Editor’s Note – I wrote this article a month ago and debated whether or not to post it. I didn’t want to seem overly dramatic but I do feel strongly about honoring our Greatest Generation before they are relieved of their final duty and report home. This was brought into sharp focus this week when I saw the news […]
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle If your mom was anything like my mom, any discussion about “habits” was usually referring to my “bad” ones… leaving doors open, elbows on the table, etc. She even warned me about the possible adverse affects of some “keep […]
2015 hours, 8 nautical miles northeast of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Ceiling 300 feet, visibility 2 miles in light rain. Winds out of the northwest, 20 knots gusting 30-35 knots. Atilla 600, twin engine Cessna Citation, is on final approach… Copilot: “Approach, Atilla 600 final approach fix inbound, three down and locked.” Approach: “Atilla […]
Q. I’m a 215 lb rider and normally ride solo without much gear. However, from time to time, I take longer trips with 50-60 lbs of gear. I want to upgrade from my stock spring; which spring should I buy? A. This is probably the most common question/situation we get asked about at Top Gun […]
This month Elden answers a “burning” question about oil consumption… Q. My 1987 KLR650 has only 24,000 miles on the odometer but it is using lots of oil, much of which is being blown out the vent. What’s my problem? A. You probably have a combination of factors contributing to your oil consumption problem, but […]
When I first met Elden Carl and Pauline Read some four years ago in Mulege, Baja California, I had a little less than 10,000 miles on my 2003 KLR650. I remember that he was very scathing of all the gear I was carrying. Little did I realize that after four years I would ring […]
One of my tasks at Top Gun is to monitor the different websites and groups and see “what’s new.” Since we are a vendor, I try to avoid commenting since it’s too hard to appear impartial. However, I recently waded into a discussion about the 2008 balancer lever and realized that it would be a […]
Paul D. contacted us all the way from Panama. Seems the wiring harness on his 2008 KLR650 has shorted out twice already. The wiring appears to be rubbing against something sharp where the harness passes by the horn. 2008 owners take a look!We always recommend covering wiring with split or spiral wrap anytime the wiring […]
Elden fields many calls from customers and readers. Although I normally handle the “Contact Patch” duties, here’s a summary of a conversation Elden recently enjoyed: It’s great to talk to folks that “get it.” Jim Walton is one of those people. He recently called about a gearing change for his KLR650, and it was immediately […]
Before I get to a couple of questions, I’d like to tell you about a recent early morning ride. I stepped out of the house around 0540 to get in a quick, 30 minute ride. I usually try to do this a couple of times a week, though normally I’m out the door 20 minutes […]
Well, as I look back at the article index I can see that I haven’t been keeping up with Elden. But, we’ve had a lot going on here, several products being put out or in the works, purchasing and studying the new 2008 KLR, etc. I hope everyone is enjoying the riding season, now in […]
Happy 2007! As you might have noticed, we took a little time off in December to prepare for the Christmas season. Additionally, we’ve been working hard on several new products that we hope will be out early in 2007. I hope you all had a chance to enjoy friends and family and we wish you […]
It’s that time of the month again, and did October ever fly by! I know some of you are getting ready to put your bikes away for winter, and folks in the Southwest are getting ready for desert season. Wherever you are, I hope you have a chance to get out and ride at least […]
I can’t believe how fast a month goes by when I’m supposed to be getting these web pages ready! Feels like a week or two and I’m right back at it. First of all, a recap of our suggestion last month to use a relay when adding a fan switch to the KLR. If you […]
We received some great emails during our first month. To those of you who took the time to write us; thank you! It was great to hear from you and we hope to hear from you again. First, a couple of questions from Brock, in GA: Q. Would a manual fan switch be a good […]
This is your chance to ask those questions that you always wanted and answer to but either didn’t know who to ask, or were uncomfortable asking. One of the great things about working with Elden is that he’s been around for a while, and he knows some genuinely interesting and intelligent people in the motorcycle […]
