Comments
from Customers
- Got the unit in the mail today - I
am impressed at the work and engineering put into
it. Professionally I am a QA / Regulatory Affairs Manager (Among
other duties of senior management for a medical device manufacturer,
an FDA, TDH, ISO 9001, ISO 13485 certified facility) so I get to review a
lot of designs and builds from scratch that have to pass a high level
of performance integrity - this is an excellent piece.
You can be proud of it!
Brian
Gurney, 12/10/2007
- My install went well. I also installed the gauge
overlay. The unit functions exactly as advertised. Stock temp was
consistently low (under 160°F) while modified unit produces 190°/195°
except when stopped, when it creeps up to 210° or so and the fan kicks in
for a few seconds. My commute is short, cold, and wet, so I'm very pleased
with this product and the gauge overlay just makes it more fun, so I
recommend that people order that, too.
“Trail8”
at KLR650.net, 1/6/2008
- Nice product Watt-Man! I was concerned about my temp
staying so low. It would just barely get to the bottom of the normal
operating range on a 40 degree day. Now it runs at a point, just below
mid-scale (must be 195 degrees). I have seen the results of too cool temps
on aircraft engines. This appears to be a must-do mod. Very well constructed, and good
installation instructions.
“Ruidoso
Ron” at KLR650.net, 2/6/2008
- Without a doubt my oil usage
has decreased since the mod.... I'd say by 1/4-1/3. Pretty significant...
Thanks Watt-man!!!!
“Beefalumpalo” at KLR650.net,
2/21/2008
- I now have about 2000 mi on my
thermo-bob. It was easy to install and has performed flawlessly. It has
accomplished every thing you claimed it would. I believe this is the most
essential modification since the improved doo-hickey. I’m a real happy
customer.
Richard
Butler, 3/1/2008
- Installed the T-Bob last
week on 2008. Your measurements for positioning it were perfect. On the
road the temp. gauge is
rock steady at just below a half. The outside temps have been 45-75
degrees so far. At 75 degrees off road mostly first gear in sand and hard
pack the temp was about 1/16 inch higher but well below the temp that the
fan comes on at. This mod is first rate.
“Maxedout” at KLR650.net, 4/2/2008
- Without a doubt, one of the
best purchases I have made for my KLR.
“KLRJohnny” from KLR650.net,
4/18/2008
- My brother and I have both
installed our Thermo-Bobs & just have to report back that we are very
happy with them. Here in the Yukon
the April temps are slightly above freezing & our poor old KLRs were sometimes barely
registering on the gauge when cruising down the highway at highway speeds.
Both our bikes are now getting up to temperature very fast & staying
there all day. A very good product & thumbs up for all your hard work
to produce these for the KLR cult, especially for us guys in the frozen
north.
J.
Parent, 4/29/2008
- I spent about 2 hours
installing it, not that I was rushing either. The install went
smooth, using the pdf
instructions as a guide I just followed them along until complete. My
impression of the t-bob is that it is a craftsmanship marvel. It is
beautifully constructed, almost gave me the feel like it was hand made
one-off for me only. Just to use one as a paper weight on a desk would be
worth the money. Everything fit perfect, everything seemed to fit right
where it should with no rubbing or fiddling needed. The bob also works as
advertised and it keeps the temp gauge right at halfway regardless of
speed or temps outside (tested it last night at 50 degrees, and today at 75
degrees and no difference in the way it showed the temp) At idle it will
eventually go up high enough to hit the fan switch, but then it drops
right back down to where it should be almost instantly. I let it idle for
about 10 mins to see
what would happen, nothing negative at all! I can't speak of the oil
consumption part (as I don't burn oil yet, and haven't gotten to put many
miles on since the t-bob install) but I can say that the bike seems to run
much more smoothly, also seems to have better throttle response, a tighter
idle speed and less vibe at idle..... I think the regulated temp in the
motor could be the cause of this, and I'm happy that it made these
improvements. If you have a KLR, you should have this part, its well worth
the time and money spent on it, plus it should help extend engine life,
minimize wear, help with oil consumption (not a guarantee) and seemed to
make the engine run smoother and "crisper"... Mike and Bill
have outdone themselves as usual and built a fantastic product. A+.
I think that the bang for the buck of this part is great, I dunno
why anyone would ride without one.
“mdsuave13”
from KLR650.net, 5/4/2008
- I put the Thermo-Bob right
up there with the doo hickey swap out in matters of importance. I rode my
bike all winter with it, even in the upper 20's, the temp was stable.
Thermo cycling and aluminum encasing an iron cylinder sleeve is bad news.
Besides what it does to fuel mileage. I don't see why Kawi allows this to happen. Well looking at the
doo, maybe I can understand.
“Johntripwire” at KLR650.net,
5/4/2008
- Certainly you don't need me
to tell you this, but the product is (unlike many gimmicks we see) exactly
as the manufacturer says it is. The theory and technology are sound. The
hardware is (though a little bulky) unobtrusive in application, and the
supplied kit and instructions are excellent. Installation, though
detailed, is straightforward, and not outside the realm of the average
do-it-yourselfer. Measured temperatures, deltas, and times to
temperature were in every case within just a few points of
manufacturer's claims.
“The Patman” at KLRWorld.com,
6/18/2008
·
I've been running mine for a several months, warm-up is quick even in
sub freezing temps. I think the engine stays cooler overall in heavy traffic,
slow driving, etc. I haven't seen my temp gauge get anywhere near where it did
before the thermo-bob. In stock configuration, all it took was sitting at
a stop light for a couple of minutes in 90 degree weather for the temp to rise a bunch and quite often the fan
to have to kick in. I don't think my fan has had to turn on yet!
“Braindead0”
at KLR650.net, 6/24/2008
- Just a quick note to say
that the Thermo-Bob was installed over the last weekend and I must say it
is one of the nicest aftermarket,
functional kits I have seen in a long, long time…Nice job!!!
Wyman
Winn, 7/1/2008
- Just a note to say thanks for
the thermo-bob! I installed it this past weekend -- easily, thanks to your
detailed instructions-- and took my daughter for a 200 mile afternoon
jaunt on some mountain dirt roads (50%) and highway (50%). The temp gauge
stayed rock solid about 1/3 up right below the screw that holds the gauge
face whether cruising at 85° temps on the highway or 40° in the
mountains. Engine/transmission seemed a lot smoother, less noisy and more
power -- especially noticeable when pulling away from a stop. I don't see
workmanship like that very often anymore,
it's nice to know there are still a few craftsmen left in the good
old USA.
Well worth the money! Very, very
satisfied.
Steve Fendrick, 10/26/2008
- I saw an
article about your bypass kit, and decided
to investigate. I was very impressed. I have been involved
in Drag racing since the late '60's, and have been building and
studying high performance internal combustion engine since then.
I have also been working as a circuit board designer for 32 years in both
military and commercial applications. Needless
to say, I've worked with a
lot of engineers, and none of them have impressed
me with their scientific approach and documentation as you
have. There are a lot of "Farkles"
for the KLR available, and most of them have limited usefulness for the average rider. Your
bypass system, however, should materially extend the life of the
engine.
Robert Brewer, 11/17/2008
- The kit arrived and is now installed/tested.
I'm sure it comes as no surprise to you that it works flawlessly and as
advertised. My
only regret is that I didn't learn about it earlier. I have a
mechanical engineering background and understand fully the benefits of having
machinery operate at mean design temperature. I remember reading
peoples impressions of the manufacture of the unit on a website prior to ordering . To call the Thermo Bob a
"work of art" is not an overstatement in my mind after receiving
one. Too bad it isn't more visible when all the "jewelry"
is back on the bike :) I followed
the instructions and took the time to make several small cuts to the hoses
until I had a perfect fit with no interference or hose kinks and no need to use the wire tie (patience paid off
nicely). I will be sure to recommend to
all KLR owners I know or meet.
Great work and
thanks again.
J. Woodfin, 1/25/2009
- I installed
it tonight. There were no problems. This is a fantastic product and I just
want to say thanks. I live pretty
high up in the mountains and it's rarely been above 50 degrees yet this
year. I'd been having a hard time
staying above the C mark on the gauge. It now stays pretty much dead
center. It was a cold ride home from the shop too, probably 40 degrees. I wanted
you to know I found your customer service to be excellent. The manual is
the best I've seen. The thermo-bob itself just feels like high quality.
It's nice to see this kind of service still exists.
Kevin Bowker, 5/25/2009
- Just wanted
to say thanks for the excellent product and customer service you
provide. I installed the
unit over the weekend on my 09 and the instructions were great and the
unit functions amazing. Comes up to temp really fast than just stays
there. Great product and customer service!!!!
Tim Sullivan,
7/15/2009
- This next link is a series of comments from
owners when a potential new purchaser wanted to know their opinions of the
product: Click here.