I accidentally answered my own question when I stumbled upon it on Watt-Man's site. Foe the IMS 10 gallon you need a TB3-KE kit and for the 6.6 gallon tank just a regular thermo-bob kit.
IMS 6.6 gallon tank with Thermobob 2 on an '09?
Like the title asks- can you fit an IMS 6.6 gallon tank on a 2009 KLR that already has a Thermo-Bob 2 installed?
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Why...? Because you want to... Stock tank is 6.1 gal, IMS 6.6 gal gets you another half gallon or about 25 miles. Yes, it would take me and my wonky knee like two days to walk 25 miles... And then people ask me WHY I ride a gutless and rough and vibrating iron-pig of a KLR when there are perfectly good Harleys and Goldwings available??? Because I want to...
un-hijack.... yes, it sounds like you found your answer on Watt-Man's site. Good to know.
un-hijack.... yes, it sounds like you found your answer on Watt-Man's site. Good to know.
I rarely fill my tank. I'm more in it for losing the plastic fairings that are FUBAR on my bike. Perhaps a bit of weight savings also. And a bit lower center of gravity.
I think there is an issue with radiator clearance when installing the 6.6 gallon tank on a gen 2. I believe Tom deals with this in his superdoo pages.
Faced with purchasing new plastics for a stock tank (plus paint and decals), or an IMS tank, that indeed does change the "why" swap on an IMS tank. Especially if whatever trashed out the stock plastics also dented/scratched/ratted the stock tank a bit.
Sideways hard enough to trash-out plastic, and did not trash out radiator $$? Maybe consider crash bars?
Sideways hard enough to trash-out plastic, and did not trash out radiator $$? Maybe consider crash bars?
Crash bars kinda keep the whole bike more or less off of the ground, but don't protect some vitals very well. The radiator is better off, I think, with its own protection such as the JNS.
One advantage to the IMS6.6 is that it gets rid of the need for crash bars, as it will generally be enough to do the job that crash bars are supposed to do. Of course, it gets a bit rashed up doing that job, but that's just patina.
The IMS6.6 doesn't play well with the Gen 2 without some fiddling to make it fit. "Stage One, Easy" of that is moving the radiator inboard a mite bit and bending some tabs on the radiator. "Stage Two, You've Lost Your Friggin' MInd, Tom" of that involves installing a Gen 1 radiator and accommodating and adapting the Gen 2 Fan to fit. Not hard, but admittedly a bit involved.
One advantage to the IMS6.6 is that it gets rid of the need for crash bars, as it will generally be enough to do the job that crash bars are supposed to do. Of course, it gets a bit rashed up doing that job, but that's just patina.
The IMS6.6 doesn't play well with the Gen 2 without some fiddling to make it fit. "Stage One, Easy" of that is moving the radiator inboard a mite bit and bending some tabs on the radiator. "Stage Two, You've Lost Your Friggin' MInd, Tom" of that involves installing a Gen 1 radiator and accommodating and adapting the Gen 2 Fan to fit. Not hard, but admittedly a bit involved.
Thanks for everyone's input. The thing that has caused most(all) of the damage is definitely the rider. That idiot has tried to ride that poor KLR in places it was never ment to go.
Tom- I did indeed read your article and I intend to use you wisdom to make it the IMS fit.
My KLR's underlying problem is that it's owner should have bought a much smaller dirt bike.
Tom- I did indeed read your article and I intend to use you wisdom to make it the IMS fit.
My KLR's underlying problem is that it's owner should have bought a much smaller dirt bike.
I (and probably all of us) have been there, dreaming that knobby-tired KLR is an IT175 or Elsinore or something it isn't.
My most damaging wipe out was within 50 feet of the door of the shop, came out the back door of the shop and doing a loop in the back yard to get out the driveway. Wife and neighbour lady on back deck watching... putting slow around the yard over a bit of a hump, engine burped - pre MCP kit - at just the wrong time, lost my footing on the slick grass, and ended upside-down in a prickly cherry bush. Cracked a tank plastic . Scratched tank a bit. Cracked windshield. Demonstrated riding incompetence to audience. D'oh. Lessons.. MCP carb kit, crash bars, and above all move stuff around in the shop and use front door away from direct view of audience.
My most damaging wipe out was within 50 feet of the door of the shop, came out the back door of the shop and doing a loop in the back yard to get out the driveway. Wife and neighbour lady on back deck watching... putting slow around the yard over a bit of a hump, engine burped - pre MCP kit - at just the wrong time, lost my footing on the slick grass, and ended upside-down in a prickly cherry bush. Cracked a tank plastic . Scratched tank a bit. Cracked windshield. Demonstrated riding incompetence to audience. D'oh. Lessons.. MCP carb kit, crash bars, and above all move stuff around in the shop and use front door away from direct view of audience.
I recently purchased a N.O.S White IMS 6.6 fuel tank off of Amazon at a slightly reduced price. To replace my leaking at rear bracket steel tank.Like the title asks- can you fit an IMS 6.6 gallon tank on a 2009 KLR that already has a Thermo-Bob 2 installed?
I checked the IMS web site and found they now claim their 6.6 tank will fit the Gen 2 bikes.
I think they may have revised the 6.6 mold to accommodate the GEN 2 radiator.
And sold the old style off thru Amazon.
You could email IMS to confirm.
Actually I bought a new IMS 6.6 that is labeled as being able to fit a gen2 and it will but still needs modifications to the radiator. I test fitted it and it is close but not quite. I need to do the mod that souperdoo has on his site.
My KLR is the first bike that I have owned. I did not know if I wanted to ride street or dirt so I got one that kind of does both(ish). As it turns out I really enjoy dirt. So yes I have done horrible things to my KLR and yes I am trying to mod it in the direction of an off-road bike. I'm sure that I am the kind of KLR owner that makes KLR Purist's cringe. And yes I have knobby tires and a smile.I (and probably all of us) have been there, dreaming that knobby-tired KLR is an IT175 or Elsinore or something it isn't.
My most damaging wipe out was within 50 feet of the door of the shop, came out the back door of the shop and doing a loop in the back yard to get out the driveway. Wife and neighbour lady on back deck watching... putting slow around the yard over a bit of a hump, engine burped - pre MCP kit - at just the wrong time, lost my footing on the slick grass, and ended upside-down in a prickly cherry bush. Cracked a tank plastic . Scratched tank a bit. Cracked windshield. Demonstrated riding incompetence to audience. D'oh. Lessons.. MCP carb kit, crash bars, and above all move stuff around in the shop and use front door away from direct view of audience.
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