KDXRIDER.NET

How much will my front end change with my new setup? My main concern is the height. Being vertically challanged, aka short fat guy (5'5", 205) , I lower my stock forks by raising them 1/2 inch (or as far as they will go) in the clamps in conjunction with a #2 Kouba link in the rear. With my 03 KX front end on the way, I'm looking for advise on leveling this puppy out without raising the rear back up again. My worst case (most expensive) scenario is sending the forks off to a suspension tuner for a lowering job internally, possibly by 2 inches or so.

All brainstorming actvity is welcome. Thank you for your replies.

T-Roy

Well... I can lower mine further than the stock setup with mine.... all depends on how much spacer you have under your top triple tree. You shouldn't have any issues.

Did you guys ever come up with a measuring point to determine the before and after heights?

Still waiting on carvr!

On the height issue... I notice in your bike profile you have stiff seat foam... doesn't this add to overall height? Do you have this shaved down? Wouldn't soft foam shaved down a little help more? Also, a low profile tire will help a little, but I don't know if it's worth it.

The KX forks are not going to add to the height issue... at the worst, it will be the same.

Yes, I have two seats, one with stiff foam and a gutts gripper for mx type of rides and one with the stock foam, which I am about to shave down for woods riding. I'm not used to the woods, and I find myself riding the "open and wide" stuff most of the time, loving the stiff foam which allows me to move around much easier. The stock soft foam simply sucked me up, not allowing me to move around in the cockpit. Now admittadly, my skills are at the lowest they have ever been, and my current seat time is averaging about 10 hours a year. I really suck at this point, but that is about to change!

This is the year I go full on woods, with mucho seat time. This is my goal for this year, and I will not be denied.

My KDX suspension is currently setup for open and fast terrain, and it works great! I have had numerous club 250 guys ride the KDX only to come back and ask who did my suspension, they loved it, on the track and open stuff. I'm now converting her to a 100% woods machine, so plush is going to be in order. This is a 360 from my current config, which is definatley not plush.

I appreciate any and all advice, tips and tricks you guys can muster. As it is now, my KDX is 100 times the bike than I am a woods rider. But, I'm a analyst by trade, so I always enjoy tuning as much as riding.

I can tell you my oem setup is 26" from axle-center to bottom clamp. My USD setup measures 27" (as it was installed in the KX250 it came out of). Yes, raising the top clamp allows you to 'remove' summ'a that 27". That's an unsprung measurement. Obviously front-end sag will matter. Don't know that, yet.

As far as what I'll end up with and when I'll end up with it....don't hold your breath. I'm STILL waiting for a wheel I bought about a month ago!

I'm sure it's on the way...aren't you? That's what the seller said.

yeah...right....

That was from Russian...right?

Hey CC... isn't the bottom clamp thickness different on the KX frontend from the KDX's making it a different measurement?

The KX bottom clamp is actually thinner than the KDX's. It is virtually the same thickness where the fork tubes slide through but it is slimmer everywhere else.

KX Clamp
Center of clamp = 0.985 inches or 25.00mm
Side of clamp where forks slide thru = 1.680 inches or 42.67mm

KDX Clamp
Center of clamp = 1.200 inches or 30.50mm
Side of clamp where forks slide thru = 1.670 inches or 42.45mm

Don't know that all clamps, different years are the saem. KayDee...you/re measuring that EMIG clamp? (or was that only your top clamp?)

I just roughly measured mine awhile back (not with a .001" caliper). Looked like my KDX and the KX clamps I got are real close to the same.

..which is why I settled on the 'measure to the bottom of the clamp' idea.

Measuring to the TOP of the clamp would take different thickness clamps into account. Or...at least including the thickness of your clamp.

I'll measure my clamps with my calipers......

They are standard 03 KX bottom clamp measurements. It was only the top clamp I got.

Well, I believe that I will give WER a shot at lowering and revavling my new bump sticks. By my quesstimations, the KX fork is about 1" greater that the KDX setup. My Kouba link drops the rear by 1.5 inches. I figure to have WER lower the forks by 2 inches allowing for .5 clamp adjustment to balance things out.

Somebody let me know if I'm missing the boat on my calcs.

Also, any info on the findings on the 03 internals is greatly appreciated.

Thanks fellas!

Just by eyeballin' it, I got mine set at 26" from center of the axle hole to the bottom of the bottom clamp measured at the actual clamp (suspended in the air) This makes the ergos look right when on the ground. I won't know until I get out and ride it.

Thats what my stock setup measured (26"). So you should be pretty close.