KDXRIDER.NET

Hey guys and gals, I recently bought my first KDX (1999 200) and I took it on the Vantage Dirty Poker Run in Eastern Washington .

Made it through relatively unscathed, I LOVE THIS BIKE!

I did snap the end of my brake lever climbing a hill...

I use shorty levers on my street bike, what are your recommendations for levers on the KDX?

Any drawbacks to shortys?

Any other advice for upgrades?
I'm already running an FMF pipe and Pro Taper 1 and 1/8th" bars as well as a larger Clark fuel tank...

Thanks in advance!

Welcome to the forums. Congratulations on your KDX.

On the shorty's, I would just think what if one had an OH NO moment and wanted to grab what they could... less lever to find.

Learn how to clean the air filter properly and often. Buy a service manual.

Also, I would suggest buying a service manual, or perhaps a service manual, as well as a service manual.

Bark busters protect your hands and levers.

Second on the bark busters. I have a short clutch lever but std brake lever.

So Jason, are you suggesting purchasing a service manual, or buying a service manual? If it were me, I'd start with a service manual then work on upgrades

But seriously, get a service manual and a torque wrench and learn to use both. I was there at Vantage last weekend, my dad lives down the road in Mattawa.

Congrats on the bike and getting on it. I use OEM length levers on my bike and Cycra pro bend bark busters. They do a good job of protecting my hands and the controls. Depending on the condition of the bike I'd spend money on the vitals...fork seals/wipers, bushing/bearings (shock, linkage, swingarm, wheels). then protection (hand guards, skid plate, rotor guard) before I'd go after performance items. Just my .02.

Beg, buy or borrow, but don't wait until tomorrow.

After the manual, make sure EVERYTHING is mechanically sound and all oils are fresh (fork oil and shock oil too) before upgrading anything. Why upgrade something and leave something else in neglect??

So basically Jason, you're driving up your post count without really contributing anything or answering his questions?

What if we assume, for just a moment, that he bought the bike from someone he knows well, OR that he already put a newly oiled air filter in it, changed the oil, fork oil, fork seals, countershaft seal, and did a frame-up restoration of the bike. THEN, then do you have anything to contribute?

I have Sunline levers on my bike, they're shorties and I'm not normally a fan of short levers but I like them a lot. And barkbusters.
Good luck with your new KDX!!

Hi, ftl900. I offered some comments on the short levers. Also, I feel a service manual is important.

Speaking of contributing, it shows you signed up on April 4, 2006, so you have been a member for almost 11 years. Your previous last post was April 12, 2006. Did you REALLY just comment on someone contributing??

Welcome back.

Nope. I had a KDX a few years ago, and have another KDX now. I'm also looking for lever upgrades, so I did a search on the forum and found this thread.

Jeminye
Welcome and congrats on the bike. I run theMoose levers on my KDXs. The moose levers are a tad shorter than stock and have a rubber grip on them. link http://www.mooseracing.com/products/?productId=114638 MSR used to make a similar lever, which I also run (and like) but I don't believe they make any more. I also recommend getting some good quality bark busters. I've used Cycra Pro Bends, Moose/Enduro Engineering and MSR all with good luck.

One more thing...If you liked the dirty poker run, check out the Dessert 100 on April 1st, in Odessa WA. The Poker Run is awesome and you can do as many laps as you can I the time allowed (before the gate closes). I usually leave fairly early do a lap, eat lunch and hit a 2nd lap. The race is like no other, but it is a 100 mile course, so .....not so beginner friendly.

I went with the moose levers because they were a little shorter and needed to fit inside my acerbis hand guards. I do like them!

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6 Riders wrote:Jeminye
Welcome and congrats on the bike. I run theMoose levers on my KDXs. The moose levers are a tad shorter than stock and have a rubber grip on them. link http://www.mooseracing.com/products/?productId=114638 MSR used to make a similar lever, which I also run (and like) but I don't believe they make any more. I also recommend getting some good quality bark busters. I've used Cycra Pro Bends, Moose/Enduro Engineering and MSR all with good luck.

One more thing...If you liked the dirty poker run, check out the Dessert 100 on April 1st, in Odessa WA. The Poker Run is awesome and you can do as many laps as you can I the time allowed (before the gate closes). I usually leave fairly early do a lap, eat lunch and hit a 2nd lap. The race is like no other, but it is a 100 mile course, so .....not so beginner friendly.

Are you saying you rode 100 miles then went back out for another 100 miles!?

Jason wrote: Are you saying you rode 100 miles then went back out for another 100 miles!?

The poker run is not 100 miles, I think it is about 40~45 for the long course and 30~35 for the "family" course. I did two loops for 80~90 miles (It's not the same course as the race is held on). The race is 100 miles and you have about 3:30 to complete the first loop (50 miles) then the pits close. The race is pretty brutal, with some serious (almost vertical) rock wall climbs, deep loom (think frame deep) etc. Many people who start the race don't complete one lap, many more don't complete two, or finish the second. The start is two waves and each start line is about a mile wide, bike bar two bar, dead engine, riders 10 yards from their bikes. Pretty interesting to say the least.

Wow. Congratulations!

Thanks guys, I did install a pair of bark busters, and I like those Moose levers, think I'll order some.