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Message: [QUOTE="KTM Mike, post: 1364971, member: 22658"] Honestly, if your focus is strictly MX, you would better off on a MX specific bike. While the EXC is a super woods bike, it is not a MX bike - that's not to say you wont have a blast on a MX track though. Dial in a bit more compression dampening front and rear though. For any use, be sure to set up the rear sag properly (go to ktmtalk.com - find the suspension forum, search for sag 2005). If you find you do lots of MX stuff, maybe stepping up on spring rates would be good idea (stock rear is 7.6, front .40 - maybe try 8.0 and .42? Though you are fairly light at 150... but something to consider. Up front, simply added some preload spacers might be enough for you. You can do LOTS to fine tune the power delivery on that bike. New they come with 3 different power valve springs. Green - most newbie, and technical woods friendly - least agressive hit, Red - most hit in the power delivery, yellow - in between. Very quick to install. You can also adjust the power valve spring preload - again very quick and easy. Turn adjuster in to tame it down a bit, turn it out to make it a bit snappier. Jetting - get it right! (again, great resource on KTM talk.) Different needles can make for more or less hit and snap in power delivery - NOZH is what I use now - more snap or hit. Other, straight taper needles have smoother power delivery. SX Top end conversion - the time to do this is when the bike needs a new top end (with only 12 hours on it, it will be a while for you!) - buy a SX head (around $75 as I recall?), and SX piston and rings - (FYI - do NOT try SX piston without the head - higher dome on SX piston will hit the EXC head! bad stuff) so your only extra cost is the head beyond a normal top end. That combo ups compression - bike pulls harder from the bottom, and revs out better on top, yet still has a very woods friendly delivery. Try a 52 tooth rear sprocket to (stock is 50). You loose some top end speed, but it will pull the gap between 2nd and 3rd gear much better. I found in some enduro races I wish I had the top end back though - so I now run a 51 tooth rear. I run the SX conversion, red spring, adjustor out flush to case, NOZH (or is it I..i forget now) needle. Love the power delivery! To find a 05 with only 12 hours on it is fantastic! I would love to find the same! [/QUOTE]

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