I just couldn't stay away. After parting with my 06 KLX in 08 I've been looking for one to replace it. I've run the spectrum of street bikes, enduros both KTM and Beta, a DRZ400SM and now this Saturday I'm headed 3 hours south to pick up a 22 KLX300SM. It's primary role will be a casual trail rider. The SM doesn't seem like it would be an ideal candidate but from past experience and my local trail conditions it really is. I mounted TKC80's to my DRZ and again for a casual pace, it was perfect. My stumpy legs could reach the ground, it was comfy on the road sections between trails and it's very approachable for guest riders.

Currently I don't have machines in the stable that play well together. My girlfriend is just getting back into riding and she usually takes my RZR 570 if her daughter comes with us, or if it's just the 2 of us she'll take my TW200. I've added a manual fan switch and a coolant catch tank to my Beta 500 to help manage the heat for family ride days but it just doesn't like to be driven much under 20mph. If we go for a road ride, she has the TW and I have my MT07 with her daughter with me and it's a similar story, the MT is loafing along in 2nd or 3rd gear and the TW is getting winded at 45.

This is where the KLX comes in. Starting with the SM model it is 1" lower than the S and any of the 17" DS tires will still be quite road friendly compared to what I run on the Beta. I had Kouba Links on my 250S briefly but without re-springing it, it was a bit too soft. So it will be the ride of choice if she takes the TW or if I want to take the MT the KLX has longer legs to cruise. It's also the ideal choice because nobody has an S model in stock aside from a used one that is $500 less than new MSRP.

Anywhoooo, gratuitous dealer stock photo....

 

Nice! Welcome back.

 

Congratulations on your new SM.. They're excellent bikes.

I also have stumpy legs and lowered mine front and rear. The rear was a combination of 2.25" Koubalinks and spinning the rear shock lockrings up near the top. On the front I removed the stock bars, slid the forks up in the triple, and attached alloy clipon bars directly onto the exposed tops of the fork tubes.


The unsprung seat height is only 30 inches so I can flatfoot both feet with my legs bent. I live in the middle of a Canyon so no matter where I ride, it's twisty rural two lane roads. The bike handles superbly with so much chassis and rider weight tucked down lower between the axles.

 

What did the clip-ons solve for you?

 

Look at his picture with the clip ons. His fork caps are higher than the oem bar cradle.

 

Stock bars only allow for lowering the front about 1/2 inch. Clipons allow for 2 inches or more. Clipons are also unbelievably solid and completely devoid of vibration. They're also lower, lighter, and more narrow, which creates a more compact rider profile for less wind resistance.

 

Thanks! Better for street, worse for off road? SuperMoto?

 

Great for SuperMoto riding... especially on winding mountain roads. You can't believe how good a lowered bike handles!

Don't do this for dirt riding because you need ground clearance. I don't do dirt so I went as low as I could go.

(notice that there are only two inches of ground clearance at the base of the kickstand)

 

Just the bars, not the lowering (I should have been clearer)

 

The biggest advantage of the bars is that they make lowering the front possible.

Aside from that, the bars themselves are lighter, lower, more narrow, and have zero vibration issues because they're really short, super stiff, and are positively clamped directly onto the fork tubes.

I'm solely a road rider and never ride in the dirt, so none of the mods I do are off road oriented. They are all personalized for my own specific uses. I made my bike extremely comfortable to ride because I'm on it every day for work.

I'd only be guessing about offroad performance.