So I did my very first race on the KDX

[thirdgenlxi]

And when I say first.... I do mean, first ever race.... at all, lol. Though I am using the race term VERY lightly, haha. I was... riding... with a lot of other people, basically Wasn't this past weekend, but the weekend before.... March 5th, at the Big Buck GNCC in Union, SC. Oddly enough, this day also happened to be 2 years to the day since I bought this bike.... March 5th, 2015

Anyways.... long story time.... bear with me here. So.... ever since finally getting my eyes fixed back in Nov (severe vision problems, and didn't want to try any races until getting them fixed), I'd been getting the itch to try one. My buddy Scott, who I always ride with every week, was gonna do it as well with me, but he ended up getting sick with strep throat and a double ear infection the week of the race. So he had to bail. Being nervous about it already I was having some serious second thoughts about doing it alone. Another buddy, who races pretty much every race around, basically more or less told me to quit being a little bitch and get down there and do it, hahah. So kinda last minute decided.... why not, lets go! Loaded up and headed out early Saturday morning and headed south



Luckily I was able to get ahold of my fellow KDX buddy Ryan.... he was wanting to try it too, so also kinda last minute, he came out as well. This would be his first time as well. Met him just up the road from the entrance and we headed over. It was already paaccckkkeedd. Which I kinda figured it would be, being the first GNCC race of the year. We were only maybe 1/4 mile from the entrance here, and it took us almost an hour to get in. And this place most years you can pretty much just drive right in



Finally found a spot to park and set up camp



Both KDX's.... my 2000 200 on the left, and Ryans 2006 200 on the right



Finished watching the quad pro race, then my buddy John showed up as well (didn't even know he was going until last minute), along with his friend.... don't ask me to spell his name, lol. Went and got registered and got transonders sat afternoon so we didn't have to deal with it sunday morning. Still nervous about doing it, but no turning back at this point



We grilled out and a had a good time BS'ing around, then got some sleep. Got up the next morning after a brisk night sleeping in a tent..... still a little chilly out. Letting the bike warm up to go through tech inspection



10 am.... time to head out. Made our way to the back row (trail riders class) and found a spot. I'm in the black/hi-viz MSR, Ryan in the black/white Fox, and John in the blue/grey. His other buddy couldn't make it in the pic



I still didn't now exactly how many riders there were, but I could already see it was gonna be a lot! As we got closer to the start, they announced that we had 697 riders in the AM race I tried to get a pic, but you can't even remotely see half the riders here. It was freaking packed



And a few from after we got started. With so many people it seems there was only a couple pics of everybody. Not many of us... but I found a few. Only pic here with Ryan and I together.... I guess this was right at the start. I know he had 2 crashes right at the start, but they may have been after this.... I'm not sure









Don't mind me.... just out for a stroll here, lol. If I look terrified, crawling, and like I have no idea what I'm doing.... it's probably a pretty safe assumption, lol



As it went on though I started to get a little more comfortable and relax some







And 2 hours later.... phew! We both made it! Kinda funny, we didn't see each other the entire race, until right towards the end.... I pulled over to let a huge group of people go by (which with 700 riders out there, is pretty much what it was like the entire race), and sure enough there he comes around too. He pulled over to do the same, we took back off after everybody passed, and ended up finishing the race 2 bikes apart





Being my first time, and even worse with 700 riders out there, I completely expected to finish dead last.... and I was perfectly fine with that. I didn't care where I finished, all I wanted to do was do it, and finish the whole thing. And pretty much the same for Ryan as well. Neither of us did great, but we both did finish the entire 2 hours, and surprisingly we didn't finish dead last like we had thought. I was 22nd out of 28 in our class that finished, and Ryan was 20th. 5 were DNF's. So that was cool at least.... better than I expected



The dirt was pretty good.... most of it had a little moisture but wasn't muddy or anything. Some spots got dusty but most of it was pretty good. The track was seriously rough as all hell though..... there was nothing hard on it, it was just whooped the hell out, pretty much the entire way. Fast guys and everybody were complaining about how rough it was after



Got her back home and gave the ol' girl a bath..... she did me good. Ran like an absolute champ, no problems whatsoever. I did go down twice.... one just a simple little front end wash, but the other I played ping pong with a few trees, lol.... oops! A broken bark buster was the only casualty there, luckily..... rather that than a finger, haha



Anyways.... it was nerve racking just having so many people out there on top of the already first time jitters..... it was literally almost nonstop people the entire time. But we both still had a great time, regardless. Also felt like I got run over multiple times by a Mack truck for the entire week following. But I'm glad I did it and have no regrets, even if this probably wasn't exactly the ideal one to do my first, lol. But I think I learned a few things too. And I figured if I could survive this one, the local harescrambles should be that much better, haha. And I plan on doing more..... I want to get faster and better. I'll probably be doing a local one this sunday

Oh and my buddy John didn't fare so well..... he got into a little mess with another rider that went down in front of him. Slid into his bike and didn't realize it hit his radiator hose, and apparently put a small hole in it. He didn't know it and kept riding, and ended up cooking the motor in his YZ-250.... right after a fresh top and bottom end rebuild too. Soooo needless to say, he was pretty pissed.... I felt really bad for him, he's had some terrible luck lately

Anyways.... sorry for the long rambling post.... I get a little carried away sometimes

[MaverickAus]

G'day,
don't apologise it's a great post and bloody well done for the racing. May I suggest your hand guards (they ain't BarkBusters) need moving down a bit to protect the levers. I think you were lucky not to break the levers, well that's what I do anyway. Got some nice dents in the exhaust
How do you like the Vapor? I had one on my KLX but it has a battery and DC lighting just wondering how it goes on the KDX I'm thinking about getting one.
Again well done

[thirdgenlxi]

Thanks! Yea I didn't notice until afterwards that my bars somehow got rolled back in the clamps, which is why they look so high. I did tango with some trees, so that may have been it.... or made it worse. When I got home I rotated them back forward after I noticed it and they're where they should be. I always keep my levers a little on the low side just cuz that's where they're comfortable for me.... never snapped one with these guards though, they do a pretty good job

And yea the exhaust is driving me nuts.... it actually looks worse in the pic for some reason.... it looks like there's multiple dents but there's actually not, it's just that one big one where I smacked a stump hard that was sticking out from the side a few months back. I just left it for now as I plan on getting an FMF here before too long. I like the Vapor a lot..... I run it off of 12v DC and have it wired to the key switch, so it goes on and off with the key when I turn the bike on/off. I know when wired directly to AC power though they do some funny things unless there's another load on the circuit. It's definitely a handy thing to have though

[Tyl3r]

Nice report man, congrats again for finishing. I hope to do my first one as well this year. Nice trailer set up btw, are those flip down work benches I see in there?

[KDXGarage]

Congratulations on racing that GNCC!

Cool story. See if you can find an enduro with one long trail. Lots less worrying about getting passed. Look for SERA or SETRA

[doakley]

Glad to see you racing. I knew you would like it. Are you planning on riding in the Mideast hare scrambles this weekend in Morganton? If not and for something different, you might try the NC Hare Scramble Association race NEXT Sunday, at Windy Hill, http://www.nchsa.org. That's just a little south of Asheboro, NC. Lots of tight woods trails mixed with open areas and usually part of the MX course.

Jason is right about enduros, almost totally woods trails. The next SETRA Enduro is Memorial weekend at N. Wilkesboro, NC followed by the Cherokee National Enduro the next weekend in Greensboro, GA. I'm planning on doing Windy Hill and Cherokee right now. Hope to see you there.

[jaywylie]

Very cool.. Thanks for all the pics!!

[thirdgenlxi]

Nice report man, congrats again for finishing. I hope to do my first one as well this year. Nice trailer set up btw, are those flip down work benches I see in there?

Thanks! Come on down this way and do some with us..... can have our own little Team KDX! hahah. Gotta admit, that podium sure would look good with 3 green tractors sitting on it..... (hey I can dream, right? LOL). Seriously though, prob gonna be doing one this sunday.... Mideast harescramble

The trailer actually isn't mine.... it's my neighbors (he rides one of those orange 4 strokes ). But he never uses it and lets me use it pretty much whenever I want. Sometimes he just tells me to keep it over at my place, lol. I very well may end up buying it from him.... he said he would prob sell it to me... it's a pretty nice little trailer. 5x8 v-nose, already wired up with electric (has a cord on the front you just plug up), and the little table on the side is a little fold down bed. I only have a little harbor freight open trailer, which works great, but I do worry about bike theft at races like this... it DOES happen. So that's why I wanted to take the enclosed trailer.... keep the bikes out of sight and locked up when we weren't around. That way I could go walk around and watch the pro race in the afternoon and not have to worry as much about my bike being gone when I get back

[thirdgenlxi]

Congratulations on racing that GNCC!

Cool story. See if you can find an enduro with one long trail. Lots less worrying about getting passed. Look for DERA or SETRA

Thanks! Yea there's a number of SETRA races around here... def gonna look into them. I do want to try an enduro

[thirdgenlxi]

Glad to see you racing. I knew you would like it. Are you planning on riding in the Mideast hare scrambles this weekend in Morganton? If not and for something different, you might try the NC Hare Scramble Association race NEXT Sunday, at Windy Hill, http://www.nchsa.org. That's just a little south of Asheboro, NC. Lots of tight woods trails mixed with open areas and usually part of the MX course.

Jason is right about enduros, almost totally woods trails. The next SETRA Enduro is Memorial weekend at N. Wilkesboro, NC followed by the Cherokee National Enduro the next weekend in Greensboro, GA. I'm planning on doing Windy Hill and Cherokee right now. Hope to see you there.

Thanks! Yup.... My buddy Scott and I, and I think another buddy Mike, are all gonna do the East Enola Beach one with Mideast this sunday. Morganton is right around the corner for me (I work in Morganton, haha). Definitely gonna try some enduros too..... a guy I work with helps put on the Bootlegger enduro in N. Wilkesboro (you may know him, he does a ton of them.... Russell Epley). He keeps telling me, "you have GOT to come and try our enduro on memorial day weekend!", hahah. So I probably will be at that one. Definitely hope to see ya at some of them!

[doakley]

I don't know Russell Epley but I think I've seen his name at some races. I've always wanted to ride the Bootlegger but can't get away from work on a holiday weekend. I hear it is tight woods and single track and is pretty tough. I'll be entering the Cherokee online at precisely 8PM on April 5th. It's a National and generally the online registrations can fill up in 15 minutes! You have to be ready to enter, cc in hand, on the LiveLaps website when it opens at 8PM!

Another really good hare scramble is at Denver, NC on April 2nd. Nice course, unless it is muddy in which case I'll stay home. Been there-done that- don't want the tee shirt!

[javjacob]

That is really cool and thanks for all the pics! I would like to start doing some races but I probably wouldn't be able to until next year.

[doakley]

Back in the day, I understand the starting lines at local races used to look as green then as they do orange today. Apparently the KDX was that dominant. Darn shame Kawasaki abandoned the model and virtually gave that market to KTM. I still see a few at hare scrambles and enduros but only in the C classes it seems. I always have someone come up and want to talk about the KDX they "used to ride" and how much they liked it. Invariably they are riding a pumpkin today.

[javjacob]

I don't know why Kawasaki gave up on the KDX. Honda completely abandoned all 2 strokes. I used to be a die hard Honda guy until they turned into a 4 stroke only company. Yamaha is the only one of the big 4 who didn't abandon the 2 stroke crowd. I really like what Yamaha did making the YZ250X but they need a "W" version.

[KDXGarage]

"Back in the day" it was a lot of Swedish made Husqvarna (Burleson, Melton, Cunningham, etc., etc.)

"I used to be a die hard Honda guy until they turned into a 4 stroke only company. " Was this in the 60's until they went two-stroke or more recently?

I think the EPA had a little bit to do with the KDX's demise, just like the RMX250. Also, the product line having to be compliant or it being a race only model, or something like that. Look up the EPA rule change in 2006. I don't remember it all. I want to say that if they continued to make it, it would not be US Forestry legal. Whatever was going on with the KDX was going to affect the KX's as well as it was something about the whole model lines being effected. Again, I can not remember it all.

[B737driver]

Great read and congrats on the finish.

[javjacob]

"Back in the day" it was a lot of Swedish made Husqvarna (Burleson, Melton, Cunningham, etc., etc.)

"I used to be a die hard Honda guy until they turned into a 4 stroke only company. " Was this in the 60's until they went two-stroke or more recently?

I think the EPA had a little bit to do with the KDX's demise, just like the RMX250. Also, the product line having to be compliant or it being a race only model, or something like that. Look up the EPA rule change in 2006. I don't remember it all. I want to say that if they continued to make it, it would not be US Forestry legal. Whatever was going on with the KDX was going to affect the KX's as well as it was something about the whole model lines being effected. Again, I can not remember it all.

I wasn't born until the 80's but I was always a big fan of the CR 125/250/500 and ATC/TRX 250R. Back when 4 strokes were low maintenance like the XR 250/400/600/650. Now the only choice Honda gives us is high maintenance 4 strokes unless you are ok with a CRF230. So Honda is pretty well dead to me.

[thirdgenlxi]

Thanks everyone! Looking forward to trying another for sure

And yea it sucks the KDX dropped off like it did.... and 2 strokes in general, other than the few still around, and KTM/Husky. I know the emissions thing pretty much killed them.... I don't know how KTM gets around it. If I remember right, it was 2 stroke trail bikes that were banned.... I guess the "closed course, competition only" is how they get away with it (???). Either way, I'm willing to bet had the KDX stayed in production past 2006, it probably would have continued to sell just as it always has. I too get the old guys alllll the time.... "man I used to have a KDX back in the day.... loved that bike! Never should have gotten rid of it..."....EVERY time, lol. If 2 strokes do ever start to make a comeback (which I'm hoping....maybe this new fuel injection will clean them up enough), and they brought a modern version of the KDX back, I would be alllll over it in a heartbeat. Even to this day I think you'd be hard pressed to find another bike as reliable as the KDX still is today even at a min of 11+ years old.... they just work

[KDXGarage]

" I guess the "closed course, competition only" is how they get away with it (???)"

Yes. That is it exactly. The 2007 models went from having a spark arrestor to just a silencer.

[clinton]

I race my Kdx in enduros in Texas,Colorado,Oklahoma and Wyoming .From what I see two strokes are alive and well.Not sure it was a come back as I am not a motocross guy but there have always been a lot of them at enduros out here.Sadly not many green ones these days.Nice write up glad you are racing nothing else matters now!