Do you find that the throttle cable length limits you?I can only just turn my bars to lock and the throttle and clutch cables tighten up I would like to lengthen them both.

 

The stock KLX feels handicapped in turning radius. This mod makes this limitation much less noticeable.

A pic? Here you go, Finger:



This is not a simple mod. It requires experience and skill. It took me 1 hour working quite fast and having to make only one adjustement. With less experience this could stretch to four hours and be frustrating. This mod is hard to nail right on, such that the upper triple clamp can be stopped just before hitting the tank, but not too far away. Of course if you aren't that picky you can let the top triple clamp just bash into the tank and make itself a nice cozy dent! This bike could use a few more steering degrees than I ended up with, so a little more woudl be better (though where I ended up is OK).

I was in a big hurry to prep for the ride the next day so took no pix during the mod. The above is after the mod and the full day of hard testing. The end result of the photo was my top triple clamp gapped with the stock steel gas tank, at full lock left and right, at ~3mm (1/8").

Now I missed on one side (the left), cutting ~1/2mm too much. You can just see my small TIG weld just under the left, dimensioned arrow. So the dimension in the photo is a bit off. Probably closer to 15.7mm (.620"). If you do not have TIG or MIG welder, sneak up on the final dim with more grinding and filing.

You must take close to the same amount off both sides, but know the bike isn't perfectly square to itself. I didn't want to do a lot of filing or grinding, to I went for it. I nailed one side right on, but the other just touched on the tank. So as I said, I had to add a weld on the left side, which you can just see in the photo just under the left, dimensioned arrow.

I marked for my cut, then with bottom triple clamp removed used a hand hack saw with new 32t blade to take close to 6mm off both sides in L cuts. I then reinserted the lower and top triple clamp with the forks slipped back in to check clearance. On the left side, the horn bracket weld to the fram will interfere just a touch. I just had to bend it and the horn attach plate back a little. The right side has no thing to interfere with opening up steering degrees except the tank.

This mod requires you to remove the instrument cluster, front wheel, forks, and triple clamps, and hold the bars up so they don't flop over. You simple don't have the room to cut the tab unless you drop the lower triple clamp out. The bearings really should be packed better with grease anyway.

A tip: When you remove your top triple clamp, punch the location of the slotted clamp nut with respect to the stem. If your sterring is adjusted correctly already (no clunk if you roll the bike forward and tap the front brake fast and steering not sticky making the front end feel like it is wandering), then you will be able to position the but right back where it was without futzing the the torque, and the additional clamping from the nut on top the upper triple clamp won't over power the bearings and make steering sticky. Correct steering stem adjustment, BTW, is a small amount of drag but no sticking and no slop. Too much slop and you get clunk under braking. Too much tension on the steering stem (too tight) and you can 'brinell' the bearings, putting little line dents in the races and making the steering feel like crap.

 

Don't lengthen them! Fix your ergonomics! Become A.B. Normal like me!

Most folks have their bars too far back and their brake and clutch levers flopped down. That creates a general floppy-eared feel, standing becomes uncomfortable, the arms fatigue easier, and the body is pushed back and off balance when standing, reducing control. You can't steer tight without losing balance, and you adopt then was is comfortable, in the classic 'glued to your seat' style. And - this is the point - your control cables are pulled too far back by back and come up short at full lock.

My bars are rotated forward more than typical, and my levers are just below level with the ground. Both front brake and clutch are pulled in with only my index fingers, and my hands never cramp and tire. So whether standing or sitting I have much better control. That preference came from 2 decades of observed trials riding, and I've carried that over to all my dualsports with good effect.

Bar position affect steering precision and feel. Rotated way back, the bike steers more lazily (understeer). Rotated way far forward can lead to oversteer and a generally hyper feel. There is a sweet spot, however, and that spot is significantly farther forward than the cultural norm, which is to be floppy. Where are my bars? Basically, my forward two handlebar clamp screws are close to in line with the handlebar crossbar such that I can't access them with a rachet wrench and socket. I have to use a spanner tool.