KDXRIDER.NET

Hi all, i just came back from a terrific weekend of riding! It was a lot of fun.

I switched bikes with my buddy for a few hours yesterday he has a 2000 klx300, i never knew that a dirt bike could handle as well as it does. It's stock.

So my Q's are this. I dont want to swap out to a kx125 front end, really I don't.

Aside from that, what can I do to my front suspension to make it better? Right now my front tire does not grab, I lean the bike over and it will go out from underneath me, the klx did not do this.

I'm about 200 pounds with gear, and i have .40's springs in there. I know this is a fairly general question, but would love your advice.

wellll...the first obvious question would be what respective tires do the bikes have....if you have a Cheng Shin and he's runnin' Dunlop 756's there's a big part of the equation...tires make a huge diff

both of us are running maxxis IT's. Both have plenty of tread left!

ok, then it's easy...trade him bikes

Remember he has a 300 thumper. The KLX 300's aren't nearly as spirited as the KDX's.
They're like riding a XR-250 smooth steady power never really doing anything wrong just tractor along. Now did you compare that to the quick throttle response , snappy power of the KDX?


Power and power out put has a lot to do with handling.




.

MXold- that was definitely noticeable. His bike did not have a lot of snap, but it really did grab the dirt where mine does not, with gas or without.

On any type of off camber turn i will be flat on my face if i'm not super careful.

I don't know what forks the KLX has..rebound adjustable?

There is something you won't match with the OEM KDX forks.

The largest difference in my OEM forks came with a preload reduction. What's yours?

Make it 5mm. See if you like that better. If not...it's easy enough to change.

How many 24mm shims you running in the OEM basevalve?

It costs nothing to take some out! Like about 1/2 of 'em at least.

Get some fork bleeders...and use 'em often.

What psi?

A 4-stroke is generally easier to ride..it's the 720º power pulses compared to your 360ºs. Not as much fun (imo), but easier to ride.

I heard there's some riding up this-a-way this coming weekend.......

KLX has usd forks fully adjustable and from what i read online, they aren't all that either, but they were a lot better than my kdx.

As far as i know aside from the springs the front forks are completely stock. So i should take out some shims eh? What does that do?

Midlifemoto

Sorry off topic

But, I see in your sig you have a 06 CRF-150 would you want a CRF-450???

I know a older (70 yrs young) gentleman that rides at the Albany MX track. He has a , WELL HELL IT'S PROBABLY NEVER SEEN 3rd GEAR CRF-450 and he wants to trade someone with a 150. Plain and simple at 70+ he's having problems with the power but the main thing is he's a very short guy and it's really hard for him to get on/off or even start the big 450.
If your interested I can get some info/details for you or just get his contact info for you.

probably should have pm'd ya' but this will be quick...thanks but no thanks..the 150 is the girlyfriends and just perfect for her, and I'd kill myself on one :-)

If your front end is washing noticeably compared to a KLX, the problem is likely your bike's setup. The first thing you should double-check is your rear suspension sag - that is one likely culprit. There should be plenty of info on that, do a search here to get the that info.
The next thing I would check is the positioning of fork height in the triple clamps. This will affect turning as will the fork spring preload that canyncarvr talked about. I used to run 40's in my stock forks and the preload was set for just BARELY more than nothing (mebbe 3/8") and the fork/fork cap line was about 1/4 inch above the top of the triple clamp.

A KLX should not out-turn a properly setup KDX, even with conventional forks. The stroker can help with compression braking to bring the front end lower into a turn, but your KDX has brakes too (if used properly), and is lighter, and will therefore, turn easier. P=MV, all other things being equal.

oops...I did presume a correctly set shock was already done....

I didn't do this to my OEM forks..had them revalved before trying it. I don't recall the number of 24s in the OEM stack..but it's something like eight? Ten? Way too many, anyway, based on the results of anyone that has taken 'some' out. Removal will soften the compression action of the fork..giving you more room to 'rebound'..and that rebound action is what keeps you stable in turns.

It's all a matter of the whole mess being tuned to work together. With a correct spring rate..a reasonable preload (the OEM preload is stupid..something around 35mm), a few less 24s would probably be a reasonable thing to try.

Again...and it's free, too! Don't like it, put 'em back in!

these guys are right on and very experienced...a saggy rear end (and a soft shock setting :-) will definately affect steering accuracy and feel...get that baby tuned and balanced and don't be surprised if your bike now corners like your buddies....the one situation that I don't like about my my KDX's handling is on flat sweepers without berms...the tallness of the bike coupled with the steep rake doesn't like to 'flat track' and get sideways under power...but I'm just an average rider skill wise so maybe it's me and not the bike

'the one situation that I don't like about my my KDX's handling is on flat sweepers without berms...the tallness of the bike coupled with the steep rake doesn't like to 'flat track' and get sideways under power..

Ohhh!!! I see!! There's a REASON for that!!!????

And here I thought MY panty-waisted cornering on fire roads was just 'cuz I'm chicken!!! ..and scairt of falling over or getting into a header from the guy 'fer sure coming the other way on my side!!! I feel much moh bedder knowing it's my bike's fault!!

...kidding...

That was the second best thing about the KX fork setup...rebound adjustment! To add a couple of clicks to rebound and actually be able to feel a notable change in suspension reaction. With the OEM forks, anything you can do to help the rebound direction out is going to be a big help.

That doesn't mean I'm not a chicken..........

Where's the FAQ on the kx swap? What does it end up costing? Maybe i should just go this route... sigh. Stupid forks.

cleoent wrote:Where's the FAQ on the kx swap? What does it end up costing? Maybe i should just go this route... sigh. Stupid forks.

It's on the KX Fork section of this forum.

What does it cost? That depends. Just a WAG...but prices have run from maybe $100-400.

They aren't some sort'a requirement or anything..but you will never get the OEM forks to match a decently setup KX setup. The more aggressive a rider you are..the more evident the difference will be.

Of course...they look cool, too! ..and we all know how important that is!!

Does anyone else have any tips on what i can do to my front end to make it better?

First things first....If it were me.
(Assuming your shock is reasonably fresh in the oil department and your linkages are in good shape)

Ride height (shock sag) and fork height.
I've usually set sag to specs and then go for a ride. I'll leave the top locking nut loose. If I don't like the bikes "attitude" in steering, I'll stop and lay it over and turn the shock spring to adjust the sag. Half a turn makes a big difference but when you get home and then measure sag the change is hardly measurable. I usually end up going back and forth from fork height to shock height a couple of times, at least I did on the hybrid.

Spring change if they are not right for your weight.
A lot of people like the XR400 fork springs. I did, they were a big improvement, and I weigh 175 w/gear. I used '97 springs.

Fork oil change.

It ought to turn and suspend every bit as well as a KLX

One thing I didn't see mention was tire air pressure. Don't worry about comparing it to the KLX. That bike is heavier any ways and isn't your bike. Play with the air pressure. If find that when my front end is washing out either I'm not sitting forward enough, weighing down the outside peg enough or my front tire air pressure is too high.

my pressure is always set between 12-14 depending on terrain.

I'm only comparing it to the klx because i would love for my bike to handle and grip like that.