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25 Jun 2007
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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I have also noticed something similar at about 80 mph and I know someone else reported something similar on the forum a while ago. I increased the pre-load on the rear shock and it seems to have improved significantly. For me the movement was more of a slight wiggle coming through the bars. I put it down to the front end beginning to lighten.
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26 Jun 2007
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Its just a tall and light front end, mine does it also at about 85 ish mph.
Adjusting the rear preload does help this. I went up two clicks from standard.
The old girl aint designed for top end speed, Keep her round 70mph and its fine. (apart from only doing 70 that is!!!).
Roy
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26 Jun 2007
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I noticed the same thing when I first got the bike, but it's pretty much stopped doing it now. Now it will quite happily cruise at 90mph (with surprisingly good economy). I don't know whether it was the tyres (it was more pronounced on the OE Trailmax) or the fact that there's now 10,000 on the clock, but I haven't noticed it for a long time.
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"On that? You're nuts!" - My cousin's boyfriend
Current Bikes - Kawasaki KLE500 '05 (May 06)
Previous Bikes - Hyosung GF125 (Oct 05 to May 06)
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26 Jun 2007
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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Front wheel smooth waving at 100-120 kph
I started to feel the same waving of the front wheel a couple of weeks ago, and I have noticed that one of the balance weights I have on the rear rim had gone out.
I will take her to the workshop this week for a rear shock absorber replacement and will have that fixed also.
Anyone knows about Bitubo rear shock absorbers. It is an Italian brand and I have heard that its good, but any advice will be wellcome.
Cheers
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Jules
Now Kawa KLE500 dirty-knobby tires, noisy Thunder exhaust.
Waiting for the new 2008 Yamaha XTZ660 Ténéré
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26 Jun 2007
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Worth a look @:-
Documento senza titolo
I've never used them, but they are made in the land of Ducati!!
Dave
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Dave
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27 Jun 2007
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Rear Shock absorber for KLE
Thanks for the info.
I had already looked at that webpage. They are nice and seem to be well-built.
I am waiting for the spare to arrive. There has been a truck drivers general strike here in Spain and it is taking two weeks more than expected to receive it from Italy.
I will tell you when it comes
Here it goes the description from the official web
For KLE500 '91-02
Shock Absorber ref XZE 11 - CZE 11
Single chamber pressurized gas compensated (Nitrogen) shock absorber, with oil/gas piston separator
XZE - CZE have body in Anti-friction trested steel, rod with low friction bushes, and head in Ergal worked from a single block by CNC machine.
Setting adjuster:
- Spring preload with millimetric aluminium special ring
- Rebound
- Adjustable inter-axis length (0 – 10 mm), only for certain models
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Jules
Now Kawa KLE500 dirty-knobby tires, noisy Thunder exhaust.
Waiting for the new 2008 Yamaha XTZ660 Ténéré
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27 Jun 2007
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Durban, South Africa
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Weaves & Wiggles
Thanks guys! Already set the rear preload to the max (made the handling way nicer for me (about 75kgs)), so can't turn that up any more. But glad to know that others have experienced it and that its unlikely that I broke anything while wacking through the bush!
Later all!
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28 Jun 2007
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Waving problems
Hi,
Going on with this issue, apart from a lost balance weight, one thing that can produce this waving on the front wheel is the worn out of the front and rear wheel. They don't usually get worn out exactly the same all around, and those diferences of weight around the tire make the wheel get unbalanced (specially on trail tires, due to the irregular thread). Replacing the wheel by a new one normally corrects, partially, the waving problems (having the right balance weights stuck to the rim, if needed, is the other thing to do)
see you on the tracks!
Gaaaas
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Jules
Now Kawa KLE500 dirty-knobby tires, noisy Thunder exhaust.
Waiting for the new 2008 Yamaha XTZ660 Ténéré
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28 Jun 2007
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waving problems
in the previous post, I meant that replacing the tire, not the entire wheel, you can partially correct the problem, if you replace the entire wheel with a new one I'm sure you get rid of any unbalance problems
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Jules
Now Kawa KLE500 dirty-knobby tires, noisy Thunder exhaust.
Waiting for the new 2008 Yamaha XTZ660 Ténéré
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13 Jul 2007
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KLE front brake
Hi Guys/Girls,
I don't have a KLE but I have been reading your various threads about the bike and I love the enthusiasm that you all have for this bike!
Some of you think that the front brake is not good enough and I wonder if anyone has found a solution by fitting another brake from a different Kawa model or even from another manufacturer. Has anyone tried this or even succeeded in doing it?
Technical curiosity on my part,
Dave
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Dave
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13 Jul 2007
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I did once read a story about some guy who replaced the entire front end (forks, brakes and wheel) with a twin disced setup. The problem of course was that he couldn't find a 21" wheel with two discs so he used a 17" front. Naturally, the whole bike tilted forward. He seemed to like it, but I don't think it would suit me.
__________________
"On that? You're nuts!" - My cousin's boyfriend
Current Bikes - Kawasaki KLE500 '05 (May 06)
Previous Bikes - Hyosung GF125 (Oct 05 to May 06)
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16 Jul 2007
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Port Elizabeth
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter.S
Does anyone else have a really annoying plastic sounding rattle?
When I first got the bike there were a few... all at around 3,000 rpm. The most annoying turned out to be the little black plastic panel between the side faring and the radiator. I fixed that with a bit of rubber. Then there was a metalic rattle which bugged me for months. It took me ages to track it down, finally I realised it was the horn which had slumped down a bit and rested on the frame.
But this one has me stumped. It sounds like it is coming from the instruments, but no matter where I put my hand to deaden it, it persists. Must be inside somewhere? Anyone else have this?
P
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I have the same - have u ever manage to find the culprit?
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16 Jul 2007
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Join Date: Jul 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by muthaf9cka
I noticed the same thing when I first got the bike, but it's pretty much stopped doing it now. Now it will quite happily cruise at 90mph (with surprisingly good economy). I don't know whether it was the tyres (it was more pronounced on the OE Trailmax) or the fact that there's now 10,000 on the clock, but I haven't noticed it for a long time.
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What do u regard as good? at 120km/h I get about 21km/lt but running it flatout brings it down to 13km/lt. Granted I am still running it in but would like to know what to expect. A friend has 650 yamaha superbike and it still returns 20km/lt at speeds in excess of 200km/h (needless to say I am usually 'n bit late) I run onto reserve at 140km
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18 Jul 2007
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HU Founder
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Join Date: Dec 1997
Location: BC Canada
Posts: 7,313
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout
Hi Guys/Girls,
I don't have a KLE but I have been reading your various threads about the bike and I love the enthusiasm that you all have for this bike!
Some of you think that the front brake is not good enough and I wonder if anyone has found a solution by fitting another brake from a different Kawa model or even from another manufacturer. Has anyone tried this or even succeeded in doing it?
Technical curiosity on my part,
Dave
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I have NO idea if this fits the 500 or not - but there is a new disc for the 650 that might be of interest.
__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com
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19 Jul 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ronepaulsen
I have the same - have u ever manage to find the culprit?
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I have noticed that the instrument cluster also rattles round a bit, mine did that for a while. It went away by itself again, thankfully.
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KLE front brake
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