Hi all,

Well I got bitten by the bug again. After trying a resto on an XTZ750 I found I had bitten off more than I could chew so I decided to look for something that wasn't so needy.

I was looking initially for a 3AJ or 1VJ and missed a few along the way, but I have also always liked the look of the KLR 650 Tengai. This popped up on that site about 2 weeks ago so I took a punt and won it for £560 (cheers for keeping quiet Mezo ) With 2 other Kawasaki's in the family it seemed like the right thing to do (not sure the wife agrees though )



I also got a few engine parts (complete bottom end, side cover, stator and flywheel), a battery optimiser and a topbox.

She is MOT'd until march next year and taxed until August so she's rideable now but I plan to 'Freshen' it up rather than attempt a full resto, I will be moving house in the next few months so I don't want to lose anything in the chaos. It will not be a quick process, more as family, work and money allow.

I went for a spin down the lane and the clutch is very heavy and only operates on the last part of the lever travel. The brakes are pants and the plastics have seen much better days but otherwise i'm pretty happy. The lower fairing panel/bashplate is missing but I believe the KLR650 has the same one and I've seen a few aluminium ones on sale. I also want to find out if the Doohickey thing has been done. Thanks again Mezo, great video.

I also picked up a genuine service manual for £15 delivered

I will be back to ask stupid questions i'm sure but in the mean time here's a couple more pics:

I think the klr650 is still sold new in the states looks a tad different to yours but I wouldnt be surprised if the motors the same, so you could be ok for engine parts

I hope I'm ok engine wise, the plastics are harder to come by but there are some on ebay. I was thinking of trying my hand at making some fibreglass ones as I have the kit sat waiting.

jwdg298 wrote:I was thinking of trying my hand at making some fibreglass ones as I have the kit sat waiting.

I think i read of some guy in Aussie who was selling fibreglass reproduction's? ill have a read again.

EDIT: Here is the article i was reading.

Mezo.

I saw that too. I did a search for prixhistoric but nothing comes up and their Facebook page has had no real action since 2011???. It's a shame as they look good in the pics.

jwdg298 wrote:I did a search for prixhistoric but nothing comes up and their Facebook page has had no real action since 2011???

Same as me then?

I had a good search & nothing but dud links.

Mezp.

Could be worth trying dc plastics in the u.s,they do quite a lot of the harder to find dirtbike plastics for older models.
They are vacumn formed rather than proper injection moulded but they work fine.

Hi,

Thanks for that. I had a look at there site but not much for the KLR650. I'll drop them a line and see what they say.

jwdg298 wrote:Hi,

Thanks for that. I had a look at there site but not much for the KLR650. I'll drop them a line and see what they say.

DC mainly do vintage MX plastics (all the old two stroke air cooled thumpers).

M.

I made a start yesterday on removing the fairings and discovered that they are held together using filler and fibreglass .



I spent a couple of happy and peaceful hours using a soldering iron to 'weld' the cracks back together, using cable ties as filler. It seems like a good technique but it requires the area to be free of filler which was a pain. I reckon with a bit more work they will be ready for a couple of coats of primer. This is to hopefully produce useable fibreglass moulds. I've decided to do these first as they are smaller, and if it all goes wrong I THINK I can use standard KLR rear panels, although the vent hole is in a different place.



I'm also tackling the front fairings but they're more of a challenge as there are parts missing and some heat damage to certain areas. I need to get a sacrificial panel or two so I can cut them up to 'fill in the blanks'.

Under the plastic she looks in fair condition for the money with not too much rust that I can see.



I have purchased the Doohickey kit (with tools, springs and gaskets) from Eagle Mike engineering in the USA and i'm eagerly awaiting it's arrival. I got the proper gaskets as the curent purple sealant is a bit messy and I hate to think where else its gone!!



I did find that the oil drain is well and truly sealed up with what looks like white silicone???



Anyway, not much real progress but I know you all love pictures I'm itching to pull her apart but I need to bide my time so as not to lose stuff in the house move. Plus the money has been used for this month......