ton of fun :)
The things we do! Love the upgrades! Ya know, I did the fork brace too, but I succumbed to the "better get it to avoid highway death wobble," etc..I've no idea if it makes a difference, or not....but it's on there.
It's a well built piece of kit, Ron, and I'm sure it seriously helps strengthen/stiffen the forks but there wasn't a noticeable difference on my bike. It may be one of those things I notice more if I was to remove it now. Cheers!
Fork brace is big upgrade if you ride the street alot
Well I should have said big difference if you ride aggressive on the street also helps while braking hard with sv650 caliper and big front rotor
Hi Mason, I went down that road with the 14 tooth, barely put 200kms on it and had to go back to the 16. I could not stand it! It felt like it wasn't even Hwy capable. Keep an eye on the oil level, above 5000rpm you'll likely be burning. You've got a Triumph and KTM to keep up with now lol. Also, I didn't see any difference in the fork brace on mine pre or aft suspension upgrade, although there is piece of mind knowing the front end is structurally stronger under load. Cheers!
Will do Sam. I'm fortunate to have never noticed any oil usage even on long highway hauls but I will certainly keep an eye on it. Cheers!
The best way to ensure you do not burn oil on our KLRs? Bring a container of oil along. It acts as a threat to the bike not to mess with you.
@@masonsadv I'm pretty lucky to be in the same boat. We may have the rare few that don't burn oil
@@49Roadmaster Haaa, same here, have a quart in my bag. Mine is a 2012 and have not put extra oil yet. fingers crossed!
I went with the acerbis generic fender and moved it down to the EM brace (I don't have much mud where I ride) . Moving the fender eliminated the wind sail effect on the front end at US highway speed. The EM brace helped alot with the stock suspension. Also running the same tail light as old Mason , fast strobes to solid on. Wakes people up behind me all the time
Hey Dave, That's a nice setup. Thanks for the input on the fender and that tail light is nice for that reason! Cheers :)
cigarette socket, with 12v usb adapter, never had a problem 3 years. great for those 11hr rides. 2016 klr
Yeah, I may go back to that too. Mine really didn't give any problems except the adapter would work it's way out on the trails. Cheers!
I have been wanting a Garmin Zoomo since the day I picked up the tiger. I have yet to mess with the hearing on the bike as I tend to stick to faster roads. Thanks for sharing your mods!
The zumo is a great device but the size makes it a bit difficult to fit on my dash. Otherwise it's a solid choice for sure! Cheers Robert!
Hey Mason. With the fender, wabble at speed...I found that the KLR runs much better on highways without the knobbies. Since I went to the Trail Attack Continentals I no longer get any wabble at those speeds. Those tires make a huge difference of the stock Dunlops. It turned the bike into a Super-Moto. I went the other way with the 16-tooth front and now it keeps the RPMs down below 5k at 70 MPH. The biggest wow factor I've found is running 93 octane premium. It really perks up the motor nicely.
Good info Don! I have only had an issue with the Kenda Big blocks but since switching back to the TKC 80's it has never given me any wobble issues. Last week we did 1500kms of trail and highway running the 14 tooth sprocket and everything was fine there too. I will say the 14 tooth is amazing off road! Cheers!
Lol glad I’m not the only one suffering from fuzzy screen syndrome. My six power port just died on me after a year of use and 8000 miles. Mine was a Marine grade unit that had 2 USB ports and a cigarette adapter outlet. I might try that 14 tooth combo if I keep the KLR after the Tenere arrives. Safe riding!
Haha, fuzzy screen syndrome! Oh man it sucks getting old! 😆 This hub I'm using now is a water proof one too and hopefully I have better luck this time ;)
I have heard the MCP mod is the new must do mod. Maybe will give it a go over the winter. At times I see the new bikes and think it is time to change but then I go out for a ride on the KLR and it puts a smile on my face, and really that is all I am looking for. I honestly can keep up on the road with just about anything, just get blown around a bit at times.
the mcp is a night and day difference
I honestly haven't done any research on the mcp mod but I have seen that people are happy with it. I did the klx needle and re-jet with fantastic results so it isn't something i've looked into. Cheers!
Nice info on your upgrades! Makes some of my future purchases better informed 👍🏼
Cheers FC! 👍
Great mods, as usual. Your KLR has always been dialed in nicely.
I think that you have an great opportunity to run the KLR with these newer top of the line bikes and make a case for simplicity. If I were to buy a new Dual Spot/ADV bike right now it would be the T-7 for the same reason, simplicity and reliability.
Looking forward to the ride report on this week's ride!
That's the game plan Pinkie :) It gets harder to hold out when manufacturers turn out machines like they did this year! It's a great time to ADV for sure and I think the older machines will be able to hold their own for some time to come. Cheers!
The best mod that I have done to my KLR was last month when I installed a carby kit from MCP in Canada. The bike is way better to ride in every gear, more power, better throttle response and no more back firing.
I've found the same results. MCP carb kit for the win.
@@FocusedUpward I've heard this is the way to go. I wasn't considering modifying the carb or rejetting. but hearing about this makes me think it might be worth it
I have problems with back Fire, I put FMF exhaust
@@FocusedUpward do you have the link to buy it?
I've been riding with a KLX needle for a couple years now, pulled the snorkel and advanced the exhaust cam and it runs like a champ!
A GPS is definitely on my list. Thanks for the recommendations. Also, great angles on the last few shots. Great video.
Changed my OEM headlight bulbs to Cyclops LED’s years ago. Tremendous advantage and worth the $160.
I understand the nature of your Ram mount for the cell and find it very appealing but cannot figure out how you have it attached. If it is mounted via Ram’s typical ball and socket, how on earth do you get your hand in behind the thing to adjust and tighten it?
I sincerely appreciate your generosity in sharing your experiences in these regards.
Go well indeed🤗
I have the same issue with my USB's. I have a unit with a 12v on one side, and dual USB's (with LED voltage display) on the other. One of the USB ports failed after just a few rides. I have a 2002 KLR.
Yeah, what a pain! I have deleted all of the usb ports now. I just gave up! my dash gear now plugs into a usb block in my tank bag and the outlet on the bars is now a switched 12v outlet just for my compressor.
Thanks for the mod updates! It's always great to see options with valued feedback. I've been using a multi charger that also failed. The 12V still ran...when I took it apart I found a few loose pieces in the housing...probably happened during trail rides?! Great info. Cheers!
Yeah, we certainly aren't easy on gear are we? lol. I think i'm going back to the 12v outlet too. Cheers!
I have thought about trying a fork brace on my KLR, but I suspect the fork is only a small part of the overall chassis flexibility. I know when I go from my BMW K1200LT to the KLR and do some sharp maneuvers at 60 MPH, the BMW responds crisply and sharply with virtually no oscillation after a quick swerve maneuver. The KLR feels like a sponge at the swerve imitation and then oscillates a few times when coming out of the swerve. However, that is likely just the steel frame and conventional forks on a lighter weight bike being compared to a cast magnesium frame and telelever forks on the BMW which are stiff as a poker.
I thought about trying to “fix” the KLR, but decided in the end that it really isn’t broken and is just the nature of the beast. And since I seldom ride much distance on a highway at speeds above 60 mph, it really doesn’t matter. If I have to go any distance on the highway, I hop on the LT as it is the tool for job.
A lot of that is the telelever front end on the BMW, it's far better than the stock style twin forks
The Cogent suspension upgrade f/r is the best $$ you can spend on a KLR. It fixes many things.
My experience has been that the tire combo and steering stem tension are the biggest culprits for the KLR handling coupled with the light front suspension and they feel a bit loose ;) It has amazed me how much difference there is in handling between tire types and the Cogent suspension has made an incredible difference. Cheers!
Thanks for your thoughts on the 14 tooth sprocket, sounds interesting. I am in the same boat with the eyesight, I'm thinking of trying a 7" android tablet for navigation, getting harder to see on my phone. Before you get another phone mount you might check out the mounts at Hondo Garage. I don't have one yet but it may be my next upgrade. I've been using the same ram mount for 3 years or so and it has worked great.
The 14 tooth is a blast! just back from a week trip of mixed highway and trails and it worked fine on the highway and was amazing on the trails. I did see some oil usage on the long highway runs though. first time my KLR has used any oil but it was expected when you hold 5500 rpm for hours ;) Cheers.
I tried to go to the LED headlights when I first got my 2011 KLR (in 2018), and I found that most had the large round heat sink/fan on the back. Most people cut their dust boots to accomodate for this, but I didn't want to lose the waterproofedness (if that's a word) of the OEM boot. I can't remember right off which headlight I went with, whether it was the Philips, or the high end Silverstar (I'd have to look) but went with the highest light output because I do like riding at night. Great amount of light. I had the EM Fork Brace when I bought the bike, and it does have an aftermarket front fender as well, but can't tell which model etc (I just don't have all this stuff memorized and don't follow parts enough to look at something to visually identify it). Funny, I was running some maps for my Garmin 64s, but wanted better maps, and was just on a 7-day paddling trip where one of the people with me had a BRMB set for our area, and I couldn't believe the amount of detail on them so was considering purchasing them, but didn't know it tied up the card slot. I already have a 64GB card in there, which I will likely never fill, so would be in the same boat as you (could run the BRMB card and not miss out) ... if I understood the section you were talking about that, the BRMB card occupies the slot and you can't run another card because of that?
Hey Zerzil, yeah, the brmb ties up the card slot but you can order it in a 16 GB card. Mine unfortunately is the 8gb and I reached out to them to see about switching the maps to a larger card and they said if I send back the 8gb and pay the difference they would switch it to the 16 GB but no bigger. It's another reason why I went up to the 66s. It has a larger internal memory.
As for the lights I went with the Phillips city vision bulb this time and it's nice an bright without cutting my boots and I also have the lights on the fender if needed so I'm covered without going to LED. Cheers!
Awesome, thanks man!
I was running one of those really cheap dual usb chargers (non 3.0) with no fancy anything and it shit the bed on me. It "worked" at extremely high rpm for whatever reason though lmao. I just switched it out for the one that crapped out on you so my fingers are crossed.
Yeah I just don't think they are up to the task.. I may go back to the 12v outlet.
Had the EM fork brace on for a weekend. It just collects too much mud. Put some NOVSIGHT H7 LED bulbs in 2 klr and never had one die yet. Can find them on Amazon. The one bike has had them for 5 years. You must throw away the rubber boots and make small brakets using the factory scews. The H7 led have large heat sinks or fans that are impossible to use with factory mounting. Got tired changing bulbs every year.
Gen1 or 2?
Gen 2 ...2011 and 2009. My buddies with gen 1 went with the cyclops led
Yeah the led's are the way to go for sure but with the amount of mud and water we get into up here i'm scared I will have a full headlight lens in no time ;) Great info Cheers :)
@@masonsadv you will never get water in there, unless your deeper than the windshield. Just checked cyclops led for the klr...$149.95 🤯 that is insane.
You've given me some ideas. I've never heard of the highway death wobble, but certainly experienced it. Scary as hell! I first thought it was the front tyre, then the mudguard. Even thought it could be my crappy helmet.
Wait? Really?
@@Derkiboi You mean the fact that I'd never heard of it, or the ridiculousness of my thought process? 😀 Only had the bike now for a month or so. The tyres are 90/10 Bridgestone Battlax A41s (more street than DS) and the front is very narrow compared to my previous road bikes.
@UC0wog5CZN0_XKVFovteg2iw Thank you very much. I'll definitely check it out. I'm a newby on adventure bikes and do tons of TH-cam watching and reading to get as much info as I can. We really do need more newby channels.
I too experienced it. Didn’t have a name for it. But I like that name it feels like that harmonic could end disastrously. Even backing off the throttle.
What I’ve found was it caught the wind from the side terribly compared to my 250 Super Sherpa which is much lower and has no cowling. But once I placed Zega Pro hard panniers I didn’t experience it anymore except maybe a couple times but way reduced. I ride the same routes pretty much and think that fixed it somehow. I don’t think it’s a change in the wind from changing seasons. I think it’s from the either profile break up. Or the wind has surface front and rear both now. Thoughts?
I would love the GPX file for the trail and others in your area. Spent the weekend in Owen Sound Tobermory area with my cruiser buddies. Unfortunately no gravel with that group didn't see any paths like that for me to blast on the 1090
We use backroad mapbooks on our GPS units and it makes finding the small trails much easier ;) amzn.to/32HCLkR
I think Procycle in Oregon (?) sells short lengths of chain. Are you still liking the Cogent suspension? As far as the USB's, I have had good luck with my cheap Amazon set up. That being said I have my voltmeter mounted directly above my two USB outlets in two separate 'pods.' I also like in a semi arid climate so water intrusion is less of an issue than what you have up there
Loving the Cogent setup!! Great people and great products. As for the usb chargers, I went with a marine grade setup this year and so far it's working perfectly. I will up date the changes shortly ;)
Had the exact same issue with the USB accessories. I bought the marine-grade ones that had the 2 USB, 1 12V, 1 Volt readings and on/off switch. Seems every 2-3 months one of them had to be replaced. I have sort of given up on them and just went with an industrial-grade 12V which I wired into the battery and have in my tank bag so it is not exposed to the elements and potentially less vibration. I then plug a USB adapter in there and my tank bag allows me to feed a cable in it while remaining water-resistant. I am going to assume it is the vibration that is causing the other ones to die so quickly.
Hi Cliff, that's the route i'm headed again here too. It must be the vibration that kills them so quickly. Cheers!
I have a gen1. Most of my riding is off road and since it's such a whale on single track, I fall on my head. Often. I got the Eagle Mike brace because the forks were regularly getting tweaked out of alignment. Haven't had to straighten them since.
Ahh, now that makes sense to me! Great info. Cheers Bob.
Beats the heck out of a 16t off road
It sure does!!
As you get older Mason your eyes will get more mature lol . The KLR is a bike to Tinker with and it shows with yours , nice mods tho take care be safe ..
What mirrors do you have on it?
Bump
Hey Mason, you fit a lot of mod & upgrade info in this video, thanks! I do have a few of non-KLR questions though. (1) What 'pencil' do you use to manipulate your smartphone screen? (2) Have you found one that works better than others? (3) How do you have it mounted/adhered to your bike, so it's easily and quickly accessible and stowed? (4) Maybe a magnetic sleeve around the barrel of it to stick to a metal area? (5) Do you have a lanyard on it also, so you can't drop and easily lose it? Keep up the great content!
Hey Mcrider! I use this amzn.to/2G5XHKp It comes with a lanyard that I attached to one of the windscreen lower bolts and slip the clip on the side of my riser. Haven't lost it yet ;) Cheers!
just got a garmin zumo xt. that thing is amazing
Nice! I've heard they work well :) Cheers Josh.
At what mileage do you change the oil. I will be getting a KLR soon. I ride a 2021 Road glide limited that I synthetic in and change it every 5000 miles.
hard wired usb port on my 2018 klr. rode 450 miles to my camp in the u.p. michigan, got to cabin, slept rode back home usb was not working, got home and forgot about it, week later battery was dead, negative side of battery terminal somehow got hot, battery was smoked,
Yeah, sounds about right. Switching the usb is the fix for that but my new usb port has failed again so im done with them now and have gone back to a 12v outlet and am running my dash from my tankbag.
Always great with something new, but its sad to see my old vstrom sitting on the garagelift.
:( Sorry to hear that Toby. Cheers man.
You should get a Schnitz Piston kit 685cc and test that to see if it makes a big difference. It's what I have and my front end gets really like
I haven't ruled a big bore out! 😆👍
The best KLR big bore kit is called a Tenere 700 🤣
@@ronstibbe that was savage
Really like that front fender, do you think it’s possibly off a klx450? Thanks
It is a KLX fender but i just not sure what one. Sorry.
Nice mods Mason, I was wondering about the eagle Mike brace,thanks for the input. Don't think I will bother with it.Spend the 100 bucks elsewhere.
Yeah, good call Ian. I think if your bike suffers at highway speeds it may help but I think it's a Band-Aid to a bigger issue. Cheers!
@@1DrBar Hey let us know how that turns out.
I am of the same opinion on the EM fork brace. Used it to lower my new fender.
Next for me is the Cogent shocks, BUT the US-CDN exchange rate right now is making it a $2000 hit. NOPE!
The exchange rate does hurt up here, Paul. After you install it though, you will wonder why you waited ;) Cheers!
@@masonsadv I have no doubt they would be a great addition, but with my Tuktoyaktuk/Prudhoe Bay trip cancelled due to covid I'll wait this year out and possibly get them over the winter.
Great channel by the way.
Was hoping you had a review of the Mosko Moto Backcountry 35L Pannier Kit (V2.1) bags. I did watch, and enjoy, the other reviews you did of their products.
Ah, yeah. That makes sense. Thank you 🙂 I'm glad your enjoying them, Paul. I don't have a machine to try the panniers on unfortunately so no, I don't have a review of them but I am going to do a long term review of the R80 and nomad here at some point. Cheers!
The difference between 15 and 14 is only 6.7% so not a huge change. I think my KLR runs about 4,500 @ 60 MPH indicated (which really isn’t 60 MPH, but that is another story), so 6.7% or that is only 300 RPM which could take me to 4,800 with a 14 tooth sprocket. 100 kph is 62.1 mph so factoring that in would give me 4,968 rpm at 100 kph which sounds pretty close to what you are seeing. Math works! 😁
Good info! Glad I wasn't too far off. I guess I rounded down 😄👍
At the end I noticed your different clutch lever. What are you running for those? Thanks Don
Hey Don :) I run the Warp 9 levers. they are adjustable and are the perfect length for me.
Thanks Mason. I have to try those out.
I had a question about all these mods you do. Do you need a different charging system or does stock work just fine?
Great question Chris. You do need to be careful.
Gen2 Stator: 17 Amps x 14 Volt Capacity = 238 Watts less all the lighting = Total left over at maximum draw Gen2: 98.6 watts, or about 7 amps.
I switched to led dash lights and tail lights saving some extra wattage but i also have heated grips, off road lights and charge all my camera and dash gear too but i'm still under the total. I hope this helps. Cheers!
@@masonsadv thank you! That's good information! I've just recently got an 09 and I'm loving it. I have been watching your channel religiously for tips and tricks. Your roadside carb service has saved my sorry ass once!
What kind of mirrors u got n what's the benefit to them? Did u also change the jet kit? Is there any noticeable difference?
Double Take adv style with RAM mounts. They don't shake, rattle and roll like factory mirrors. Way better view.
I put a usb/12 volt ...the usb works fine but the 12 volt wouldn't run my compressor so I decided to buy a portal rechargeable handheld compressor
I bought a Zefal foot pump. Metal and very compact.
Which handlebar is coupled with the Rox risers ?
I have the stock bars.
@@masonsadv Did you have difficulty with cables and wires when you added the risers?
@@whereswaldo5740 no you just have to reroute the throttle cables over the triple tree but everything is long enough.
What mirrors are you running? I cant seem to.find them anywhere. Dropped my klr and broke a mirror glue isnt holding on too well
Those are DoubleTake Adventure Mirrors. Amazon has them.
Twisted Trottle has them. If the glass breaks you can cut replacements to fit. If you break the housing like where the ram ball is, you can send it back to Twisted Trottle and they just charge for shipping.
@@jeffmoulton6600 thank you
@@KLRmurdercycle thanks
Delusional's are Dwindling
Always Delusional, just riding different bikes 😄👍
@@masonsadv 🤣