KDXRIDER.NET

For those with KX forks, what do you think is the single biggest improvement compared to your bike's OEM forks? If you want to explain what you did to the stock forks and how the KX forks improved on that, that would be great, too. I have read posts on some of the benefits of switching over. If I missed one in the poll, please choose other and explain in a post.

Thanks!

You forgot all the above!

Jason:
I didn't understand why I was crashing so much when I first got my KDX. It had been almost 20 years since I had ridden a dirtbike and attributed my inability as just that; my inability. When I rode a friend's bike with "real" forks, I understood immediately what the weakest link was, and it wasn't me. I was ready to sell the KDX off; marking it up as a learning/get-back-into-the sport/introduction bike, when my riding buddy, Doug showed up with a bunch of parts to do a fork swap on his KDX. Less than a couple hours later, we were revived with riding the KDX. The vastness of the overall improvement was astounding. That these forks could also be tuned for better specific performance as woods capable, was just frosting on the cake.
It was a tough choice between the #2 and #3 choices you provided. The stock forks are like limp spagetti. There's just no way anyone could safely go quickly on those things without risking alot.
Have fun with your survey!!

Sorry I read it wrong. The underhang was my main inspiration but the biggest improvement would def. be #3. Sorry bout the confusion...

I like rock riding. It really shined in that area for me. Plus I guess the deflection factor also. Less fork deflection equals better control. Made a new rider out of me for sure.

Jon.

Thanks for the replies so far. Hopefully there will be some more.

Thanks!

Great reply Ski, that is how i feel now. Looking forward to doing the conversion when the money is there. I have an aquaintance selling a 99' KX125 in good condition for $1500 CDN, think i can get him down to $1200-1300, not sure if i should play with the bike or steal the forks and part out the rest.
If it were the 250 i know exactly what i would do with it .

I had my stock springs replaced w/.37 and shim/valving was done by my local guy(not gold valves either) The handling was vastly improved, but when riding the bike at high speeds in scrambles, it would just suck the wind out of you after a while. Then I ran into a fellow on a RMZ450 and all though I was riding his tail his bike was floating over crap. I said" Gotta do the front end" The stock fork upgrade was great, but I want better.

Yeah I am not going to bother with the springs, The season is almost over and we have about 4 months wihtout riding, this will give me the oportunity to work some overtime and get the KX suspension.

Ditto. What Ski said.

1, 2, and 3.

Something else to keep in mind that is somewhat outside of the forkswap itself, but #2 also makes your damper much more effective. More like it allows it to work as it is supposed to as opposed to being relatively useless.

Yesterday I ended up on my face in a split second after the front end washed out. No notable problems..no transverse wet roots..the rut was only a few inches deep. But..it was clay under the forest floor humus..and that stuff is just impossible to ride in. The front end did not climb out of the rut but skipped along the edge and slipped out/over the other side.

Where'd my KX forks go, I wondered?

The rest of the day I tested the forks over and over. They not only didn't fail me, but amazed me at the ease with which they would track where I told them to.

Something the KDX forks had a hard time with..or maybe I should say I had a hard time getting them to deal with..downhill ruts. They just would not track out of pretty much ANYthing but would skip and crab side-wise and dump me. The KX forks don't have that 'characteristic'. I can change tracks easily..pretty much no matter what I'm 'in' at the time.

The clay that put me down above was just one of those things. Nothing but ice-spikes on the tire sidewalls would have helped in that case.

re: GreenHorne...
'..suck the wind out..'

Yep. Yesterday (again, as an example) on a brake-bumped rocky downhill (Irongate FFR) I could/did actually get on the gas going down sections on which I would normally be pretty much constantly dragging my back brake. Having confidence in the front end to handle it made the ride much more enjoyable.

IF you had one choice..one modification to choose for your KDX...I'd vote for USD forks.

It's worth the hassle (what goes what where what do I need to fit this part with that part etc.).

This site has lots'a good info to help with that part anyway.

Good Luck!!

Carvr:
I fell yesterday in the same manner and terrain. I tweaked my knee, broke my pinkie finger(right hand) and need to buy a new helmet. It did it's job. I never could find the visor, other than the few shreds still attached to the helmet. The mouth guard is packed solid with mud and the paint is removed from the forehead. The bark busters survived though!!! The good news: I didn't have my helmet cam get all smashed up because I don't have all the parts yet. The bad news: I didn't have my helmet cam to get what would have been an awesome crash face first into the earth as if I was being pile driven.

WOW. I am glad to hear it was no worse. You are right that it would have been a great video.

Glad your OK Jerry. Bummer about the damage to the knee and finger. No picking ya right nostril for a while... Hope ya heal quickly and no permanent damage to the knee.

Get those knee braces yet Jer? Those kinda drops put a damper on the day don't they? Hope you heel up quick!

Hope you heal fast Jerry. I hear you on the helmet cam. A couple weeks ago I was having a great ride with my son. He was in the lead and about 10 seconds ahead of me. I came around a sharp corner and there he was laying face down floating in about 12" of cold muddy water. At first it scared the crap out of me. I went around him and shot my bike up the trail, turned around to him and by then he was standing up just soaked and covered with mud. I mean he had mud inside his mouth! He was fine except for freezing . I asked him which way he wanted to go back to the truck, the short rough way or the long smooth way. He said the "sunniest way possible". I wish I had a video of that whole thing , I just don't know if I was laughing cuz it was funny or out of relief for him being okay.

re: knee braces

My knee took a pretty good hit when I face planted..but the patella protection of my Cells distributed it such that it wasn't bad at all!

Not the first time that has happened.

Asterisk Cells are a good choice IMO.