7 Things I Hate About My Gen 3 KLR 650 Adventure

[@Ghostrider-71]

Agreed with some of these things. I changed out the rubber foot pegs right away for the Tusk model foot pegs. Much better. I have been to 70-80 mph and yes the vibration is strong, 65 is so much nicer. Yep, it’s a heavy bike, but only when it’s laying on the ground on one of the side boxes 😂. I have really enjoyed my 2023 Gen 3 KLR. Great bike for the price.

[@therapyontwowheels]

Absolutely, @Ghostrider-71. Glad to hear you are enjoying the bike. For sure most bikes "seem" light until you have to pick them up off of the ground lol. Love the way that was stated.

[@Ghostrider-71]

@ my back hurt for a few days, I need to get back into dead lifting in the gym. Lol.

[@jameswatson5831]

I here people complaining about this stuff on the klr650. This is just stuff to adjust to fit your needs it has nothing to do with the bike itself. Adjust your needs. Such it up and move on. The gen3 is a super bike. Go get yours today and RIDE

[@KLRJUNE]

I'm on my third KLR, I've had one from each generation and I recommend the Kenda Big Block line of tires because you can ride on them flat. I know, I did it several times on the KLR and even on the Africa Twin. I rode the Africa Twin 25 miles at 50 mph on a completely flat rear tire because I was just a step ahead of badass thunderstorm on the high plains and zero shelter anywhere on the horizon.

[@therapyontwowheels]

That must have been a crazy experience on the Africa Twin. I always carry a tire patching kit with me, but nobody wants to spend the time to fix their tire in the middle of nowhere, especially when you have a thunderstorm heading your way. Glad you made it out safe!

[@junkcollector-y7o]

be sure to ride the next bike you get before buying it. Some things are just show stoppers.

[@BikesnBBQ]

KLR is great bike for what it is. The 80mph you mentioned several times isn’t what it is. 65 mph is the KLRs happy spot on the freeway. I understand though for folks that live in rural areas of the US there is an obligatory 75-80 speed requirement. I live on Oahu and the top speed limit anywhere is 60mph. Some of us forget this bike was originally introduced in 1987 and the national speed limit back then was 55mph. Aloha.

[@therapyontwowheels]

Mahalo for your input @BikesnBBQ. I lived on Oahu myself for a few years from 2012-2015. Definitely different use cases depending on the maximum speed limits in the area you live. Going along the H3 must be a beautiful ride on this bike. What areas do you take it offroading? I lived in Waipahu, Mililani Mauka, and right next to the convention center in Honolulu for about a year each.

[@chanceseiler]

I just my 2024 S with ABS. I’m 6’2” the bike fit’s me fine. Yes they vibrate at high speed. I could not stand the vibration in my hands. Put a pair of Grip puppies on the bike. Got rid of about 70% of the vibration in the hand. Give them a try.

[@therapyontwowheels]

That is a great suggestion, thanks!

[@caseyf8054]

I have the identical bike as you but a year older. My fuel pump went out causing it not to start at work one terrible afternoon after a very rough and long day. I bought mine on the used market with 260 miles on it this past May. Apparently there was a recall on the fuel pumps on certain bikes but I hate people touching my stuff and try to fix everything myself and do my own maintenance if I’m capable. After changing the pump out and just this past week also changing to 705’s, I am enjoying the bike and it has almost 3,700 miles on it now. I find myself riding it more often than my Harleys because of the convenience, plus I’m not as methodical about keeping it immaculate like I do the other bikes. I call it my work bike.

[@therapyontwowheels]

Same thing happened to me @caseyf8054. Fuel pump went out around 1,500 miles. I was two hours away from home out in Lake Mead area with no cell service. Luckily, another group of bikers stopped to help me out and I was able to get my bike to the shop. Still less than a year so it was covered under my warranty. Had the 705s put on at the same time. Has been running beautifully since then with no further issues. I had no idea there was a recall for the fuel pump.

[@rosarioroberto5823]

Greetings, As always another brilliant detailed video production 🇺🇲🍾🎉🇺🇲 Keep producing more videos about the KLR

[@therapyontwowheels]

Thanks @rosarioroberto5823

[@ellzgoespro6568]

This is my first motorcycle so take my advice for whatever it's worth but here's my thoughts on the 3rd gen KLR (my very first motorcycle): This is a perfect starter bike for someone that is tall (I'm 6'-3") especially for the price. Power is adequate for the size and there aren't any times I feel the bike can't handle what I am doing. Yes, it's top-heavy but once you learn to compensate for that it's hardly noticable. In stock form, the bike is just okay but with a few modifications, it becomes almost great. I swapped out the PITA factory seat bolts with some quick disconnects that require just your hands to remove. Getting a set of 1" drop peg mounts helps a ton with this bike! I'm running those with a pair of Tusk footpegs and couldn't be happier with the setup. Shout out to JNS engineering for a great product! I also added the fender stabilizer for higher speeds although there's not much you can do to make this a comfortable highway bike (70+ mph highways). It still bobs and weaves like Little Mac when going above 70mph and makes you very aware that you are going a very high speed on a somewhat sketchy bike. Once you accept this bike's limitations and stay within them, you can truly appreciate it. If you step outside of those limits at all, be prepared for a wild ride! Also, one last complaint is that the speedo is totally inaccurate (at least on my bike). If it says I am going 65mph, I'm actually going closer to 60mph. Not sure if that is by design to keep you going slower but it's very annoying! I go off my GPS speedo now and it is way better. Also, why not add a gear indicator on the bike?! There's a spot for it on the cluster but it's wasted by some dummy light for the temp that is just additional to a red light. Come on man! Anyway, it's a great bike and I am super happy with it but it could be improved. Thanks for attending my Ted Talk.

[@jameswatson5831]

You nailed it. Adjust and ride

[@MikesProjectsandHobbiesMC]

It’s a great bike. Loved mine but very heavy for what it is.

[@therapyontwowheels]

100% @MikesProjectsandHobbiesMC, dependable, great in lots of riding conditions, decent on gas mileage, but heavy for an adventure bike with only ~40hp. The older BMW1200 GS is close to the same weight with over 100hp.

[@kaosbc]

gen3 KLR is a road bike you can confidently ride through your yard without falling.. some very light wide trails, and backroads... it feels VERY heavy, the throttle response is so bad you cant really use clutch and throttle control to maneuver and balance.. vstrom 650 does all of these things nearly the same, with loads more throttle response, albeit with lower ground clearance and 10x better road manners and actually feels lighter and more manageable gen2 klr is more manageable off road but only a bit, feels much lighter. gen1 klr is a decent bike true 50/50 if you plan any more than 40% offroading buy a dr650se if you plan to offroad more get an xr650l and a lowering link nome of these 650 classes will compare with a "dirtbike" klr has more to break and bust off road, but better wind protection, dr650 performs just as good on road way better offroad has a lower seat hieght less wieght but no wind protection, neither one are great for jumping... suspension just isnt made for that you can jump xr650l again no wind protection like dr650. drz400 is best off road at somewhat budget prices.. (yea crf450L and KTM and all the rest exist in big money land) I have had them all.. I would not recommend going out to buy a bike for all things, to be perfectly honest a plated dirtbike and any year vstrom will cover everything you will ever do... but you will always suffer taking a klr off road or a dirtbike on the highway the perfect bike does exist but you wouldn't be on a KLR video if you had the money for a Ducati DesertX.

[@therapyontwowheels]

Very well said @kaosbc. Great breakdown of potential alternatives. I would love to have 10 bikes in my garage, one for each specific riding style, or just how I'm feeling that day.

[@jakehaefner7372]

I think that's partly why they made this bike so cheap, pretty much everything on the list here can be customized or upgraded to the individual. Don't have to feel bad about throwing away the cheaper parts and easier to justify buying the better ones

[@therapyontwowheels]

Very well said @jakehaefner7372, very customizable bike. They know people would rather buy the parts that work best for their riding style rather than increase the cost by $2-3k and stick it more with the midrange competition. It's affordability is one of the biggest draws from potential buyers. Why spend $20,000+ on a brand new BMW 1250GS when you can pay a third of the price for a new KLR and get almost as much enjoyment out of it.

[@clivekent7465]

been on DRs for many years. yes these bikes are a compromise but do okay on different surfaces. On some rides I've done that combine dirt and pavement on the same ride in the mountains of CA/NV these bikes are about perfect and too much fun. looking at KLR specs I was surprised at the weight but then again you have that 6 gallon tank which is nice to have where I ride in west NV and east CA where the next fuel can be far. the DR also has a bolt on seat but battery checks can be done by checking your pigtail connect or installing a voltmeter. nice to have for electric gear. also did I read that the KLR has an upgraded (higher output) alternator?

[@therapyontwowheels]

@clivekent7465 from what I have read the Gen 3 alternator has about 40% more capacity compared to the Gen 1, and 20% more capacity compared to the Gen2. With the Adventure model coming with the additional plug ins I never really noticed any issues. Had the bike sitting for nearly 2 months shortly after purchasing it (hip surgery) and it started right up. I did have it on a battery tender though, so that may have helped. I haven't added any additional plug ins to the bike since it is already pretty well equipped. West NV and East CA is where I have done the majority of my riding on this bike too. Going out to Death Valley with no reception and no gas anywhere, I'm definitely glad to have the 6 gallon tank.

[@dcijams]

my first question is how much do you weigh? I'm 6'4", I have always gone with big bikes (Touring), But now I'm looking to downsize, But love the idea of having a trailer behind me.

[@therapyontwowheels]

@dcijams I'm ~200 lbs. At only 480 lbs for the Adventure model, these bikes are relatively light compared to a lot of the other ADV bikes out there. Nothing comes close to the same price range either for what you get with the bike.

[@dennylowery8546]

No 6th gear always gets me reaching for it. With no gear indicator

[@ellzgoespro6568]

Seriously, though... why Kawasaki?! Raise the price a couple hundred if you have to. It's worth it!

[@seanhewitt2521]

check your manual for proper tire pressure

[@jameslee5428]

I have owned all three generations of KLR 650s. All your complaints are probably valid on almost every motorcycle out there. Imagine if you could design a bike then someone else rode that bike that you designed, and probably would hate all the features that you put in to the bike. just saying. Anyways, be safe out there, make the bike your own. 😎

[@therapyontwowheels]

@jameslee5428 that is a completely valid point. I'm hoping to continue riding many bikes to find the one that fits my needs perfectly. The Gen 3 KLR is by no means a bad bike, it all just depends on what you are using it for. Thanks for watching!

[@jameslee5428]

The KLR 650 is still a really great bike. It is still the go to bike. Should I ever need a smaller CC bike such as the KLR.. The reason for me finally upgrading from the KLR was I was really getting beat Up, constantly getting ran over on the interstate of Southern California….😎😎👍👍

[@JeffJeno1000]

They’re ridiculously heavy for what they are, a big gutless fuel slurper.

[@ellzgoespro6568]

I don't know... 48mpg isn't terrible.