First Time KDX Owner / Where to start

[Kandu2002]

To everyone involved with this site I say Thank you! a thousand times!!!! This is a valuable place for info. I have made two mods in 1-1/2 days of ownership because of this site. If I can ever be of service let me know.

I purchased a model year 2000, kdx 200. The original owner said he almost killed himself on it.....Swears that it sat in the garage all of 2001.

So my bike is new and completely stock. Perfect shape, no dings, no dirt and NO MANUAL.....

First Mod was the 1/2 inch gain on the handlebars by reversing the mounts.

Removal of the snorkel and extra holes in the back half of the airbox lid was the second mod.

I have read many of the topics and will be making other modifications in stages. Could someone confirm my understanding and conlusions of several subjects and how my year model best benefits. These are the mods I will make right away.

13 tooth up front will stay and Changing to a 50 tooth in the back for more tractor power at slow speeds ( some top end speed loss...but not much)

FMF torque pipe with the stock silencer (better powerband overall, still quiet) Gnarly or fatty? which one?

Oil to Gas MIX Ratio: Did I understand correctly that I can mix at ratios other than 32:1 and not hurt the motor? How do I determine the ratio? Cam 2 racing gas is easy to get here in Rockford, Illinois.... Does the Gas and oil product determine how the mix can be modified?

Your help is appreciated!

 

[Tantrum]

What kind of riding do you do. IE woods, desert, MX and such. Knowing this will tell you the best pipe for your bike. 40:1 is fine. Straight racing gas is now neccesary for a stock motor. I mix 2.5 racing to 2.5 pump gas, works great. Use a clean burning oil as to not to gunk up your powervalves as fast. I like Maxim. Good luck.

B.

 

[gooby]

you could just change the front sprocket to a 12 ,leave the rear 47.easy to go back n forth and cheaper.i run 40:1,the pipe tantrum said it....where u ride will b a factor.

 

[Mikeb]

Hey Kandu, Congrats on the bike .. Sounds like a sweet deal. The best advice I can give to you is set up the suspension for your weight and riding style first then get the go fast goodies. Might I recommend a few sources. Sage ( http://www.sagesdirtandstreet.com ) Jeremy Wilkey ( http://www.mx-tech.com/core.asp ) and Jeff Fredette Racing (708-946-0999).

Going up on the rear sprocket will require a longer chain but if still stock you need an O Ring chain anyway. A 12 tooth front is much cheaper and will not require a new chain. The ratios is real close to a 50 tooth rear and will let you try it for less than $20.

All models after 1995 are the same bike with different stickers. So dont get too hung up on year models.

FMF Torque or REV. AHH that is a good question, Like Tantrum said it all depends on your riding areas. Tight root infested single track you might be well served with the torquer and more open fast riding would be better suited to the REV pipe. It all is up to you. Try to ride a KDX with each before shelling out $$$'s.

And last but defintely not least .. Oil .. Ask 5 people and get 5 different answers. The newer synthetics can be run at 50 or even 100 to 1. The general concensus with the guys I ride with is 42 to 1 with a "good quality" oil. I run Motul and seem pretty impressed. Tantrum runs Maxim, I ride with a guy who runs Klotz. FredT and some of the others use Mobil MX2T and like it. You see it again is a personal thing. Just follow the specs on the bottle.

And IMHO the most important thing you can buy is a factory service manual. That $35 will pay for itself OVER and OVER.

 

[BRush]

Grease the swingarm and rear suspension bearings. This is a weak spot so don't assume that the previous owner did it for you. See the "new bike prep" section at http://justkdx.dirtrider.net

 

[Kandu2002]

....to follow up

I will be riding in woods, sand & mud mostly. Rolling hills, not mountians... I'm new to Illinois and what I have seen so far of the land and courses is what I have described. Hope to do some Enduros and HS. I am 6'2" and 200lbs, so I am hoping to improve the initial throttle response. Right now the bike has all the symptoms desribed in the tech section. Running rich, sluggish in the low end. If possible, My goal is great throttle response accross the powerband. I'm what you might call a calculated and steady rider. I never was great at MX. I have ridden Baja on a factory mod kdx and that bike always had a reserve of power. Talk about needing a 7th gear. The baja ride is what sold me on the KDX. It blew the doors off other machines on the ride.

 

[Kaw_Boy_5]

Instead of wasting your woney on any race gas at all please send it to me. Really though, with your motor there is not reason to waste your money on race gas. 91 pump is more than enough. I run the rev pipe but would sure like to try a pro circuit after all the good things that have been said here. Find someone that will let you try out their bike with the pipes to make sure you get the right one for you.

 

[gnarlykaw]

congrats!

kandu2002, your next best mod you could do would to slap a gnarly pipe on it, and watch out! you think it runs good now? that was my second mod after reading the posts here. it really wakes up the low and mid range.

 

[Kandu2002]

.....update on my bike

all the comments are appreciated!
I just happened to order the gnarly pipe today. I guess the jetting will be the next educational experience for me.

 

[OLD-N-SLOW]

WOOOH...I think tantrum ment "not" not "now" neccesary. I use 93 oct
amoco gas. I would think anything this side of low octane water would work fine. Just makes me feel better to use 93.
Steve

 

[gnarlykaw]

good.........

good choice, just hang on when you take it for that first run! ;)

 

[Fred T]

I'll chime in.

This thread looks like a progressive project. Try 155 main, 45 pilot and stock needle in #2 after installing the pipe. Have a 158 main handy just in case. If I read right you have a pipe and modded the air box so far? I suggest stiffer fork spring be next on your list along with setting your rear sag at 100MM. You got plenty of motor to start now get it to handle properly. You will need either 40 kg or 42 kg fork springs I think. You may want to buzz Jer at MX Tech for help on that. You may be able to drive your forks to him and have him do them for you. He is very good! Down the road you may want to try a BEL or CEL needle in #3 (Sudco 10800-998-3529) to make it run better and a set of Boyesen Power reeds too. Both of these mods will be inexpensive. I echo the greasing -grease it at least twice a season to be safe. Keep your air filter clean and change your tranny oil often. Have fun!
FT

 

[Chief]

I suggest trying the amoco 93 if it's available in your area, Only because it made a huge difference in the way my bike ran, and was suggested to me by people on this board who really knew their stuff. It's not just the octane your interested in, to be honest, I don't know much about it except ever since I tried it, I use nothing else.

As far as my premix ratio, I've gone as lean as 50:1, but with the mx2t and amoco I can mix it at 32:1 (manufacturer's recommendation) and it runs great. Also offers better protection and more HP than a leaner mix.

I didn't have much luck w/ the blue cam2, and the mobil 93 really sucked. Sunoco 94 was ok. Most fuels and oils may change your jetting requirements, so try to find something that works for you, then you can stick with it and fine tune.

Congrats on the new bike and Happy Trails!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joe Chief