KDXRIDER.NET

This came up in my damper topic. Where do you guys have your bars set? This meaning the bar clamps. Are they farther away, close to you ect. Why do you have them set this way beside comfort?

Jon.

I have mine set close to me. It's just comfortable for me this way, but I'm willing to try something new. I might try setting my bar clamps further out just to see what they are like.

Jon.

I set my bars as far forward as I possibly can. It blocks my compression clickers, but here's why I do this:

I find that that general fit of the KDX puts me in the back seat and I can't seem to keep my butt forward with weight on the front wheel. This makes the front end light on uphills and hard corners. With the bars forward, then I am forward too. I position myself as far out over the bars as I can when riding. I call it my "Attack" mode. I mentally project myself as riding in front of the bike with the bike following me like a trailer would a car. Make sense? I also use this mental image when street riding. It gets me setting up corners a lot earlier and I'm able to ride them quicker.

For a bird's eye view of my KDX bar set-up; look in my gallary under the sub album labeled: Hand Operated Rear Brake (For auto-clutch owners)

Oops! I'll just put the image here:

I'm with the "Pro". Bar clamps flipped to the most forward position. Bars rotated forward. Same reason as ski. Much better for getting forward for corners and climbs.

Later
Robb

jafo, I prefer more forward, as the tank/seat junction makes it hard to get more weight up front when needed. Get on buykawsaki.com and look at the KDX200 from the side (in the new bike showroom photos). Then open another buykawsaki.com window and look at the KX250. You can see a huge difference in ability to sit forward on the bike.

I say just try it both ways to see what you like.

skipro3: Did you mean to say rebound clickers instead of compression clickers, as far as being blocked? You didn't switch to Showa's did you?

On your picture, I think you had the address wrong. Try the [img] tag, then the address (you had it wrong)

http://kdxrider.net/forums/modules/albu ... .sized.jpg

then the [/img] tag.

Jason wrote:skipro3: Did you mean to say rebound clickers instead of compression clickers, as far as being blocked? You didn't switch to Showa's did you?

My bars block my compression clickers on my forks. They are the top adjustments. Bas asswards from the rear shock where the compression is the lower adjustment. The link you sent me shows some compression adjustors from Race Tech. Thanks! I ordered one!!! Here's a photo of, what they call, " Fork Compression Adjuster tool"

I don't knowe about that Ski.... top is rebound and bottom is compression in my book of trick!

Crap! I rreeaaally hate acting stupid!!!
(Note: I did not say I was stupid, just acting)
Thanks Jason and Inda. That race tech site threw me off calling it a Fork Compression Adjuster tool. Grrrrrrrr!!!!

Anyway, from what I can tell, it won't work for anyone that uses the motionpro fork air bleeders. My bleeders stand pretty tall and it seems they might interfere with the adjuster. I wish Race Tech would post a better photo from the top in order to determine that.

Well, you gotta get the tab or screwdriver blade portion down into the adjuster, so it would sit down however far that is.

In a MX race, no one has time to hit air bleeder buttons, so that may be one thing to keep in mind.

Sorry to stray off topic somewhat, jafo.

Bubba can!

The KDX is back from the get-go! Due to woods ergonomics. Setting them forward does not detract form this... just gives you an advantage in the leverage area. IMHO of course!

Hmmm. I'll have to try this. All's you do is turn the the bar mounts around right? I should be able to do this with my Emigs bar clamps I'm thinking. This may really improve things. Thinking about it now, I do remember having to pull myself forwards alot while riding. I'll switch mine around and see what that feels like. Heck can't do anything else right now.

Thanks a bunch guys!!!!!!!!!!! Oh nice computer Ski. Is that the high dollar one?

Jason, I don't mind straying from the issue, any and all info is a good thing!

Indi, you make a good point, better ergenomics = less energy used which = longer and better riding.

Robb, cudo's man. Gotta have the weight forwards in the tight woods. Makes you wide eyed and bushytailed and ready for anything! I like to try to be up on the tank when in the tight woods trails.


Jon.

I noticed something I'll have to do when puting on my scott's damper. I'll have to bow my cross bar. I noticed in a majority of the pics on thier site that the cross bars are all bowed for clearence.

I'll order my damper acordingly, bars forward and bolt on clamp for a KDX neck..... but I'll measure first.

Jon.

Awful fancy screwdriver Ski!

I seen these ones that mount to the tops and are always adjustable... now those are sweet.

No... I didn't have anything to drink last night.... well... maybe a 12 pack or so... man am I feeling it today!

Hold the fone...Ski, what kind of bar guards are those? Looks like the inboard mounts don't go to the bars at all. Do they go to the triple clamp or bar clamp? The bar end looks different than any I've seen too.

Thanks,

Ski's guards are in beta test. I'm sure he'll let us know how they work...well, he said he would anyway.

Yes, most straight crossbars won't fit the Scotts. A good time for fat bars.

Good to see you got your bleeders in, Ski...and they're even straight up!! ;)

..note to Ski...
Uh....aren't the arrows on your grips supposed to point 'up' when you put'm on? Way up? Firm? ...and high?

..great ride at Prospect Satruday. ...did I mention that already...??

That tool works for fork compression settings, too??? As I see the pic, I don't see that it has a straight screwdriver tip at all. Some forks have a square drive? I take the pic on the RT site to be both sides....

It's odd that, with the fork angle and being upside down and all, it's not at all hard to not get a screwdriver properly aligned to the compression adjuster. A tool like RaceTechs..with a tip long enough to reach the compression clicker would be nice.

Jafo: You have a gripper seat? Gotta have one!! Also..the WER does a much better job at being a damper with the KX forks than with the OEM forks. It actually works like it's supposed to!! Not a lot of that going on with the OEM forks.

Sorry, no gripper seat yet. I'll be lucky to scrap enough dough together to get this damper set up on my bike the way my wife is whizzzing through the money buying furniture...............still. I have'nt told her that I'm getting ready to drop over $500 on the bike yet. Might be a cold day in hell before I tell her too. What what on the bars? New? Oh no those been on there for awhile, errr, ah yeh.

I'd like to have a gripper seat cover but just have'nt gotten around to it yet. Just spent some money on new riding pants, jersey and gloves. Did I really need them? Noooooooo. I just told myself when the time came I'd buy a set. They're the Kawasaki Thor pants and stuff off Buy Kaw site.

Jon.

jafo: That's the ICO Checkmate Enduro Computer. The DVD slot is remoted under the seat. I can watch Moto videos as I wait for my free time or resets to catch up to me.

Inda: Post a link to a site that has the adjusters you speak of. Pretty please?

Colorado Mike: The brush guards are in the final stages of development. I've tested them under exteme conditions. The top bar mount is billet milled for the Scotts and extended across the front, then drilled and tapped for the brush guards to mount to. This cleans up the bars from needing clamps. They also won't rotate. (When I'm done.) In the photo, I used a pivoting "eye" bolt that allowed the guards to rotate on a hard crash, breaking my stainless steel braided front brake line!!!!!!!!! That's what drawing boards are for. I'm one stage away from a final version but my latest version can be made with the bar clamp and standard Moose bar guards. (And some rebending of the guards.) I'll post up a report when all finished. Here's a photo:

jafo: Get a gripper seat cover dude. It is an absolute MUST!! Unless you ride standing all the time, that stock seat cover is gonna get you in trouble. Just remember that you can't slide sideways to put a foot down as easy. I've tipped over a couple of times from forgetting that.

Here's some pics....*** NOTE *** These are compression adjusts for twin chamber KYB's and Showa (in that order). Something I did not notice before. But... on a lighter note. There is no reason why these could not be made for rebound adjustments! Right?

These are currently being marketed by Ride Engineering