New here First ride today on KDX250??????'s

[zombiescustoms]

Well I got to ride my newly acquired 1992 KDX250 today for about an hour out on some trails near my house, all I can say is this thing is scary fast! But I am comparing it to my old 72 F8 250 which made a whopping 23 HP when new, needless to say It's going to take some time to get back in the groove, my question is the bike seems really squirrely at any speed, I thought I may have had too much air in the tires but I'm running 12psi in the back and 14psi in the front, I think that is good, so my next guess is the tires??? the rear seems like I'm riding on ice all the time even when there is hardly any power it just slips and slides, the front seems a little better but did almost wash out a few times, the tires that are on are F- Pirelli MT44 R- Dunlop K695. I ride in the woods and it is usually always wet and muddy but some places it is rocky too, I'm thinking the tires I have are the wrong ones for where I ride but maybe it is the suspension, I did measure the sag in the back and it is around 4 inches, I think that is close to where it should be. I want to be able to rip through the woods but every time I give the thing gas it feels like I'm on slicks in the rain!! any suggestions??

 

[Tom68]

Standard fork springs are ridiculously soft and lose free length in service, mine are scragged at 50 deg celsius, then they have no preload, I run 10psi on the trails 15psi if I'm jumping 0psi on dirt track (Thats in the forks) fork oil at 125mm when using air otherwise 80mm. Have no experience with tires you listed but Dunlop D952's are good all rounders.

 

[glad2ride]

K695?? Isn't that real old? How old are the tires? Maybe they have lost their elasticity??

 

[OLHILLBILLY]

I'd bet it's those tires. That K695 hasn't been around for a while now. For a mix of mud, dirt, and rocks I'd recommend a pair of Dunlop 756s or Bridgestone 403F and 404R.
Your rear sag sounds like a bit too much. You want roughly 1/3 of your total travel for sag, so around 3" to 3.50". If search around the web there are several great articles on suspension set-up to be found.
And yes, depending on your weight, the front is sprung a little to a lot to light.Race Tech can fix you up with what you need.. http://www.race-tech.com/SubMenu.asp?cMenu=16&c=Yes&showPage=dirt :cool:

 

[sr5bidder]

if I remember the k695 where a street legal enduro I'm with the 756's
or if your like me and poor then go to the local bike shop and ask if you can have a look at some take offs couse there are some people that will change tires just when the leading edge of the knobbie gets rounded I just put them on backwards and ride
My xt350 gets these hoops my kdx gets new 756's and I won't even think about testing in the street (try to make them last)

Another thing you can do is run in one gear up from what you would normally do... if your bike is tuned like mine it will lug and get traction instead of spining

 

[dirt bike dave]

The KDX250 was not well set up by Kawasaki, but with a little attention to jetting, forks, and a few other tricks it can be made to work quite well as a trail bike. It will always be heavy for a 250 2 stroke, but it has very good low end power, a big tank and good power delivery.

I really enjoyed mine. If you dig around on these boards, you will find lots of info. One member, blackduc748 (sp?) assembled many of the tips and tricks into a website, so look for that.

 

[zombiescustoms]

Why does everyone say its heavy? The MSO states it is 236lbs, which is only about 10 lbs different than a 200 or 220, to me the thing seems light as a feather but I really have nothing to compare it to but my old F8 250.

 

[OLHILLBILLY]

Why does everyone say its heavy? The MSO states it is 236lbs, which is only about 10 lbs different than a 200 or 220, to me the thing seems light as a feather but I really have nothing to compare it to but my old F8 250.

Ride something like a YZ250 once and you'll see where the "heavy" comes from. But.. 236lbs is still light compared to a 250 4 stroke like a WR250F, which weighs in at about 260lbs. I used to ride an XR400 that was close to 275 lbs full of gas, now there was a Gronk. :yikes:
Don't worry about the weight, just ride it. :ride:

 

[Tom68]

Why does everyone say its heavy? The MSO states it is 236lbs, which is only about 10 lbs different than a 200 or 220, to me the thing seems light as a feather but I really have nothing to compare it to but my old F8 250.

I've got the sr model, with heavy duty tubes bashplate and a full tank it weighs 297lbs but it carries it well and will go anywhere.

 

[julien_d]

My f11 250 is 290 and some change. The KDX200 feels like a feather next to it too, so I know what you mean. The extra weight can actually come in handy at times.

 

[dirt bike dave]

With all the usual guards and set up for trail, a '91 - '94 KDX250 has an actual approx. weight of 250 lbs without gas. With an aftermarket pipe, silencer and removing the fender support braces and tool bag you can shave about 5 lbs. off that, to maybe 245 lbs. With a dual sport kit it's about 255 lbs. That's what my '91 and my buddy's '92 weighed, anyways.

BTW, my tank held 3.6 gallons (rated at 3.3), and so did my buddy's. At 6 lbs. per gallon, that would take you to about 275 - 280 in dual sport trim with a full tank.

It IS heavy for a modern 250 2 stroke. It's also pretty slow steering, but it can still be made to work well. It just takes a little more dialing in than it might with some other bikes.

Mine was very reliable and ran strong, but the stock jetting and forks were horrible. Modifying the seat made it much easier to get forward.

 

[zombiescustoms]

My f11 250 is 290 and some change. The KDX200 feels like a feather next to it too, so I know what you mean. The extra weight can actually come in handy at times.

I just sold a 72 F8 250, that's what got me back into this whole thing!

 

[sr5bidder]

my dirt bike progression starterd about 1 1/2 yrs ago
1985 XT600 360lbs... heavy and very powerful
1984 xl350r 288lbs..pretty well balanced still heavy very short legsabout6000rpm.
1996 xt350 255lbs very nice power and wieght but super soft suspension
1998 kdx200 235lbs what can I say @ 130lbs lighter than where i started, smooth predictable power and more susp. travel I,m def. more confident and learning to ride better!!
Bikes I have rode :
1984 rm125 200lbs whole day (crack bike powerband switch!!) I rebuilt, drove, sold!!
2000 drz400s my buddys we switch out for fun about 300lbs good power but HEAVY

 

[zombiescustoms]

Well I dropped the rear to 10psi and the front to 12psi and went up to PA where it is real rocky today and I was running mostly in 3rd and lugging it a bit to stay out of the powerband and all I can say is WOW!, I can't wait to ride this thing after some new tread, it climbed everything I pointed it at, and did so with ease, very happy with the bike so far did a lot of stand up riding to prepare for my desert trip next week and I think I need a little taller bar, that and a new rear spring to hold my big ass up!, front end seems good but the back bottoms out a lot.

 

[sr5bidder]

zombie
for the bars check out the moose xc bend aluminium reg size 7/8 bar they are about 30" wide and it is tall and straight (not a bunch of pullback) and some protaper pillow top grips. also you can spin your risers 180 degrees that puts the bars a little bit more forward.
told ya lugging it is the trick!!

 

[zombiescustoms]

zombie
for the bars check out the moose xc bend aluminium reg size 7/8 bar they are about 30" wide and it is tall and straight (not a bunch of pullback) and some protaper pillow top grips. also you can spin your risers 180 degrees that puts the bars a little bit more forward.
told ya lugging it is the trick!!

I need some new risers so I may see if I can get taller ones and the pillow top are already on and are great!

 

[sr5bidder]

yeah the only thing about the pillow tops is the flange is not soft at all like the pro-grips so you must wear gloves (i had two bloody thumbs when I forgot my gloves)

 

[mudpack]

The extra weight can actually come in handy at times.

:rotfl:

...good one, d.

 

[julien_d]

:rotfl:

...good one, d.

lol, it does darnit!!

I get a HUGE kick out of tractor pulling my old 300lb 1973 250 slowly up the hill while passing all the guys struggling with their MX bikes and just spinning up a storm. I don't even break traction, just kick it right up as slowly as I please. Makes me grin every single time! And that's with a completely crap rear tire.

J.

 

[mudpack]

I am comparing it to my old 72 F8 250 which made a whopping 23 HP when new,..... I ride in the woods and it is usually always wet and muddy but some places it is rocky too, ....any suggestions??

One, you have a new bike that is more powerful than your old one, and can spin the tire much more easily. Two, you are riding in low-traction conditions. Three, the tires on your new bike are old. These three things are conspiring against you. You can't do much about the first two items, but....
Put a set of fresh, sharp, soft knobs on it and see if that doesn't make your face light up next time you ride.
Them's my suggestions.

 

[sr5bidder]

mud = hard compound tires / dry hardpack = soft compound Ice= hard with studs

ASK JEFF

 

[mudpack]

By "soft" I meant not 15-year old case-hardened rubber....

"Soft" compounds work just fine in mud and sand, too, as long as the block pattern/type is suitable.