Hi
I owned a Klx250s 2013 with the carb. That was my first offroad bike. I enjoyed this bike but it was lacking power a litle bit
Wondering if somebody can comment on both bike ?
Thanks

 

I will be able to shortly. I had an 06 250S and am picking up the 300SM this weekend.

From a bench racing perspective, the efi won't make any more power than a properly jetted carburetor. The 50cc bump in displacement should improve low end torque and a lesser improvement on the top due to the heads and valves all being the same.

For comparparison I had an 06 KTM 450 that I had bored to a 540, lightened crank, oversize valves, and a modified cam and it was a completely different machine. The 250 to 300 will not be as much difference. Drivability will be tangible but very little actual difference on a dyno.

The 06 250S was my first bike at all followed by the KTM. The reason I'm coming back to the KLX is that the 450 class lacks the trail cruise speed (or lack therof) of the 250 to 300 class dual sports.

 

From my first couple rides on the 300SM compared to what I recall of the 06 250 I would say that is more or less the same but with a bit more torque. It is not going to throw you off if you whack the throttle open but it is more leisurely keeping up with traffic at 55-60mph instead of rowing through the gears to maintain. And the SM is geared 14/37 vs the 13/42 that I had on my 250.

In short, it is (a little) more of a good thing. It is slower to accelerate than my DRZ400SM was but this cruises with much less vibration and feels a lot lighter and handles like a lighter machine as well.

 

I can confirm your sentiments on the DRZ400SM contrast, having ridden one for daily transportation for 11 years and 35,000 miles.




While my KLX300SM doesn't have the power my DRZ had, it is SO much better in SO many other ways. My lightened 292 pound KLX makes the DRZ feel heavy, vibrating, clunky, and clumsy.. And there's NO comparison to the KLX 6 speed transmissions's smooth closely spaced "sportbike" gear ratios, and the primitive unevenly gapped gear ratios of the old unimproved DRZ 5 speed.




I actually had no problems with the stock DRZ carb. After it had been initially dialed in with a simple larger pilot jet, I didn't touch it for many years and thousands of miles of trouble free riding. After 57 years of carbed bikes, the KLX is my first fuel injected ride. I discovered the throttlebody had been restricted by the factory. After removing the ECU actuated controls, the engine is WAY more responsive to throttle input. I use my KLX every day for work, and it is a joy to ride. It is the finest, most comfortable, most user friendly transportation bike I have ever owned.

 

Hey Tooter, I been thinking about what you did. I need to lower my 'other' bike and your work is interesting. I need to raise my forks in the triples, but I need to have the grips about 6-7" higher than the tops of the tubes. When you did your research did you find any clipon's that raise the bars up?
That would take care of the front, it's got a mono shock rear without linkage. Maybe I could have a machine shop redue the bolt hole higher for the rear. It has racing forks/shocks (KTM), so if this would work I wouldn't have to send them all in for a redue.

 

I lowered my Grom with a simple kit which relocates the lower end of the shock. It lowers the rear 1.5 inches.

(sorry, I don't know what happened but NONE of the pictures showed up.)







Perhaps there's a similar kit for your bike or you could have one made up. Moving the lower shock mount slightly rearward relaxes the attitude just enough lower the rear a little bit.

Sportbike clip on bars are designed twith a downward sloping angle.



I flipped the mounts upside down and swapped them to opposite sides to make them flat like regular bars.

7 inches higher? Clip on's won't cut it. Get these.



Seriously, a regular bar riser kit will allow you to raise the forks a couple of inches to lower the front..



Note: NEVER lower the front MORE than you lower the rear.

Search youtube videos for "deathwobble" to see what can happen. I lowered my front 2 inches and lowered the rear by 4 inches with a combination of lowering links and adjusting the rear shock lockrings to insure safe handling. Lowering the rear more than the front makes for more "dirfbike" handling characteristics because both the front fork rake and front wheel trail are increased for more stability. The bike steers slower, but that's fine for utility transportation.