Thats great dude, glad to hear that your enjoying it. You definatly want to take bclapham's advice, you want good power all the way up. I hit a small sharp kicker accidentally yesterday at the top of fourth, with no power left to lay into. I got spat over the bars hard. I landed on my side real hard, bounced, and landed on the same side again. Couldn't get up for about 10 minutes, and couldn't walk without intense pain the rest of the day. Doing a little better today, but I had to take the next two days from work. I think I'm going to go see the doc tomorrow, if its still real bad. So yea, good power up the jumps is KEY! Real glad to hear you had fun. Tell your dad to BE CAREFUL! Without a helmet is just asking for it!
KX 250 for Beginner...
- Thread starter VinnyTAMU
- Start date
Senior KX Rider
Super Power AssClown
- Nov 9, 1999
- 8,577
- 0
Sounds like a very positive experience for your first time out. Have fun :)
VinnyTamu,
Pretty cool stuff!!!! Like everyone else I liked the story of your 1st ride. I think the crash was just as important as the rest of your ride, since most 'beginners' fear crashing the most. It happens and is part of the sport. I don't worry about the bike because $ can eventually fix it whereas only time and luck will heal the rider (that's you and the rest of us) Getting a little comfortable with falling down helps, it's a hurdle that you jumped your 1st ride out. You will crash again. The less anxious you are, the better the outcome will be.
On a less serious note I generally fall down every time I take it out. To make matters worse it's usually when I'm going pretty slow and someone is behind me to watch. I know what u meant when you said you were too tired to post. It still happens to me. Then again I'm 39. Have a ball and try to stay in one piece so you can keep riding. I always take a minute when I'm heading out for a ride to focus on the ride and what might be around the next corner. I think it keeps me in the saddle.
Happy Trails,
Joe Chief
Pretty cool stuff!!!! Like everyone else I liked the story of your 1st ride. I think the crash was just as important as the rest of your ride, since most 'beginners' fear crashing the most. It happens and is part of the sport. I don't worry about the bike because $ can eventually fix it whereas only time and luck will heal the rider (that's you and the rest of us) Getting a little comfortable with falling down helps, it's a hurdle that you jumped your 1st ride out. You will crash again. The less anxious you are, the better the outcome will be.
On a less serious note I generally fall down every time I take it out. To make matters worse it's usually when I'm going pretty slow and someone is behind me to watch. I know what u meant when you said you were too tired to post. It still happens to me. Then again I'm 39. Have a ball and try to stay in one piece so you can keep riding. I always take a minute when I'm heading out for a ride to focus on the ride and what might be around the next corner. I think it keeps me in the saddle.
Happy Trails,
Joe Chief
- Thread starter
- #85
Just thought I would resurrect this post and do a follow up. Well I have been riding the bike now for about 10 months now. I still have the 96 KX 250, and it is still the only dirt bike that I have ever ridden. As stated in the beginning of the post I was a little concerned about this being my first bike. Let me just say that if I had to do it over again I would buy the exact same bike. This bike although starting to show its age has been great. I have had very few problems with the bike and the only item that I have added to the bike is a V-force reed valve system. I am starting to feel pretty comfortable on the bike although when ever I start to feel like I have mastered this bike it lets me know that it has more power than I can handle. I originally started out riding trails but to tell you the truth it was boring to me. So after only riding the bike for a total of 4 hours I went with a friend to a local MX track. Needless to say I was scared out of my mind about taking this bike out with my lack of experience but I did anyway. Riders must have been cursing me left and right because I was going slow as hell, at one point a kid on a KX 80 passed and roosted the hell out of me. Anyway I didn’t give up, I just keep riding the track getting a little faster each lap just rolling over the jumps and trying to stay out of everyone’s way. I went out about 2 more times and took it easy just getting a feel for my bike and then on the third outing I started taking some jumps. Let me tell you there is no greater feeling in the world then the feeling you get from jumping a dirt bike! At this point I knew I was hooked for life. Well I have been riding as often as I can which is about 2 times a month and I feel I am getting better each time I go out. I have started moving up to bigger tracks and have started to try and clear some triples. I still have some areas I need to improve on i.e. corning, whoops, and taking jumps while in the upper portion of the power band. I can’t believe where I am today. I plan on riding a lot this summer and I am thinking about racing locally in a Texas fall series. As for crashes I have yet to be involved in a bad crash or loop out. However I have laid the bike over countless times while corning. That’s pretty much it. I plan on keeping the KX for at least another 8 months and then will get a 2002 or 2003 KX, RM, or YZ 250 2-smoke.
bclapham
LIFETIME SPONSOR
- Nov 5, 2001
- 4,340
- 0
sounds like you are ready to start racing- its more fun than you can imagine and it will accelerate your riding speed a lot! i started a few months ago and havent looked back- i race nearly everyweek and when we have a week off practise just doesnt feel the same.
Dirtbike'n man
Member
- Feb 20, 2004
- 241
- 0
well let my just say WAY TO GO MAN !! :thumb:
Also i am planing to buy my self a Yz 250 2smoke this spring summer. It will also be the most powerful bike i have ever riddin. i have been ridding bikes since i was around 6-7 started on a pw 80 and i and my dad owns 160 acers of land and about 20 are wide open hay feilds YAY! when i started out i went to a soft corner with my dad watching me closely and rode in a circle i dumped that bike a good number of times but every time i got back on my feet and rode it more and more :) soon i was blasting around those feilds it was great. now i ride my dads IT 175 and its a blast. i plan on starting out in that same feild on that yz 250 then once i get comfertable im gonna ride to my freinds house get him on his bike and ride to our gravel pit and really test out the power :thumb:. O YEA and if u go to northern minnesota ill be that screaming blue streak going dow the side of the free way ditches WHOOOO HOOOO :aj:
Also i am planing to buy my self a Yz 250 2smoke this spring summer. It will also be the most powerful bike i have ever riddin. i have been ridding bikes since i was around 6-7 started on a pw 80 and i and my dad owns 160 acers of land and about 20 are wide open hay feilds YAY! when i started out i went to a soft corner with my dad watching me closely and rode in a circle i dumped that bike a good number of times but every time i got back on my feet and rode it more and more :) soon i was blasting around those feilds it was great. now i ride my dads IT 175 and its a blast. i plan on starting out in that same feild on that yz 250 then once i get comfertable im gonna ride to my freinds house get him on his bike and ride to our gravel pit and really test out the power :thumb:. O YEA and if u go to northern minnesota ill be that screaming blue streak going dow the side of the free way ditches WHOOOO HOOOO :aj:
WaltCMoto
Sponsoring Member
- Jan 1, 2001
- 1,934
- 0
Glad to hear the bike worked out for ya. After many years of road riding, my 1st dirt bike was a 97kx250. looped it out several times as I wasnt afraid of the speed, but the whole concept of traction was different than the road bikes. Take the learning curve at a comftorble pace and you should be fine. Hopefully by now you are planning on going to Dirtweek 04. Frrom what I understand, there are a few big jumps there for you to test your skills on.
I've successfully set up 250 Mx bikes for 3 different novices. Start by diconnecting the power valve or preloading the power valve spring so it only opens at very high RPM. I've done this for a friend and his CR is easier to ride than a KDX. It has good low end torque and no hit at all. When you get better you can go to the preloaded power valve and then to the stock power valve when you are ready for hit. I also recommend the heaviest flywheel weight you can get.
I agree with you celler, on the PV preload (not that I think this this guy needs it). But adjusting mine has always been an option. I have it set to stock now. I think it's a valuable tuning option for different riders as well as different riding terrain (MX VS TIGHTWOODS) that is too often overlooked.
I've set the spring to less than factory spec tension, sometimes zero tension, and noticed less or no hit. It is because the PV will not stay down and opens at lower RPM's giving the motor less compression, a delayed hit. This is just the opposite of what you are doing although it could have similar results in some ways. I guess it also has to do with port timing. Anyone with a more educated explanation? I guess overloading would give more compression at low rpm's and more compression at higher rpm's = less hit either way, ??????????.....................
Chief
I've set the spring to less than factory spec tension, sometimes zero tension, and noticed less or no hit. It is because the PV will not stay down and opens at lower RPM's giving the motor less compression, a delayed hit. This is just the opposite of what you are doing although it could have similar results in some ways. I guess it also has to do with port timing. Anyone with a more educated explanation? I guess overloading would give more compression at low rpm's and more compression at higher rpm's = less hit either way, ??????????.....................
Chief
- Thread starter
- #95
I have wanted to try modifying the power valve to get less of a hit but never got around to it. The hit doesn’t really bother me any more, but I think I would be a little faster on the track if I had less of a hit. Might try it this next week when I do the top end.
Chief,
I think the differences we are seeing is if you are adjusting the power valve around the sweet spot - Where it is designed to work based on port timing - we see small changes in spring preload change the hit or feel. If you look at a Honda dyno curve you see a slight dip in power just when the power valve opens and then a steady rise in power. The KX is much stronger in the middle to begin with. When you add a lot of preload the hit disappears because the valve does not open until very high RPM. Effectively the bike has just been made slower all the way through the middle. I personally think this is a waste except for two types of riders. The beginner who doesn't need the power and is learning throttle control and the rider who refuses to use throttle control and can't keep the bike rubber side down.
If you ever look at a KTM they have a nice adjustment screw which adds and subtracks perload on the power valve spring. Very sweet. I am always surprised on how many KTM riders have no idea this is there. Some 04's came with an accessory spring. I know of some KTM riders who juggle spring rate and prload to get the feel they are looking for. The mechanical way to do what Honda does with ther electronic actuated powervalve. As you can see with the Honda the powervalve is only part of the equation since their 250 still doesn't work.
Hope this helps
I think the differences we are seeing is if you are adjusting the power valve around the sweet spot - Where it is designed to work based on port timing - we see small changes in spring preload change the hit or feel. If you look at a Honda dyno curve you see a slight dip in power just when the power valve opens and then a steady rise in power. The KX is much stronger in the middle to begin with. When you add a lot of preload the hit disappears because the valve does not open until very high RPM. Effectively the bike has just been made slower all the way through the middle. I personally think this is a waste except for two types of riders. The beginner who doesn't need the power and is learning throttle control and the rider who refuses to use throttle control and can't keep the bike rubber side down.
If you ever look at a KTM they have a nice adjustment screw which adds and subtracks perload on the power valve spring. Very sweet. I am always surprised on how many KTM riders have no idea this is there. Some 04's came with an accessory spring. I know of some KTM riders who juggle spring rate and prload to get the feel they are looking for. The mechanical way to do what Honda does with ther electronic actuated powervalve. As you can see with the Honda the powervalve is only part of the equation since their 250 still doesn't work.
Hope this helps
Thank You celler,
Good Info. I've also noticed some ATK bikes (rotax engine) with an adjustable preload at the front of the PV/head. Looks like you don't even need any tools to do it. On my Suzuki it is only a matter of loosening (2) 8mm bolts and twisting the springholder cap on the side of the head. The cap is notched to count increments.
After being out of the loop for appx 20 years and getting back into it, I found the flat power easier to deal with in tight woods and much less tiring to handle. As time went on, it became less of an issue and having it set to factory specs is especially important for acceleration.
Chief
Good Info. I've also noticed some ATK bikes (rotax engine) with an adjustable preload at the front of the PV/head. Looks like you don't even need any tools to do it. On my Suzuki it is only a matter of loosening (2) 8mm bolts and twisting the springholder cap on the side of the head. The cap is notched to count increments.
After being out of the loop for appx 20 years and getting back into it, I found the flat power easier to deal with in tight woods and much less tiring to handle. As time went on, it became less of an issue and having it set to factory specs is especially important for acceleration.
Chief
Similar Topics
