Racing the 87 KDX

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Husky250
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Racing the 87 KDX

Post by Husky250 »


Saddleback Xtreme in Bedford KY at the Saddleback East moto club>
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by KDXGarage »

Good video! Give us a written report, please. :-)
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by SS109 »

Very nice! :supz:
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by GATOROC »

That looks like a lot of fun! Some of those logs looked pretty big. Good job, and thanks for sharing the video!
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

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Well KDXgarage not sure what you want with the written report but you make me feel like I didn't do my homework so here's something... I got the ol' "87 going the day before the event. I think I shared the vid from the shakedown ride. Anyway, The race didn't last long for me, only a couple miles. This bike has been specific built for hard enduro. Everything we hung on it or any of the mods made were for that genre' and that genre' only. I mean I think she taps out at 50mph. So, it had about 20 or 30 minutes on it when the green flag dropped. I learned a couple things. the porting/full DG exhaust pushed the powerband way up the rpm range. Its alot higher than my '02 KDX anyway. I kinda rode like a squid for the first few hundred yards. typical trials technique has you hit the log about 2/3 way up so it compresses the suspension and the rebound takes you over the log. This thing is rather pipey and I missed the every single log in the enduro-cross course with the front wheel... I mean every last one!!! It revs so stinking fast and hits way harder than any 200cc should. On the shakedown ride I noticed the initial stroke of the forks was a little stiff and I was a little worried as to how it was going to handle in the endless, baby head, creek beds I knew I was going to encounter. I was right, it was a bit of a handful in those sections. I will be pulling the cartridge emulators out and backing off from the recommended preload settings an half turn or so (for starters). I must have the rear suspension completely dialed right. I had it rebuilt by Baldwin motorsports here in Kingsville, OH. Its back to stock specs and I only threw in a little preload on the spring and didn't touch the rebound adjuster thinking I'd do some dialing on the trail once I felt how it rode. Turned out that I couldn't feel anything from the rear. It didn't feel soft, It didn't feel harsh.... It didn't feel. I guess no news is good news so I'll leave that puppy alone! Well we got to the first real significant hill, with 100 of our closest friends, and it was all stop at the bottom of this rocky, rooty, snotty mess of a climb. I sat there long enough that I shut the cam down to wait my turn (after all I wasn't really racing, I was trying to dial a bike in under competitive circumstances). Well, I decided to finally take my shot at this hill (forgetting to turn on the cam). All these modern 300's kinda had me a lil apprehensive, I mean they were making it look so hard as they looped out, low slid or stalled, cartwheeling or sliding down the hillside like a pyroclastic flow. I'm running a 12/51 (thus the slow top end speed). Well I kick her into second and the ol' '87 just walks up the hill, no muss, no fuss. My buddy said' "you didn't even so much as put a foot down". I was in shock actually. Anyway I'm on the pegs, hard, and climbing like a flippin pro when, 5 feet before the top, the right footpeg spins 90 degrees on me. I didn't even have time to look for a soft spot to land. So once i stopped cartwheeling I went and got on my bike and got her the rest of the way up with little fanfare. So as I'm waiting for my buddy to get to the top I start to realize I may have broken my thumb (adrenaline is a wonderful thing). We get him up, help 2 other riders get to the top, fix another guys bike (why would you not carry tools during a hard enduro?). By now I'm like... "I think my day is over... I cant pull in the clutch". My bud had speared a pine tree and was bleeding rather profusely from his left hand (9 stitches). That was the end of the day for us. I learned a few tweaks that need to be done and that being on an '87 KDX, it appears, I don't have nay disadvantage to the modern bikes (save e-start). Time to heal up and start training for next year... No more of the scamdemic sit on the couch BS for me. Thumb is not as bad as when I shattered it 2 years ago (requiring surgery and pins) and I think I may be able to say eff the cast and brace it up and race a vintage regional next weekend on the '02KDX. Vintage courses are a little less demanding than modern so I think I can ride the KDX like a 4 stroke (less clutch input) and make it through the day. Stay tuned.....Was that acceptable KDXgarage? :-)
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by KDXGarage »

YES! A very acceptable report! I am sorry to hear of the injuries to you and your friend. That really sucks.

Thanks for letting us know how it all went. I appreciate it!
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by Husky250 »

Thx for the interest KDXgarage
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by KDXGarage »

You are welcome, and THANK YOU. I spent many a mile on a 1987 KDX200 back in the late 80's.
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by SS109 »

That was an awesome report! Thanks for sharing it with us.
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by Husky250 »

SS109 thanks for the comment, it's greatly appreciated.
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by Husky250 »



Shear Apathy and abject humiliation at the AHRMA Regional in Lisbon OH.
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by Goat »

Husky, Thanks for such good inspiration. Great report! what happened in Lisbon? That looks like a very long day.
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by KDXGarage »

the joy of a hare scramble... pull over 900 times to let people by

joy
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by Goat »

Oh man! I can only imagine what my experience will be then. I will consider it as a reality check training video.
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by KDXGarage »

I raced one and one enduro in my illustrious racing career. I loved the old style enduro.
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by Goat »

My new crew seems to like the “sprint enduro” format.
It kind of an enduro time trial, variation of ISDE, maybe. They say it’s not as crowded as scrambles. You go out 4 at a time onto a longish loop. And get timed at end of the loop.
You this 4 or 5 times within fixed time limit. Lowest score wins.
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by KDXGarage »

If I were to race in the woods again, I might be OK with that.
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by Husky250 »



Here's the actual footage from the AHRMA race. Wow what a mud fest.
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by KDXGarage »

WOW! sorry to hear of your eye issue.

Popping a wheelie into the back of the truck MIGHT not be the most "back friendly" method of loading up the bike. :-)
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Re: Racing the 87 KDX

Post by Husky250 »

KDXGarage usually I just ride it all the way in but with the amount of mud I decided not to even try it. .... and thanks for the eye comment but it's how I've seen my entire life, its all good.
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