First time posting on here...
2006 Klx 250. Calgary Alberta Canada
So I have read a lot about lowering gearing and how much everybody has always been so hesitant to go 13-51,14-51t
I went to a 13f 45r right off the hop. I have been running 13f 51r for about a year and I absolutely love it. You cannot use the top guide but the lower will work with a lil re-arranging! My 250 was no slouch (jetted, emissions removal, uni filter, muzzy exhaust.....) I have lose about (top speed) 30kmh but it's well worth it! 1st gear is not wasted and 2-4 have become amazing off road! Let me know if anybody else here has tried?

 

Seems pretty drastic. Stock ratio 3:1 14/42 sprockets. Most I talk to go down one in the front to 13/42 ratio 3.23:1. .23:1 is quite a noticeable change. Your running 13/51 ratio of 3.93:1. Must be able to climb trees. I ride 3\4 off road and half of that single track and am still running stock 14/42. Lots of nasty uphills in second with lots of clutch. Couldn't imagine 13/51 I'd be doing that in 3rd or 4th. I guess what really matters is your happy with the results. Happy riding.

 

I was running a 13/47 on my 2011 and a 13/49 on my 2009. I just put a 13/50 on the 2009 and moved the 49 to the 2011 so it's running a 13/49. I do lots of hilly tight woods single track with lots of rocks and roots and the low gearing is nothing short of a necessity. I'll be taking it them both for a ride this morning, we'll see how they do with the even lower gearing.

 

Kmarts - welcome to KF!

You may find this thread useful: https://www.kawasakiforums.com/forum...-length-42553/

I'm running 13/51 & 14/51. At 14/51, my snail adjuster is at -0.5 with a 110-link; there is absolutely no adjustment remaining to get the axle closer to the swingarm. With a 112 link chain, 13/51 was maxed out on the adjuster as far as it would go. I like switching between 13 and 15 front sprocket and am therefore not really pleased with a 51 rear because it doesn't work well with both fronts for either 110- or 112-link chains.


This climb with the 13. Skip to 14:50.

 

That last bit was first gear action?
I know video doesn't capture steep very well BUT that looks STEEP!
How was the ride down?

 

Yes, the last part was all first gear from 14:45 to the end with 13/51 sprockets. Much of the ride was in 1st and 2nd. Its a steep rocky bugger.

The ride down was a lot of careful braking. The rocky trail killed my battery, too. About 1/3 the way down, I over-braked on the rear and killed the motor. Upon trying to start, nothing. No lights. Nada. Bump started and made it out back to camp, but the KLX was out for the remainder of the weekend. Good thing we brought The Mule ('97 XR250) as a backup.

My riding skills have improved since the previous time up in 2012.
At 10:50 in the above video I pass a tree where this happened the prior ride (NSFW an f-bomb dropped). I think I was running 13/49 here.

 

For where I ride, the shorter gearing really is necessary. In this video we're running:
2009 (Green KLX) 13/49, 2011 (Black KLX) 13/47, 2008 WR250R 12/47:
About 5:00 in:
I put a 50T rear on the 2009 and moved the 49 to my 2011, so we're running 13/50 and 13/49 on my two KLX's now.

 

Nice vid. That stuff at 5:00+ is where a guy wants even lower gears. Nice dip at 6:30 and I like the camera branch at 8:30.

Is the rider on the WR wearing tennis shoes?

 

I think we'd be burning up clutches if we ran the stock 14/42 gearing in this stuff.

Yeah, at 6:30, the goPro mount came off the helmet, but I have a backup strap, so it was dangling around hanging from the backup strap.

The WR rider is wearing white Gaerne GX1 boots. I have white Gaerne SG10's. The guy on my Green KLX is wearing desert boots with no protection, but he likes it that way - he says it gives him something to brag/talk about when he injures himself, and he has - he spent 3 weeks limping around after flipping the bike backwards onto himself trying to go up a big rock - the bike landed on his foot.

Me and the WR rider wear MX boots, knee/shin pads, pressure suits (chest, back, shoulder, elbow, forearm protection), but he just wears his desert boots, regular pants and a leather jacket (some summer the jacket will be gone for sure), and a helmet and gloves...

 

Ride down starts about 15:30. Another rider in the group.