Xr650l Heavy Rider Suspension/Performance Mods Setup

[bakeyz426f]

Scratch that think I found some for sale on eBay 

[beezer]

I'd put the stock link back on and heavier springs and see how it rides.

XR650L suspension is pretty decent once the springs are right.

They do run hot so I put a Sutton cooler on too.

Have fun with your new toy !

 

[bakeyz426f]

Thanks. Yeah I want to swap the springs when I can. Is the rear spring difficult to swap? Got amsoil synthetic motorcycle oil today and ordered the fritzconic sprocket. Need to get an air filter too. The closest dealer to me is a Kawasaki dealer I don’t think they carry them.

[cooldudesmd]

Go with a uni filter and oil if possible. Can’t give input on the rear spring as I have never swapped one.

[beezer]

15 hours ago, bakeyz426f said:

Thanks. Yeah I want to swap the springs when I can. Is the rear spring difficult to swap? Got amsoil synthetic motorcycle oil today and ordered the fritzconic sprocket. Need to get an air filter too. The closest dealer to me is a Kawasaki dealer I don’t think they carry them.

It's not difficult at all especially on a clean low mileage bike.

You can find an air filter in 60 seconds on eBay.

[bakeyz426f]

thanks I asked the shop how much they would charge to change the fork springs and rear shock spring they said $160-200 for labor plus parts.  I ordered an uni air filter and bought foam filter oil at the shop. its not  uni brand filter oil but I assume it will do. Is racetech where I need to go to find the stiffest springs?

The next warm day I have off I plan on checking the valves, changing the oil, air filter, front sprocket, reinstalling factory suspension link, and putting on a new rear tire.

[bakeyz426f]

when adjusting the valves can you just tighten the locking nut good and snug or is it important to get the exact torque?

The videos I have watched of the xr650l valve adjustments never use a torque wrench on the caps or locking nuts on the valves.

[cooldudesmd]

I torqued the locking nuts and the caps. You can get away with just making sure they are nice and snug. It was a pain to torque them and keep clearance in spec.

[bakeyz426f]

I don’t really know how much I trust the torque wrench I have hasn’t been used in a few years. How did you torque the locking nut and keep the screw in place at the same time?

[cooldudesmd]

I didn’t. I backed off the gap enough that when i torqued the locknut it brought it into spec. Like i said, it was a pain. Not hard, just took a few tries on each valve. I’d check to see if they were in spec., you may not have to worry about it anyways. Only 2 on mine were out (intake i think) and they weren’t far off. Yours are likely in spec if everything else maintenance wise has been taken care of and the bike hasn’t been revved out its whole life.

 

Either way, you wont hurt anything not torquing them as long as they are snug and can’t loosen up, or not over tightened.

[bakeyz426f]

Thanks for the help. I’m trying to get ready to do all the maintenance. The bike seems to be running very well so I would think the valves will be close to spec.
When you adjust the valves are you supposed to adjust to tightest in spec or in between the tolerances?

[Trevor Hansen]

I'm 6'4 260. I used .52 fork springs and a gold valve kit. Made a big difference for the better on the front end. On the rear I used the stock valving and a 12kg spring. This is the heaviest spring I could find and I still have to use a fair bit of pre load, to get the sag right. Racetech suggests stiffer springs on both ends, i'm happy with the front, but would use a heavier rear if I could find one.

[Trevor Hansen]

BTW . lock nuts snug, valve cover caps take a good feel, they are very eazy to break, will make a big oily mess if you don't notice right away.

[cooldudesmd]

Yeah Trevor has a good point with the caps. They are aluminum so don’t go ham. I just made sure the valves were in spec. One set of valves will tighten over time (intake or exhaust, not sure which) And the other 2 will loosen up. You can google real quick which ones do which on this bike. If anything, set the ones that loosen up to the tighter end of the spectrum, and the ones that tighten up to the loose end. Either way, the valves shouldn’t move much for a long time unless other problems arise. If they’re in spec already, still don’t touch them.

[bakeyz426f]

The bike is running really well no clinking or ticking. I guessing the valves are probably ok. The only complaint I have with my bike is the throttle response isn’t very good. Lags a second before hitting the power. Haven’t got a chance to test it out much. Do stock xr650l’s have poor throttle response?

[JoeRC51]

That's due to the wheezy CV carb they're afflicted with. A pumper carb will make the throttle response instantaneous.     

[cooldudesmd]

Daves Carb mod helps a lot with the throttle response. Still not perfect, but much better.

[bakeyz426f]

I changed the oil and oil filter today. It’s says to put 2.06 quarts in. I put about 2 and 1/4 quarts in because it wasn’t quite to the middle of the gauge on the dip stick like the manual says to get it to. Will it hurt the bike if there’s a little extra oil in it. It runs noticeable smoother after I changed the oil. It had a temp gauge dip stick on it but I used the original to check because I wasn’t sure about the marks on the aftermarket one.

[JoeRC51]

Several ounces more or less won't hurt anything. Remember the level will go up when the motor is at operating temp. When you check your oil , always check it hot , immediately after shutting it off.

[bakeyz426f]

I let it idle for 10 minutes. It was on it’s kick stand though. Checked the oil right after I shut it off holding the bike straight up. It was right about in the center on the two marks on the dip stick. I’ve read some people fill it until it’s at the top mark. Is the top mark where it should be when the engine is hot? My manual says the middle of the two mark marks is sufficient. I’d probably have to dump another third of a quart of oil in it to get it top the top mark and I’ve already put a little more in than the manual calls for. My engine was just under 200 degrees Fahrenheit when I checked it.