KDXRIDER.NET

Hi guys,
It's been 10 years since I bought my kdx 220r 2003 from Johnkdx220 ( http://www.kdxrider.net/forums/viewtopi ... 931#p58337 )
The changes I made on my bike was to get back to the stock clutch, i didn't like EFM autoclutch, changed the kickstart lever for the kx (boss and lever) ,+2 teeth rear,down to 35 pilot jet..
It have the RB head and carb mod, kx forks, boysen reeds, rev pipe ( stock silencer ).

I had the chance to try many different enduro bikes, when swapping bike with friends, the comments I always get is how they love the motor and front suspension ( and how they hate the rear shock ) and my feeling getting back on my KDX is always how this is the right bike for me.
I mainly ride hard enduro kind of stuff, single tracks and love log crossing.

I spent some time on the hybrid section reading about the different builds and how much an upgrade it is compared to the KDX chassis but I'm still unsure if that's the right move for me.

They say it's 80% the rider and only 20% the bike.

Around here I can only get blown kx/kxf for 1000-1500$, (right now, kx 125 2001 for 1000$, kxf 250 2010-2013 for 1500$)
I'm not sure I'll get that much an improvement for 1500$ + all the cost related to the build.

My questions are :
What is the main pros/cons of an hybrid for the type of riding I do
or should I just put some money on the KDX to make it look like new again? ( like Ericr did, his bikes are awesome)

Thanks

Is the rear sprung for the correct weight? Honestly (coming from a hybrid rider) the stock KDX is a trail bike, asking it to do hard enduro stuff will leave you wanting in the suspension/ergonomics departments IMO. The KX frame bumps you up to a slightly newer rear suspension setup with more adjustment, a slight weight savings, but for me the greatest improvement was just in the cockpit as you ride higher, it feels way thinner and lighter. The cons for me were that you the bike was a bit less comfortable without that big KDX sofa seat so I had to up my fitness game a bit and learn to stand a lot more. Before I did my hybrid I rode nothing but singletrack and alpine stuff and it never faltered. (In fact the reasom I built a hybrid was because I looped the bike and broke the frame and it was the cheapest way to keep riding the KDX motor!) My opinion would be spend the money springing the bike to your weight properly then see where you are. If you still need more then start looking at a hybrid or different bike.

You spent some cash on the kx forks but you didn’t mention any mods to the rear suspension. I sent my shock to Jeff Fredette and had him modify and revolve for me. Huge difference! A lot less than building a hybrid.

Thanks for your replys,
Johnkdx220 and I are the same height and weight, he said he sent the forks and shock to Stadium suspension for revalve so it's supposed to be "perfect".. but that was 12-13years ago, it might need some attention ( I do the oil change every 1-2 years ).

I have a 2000 220 KDX with KX forks and a 220 hybrid in a 2002 KX125 frame.
I love them both but they excel in different ways.
For tight single track, jumping logs, slow speed trail bike stuff the KDX chassis works great.
For any track time, fast enduro riding, jumping, the kx chassis with the better suspension and longer track shines.
The good news is that the hybrid is also good in the tight stuff so it gets to go out most often.

I put shortened, revalved YZ125 forks on my like-new '94, then noticed the shock too much....put new oil in it, and still noticed it. So I went the Race Tech gold valve route. What a huge difference! It follows the terrain beautifully, no spikes, is every bit as good as any shock put out in today's world, for off-road enduro type bikes. Highly recommend. That '94 can do it all now, slow or fast riding. I'm 155 lb plus about 30 lbs gear and am using the stock spring.

Still have that autoclutch? want to sell it to me?