Is The Gen3 KLR 650 any Good on the Road? | 2022 Kawasaki KLR 650 Road Review 

That's awesome! Yeah I can see it being a fun city bike and good for finding now roads in an urban environment when needed.

It sure is pretty!

Thanks Logan! I hope you find one!

I just put my second set of Shinko 244's on my KLR, have a set on my DR650 too. I have been very pleased with them on the road and on the dirt.

I've thought about it... There's definitely a bigger audience for those than dual sport bikes... Maybe someday!

I had pretty aggressive tires most of the time and found that inflating them over the recommended 21 was an absolute must. I think I was running around 28 to 30 psi most of the time.

@@SwankyCatProductions thank you for your input. I bumped my tires up to 28F 30R and went out today to test the stability. Did about 90 miles and happy to report the bike handled much better than stock factory suggested.

What do you get for mpg?

@@SwankyCatProductions My last two fill ups were 45 and 48 mpg. Lots of highway and county roads... I know it’s not the best for a bike. But it’s better than 17-18 in my Tacoma 🤷🏼‍♂️

Indeedy!

For me it's not really an option. I do to much rough off road riding. I've never actually tried anything with cast wheels but I don't think they'd hold up to the log hoping and hard landings.

@SWANKY CAT The new 2023 is supposed to come with laced wheels. My only turn off is the gas tank is only 3.8 gallons.

It's not too wide to lane split. It would be perfect for the city, I can see over trucks and such when I stand up. I've stood up using forward controls on a Honda Shadow 1100 before, but with the KLR650's Mid Controls I'm much more confident and planted.

@@MotoDash1100 appreciate the info!

Huh that's interesting. I usually work with Two Wheel Dyno Works on ECU stuff but they don't seem to be coming to market with one so maybe I'll look into this.

@@SwankyCatProductions I am waiting for a reply to see exactly how they differ from PC6 and related things. I am just looking into things ... In case anyone is interested: Bad news: DynoJet's Power Commander KLR tune does not resolve the mid-rpm fuel cut issue. Also, changing the fuel values (from 0 to 1) on 0% throttle for 3k - 7.5k RPM and it made no difference. I had a feeling this would happen. The DynoJet is a piggy back module. The ECU knows nothing of it. Good News: Definite 'seat of the pants' power increase! Pulls much better in the mid range while maintaining smooth control for the slow stuff. Looking at the maps, they achieved this by bumping up the timing advance values in the mid range. They made minimal changes to the fuel map. I'd compare the change to hitting the 'sport' button in your car or tow/pull button in your truck. -- Power Commander I don’t have one but those that have tried them on bikes in general say 1 to 2% increase. So .4 to 1.8 horsepower. Barely noticeable. The big bore kits seem to be the only thing that pumps up a KLR. I have two 2022 KLR’s both with power commanders. One has a Yoshi slip on and one has stock exhaust. Big improvement on both bikes but the Yoshi in my opinion gained at least 10% more. Much more throttle response and the added ability to pass cars on highway by just rolling the throttle instead of a requiring a down shift. Also a noticeable reduction in engine vibration at 60 to 70 mph. The engine just runs smoother. Definitely worth the money especially if your already adding a slip on exhaust. If you add the PC to your stock exhaust it comes with a map ready for that exhaust. You’ll notice a quicker throttle response and a bit more horsepower. Add a slip on with the PC and the improvement over stock is significant. Hopefully soon, PC will have a map specifically tuned for a few different slip on exhaust options. Either way, the PC is a great upgrade. Re-Flash The ECU Or Aftermarket Tuner Most modern bikes have an engine control unit (ECU), a small computer chip that controls (and much of the time strangles) various aspects of the bike’s performance. That chip is factory-programmed to comply with emissions and fuel requirements, but lucky for you, it can be remapped/re-flashed to uncork performance. An ECU (re)flash involves changing the stock onboard programming with a new tune usually resulting in good power gains (depending on your goals). But if you’re always changing parts on the bike (exhaust pipes, etc.), an ECU flash is probably not for you. Also, if done incorrectly your bike will suffer, so make sure the grease monkey doing the work knows the lay of the land. Or you can go with an aftermarket fuel/power tuner (like a Power Commander or Vance & Hines FuelPak) to adjust those stock settings. Broadly speaking, tuners come in two flavors: plug-and-play units designed for stock or lightly modified engines, and those that can be programmed to add more fuel or air and tweak other settings at different ranges to make more power to meet a highly tuned engine's needs. If you've slapped on a new pipe, you'll definitely want a tuner to get fuel mapping brought into line. These units can be a much simpler and more flexible deal than a re-flash. Result: Unless you're piggybacking with some other change, power gains won't be much, but they'll improve overall rideability. First, let me start by saying that the KLR EFI system is a version of 'speed density'. This means it monitors 'air density' to make changes to the fuel mapping using a MAP sensor and a 'narrow band' O2. The factory table is very narrow. It then uses the O2 reading to determine if the map/specified injector duty cycle is sufficient to keep the AFR (air/fuel ratio) within range (again, the factory O2 range is very narrow). It compensates for 'density' changes, ie; altitude and temperature. The system has no way of knowing what the 'mass air flow' actually is at any given point. When a free flowing intake and/or exhaust is installed that creates a 'mass flow' increase. Same thing if one installs a 685 kit for example. Simply bolting on 'performance parts' in general does NOT change the 'density' of the incoming air. Therefore the system has very little information to go on for making adjustments; other than it will see that the O2 reading is out of parameters for the corrsponding density reading. The table the factory loads into the computer is so narrow it cannot produce appropriate compensation. Likewise, the factory has also specified rather 'lean' algorithms in regards to AFR. This means not only does the factory computer programming not have the ability (narrow band) to make enough correction but it doesn't see the 'need' to do it. Running that lean isn't going to help power output. The Power Commander gives full control over the fuel map and duty cycle (this is key) of the injector. One could literally run the injector at 100% duty cycle but it's not recommended. It would be more practical to upgrade the size of the injector at that point to maintain efficiency and longevity. Dynojet isn't in the business of 'making maps' for every bike and every combination. That's precisely why they have shops designated as "tuners" who employ a dynamometer. Dynojets' market is 'massive' in comparison to JD or most any others. What the 'autotune' (wideband) does is allow an end user to apply all of the same technology that would be used at the dyno. It tunes your engine in real time and has the ability to 'fully' compensate for any performance mods. It allows the user to specify what AFR and at what RPM/throttle position you want it. It's basically the equivalent of having a "factory" programming process right on the bike. It's a 'piggyback' system which means it intercepts the OEM input signal and then 'modifies' it to meet the parameters set forth in the map table. It's basically a constant feedback loop that allows full control over fuel and timing. Once the autotune makes a recommend table the user is able to go in and 'accept' the suggested 'trims' and/or modify them. Basically, the sky is the limit (or injector size/duty cycle) capabilities. With the setup that Willie is running and some seat time running the autotune through it's paces accepting trims (it takes many rides at different loads) to achieve, I firmly believe +10hp is not out of the question. Based on what I've seen in other applications. The big single thumper is going to benefit greatly from some ignition timing advancement because it needs more time to build cylinder pressure during the compression stroke. I'll reiterate, the KLR is NOT highly tuned from the factory; if anything it's DE-TUNED. This got a little long but there's a lot to cover. Bottom line, the PC runs circles around any other tuning module on the market in multiple ways. I am glad the PC+AT runs circles around simple fuel tuners. And it should because it is 3.5x the price of the JD Jetting Fuel Tuner. JDKAX04 - Kawasaki KLR650 (22) EFI $251.95 Easy install on bike Detailed instructions Change settings anytime Dyno and field tested, the Power Surge 6X will allow correction for humidity, temperature, air pressure, along with race fuels and motor modifications. The tuner adjusts in a matter of seconds in 6 zones, including an accelerator pump feature for more throttle snap response. The tuner can add or subtract fuel from the injection system. Conditions like rich or lean running, and stalling from flame-out at low revs can be corrected. The Power Surge 6X stays mounted on the motorcycle or quad. 33->39HP with the JD part. The graph is posted online. You'll need Snorkel delete and I believe a Uni Filter, plus your Delkevic, to get to these results.

Interesting? 🤔🙂 It's difficult to cut thru all the various information. Everybody has an opinion. But I think this gives KLR riders an honest view of what can be expected, how things work in a KLR, and why these things can help.

My cause for researching is to see if the KLR can be a more comfy tourer for 95/5 type riding, while maintaining everyday urban practicality. I'd like to see it do 750 mile days at 75mph comfortably. 3 stops for fuel. I am surprised that it is nearly impossible to find Gen3 KLR owners that haven't posted any info on using a high performance air filter + exhaust with a quality EFI tuner or dyno tune. The KLR is right on the edge of being a very highway capable/comfortable with proper gearing (17t, or 16t/40t = 800 lower RPMs at highway speeds) and the potential extra power these things can provide (6hp = 20%). A BMW 310 GS will max out at 90mph, same as a KLR, while getting nearly double the fuel mileage. Something tells me the KLR can do better than stock performance, and that it ought to. Also, such things should add to engine life, not subtract, because the lean+hot default tune is the recipe for reduced engine life. Though, fuel consumption may be another matter.

Yeah a lower first and a taller 5th or 6th would've been really nice! Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!