Hola fellow thrill seekers!

I am currently riding a 2005 KLR 650 from Canada to Argentina. I am preparing to leave San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala but my rear sprocket is not long for this world. The local mechanic had assured me that he could get a sprocket for me but apparently he has been unable to find a sprocket anywhere in the country. I have also tried calling several dealers in the area with no success. I have a brand new set of sprockets and chain meeting me in Panama City but I am seriously concerned that the sprocket won’t make it. Time is also an issue because I have to be in Panama City by December 20th to meet family that are coming down from Canada to see me, so shipping a new part isn’t an option.

So dear readers, I am writing you in the hopes that you will be able help me out or at least point me in the right direction. I am seeking any one of the following;

1.A top notch bike shop in this area that might have a sprocket for me

2.Someone who has a used sprocket that they would be willing to part with (I am willing to pay). Anyone know any KLR enthusiasts in the area.

3.Finally, does anyone know someone I could leave my bike with for a week, if the sprocket totally fails, while I bused down to Panama to collect my shiny new parts.

I am departing San Pedro today and will be traveling from here to Semuc Champay to San Pedro Sula (Honduras) to Tegucigalpa to Managua to San Jose (Costa Rica) to Panama over the next two weeks. If the help you offer is a little out of the way I am still interested. Thanks for all the help!



Remember to stay between the ditches out there,

CJM

I have a good used sprocket in South Texas that you can have if you can figure a way of getting it to you.

Ignoring chain/sprockets bites another one!

Guess you should have changed out chain/sprockets before leaving USA? Eh? This happens to many riders.

How bad is your rear sprocket? Got close up pics? Is it jumping/skipping teeth under power yet? If so, I don't think you can make it. Stop NOW, get the parts in Guat. City.

It's only about 500 miles to Panama ... so unless sprockets are really bad ... my guess is you might make it ... if you do it right.




Hopefully your sprocket is not this bad. And what about the front sprocket? The front usually wears out first ... and once worn out takes out the chain and rear sprocket next ... and prematurely.

I recommend replacing front sprocket every 8000 miles no matter what. This will extend chain life and rear sprocket life by 20% to 40%. Fronts are easy to carry and cheap. Use OEM or JT, PBI or Sunstar. No crap.

Can you Make it?
Run chain just a bit TIGHTER than normal ... but not TOO TIGHT (don't be an idiot) Slather tons of 90 Wt. gear oil all over everything, re-oil every 100 miles ... and RIDE SLOW, do gentle acceleration. With luck, you'll make it.

I'm amazed you can't get that sprocket in Guatemala City. :confused1:

I believe there are Kawi dealers there, no? Also, many good shops there ... all located in one neighborhood. Have you been there? If not ... then you are wasting everyone's time as my guess is your problem could be solved if you're willing to wait a bit and search around. Getting "drive-by" parts ain't gonna happen but someone there can probably help out.

If you try to hit all the tourist sites on your way South, and take lots of side trips in each country ... you may not make it. Either wait for parts in Guat. City or ride DIRECTLY to Panama, very slowly. No detours.

Front Sprocket?

I had this problem on my KLR in South America. I needed a sprocket in Ayacucho, Peru and the closest place to get one was La Paz, Bolivia. The solution is extremely simple:

I talked to a motorcycle repair shop in Ayacucho and they said, no problem! They found a sprocket from a different bike with the same number of teeth (43 on my old model KLR), cut out the bolt holes from both my sprocket and the new sprocket, then welded the bolt holes from my sprocket to the new sprocket teeth.

The result was almost perfect (but I could feel a VERY tiny catch from not being exactly centered). I rode something like 2,000 km on that sprocket before I replaced it in La Paz (along with new chain and front sprocket). I called it my FrankenSprocket.

It took me about 2 hours and didn't even cause me a delay.

Here is my original blog post on it with pictures. Not much detail to the story, which shows how much of a non-event it ended up being.

FrankenSprocket | Othalan's Travels

Good luck!

Edit: Just noticed this is several days old and not recent (oops), hope you got it sorted out!

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Traveling The World Since: 2011
Blog: The Seductive Life (General Travel)

That is the perfect solution! Excellent! So nice to see you take advantage of the immense creative skills of local mechanics there. Many miss this.

Another way to do that project would be to use Old sprocket as a template, mark holes onto new sprocket, then drill and tap in threaded mounting holes. But your way is stronger, will last longer. Very hard to get it exact without a CNC Milling machine. Amazed it worked so good!
Well done by your Ayacucho guys.

I spent a few days in Ayacucho decades ago. I remember the 40 some churches and grueling bus ride to Cuzco. I was just 3 months in Peru' on that trip.