loud FMF silencer - forks
Posted: 09:00 pm Dec 04 2009
I took my '98 220 out for it's first shakedown today. Just seeing what's what. Mostly interested in the forks and deciding whether to use the 98 KX250 forks I have in the garage or keep the stockers.
I wasn't impressed by the stockers. They seemed pretty good on small hits at a perpendicular. Unfortunately, larger hits and anything at an angle caused a lot of deflection. I'm sure a good fork brace would cure a lot of that. I hear those are hard to come by. Does anybody have experience with 98 KX forks and care to offer a treatise on the relative merits of those vs stockers with a brace? I know later KX forks would offer more sophisticated internals but I already have the 46mm 98's laying around from a failed attempt at Frankenforking my old KLX300. The 98's were too big and I had to drop back to 96's for that one.
Also, the bike is pretty loud with the FMF burly pipe and FMF silencer. I remember from the FAQs that aftermarket silencers add little or nothing in the way of performance. Would it be possible for me to lose the FMF sparky (keep the burly pipe) for a stock silencer and quiet the bike down significantly? Or, is the silencer irrelevent as far as sound is concerned? Would a stock silencer even fit with the burly pipe?
Yet another complaint - what's up with that kicker? Looks like I'll be looking for a shorty.
Hey, on the bright side - this 98's got more stonk than I expected. has a pretty impressive hit AND a broad powerband with the FMF exhaust, Boyesen reeds and 35mm carb. Easily enough to keep me grinning and the front wheel very light. haven't had it anywhere that I might open it up through 6th, but what I've seen 1st - 4th tells me this bike has a higher topspeed than I anticipated.
Thanks in advance
I wasn't impressed by the stockers. They seemed pretty good on small hits at a perpendicular. Unfortunately, larger hits and anything at an angle caused a lot of deflection. I'm sure a good fork brace would cure a lot of that. I hear those are hard to come by. Does anybody have experience with 98 KX forks and care to offer a treatise on the relative merits of those vs stockers with a brace? I know later KX forks would offer more sophisticated internals but I already have the 46mm 98's laying around from a failed attempt at Frankenforking my old KLX300. The 98's were too big and I had to drop back to 96's for that one.
Also, the bike is pretty loud with the FMF burly pipe and FMF silencer. I remember from the FAQs that aftermarket silencers add little or nothing in the way of performance. Would it be possible for me to lose the FMF sparky (keep the burly pipe) for a stock silencer and quiet the bike down significantly? Or, is the silencer irrelevent as far as sound is concerned? Would a stock silencer even fit with the burly pipe?
Yet another complaint - what's up with that kicker? Looks like I'll be looking for a shorty.
Hey, on the bright side - this 98's got more stonk than I expected. has a pretty impressive hit AND a broad powerband with the FMF exhaust, Boyesen reeds and 35mm carb. Easily enough to keep me grinning and the front wheel very light. haven't had it anywhere that I might open it up through 6th, but what I've seen 1st - 4th tells me this bike has a higher topspeed than I anticipated.
Thanks in advance