[georerorge]

hi all,

in september I bought a 2001 KLR650, now at about 13800 miles. I think I'm the fourth or fifth owner. the guy I bought it from had it for about six months, didn't ride much, didn't do much maintenance, but he did buy (and sell to me, complete and unused) an eagle mike torsion spring doohickey kit with all the specialty tools and gaskets.

so, now that it's turning truly to winter here I've opened up the left side of the engine. i'm curious if this is the original doohickey, or an aftermarket one, but with just a spring that isn't the right size? more to the point: does it look like someone else has been in here recently? the gaskets are in great shape and the rotor came off easy. I did find some debris (looked like a few small pieces of rust, forgot to take a photo) on the oil plug when draining the engine today.

I see what looks like quite a lot of wear in the case just below where the counterbalance chain passes around the tension pulley. I'm also seeing some odd texture variation on the counterbalance weight assembly near the sprocket -- a rough outer layer that seems to have peeled back a bit to smoother steel? -- and the same thing on that upper bracket below the top sprocket of the counterbalance chain.

I'm excited to hear what more experienced eyes see.

thanks!

 

[Biggs3118]

If you have an EM doohickey kit I'd get that installed. That OEM spring is toast. As far as the lever it could be one of the newer generation pieces. If it looks 'machined' when you remove it then it could be that some PO installed an EM lever without changing the spring(not a great idea). It needs both the EM lever and the torsion spring to operate properly without failure.

The case material that's removed under the chain is from too much slack in the system due to the spring being out of travel.

The rubber coating material that's coming off of the guides is pretty normal.

Pull the oil filter and check for aluminum shavings. If so, it would also be advisable to pull the clutch cover and clean the oil pickup screen.

Best wishes

 

[PeteK]

The lever currently in the bike is not an EM piece. Those have a groove around the top edge for the torsion spring to sit in. Install the kit you got if it has the torsion spring. I’m surprised the regular spring still is some tension in it.

 

[Klrian]

Looks like an EM dohickey without the torsion spring.

 

[2BallCane]

That kinda looks like an EM Doohickey, but with regular springs.

 

[klr4evr]

The lever currently in the bike is not an EM piece. Those have a groove around the top edge for the torsion spring to sit in. Install the kit you got if it has the torsion spring. I’m surprised the regular spring still is some tension in it.

Early versions, pre-torsion spring, Eagle Mike doohickeys did not have that groove. Eagle Mike supplied with two improved springs of different lengths and that appears to be what has been installed here. Since you have it you may as well install the new version and torsion spring. Current one looks to be doing its job.

 

[Biggs3118]

I recall there being some imitation doohickey levers out in circulation. If you in fact have a 'new' EM kit, install it.

 

[pdwestman]

Even knowledgeable members occasionally give incorrect advice. Including me!

I'll suggest that is probably an Original EM Doo-Hickey and the installer may not have installed the shorter of the 2 springs that EM supplied. But it could be a Chinese Knock-Off of the original EM Doo-Hickey. I don't know how long or short the Chinese springs might be.

The OEM original doo-hickey may have had a failure. And may have allowed the chain to 'whip' and take-off some of the rubber wear pad on the upper rear chain slider. No real harm done, IMO.

The rubber cushions for the link plates to ride on (for silencing) quite often chip off. Again, no real harm done.

The possibly, previously Loose chain may have been contacting the case assembly bolt BOSS, beneath the Adjuster Sprocket. (EM even knows of this possibility.)
And the Doo-Hickey Installer probably used a Dremel Tool burr to relieve that excess material.
(I have personally done that to 1 well-abused KLR in the past. IT was my first ever EM Doo-Hickey installation which came with two of the old style extension springs.)

Check to see if the flat-sided hole for the adjuster shaft on the current doo is in the same orientation as the New Grooved EM Doo-Hickey with Torsion Spring kit. If they are Both aligned/Indexed the same, the current doo is simply an older EM doo.

 

[Biggs3118]

If it looks 'machined' when you remove it then it could be that some PO installed an EM lever without changing the spring(not a great idea).

 

[georerorge]

thank you all for your input.

here's pics of the old doohickey off the bike side by side with the new eagle mike doo. they're both machined, the indexing between the inside profile and outside profile is a little different between them, the new one has a groove and the old one doesn't, but more than anything the finish on the new one is superb and the finish on the old one is rough.

oil filter is very clean, inside and out -- i don't know the direction of flow for oil passing thru the filter -- but it looks almost new. I'm not sure how old the filter is. depending on how the next few days shake out, I might open the right side of the bike up and check the oil pickup screen, as prep for doing a thermobob. or punt on it. but I am definitely going to install the torsion spring and the new doohickey with the groove for the torsion spring.

 

[PeteK]

I'm having a hard time seeing a groove for the torsion spring in either of those levers. The new one come with a torsion spring, right?

 

[pdwestman]

the indexing between the inside profile and outside profile is a little different between them,

When you test fit the New grooved EM Doo-Hickey you will notice that the adjuster slot will give more total remaining travel for a longer life than that knock-off part.

I can easily see the EM groove in pic #1 and just barely in pic #3, PeteK.