Kill'r (2009-2014).
He was my first motorcycle, and grew into a trusted companion. I did my best to treat him well, and, in exchange, he took me places.
RIP.
He was my first motorcycle, and grew into a trusted companion. I did my best to treat him well, and, in exchange, he took me places.
RIP.
"Kill'r" is a 2009 Kawasaki KLR650 dual-sport motorcycle.
He is the lucky recipient of numerous upgrades and customizations from his stock configuration. Below is a list of what makes him unique.
I frequently lust over more expensive and larger bikes, but truthfully have no sincere interest in riding anything else right now.
One of the appeals of the KLR is that its sticker price is (literally) half that of many bikes in the same class. This makes it a great starting platform for individual customization, leaving the difference in cost to be put towards specific modifications suiting the individual rider and intended usage. Worth every sneer!
He is the lucky recipient of numerous upgrades and customizations from his stock configuration. Below is a list of what makes him unique.
I frequently lust over more expensive and larger bikes, but truthfully have no sincere interest in riding anything else right now.
One of the appeals of the KLR is that its sticker price is (literally) half that of many bikes in the same class. This makes it a great starting platform for individual customization, leaving the difference in cost to be put towards specific modifications suiting the individual rider and intended usage. Worth every sneer!
Kill'r's upgrades are primarily focused on improving reliability and rider comfort for medium- to long-distance touring on roads ranging from paved secondary highways to Jeep trails. I've made few performance-related mods... at the end of the day, this is a 37 horsepower two-wheeled tractor, and attempts to make it either fast or quick are misplaced.
Controls & Rider Interface
- Bajaworx Dakar windscreen - Barkbusters VPS handguards - Oxford Heaterz heated grips - Corbin flat saddle - IMS Pro Series stainless footpegs - IMS 1" extended shift lever - eBay rectangular mirrors |
Mechanical
- Uni air filter - Eagle Mike fork brace - Progressive Suspension fork springs - Polisport Supermoto Motard front fender - magnetic oil drain bolt - Eagle Mike subframe bolt upgrade kit - Mefo Explorer 99 / Continental TKC80 tires |
Instruments & Electrical
- Garmin Oregon 300 GPS - SPOT personal GPS tracker (1st-generation) - RAM mounts for GPS & SPOT - Deka ETX15L sealed, maintenance-free, AGM battery - Deltran Battery Tender Jr. maintenance charger - Blue Sea Systems 5025 fused 12 VDC terminal block - Electrical Connection LED battery voltage monitor - Osram NightBreaker headlight bulbs |
Armor & Protection
- SW-Motech crash bars - Ricochet skid plate - Eagle Mike steel oil fill cap with hex socket - Eagle Mike allen-head front master cylinder replacement screws - Twisted Throttle rear master cylinder guard - Eagle Mike steel rear brake pedal mount bracket - Touratech kickstand switch guard - Touratech mesh headlight guard |
Luggage
- Trax Alu-Box aluminum side panniers (45 L) - SW-Motech EVO Quick-Lock side racks with locking knobs - Watershed Ocoee drybags for pannier expansion (2 x 15 L) - Watershed Chatooga drybag for tail bag (30 L) - Wolfman Explorer Lite tank bag (13-16 L) - Cycoactive Spare-Tube fender bag - Twisted Throttle tool tube - Dakine Chute backpack (30 L) with MSR Hydromedary water bladder - two Rok Straps |
I travel with a fairly extensive kit of tools and spare parts, owing to my living in a remote area and desire to be prepared when exploring even more remote areas. My tools and spares are carried variously between my tail bag, tool tube, tank bag, and panniers.
Tool kit
- 1/4"-drive ratchet; 6" extension; 1/4 x 3/8" adapter - deep sockets (8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17 mm) - hex sockets (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 mm) - ratchet wrenches (10, 12, 17 mm) - 8" adjustable wrench - needle-nose Vise-Grips - multi-bit screwdriver - hex key set - Motion Pro T-6 Combo tire lever / axle wrenches (19, 27 mm) - stock sparkplug wrench - chain lube - Motion Pro lightweight chain breaker / chain press tool - wheel bearing grease (mini shampoo bottle) - Gorilla tape - electrical tape - mechanic's wire |
- Quiksteel metal epoxy - blue Loctite threadlocker - Permatex high-temp gasket maker - WD-40 (mini can) - small LED flashlight (2 x AA) - small basic multimeter - 12 ga. wire, 48" length - wire marrettes - shop towels - nitrile gloves - zip ties - Leatherman Fuse multi-tool - canvas tool roll - bolt torque chart (taped to inside pannier lid) - factory service manual (PDF version) |
Tire repair
- tire pressure gauge - Stop 'n Go tire repair & patch kit - Second Wind hybrid tire pump, w/ 3 CO2 cartridges - (2) 10" tire irons, Motion Pro spoon type (plus combo levers) - Motion Pro T-6 Trail Bead Buddy - dish soap (mini shampoo bottle) for bead lube - baby powder (mini shampoo bottle) for tube lube - 6 mm spoke wrench |
Survival (and Sometimes Camping)
- wilderness first aid kit - matches - lighter - compass - folding tree saw - Gerber LMF II infantry knife - Sharpie felt marker - illustrated list of useful adventure knots (taped to inside pannier lid) |
Spare Parts
- engine oil (1 L) - clutch cable (54011-0556) - throttle cable (54012-0184) - front brake lever (46092-1175) - clutch lever (46092-1206) - clutch lever bar clamp holder (13280-0105) - clutch lever bolt set, collar, nut (92153-1538, 92152-0433, 92210-0006) - shifter lever (13242-0046) - front brake hunger pin (13236-0112) |
- chain master link (rivet style, gold, for EK 520 SRX; Parts Canada 706034) - tire tubes, front (90/90-21) & rear (130/80-17) - spark plug (NGK DPR8EA-9) - bulbs for headlight (H7), turn signal (21W), tail (5W), and license (21/5W) - blade fuses for stock & terminal block locations - rear axle nut cotter pins (5/32" x 1.5") - oil drain bolt & filler cap (OE versions) - spare fasteners kit |