Mike may chime in here, but until he does...I'll tell ya the best way to get hooked up is to PM EagleMike and get his recommendation.HighDezert said:Do the RL-2 links give you a 2" lift?
What about using the raising links with an aftermarket rear shock, is it possible to gain 3-4" that way?
I have been looking at this option. But with $$$ tight I was hopeing that there migh be a relativly painless way to do this. I've already got the front shocks with 9-12 psi, that helped a lot! I've heard that a new rear spring might be the answer?Tumbleweed said:I missread the post earlier, the progressive springs don't really raise the front end either.
Seems suspension tuning will get you mostly where you want to be, a custom revalved rear shock would definitely be advantageous, but expensive.
I'm thinking you may be quickly moving into the territory where a dedicated Enduro bike would be easier to get the performance you desire and lighter, faster, better for truly off-road riding.
A bunch of the new KTMs are supposed to be DOT legal, "not for commuting, but barely street legal dirt bikes" so says an article in one of the cyclemags I just got.
TW
You bet. Working on bikes is all new to me. I'm a half decent back yard mechanic on cars but some of the variables make it more interesting on a bike. Again thaks to everyone who has responded. I'll be looking for the "best" answer to this and will try to report again when I figure out what I'll do. :wink:Tumbleweed said:I didn't mean to imply you should give up on the KLR, it's just very easy to start chasing performance and never quite get where you want to be. This bike is great when used at a level relative to it's overall ability and does respond to some hot rodding, so have fun and keep us posted eh?TW
TW there is a way to show how much the Eagle links lift the KLR650. With the stock links I can lift teh bike onto the centerstand and have rear tire clearance. With the RL-2 links the rear tire barely sits on teh ground. With the RL-1 links I could not get the KLR on the centerstand because the rear tire would hit the ground. So yes it does lower the rear wheel or raise the frame. Depends on your perspective.Tumbleweed said:Mike may chime in here, but until he does...I'll tell ya the best way to get hooked up is to PM EagleMike and get his recommendation.HighDezert said:Do the RL-2 links give you a 2" lift?
What about using the raising links with an aftermarket rear shock, is it possible to gain 3-4" that way?
I'm running the RL-2, so I don't mind poking my .02 in. The links are the "dog bone" that connects the shock linkage to the swing arm. When set next to a standard part it doesn't look all the different, just a fraction of an inch longer, but the effect is that the rear shock can be set to 1 or 2 preload instead of 4 or 5, and the wallowing in the corners is cleaned up. I haven't measured any actual increase in bike height, it's not that much.
The RL-1 were the first design and actually raise the bike a bit more than the RL-2. The -2 was designed for a slightly lighter weight rider, I'm 6-3", 205 or so and they are working well for me. TOBJ has original set, now called the RL-1 and enjoys them, we're about the same size.
I highly recommend them so you can get your suspension adjustment back.
Someone was running an aftermarket shock with these, but you'll need to talk to Mike about that for sure.
TW
Does Eagle Mike have a web site for his stuff? I tried a google search and came up with everything but. :?:tomatocity said:TW there is a way to show how much the Eagle links lift the KLR650. With the stock links I can lift teh bike onto the centerstand and have rear tire clearance. With the RL-2 links the rear tire barely sits on teh ground. With the RL-1 links I could not get the KLR on the centerstand because the rear tire would hit the ground. So yes it does lower the rear wheel or raise the frame. Depends on your perspective.Tumbleweed said:Mike may chime in here, but until he does...I'll tell ya the best way to get hooked up is to PM EagleMike and get his recommendation.HighDezert said:Do the RL-2 links give you a 2" lift?
What about using the raising links with an aftermarket rear shock, is it possible to gain 3-4" that way?
I'm running the RL-2, so I don't mind poking my .02 in. The links are the "dog bone" that connects the shock linkage to the swing arm. When set next to a standard part it doesn't look all the different, just a fraction of an inch longer, but the effect is that the rear shock can be set to 1 or 2 preload instead of 4 or 5, and the wallowing in the corners is cleaned up. I haven't measured any actual increase in bike height, it's not that much.
The RL-1 were the first design and actually raise the bike a bit more than the RL-2. The -2 was designed for a slightly lighter weight rider, I'm 6-3", 205 or so and they are working well for me. TOBJ has original set, now called the RL-1 and enjoys them, we're about the same size.
I highly recommend them so you can get your suspension adjustment back.
Someone was running an aftermarket shock with these, but you'll need to talk to Mike about that for sure.
TW![]()
Thanks. I like the "ahem" :lol:eaglemike1 said:You need the progressive springs in the fron with appropriate oil and spacers for sure. If you really want to raise the bike, you'll need custom forks. I've made fork extensions and will make more but there is a limit. The klr650 with work well up to a point, but a pure dirt bike with lots of travel it's really not..... With the raising links, and the springs and oil up front, you can get it set up pretty well (esp for us - ahem - "standard sized klr650 riders"). More than that will require at least $400 to $800 for a new rear shock. The figure a lot more $$ for a custom front end.....The raising links and springs, oil, etc are best bang for the $$ out there (IMO) and can be easily installed over a couple cups of coffee and a donut or two.
all the best,
Mike
Mike has a website but not for his stuff. You can call him at...information removed by author.Buildit said:Does Eagle Mike have a web site for his stuff? I tried a google search and came up with everything but. :?:tomatocity said:TW there is a way to show how much the Eagle links lift the KLR650. With the stock links I can lift teh bike onto the centerstand and have rear tire clearance. With the RL-2 links the rear tire barely sits on teh ground. With the RL-1 links I could not get the KLR on the centerstand because the rear tire would hit the ground. So yes it does lower the rear wheel or raise the frame. Depends on your perspective.Tumbleweed said:Mike may chime in here, but until he does...I'll tell ya the best way to get hooked up is to PM EagleMike and get his recommendation.HighDezert said:Do the RL-2 links give you a 2" lift?
What about using the raising links with an aftermarket rear shock, is it possible to gain 3-4" that way?
I'm running the RL-2, so I don't mind poking my .02 in. The links are the "dog bone" that connects the shock linkage to the swing arm. When set next to a standard part it doesn't look all the different, just a fraction of an inch longer, but the effect is that the rear shock can be set to 1 or 2 preload instead of 4 or 5, and the wallowing in the corners is cleaned up. I haven't measured any actual increase in bike height, it's not that much.
The RL-1 were the first design and actually raise the bike a bit more than the RL-2. The -2 was designed for a slightly lighter weight rider, I'm 6-3", 205 or so and they are working well for me. TOBJ has original set, now called the RL-1 and enjoys them, we're about the same size.
I highly recommend them so you can get your suspension adjustment back.
Someone was running an aftermarket shock with these, but you'll need to talk to Mike about that for sure.
TW![]()