I'm sure this has been covered before, up I would like some new viewpoints.


I haven't been riding true dirt bikes for a very long time, though I used to race desert a long time ago. I'm older (60) and not too interested in going fast anymore, as it's just to painful and takes too long to recover from a hard fall.

My friend and I are planning on entering some Dual Sport events and I bought a 2022 KLX 300. He has a KTM 6 Days which has a bunch of suspension mods/ tuning. He's been riding dirt bikes a long time, and so have I , but I've been riding a BMW 1200RT ( 25K a year) for my main commuter and a KLR 650 that I sold a year ago. Not too much technical riding on the KLR since it's way too heavy and the suspension is not the best for true dirt riding, so I got the KLX 300.


What I would lie to know is what other mods would be worth it to do these events. I've done the basic mods but feel like there may be something I'm missing.

Here's what I've done so far.

Replace the tires with Tractionators DOT approved dirt tires

Added a ricochet skid plate

Crash/ brush bars

7/8" bar risers

Wider IMS foot pegs

Removed the seat strap

Replaced the tank with a IMS 2.75 gal tank.

Garmin Zumo XT GPS


I've put 100 mikes on the bike with these mods (only have 130 miles on the bike), and Sunday we went for a 77 mile ride that was all dirt. I live in northern Nevada near Carson City and can ride dirt from my house for as many miles as you want. The bike seemed to be fine and surprisingly I wasn't too whooped after the ride, which took a little over 3 hours. We rode the BLM roads from Dayton near Yerington and back to Dayton on a big loop.

It seems that my comfort level has been, on rough BLM desert roads with rocks, between 20 - 30 mph. I don't know how fast guys run these rides now but I know the guys I used to ride with would be doing 30 -50 MPH back then (when I used to ride faster)


Most the rides we plan on say they are between 80 and 120 miles between gas stops.


Any suggestions would be appreciated

 

If your planning on riding with your friend and do some crazy stuff, you need to do your suspension.
I don't know if they updated the front forks with the 300, but that is where I would look first, and adj for your wt.

 

An acquaintance who rode AMA dual sport events told me I was better off running the Adventure events that usually are run at the same place. Seems the dual sport event is usually run on enduro and hare scrambles trails and the riders get pretty competitive in spite of the supposed non-competitive nature of the ride. He had broken a leg in one event, going over a log on a trail. Just a forewarning. You might want to verify what the event will be like, possibly do the Adventure event which is less rough terrain to start.

 

Thanks for the info. We don't plan on riding too fast and realize, even in the Gezer class guys are still pretty fast. We plan on letting them go and riding at our own pace. I think I'll get the suspension tuned after a few events and see how I feel after. the front forks seem to soak up a lot of the rocks but the rear seem pretty stiff. I haven't set the sag yet and may go to the local dirt bike guy and talk to him. Here's what the bike looks like. The headlight sucks on the street, but seem ok off road. I hope I don't get stuck on the trail after dark because I'm too slow.

I do have to say that I'm use to big displacement bikes. All the dirt bikes I've had in the past have been at least 500cc 4 strokes with the exception of the 81 Husky WR500 that I raced. I'm used to using the low end torque going up hills and am learning how to ride with the smaller displacement engine and less torque. Everything is a learning curve and so far I really like the light weight and the way the bike feels.

 

Congrats on the new ride.
All of the mods you have done so far are on point and will help a lot.
While I don't push nearly as hard as I did when I had both legs, the first thing that must be addressed is the supension.
If you attempt to ride at a moderately aggressive pace, the suspension begins to buck and it's hard to maintain a line.
Getting the fork and shock revalved as well as proper spring rates WILL make it a different machine.

 

Might want to think about some radiator guards. I have the Devol on my KLX and Unibiker on my KDX. I was going to say a larger fuel tank, but from the picture(s) it looks like you already have one. I put an IMS on mine and for those long in the middle of no-where rides I carry of couple of fuel bottles for a little extra piece of mind. How about recovery straps. I actually used the seat strap off my KLX and put it on my KDX to use as a recovery strap.

 

If you're riding in an "event" (with lots of other riders) maybe this isn't especially important for you. But my backpack now includes a self rescue kit - in case I go way off trail. Even if I'm riding with friends, the rope and caribiners and pulleys are going to be very very helpful to get a bike back on the trail or road.

BTW, I'm really liking that rear tire. I've been pleased with my Tusk DSport but that tire looks nicely more aggressive. I'm going to look hard at that one next time.

 

Those IMS pegs are about the best improvement I've made to my bike. Check out Race Tech for spring rates
and most swear by their gold valves. Stock valving cannot move enough oil for sharp quick hits like braking bumps.

https://www.racetech.com/

 

Thanks for the info. I'll defiantly look at suspension, especially the rear since it seems very stiff and does buck a lot on rocks. The pegs really helped on the longer ride since I stand most of the time. I did a 80 mile loop and found that I don't push the motor that hard, and the fuel economy is pretty decent. I burned just under a half tank,( IMS 2.75gal). I wasn't looking at the tach since (A) I'm riding and not trying to fall, and (B) the GPS is in the way. But I'm riding in 3-4th gear and doing 25-35mph and that was before I put the GPS on, between 3 -4k rpm's. Hills and bigger rock sections require higher rpm's but I think I'm pretty easy on the motor for the most part. I figure I can get 140 to a tank on BLM roads, but carrying a extra 1/4-1/2 gal of gas may not be a bad idea. It's pretty wide open out here without a lot of options if you run out of gas.

One other mod I got, that I haven't put on yet is a KDX snorkel, I've been reading about it and thought I would give it a try since it's easy enough to change out. Don't know if it makes any kind of difference, but I figured that allowing more air in the box is always better.

 

Have you thought about changing the gearing? I run a 14/47 while some are running a 13/50, quite a few varible set ups. Some of the posters in this thread have their gearing listed in their info line(s).