Head and carb mods with stock pipes --- RIDE IMPRESSIONS

Questions and Answers about the best carb and Head mods available for the KDX.
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xagentman
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Head and carb mods with stock pipes --- RIDE IMPRESSIONS

Post by xagentman »

Greetings everyone,

Let me first start off by thanking Ron for his astounding work on the carb and head. I could not be more pleased with his craftsmanship.

That being said, on with the show!!

First, at the beginning of last season I bought a 2005 KDX220R. I rode it over the course of that season and came away with a good impression of the bike. It did everything I needed it to do as a novice. As I got better with the bike I found myself desiring more response and power. Most of my riding happens in the tight wooded trails of Oregon and my primary focus is torque and throttle response. (Speed is a byproduct) The RD carb and head mods seemed like the best choice to enhance my riding style.

I posted earlier asking if anyone had feedback about using the RD carb and head mods with stock pipes. But, it seems that most everyone buys the exhaust system first. In my case I choose the cheaper of the two options. Not to mention, I wanted to avoid downtime in the middle of the riding season.

After picking up my parts on Saturday, I had to wait until last night to put them back on the bike. (Have to put in girl time before ride time) The bolt on was much easier than the tear down. I knew where things went and what to expect. Once it was all together I added a new plug, some gas and kicked it over. On the second kick it sprang to life and greeted me with a meaner sounding growl, almost primal. I touched the throttle just a bit and it responded instantly with a snapping bark. :twisted: I was already impressed with the throttle response I received. In stock form there was always a slight delay before I saw a result. Granted this could have been due to a tuning issue, as I did not change a thing about the bike from its stock form.
I gave the bike time to warm up and settle, and took the seat for my first ride. On the first twist of the throttle I was impressed. The front wheel was up off the ground so quickly I was forced to tap the rear brake so as not to end up on my back. Second gear was much the same. Wow, the hit was amazing. :shock: Third gear roll on was a short wheel in the air experience and that’s about when I noticed the top end ringing out strong. All of a sudden I had power in the upper RPM’s that was not present before. At this point I had perm grin. :grin: The rest of the way up through fifth and sixth gear was very quick, forcing a primal “Woo!” as I cut the power down. I took a moment to check the speedo for my top speed and noted 73.4 mph, more than fast enough for any trail. The thing that most impressed me was the stronger power curve. I noted a strong smooth pull that the bike lacked in the past. In the lower RPM’s the pull could almost be considered violent. The bane of all stock 220’s of no top end power was vanquished.
After returning home I decided it was time to find that second sweet spot (SSS) that everyone talks about on this forum. After an hour of cutting figure eights in my parents field and bogging the bike down in low speed third gear corners I was able to find the spot. I knew I had it as I came out of the low speed corner in third and it did not want to bog and die at half throttle. Instead it just pulled out of it and then accelerated away. I was truly impressed.

As a final note I want to say that with the stock pipes the RD carb and head mod is well worth the investment. I would not say that the overall speed of the bike is increased all that much but, the response and hit are very noticeable. There is a much better power curve to the bike now and the “Indy car” like throttle response is amazing. I am looking forward to stacking some money away to get the new exhaust as well but, that’s going to take some time.
So once again, hats off to Ron. The mods make an incredible difference even with mostly stock components on the back end. Thanks to all of you for your input on making my KDX riding experience that much better. I look forward to seeing you all on the trail.

If you have questions, please ask. I will give as much feedback as you need.

-Xagentman
==05 KDX220R==
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jsherm01
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Post by jsherm01 »

The RB carb and head mod was already done on this 220 I bought in December 2006.

You are right it runs grrrrreat!

It also came with an FMF Fatty pipe but I put a stock silencer on it to quiet it down. My family still says its LOUD! I wonder what they would think if I put the FMF silencer on?

Oh, one question... how does your bike have a speedo?
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scheckaet
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Post by scheckaet »

:drool:
your description looks great, I really can't wait to get mine done!
Anybody can loan me 200 bucks???
:mrgreen:
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xagentman
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Post by xagentman »

thanks guys...

as for the speedo question....

http://www.trailtech.net/500-20.html
==05 KDX220R==
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canyncarvr
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Post by canyncarvr »

Oregon, 'eh?

When you coming down to the State of Jefferson for a ride?

Good to hear of another satisfied Ron Black customer!

Consider the source
Using a perceived level of knowledge to boost my self worth.
Non impediti ratione cogitationis

bike profile: !clicky!
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2001kdx
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Post by 2001kdx »

>|<>QBB<
canyncarvr wrote:When you coming down to the State of Jefferson for a ride?
That's not a state :mrgreen:
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m0rie
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Post by m0rie »

>|<>QBB<
2001kdx wrote:>|<>QBB<
canyncarvr wrote:When you coming down to the State of Jefferson for a ride?
That's not a state :mrgreen:
Don't tell that to the folks 'round these parts...
1989 KDX 200
2007 TTR-50E
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2001kdx
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Post by 2001kdx »

Hey you guys gave it a shot, right?
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