The KLR650 Project - What's Wrong With It?

My 2002 KLR650 has delivered me from my home in southern Ontario to many adventurous places.

Here is my bike on the Newfoundland Rail Trail, after traveling over 2000 km via New England backroads and a ferry.


Here it is in northern Quebec near the James Bay Hydro projects.


Here it is on the Michigan Cross Country trail.


My bike also roams the backroads near my home, and takes me to work when the dirt road I live on is really loose and muddy in the spring. Here is me and my wife who is riding her Yamaha XT225.


Trouble started last fall while halfway through my trip to the Michigan Trail with my friend on his DR650. The rear suspension lost all compliance and free motion. I could press down the seat while standing next to the bike, and it would not spring back up. Trouble, and I was a day from home. I had to ride it back.

So recently I began to tear down the rear suspension to grease the rear suspension and install grease nipples. Unfortunately, I could not remove the front pivot bolt of the suspension linkage. Pounding on the bolt, the two frame halves began to separate. The frame needs to be put on a hydraulic press to press this bolt while holding the frame halves together.

Today I tore down the bike to be able to put the frame on a hydraulic press.

Here is a close up picture of the threaded end of the bolt on the left side of the frame. This is the bolt underneath the little round plastic cover on the bottom of the frame verticals.


Here is a wider shot which shows the linkage this bolt is for.


Here is the frame sitting on the floor of my garage, leaning up against the engine.



As I mentioned, I want to install grease nipples on the rear suspension bits. I also recently bought a doohickey kit to install. Also planned is to grease the steering head bearings, replace the wheel bearings, change the fork oil, install upgraded subframe bolts, inspect the oil intake screen on the right side. I may also install a new Progressive shock. Also to be done is to check the valve clearance. If I get ambitious, I may also decide to replace the piston rings and valve guides. We'll see how that goes.

I'll post more after more progress is made.