Drank the koolaid, it tasted good and it served it's purpose for a 600km loop last weekend.

k158 Main jet, 1N and lidless. MCM. Powerbomb header, q4 exhaust. 13t CS sprocket, 42t big sprocket.

Bike was laden with camping gear, and held up really well. Had no issues cruising the highway, passing cars etc. Really happy with the performance of KLXster's recipe for road riding. I'm glad I had earplugs.

Now that I'm back home, I've realized that the klx250s is too small for me to do anything beyond what I accomplished on the last trip. I can think of half a dozen times a 650 would have been better suited. We never hit trails, most dirt the bike saw was a logging road (and we had to turn around because the drz400sm in the group was sliding around too much :/ ) Still, having the bike at WOT for over an hour is not my idea of "relaxing motorcycle trip"

I'm looking at other bikes, but in the meantime I want my klx250s dialed in for offroad. Trails are about 45km away from home, with no highway speeds over 80km/h. All the "biggy power" is no longer needed. I want max torque, and yes, may even go big bore to get it. Meanwhile... I want to work with what I have.

Has anyone else taken the plunge, and reverted back to something a bit more tame? I know this is crazy talk, but I have no use for a couple extra hp over 6.5k anymore. I ride short stints to trail, and then usually never shift higher than 3rd.

128 main jet, KDX snorkel, MCM, powerbomb and q4 sound about right?

My current set up will not lift the front end, and I need to be able to loft over logs etc. Sprocket change is not in the forecast either, as I just bought a new chain (108 links) and can't be buying another longer one just to go up a few teeth in the back.

 

Id say switch back to the stock head pipe, k154 sell the powerbomb and get a Paray programmable ignition.

 

Yep, your other choice - which maximizes power below 6.5k - is the stock header + DJ140(K152) 1N setup..

The increase will be very noticeable and will be the max you can get..

The Payray will allow you to enhance low/mid throttle response and power ramping - with the maps I've already developed.. More may be available as I learn more.. You'll need the module and data cable to allow us to share maps..

 

Of course you could go to a pumper carb too. Ive had the base of the jug milled to increase compression on other bikes, not seen anyone do that on a klx yet. Probably as its not worth the expense compared to a BB kit unless you can do it yourself

 

Something is wrong if you cant get the front wheel up (at least in 1st) with 13/42 gearing and your mods. Even on 14/39 my 250 would power wheelie (although not massive) in 1st and I am no lightweight.

Everyone says stock header makes torque.... but when i rode them back to back, i could never power wheelie with the stock header, added Powerbomb and instant wheelie ability from right off idle even... YMMV.

 

Wheelies are pretty much rider dependent - certainly, lighter riders will not wheelie as easily as heavier riders..

 

Are you saying fat people can wheelie better

 

If you are talking about hanging your butt all the way to the back of the seat to wheelie then yes..... However if we are talking about wheelies when sitting (or standing) in the normal spot over the pegs (which is in front of the rear wheel a good margin) then the bike is having to lift more weight=less wheelie.

Just depends how you want to accomplish wheelies.

 

Well, I can sit all the way forward - in standard racing posture - and wheelie like crazy in first gear - as seen in my wheelie vid - with standard sprockets - with either stock header recipe (DJ140/1N) or Full FMF recipe (DJ144/1N) .. However, my younger son and daughter can't. They've been riding racing bikes since they were about 10, and certainly have more than enough skills to wheelie a motorcylce.. We determined that my heavier upper body weight was the difference - acting as a lever once the weight start shifting toward the rear...

The stock header recipe wheelies much easier than the full FMF recipe - that much is certain. The dyno charts we have now shows why.. TRQ below 6,5k with MCM+stock header+lidless CVK is fairly greatly increased over the full exhaust setup - both of which are greatly increased over stock..

 

I seem to have no guts until I get over 4k rpm. Certainly no wheel lofting power off idle. I'm at 3 turns out on the kouba, maybe I need to go 3.5? Riding at sea level to 1500ft. Bike goes like crazy if I go WOT..

Weirdest thing about all this "no wheelie" problem is that my '89 tw200 will lift the front wheel with stock gearing, and almost off idle. Only mods it has is a slightly larger main jet and a shim under the needle. No airbox or muffler mods etc. I know what it takes to do a wheelie, but my klx250s seems to fall on it's face when I try.

If I wack the throttle at anything less than 4k, it seems to just make noise and go higher in the rpm. There is such a difference in power above and below 4.5k rpm.. Sometimes when I'm riding, and I let off the gas, it feels like an excessive amount of engine braking, almost like it has a fuel supply issue below half throttle :/

I can get good lofting off obstacles and humps if I'm going fast, usually in second gear and over 15km/h. There are alot of dugout ditches on the roads I ride, made by the loggers to discourage regular vehicles from using the road. If I hit it at the right speed, and pull back I can properly vault the hump and land with the back tire first. If I go slow and try to lift in 1st gear, it usually doesn't work. Any compression of the front end really helps with the wheelies, but I can't do it on the street or when going slow in first on the trail.

I'm going to pull the bugger apart again, as it's due for a cleaning anyway. I was using 10w40 oil in my air filter and it got pulled down into the airbox... I can see a bit of crud around the two holes on the bottom of the intake side of the carb, so might have some crap in there. Switched to foam air filter oil but didn't take the time to clean the carb. Worked fine for my 700km trek last weekend, but I wasn't trying to wheelie either...