Greetings, I am new to the Post and new to Kawasaki's. I rode 25 years ago on MX360's. I am the proud new owner of a new KLX-250s and love it. I am staying under 4000RPM's as required but I seem to get a bit of knocking when I upshift especially up hill even though I rev to 4000 before each upshift. Will this knocking get quieter? Should I be concerned?
Thanks much for any help,
Gerry

 

Mine has a similar "knocking" when I lug it. Say pulling below 1600 rpms. It always has. I never followed the below 4000 break-in routine, I basically rode it from day one like I was planning on riding it for the rest of its life. It's doing fine. So if I understand your description, mine sounds more like a spark knock and it only surfaces when its lugging.

 

When I first got my KLX I was not impressed with all the noises coming out of this motor, it was my first 4-stroke thumper. When it was brand new I could lug it under 2,000rpm's without much protest or knocking but now that I've done all the normal mod's it knocks a bit at much under 3,000rpm's so I just keep the rev's up a bit.
I tried to adhere to Kawasaki's break-in procedure as best I could but there were times that I had to take it beyond the 4,000 or 6,000rpm restriction to avoid becoming a hood ornament.
Lugging a new motor down is not a good thing to do and in certain conditions if you try to follow Kawasaki's recommendation it's inevitable.

I'm getting use to it now and don't even mind the fact that it sounds like an old wore out refrigerator.

 

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i think ur main worry with break in is to keep the RPM's varied. i wouldnt worry to much about what range u run it in (realistically).. just keep em varied.

 

Mine makes all the same noises you are talking about [:'(]you should hear it with a skid plate on it The sounds are normal my buddies makes the same sounds

 

Sounds like the same thing. mine does it until 3000 rpms though but remember I only have 15 miles on it so far.
Thanks for the reply

 

Thanks a ton for all the responses. I can stop worrying now. I truly love this bike and it is my 1st bike totally owned by me. The MX 360 was my oldest brothers and was a sick, wicked fast bike that was way too much for me at 118 lbs when I was 15.

 

I run the bike up to 8,000 on shifts and yes the skid plate will make all those sounds even louder. Oh and welcome man if I didn't say it before.

 

Hey my bike is the first and only thing I have ever bought brand new, it does feel good.Its been 20+ years since owning a bike that you can take off road, and in another 20 years I still plan on riding it.[sm=smiley20.gif][sm=massbounce.gif][sm=happybounce.gif][sm=groupwave.gif][sm=happy046.gif][sm=wootwoot.gif][sm=tongue.gif][sm=smiley14.gif][sm=smiley17.gif][sm=smiley36.gif]