[PNWexplorer]

Dumped it again today. Went on a group ride with 10 other bikes and we had all stopped for dinner. Bikes were all lined up on the side of the main street in town and on an incline. We all took our turns pulling out and when I went to go, the front tire hit the gravel on the side and slid out from under me.

This bike seems to want to tip over constantly. The other riders were on street bikes and a Versys and had no issues. My skinny front tire just went rogue. The guys behind me said it was crazy; I was pulling out at the appropriate speed and angle and the front tire just looked like something jerked it sideways it was so fast.

Hit the street hard and I rolled away with no injuries, but the bike has about $500 in parts damage, if I don't count the Tusk racks.

Right mirror is also damaged and the Apache case is scraped. Also, the throttle is sticking.

I finished out the rest of the 70 mile ride, but the bike just feels incredibly unstable on the highway. It's not tire wobble (pressures are adjusted properly), it more like the bike just feels "twitchy". When I go through a corner, I can't maintain a line without constant correction.

In the group ride, it was apparent just how unstable my bike was. In following the Triumph ahead of me, I was amazed at how straight his bike tracked when cornering. We're both taking the same line at the same speed, with the same lean, but his handlebars are stationary while I have to make constant adjustments rather than just lean into it and look ahead like normal.

It could be I am just an awful rider and don't have a skill level high enough for the bike.

But, I added up the total amount I am into the bike with taxes, registration, purchase price, and mods and it is $9000.

Pretty sure I'm not going to get $9k for a used KLR with 200 miles on it. But, since they are impossible to find now, I might get most of my money back after the repairs are done and the bike is back to mint condition.

I don't know. I was enjoying riding, but the bike is just so top heavy and I am too old and slow to react in time to keep it from dumping, it seems.

 

[KLR-Mule]

Sorry to hear your looking to sell your new bike.
I would say a lot of your issues might be attributed to those OEM tires. They are god awful, and I call them widow makers. They suck off-road and suck even more on-road. I slid right off the road going into a turn on my bike with only 200mi on it. Sunny warm day on a clean asphalt road. Brought it back home and removed those $hit tires right away. Did I mention they suck?

You might also be used to your previous Harley that sits very low to the ground. If never done before, riding a 450lb dual sport off-road takes some skill and lots of practice before it’s mastered.

 

[ZZnoTop]

That front tire is horrible! And these bikes are top heavy Especially full of gas. I noticed before I modified a set of gen 2 crash bars and installed them that there seemed to be frame flex and fork flex. The gen2 crash bars with the upper supports I welded on stiffened up the frame some on turns👍 I also am installing a fork brace to hopefully correct the fork flex. I just mounted a set of Michelin anakee wilds and they also made a big difference in handling on and off road. Hope it all works out good for you bro 😎👍

 

[Reveille]

Maybe just don't get too discouraged so soon. You may just have a setup problem with the forks and shock preload. Mine is pretty darn planted and stable so maybe take a breath and don't do anything you may regret later. My 2 cents.
And as others have said, a full tank of fuel makes a huge difference in how the bike wants to behave. I only fill it up if I'm riding 200 miles non stop.

 

[Ride_on]

A couple of things that might be worth trying:

- The stock tires do not have a good reputation. People say it's the rider not the bike, but when I put good tires under my under-skilled over-confident butt it was like night and day.

- Can you get your front end up off of the ground and make sure the bars turn easily and smoothly lock to lock? There shouldn't be any play in the steering head bearings, nor should they be tight or 'knotchy'.

- Check that there's nothing binding or dragging. There's lots of cables and wires that must be routed exactly right. Again, they shouldn't have any effect lock to lock. Watch how they flex as the bars turn and make sure they couldn't possibly hang up occasionally.

-If you are a bit average in the inseam, the bike's weight can be tough to manage at times. I've got a 32" inseam, 33 with my boots on. No problem on flat ground but off camber can get really hard really fast.

- If you are new to off-road riding, don't be afraid to go to school. It is a very different game from pavement and tips and practice will help. Courses are available many places, and there's tons of good info on YouTube.

 

[daave]

200 miles....uff da it takes more time.
Just my thoughts as a new rider with the 22 KLR being my first bike

-you should change the tires. GPS are good for hardpack gravel and highway. Very stable. My next tire set will be the motoz adventure tires.

-the bike front end may not be right. (Warranty issue). The KLR is designed to make sharp tight slow speed turns. It will never travel like a street bike. That being said, mine leans very well even at slow speeds. I can counter steer all day long.

-take the panniers and any other weight off the bike till you get used to it. You don't need all that crap in the bike.

-buy some cones. Figure 8, triangle drills. Slow drills on gravel or grass. Stand up and do a circle with clutch only for 5 mins and you will be a better KLR rider.

-lower the bike if it's too too heavy. You don't need all that suspension anyway. I lowered my bike on inch and it made a huge difference.

Dual sport bikes take time to learn how to ride. My brother just purchased a DR650. He has been riding for decades however he has dumped the DR many many times. I would put the KLR on a diet, practice so you can get used to the bike, lower the damn thing so it's safer to ride.

 

[OCL]

I'm sorry about your minor drop and I'm glad you walked away from it. Is this your first bike?

It's normal to suddenly lose confidence in your riding abilities and on your new bike, especially when you drop it without knowing the real reasons as to what caused it. This condition is very common with newer riders or less experienced ones, this is why I asked if the KLR is your first bike. The KLR seems to attract a lot of first time buyers.

Now that I gave you the gentle rub, I'm going to switch gears and give you my honest opinion! Don't get butt hurt but here goes:

Simply riding on gravel and even turning on gravel doesn't cause bikes to crash. It's not your tires either. It is not the bike's fault. You could have been on something else and end up on the ground that quickly.

Damage to your bike is commensurate to the lack of any crash protection on your machine.

The KLR does not want to tip over constantly. It actually has a very low center of gravity. So unless you're carrying everything but the kitchen sink inside your paniers, it won't want to tip over constantly.

Cornering stability is highly dependent on your tire pressure, weight distribution, and rider ability. Given that so many other KLR riders can rail corners on the KLR, suggests that the bike doesn't have instability issues in corners. Not on stock tires with correct inflation anyway. Lose those side cases and shed some weight off the rear. Put your tire pressure at around 26/30 as baseline for pavement riding. Don't have a death grip on the handlebars. Relax and let the bike roll into corners and follow a smooth arc. Believe me this bike can rail in the corners almost as good as any. And for God's sake...200 miles? C'mon! If you just don't like the bike because you felt you made a mistake, ok I understand. Don't blame the bike though.

 

[DPelletier]

Hard to tell from here what your issues are but what I can tell you is that it has nothing to do with the "skinny 21" front tire".......if you focus on that, you will miss any real reason for your discomfort.

To echo some of the previous comments;
- you need alot more seat time than 200 miles to get comfortable - I'd recommend giving the bike a chance. It is tall, it is heavy but it isn't particularly hard to ride. If you are coming from street bikes (esp. cruisers) there is a definite learning curve.
- if you have a chance to ride another KLR, do it; make sure what you are feeling is normal and you don't have a problem (ie. like the head bearings being too tight - your description matches that as a potential problem)
- the stock tires do indeed suck and watch the tire pressures. Tire pressure threads are almost as bad as oil threads and I've decided to try to stop posting in them but unless running very heavily loaded or 2 up, you do NOT need more tire pressure in the larger rear tire - I run 22-24 front and 20-22 rear on my "offroad centric" riding - for mostly street, I'd go as much as 32 front and 30 rear.
- is your bike set-up properly? have you adjusted your sag?

I'd check out some of the above (suspension settings, tire pressures and head bearings) and consider replacing the tires but other than that it may just be you need more seat time so get those crash bars, gear up and ride. An offroad/dual sport/ADV riding course is a GREAT idea if you can find one in your area and I'd also repeat the above comment that if you don't need 6 galls of fuel for a ride, don't fill it all the way up.



Good luck,

Dave

 

[kurtfriedrich]

Once you lose confidence in a bike, its hard to get it back. My KLR is my 47th bike. I have about 1100 miles on it and I find it a total joy to ride on the street, even on these so called bad stock tires. If you want to try and get confidence back, find a place that is about an acre of not to deep sand, and get used to riding and develop the reflexes on what to do when the back end or front end start to wash out.

 

[KBear]

I have to ask. When eating dinner that day was there a small taste of alchohol during that dinner?

 

[Reveille]

I have to ask. When eating dinner that day was there a small taste of alchohol during that dinner?

That usually helps me relax and crash less. Within reason... too much and that little voice in my head that says, "don't jump that sand pile" turns off and then. We'll you know the rest.

 

[DPelletier]

That usually helps me relax and crash less. Within reason... too much and that little voice in my head that says, "don't jump that sand pile" turns off and then. We'll you know the rest.

back in 1983, I had been camping and in the process had consumed many beer.....a friend showed up on his CR480R and I thought it was a great idea to take it for a rip; next thing you know, I'm wheelying through the campfire in 3rd gear (bike was a 4 spd.) with no helmet, gear, nothing..... after I woke up the next morning, I promised myself I'd avoid mixing motorcycles and alcohol.

Dave

 

[ZZnoTop]

You guys are too much🤣 this poor guy has been riding since he was a kid ( dirt & street ) and that p.o.s. front tire( he already replaced the back tire because it sucked...) Took his ass out. Witnesses saw it and commented 🤣That tire needs to go too! Cut him a little slack😂👍. Those tires are o.k. unless you're on gravel or hit gravel. Big love guys but damn it y'all...😂👍

 

[KLR-Mule]

A nice stiff Long Island always makes me a better rider. Wait, what?

 

[ZZnoTop]

🍻🤣👍

 

[PNWexplorer]

I have to ask. When eating dinner that day was there a small taste of alchohol during that dinner?

Absolutely not.

 

[PeteK]

Ditto what others wrote, but let me emphasize a few points:

1. Tire pressures. Make sure those are at least 30 rear and 32 front for mostly road riding. Front should be more than rear for whatever riding you are doing.

2. Steering bearings: Ride On mentioned them. For any instability in steering, you MUST check the bearings. The forks must turn FREELY with no notchiness or even slight catching. The steering bearings are better a little too loose, than even a tiny bit too tight. Every KLR I have tracks straight and stable and glides smoothly into and out of turns. I have experienced tight bearings when I was adjusting them on several bikes. If the bearings are too tight, that will cause exactly the stability and turn-in turn-out problems you described. And as someone else mentioned, make DAMN SURE that the control cables are routed correctly and do not restrict the steering. Take it back to the dealer and tell them the steering is unstable and to check the steering bearings and cables.

3. I’ve dropped big bikes and small bikes because the front wheel went over some loose gravel or sand on a hard surface. Especially at low speed. When there is loose gravel on top of pavement, it kinda acts like rollers between the tires and road and you go down before you even have time to realize it. You may have just hit that patch that no one else did. And possibly the worst thing you can do on a loose surface at low speed is to grab the front brake. Under those conditions I only use the rear brake.

4. Based on your description, I think there is something wrong with the setup of the bike. I don’t think it’s just you. Nevertheless, the several suggestions to get some off-road or ADV training are important. And an instructor can try your bike and tell you if it’s set up right.

 

[Rocketmancycle]

Cornering stability is highly dependent on your tire pressure, weight distribution, and rider ability. Given that so many other KLR riders can rail corners on the KLR, suggests that the bike doesn't have instability issues in corners. Not on stock tires with correct inflation anyway. Lose those side cases and shed some weight off the rear. Put your tire pressure at around 26/30 as baseline for pavement riding. Don't have a death grip on the handlebars. Relax and let the bike roll into corners and follow a smooth arc. Believe me this bike can rail in the corners almost as good as any. And for God's sake...200 miles? C'mon! If you just don't like the bike because you felt you made a mistake, ok I understand. Don't blame the bike though.
[/QUOTE]
I'm one of the guys that Rail corners on this big girl. 40 years of riding experience plus roadracing, flattrack, and a little MX build out my skills.
But.
Gravel on top of pavement can be terrible, and it's a surface combination that even surprises me once in awhile, and I live on a gravel road and ride to work every day I can. My recommendation would be to practice. Learn to read the surface. you'll be fine

 

[OCL]

I've certainly had my fair share of riding on gravel or even hard packed sand, leaned the bike just a tad, and the front end breaks loose. Down I went. It happened fast too. The very first time that happened was on my DR650 with stock tires on hard packed gravel. I couldn't explain what caused it at the time. I blamed the tires. Years later I realized it was all me. I was leaning into the turn in gravel. DOH! Lesson learned.

The last time that happened I had really good knobby tires, aired down. I was in softer sand and negotiating a turn. It happened so fast...the VStrom steering just knifed into the sand and down I went. I blamed the bike. But later I recall that I was so freaked out about the soft sand, I was leaned way back and my butt was resting on my tail bag! Basically I was "sitting" and had very little pressure to control the bike with the footpegs. I showed the video to an instructor and he immediately told me I was sitting from the position of the camera in relation to the handlebars. He then told me I just "balance" the bike using the footpegs only, and the best way to do that is by standing. Lesson learned again.

 

[OCL]

Gravel on top of pavement can be terrible, and it's a surface combination that even surprises me once in awhile, and I live on a gravel road and ride to work every day I can. My recommendation would be to practice. Learn to read the surface. you'll be fine

Agree with this. Even gravel on very hard packed dirt is treacherous. Try walking along that kind of surface and you'll see how easy it is to slide. I rather prefer gravel on soft dirt. Because my tires can dig into the dirt. You'll know too when it's the treacherous gravel kind. It's like riding over small marbles.