HELP! KDX200 on a hill

[KawiDave]

Hi all, I need some advice on how to (properly) attack and beat a hill with my '02 KDX. I'll give the mechanical details first, I'm running 13/49 for my gearing, Pro-Circuit pipe with stock silencer, and no air box lid. I've rejetted the carb to a 45 pilot and 158 main. The bike absolutly screams like this, she's never been better. :cool:
Now for the hill, it is very steep with constant vertical angle changes not to mention the mid and mid top are are mostly off camber. There are lots of thick roots and soft to mid pack dirt and over all I'm guessing it's about 20-25ft. tall. I know, not to crazy but bad enough for a newbie! :yikes:
I encountered this beauty during my first Hare Scramble. Now I've climbed hills before but most of them have been pretty straight and basic. I hit it in first gear, leaned forward but remained seated and tried to clutch it to keep the revs up but no dice. In fact she popped the front end up and landed handle bar pad first on my right leg. An upside-down KDX is not a good thing.
Anyway I've seached for some ideas but I wanted a KDX riders' tips, I'm a big guy, 200+ pounds, but I've seen bigger guys doing it like it was nothing. In fact the guy who got my bike up the hill for me was himself a very large man.

 

[just_a_rider]

I've tried a hill like this before only much much higher on a 125. Needles to say it was screaming as far as I could go untill I could not go any further because on loss traction. There were several times I skeeted off the trail into the woods but I made it I'd say half way which was probably a quarter mile. Comming back down was no fun at all. The only bikes I seen go up it that day were a CR500 and a YZ490. It was not strait and it snaked up through woods.

 

[2 strokes for life]

just_a_rider, the 490 is great for hills because the bike never gets up.

 

[IndyMX]

Hi all, I need some advice on how to (properly) attack and beat a hill with my '02 KDX. I'll give the mechanical details first, I'm running 13/49 for my gearing, Pro-Circuit pipe with stock silencer, and no air box lid. I've rejetted the carb to a 45 pilot and 158 main. The bike absolutly screams like this, she's never been better. :cool:
Now for the hill, it is very steep with constant vertical angle changes not to mention the mid and mid top are are mostly off camber. There are lots of thick roots and soft to mid pack dirt and over all I'm guessing it's about 20-25ft. tall. I know, not to crazy but bad enough for a newbie! :yikes:
I encountered this beauty during my first Hare Scramble. Now I've climbed hills before but most of them have been pretty straight and basic. I hit it in first gear, leaned forward but remained seated and tried to clutch it to keep the revs up but no dice. In fact she popped the front end up and landed handle bar pad first on my right leg. An upside-down KDX is not a good thing.
Anyway I've seached for some ideas but I wanted a KDX riders' tips, I'm a big guy, 200+ pounds, but I've seen bigger guys doing it like it was nothing. In fact the guy who got my bike up the hill for me was himself a very large man.

Try starting up in a higher gear... pin it and clutch the crap out of it...if the front end starts pulling off the ground, more clutch..

 

[Green Hornet]

2nd gear, clutch & let the bike lug. 1st is useless on most hills. I use 2nd to 3rd on BIG HILLS, which I usually end up dropping to 2nd & lugging. Also don't be afraid to use your feet

 

[KawiDave]

Wow a higher gear?! I never really thought about that, I figured 1st but hey I'll try anything to kill that hill! By clutching it you mean just enought to get the RPM's up right? I think I froze up and popped it and that's what caused the flip. Thanks for the advice though I'll be trying it tomorrow, I'm not leaving the riding park until I beat it or I just physically can't do it anymore! I'll let you all know how it goes, thanks again.

 

[IndyMX]

Just enough to get the RPM's up and keep the wheel on the ground.. Unless you like riding wheelies up hill.. I don't.. about scared the crap outta myself doing that a couple times.

 

[John Harris]

A 12 tooth countershaft sproket will help. The proper technique for climbing is to stand or almost stand--gets your weight down low on the foot pegs for lower center of gravity. If standing, lean forward; if crouching, get your jewels up next to the filler spout of the tank--then I tell my listeners to put their nose on the front fender and it makes all the difference in the world. Cheers John

 

[ridejunky]

Twisty off camber steeps can be tough but fun. I usually keep my feet
planted on the pegs and get forward to the where my shalaly is on the gas cap, keep my inside elbow in tight, outside wide, feather that clutch and cary as much speed as the trees rocks and roots allow . It may seem strange but I usually feel in total control.

 

[76GMC1500]

The faster you go, the more stable the bike is. It's less likely to bounce off of things and the momentum helps you get over some obstacles. There is less wheel spin in the higher gears as well. Go as fast as you can without flying off the trail or dying.

 

[krazyinski]

AH!!! grasshoppa you must first start in a dirt lot or on flat ground.
set two rocks about fifty feet apart and start doing figure eights standing on the bike using your knees to hold the bike and your feet ,brakes,throttle and clutch to steer the bike. Then once you master that its time for front brake skids using the same standing method lock your front brake and counter steer to keep from going down.

OR buy the dirt wize video and practice.

There is no easy answer but lots of opinions, on how best to climb that hill. IT comes down to control and knowlage of how you and your machine act and can do.

gear up, stand up, slip the clutch, keep the throttle steady move with the bike using your legs to force the bike into the ground and arms to keep the front down, head and shoulders should stay over or with in the same area as your hands, the bike should feel as if it is pushing you up the hill and not pulling you along. the suspension cant work with your butt on the seat and your feet off the pegs.