KDXRIDER.NET

i did not intend to offend anyone......... sometime people take me the wrong way.

My bike cost me $1100 back in 96.... what was the KTM running then? I think I can throw a few dollars at it to make it better in the areas it shines and doesn't. A KDX is very tuneable.... I have rode stock KDX's that are NOTHING like mine.

All KTM riders think they have the goods on a KDX and have them pegged as a girls bike. Funny I have spanked so many KTM's in the woods that I have lost count. All the sudden they disappear into the woods.... It's a joke really. Jeff Fredette has no problem spanking them either.... so tell me, why is a KTM better in some way?

Oh... no prob on the posts... I look at it as a discussion. No malice here...

Wow Guy's I never intended to start a brawl! I actually think the KDX is a wonderful bike.

My son has been used to riding a KX mini with a stroker motor, and it is hard for him to understand that he could actually be faster on the smoother KDX. I do agree with him that it does not have the same punch as the bikes that either one of us are accustomed to riding. I don't really want to give up my KTM for a KDX any more than my son wants to give up his modded KX.

With all that being said, I take nothing away from the KDX, I'm just not sure it is really the bike that we want. Never no though, we haven't put it up for sale just yet!

Theres no brawl!

It's hard for people to see the advantages of the KDX... this I understand. It has a wide ratio trans that does make a difference from a MX bike... Like I said... it is purpose built like a MX bike is purpose built. Comparing the two is pretty much pointless.

A KDX is stock form is a very smooth trail bike. Put a pipe on it, a DF3 reed cage and reeds, a RB modded carb, A RB head, and KX forks and you have a beast!

With some very minor mods (pipe, airbox, reeds and front forks) my bike has transformed from a very tame de-tuned machine into a very raceable woods bike. I would not put it up against a mx bike in a drag race but it is def not a kids bike or a wife bike. It does not have the hit that a MX bike does nor would I want that in a tight woods situation. It really performs more like a 4 stroker than any 2stroker that I have ever ridden. Mine has performed quite well and keeps pace very easily with much newer highly tuned XC race bikes.

I have found KDX riders in general are people that like to do one of two things. Buy it ride it as it is stock because it is not that scary or tune the piss out of it and customize it to thier riding style/conditions. The latter of the two tend to take great pride in the fact that they/we have a somewhat unique machine amidst all of the off the shelf just like everyone else's motorcycles.

We are constantly hearing derisive comments about our bikes from people that have never ridden a KDX much less work on their own motorcycles. I find it funny to just hang on the wheel of someone on a newer "better" xc bike and watch how they react when they cannot pull away.

It is clearly not the bike for everyone. Some parts are very outdated and need to be addressed to make the bike competitive but this is something that most who buy the KDX are willing to do.

Jeez.... all this anger and animosity just 'cause someone said

my son thinks it is a complete dog compared to his KX 103 mini, and I have to agree.

I've got a KX100 that spanks the KDX when it comes to "performance" or hp/cc. That thing just rips compared to any KDX. I had an older KX125 that also put the KDX to shame, if I want to define performance that way.

HOWEVER, my slightly modded KDX walked away from many other bikes in the woods on the tight singletrack. I did not even have to work hard at it, just ride smooth and consistent and hear 'em fade into the distance. I used to love to run into young motocrossers at the local unofficial MX track and invite them to go for a litlle loop in the woods. I used to go around the track once or twice, just to fake them out.

I sold the KDX a few years ago. A guy bought it for his GIRLFRIEND

I built a hybrid using a pretty hopped up KDX motor and a CR chassis. It is not as nice to just plunk around on, but it is easier to go faster in the woods than, I think, a real CR250 or a KDX.

I take the KX100 into the woods on occasion, mostly for trail maintenance or just messing around. I can't imagine riding that thing or my old KX125 in the woods for any distance, never mind racing it like I can the hybrid.

Did someone mention that the KDX was kind of built with a purpose in mind?

i dont know why yall think my ktm are mx bikes........ the exc's. maybe thats where yall are geting confused about the power range of these bikes....... my 300 will lug like a tractor, but can still haul the mail on top...... as for my 380..... well, it lugs like a tractor also, but you half to be real easy on the throttle on the trails, like 1/8-1/4 if you want to keep the wheel down. these are the 2 bikes i love the most because of the sheer power these things put out........... BUT, i do feel like i can just throw the kdx around, and ride without getting tired out from hanging on so much... theres nothing wrong with the kdx as far as being a trail bike. this is what they were [purpose] built for..... right??

If you look up the history on the KDX, they were built to dominate the 200cc and under GNCC, Enduro and Hare Scramble circuit.... and that's what they did do for many years...

My son's bike and my bike are not MX bikes either. My son's bike was of course manufactured as an MX bike, but that is not how we have it set-up. I have re-done the suspension for woods, had Eric Gorr build us a stroker motor set-up with woods riding in mind, added a fly wheel weight, bark busters etc.......

My bike is a 250 XCW with an SX head to bump up the compression, which really helped the low end power and made it easier to jet the bike really clean. The XCW is in no way an MX bike.

To us the KDX just feels like it signs off kind of early. The low end is great and the bike pulls pretty good if you kind of short shift up through the gears. It will turn pretty good rpm, but just doesn't feel like it pulls very hard up top. Throttle response is not as snappy as our other bikes either. I am sure the RB head and carb mod would greatly help in these areas, but I don't know if it would help enough to suite us? Maybe it would?

I keep hearing how removing the air box lid is a big deal; tried it and we really felt very little seat of the pants change, but it made a lot more noise! The bike is jetted pretty clean and we get no spooge. Haven't tried different needles but have leaned out the stock needle one clip because it runs like crap in the 3rd clip with or with out the air box lid. Main jet 152, pilot 45. Tried the 42 pilot but it felt weaker on the bottom end, felt better with the 45 and opening the air screw a little more to clean it up(depending upon temps 1 7/8 - 2 1/4 turns out). We did try the 42 pilot with the needle in the 3rd clip and the 2nd clip positions, just really liked the bottom end response better with the 45 pilot. We have a nice clean pipe (gnarly woods) and freshly cleaned and packed Turbine core 2 silencer, reeds look great, compression is very good, power valves have been checked and are functioning properly. I have the Boyesen 607 reeds but haven't put them in because I have used them in other bikes with no real appreciable gains to speak of, at least in my experience.

So short of spending more money on mods and hoping it helps enough, I don't really see that there is much left to try and do. If I have really missed the boat somewhere let me know. Again I don't think so, after having two different friends experienced with the KDX tell me it is running like a normal KDX with a pipe.

The pipe you are running is made for lowend torque and does cut off delivery up top. If you wanted the power up top... then a Rev pipe would have been in order. The 607's will make a difference on throttle response.

griffbones..........your not going to get that kdx to run like your ktm250....[exspecially with the mods you have on your 250}you can improve it, but thats it. just do what i do, ride it on trails, and enjoy it for what it is. they are good bikes, and i know its kinda weird to go from a bike that comes on hard like the ktms, and feels like there going to pull your arms out of socket to a kdx thats so smooth.

kdxmaniac wrote:griffbones..........your not going to get that kdx to run like your ktm250....[exspecially with the mods you have on your 250}you can improve it, but thats it. just do what i do, ride it on trails, and enjoy it for what it is. they are good bikes, and i know its kinda weird to go from a bike that comes on hard like the ktms, and feels like there going to pull your arms out of socket to a kdx thats so smooth.

Understood, just trying to give my son another bike that he will truly enjoy.

He likes the way it handles and the low end power but it is still lacking in some areas. His words after the last ride " Dad I love that bike, I just wish it was fast like my KX, but it's ok dad, I know you worked really hard on it for me".

I just hate to disappoint my son as he is a very hard working 14 year old kid, stays out of trouble, gets good grades, is active in Civil Air Patrol, has put in over 60 hours of community service/volunteer work this summer, and works five days a week doing odd jobs and grounds maintenance at our local YMCA. I just feel like he deserves to have a bike that is what he really wants, he has earned it lately, and I am very proud of him and all of his efforts.

Indawoods wrote:The pipe you are running is made for lowend torque and does cut off delivery up top. If you wanted the power up top... then a Rev pipe would have been in order. The 607's will make a difference on throttle response.

Yeah I can see that point. This pipe and silencer were on the bike when I bought it so I didn't really plan it that way. I do have those reeds and I could try them, the previous owner gave them to me, he had bought them but had not yet installed them.

sounds like you have a good kid... if you dont mind me asking, what kind of riding do yall do?

kdxmaniac wrote:sounds like you have a good kid... if you dont mind me asking, what kind of riding do yall do?

We just ride woods, mainly on private owned land, and I will race a hare scrambles or two each year. I quit MX racing back in 1984, guess that is showing my age!

Our riding area is fairly tight woods with a lot of steep ditches and hills, lots of logs, roots and trail junk. We don't really have sand or any really rocky spots in our riding area though.

For us it is our father son thing, and I just want him to grow up and remember that dad did something with him, my dad had to work all the time so we didn't have a thing like this.

thats really what we ride to. we do have a good many rocks though. .........on the kdx, i have noticed if i shift just a littlle early, meaning comparded to my buddys 125, it seem to do better. i always wanted to stay on the pipe just a little to long! ......... by the way, i noticed you have a dr...... how do you like that 407 kit?

Throw on a rev pipe, some 607's, ditch the airbox lid, get RB to mod the head and carb, and jet that thing. Your kid will piss his pants. It's all in the tuning, as mentioned earlier. If you want the KDX to absolutely rip, it can. However, that makes it much harder to ride the bike in the tight stuff.

kdxmaniac wrote:thats really what we ride to. we do have a good many rocks though. .........on the kdx, i have noticed if i shift just a littlle early, meaning comparded to my buddys 125, it seem to do better. i always wanted to stay on the pipe just a little to long! ......... by the way, i noticed you have a dr...... how do you like that 407 kit?

The 407 kit is great! I actually installed a 1991 kick start head on this E-start model because they flow better and I wanted to run a Mega Cycle cam along with the big bore from Jessie Kientz. Absolute torque monster and effortless wheelies in 4th gear on throttle only! Not really a high rpm motor but an awesome trail bike/stump puller, just too bad the bike is so darned heavy and the suspension so out of date. I still love riding the old girl though.

juliend wrote:Throw on a rev pipe, some 607's, ditch the airbox lid, get RB to mod the head and carb, and jet that thing. Your kid will piss his pants. It's all in the tuning, as mentioned earlier. If you want the KDX to absolutely rip, it can. However, that makes it much harder to ride the bike in the tight stuff.

The thing is jetted. at least for how it is set-up at this time. It would take more than a bored-out carb and a cut head to make my son piss his pants! Not saying that head and carb mods wouldn't be a big improvement, but I have been around bikes a long time and have been modding bikes for quite a while and I just don't see it blowing us away!

Personally I think the KDX is a nice bike, it just doesn't have the attributes that I or my son really want in a bike. But that doesn't mean that it isn't a great bike for someone else's likes and or riding style. I am not knocking the bike at all, it is what it is. And being as I am, I may just keep playing with it too, who knows?

Well, it would seem that you're the kdxpert here now, so I'll leave you to your own devices.