KDX220 vs. KX,YZ,RM,CR 250

[flapwick]

I bought a 1997 KDX220 about 6 months ago for 1100.00. It is in great shape and I love the bike.I put an fmf pipe and a larger carb on it and also got the appropriate springs front and rear for my (hefty) weight. I bought a KDX figuring it was the best bike for my price range and riding needs.Plus the reputation they have for being bulletproof and low maintainence was a factor , as I don't have lots of money to keep it on the razors edge. I only recently returned to dirtbike riding,and pictured myself doing a little motocross and a little trailriding.Truth is I am doing no trailriding and really love hitting the track again after all these years.Im wondering if a strictly motocross bike might be the way to go. I'm 47 years old,way out of shape(working on it),but still mostly remember how to get around a track pretty well. Will a CR,YZ,KX,RM, beat me up more or less than my KDX? Would a 97-02ish 250 be that much more powerful and better suspended than my KDX? I'm just looking for some input and advice. Which of the four bikes will best suit my aforementioned needs? Opinions,please. Oh yeah,one more thing......please keep this on the down low(aren't I hip?),as the "KDX only" site depends on my wit and humor to keep the site going.If they found out I'm considering this act of unfaithfulness and disloyalty,they would probably fold immediately. I can't have that on my conscience. Thanks!

 

[flapwick]

ummmm,uhhhhh,heh-heh,uhh.Isn't this the non-KDX only, 2stroke discussion? doh!

 

[dirt bike dave]

If you like your KDX on the track, you will love a '97 - '02 250 two stroke MX bike.

You may have to spend a little time dialing in the supension and tuning (like you did with your KDX) but you will be rewarded with a faster, ligther, better suspended bike for the track.

 

[flapwick]

Bakersfield! Hey,do you ever come out here to Zaca Station? Or Moto club central coast? Dunes? I'm in five cities area.

 

[duke]

Hey Flapwick

I am toying with the notion of maybe getting a good clean used 125. I have found the biggest detractor for a KDX on the track is the 6 speed tranny doesnt translate that well for the track. The supension isnt over taxed as I get minimum air (I am 51) but again the tranny is either too low a gear or too high. I am debating, but like you I found the tracks a bit better because you really do get a good riding work out in less time then a trail ride, and I dont have to drive as far.

A modern day thumper is out of the question; I am too cheap

 

[flapwick]

Hey Duke! I used to live in Canoga Park ,and went to Indian Dunes and Muntz/Valley Cycle Park ALL the time back in the day! I seem to have the same issue at times with my gearing as well,but aren't 6 gears better than 5 if you are too high or too low? And don't most 125's have 6 gears? I still dig the 2 strokes too,but I'm too fat for a 125.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Bakersfield! Hey,do you ever come out here to Zaca Station? Or Moto club central coast? Dunes? I'm in five cities area.

No, just mainly ride trails in the Sequoia National Forest. My favorite stuff at Kennedy Meadows is still under a few feet of snow, lol.

No tracks and air for me after a serious knee injury. Basically I only have one good leg. I like the tight twisty stuff. Whoops and big jumps just kill me.

Truth be told, my old '99 CRE 250 Honda (fully enduro equipped) and my current '02 KTM 250 EXC are even more fun than my old KDXs in the woods, and would absolutely destroy a KDX on a MX track, IMO.

I think my '02 EXC is more 'moto' than my '99 Honda. It rips for a 250 and feels light. The previous owner even raced some moto on it. Green sticker, too.

The dialed in '99 Honda was more like a mellower '05 KTM 250 EXC - great on the trail.

 

[duke]

Flapwick,

6 are better then 5, but the ratio on a KDX is different then on a atypical MX'er. Very low 1st for super tight traversing and a real tall 6th for long fire roads, as opposed to the close ration found on a mx bike. But again, I am toying with the idea of 125. I need to finish off the credit card before venturing forth and buying a replacement toy. Should I get the 125, it will be new or near new as in 1-2 years old. As for riding I am a by-product of Corona, Claude Osteen's, and the long since abandoned ranches of Chino Hills.

 

[mudpack]

I.. really love hitting the track again after all these years...still mostly remember how to get around a track pretty well. Will a CR,YZ,KX,RM, beat me up more or less than my KDX? Would a 97-02ish 250 be that much more powerful and better suspended than my KDX?

Just how much experience do you have on motocrossers??

If you want to be competitive on an MX track, you'd better be on a MX'er. If you want to end the moto still breathing through your nose, then keep the KDX and just ride slowly.

A cr/yz/kz/rm will beat you up more than the KDX will if you ride at a slow pace....they will beat you up LESS, the faster you ride, until at a race pace they will be more comfortable than the KDX.
Providing you can ride that fast.....

 

[flapwick]

Just how much experience do you have on motocrossers??

If you want to be competitive on an MX track, you'd better be on a MX'er. If you want to end the moto still breathing through your nose, then keep the KDX and just ride slowly.

Hey mud! I used to race the 125 pro class back in the late 70's.I didn't ride at all from 1980ish to 1992ish when I had a kx250 for about a year.I did not ride again until about a year ago.I've had my KDX for about 6 months,and I am now the fastest 250 pound,5 foot 9 inch,47 year old in my household.....maybe even on my block.I'm sort of like a latter day Ricky Carmichael gone to seed.Y'know,like if Ricky Carmichael ate Travis Pastrana,Jeff Ward,and maybe a 7 year old minicycle rider,and then washed them all down with chocolate syrup and coolwhip.( That is as disturbing a mental picture as any I've ever created. And yet....strangely accurate) I would say I'm about Vet novice frontrunner speed for about 3 laps,and then I might as well hand off my bike to ANYBODY who can let out a clutch without stalling,cos' they'll be faster and more useful than me on a dirtbike at that point. So I do have real stamina issues that I am working on,but I still want to go faster. I think my 220 doesn't have the power to launch me out of corners enough to be able to clear a triple or even some of the more difficult doubles I encounter. At my present weight,I was thinking I may try to strap a KDX under each leg to gain some momentum for the jumps......but I didn't feel that would be the most cost effective way to go.I definitely need more experience and stamina,but I think if I had more power and suspension,I would use it.

 

[mudpack]

I definitely need more experience and stamina,but I think if I had more power and suspension,I would use it.

No, you wouldn't. At least not (in your own words) after about three laps. From your description, your biggest problem isn't your equipment, it's your condition. Don't feel bad, its a problem we ALL have (and some of us more than others).
I raced MX from 1968 until 1977 and had over 70 trophies when I sold the last MX bike, bought a competitive enduro bike (Husky 250WR), and took up woods riding. I can tell you unequivocally that you cannot "buy" your way onto the MX podium; a really good rider on mediocre equipment can easily beat a mediocre rider riding the best equipment money can buy.
At this point, a bike with more power/suspension will just wear you down in two laps instead of three................... :nod:

Bottom line: You have a good attitude, so get yourself in shape, get a motocrosser, and get out there and twist it. But, then, you knew that didn't you...........?

 

[f4stunter]

I'm new to track riding, but I got a '92 CR250 and my dad has a '03 kdx220 w/200 jug(it was cheaper to get it running again). I love the kdx in the woods as its hard to keep the CR reving high enough, but on the track the KDX just isnt comfortable to me. If your gonna stick with track riding mostly I would look for a mx bike.

 

[flapwick]

But mud,what a glorious 3 laps it would be!!! Then I could pull off the track as if I could ride like that all day.Women would be swooning,men would be talking trash about me(but secretly they would be full of manly envy).Then I could just hop off my bike and go yell at my kid.Y'know....telling him how "I didn't get to be world miniclass champion 22 years in a row by riding like that,you muttonhead!" And "If it weren't for you being abandoned by your mother so that I had to take care of you and give up all MY dreams,I coulda beat that Bob Hannah punk!!!But I love you anyway,son".You know how all that tender stuff impresses the ladies!
Mud,I'm not all that concerned with being "competitive" with anyone. I just want to be riding the bike that is best suited for me and the riding I am doing. I want to have the most fun that I can. At this point,if my KDX and a comparable 2 stroke 250 MXer were sitting side by side and I could have either one.....I'd take the 250.When I chose to get a KDX after many weeks of consideration(crf230 ttr225 were some of the other possibilities)I didn't know what I still could or couldn't do or handle on a bike.And yes,of course there are better riders that could hop on my KDX and cut my lap times in half. I'm not saying a cr250 would make me a better rider,I'm simply becoming more convinced that a cr250 would better suit my riding.(or KX , YZ ,RM ) The reality of my situation is that I may have my KDX for a loooong time before I can afford anything else.But I can dream,can't I? In the meantime,I still have alot of growing room with the KDX's abilities(and my lack of...).So you may have to put up with my ridiculousness here in KDXland for some time to come.

 

[mudpack]

I like your style, flapwick. :cool:

Mud

 

[flapwick]

Good morning,mud! And thanks. Thank you too, f4 ,for your input. I appreciate it. flap

 

[duke]

There has been much posted about how the KDX can survive on a natural terrian MX course. And while I have never personally witnessed anyone race a KDX on a true closed course event like MX ( I am discounting grand prixs where but a small portion of the 8 mile course is an mx track) I do recall about 8 years ago seeing a freind of mine, at the time an accomplished 40 plus pro, lose like 5th or 6th place to another rider of equal age on an almost bone stock XR400. The field on the track was comprised of well over 30 riders, all on true mx bikes

The XR rider had at one time been a decent support rider out of Nor-Cal, who had returned to racing once or twice a year after a near 20 year layoff. He choose an XR as his weapon of choice so that he could mostly trail ride with the kids and require but a garden hose as the only maintenance tool.

He knew what he had in terms of racing a heavy air cooled 4 stroke, but compensated for its short comings by simply choosing the lines that afforded him constant momentum, backed by good solid riding skills and good physical condition.

The same delemma, and means for a solution, presents itself to anyone who chooses to race a KDX in a MX race

 

[deanR]

Hey flapwick, I have a question for you... do you live in Arroyo Grande, CA??

 

[flapwick]

Give that man a prize!!!! Yes deanR,I do live in A.G. I'm hoping you're some cool guy that I already know,and not some crazed KDX hater guy that doesn't like my sense of humor,and has decided to seek your twisted vengeance upon me. Do I owe you any money? Cos' I'm pretty sure I put it in the mail last week. Oh wait......you ride at Zaca or MCCC and figure the chances of some OTHER 250 pound over the hill KDX rider trying to recapture his somewhat glorious past on an MX track are pretty slim.......or....did I mention that the check is in the mail? Who you be? P.S. Please don't tell anyone who I really am. I'm sooooooo tired of all the mobs of screaming women and star struck men. And check this out....a guy here in town just offered to trade me his 2002 YZ426f for my KDX.What do you think of that particular bike?

 

[deanR]

Haha, I dont know any KDX riders. I say your add on Craigslist. I have been to zaca a couple times and I have never seen any KDX's there. I live in San Luis Obispo. And no, I am pretty sure you dont owe me money either, lol. I used to ride Zaca on my CRF250, but I sold that and got an '02 KX250 thats more set up for trails, with about 20 hours on the original top end. It has a big tank, trials tire on an 18 inch rear rim, hand guards, 11 oz flywheel weight, etc... I really really like it.

 

[flapwick]

Yeah ,I was really surprised that dude called me today from the craigslist ad. He sounds like a nice,genuine guy and I'll be checking out the 426f at Motoclub this Sunday.He says it's in really good condition,has never broken down on him.I've never ridden a modern 4 stroke MX bike,so I have no idea what to expect. I'll find out Sunday.Where do you ride?

 

[deanR]

I think youll like the bike. They are easier to ride. The only reason I switched from my CRF is that the cost of maintaining one (valves, valve springs, cam shafts, timing chains, all that good stuff) just costs so much, and are harder to replace. Ive always liked two strokes, and i figured why not since I was ready to move up. I usually ride at pozo and hollister and a few other places. Where do you ride? have you been to ballenger? I have never been there.

 

[flapwick]

I've only ridden at zaca and motoclubcentralcoast in Santa Maria. I'd like to go to Hollister soon with my13 year old son.Do some camping,riding and hanging out with the moto-families. I don't have alot of upkeep money either.Is a 4 stroke that much more expensive than a 2 stroke? How often should valves,springs,and all that other 4 stroke stuff be replaced? I don't think I'm up to doing it myself,so I'd have to take it to SLM to replace that stuff.

 

[deanR]

Ah, I am quite familiar with SLM. Anyway, I love to go to Hollister. its a great place to camp and ride, nothing too hard core for your son either. Im 16 years old. I had a CRF, but i didnt do much in terms of maintence. But mine had stainless steel valves in it. But the stuff is definately more costly, you can shop around on places like motosport.com. Valve and other replacements depend on how hard you ride and if you race, etc. Titanium valves need replacement a lot quicker than stainless steel, I do know that.