KDXRIDER.NET

I recently got a 97 KDX220 and it came with a skid plate. I took it out yesterday for its first ride and I had a problem with the skid plate. My foot was constantly hitting it when I was trying to shift. I wear work boots which are pretty wide in the front, so that might be the issue. I'm thinking of either removing or trimming the plate with an angle grinder. Anyone ever have this issue?

Yep. I had to trim mine as well. No big deal, though.

My buddy with a 03 220 had the same problem. He trimmed his...

Okay, good to know. Every time I went to shift I would be on the skid. It made it very difficult to shift gears.

rotate the shifter on the shaft to prevent it? No problems here with a size 10 foot.

Is that on the skid plate with the "wings" on the side? I decided to go with the plain old glide plate with no side coverage for that reason. Looks like the ears on the frame do a good job of protecting the side cases.

Yeah it is the one with the wings. They come out past the stock ears and my foot just gravitates to it. I thought I could get used to it, but it is clearly in the way.

I had trouble with up-shifts, as the sole of my boot (the toe) would get caught under it. It doesn't seem like it would be a big deal, but, trust me, it is.
I also had trouble with an aftermarket shift lever (Moose), because the splines were in a slightly different orientation to the rest of the lever, and I could not get it exactly where I wanted it. I went back to the stock lever almost immediately. Some of us are picky like that.

I took the skid plate off and might just run without it. It kinds feels heavy.

Ipaman wrote:I took the skid plate off and might just run without it. It kinds feels heavy.

Good idea, and soon your bike will be lighter due to all the oil that drains out of the hole punched through it.

A word of wisdom from a guy that's been doing this for a long-long time...
armour up brother!, plan for the worse and hope for the best!

The weight of that skid plate is nothing compared to walking back to the truck... or worse yet being towed out 30 miles... or the final insult... riding bitch on your buddies bike and being the laughing stock for ever.

Armour up!

I hear ya. I guess I'll trim her up and get it back on before the weekend.

hey guys- I ordered a skid plate for my KDX & was unhappy with the small size & lack of coverage so i deceided to make my own out of a mud flap from a semi trailer- not the flappy kind- the hard plastic "no sail" kind. I just took a piece of cardboard & held it under my bike & started trimming till I got the perfect fit. it took me a couple of try's but i got it to cover everything the alum. plates cover & more. plus, its held on by 4 hose clamps, only 2 of whitch you have to remove to change oil- it really works great & its as least as tough as the alum. ones with the added benefit of being very lite as well

bigene wrote:hey guys- I ordered a skid plate for my KDX & was unhappy with the small size & lack of coverage so i deceided to make my own out of a mud flap from a semi trailer- not the flappy kind- the hard plastic "no sail" kind. I just took a piece of cardboard & held it under my bike & started trimming till I got the perfect fit. it took me a couple of try's but i got it to cover everything the alum. plates cover & more. plus, its held on by 4 hose clamps, only 2 of whitch you have to remove to change oil- it really works great & its as least as tough as the alum. ones with the added benefit of being very lite as well

Let's see some photos!