GEN 1 KLR 650 mod overview

[@supertrucker2077]

For your first bike, I’d say you did pretty awesome! I think it looks great and that’s what’s fun about motorcycles is you can make them into whatever makes you happy 👍 Great job! I hope you get lots of fun rides and thank you for your service to our country 🇺🇸

[@adventurevin7600]

Thanks, I just retired on June 1st. I did a round trip Route 66 Ride in 2018, best thing I ever did for myself. I plan to do the West Cost from the Mexican to Canada Boarder this year. Next year 2021 the Lincoln Highway!

[@AlphaChimpEnergy]

I love tusk’s stuff! You made that bike yours for sure bro.

[@johnmofield217]

Love this build.

[@adventurevin7600]

It just took me from L.A. to Chicago and now back in NM.

[@johnmofield217]

That's amazing!! KLR's are amazing machines. I am taking my first long trip from Nashville to Fort Walton Florida on Natchez Trc pkw next month. This is sort of a precursor to a cross country trip I want to do. I love your pelican panniers. I went cheap on panniers for this trip but I am definitely upgrading soon.

[@adventurevin7600]

@@johnmofield217 I just completed 5300 miles on the KLR (Route 66 round trip). I had to watch the speed and RPMs (65mph and about 4.5K RPM). It handled the dirt roads like a champ and it was not bad on seat and comfort. I am considering going up to a GS 1150 for my next long trip

[@DeepVerma728]

The zombie killer.

[@JosephWolf]

Scouts Out!

[@albertocamacho3963]

How did you do your rear blinkers?

[@adventurevin7600]

The kit came with exstension arms that just bolted on. It was easy.

[@popemorgasmXXVI]

Hey, what mirrors are those called? Thanks, mine vibrate way too much now I got a bigger exhaust and I need some that are more stable.

[@donaldatkins2942]

Hey brother, what size is the rear pelican box?

[@adventurevin7600]

seahorse.net/shop/protective-cases/se540/

[@d.e.aguirre129]

did you ever get a high speed wobble when you installed those panniers?

[@adventurevin7600]

Yes, a few times. But after I got the weight and balance down and the Eagle Mike front fork stabilizers I never had that issue again. I've done round trip Route 66 in 2018 and never had an issue and this past summer I did PCH (Ca Hwy 1 and Hwy 101) no problem. I do like the way they look and function but it took too much modification and money to recommend it to someone else. If you do go with the Pelican boxes like mine let me know and I will do a detail video of what I had to do to make them work

[@d.e.aguirre129]

@@adventurevin7600 I adapted some lightweight aluminum panniers and I love the look and functionality, but at 70+mph the bike sways. I removed them and bike is stable up until 85mph. I always wondered if ppl get the same results with using the bigger tusk panniers.

[@adventurevin7600]

@D.E. Aguirre one thing I do like about my set up is the width doesn't exceed my handlebars, so I know if my bars clear (lane splitting in California) then my bags will. Also, smaller bags keep me from loading too much stuff

[@d.e.aguirre129]

@@adventurevin7600 awesome, I'm in Socal and I feel you

[@adventurevin7600]

@D.E. Aguirre I'm in Riverside, what city are you in?

[@Austinslaw]

What is that top case? Where can I get one?

[@adventurevin7600]

It is made by Sea Horse, model 540. It is a U.S. company and I got my on Amazon in 2015. There are unavaible on Amazon right now but check out the Pelican 1300. It is close in demensions

[@adventurevin7600]

Sea horse has a new model on Amazon. Search Sea Horse SE 540 many color options

[@adventurevin7600]

seahorse.net/shop/protective-cases/se540/

[@shuff1111]

I just installed the Happy Trails Nerf crash bars today......I had to drill a hole through my frame for the upper mount on the left bar. Did you run across that issue? Happy Trails instructions said there was already a hole there....strange!

[@adventurevin7600]

shuff1111 one the KLR there is a hole under a sticker you would have to "Poke Through". I start a 3 week Route 66 trip tomorrow but I will do a detailed video on where the hole is at.

[@shuff1111]

Adventure Vin That's what Happy Trails said too, but I have no sticker on the left side and no hole, just solid metal frame.....I had to drill one..... mine is a 1988, maybe they didn't start putting a hole there until after 1988.

[@adventurevin7600]

shuff1111 You have a classic. 1987 was the first year for the KLR 650 so your 1988 is one of the first and still on the road! I have only been riding for 5 years and my 2007 (Gen 1, same as yours) is rhe only moto I have owned. I gather you are right that your 1988 did not have the factory hole under the sticker on the left that runs all the way through. It sounds like there wasn't even a sticker. You probably got the drilled hole placement correct aa long as the one part of the nerf bar rests right on top of the radiator cap. It should tighten down just fine. Now I want to see how rhe earlier KLRs were designed

[@shuff1111]

Roger that....i have the bars installed...left side just barley misses the top of the radiator cap!!!

[@TimHoganTimsmooth]

Hooah

[@adventurevin7600]

@@TimHoganTimsmooth It finaly died after 50K miles last month when I rode it from Los Angeles to Fairbamks Alaska. I tried to get to the Arctic Circle but had to turn around. I bought a 2024 Transalp in Fairbanks amd rode that home

[@TimHoganTimsmooth]

@@adventurevin7600 can’t wait for my long trips, eventually I’ll do the TAT it’s kinda a bucket list thing for me

[@adventurevin7600]

@@TimHoganTimsmooth I had my sights on the TAT but I see now that its above my skill level

[@TimHoganTimsmooth]

@@adventurevin7600 well a good thing about it is you can always get off the trail and get on the road to skip certain sections of the trail, but you will definitely need to do your research and ask people who have done it before because you don’t want to have to backtrack 60 miles or something like that and you don’t want to get in a situation where you’re in above your head and then you stuck but I would definitely recommend finding someone or even better multiple people that can go along with you and it’s the best option but like i said that’s gonna be in the far future because I need to hone my skills with long distance trails I’ve ridden every thing from durtbikes and atvs and Harley’s all my life but I’ve never done a 20 plus miles in the middle of nowhere and concerns about bike failure is another reason to try to make friends with someone that is well advanced compared with yourself to accompany you, but I also realize it’s kinda hard for anyone to just go hit a trail for 2 months or however long it takes to cross country or even half of it and them not have to be at work lol

[@TimHoganTimsmooth]

@@adventurevin7600 they also have several states that have trails that cross the state as a good training ground for the TaT and some are more extreme than others also I would love to go to Utah because they have everything from nope not doing that I’m turning around to gravel roads !! Just a thought, don’t give up hope if you want to do it bad enough like me you have to figure out what, when and how to do it without getting yourself hurt or worse