My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Got questions? We got answers....
Post Reply
terminatr
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: 08:06 pm Mar 13 2012
Country:

My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by terminatr »

I've plated my KDX 220. I've done some dualsport riding on it. It's not what I expected.
It's my commuter also. I probably get a DRZ Supermoto; and
convert the KDX back to trail only bike.

[*] (I have fixed this problem, which was caused by carb air leak) Won't hold steady throttle, e.g. when doing steady cruising speed, bike accelerate and decerate
[*] (I have fixed this with bigger counter sprocket)KIPS is very loud at higher speeds, like 55 MPH, lots of mechanical sound, eventhough it's got stock silencer; Very tiring on longer rides
[*] (I have fixed this with dualsport tires)Too much vibration on the highway with offroad knobby tires
[*]Premixing at the gas station really is a pain in the rear
[*]High fuel consumption rate means always looking for gas stations
[*]220 has weak top end; should have started with a 200
Last edited by terminatr on 03:07 pm Oct 28 2012, edited 2 times in total.
2001 KDX220
User avatar
kawagumby
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 927
Joined: 10:09 am Nov 30 2006
Country:
Location: California

Re: My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by kawagumby »

True dirt bikes don't make good dual-sporters for highway use- it's best just to plate them to get to the trails. BTW, the 220 will rev out just fine with some minor mods, and can be an advantage over the 200 as you can gear it higher for road use but still have enough grunt off-road. I almost bought a plated kdx frame a month ago, but rethought the whole thing as I already have a semi-dirt-piggy WR250R.

You can get rid of tire vibration by balancing against the rimlocks. It's not the tires, it's the rimlocks out-of-balance that make for rough road riding. I've run full knobbies on my WR250R up to 70+ mph no vibration with rimlocks in place. I use spherical fish weights - drill the centers, slot and open, then slide over the spoke - just touch with a flame to remelt the seam and you're done.
1994 KDX200, Beta 200rr, yz125, yz250, kx100 modded for adult, gasgas contact 250.
Roadhazardguy
Supporting Member II
Supporting Member II
Posts: 302
Joined: 09:18 pm Aug 13 2012
Country:
Location: Canyon Lake Tx

Re: My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by Roadhazardguy »

Do you balance them on a bubble balancer?

Watch this: [youtube][/youtube]
Tony
1988 KDX 200
1980 KD 80
1989 ATK 406
1984 RM 500
1980 KZ 1300
2008 SM450R
User avatar
kawagumby
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 927
Joined: 10:09 am Nov 30 2006
Country:
Location: California

Re: My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by kawagumby »

Nope, I just hold the rimlocks in one hand and the weight in the other to get a reasonable match. I bought the weights at Kmart. My riding buddies have the fancier ones that fall off, LOL.
1994 KDX200, Beta 200rr, yz125, yz250, kx100 modded for adult, gasgas contact 250.
terminatr
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: 08:06 pm Mar 13 2012
Country:

My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by terminatr »

How do you like the WR250R compared to KDX?
2001 KDX220
User avatar
kawagumby
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 927
Joined: 10:09 am Nov 30 2006
Country:
Location: California

Re: My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by kawagumby »

The WR250R is the dual sport and as such weighs nearly 300 lbs. It will work OK off-road, but is best where you don't have to pick it up, LOL.... The KDX will leave it in the dust on any technical trails. The WR is a compromise bike, heavier brake rotors and other heavy parts to handle long-term use on roads, the suspension is reasonable if you revalve the rear shock. For true dual-sporting where you do a lot of roads with trails in between, it's pretty darn good. For comparison, I previously owned a suzuki DRZ400 dual sport (04) and the wr works better everywhere and is more fun - the six speed tranny and a lower cg more than offset the 7+/- hp difference. The wr will cruise all day at 70+. I ended up with an aftermarket seat, a larger tank, and the revalved shock... so I have some bucks in the machine. A lot of guys go with aftermarket exhaust and programmers for the FI, but I don't think the few HP gain is worth the big money for me.

Comparing the two bikes is like comparing apples and oranges - there is no better really-tight-technical woods bike (IMO), new KTM's included, - than a properly setup KDX 200 or 220.
1994 KDX200, Beta 200rr, yz125, yz250, kx100 modded for adult, gasgas contact 250.
terminatr
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: 08:06 pm Mar 13 2012
Country:

My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by terminatr »

Ok thanks.

Well, I balanced the front wheel by sticking a lot of lead weights. But the front end still shakes above 40 MPH.

Only thing I notice is the rear wheel is not totally round. Quite a few minor bends on the wheel. Previous owner must ran too low psi. Would the rear wheel cause the front to shake?
2001 KDX220
User avatar
kawagumby
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 927
Joined: 10:09 am Nov 30 2006
Country:
Location: California

Re: My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by kawagumby »

Could be, you need to balance both. After you put the weights on, spin the wheel on its axle to make sure it doesn't always stop at the same place - if it does, that shows there is a heavy spot and still needs adjustment.
1994 KDX200, Beta 200rr, yz125, yz250, kx100 modded for adult, gasgas contact 250.
factoryX
Member
Posts: 352
Joined: 01:33 pm Jan 22 2011
Country:

Re: My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by factoryX »

Cool video, but with a restrictive pipe would that not be the cause of increased exhaust temps? Same would go for a 4 stroke would it not?
Image
User avatar
bcdonyo
Supporting Member
Posts: 271
Joined: 07:31 pm Nov 26 2008
Country:
Location: So. Nv.

My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by bcdonyo »

The traits that make the KDX so appealing off road make it horible on the open highway. I've owned five plated dirt bikes and my ATK605 was the only one I'd consider commuting on.
Brian
Supporting Member II
Supporting Member II
Posts: 323
Joined: 08:31 pm Aug 26 2009
Country:
Location: Brush Prairie Washington

My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by Brian »

I plated my KDX 220 and I have noticed some of the same complaints. I did manage to balance the tires. On the rear, add 3oz. of weight opposite of the rim lock. My local bike shop gave me that advice and when I tried it, it worked. I put the bike on a lift so both tires were off the ground and I pushed the brake pads into the caliper as far as I could so they didn't rub the brake disk. I gave the wheel a spin and put a piece of tape on the rim at the top. I kept adding weigh untill the tape stopped at random places. It turned out that it was about 3 oz, just like my local shop said it would be. The front tire is similar but slightly less weight.
KX 250, KDX 220, KDX 220, KDX 200, CR 80

I don't believe in a society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existance---Nick Inatsch
terminatr
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: 08:06 pm Mar 13 2012
Country:

My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by terminatr »

I had to add 6 oz to balance the rear tire. I bought a Motion Pro light-weight rim lock, but haven't tried it yet. I also bought a set of dualsport tires K270 Kenda, but also haven't installed yet. Things things should help a lot.

But there's nothing to help the transmission. I needs to be wider ratio.
2001 KDX220
terminatr
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: 08:06 pm Mar 13 2012
Country:

My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by terminatr »

Okay. I'll have to take back some of the things I wrote. Because I just put a pair of dualsport tires on the bike. And I also switched to 14x47 gearing. I feel like I can cruise all day on at 55 MPH after doing these mods. These tires are huge improvement over knobbies.

I found the problem with my carb too. After fixing it, the bike runs much smoother at constant high speed throttle.
The problem was there was a small air leak via the throttle cable. The rubber boot around the cable was torn. I replaced the cable and the boot. Amazing!

But it's still using too much gas to be a hardcore dualsport. I am thinking of doing the CDR or TAT next year. It's not going to happen with a KDX unless I can figure out a way to extend the range to 200 miles.
2001 KDX220
User avatar
rbates9
Supporting Member II
Supporting Member II
Posts: 3164
Joined: 06:07 pm Apr 27 2010
Country:
Location: UPSTATE New York

My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by rbates9 »

:supz:
User avatar
David_L6
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 235
Joined: 01:07 am Jun 04 2010
Country:
Location: Northwest Louisiana

My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by David_L6 »

I'd love to have a street legal KDX. Not so much to ride to work and back (although I could because it's only about 10 miles and less than half of that highway), but just so I could if I ever wanted to or needed to.
2000 KDX200 / 2002 CR250 / 2003 CR250 / 2008 TT-R230 / 2011 Brute Force 750 / 2012 Brute Force 750 EPS
Roadhazardguy
Supporting Member II
Supporting Member II
Posts: 302
Joined: 09:18 pm Aug 13 2012
Country:
Location: Canyon Lake Tx

Re: My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by Roadhazardguy »

About how many miles do you get out of it right now?
Tony
1988 KDX 200
1980 KD 80
1989 ATK 406
1984 RM 500
1980 KZ 1300
2008 SM450R
terminatr
Member
Posts: 239
Joined: 08:06 pm Mar 13 2012
Country:

My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by terminatr »

Before I switched tires and fixed the carb, I calculated it was getting about 30 miles per gallon. That's riding the bike gingerly as much as possible on fire dirt roads. I don't know if the new DS tires would increase MPG or not.

With an "oversized" Clark gas tank of 3.7 gallon, the range of my bike would be about 110 miles.
2001 KDX220
Roadhazardguy
Supporting Member II
Supporting Member II
Posts: 302
Joined: 09:18 pm Aug 13 2012
Country:
Location: Canyon Lake Tx

Re: My KDX Dualsport, now what?

Post by Roadhazardguy »

LOL well that would be fine with me, my truck gets 9 mpg so that would be perfect for running around town.
Tony
1988 KDX 200
1980 KD 80
1989 ATK 406
1984 RM 500
1980 KZ 1300
2008 SM450R
Post Reply