[PointandCove]

Hi folks, I am a new KLR owner having purchased a 2018 model. The bike is in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and I'll be driving it home to Yellowknife, Canada in May. I've joined the forum because I'm thrilled to be a part of the KLR community and they'll be some great riding in Northern Canada.

Meantime, I'm looking for a bit of advice for the 1200km ride from Edmonton to Yellowknife. In particular:

1) what key tools should I bring for the ride? Any suggestions on essentials for changing tires etc. A bit of research suggests the following is crucial:
-tire irons
-Patch/repair kit
-pump
-Quick Jack (Eagle Mike)
-socket wrench with basic 8,10,12 mm
-Multi tool
-Screwdriver combo bit set
-Metric allen wrenches
-Vice grips
-Zip ties
-Electrical tape
-Flashlight and/or headlamp
-

2) any essential modifications for the ride?

3 any other advice for the bike's maiden ride?

 

[samuel]

Here's one (of a few, if I'm not mistaken) post on toolkits:

https://www.klrforum.com/bike-rider-gear/12177-klr-tool-kit.html

 

[pdwestman]

Read this now, if you haven't already. https://www.klrforum.com/2008-klr65...iers-common-new-klr-owner-mistakes-avoid.html

Read the owners hand book asap, get to know your bike better as early as possible.

Carry a spare inner tube for each wheel and hope that you Never need to use either one on your own bike. Patch an injured tube in camp or at the motel room.

Check the engine oil 4 times daily, especially until you learn your bikes thirst or lack there of.

Give your bike a Complete Break-In Maintenance shortly after you arrive home. Paying particular attention to mounting Nuts / Bolts / Screws & spokes.
Re-service the OILED Foam air filter & an oil and filter change of course.

Welcome to the forum and ride safe.

 

[PointandCove]

Really helpful advice - thanks!

 

[chestypuller1970]

what brand oil are you guys using to reoil the foam filter?

 

[pdwestman]

what brand oil are you guys using to reoil the foam filter?

Do Not use K&N filter oil intended for the cotton gauze air filters, its too thin.

On the factory foam and other fine pore foams like Twin-Air & No-Toil, I like to use SAE 40 or 50 grade engine oil, but could use 10W40 engine oil. The 10W40 / 20W50 engine oils will bleed out of the foam and migrate all over in the air box more than thicker oils. But these oils are more easily cleaned.

On Coarser foam filters like the UNI-Filter it is best to use the sticky air filter oils from UNI / Twin-Air / Bel-Ray / PJ-1 / Maxima, etc.

I like to use compressed air to blow the weed seed and chunky dust off the outer surface. Wash the foam in some form of solvent, usually gasoline. Then wash with laundry or dishsoap & warm water. Rinse twice. Squeeze out excess water.
Dry overnight or in bright sunshine & breeze til 100% dry before re-oiling.

One must use enough filter oil to massage thru & thru and squeeze out excess oil. If one can't squeeze any excess oil out of the foam then one hasn't put Enough oil in it! I like to see at least 3-4 drops out from between my fingers.

 

[chestypuller1970]

i dont know if what i have is the factory filter or not it is foam forsure. what colors are the factory filter.

 

[pdwestman]

The factory foam air filter is white foam, single stage, fine pore thru & thru. The Top is flat, bonded to the sides, not domed. The opening of the sealing flange is only about 1/4 inch smaller radius all the around the inner circumference than the white plastic cage.

Many of the aftermarket foam air filters have TOO MUCH overhang of foam sealing flange inside of the white plastic cage. This smaller ID probably restricts the air flow enough that it probably negates any air flow benefit to their use of coarser, freer flowing foam. Unless one uses an ink marker to trace a larger opening & a razor knife to perform some careful surgery.

Uni-Filter brand is Red & Gray, most other aftermarket filters are a White and/or Yellowish foam, but one can usually see a coarser outer layer bonded to a finer pore inner layer of foam.

 

[chestypuller1970]

The factory foam air filter is white foam, single stage, fine pore thru & thru. The Top is flat, bonded to the sides, not domed. The opening of the sealing flange is only about 1/4 inch smaller radius all the around the inner circumference than the white plastic cage.

Many of the aftermarket foam air filters have TOO MUCH overhang of foam sealing flange inside of the white plastic cage. This smaller ID probably restricts the air flow enough that it probably negates any air flow benefit to their use of coarser, freer flowing foam. Unless one uses an ink marker to trace a larger opening & a razor knife to perform some careful surgery.

Uni-Filter brand is Red & Gray, most other aftermarket filters are a White and/or Yellowish foam, but one can usually see a coarser outer layer bonded to a finer pore inner layer of foam.

so does this look factory? sure needs a cleaning

 

[Tom Schmitz]

Worried. Looks like it needed an oiling. Pinch it; your fingers should come away oily.

 

[chestypuller1970]

its filthy and oily even the airbox is oily i wonder if they been sprayin the oil in the airbox.

 

[pdwestman]

its filthy and oily even the airbox is oily i wonder if they been sprayin the oil in the airbox.

It is Supposed to be OILY! The oil stops the dust, the foam only stops the big chunks.

That is a perfectly fine, thoroughly Oiled, factory foam air filter. And I am not trying to be funny.
It will continue to do its job for at-least twice as many mile/km as it already has, in similar conditions as it has been being used in. Possibly 3 times as far.

The edges of the foam don't allow much air thru, so the edges don't collect much dust.

I believe that I mentioned that I like the SAE 40 / SAE 50 grade oils, due to easy clean-up, but they do tend to migrate all over the air box. But it is fairly easily wiped out. The owners handbook even recommends engine oil to be used on the factory foam air filter.
When the exterior surface of the dust no-longer becomes oily from the wicking of oil to the surface dust, it is time to clean & re-OIL the filter.

One can always perform maintenance early, but if I wasn't going on a long trip I'd cap it back up & ride it. I can be a little lazy with my own bike at times.

 

[VTWoodchuck]

what brand oil are you guys using to reoil the foam filter?

No-Toil Filter Oil and Cleaner. It super tacky plus it is plant based and bi-degradable. Good stuff.

Kev

 

[VTWoodchuck]

its filthy and oily even the airbox is oily i wonder if they been sprayin the oil in the airbox.

Some filter oils are thinned with alcohol and require that you let them dry (by letting the alcohol evaporate) before you put the filter back in the air box. if you don't it will drip all over the air box until it finally drys out.

Kev

 

[pdwestman]

No-Toil Filter Oil and Cleaner. It super tacky plus it is plant based and bi-degradable. Good stuff.

Kev

Some filter oils are thinned with alcohol and require that you let them dry (by letting the alcohol evaporate) before you put the filter back in the air box. if you don't it will drip all over the air box until it finally drys out.

Kev

We should always SHAKE, SHake, Shake the heck out of our air filter Oils because of that fact!

 

[VTWoodchuck]

We should always SHAKE, SHake, Shake the heck out of our air filter Oils because of that fact!

True if you're using motor oil. One of the reasons I really like the No-Toil products is they are priced reasonably and if you let the alcohol dry out of it for a couple hours it won't drip a drop and is very tacky after it dries. I use the red stuff that's thinned with alcohol so it drys pretty fast. I just let it hang on the edge my empty cleaning bucket from a bent wire hanger I made for a couple hours, or even overnight if I'm not in a rush. They also make the green stuff that is thinned with water. It is also good stuff but it takes longer to dry.

Kev

 

[pdwestman]

Motor oil really doesn't have much that might separate out while in storage. But the Earliest generation of NO-Toil air filter oil was the Absolute Worst about the alcohol thinners separating from the sticky stuff. Bel-Ray petroleum based oil will separate some.

The early No-Toil oil also caused many foam air filters to literally disintegrate! I'll never sell it or use it again, sorry!

 

[chestypuller1970]

ill probably just pick up some 50 weight oil what ever is on it now must be good stuff cause it is sticky as all get out.

 

[VTWoodchuck]

Motor oil really doesn't have much that might separate out while in storage. But the Earliest generation of NO-Toil air filter oil was the Absolute Worst about the alcohol thinners separating from the sticky stuff. Bel-Ray petroleum based oil will separate some.

The early No-Toil oil also caused many foam air filters to literally disintegrate! I'll never sell it or use it again, sorry!

I can't comment on the earliest generation of No-Toil. I can say I've been using it without a problem since 2000 without any problems at all. To each his own.

Cheers.
Kev

 

[PointandCove]

Hi all, I've now completed the 1500km ride from Edmonton to Yellowknife. The bike ran just fine. I'd now like to give the bike some post-break-in maintenance. This will obviously include an oil change and checking all nuts and bolts. Anything else members recommend?

Best regards,

Kyle