KDXRIDER.NET

You all have probably seen this question alot, but here it goes.....
I have a '02 KDX200 that is all stock, where does a guy start when he wants a little more power. Should I go with power reeds or put a pipe and silencer on it or should I do something else?
Go easy on me, this is only my 2nd post but I would like to hear everybodys comments.
Thanks!

Welcome Alleykat,

The first thing you should do is jet the bike properly. That by itself should give you more power. Also consider having RB Designs rework your carb to make the thing work a lot better. If you don't typically ride in deep water, I would say take the airbox lid off before you go through the jetting.

Next I would replace the pipe. FMF Gnarley rev or torque pipes are popular, and I hear the Pro Circuit pipes fit well. If you want to swap the reeds, I really like my Delta force 3 reed block, but that cost around $130.00 . A lot of people like the Boyeson #607 reeds, which I think are around $30.00. Also you could consider sending the head off to RB DEsigns to be reshaped and bumped in compression. If you want more power than that stuff will give you, sell the bike and get a 250 MXer.

Let us know what you do.

Yep.... jetting first after you decide if you are going to run with the airbox lid or not, it will make a difference on your ideal jetting....... then pipe. Reeds definately make a difference too. 607's are good and so is the DFIII.

Ron can make everything work better with the carb and head mod like Mike says... I pretty much ditto'd Mike but you said you want to hear from everyone....

Toss the airbox lid or drill some holes, rejet and go from there. I recommend spending some time with the suspension as all the power in the world does you no good if you can't keep the wheels on the ground. Respringing the front or rear with the correct spring rate is a cheap and effective way to make your KDX into a much more well rounded machine that will give you ability to use all of the power you can squeeze out of you KDX.

morie makes a good point. My freinds think my motor mods have made me a lot faster. I really know that the big difference was the steering damper and the front springs.

Welcome to the site!

As far as making stuff better, a 220 head reconfiguration is probably higher on the 220 'list' than a 200 head is on the 200 'list'.

What is it you're after? What does it not do now that you wish it either did period, or at least did better? Your riding ability, style and WHERE you ride all fit into that equation.

Some things are pretty much always true. For one, (as already noted) if your bike is stock jetted, it's probably not at all right. As far as 'bang for the buck', there's your #1. If you are not at all familiar with either the jetting process or 2-strokes in general, jetting can seem a pretty good sized PITA..but once you get it sorted out you will be very happy about it..AND..it's knowledge you can use on ANY machine, amaze your friends and all that.

It's commonly said that it's 95% rider, 5% bike..so you'd better make that 5% count!. That's true enough as far as the bike part goes, but obviously there is MUCH more room to improve on the rider end of things. The more you ride, likely the better you will be. If you rode every weekend for six months, I'd about bet you would be 'faster' than most anything you will ever do to your bike to make IT 'faster'.

I agree with m0rie. Suspension will likely make you faster than any modification you do to get 'more power.' Maybe it's not as much bling to properly spring your frontend as it is to strap on a shiny pipe...but springs are a better choice if you're choosing between the two.

Of course...none of this fits YOU particularly. No one here probably knows you from adam. Maybe you're one of those naturally insanely fast guys already. Some seem born that way. Sometimes what you DON'T see (like...the guy has been riding since he was two years old) has the largest impact.

There is a whole lot more to the KDX than what you roll off the dealer's floor. Keep after it, pay attention and you will be surprised at what your little green thing can do.

Your KDX I mean. ..not your pet turtle.

Cheers!

OK, great stuff! You all talk about the jetting 1st, so that's where I'll start. I drove a race car for 13 years, so I can handle the mechanical stuff. (I love to rip into things) Do you watch the plug when you make a jet change like you would on a car?
mOrie, I like your points on the suspension. It did not take me long to figure out in my 1st years of car racing that you could have a MONSTER motor under the hood, but if your car did not handle, it was useless. It will probably take me a little while to play with the suspension and what feels good to me after being absent from riding for 20 years. I'm not an insane rider. I do think I'm a respectable rider and I ride to have FUN.
I just want to tweek on the bike a little bit and to get my "bang for the buck".
If I start with the airbox, jetting and suspension, can I skip the pipe and do the power reeds or vise versa?
Thanks guys for your time and input. I really appreciate it!!
And again, what a GREAT web site!!!!!!!!!
Alleykat

I don't think anyone asked, so I will: How big are you? If you are one of us "Full-bodied" or OFG riders ("Old Fat Guys") Suspension is definitely in order. Anything over about 180# and you are squashing the stock suspension.

Jetting is cheap enough, and since you indicate that you are mechanically inclined you won't mind the steep learning curve.

A few other simple things to do include running a full quart of oil in the gearbox, lube the swingarm linkage sometime soon, and ensure you have a high-flow air filter, well maintained with good filter oil.

I'm 5'11" and 185 lbs.

For your weight front springs are what your going to want to be looking at. XR400 springs are commonly used in the .38 or .40kg flavors. 7wt fork oil, 110mm from the top with preload between 3-10mm depending on your static sag.

m0rie wrote:For your weight front springs are what your going to want to be looking at. XR400 springs are commonly used in the .38 or .40kg flavors. 7wt fork oil, 110mm from the top with preload between 3-10mm depending on your static sag.

Yeah, what he said (show-off)

As others have said...proper suspension set up and jetting will make you a much faster rider than adding a bunch of performance mods. Look at Fredette...For the Last Man Standing event, He rode a KDX against a whole lot of riders on bikes with way more power...He did pretty well!

The other thing to consider is your riding style and terrain. These can be critical to what kind of power delivery you want...which will determine what specific mods you may want or need.

Later
Robb

4-Rider - you ruined my OFG image of myself - I thought it was a compliment - Old FAST Guy. Dammed forum has ruined another illusion of myself.

IdahoCharley wrote:4-Rider - you ruined my OFG image of myself - I thought it was a compliment - Old FAST Guy. Dammed forum has ruined another illusion of myself.

Hey, just switch credos to Old Guys Rule and go on being happy.

re: 'can I skip the pipe and do the power reeds or vise versa? '

IMO and all...but if the rule you're applying is 'bang for the $$', a pipe for the 220 is real close to the top of the list.

'Fixing' the 33mm carb is close behind.

Reeds are always good...but you won't notice as much difference between a set (ex:) of aftermarket reeds and the OEM reeds, particularly if the OEM reeds are new. A completely different reed valve is better than any aftermarket reed you can put on the OEM cage.

Your bike will certainly come to be the sum of a whole lotta parts. When you get it dialed-in the way you like it, there will still likely be room for improvement. It's kind of amazing that way.

Thanks guys! I really appreciate all the tips and I will let you all know what I do.