If you were to buy a 4-stroke....

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Lutz
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Post by Lutz »

I hate to flame...
but every time I even think of four strokes, I think of my buddy's '03 CRF450R. You know...the one that snapped a rod and destroyed basically the entire motor and some of the transmission.

Maybe it's just that he and I (and the entire KDX riding public, for that matter) have been spoiled on the reliability of the KDX, and we don't really realize the maintainance that 'other' bikes need. As a note, his previous bike was identical to mine...in stock form anyway...a 1995 KDX200 bought new in 1997. He NEVER did anything to his other than fill it with mixed gas, clean the filter, and change the transmission oil. He quit riding his KDX in 2003 when he bought his 450. By the way, when his bikes run, he rides them all the time. When he sold his KDX, it still ran just fine...even with stock, never-been-touched jetting. Since he bought the CRF...well, he's been without a bike for about a year now. He just can't afford to fix his blown up CRF. Actually, for what it would cost to rebuild his CRF (I've looked into this a whole lot), he could buy a used bike.

So there it is...I don't think the new breed of four strokes is reliable enough to warrant the increase in weight and costs that they entail. Please remember that all my friend does is trail ride - granted around here that is more like desert riding, since most of our trails are old railroad grades, meaning lots of WFO riding. But the fact remains, my KDX is still running on the 100% original bottom end, and his KDX was still running on its 100% original engine, and his CRF grenaded after a comparitively short period of time, leaving him without a bike.
Keep It Simple Stupid
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m0rie
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Post by m0rie »

>|<>QBB<
Lutz wrote:. Since he bought the CRF...well, he's been without a bike for about a year now. He just can't afford to fix his blown up CRF. Actually, for what it would cost to rebuild his CRF (I've looked into this a whole lot), he could buy a used bike.
Sounds like there is only one reasonable course of action...

....Build a KDX/CRF hybrid :mrgreen: :supz:

-Maurice
1989 KDX 200
2007 TTR-50E
FLAKDX
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Post by FLAKDX »

I've heard that same story played out a mess of times. I know of several CRF250 and KXF/RMZ 250 owners who have bikes that they are financing at $100.00+ a month that they can't afford to rebuild the motors on. If they are maintained meticulously they can be reliable. But that means replacing valves and springs as well as having the valve seats either cut or replaced with Stainless steel inserts or even total head replacement on a regular basis. Oil changes EVERY ride. Clean air filter EVERY ride. One of the biggest problems with the modern 4T's are the fact that 85% of the people that own them have come from 2T's and ride them the same way. If you were used to ringing the snot out of your 2T (like most of us :twisted: ) and you try to ride a 4T the same way your gonna break it in no time. I've seen KXF's/RMZ's (250's) come apart with as little as 10 hours on them at the MX track due to the fact that the 14 year old throttle jock at the bars rings it to the limiter and holds it there constantly like he would a 125. That is sure death to one of these machines. They have to be shifted and shifted in the meat of there power. If ridden correctly and maintained correctly (albeit at a considerably higher cost than maintaining a comparable 2T) they can and will last.
03 220R
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fuzzy
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Post by fuzzy »

^ IMO, NOT WORTH IT!
'91 KDX 200 Project $300 KDX
'95 KDX 200 Project $600 KDX
'94 WR 250 Always a project
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