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Dirt Bike Discussions By Brand
KTM MX & Off-Road Dirt Bikes
'02 KTM 400SX vs 520SX
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[QUOTE="Bud-Man, post: 287662, member: 20830"] Cam, I'm in a similar dilema to yours. I bought my friends '01 400 SX last year principly because of the 6 speed. I ride mostly offroad but occasionally MX and this bike could cover it all. I changed the jetting and lowered the gearing from 14/50 to 13/52. With these changes the bike is very powerfull and easy to ride. On several occasions I have outpower recent 2 stroke 250s....and it wasn't even close. Maybe it's the 4 strokes ability to put the power down, but even if they got the jump, I could real them in. With the gearing change, the bike will crawl along in first gear yet 6th is a good bit faster than any 250 I've ridden. Actually, with this gearing, my 5th gear is a little faster than my friends '01 cr250 with stock gearing....and I have 6th to go yet. My dilema is that the friend that sold me the 400 is now selling his 520SX and I could get it at a good price. From what I remember, the 520 had a lot more power, but that was before I changed the jetting so I'm not sure how it would be now. The 520 had brute power but it wasn't overwhelming like a 500 two stroke. I've owned several CR500s and it's not even close. So don't be afraid of the 520 being like your old 500. I didn't notice it at the time, but the guy who has the 520 (and sold me my 400) swears the 520 feels heavier in motion. Maybe it's the crank inertia thing? One problem with the 520SX for off-road use is the gearbox. Stock the bike is geared to tall for tight woods work. I would need to gear it down like the 400. The problem then arises that you have a limited top speed with the 4 speed gear box. In my case it means installing 5th and 6th gear, which is about $300-350 in parts. If you are not so motivated to do it yourself, this could be an expensive modificaiton since the dealer was involved. So you can see that there are some pro's and cons to either bike. I think both will suit your needs. The 400 has the versatility and you can get them for a good price. The 520 has the motor of doom but it cost more and is limited with it's 4 speed. As for the ergo issue...well that's always a matter of opinion. I love the way a KTM feels. It's SO narrow. But they are a little tall. I cut my sub-frame as I'm short (5' 8") and that helps a bunch. Turning is an issue for some people. I feel that the KTMs turn as well as any bike when they are properly set up. The only problem is that it's kinda tricky to get them set up. The suspension is drastically different than the average Japanese bike so you have to forget some of your previous rules of thumb when it comes to bike setup. Hppe this helps! [/QUOTE]
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Dirt Bike Discussions By Brand
KTM MX & Off-Road Dirt Bikes
'02 KTM 400SX vs 520SX
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