i think he said if the latch was on top, the hinge would be on bottom, then the door could sing down, grab the road surface and toss you off the bike if that were to happen. sence hes just a guy building stuff for us, he cant have that, and personaly would hate to see him get hes small growning busness tossed down the drain.

 

I'd have to agree with you. I'm not in the market for any of this gear either, but I must admit the quality of work looks to be top notch, so you should expect to pay a premium price.

I'm also skeptical of the ability of the KLX's subframe to survive while carrying a load (such as several gallons of extra fuel with mounting plate and can) on rough terrain. It seems there have been several on this board who have had subframes crack. I saw the thread where Dan had gussets welded in to shore up his cracked subframe. Maybe someone could design a bolt-on subframe brace to help support the cantilever load on the rack and transfer some of the stress further down the frame.

 

that would be nice.

 

sounds good bake. do i still count as a minimalist tourist if im doing 50-60 threw desert whoops for 200-250 miles a day? or am i a desert rat with a plate that rides for to long?

 

Funny you should mention that kind of riding! THAT is exactly the type of user Bill and I were talking about when we first started riding the KLX250, and had come up on (our opinion) it's 2 weaknesses: No power, no range. He make's the kit for the power, and my first tank, the sidesaddle tank, put another 1.1 gal. on board, and suddenly, you could ride the desert! Or, more easily, anyway.
And I think my toolbox skidplate fits well with that, also. It has real good protection, and a place to always have those extra margin of safety items, for being out in wide open spaces. Wish I could enjoy that type of riding on the bike we've been working on! I make due with the Flint Hills and the Gypsum Hills here in Kansas.

 

On the subject of subframes, I've asked my friends in Colorado about that on their KLX250, which is ridden there almost exclusively off road on the nastiest stuff up in the Rocky's, and they report no issues at all. Here's a look at their bike. He's a mechanic, and made a carryall plate somewhat like mine, for their Christmas 2 week trip to Baja. They just returned, after living on the bikes the entire trip, riding desert and dry washes, moving from one town to the next. His KLX is on the right hand side of the pic. He rides a 640 KTM, so they aren't bashful about riding hard and fast.



Bill and his wife ride pretty much anywhere you can get to in Colorado also, they haven't cracked any thing.

Here's a pick of my other friends' CRF230 Honda, and the pack for the luggage rack isn't on there yet. I only show it for an example of the kinds of loads they were taking on the Baja trip.




Here is the KLX as they were still loading it.




Here's what he said when I asked him about the KLX after he got back.

I'm not saying there haven't been bikes that broke in that spot, not at all. But I think like so many items about bikes, and cars, and airplanes, on the Internet, it's the problems a few have that you read about. Not the thousands that don't, because they don't have any problems to report.

 

Good point! When you carry things on the rear of the KLX, sometimes the subframe breaks, but for the majority, it does not.

 

Prototype skidplate with toolbox, on the bike.






The latch as it rides in the notch.

 

Nice quality product as usual. Thanks for the work you folks have done for the KLX. Pioneering...

Mike

 

looks great bake!!