Great build as always RM ATV! Going to be purchasing another KLR soon. Will spec with many of your suggested upgrades. TUSK products are exactly what I am looking for in my build. Cheers from CA!
I just purchased a 2024 ABS. Never rode a bike before in my life. I'm very happy with my purchase and looking forward to training and training and practicing until I'm a fully competent rider.
It's not all of the test rides, or the reviews of the KLR, but this video right here that convinced me to buy a KLR! Iove all of the customization options! I checked the prices on your website and they are pretty affordable too! Great video! 👍
I installed the low profile drain bolt and marked it to which side points forward. Then ground a sloped edge. It slides over rocks even more. Doesn't effect using a Allen tool to remove it.
You know I saw that intro pic of this KLR effortlessly on the back wheel and I thought to myself, "Well there'd have to be a decent lifter there." :). I have a fondness for this bike, but power is not one of its strong points.
Can confirm the IMS shifter was a game changer. I tried several (as I hadn't seen this video), and it was the difference of being able to fit my Corazol boot in there or not.
Oh, and it claimed to be for Gen2, but it fits fine. The only downside is that it didn't have the bolt groove, so if the bolt loosens, it could come off.
This is exactly what I'm looking for. One of each item please! lol I have a '22 KLR and am starting my build. The only thing that I've seen on other builds is the suspension upgrade. I guess that makes a huge difference. Glad you covered the seat concepts seat. That stock seat sucks and is my first thing to change. Thanks for a great video.
Nicely done guys. I think you did a great job on this video and build. I agree with most everything you have installed on this bike build. Thanks again Josh and keep up the great work on this bike. dale
I just bought a 2023 in August and now have 1025 miles on it. I changed oil and filter at 500 miles .I looks pretty dark now so I'm thinking about changing it again shortly. So fat I love it. Thanks for the update video.
The D sports are awesome tires. The front can be a little “wandery” for lack of a better term in the first hundred or so miles, but I’ve literally dragged foot peg on my klr with them on the street. And when I say “literally” I mean *literally,* not exaggerating. I’m looking forward to trying the 2 tracks, especially when a klr sized rear tire is added.
@@samueljlarson no problem. The KLR a and CB were my two finalists, but I chose the CB for greater versatility and reliability. I live in the mid-Atlantic and roads needing the KLR’s off-road advantages are few and far between compared to asphalt here.
If you're thinking about buying a gen3 klr don't bother unless you only want to ride easy dirt roads close to home. 5k miles on mine and over $1.5k in parts trying to make it better and it failed to start in the middle of the woods on rough single-track due to the faulty fuel pump design. If you really want a klr just find a clean gen2. Do better kawasaki
I want to eventually drop the cogent Mojave on my dr650, but if I had this bike I’d keep it squishy because I wouldn’t take it on the same type of rides. I’m sure cogent has one for this bike on procycle
Just bought a 23 KLR. This video is just what I was hoping to find. Would be nice to see a list of all these mods. Now about those performance upgrades.....
Good video. I would use Tusk crash bars, if they didn’t require me to ditch my Adventure case guards. I like the other Tusk stuff, though. Drain plug was my first “mod”, footpegs the second, and skid plate/crash bars the third.
Man you said a plastic stock skip plate I just bought a Honda C T1 25 trail and mine has a steel plate on it how thehat can they have a plastic plate as a skid guard
I don't really thing this crash bar concept is very well thought out. They protrude, and cause a huge risk to the rider in the event of a fall. I would rather the radiator plastic fall on me....first. I see these bars on ADV bikes and I cringe. I have crashed a few times in my 45 year career riding off road and yes the bike does, and will hit you from time to time. The injuries I could report as being the worst are from that part of the crash, not hitting the ground etc. Luggage racks, same thing. If you really think about it....there is a luggage frame under the seat, the subframe, to attach luggage too.....I use seatbelt straps attached to soft luggage only, for that exact reason. Less weight, and less danger, less risk. As well, having ridden trails, bush, trees....those bars stop you dead if you catch them the wrong way. It just seems so incongruous. Adding weight, increasing risk. Try not crashing.
If you would just sell all of that in one huge kit with free shipping to Hawaii that would be amazing!! 😂 unfortunately the shipping on all of this would probably cost me more than the total parts!
I just did a cost check for postage to AUD for give or take all the items combined. Items came to around $2000 AUD for the items but then shipping and taxes takes it up to $3737 - getting crazy high.
Good choices. Still perplexed why Mr. K. will not do the tensioner upgrade at the factory, as it is a known issue. Also, what is your assessment of the braking efficiency with the singe rotors?
Up til a week ago, I was set on the adventure. But after comparing the available mods, the adventure looked 'cheapened' to me. I ended up going with a base model in the khaki and am really happy about my choice. I opted to build it out to my liking/needs.
My KLR 650 hasn’t been ridden for 2 and on-half months. It’s under a 12 months warranty. Bad fuel pump back ordered. No delivery in sight. Disappointed ☹️. Good luck with Kawasaki.
This happened with the tensioner spring on my '18 at 2k miles. Took forever to get it back. Call corporate and insist they slide the warranty expiration date out accordingly👍
My question is now that it’s over 500lbs without gear for trips, and still about 40hp how “off road” is it really? I get it’s no dirt bike but still, a few steep unmaintained roads suddenly become as issue
Love the KLR! A little silly for me to detract from the topic here but are y'all considering tusk gear for the Tuareg 660? I'm struggling to find affordable racks and accessories.
Great video, nice job on the upgrades. I'm considering the KLR to take with us with a motorhome to use for exploration , how is this as a 2 up machine? I'm not talking cross country trips here, just day trips and the odd overnighter from wherever we might be camped. Cheers, Roden
Having had a gen2 KLR for years I will tell you it rides 2 up very comfortable. It nice to have a backrest for your quest. Luggage or something to help. It would be a good idea to upgrade the suspension. If you get into any dirt or bumpy stuff the upgrade will be a welcome change. Lots of options depending on want and or budget.
Yes, the 2022 has fuel injection. You can check out more information on this bike in our First Impressions video here: ua-cam.com/video/vFv_GmIyNdE/v-deo.html
FYI I just installed them, and it's not exactly a perfect fit. You'll need to remove the stock bar end weights, and bend the handguard a little bit to get it to bolt up squarely to the mounting bracket. Once you get it figured out, it fits and looks great, but it does take a little tweaking.
Come on man, let's get some performance mods for this motor. I call BS on these Nerds that say "but it won't be reliable" no reason for a 650 only making 38 hp. Needs more beans.
You buy a new Bike spend a fortune to make it... yeah I get it. But put me off buying one. Still no Doo Hickey upgrade. Kawasaki your kidding? That's a deal breaker. If they are that hopeless I will pass.
Please stop calling it a bike build. You add some aftermarket accessories and now its called a bike build...bogus. I added Barkbusters and centerstand to my KLR so I guess I built a bike also.
even after all those mods it's about as off-road ready as the 2022 Zuma if hitting dirt roads was the expectations for all these mods you could have just bought a harley
Really disappointed Kawi didn't even bother to fix they doohicky. And they gave it that awful dash, they could've just used the Versys x300 Dash it's way better.
They could have done a lot better in about every aspect of the bike. It has less "tech" than a gen1 aside from a faulty fuel system and weighs 50lbs more
Hate it. Klar is trash for the price. Though I do like your bike builds and used many of the parts on your crf rally build I can’t get over the cheap build if the KLR. I’ve had two in the past. Pretty much junk over anything else . The update was worthless.
Well, what isn't trash? As I see it, everything is trash, unless you can easily afford BMWs. Everything, including bicycles, had become so specialized in their little niches that a good all purpose go anywhere do anything bike is impossible to find. Bicycles, motorcycles, they all suck. All these corporations with their marketing have their heads where the sun don't shine.
I would like that parts list, with links from where you purchase your accessories. And I've been wondering about the ABS models, I've never owned a bike with ABS, and I can see where it could a hindrance off-road but a good thing on pavement. What's your view?
The first link in the description will take you to our website with the parts and accessories we added to this bike. Our KLR was a non-ABS model but it's really a personal choice. If you ride on the road the majority of the time the ABS model would be worth it but if you spend more time off-road and like being able to kick the back tire out you might not want to go for the ABS model. It's worth noting that some people have pulled the ABS fuses or wired in a switch to turn the ABS off when needed so that might be something to look in to.
Still a KLR. Lovable, workable, two wheeled utility tool.
Greg Lawson , I have a hard time loving 428 pound trail bikes, myself.
@@captainamerica9353 well, not everyone can handle a 428lb trail bike. Don’t be so hard on yourself…….
@@greglawson3805 , very funny. I rode a friend's DRZ and that was heavy enough. But to each his own.
I am about to purchase a 2023 KLR650 adventure. New rider, new owner, very excited and great video. Thank you for posting.
Hope you have fun on your new bike! Stay safe on the trails.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that a young rider is riding one 😊🇦🇺 looks great.
Great build as always RM ATV! Going to be purchasing another KLR soon. Will spec with many of your suggested upgrades. TUSK products are exactly what I am looking for in my build. Cheers from CA!
Right on! Glad you like the Tusk products. Thanks for watching and the feedback!
I just purchased a 2024 ABS. Never rode a bike before in my life. I'm very happy with my purchase and looking forward to training and training and practicing until I'm a fully competent rider.
That's awesome! I hope you enjoy the bike and the adventures you will go on. Thanks for your views and feedback.
It's not all of the test rides, or the reviews of the KLR, but this video right here that convinced me to buy a KLR! Iove all of the customization options! I checked the prices on your website and they are pretty affordable too! Great video! 👍
I installed the low profile drain bolt and marked it to which side points forward. Then ground a sloped edge. It slides over rocks even more. Doesn't effect using a Allen tool to remove it.
You know I saw that intro pic of this KLR effortlessly on the back wheel and I thought to myself, "Well there'd have to be a decent lifter there." :). I have a fondness for this bike, but power is not one of its strong points.
Yeah there's nothing "effortless" about getting that front tire in the air, but it is possible!
Can confirm the IMS shifter was a game changer. I tried several (as I hadn't seen this video), and it was the difference of being able to fit my Corazol boot in there or not.
Oh, and it claimed to be for Gen2, but it fits fine. The only downside is that it didn't have the bolt groove, so if the bolt loosens, it could come off.
This is exactly what I'm looking for. One of each item please! lol I have a '22 KLR and am starting my build. The only thing that I've seen on other builds is the suspension upgrade. I guess that makes a huge difference. Glad you covered the seat concepts seat. That stock seat sucks and is my first thing to change. Thanks for a great video.
i thnk first thing i would change is the exhaust the stock exhaust weighs a ton and gets super hot
Moving to Utah in September and plan on buying & building a KLR...Can't wait!!
Definately you should up weight the suspension , and some braided steel brake lines to get the most out of the average at best calipers
Did the brake lines on a 07 Gen1, noticed the difference - good upgrade. 👍
Nicely done guys. I think you did a great job on this video and build. I agree with most everything you have installed on this bike build. Thanks again Josh and keep up the great work on this bike.
dale
Thanks for the feedback and following along with us Dale! Long live the KLR!
I just bought a 2023 in August and now have 1025 miles on it. I changed oil and filter at 500 miles .I looks pretty dark now so I'm thinking about changing it again shortly. So fat I love it. Thanks for the update video.
The D sports are awesome tires. The front can be a little “wandery” for lack of a better term in the first hundred or so miles, but I’ve literally dragged foot peg on my klr with them on the street. And when I say “literally” I mean *literally,* not exaggerating.
I’m looking forward to trying the 2 tracks, especially when a klr sized rear tire is added.
Patiently waiting for Rocky Mountain ATV to add CB500x components to the catalog.
I had a Rally Raid CB500x and it was no better off-road than a KLR650. Probably much worse actually.
@@samueljlarson not the point of my comment, but OK. And I would fully expect the KLR to be better off-road regardless.
@@joemikeska2657 Sorry, thought it might have been helpful to know before spending money on the mods.
@@samueljlarson no problem. The KLR a and CB were my two finalists, but I chose the CB for greater versatility and reliability. I live in the mid-Atlantic and roads needing the KLR’s off-road advantages are few and far between compared to asphalt here.
If you're thinking about buying a gen3 klr don't bother unless you only want to ride easy dirt roads close to home.
5k miles on mine and over $1.5k in parts trying to make it better and it failed to start in the middle of the woods on rough single-track due to the faulty fuel pump design.
If you really want a klr just find a clean gen2.
Do better kawasaki
Great build gives me a lot of ideas!
Upgrading the top plate is pretty helpful.
Wow, you made my perfect bike!
As long as you keep your adventures on smooth dirt or asphalt you will love this bike.
At 500 pounds it's no dirt bike so dont kid yourself!
So how about suspension?
I want to eventually drop the cogent Mojave on my dr650, but if I had this bike I’d keep it squishy because I wouldn’t take it on the same type of rides. I’m sure cogent has one for this bike on procycle
I have done that to my 2022 and worth every penny
It sucks
@@MrGrant440 So what did you do? Other fork? New shock? I'm interested!
🤫
Excellent additions Gentleman! Discreeet, functional and aestheticallly pleasing.
Nothing uglier on a scooter than a tank bag. Love the KLR.
Just bought a 23 KLR. This video is just what I was hoping to find. Would be nice to see a list of all these mods. Now about those performance upgrades.....
Nice bro👍. Thanks for the vid✌️❤️
Glad to hear the Olympus tank bag is good; I bought one with no experience of it. I’d get the soft panniers if I didn’t have Kawie hard cases already.
Your builds are awsome that bike looks amazing please try to do a build on the Royal Enfield Himalayan
Why A Royal Shitfield
@@Deertracks123 to see ia they can turn shit to gold 😅
@@Deertracks123 I dig my himi
That’s a cool setup. I have the tusk cb and want the handgaurds. And I am getting the pannier racks and pilot bags for it.
i have nearly the exact same build setup, and i love it.
An amazing motorcycle indeed.
Really nice build.. reminds me of my 2015.... I need more education on Tires though....
thanks.s
1:50 leave the plastic one on, it's called 'skid' for a reason. Metal will stick to rock like glue
If you think your new KLR needs the Doohicky mod done, you probably purchased Hurricane Insurance for your house in Nebraska too.
at 2k miles, the tensioner spring in my '18 broke.
6 months and more than eighty parts later, I finally got my new bike back. Js
Front spring upgrade and adjustable windshield
Good video. I would use Tusk crash bars, if they didn’t require me to ditch my Adventure case guards. I like the other Tusk stuff, though. Drain plug was my first “mod”, footpegs the second, and skid plate/crash bars the third.
Is this the small or large tank bag?
Bark Busters are key, or some other good hand/bar protection.
Man you said a plastic stock skip plate I just bought a Honda C T1 25 trail and mine has a steel plate on it how thehat can they have a plastic plate as a skid guard
Nice build...Thx for the vid!
What would be the package price for all the goodies?
I don't really thing this crash bar concept is very well thought out. They protrude, and cause a huge risk to the rider in the event of a fall. I would rather the radiator plastic fall on me....first. I see these bars on ADV bikes and I cringe. I have crashed a few times in my 45 year career riding off road and yes the bike does, and will hit you from time to time. The injuries I could report as being the worst are from that part of the crash, not hitting the ground etc. Luggage racks, same thing. If you really think about it....there is a luggage frame under the seat, the subframe, to attach luggage too.....I use seatbelt straps attached to soft luggage only, for that exact reason. Less weight, and less danger, less risk. As well, having ridden trails, bush, trees....those bars stop you dead if you catch them the wrong way. It just seems so incongruous. Adding weight, increasing risk. Try not crashing.
Back bar hits the reflector on the 2023 ? why, also crash bars touch on the right side why?
If you would just sell all of that in one huge kit with free shipping to Hawaii that would be amazing!! 😂 unfortunately the shipping on all of this would probably cost me more than the total parts!
I just did a cost check for postage to AUD for give or take all the items combined. Items came to around $2000 AUD for the items but then shipping and taxes takes it up to $3737 - getting crazy high.
Would be nice to know the breakdown of this build for someone that might be interested in building something similar
The first link in the description will take you to a page with all the parts we used so you can get an idea on price.
Hoping to see you guys carrying some tusk items for the Tuareg 660
Good choices. Still perplexed why Mr. K. will not do the tensioner upgrade at the factory, as it is a known issue. Also, what is your assessment of the braking efficiency with the singe rotors?
Great Granddad bike !
No, grandads ride Harleys or goldwings. This is just dadbike.
Nice upgrades, what was the total cost?
Quanto arrivi in Italia che malinconia
Missed the rear brake line, outside the swingarm could be ripped very easy...
How about the front fork Brace ?
Nothing done to the suspension?
I’m having some trouble finding some plastics upgrades. I want something brighter/more colorful than the stock color options. Any suggestions?
Sorry, haven't seen any aftermarket full plastic kits for these bikes.
Does Rocky Mountain offer the fender eliminator kit?
What's peoples opinion on buying the adventure model or building up from abs model?
Up til a week ago, I was set on the adventure. But after comparing the available mods, the adventure looked 'cheapened' to me. I ended up going with a base model in the khaki and am really happy about my choice. I opted to build it out to my liking/needs.
not sure if you got one yet but the adventure model just isn't worth it. The aftermarket accessories are better for cheaper.
Thanks you guys are great. Is that tank pad (sides) magnetic or stick on, thanks again
They're stick on graphics 👍
Is that the large or small tank bag? Wondering which I should buy
My KLR 650 hasn’t been ridden for 2 and on-half months. It’s under a 12 months warranty. Bad fuel pump back ordered. No delivery in sight. Disappointed ☹️. Good luck with Kawasaki.
This happened with the tensioner spring on my '18 at 2k miles.
Took forever to get it back.
Call corporate and insist they slide the warranty expiration date out accordingly👍
btw, how miles were you at before having trouble with the fuel pump? I'm curious as I got a '22 last week.
Love it m8, am working on mine atm, cant wait till its up to spec, thanks for your update on your build..
(;{~
Can you post a full parts list for this build? I love the complete setup and want to do this to mine. 👍
Yeah you can see all the parts we added through the link in the description!
@@joshprows5305 except for the fender eliminator kit
1:23 there is a pop up in upper right corner with parts and such listed
Will you be changing the drive chain sprockets to improve off road performance?
No not at all
Does anyone know if my kriega platforms will fit on the tusk pannier racks?
I’m with @thealvacado on this. What suspension upgrades are pending?
How did you wire the Thumperjockey lights?
I hope someone does a video on this
What grips are those ?
Fuel pump
Fun review! What’s all the talk about the Doohickey?
Does that apply to the new model as well ?
Thx
Same I’m wondering too
My question is now that it’s over 500lbs without gear for trips, and still about 40hp how “off road” is it really? I get it’s no dirt bike but still, a few steep unmaintained roads suddenly become as issue
It's fine
How much did it all add up to?
Love the KLR! A little silly for me to detract from the topic here but are y'all considering tusk gear for the Tuareg 660? I'm struggling to find affordable racks and accessories.
Excelent: 👍
What about the long side stand ?
It has been shortened
suspension?
Great video, nice job on the upgrades. I'm considering the KLR to take with us with a motorhome to use for exploration , how is this as a 2 up machine? I'm not talking cross country trips here, just day trips and the odd overnighter from wherever we might be camped. Cheers, Roden
Not an owner yet. I've done a ton of research and it sounds like the bike can ride 2 easily and comfortably. Hope it helps
Having had a gen2 KLR for years I will tell you it rides 2 up very comfortable. It nice to have a backrest for your quest. Luggage or something to help. It would be a good idea to upgrade the suspension. If you get into any dirt or bumpy stuff the upgrade will be a welcome change. Lots of options depending on want and or budget.
I don't feel like doing all that work. Why don't you just send me that bike? And like a lot!
❤Good
Fuel injection?
Yes, the 2022 has fuel injection. You can check out more information on this bike in our First Impressions video here: ua-cam.com/video/vFv_GmIyNdE/v-deo.html
The Tusk DFlex Pro Adventure handguard is listed as not for KLR. Any adjustments needed? Which model to buy then?
Nope, no modifications needed! Thanks for letting us know, the programming just needed updating, but it should show the KLR on there now 👍
FYI I just installed them, and it's not exactly a perfect fit. You'll need to remove the stock bar end weights, and bend the handguard a little bit to get it to bolt up squarely to the mounting bracket. Once you get it figured out, it fits and looks great, but it does take a little tweaking.
just a commercial for one company.
Where can we find the rear fender eliminator kit?
Stay tuned. We're still a little way's out on these 👍🏼
@@rmatvmc we need one for the second Gen
@@rmatvmc I’ll be waiting!
Come on man, let's get some performance mods for this motor. I call BS on these Nerds that say "but it won't be reliable" no reason for a 650 only making 38 hp. Needs more beans.
Correct, my 88’ 600cc air cooled Yamaha tenere makes 48HP
Well then don't buy a KLR and gripe about lack of power. Buy something else, but it won't under $7,000 either. You want more power, pay for it.
You buy a new Bike spend a fortune to make it... yeah I get it. But put me off buying one. Still no Doo Hickey upgrade. Kawasaki your kidding? That's a deal breaker. If they are that hopeless I will pass.
👍👍👍
tusk
Please stop calling it a bike build. You add some aftermarket accessories and now its called a bike build...bogus. I added Barkbusters and centerstand to my KLR so I guess I built a bike also.
That OEM oil drain bolt is one of the stupidest designs I have ever seen.....why Kawasaki....why?
🦅 is joke
even after all those mods it's about as off-road ready as the 2022 Zuma if hitting dirt roads was the expectations for all these mods you could have just bought a harley
Really disappointed Kawi didn't even bother to fix they doohicky. And they gave it that awful dash, they could've just used the Versys x300 Dash it's way better.
Doohicky swap tech days are one of the best parts of klr ownership
They could have done a lot better in about every aspect of the bike. It has less "tech" than a gen1 aside from a faulty fuel system and weighs 50lbs more
Maybe they didn't want to put Eagle Mike completely out of business...just a thought 🤷🏼♂️
@@jacbosmitt less tech than gen1? In what ways?
@@mrfaceforest hahahaha 🤣🤣🤣👉👌
I can't stand the idea of fixing a bike that is brand new. When is Kawasaki going to fix their problems? This is messed up AF.
Thank God Face didn't do this one
Hate it. Klar is trash for the price.
Though I do like your bike builds and used many of the parts on your crf rally build I can’t get over the cheap build if the KLR. I’ve had two in the past. Pretty much junk over anything else . The update was worthless.
Exactly
Well, what isn't trash? As I see it, everything is trash, unless you can easily afford BMWs. Everything, including bicycles, had become so specialized in their little niches that a good all purpose go anywhere do anything bike is impossible to find. Bicycles, motorcycles, they all suck. All these corporations with their marketing have their heads where the sun don't shine.
I would like that parts list, with links from where you purchase your accessories. And I've been wondering about the ABS models, I've never owned a bike with ABS, and I can see where it could a hindrance off-road but a good thing on pavement. What's your view?
The first link in the description will take you to our website with the parts and accessories we added to this bike. Our KLR was a non-ABS model but it's really a personal choice. If you ride on the road the majority of the time the ABS model would be worth it but if you spend more time off-road and like being able to kick the back tire out you might not want to go for the ABS model. It's worth noting that some people have pulled the ABS fuses or wired in a switch to turn the ABS off when needed so that might be something to look in to.
how much does all the added crap weigh? 20kg or more on an already overweight and underpowered bike...yeaha..
Then don't buy one. Pretty simple fix.
gps. anymore it's a must have for me.
I love everything you did to it