After having done lots of upgrades to my 18,500 mile 2003 Kawasaki KLR650, the one thing left that really bugged me was the motor. It sounded terrible, vibrated a lot, and didn't have much power. I finally bit the bullet and ordered a 2006 used cylinder and head off EBay and sent them to Cary Aspy at Schnitz Racing in Decatur Illinois. Schnitz is a shop that specializes in drag bikes, but Cary is the Service Manager there and has a KLR... so he came up with some trick stuff that transforms the KLR650 motor into a fire-breathing beast. I ordered the 705 kit that consists of an oversized forged piston from J&E, a cryogenically-treated heavier sleeve from L.A. Sleeves and all the machine work and gaskets to put it all together. I also opted for Cary's "Stage II" headwork with oversize & polished ports, oversized stainless valves, lightened retainers, new guides, new seals, etc.
We did the work at my buddy Mike's house up in Angels Camp California, in the Gold Country & foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
First order of business (after removing the side covers, seat, and tank) was to replace the stock KLR clutch springs with some heavy duty Barnett springs designed for a Kawasaki ZX-10. The 705/StageII makes enough power that it'll cause the stock KLR clutch to slip. We removed the water pump and the right side cover, and once that was off you have access to the oil strainer screen.
SAD UPDATE: Cary Aspy was involved in a fatal motorcycle accident Monday evening October 6th, 2008 while on his way home from a weekend riding trip to Tennessee. His Kawasaki KLR650 was a source of pride and was used to develop many aftermarket performance enhancing products for other owners in recent years. Cary had worked for Ehlerding Cycle for 13 years before coming to Schnitz Racing in August of 1992 as the service manager, cylinder head specialist, and engine builder. He was also a neighbor to the Schnitz family for 27 years. Cary was happy to offer any advice and answer questions in detail for anyone who asked. He will be truly missed.
By the way, I am no longer on the klr650.net forums because I have been permanently banned from there for refusing to let Glenn and his ignoramus moderators dominate me.
We did the work at my buddy Mike's house up in Angels Camp California, in the Gold Country & foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
First order of business (after removing the side covers, seat, and tank) was to replace the stock KLR clutch springs with some heavy duty Barnett springs designed for a Kawasaki ZX-10. The 705/StageII makes enough power that it'll cause the stock KLR clutch to slip. We removed the water pump and the right side cover, and once that was off you have access to the oil strainer screen.
SAD UPDATE: Cary Aspy was involved in a fatal motorcycle accident Monday evening October 6th, 2008 while on his way home from a weekend riding trip to Tennessee. His Kawasaki KLR650 was a source of pride and was used to develop many aftermarket performance enhancing products for other owners in recent years. Cary had worked for Ehlerding Cycle for 13 years before coming to Schnitz Racing in August of 1992 as the service manager, cylinder head specialist, and engine builder. He was also a neighbor to the Schnitz family for 27 years. Cary was happy to offer any advice and answer questions in detail for anyone who asked. He will be truly missed.
By the way, I am no longer on the klr650.net forums because I have been permanently banned from there for refusing to let Glenn and his ignoramus moderators dominate me.
This is what the oil strainer screen looked like when I pulled it out. That stuff is a collection of over enthusiastically applied gasket sealer and bits of hard black plastic. This is the first time since the motor was assembled by Kawasaki that the strainer had been checked, and all that stuff is a result of Kawasaki's crappy workmanship at the factory.
This is what the oil strainer screen looked like when I pulled it out. That stuff is a collection of over enthusiastically applied gasket sealer and bits of hard black plastic. This is the first time since the motor was assembled by Kawasaki that the strainer had been checked, and all that stuff is a result of Kawasaki's crappy workmanship at the factory.
Camera: Canon (Canon Powershot G9) |
More details: exif |
Original size: 618px x 800px |
Current: 232px x 300px |
