Oh no you Di'int

 

Stock gearing will pull the wee KLX to 96mph indicated at which point my buddy on the XR650L rolled on by so I quit trying....[:'(] Just sayin....


Back on topic, I agree with the sufficient power from the KLX, my typical problem is momentum on sandy climbs. The Trackmaster makes one heckuva nice excavator when you start slowing down. On harder terrain I've yet to meet a climb that first gear couldn't handle or accelerate up.

 

Why I oughta...
I have a DRZ400S

db

 

Oughta what?

Buy a new bike?

 

Just did. A DRZ400 I'm too big for the KLX so thats why my wife has one. Its a great bike but since I lowered it for her, I can bottom it out [:'(]
db
[sm=closed.gif]

 

I know the topic is closed but I have to agree with you. I'm 5'8" & 150 LBs and I am fine on the KLX But I just don't get why a 6'6" 300 Lb dude would get one.

 

Sinkoman, where you guys riding, Kahuku? We just did Mililani yesterday, figured all the Helicopters would be to busy to chase us out with the huge wild fires, and had the same problem. No traction on anything slightly muddy, and with roots up hill, forget about it.

How much are you guys paying for the Dunlop 606's?

 

Nah, we hit up some trails at Millilani. Me, my uncle, and his son usually drop in down by the Honda dealership, but we were with some army dudes that showed us a new way to drop into the trail via the Pearl City Industrial District.

Yeah, it was wierd. It wasn't like there was a LOT of mud, but what little mud there was made the trails slick as grease!

 

[/quote]

I was just being a smartass. Actually, 2nd or 3rd on the 450 is preferred so it doesn't loop out.

I personally thought the KLX had plenty of power, especially after a few mods. It's an extremely fun bike. Hell, I just like dirt bikes. They're all great!

[/quote]
Nobreaks, I know what you were saying. I wasn't disagreeing.How does it feel owning the dual-sport of the year? I was riding some really steep hills today and couldn't imagine having that much power. I do need some better tires these stock tires are a mess and mine are wore out.

 

I love my KTM. While the engine is strong, the power is very managable. When DirtRider this past month did their 450 shoot-out, where the KTM 450 EXC won overall mind you against the CRF450X, KLX450R, and WR450R, getting top marks from 3 out of the 4 test rider, the KTM was rated very high in smoothness of the engine and power delivery. Compared against the CRF for example where they said the hit was "violent", the KTM was smooth and electric. So in that respect, the bike is very forgiving in technical terrain by comparison with a bike like the CRFX. At least one of the testers would have chosen the KLX450R, but the license plate on the KTM made the difference and the EXC got their vote instead for that reason. Just in case anyone is curious, the main reasons cited for liking the KTM 450 EXC were: license plate, 6th gear, strong motor, slim and trim especially at the footpegs, high ground clearance, plush suspension, and light feel. As mentioned also, the KLX450R made a very strong showing too. This is the August issue of Dirt Rider if anyone wants to snag a copy.

I may have mentioned that I've recently installed a Rekluse Z-start pro auto-clutch. To make a long story short I've gone back to the stock clutch now. The Rekluse definitely has some sweet virtues in the area of low-RPM clutch slip and engagement, but I didn't feel those outweighed what I thought were some of its short comings such as lack of stock clutch feel, freewheeling instead of engine braking at lower RPM, rough downshift feel, and a few others. But one thing it did very well as mentioned is the low-RPM slip/engagement - it was like having an expert trials rider on-board working your clutch for you. Even though I went back to stock, it did teach me a few things about good clutch control which I'm working to emulate.

So back to the point which is that good clutch control manages the power in those hairy situations like steep hills, rocks, and other obstacles. I'm by no means an expert or anything, but I'm learning.