KDXRIDER.NET

Hey y'all. Came back from Cloudcroft NM. Did a little trail riding. Other guys couldn't believe I bought a 2 smoke to climb the mountain trails. While I didn't do the most challenging trails, I thought there was plenty of grunt from the KDX for the easier ones. There was bunch of baby head size rocks everywhere. It was tough to keep momentum. The other guys kept saying I need to buy a 4-stroke for this type of riding because I was struggling a bit. They think I'm going to burn up the clutch. Is the KDX really at such a disadvantage? Another guy had a KLX250s. I'm thinking about getting one.

ESPECIALLY your 220 with the right mods is perfect for this
i would suggest the RB head mods and a flywheel weight and you can lug through just about anything

when i go uphill on my 200 i just stay on the pipe and only use the clutch when i tip it over or stall it out

on a side note, a new clutch for a KDX can be had for 50 dollars
sounds a whole lot cheaper then buying a 4stroker

They are just 2T haters or they just like giving you crap. My club, Trail Riders of Southern Arizona, does a trip to Cloudcroft every year. About half of them ride a 2T! Lots of KTM 200, 250, and 300's, Gas Gas EC series bikes, Husabergs, YZ's, KX's, and on occasion, even a KDX! Unless you are doing something like Erzberg/Romaniacs type hill climbs and stuff a KDX should handle just about anything you can throw at it. I say work on your skills, make sure your suspension is setup for you, and proceed to show them just how well the little KDX can do! I know I do!

KLX250 is no comparison to a KDX200 or 220. Sounds like you just need some practice.

I have owned a KLX250. It was a 1994, I think, just before the dirt only KLX300's came out. My 250 had a TM-33 pumper carb, and over sized head pipe, a Thumper 300cc kit in it, and full Race Tech suspension. It was a wonderful machine. It was very reliable, if not quite as exciting to ride as a KDX. The worst thing about the entire KLX series (including the newer KLX250S) is the right side foot peg mount. It hangs out quite a bit, and will bend downward after a while. The pegs are also quite low, so you very quickly learn to ride on your toes.
I really liked my KLX, and would love to own another one some day, but I would not trade my KDX for one. IMO - They are quite even in the tight gnarly stuff. The KLX certainly has that low end advantage, but it also has a weight dis-advantage. The KLX is/was a fine handling machine, though.
One interesting note: Tank shrouds for the original 250 are quite different than the 300, or the new KLX250S. The original 250 has a much more narrow fuel tank. Back when I owned the bike (10 years ago?) shrouds were getting difficult to find.

I imagine a klx250 with a 300 kit would be more of a match. You're talking about a lot of money in modifications. A stock klx250 though? Nah.

Julien D wrote:I imagine a klx250 with a 300 kit would be more of a match. You're talking about a lot of money in modifications. A stock klx250 though? Nah.

Yes. You are right, Julien. I bought it that way, but the mods were easily over $1000, total. The TM-33 carb is over $400 alone, I think. Still, it was a fine machine, one that I miss to this day. It was similar to an E series KDX in terms of ergonomics - a relatively low seat height, a big pilow of a seat, but with a very narrow tank/seat junction. It had great power for winter riding (snow), and tight, snotty trails. If I found an inexpensive KLX300, I would probably buy it, as a back up machine. The only real issue that I had with mine was that, after years of abuse, I had to replace the cam chain, as it had stretched out enough to start making loud noises. $40, and I was back in business. I sold the bike for $1200 - with all of the street legal stuff that I had added. One of the best things about the bike was, that even though it was quite capable, it was stealthy quiet with the stock muffler. Like our KDX's, aftermarket mufflers did very little, if anything, for performance, so the stock muffler stayed. The exit hole is *tiny*, but it worked very well.