KX60 - Is it suitable for tight woods riding?


gn83tm

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Dec 30, 2002
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Has anyone successfully used a KX60 or 65 for tight single track riding? I'm working with a 4'6", 75lb, 9 year old here and am wondering if one of these bikes would be a decent choice. I like the technology these bikes offer but don't know how suitable the engine is for slow, technical work.

We have some good, tight, woods trails made that I use for practicing for hare scrambles. We also play on the MX tracks some and he's interested in maybe doing a few races there.

Any opinions one way or another? Thanks!
 

gwcrim

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Oct 3, 2002
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Newer 65s are a bit taller than 60s. 65s are probably a bit more 'race' oriented. Changing the gearing would definitely help. The only other concern would be working the clutch. But there aren't many ways around that.

How experienced is the person in question?
 

kdx633

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Aug 12, 2003
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we ride similar stuff and did have considerable trouble fouling out plugs.remedied with the hotter plug,and larger rear sprocket,dont recall exact #of teeth but I do remember 2 teeth over stock.the hotter plug tolerates a little more "loading up" before going south.The larger sprocket helps keep R's up and speed down in tight stuff.Did not mess with jetting.Wealso ride some open stuff,then i change back to normal recommended plug.
 

WaltCMoto

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Jan 1, 2001
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We had no problems doing tight trails with ours. Stock plug, 2 teeth bigger on rear spocket for more tourque and lower speeds. I carried an extra plug and never needed it.
 

94ruck

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Sep 14, 2001
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We geared down for the tight stuff, made sure the jetting was spot on and got several years worth of tight trails and hegher speed riding. My son rode the Missouri hare scramble serires in 2000 on one, no majot problems or fouled plugs.
 

Jasle

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Nov 27, 2001
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That auto clutch isn't really good for trail riding from what I have seen. It is meant for a kid to stay in 3rd gear and not shift. This makes it like one of the 50's. Bogs on the bottom end and then revs to the moon up top. Theoretically your supposed to be able to shift but I talked to Gene Berg, the designer of one of the auto clutches and he reccomends against it.
 

gn83tm

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Dec 30, 2002
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Thanks for the replies! I don't think the clutch is really an issue unless he would need to do a lot of slipping to keep the motor running. The boys' been riding a YZ80 for about a year now and does pretty good with the clutch. He's not feathering it like a pro but is able to start, stop, and shift with no problems.

I'm just looking to get him on something that he'll feel comfortable riding the trails with. So far his experiences on trails riding the YZ have been pretty rough. The bike is just too big for him to handle when the going gets rough. If he's riding fields or the MX track he's able to get along really well. I think if he had a little smaller bike in the woods he would be able to put his feet down and maybe even stop and regroup before tackling the next obstacle.

I'm looking for a lightweight 2 stroke bike with a 28-30" seat height, a standard tranny, and a real chassis and suspension. The KX60 seems to fit the needs and I'm also wondering about the JR80. It's about the right height although I'm sure the suspension probably isn't on par with the KX. It probably does have better manners for the woods but would be a tough ride on the MX track I would think. I suppose the XR80 is to be considered also but it just doesn't trip my trigger. 155 lbs sounds like anchor weight to me compared to the KX at 115 lbs and the JR at 130 lbs.

Thanks for the help. Isn't this a great sport to be in?
 

Jasle

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Nov 27, 2001
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the jr is under powered. more comparable to a pw80. Also the suspension isn't that great. I thought it was automatic too but can't quite remmeber. I'd go with the xR80 before that. The weight and suspension could be improved on but it has great torque. My sister in law rides one for trails and loves it. She is close to 150lbs (shhh, don't tell her I said that) Good trail bike but crappy on the track.
 

gn83tm

Member
Dec 30, 2002
135
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We stopped by the local bike shop tonight and swung a leg over the RM/KX60 and the KX65. The 65 seems to be a good fit - he can get both feet on the ground although not flat footed. The 60 was a flat footed deal and I'm afraid he'd be outgrowing it next season.

My question is what's the big difference between the two as far as trail manners go? Is one more suited to lugging along without a huge "hit"? It's obvious that the 65 has the current technology components but it's also $500 more. If I bought a used 65 are there any things to look for in particular or any years to avoid?

Thanks for the help!
 

fishhead

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May 22, 2000
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With that seat height the 4 stroke with the best power to weight ratio and suspension is the ttr 125. My son is out growing his xr70 so we're looking at the ttr 125 as his next bike.

We did put the powroll 80cc kit in the xr70 and now he's overriding the suspension so it's time to look for something new. Honda should have their crf100 out but it will have the xr100 motor. I'm more inclined to pick the best supension for the type of riding we do.

The kx 65 has a great suspension but the wheel size is the same as the xr70. For smooth stuff it will be great, but we ride rooty rocky stuff so a larger diameter wheel is a big help. One advantage of the kx65 is there are a number of them available used although good examples fetch a good price. They don't seem to depreciate a lot since there popular on the secondary market. There are some issues with some frame breakage albeit with big jumpers and heavy for the class kids. I think it was the 01 model that had a recall and gusssets were installed. Easy starting too.
 
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