KDXRIDER.NET

Good little write up in this month's Dirt Bike mag about most influencial off-road riders and bikes of all time. Along with praise for the KDX, they also give props to Jeff Fredette.

I would like to see a shootout with a nicely modded KDX vs. today's bikes, i.e. KTM 200, CRF250, WR250, etc.

Always nice to see props given to the best all around trail bike ever.

If the mags wrote how good the KDX is how would all the manufacturers sell the new bikes they develop?And at the prices they want to charge.

5K, 6K 7k or more for a new dirt bike...prices have gone crazy!!!

Gotta pay for 1,000,000hrs of engineering, and all those blown motors somehow!

fuzzy wrote:Gotta pay for 1,000,000hrs of engineering, and all those blown motors somehow!

and don't forget the sponsorship money so the pro riders can live like rock stars.

firffighter wrote: I would like to see a shootout with a nicely modded KDX vs. today's bikes, i.e. KTM 200, CRF250, WR250, etc.

Those shootouts take place across the country every weekend. I'll bet most KDX's hold their own against the new bikes in the stickey wickets.

Roots, rock, ruts ... oh my.

Here's a little anecdotal nonsense for y'all.

Time: Last week
Where: Idaho Sawtooth NF...lower Paradise Ck.
Bikes: Two KX250's and a 'lil KDX 200

Accomplished riders on both KX's. No...not Bubbas or Rickys, but faster than most.

#1 KX heads down a four mile trail section..,#2 shortly behind. KDX rider chats with rider #4 for a bit..then takes off in pursuit.

....catches them both...blows them into the weeds.

How'd that happen?

'Ride it like a 125!' he says.

I followed 'em all on an overbored KX250 (300cc).

Was that your bike?

Are you saying it may be the rider, not the bike? How could that be. If I spend the $ on a new fangled bike that is the winner of so and so shoutout, shouldn't that automatically make me the fastest rider in my circle? Isn't there some sort of money back garauntee if I get beat by an old man on a 1987 XR200? This is all so confusing to me.

The natural order of things is apparent here.

I was riding expensive high zoot 4 strokes and getting ready to quit the sport, when I had a reminiscent, provocative dream from which I awoke uttering the letters "KDX". It changed my life.

When I drive along the red poison oak cloaked hills. I think KDX.
When I smell crushed greenery, dust and premix, I think KDX.
When I see beautiful women I think, well phttt, I might as well ride my KDX.

Yes, indeed.

This reminds me of a ride I went on a couple years ago. A friend of mine has a son that frequently wins 'A' class MX races. His bike (KX 250F) was blown up, but he really wanted to go trailriding with us. My son was rolling his eyes when they showed up with the dad on his 450, and his kid only had their KLX 110 (bone-stock) pit bike. That bike is tiny, and the kid (Mikey) looked like a cartoon on it. Oh, and Mikey forgot his boots, so he was wearing his goofy looking skater-guy sneaks with no laces.

My son looks at me and says he doesn't feel like riding slow today, and wants us to ride seperate. I tell him no, we're riding together, and to just try to keep Mikey in site. My son takes this to mean keep looking back and wait for Mikey when he falls behind.

We take off, and Mikey flogged that little 110 through the trails so hard I couldn't believe that bike held together. The few times he was in view, I could see the whimpy rear suspension flailing to where I'm sure the oil had to have been vaporizing. I remember coming around a corner to see one of his goofy sneaks laying in the trail. He had to come back for it, which gave us the only chance of the day to see his front side.

My kid was pretty humbled by that demonstration, he tends to fall into thinking if he had better equipment he'd be able to ride a lot faster. To see a kid humiliate 3 guys on way better bikes was more than he could deal with.

I was glad Mikey did that. Months later we were all at Thunder Valley MX track, where Bubba and Ricky and all the rest make their appearances in
Colorado. The track is pretty intimidating, and my son was telling me that his bike doesn't have the power to do the doubles and triples, but if he had a 250F, he could do it. I told him he could do it on the 125, it's just that he's psyched out by the jumps and I can understand that. He maintained his bike really can't do it. When Mikey came in, after he rested up I asked if he would like to take the 125 out, he was reluctant saying he hasn't ridden a 2 stroke in years. I told him it may only make about 32 hp, but only weighs 193 lbs. I could see the gears turning and he hopped on. Needless to say, after a couple laps getting used to it, I start seeing him flying past other riders on triples and his hip is even with their heads. I tapped Kyle and pointed and his eyes got big. "Wow, my bike can do that??" " Yeah, ya gotta twist the grip though."

fuzzy wrote:Was that your bike?

Yep. Not me on it, 'fer sure.

I know my bike is not a limitation to my riding. That's just laughable! In answer to an often asked question, 'When are you going to get a newer (better/faster/technologically advanced..whatever) bike?', I simply state the facts: 'When I outperform my bike, I'll get another/different/better one.'

That ain't gonna happen.

Still, tweaking on it is fun. The KX250/300 I was riding had a delicious set of forks. The owner (Ed) said to let him know what I had for a midvalve setup and he'd talk to me about it. Neat! I'm looking forward to that!!

No...that won't get ME passing the KXs, but it WILL make riding a lot more fun. Ed's forks were supple, soft, perfectly controllable, and did every thing I asked them to do..and I did a lot of rock-smacking, side-hill climbing, rut-walking on his bike for the express purpose of getting input from his forks.

I yiked 'em. I yiked 'em aYOT!

Cool, just curious. Another interesting test would've been to repeat it using a box-stock KDX

Even if money were not a factor (I can go get a new bike and have owned a few), I really dont want another bike. I think CC put it best in that most of us here on this site probably cant outride our KDX's.

I did a handful of events this year including the Desert 100, a few harscrambles, an enduro, and a few poker runs along with some brutal rides with my brother (think Last Man Standing terrain). Never once did I feel the KDX was unable to perform what I asked of it.

Next season I plan on doing about the same number of events and will ride in the "B" class and wont feel that the KDX is holding me back in comparison to other guys on their "new" bikes. It will be my lack of riding ability and skill that will hold me back no doubt.

I've stated before that I see this same mentality in other activities I've done over the years. A new fishing rod and reel wont catch more fish, a new hunting rifle or bow wont kill more animals, etc., etc.

And yes, tweaking the bike along the way and putting money into it, all the while knowing that you dont have much into it, is a good feeling.

Sorry for the rant.

Just like playing and old Les Paul... I'll take it over anything made today...

I am keeping my KDX until I am too senile to mix gas.

I'm senile. I still mix gas.

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Sometimes I lean toward one cheek...sometimes the other.

Its in reading postings like these, that I suppress my "need" to buy a new bike. An examination of all the new models, and assessing if they meet my true needs, always leads me back to whats parked in my garage now-KDX200. In seeking to find true long term reliability, economy, ease of riding and decent perfomance in the woods, desert, and old school mx tracks, I have yet to find any current model equal on all counts. This is especially true here in Kalifornia where because of the green sticker issue, I am forced to restrict myself to high perfomance 4T if I want a off road new bike.

Re: The 'need' to buy a new bike.

Went riding this weekend with a 'new' bike owner...a KTM300.

Nice enough bike. Needs some work. So much for 'race ready'.

But...I could buy TWO (could have when they were still available) KDXs and have a pocketful of cash left over from what he paid for the punkin...the figure of $8000 mentioned a few times. And that was OTF without a spark arrester!!

He's been riding his buddies' 200 exc a good bit lately while he was inbetween bikes, having just sold his CRF450. After we swapped bikes for a bit he said, 'It (my KDX) runs a lot better than that exc. His should run like that!'

Now...he won't ever be saying any such thing regarding his 300. There isn't any do-a-pop-a-wheelie in high gear (five for him) @ 50mph..on gravel.. on the KDX.

I rode everywhere he did..maybe had more fun doing it. I, at least, would be less than gleeful in dumping a brandy-new $8000 machine into a pile of rocks.

A side note (like pretty much everything previous): Did'ja notice that a good number of 220 owners have felt the need to 'upgrade' to something new and improved? You know...the almighty, wonderful, better-n-yours KDX (220)?

The 200 riders? A lot more of, 'I'll keep mine, thanks!' goin' on.



Gives one pause, don't it?

Perhaps they are trying to compensate for something...

canyncarvr wrote: . . . A side note (like pretty much everything previous): Did'ja notice that a good number of 220 owners have felt the need to 'upgrade' to something new and improved? You know...the almighty, wonderful, better-n-yours KDX (220)? . . .

You have to wonder why the "upgrade" never includes a 200 . . .

Just givin' YOU some grief, Jeb!!

Guess I din't get it snukked past 'ya, 'eh?