You'll want to keep a close eye on the oil level until you figure out what your bike does for oil consumption. The '08s had an issue with that and can get burned up in a day's worth of riding if they are particularly bad oil burners.
It looks like you may have RaceTech emulators in the forks; a big plus that makes me wonder what might be in the back for a shock.
That is a stock shock with the preload set on "1". That's not a stock spring. Could be a TopGun 9.3, though it should be shiny. Maybe it's just oily/dusty.
Oh, and a battery tender cable that should oughta have a cap on it...
I'll suggest that it is the oem stock, whimpy shock & spring set on #5 preload to keep the bike from tipping over the RH side off of the sidestand, due to the whimpy spring (the paint dulls with age).
Have you forgotten how many owners shortened the (2008-2014) sidestands an inch to prevent tip-overs in even a gentle breeze?
That would be unusual. Folks usually buy a TopGun spring and put it on the peesashit stock shock and call it good enough. I have never run into an RT spring on a KLR. The stock shock is fairly pathetic, both in design and execution. It certainly doesn't have enough damping to handle a 500 pound/inch spring.
Have a close look at the coils just next to the end. If it is a TopGun shock it should say so.
A Cogent is a bit spendy, but it really transforms the KLR suspension into something worthy.
Servicing or rebuilding the stock shock is throwing good money after bad.
I've been watching Masons ADV and seen his Content setup, pretty impressive. Hard to justify $2k on suspension for a $3900 bike though... but we do this for the adventure not the money...
You've got the RT emulators if the sticker is to be believed. They were the original fork improvement available for the KLR and were the only game in town when the Gen 2 was introduced. Later Cogent introduced the DDR which, if @DPelletier is to be believed (and he is), is essentially an RT emulator with an improved method of valving. Thus they are 'better' but not better enough to warrant replacing the RT emulators with them. Your front end is fine, though you might want to tune it to your needs.
At the back, a Cogent Adventure will be just what the vast majority of riders need, solve all of their suspension problems, and make them look good-looking with a groovy personality, all for ~$500. If your needs are greater than that, then the Moab is a custom build at $675. I wouldn't bother going to the extreme limit with the Moab Pro Series on a Gen 2 unless you put it on some sort of diet and pulled at least 40 pounds off of it. It's just too heavy for the kind of riding that the Pro Series is built for.
In other words, youse don't gotta spend $2K to transform the KLR's suspension, and perhaps you begin to see why putting an $80 Top Gun spring on the stock shock and/or spending a coupla benjies to rebuild the stock shock is throwing good money after bad.
Chaaa, yeah, but no. Not that it is a bad mod, but getting horsepower out of the KLR is like pulling a rabbit out of a gnat's ass. The cost per horsepower get's ridiculous really fast and pretty much hits the wall at about +10hp. If it is horsepower you're after, cut your losses now and look for a nice, used KTM690. It will be cheaper in the long run and you'll never get as much power out of a KLR as the KTM comes with out of the box.
The most transformative dollars on the KLR are in the suspension.
I need it at 5 for my weight correct? I an make adjustments once my tool kit comes it (didn't have one when I bought it). I was reading it at 5 as well, but now just second guessing...
Not to speak for Tom but yes, that's the Cogent Adventure; a great shock, I had one on my 2000 for a year. I'd also concur with his opinion that the Racetech Gold valve Cartridge Emulators you seem to have installed in your forks are a good product and should solve the stock KLR's fork woes. You may wish to check the oil level and sag settings.
You'd better speak for me since I was upside down and backward on the OEM shock setting. Glad @pdwestman and you caught that early on! It's been too long since I've had a stock shock, eh?
The black spring, though, doesn't seem stock. I recall my '08 shock having a silver spring. Am I AFU on that, too?
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