darrylabrown

Member
Mar 12, 2006
12
0
I know this has probably been debated to death..... However, I have narrowed my bike search down to three bikes:

I am 38 years old, got my first bike last year KLR650, weight 160, will be riding trails mostly, lots of mud & hills.

1) KDX220 2001 like new $3500 CDN
2) WR250 2006 brand new $6400 CDN
3) CRF250X 2006 brand new $6900 CDN

I would love to have the money to just go buy the CRF and be done with the choice. I think the KDX is a good choice for the riding I will be doing, maintenance, etc.

There is only one of the three bikes for sale in the used market right now. I think the KDX is priced a little high.

What do you guys think? I am not scared of changing valve shims, or replacing a top end.

Thanks
 

StuckinJersey

Member
May 11, 2005
111
0
Well it's tough to compare these 3 bikes since the last 2 are four strokers.
Maybe this will help you decision making. I have ridden a 2004 WR250 and a 2005
CRF250 and both were fun but the power was weak when the woods got tight and you had to really
slam the motor to get performance out of her (now this was stock so I'm sure with mod's
it's alot better.). The KDX is already setup for the woods better than both bike stock IMO
and with the price tag allows you to make many more upgrades to her. I think if you do a little
surfing as well you can find a cheaper KDX then the one you have listed. Remember that you can get a new one for 4000 so I wouldn't pay more than 2500 for a used one. Good Luck with it.
 

GabeM

Member
Apr 17, 2002
54
0
you need to consider that the WR and CRF-X are modern bikes and will have a much lighter feel to them. I rode a CRF450X and loved it because of the light feel it had. The seat is more MX like and allows you to slide back and forth with ease, this gave me more confidence in the turns. All that being said, I'm still on a KDX.
I also think the KDX is an awesome woods bike from the go. I just bought my son a 99 KDX220R that has the original tires for $2K
Consider other things like cost of maintenance, a piston can be done for around $110. and in a few hours with minimal tools. Not so cheap or easy on a 4-stroke.
Good luck and I suggest you keep looking for a better deal in green.
 

darrylabrown

Member
Mar 12, 2006
12
0
Thanks for the input. It is a little early here in the bike season, snowed last night.

I guess I am just a little too eager :aj:

After driving, crashing, sinking the KLR, I am leaning towards the green one.

Anyone else have a big KLR?
 
Jan 16, 2005
145
0
darrylabrown said:
Thanks for the input. It is a little early here in the bike season, snowed last night.

I guess I am just a little too eager :aj:

After driving, crashing, sinking the KLR, I am leaning towards the green one.

Anyone else have a big KLR?[/QUOTE]

No, but I applaud the guys I've seen out on the trails with them, maybe not the real nasty stuff, but none the less that's a lot of bike to manuever through the woods.

I'd stick with the KDX, or skip the 250x and go straight for the 450X. I guess I just wouldn't want to buy new, and then be at a loss for power and wish I'd sprung for more...
 

crazybrit

Member
Feb 19, 2006
63
0
Hey. darryl. I have a 96 KLR650 also. Same age as you (38) though I've been riding for 16 years.

I just got a KDX220 (1998) 2 weeks ago. I wanted cheap (max $2000) as I'm not an experienced dirt rider and figured the new street bike advice applied equally to dirt bikes, that something already well depreciated isn't going to significantly lose value even if I do stupid things to it.

A friend who has a KTM 250EXC (used to have a WR400) recommended I look at 200EXC 2-stroke if I wasn't going to get electric start (hard to find in the $2k price range). Also less maintenance though he was comparing his WR to the EXC, I'm sure an air cooled 4/s would be low maint also.

To me the main advantage of the KDX is that you can get a ~2000 era bike with low hours for less than $2k. It's still recognised as a great woods bike and it weighs only 220 pounds (other 4strokes in the $2k range were much heavier). I figure light is good.

That CRF looks like a killer bike, but too much $$$ for me. Plus I'd always wanted a 2smoke.

Tony
 

krazyinski

Member
Feb 2, 2006
100
0
I just traded my DR650 for a 2000 kdx 220 and one of my good friends rides a 2004 WR250 with all the mods done. the WR is a world class bike it will go as fast as the rider. The stock suspension is very plush it does take a bit of jetting and tuning to get it right . my KDX has a fredette built motor with porting and milling done to it as well as carb bored and FMF pipe revalved and re sprung suspension. I love this bike it is just the smoothest fastest ride in the woods I have ever been on and for the price you cant beat it. In muddy conditions I walk all over the WR and as far as climbing what ever you have the nerve to do the KDX will be spot on every time . oh!! I am 42 years old when not on the bike.
 

darrylabrown

Member
Mar 12, 2006
12
0
Last year I took the KLR out on a very wet weekend. The trails were very wet with big pools of water. I found the KLR worked best driving straight through the pools. Ankle deep-- no problem. Knee high -- no problem. Then came the waist high. The front tire slid with the drop and plop the bike was gone execpt for the right handgrip. We got the bike up and towed it out. I opened up the air box and out come the chocolate milk water. The K&N filter held out all water. Rinsed the filter and did it start, you bet, ran all day and the next.

I don't know if all bikes would have done that, but the Kawasaki KLR650 is an awsome bike, just a little too big for swimming though.

Has anyone submerged a KDX in water? Did she start?
 

StuckinJersey

Member
May 11, 2005
111
0
Oh man totally sunk my KDX when I was riding up a shallow river that had a nice 4x4 area that went from ankle deep to chest deep. One minute I'm riding next thing I know I'm sitting on the bike up to my neck in water. We ended up putting it upside down, taking the plug out and using the kick starter as a hand pump to get the water out of the piston area. Man but I have to say we did that for about 10 minutes, put a new plug in and she started up. Had to rev the thing hard to get everything cleaned out but ran fine the rest of the day.
 

Jan 16, 2005
145
0
StuckinJersey One minute I'm riding next thing I know I'm sitting on the bike up to my neck in water.

Up to your neck? That's nothing, I rode completely submerged for 50 yds in 12ft of water trying to get away from a swarm of bees once. Sixth gear pinned, holding my breathe. :nener:

Ok, maybe it was only nine feet. :laugh:
 

StuckinJersey

Member
May 11, 2005
111
0
If there were any reasons not to get a KDX over a WR or CRF, I think we just prove them false.
Not only a kick butt off road dirt bike but also a private submarine with quick bee sting getaway
features. Rubberside, Did riding under water do the trick to not get stung?
 
Jan 16, 2005
145
0
Ok maybe only a story, but last summer a ride through some uncharted woods did have me brake checking into a power slide only ten feet away from a suspended paper wasp nest. It was hanging from a low branch at face height. For days I was trying to imagine how that could have ended up.
A nice big nest lodged into my helmet going full speed.

Alright flame me, I've de-railed the thread now...
 

levi1864

Member
Oct 27, 2005
13
0
rubbersidedown said:
Ok maybe only a story, but last summer a ride through some uncharted woods did have me brake checking into a power slide only ten feet away from a suspended paper wasp nest. It was hanging from a low branch at face height. For days I was trying to imagine how that could have ended up.
A nice big nest lodged into my helmet going full speed.

Alright flame me, I've de-railed the thread now...
:yikes:

I've had night mares about this very thing... :yikes: Now you've done it...

:yikes:

Let the insomnia begin... :yikes:
 

levi1864

Member
Oct 27, 2005
13
0
StuckinJersey said:
Oh man totally sunk my KDX when I was riding up a shallow river that had a nice 4x4 area that went from ankle deep to chest deep. One minute I'm riding next thing I know I'm sitting on the bike up to my neck in water. We ended up putting it upside down, taking the plug out and using the kick starter as a hand pump to get the water out of the piston area. Man but I have to say we did that for about 10 minutes, put a new plug in and she started up. Had to rev the thing hard to get everything cleaned out but ran fine the rest of the day.


that's frickin awesome man... I'm jumpin the creek again in reverse... maybe my kill switch will start workin again... :laugh:
 

Tom L

Member
Dec 18, 2004
143
0
I've ridden a wr250. It was fast, but not as fast as my kdx220. I think it did have better low end power though. That's what 4-strokes are good at. I read in DirtBike that the crfx has more low end but is slower than the wr on top. The wr and crfx are taller and have harder seats. Otherwise, I'm thinkin' these three machines are fairly close in performance. You may as well get the cheapest one!!!
 

94formy

Member
Mar 13, 2006
68
0
Comparing the KDX to those two bikes is almost like comparing apples to oranges. The modern 4 strokes rule in all aspects of riding for the most part. I have been on alot of different bikes and I jsut got my KDX a week ago. I love it but it is no comparassion to a 4 stroke. Props to you for being able to ride that big heavy bike in the woods but the nice thing about those is that they are pretty forgiving. A smaller bike wont be as forgiving. A CRF 250 or WR 250 will have a smoother power band and are next to impossible to bog down. I heard some people say to get a CRF450 but if you aren't a VERY expirienced dirt rider I would stay away from that for awhile. I have ridden one several times and it is a wicked bike, but has so much power that it is not very forgiving. If price is an issue I would not hesitate one bit to grab a KDX. If price isn't an issue then I would opt for one of the 4 strokes.
 

KDX200Kev

Member
Sep 22, 2003
161
0
The only week point to the KDX is its front forks. One option is to install KX forks. This makes a huge improvement and makes the handling gap smaller compared to the CRF and WR. This is what a KDX looks like with the KX fork conversion.

KXFender008.jpg

KXFender002.jpg

KXFender006.jpg
 

KDX CRAZY

Member
Sep 22, 2005
223
0
I have a KLR 650 2005 model which I have only taken on a trail once and will rather not do it again , the bike is very heavy and it is very difficult to impossible to lift the front wheel over puddles or obsticles . I have also bought a KDX 200 2006 which I love , it handles well pulls the KLR up to 100km/h and is so light , with mods like air box lid removed and pro circuit pipe it really goes well .
Why have you not considered a new 200 kdx ?
 

GabeM

Member
Apr 17, 2002
54
0
agree/disagree

I agree with 94formy about the fact the the WR and CRF-X are world class bikes, but I disagree with the smooth power statement, You don't get any smoother than a KDX when it comes to rolling the throttle, this bike doesn't bite, ever. Also, you will have more power available since 2-strokes make more power per CC than a 4-stroke (hence 250 4's racing in 125 class, etc.).
Then, all other things being equal, look at the cost of rebuilding a top end, if you don't flat out hammer the bike, the KDX will go 3 years at least w/ out a piston, it's simply not wound as tight as the new 4's.
The same riding considered on a 4, you'll need to keep valves adjusted, and rebuild your top end at a much higher price (valves, piston, time), also, you may not be able to do this yourself. Where a 2-stroke piston gets put on in around 3-hours in your garage, a 4 stroker is more intimidating and you may end up paying someone to do it.
One more thing, according to your very own riding style, what bike do you really need?
 

darrylabrown

Member
Mar 12, 2006
12
0
I guess being my second year owning a bike. Will I notice a difference between a $6,000 CRF250X and a $2500.00 KDX 200/220. I will probably dump this bike 100 times over the coming year.

How about an older 200? 1986 $1300 US asking price. Ad says good condition well maintained fast and fun.

I would prefer a newer bike, what wears out on these bikes in the way of seals, gaskets, etc.
1986 bike probably needs - fork seals, rear shock?
 

crazybrit

Member
Feb 19, 2006
63
0
I have zero clue why someone would buy a new KDX when there are so many good used ones out there. Clearly someone has to do it to provide these fine used ones, so bravo to them!!

The prices really compress in the $1200-2000 range. Everything from good deals on 2001's at the top of that range to mid 80's bikes at the bottom end. The latter defies logic and the blue book (as no matter how good condition they're in, they are still 20 years old) but they seem to sell. I think if you look you'll find a nice 97/98 in the $1700 range.
 

darrylabrown

Member
Mar 12, 2006
12
0
There are just three in all of Alberta (there are over 3,000,000 of us) listed.
2001 $4200 CDN (3500 US)
2001 $3500 CDN
1986 $1300 CDN.

I can not belive the price difference on used stuff between the borders. I think I am too early in the season. However, lots of snow melting today. Today's snow is tomorrows mud.

I will sit and wait. I need to put new grips on the KLR anyway. Maybe that will scratch the itch.

Anyone taking the Alaska HWY trip?
 

crazybrit

Member
Feb 19, 2006
63
0
darrylabrown said:
2001 $3500 CDN

Anyone taking the Alaska HWY trip?

Thats not terrible. Can you easily buy in the US and bring over the border, or does the govt tax you up the wazoo?

When is the Alaska trip? URL?

Tony
 

GabeM

Member
Apr 17, 2002
54
0
The worst thing that can happen is this: you just pulled up to the trail head, bike gassed up, cooler full of beer for the weekend, your kids or friends with you, and something breaks because your bike is just too old. Then you are hauling your ride out of the woods tethered to someone's 4-wheeler with a yellow tow-strap, done, weekend is over, and all your friends are still riding. So don't get one so old that it starts breaking down a lot, then you are scouring the internet for weeks trying to find obsolete parts, only to buy some wore out piece of crap someone sells because they are parting out their old bike on the count they can't get parts for it anymore. IMO buy at least a '95 or newer one, at least they still make it and you can buy parts easily.
 


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