KDXRIDER.NET

Mark Westerfield from Connecticut.

Friend hooked me up on a great deal on a 2003 KDX220R, nice shape, a few nice upgrades. Been riding with a friend at the Thomaston Dam and having a great time. Throttle has begun to stick a little so I'm trying to figure that out.

Anybody else have this bike? Have tips?

Welcome to the forums. There may be one or two around here with a similar KDX.

Have you taken apart the throttle assembly or taken the cable off and cleaned and lubed it? Have you checked the throttle slide in the carburetor?

Welcome.

You might also want to check if the original piston is still in it. The 220's have a known issue with cracked piston skirts(OEM only). There are quite a few threads on here with people having that issue.

Especially since it is 15 years old.

Forget about the sticking throttle. The first and most urgent thing you need to do is determine what piston is in it for sure. If it is an OEM piston, get it out now. Too many owners on this site have had very expensive problems by not doing so. You can deal with the throttle in the process.
Congrats on the bike, one of the best trail bikes ever made! You're going to love it (after you deal with the piston!).

Congrats, and welcome, and what all they said ^

Hey Mark, I ride Thompson dam as well on my 1997kdx 220. My throttle also is slow to return some times only if the bike is dirty. I'd guess some dirt get under the throttle tube. Try washing the bike and seeing if the snap comes back. If it doesn't you may need to lube cable or replace some parts.

Also check the routing of the throttle cable.
It should run away from the exhaust or the heat can cause sticking.

The grip can also rub on the rubber boot of the throttle if the front brake is over too far, hitting the rubber boot.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. The sticking throttle was the brake lever adjustment screw binding on the throttle grip, and I cleaned up the tube, while I installed Bark Buster handguards. I'll try to look into checking out that piston ASAP, thanks for looking out!

I am glad to hear you got it sorted out