No, the KDX was a response to tearing my ACL, not the cause of it.
A KLR-250 was the cause of the tear. Not as bad a woods bike as you would expect for a street legal 250, but still about 60 pounds too heavy, and about 25 HP too weak...
Actually, I think it was the neighbors old MX boots he gave me that really caused it. He got a new set, and gave me his old set. I was wrestling said KLR-250 back down a slimy Ohio hill on new years day after a failed attempt at climbing it, and felt a little "pop". It didn't hurt that bad, but felt really wrong.
Research later showed me that the rate of ACL tears when through the roof when ski makers switched to rigid boots instead of flexible boots. The ankle is protected and can't turn, but then all that force is focused on the knee. Instead of the ankle and the knee being able to both flex together, the knee has to do it all, and pop goes the tendon. :(
About 4 hours later on that same day of riding, I was in a muddy rut and the back end kicked out and I dabbed that foot down to stand the bike back up... nothing unusual, but when it touched the fireworks went off in my head. I had successfully straightened the bike back up, but it hurt so bad I just let the bike and myself fall over and tried to remember how to breathe.
Once you tear the ACL, the whole joint is destabilized, and that was no doubt the moment I ripped a pinkie sized chunk of my meniscus out of my knee :(
My solution was:
A) Sell the KLR and buy a KDX as cheap and in as bad a shape as possible.
B) Restore the KDX while I am waiting for and recovering from surgery.
C) Give the MX boots back and go back to my over the calf but completely flexible street boots.
So 7 weeks from now, I will be cleared to ride again, and should have finished the total restore and have an effectively almost new KDX-200 with the Eric Gorr 225 "mo better everwhere" kit. It'll be a great jump forward from that 17 RWHP 280 pound small rear wheel KLR-250... that's for sure.
Doing a bike restore while recovering from surgery has been a nice way to keep from going crazy about not being able to ride in the dirt (I kept riding street the whole time).
Sorry for the tangent... Ummm, you could probably use that tube to tie down a crutch if you are riding after an ACL repair? :yikes: