FMF torque reeds

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rlbranson
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FMF torque reeds

Post by rlbranson »

Over on the othere kdx site I saw post that someone was happy with his fmf torque reeds. so I ordered a set. It didn't look good at first. the paper said to put the corner with a 45 degree cut to the lower right, It also said to put the green side against the reed cage. There is no 45 cut and there is no green side to the reeds.
I put them in and took it out saturday and was pleasantly surprised that they do work and give me more low end than the previous boyesen 2 peice reeds did. I have the fmf torque pipe and a reed spacer also. It pulls better than it did stock but is not a 300. The kdx is paid for though.
I would go for these reeds again if they wear out before I replace the kdx.

Bob
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Post by PinkMoonCow »

i just bought i 2003 kdx 200 with only 150 hrs of use. i am doing alot of the basic mods (fmf pipe and exaust with all the skid & protection guards) but i keep reading about reeds...and since you talked about fmf tourque reeds i thought i would ask...what are reeds?? :? how important would it be for me to change my stock "reeds"? and what else should i do to get it ready to race hare scrambles? (i am jumping from a klx300 to the kdx200 for racing perpouses....)
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m0rie
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Post by m0rie »

If the stock reeds are chipped or frayed at all i'd replace them. Otherwise i'd wait and get a DF3 sometime down the road. In the dollars department save your money and keep the stock silencer. There is little performance to be gained with an aftermarket silencer. Spend that money on your suspension instead. Respringing the front is vitally important if you weigh more than 130lbs.
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Post by PinkMoonCow »

oops...i meant to say 150 "miles" not "hrs". it still has stock tires!! haha i got a great deal!

BTW m0rie: ur the first person i ever heard say keep the stock silencer? :shock: isnt it worth the weight reduction as well as performance with a new silencer added to a new pipe? ive just never heard that. most everyone sais that the first mods to make are the pipe and silencer! i weigh 145 lbs...should i go with goldvalves and new fork springs asap? or are the stocks gonna do me ok for a little while?
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quailchaser
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Post by quailchaser »

>|<>QBB<
PinkMoonCow wrote: BTW m0rie: ur the first person i ever heard say keep the stock silencer? Isnt it worth the weight reduction... most everyone sais that the first mods to make are the pipe and silencer! i weigh 145 lbs...should i go with goldvalves and new fork springs asap? or are the stocks gonna do me ok for a little while?
Not that I'm answering for m0rie...but, weight on a two stroke is not typically an issue for trail riding. Especially since most of us should probably shave a few pounds off our selves first. :shock: In stock form, the KDX is extremely nimble. The stock silencer flows well, is quiet, and does not require re-packing. The KDX's weak point in stock form is the pipe.

The KDX's suspension is not balanced very well in stock form. Rear is sprung for a rider around 180 ish and the front is sprung for a rider around 135 ish. Should you changed springs right away?...depends on your experience level, aggressivess, and terrain. I'm a solid C rider and my machine is still set up with the stock suspension. It doesn't like the whoops or leaving the ground, but handles fine in the tight rocky stuff. My boss is a solid A rider and still has the stock configuration. He likes the way it handles in the tight, up and down, lots of rocks type terrain we ride. The under hang of the conventional forks is the most annoying aspect for where and what we ride.

The best mod for the stock configuration for your weight would be to set the race sag and ride. If you find you really can't get the suspension dialed for your riding style...Re-spring the rear for your weight, and change out the OEM forks for KX forks.
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m0rie
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Post by m0rie »

About the only thing the stock silencer doesn't have going for it is its weight. Aftermarket silencers are lighter and add a small amount of extra power. That puts them fairly low on the replacement list for me. The pipe is much more important than the silencer in how the bike performs. At 145 you could sorta get away with the stock front springs (.38's) would be better but the 5.0 in the rear is going to be way to heavy. A 4.6kg from a 89-94 (E series) KDX shock would be a better fit for your weight. I'd start there and get a feel for what you like and don't like about the suspension. If you want to do more tuning than that i'd be looking to switch to a pair of KX forks and then tune from there. But start getting the stockers sprung correctly so the bike is balanced front to rear.
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Post by PinkMoonCow »

m0rie: you said the 5.0 in the rear is going to be way to heavy. A 4.6kg from a 89-94 (E series) KDX shock would be a better fit for your weight...

i have an 03 kdx200....will the 89-94(E series) fit? or should i get the 4.6 from 95-06(H series)?? u threw me off with the year

also...how much am i looking 2 pay for the kx forks, what year, and where is the cheepest place to find them?
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Post by Colorado Mike »

Read the KX fork conversion section to answer those questions. I agree that the silencer is about the last thing to change. Chances are the bike isn't jetted properly either.

REgarding the stock suspension, I would say the first thing you should do is replace the fork oil. The stuff they put in there at the factory can't really be oil. When you replace it, you should make sure you flush all the stock pond scum out before putting the new stuff in. I bought my '04 brand new, and changed the oil after about a month. The stock stuff is NASTY!!.

Also you need to go through the bike and grease every bearing on it. Steering stem, rear suspension linkage, swingarm bearings, all have little or no grease from the factory.

All that stuff will keep you plenty busy before you need to even think about swapping any parts. If you don't have a shop manual, get one.
Mike

Life's tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid.
'04 KDX220
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