where to go next?

[kicknrocks]

Alright, so the pipe epic is behind us

and the carb and head will be done next week . . .

so from here, do I just ride and smile?

do I do the piston and rings while I have the head off, whether it needs it or not?

then, do I stick with engine mods, or go for other stuff?

should I dump money into guards and crap like that first?

free forum, and everyone should have lots to say about this, so let it rip.

Opinions are like a**holes, and mines alot cleaner than yours.

ps please see my post in general discussions about avatars

pps I can't believe I said "avatar"

[Jeb]

What piston is in there now? If you've read many posts here, by now you've read where the stock piston can fail and cause big-time engine damage. REPLACE IT. Get a Wiseco.

Hand guards are a wise investment.

Your next frontier to consider is your suspension.

[canyncarvr]

Setup the suspension you have..sag and clickers for best effect.

Match fork springs to your weight and riding style.

Get rid of the stupid fork preload the KDX comes with (with the proper spring).


Or...what Jeb said.


Curious...what gear do you ride with? Hand guards and 'crap' like that are the 'crap' you need to ride in the woods and stay alive long enough to enjoy your old age...your 20's maybe.

Re: 'Opinions are like a**holes, and mines alot cleaner than yours.'

That likely from the reaming you continually get as a result of having such a point of view.

[kicknrocks]

Touche'!

It was a late night. I'm not even sure what that means.

I currently ride with all the gear that came with the bike, plus full personal safety gear. I already feel the pains that come with early thirties, and a life as a homebuilder and firefighter; can't be too careful at this point.

By crap, I just meant it's not as much fun.

"Curious...what gear do you ride with? Hand guards and 'crap' like that are the 'crap' you need to ride in the woods and stay alive long enough to enjoy your old age...your 20's maybe."

Yeah, I get that alot, minus the reaming that you speculated on.

How should I tweak the stock forks foy my massive 170?

What weight is the stock flywheel? Ever add weight to that?

[jowens66]

I added weight to my 96' KDX 200 that had a pipe and was RB'd. Made a nice difference in power delievery, controlling wheel spin. I really liked it for really slick, tough, technical riding.

[2001kdx]

Well, now that you've had your kicks with your new exhaust, and will have many more when the RB box comes in, get the suspension working adequately for you. Then go for some vital trail riding accesories I.E Bark Busters and/or a skid/glide plate and pipe guard, not sure how rocky your conditions are over at "way ahead of you" :)

[Jeb]

How should I tweak the stock forks foy my massive 170?

What weight is the stock flywheel? Ever add weight to that?

I'm not much into the flywheel (at least not for a KDX) but that's my personal opinion, plenty of mass on the stock version.

You are one of the lucky ones that are heavy enough at 170 that the stock springs are probably OK; check on frpoffroad.com and look up suspension tips. The stock preload is too long, it's like 30mm or something. Less preload (10-15mm) is enough; it'll make things even cushier because your forks will require less force to get moving.

[kicknrocks]

I'll check out Fredette's tips.

Things are pretty rocky here in "way ahead of you," which is super close to the front range in Colorado. That being said, I'll be moving to the Florida panhandle end of May.

Sounds like the general consensus is guards and suspension, not necessarily in that order. I got our for my first trail ride with the pipe yesterday and must say, sorta got worked. Felt like the rear was too soft and the front was too stiff. Does that sound about right?

How much getting worked on steep rocky terrain will be addressed with a damper?

Put on a computer yesterday also. Once I get the speed-o dialed in that will be really nice.

Also, want to get set up for enduro and scrambles when I move, so recommendations to that end would be much appreciated.

[kawagumby]

Front stiff and back soft? Must be damping, not springs, if your bike has the stock springs.

If you are using the stock front springs and weigh in at 170, you really need to change the fork springs as the stock units are way too light. Even if you ride like a sissy the stock forks are way too light . Fredette has the springs you'll need. If you find the rear doesn't follow the small chop stuff well enough you might want to opt for a lighter rear coil...but the difference is not as dramatic as the front springs.

Bark busters with handguards pay for themselves in levers saved, even if you don't ride in the woods.

I think suspension setup is more important than any other mod. If your suspension isn't right what good does it do to have a strong engine when you can't ride it fast? Have fun with the 220!