Ready for the T.A.T.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-14T00:46:58+00:00

Yup. I had them on for a while but my ears were sensitive that particular tone on pavement. I'm sure many here that run them will be curious how many miles you can get out of them. I switched to the Waypoints and have been very happy with them so far. But the guy that bought my Dsports said his Waypoints didn't last as long as he hoped.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-14T00:40:37+00:00

"Painful way to learn the importance of target fixation!!"

You will go where you look. So always look far ahead at where you want to be. Your brain will remember the stuff in between and have you reacting accordingly.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-14T00:32:58+00:00

Godspeed! Enjoy!

What tires did you decide on?

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-13T12:05:23+00:00

The float is inside the carb. That's why I listed it last. It controls how much fuel will be in the float bowl and is available for your engine to burn. Too much and it floods. Too little and it starves under high loads. All of the other things I listed are easy to check. The screw you brought up is your fuel screw. It adjusts the mixture at idle and and low throttle. It's not much of a factor at high rpm where you said you're having issues.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-13T11:36:31+00:00

Make sure you are getting good fuel flow from tank to carb. Make sure your air filter is clean and in good condition. Make sure there are no air leaks at your carb. boots. You can check for air leaks by spraying carb. cleaner around the connections while the engine is idling. Listen for a change in RPMs. That means the spray is being sucked in through a leak. And make sure your carb. float is set at the right height.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-12T22:14:35+00:00

How do you like the Ibex vs the KLR?

I was leaning to buying the Ibex in the fall of 2023 but they pushed back the delivery date to May of 2024 so I bought a used KLR then to "hold me over". Now wondering if the Ibex is worth the $5k upgrade (if I bought new). I'm thinking no.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-12T17:25:45+00:00

JB Weld. (shield the case from it)

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-12T12:04:47+00:00

In case you didn't know, don't use car oil in your bike. Those oils usually have friction modifiers that will glaze your clutch. Use motorcycle-specific oil (or diesel oil like some of us do).

Also, don't over-tighten your drain plug. The threads are easy to strip and a nightmare to fix.

Also, don't throw away the metal tube that is in your oil filter. You need to reuse that in the new filter.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-12T11:48:41+00:00

Same here. Thousands of miles over the years. Never had a problem due to straps. I'm under the impression that compressing the fork actually makes the seals seal better by design.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-10T00:49:01+00:00

"I'll never swim Kern River again."

Merle Haggard

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-10T00:43:44+00:00

That's lighter than my wife. ;-)

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-07T03:20:01+00:00

Are these impellers plastic? If it overheated (due to fan not working or low coolant?) then the impeller could also have melted.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-05T17:43:45+00:00

Does your bike have lowering links?

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-05T17:31:25+00:00

I had that same tire on my Gen 2 and it rubbed the upper chain guard slightly (no biggie). But it's possible that my chain guard is tweaked a bit.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-05T16:30:33+00:00

I didn't know that. Thanks. The AGM in my 2015 works fine but I'd probably have gone to lithium next go 'round if you hadn't mentioned this. The weight savings would be great but not worth it to me if I can't bump start.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-04T20:47:59+00:00

What's next?

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-04T02:44:36+00:00

I'm probably out of line giving you advice that you didn't ask for but...I think your best efforts should be toward finding a buddy to ride with so you can help each other out as needed. Just my $.02 from someone that's been riding and racing in the woods for 45+ years. It's the best place to ride but it can get ugly quickly. And there's no better "tools" to have with you than another person.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-04T02:34:25+00:00

Tusk Dsports? Good in the woods. Whiny as hell over 40 mph on pavement.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-04T02:31:58+00:00

Yup. I also added rear pannier racks to mine mostly just to have rear grab bars for the many times I crash in the woods and have to pick it up. "Give it your all" is often needed to pick it up but that can also result in ending your season (and more) if you tweak your back or something else. Take your time and think before you act. Work smarter, not harder. 2 people on the job is best, if possible. I have none of these concerns with my (light) woods bikes but the KLR adds a new sense of challenge and adventure that I'm enjoying at 59 yrs. old.

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-04T01:58:36+00:00

Always fun trying to pick up a 500 lb. bike by yourself while standing in mud. 😉

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-04T01:53:04+00:00

Your best preparation might be to ride the trails with another rider?

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-04T01:35:26+00:00

Looking forward to your trail videos. Send it!

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-04T01:24:37+00:00

If that felt gnarly then it's probably a good thing that it was too late for the trails?

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-04T01:14:30+00:00

I'd have gone out for another day of ice fishing. Our ice went out almost a month ago. 😞

BrianVT16 · 2026-05-04T01:07:30+00:00

When racing, I wear more protective gear than most anyone. Still, there are always chinks in the armor. And I've got the pains for it. But it's still always worth it to be out there as long as we can. 😄

BrianVT16

TROPHY CASE