Just Bought A KDX220R, Broke My Leg On The First Ride

[Shaun Criscitiello]

Well guys, I wasn't expecting my introduction to the KDXrider forum to be like this.

I picked up a lovely 2003 KDX220R this past Thursday and I was absolutely itching to ride it. I went to work Friday and when I got home, there was a break in the rain and it seemed like the perfect time for the first rip on the trails in my backyard. I've been working on them for a little over 2 years, and have been riding a KLX300R on them for about 2 years.

I love my trails, but started to want a bit more from my KLX, more of a hit down low (dang CV carb), and a little bit lighter weight bike because the trails are fairly tight singletrack.

The bike I got seemed like the perfect one. Freshly rebuilt forks, new bearings and seals throughout, new chain, sprockets, tires, a fmf gnarly woods pipe and turbinecore 2 slip on, renthal bars, acerbis handguards, skid plate... She was ready.

Long story short, I ended up dabbing my left leg when I was landing a bit off kilter from a log jump and landed right on a root with my heel. This jammed my tibia up into my femur and fractured my tibial plateau.

Now, I'm in a wheel chair/on crutches. It's crazy how fast something can happen and put you out for the count. When I got x-rayed over the weekend, the doctor said I was looking at 4-6 weeks before I could bear weight on my leg again. I'm hoping that I have good news at my next appointment with an orthopedic doctor to find out if my meniscus or anything else is damaged.

At least I was able to get it on video and it wasn't any worse of an injury. Don't get me wrong, it still sucks, but it could always be worse.

Anyway, here's the video if you want to check it out: https://youtu.be/s-jQrdkhrH0?si=hopOL1337ou5J-bm

I didn't think it was too bad when it happened so I kept riding for a few more minutes, but it didn't take long before I started to feel a lot of pain when standing on the pegs.

Still love the bike!

[KDXGarage]

OUCH! Sorry to hear of your injury.

I hope you heal up soon!

Congratulations on the KDX and KLX!

[Chuck78]

Sorry to hear about your first ride upgrading to a two-stroke from a green four-stroke woods bike, but bones heal - I can vouch for that too many times over!

Probably best to keep that Gnarly Woods pipe on there for now, they make it a really nice smooth torquey woods weapon for technical trails despite some people saying it's a poor match for the 220. The FMF Gnarly Desert pipe and Pro Circuit Platinum 2 pipe both have a good bit more of a hit and more power overall especially the Pro Circuit... But the Woods pipe is incredible for technical terrain, so smooth.
You might get by just fine with the other pipes as I don't see any hills, ravines, or rock sections in your trails, but personally, I prefer to have more than one of each of the three pipes to swap out as I please based on where I'm riding!

Heal up well my friend, you'll be back on it in no time! Bummer that it happened on your first ride on the new machine!!!

[John_S]

I’m sorry to see your ride end like that. It’s a great looking and great running bike. Your property is incredible. Wishing you the best on healing up.

[Shaun Criscitiello]

Thanks for the well wishes everyone, and Chuck thanks for the pointers about the different pipes!

At least I will have some time to learn more about KDXs and upgrades here on the forum before I can hop on it again.

[bufftester]

Nice looking and sounding bike. Heal well!

[billie_morini]

Gee whiz, Shaun! So sorry. Wish you speedy recovery. To the positive, you have a new excercise equipment when physical therapy advances.

[SS109]

Heal up and ride my friend!

[Shaun Criscitiello]

Well guys, it's been 4 weeks since my injury and things are looking a lot better. I had an MRI this past Wednesday and all of the ligaments/tendons and cartilage in my knee appear to be intact.

The only thing that was found in the MRI is a small buildup of fluid in my knee, and I believe that is fairly normal for a fractured tibial plateau. There isn't really any pain in my leg anymore and I'm thankful for that.

I'm still keeping my leg locked straight in a knee brace until my followup appointment next week, hopefully I will be cleared to start bending it and putting some weight on my leg shortly after.

Can't wait to get back on the KDX but I will definitely be easing back into it. I think I need to learn how the bike behaves on smaller log jumps and work my way up to the larger ones on my trails rather than just sending it from the get go.

My 07 KLX300R is so lazy down low with the factory CV carb and I had gotten used to waiting for the power to come in after grabbing a handful of throttle. The KDX will take a good bit of recalibrating my wrist to match what I want the bike to do after riding the KLX for 2 years.

I feel extremely lucky that I wasn't hurt any worse and won't need surgery!

[SS109]

Glad you're going in the right direction. Hopefully won't be much longer before you can ride!

BTW, on that KLX, swapping that CV carb out for an FCR carb will totally change how the power hits on it. It's a very popular mod for that bike and there are a few tutorials on how to do it.

[Chuck78]

Well guys, it's been 4 weeks since my injury and things are looking a lot better. I had an MRI this past Wednesday and all of the ligaments/tendons and cartilage in my knee appear to be intact.

The only thing that was found in the MRI is a small buildup of fluid in my knee, and I believe that is fairly normal for a fractured tibial plateau. There isn't really any pain in my leg anymore and I'm thankful for that.

I'm still keeping my leg locked straight in a knee brace until my followup appointment next week, hopefully I will be cleared to start bending it and putting some weight on my leg shortly after.

Can't wait to get back on the KDX but I will definitely be easing back into it. I think I need to learn how the bike behaves on smaller log jumps and work my way up to the larger ones on my trails rather than just sending it from the get go.

My 07 KLX300R is so lazy down low with the factory CV carb and I had gotten used to waiting for the power to come in after grabbing a handful of throttle. The KDX will take a good bit of recalibrating my wrist to match what I want the bike to do after riding the KLX for 2 years.

I feel extremely lucky that I wasn't hurt any worse and won't need surgery!

I shattered my kneecap in 2018 or 2019, it is a very similar recovery to yours. I would highly recommend as soon as the doctor tells you that you're allowed to start moving it, start doing stretching exercises. Be careful with how much pressure you use, but don't slack off in this area whatsoever.
The scar tissue build up from surgery in this area will cause you to lose significant range of motion. I was only able to move my knee about 25° after 6 weeks of total immobilization bone healing. It was fairly difficult doing extensive physical therapy to get it up to 90° range of motion through stretching out the scar tissue. Hopefully with yours, you're able to start moving it much sooner than 6 weeks, because the longer it it sits immobilized and straight, the more scar tissue builds up on your muscles. Muscle tissues are supposed to stretch, scar tissue does not stretch. Once you get to 90° range of motion, the stretching exercises produce much better yields as far as progress and time frame on achieving near full range of motion.

6 to 8 weeks is what they told me for complete immobilization due to lots of bone healing needing to take place, which completely wrecked my range of motion. The doctors knew that might happen, and would prefer the patient to have to do rigorous stretching for an extended time frame, versus the bone fractures being disturbed and not healing correctly, but I think they played it a little bit too much on the cautious side as far as being immobilized entirely. I was in for quite a shock the first time I was allowed to start bending my knee again, it really didn't been much at all, it felt like a steel cable was holding it from reaching anything more than 25° flexing.


Most people can get 110° to 120° range of motion easily, I would not take no for an answer and did intense stretching exercises and got a full 140° or better range of motion, good as originally. Laying on your stomach and reaching over your shoulders with a dog leash or strap or rope looped around your ankle and pulling your foot / ankle towards your shoulders or back from behind your head, that is something I would recommend doing extensively once you get to 90° range of motion. Don't sit on this, be extremely diligent so that you can get full range of motion back like I did. I was doing it 10 or 15 minutes on then 30 minutes off and repeating all day long when I was unable to work, doing stretching exercises every single day with no breaks.

You'll get back to it, just be diligent with it!