Shade Tree Bob's KLR Mods
KLR-650 Storage ----Where do you keep anything in/on the thing?
I spent my first month of ownership finding a way to keep my glasses, gloves, cargo bag, and a few emergency parts (plug, chain links, levers, screws, etc.) someplace without having to carry a tank bag. This article is about one of my 2 solutions. My web page has more pictures and additional ideas - including a tray behind the fairing to hold gloves, glasses, or cargo net.
Shade Tree Bob's KLR website
TUBE STORAGE …The storage tube is 7 ¼” x 2 ½” and fits with only 2 modifications to the KLR. 1st Remove the light gage metal battery overflow tube support & move tube to below the battery case. 2nd Pop rivet a support to the side of the battery case to position the anchoring strap.
To make the tube, use standard 2 1/2” electrical conduit because the gray color is better. The threaded end is 2” and must have the threads cut back about ½ way. The cap and bottom are made of threaded collars. The cap hole is finished off with a 59 cent metal plug. The bottom has the thread filed away so it will fit over the conduit. The end is then filled with a piece of tin. My photos show I took the cheap way out and plugged both ends with tin and filled in with epoxy. This gave me a more water tight tube.
The strap is fabricated from 1” webbing and 2 D rings. It can be sewed with a regular machine but there is so little sewing it can be done by hand. On the 1999, there is a hole on the vertical frame for the strap to be fed through. This helps define where to locate the support on the battery case. (If you can not pop rivet the support from the inside of the case, crimp the rivets down with a vice grip and put a sheet of oil can plastic beside battery. I added a metal piece on the bottom of the tube to fit in the existing recess at the low end of the frame. I did this to insure the tube does not move laterally. I don’t know if it is necessary. If you want to get fancy you can make this metal piece and the battery support out of a stainless steel hose auto clamp. It is the right width and does not need painting.
To make the tube fit farther into to the frame, I ground into the top collar ( a recess to receive the vertical fame). When properly installed, the tube is flush with the motorcycle framework.
I have stuffed the following things in my tube: spark plug, tube of epoxy, spare chain links, electrical tape, bailing wire, loose nuts/bolts/nails, and spare clutch/brake lever .
Bob Ft. Worth
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Bar end weights - pic1
Bar end weights - pic2
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Shade Tree Bob's KLR website
check out photos of Shade Tree Bobs mods on his website
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"Bass Pro had these on sale for $19. I have never had real saddle bags. I used these once and think they work fine. They are big (12 x 8 x 11) and 2 = the volume of a carry on airline bag. I thought a plus was having access to various pockets on the outside. Since I made my own luggage rack, I was able to properly support them. I mounted them high to keep them away from road dust."
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