'07 klx300 need advice. 5'8", 185 pounds, 37 yrs old, recreational to aggressive rider for 25 yrs.

while researching the klx300, people are saying that the klx300 lacks in some critical performance areas. I'd like to find out if these supposed short comings are most noticeable by advanced to professional riders or are they noticeable by the amteur, recreational rider as well. some of the supposed issues have to do with lowend performance from idle.
1. cv carb. is not as responsive from the throttle as most would prefer. supposedly the slide is most affected by vaccuum and NOT throttle, which is primarily used on street bikes, not dirt. Also, the carb comes with a needle that is proven problematic, especially for hot starts.
2. rear suspension is too soft, often bottoming out in low to moderate riding conditions.
3. front suspension gives an unstable feeling at high speeds (straightaways)
4. air box cover too restrictive, must drill or replace to increase air flow.
Are these noticeable problems for the rec rider? Or does one have to be a professional/expert/extreme competitive rider to notice?

If there is anything else to watch for? I'd appreciate the heads up. My commitment to Kawasaki ('91 kdx 200) still makes me feel that this is the bike for me but i don't want to be disappointed.
Please if you can help, i'd appreciate it.

 

Greetings ChucktownGreen You might notice that in the KLX 300 section there are like 26 threads or maybe posts altogether. I can guarantee you will find an answer in the KLX 250S section, oh sure we goof off and post a lot of stuff that's off topic, but its way more populated with nearly 30,000 posts. There are a lot of guys in that section that I would trust implicitly with my bike, give them a shout. Just copy and paste your thread in that section and watch the help pour in. Later man. See you there.

 

thanks for your response.

 

Just wanted to add my two cents. I have a 2002 KLX300R and absolutely love it. You do need to bear in mind that it will take some time and (a certain amount) of money to make it all the bike it can be but when you're done I think it's all worth it. When I bought the bike and first rode it I was horribly dissapointed. Then I realized that it's the only off road bike that gets a green sticker in CA. This of course means it is restricted down to put put. Removing the airbox lid and the restrictor plate on the end of the muffler helped a bunch. A fourstrokeworks header really made a difference (I've read mixed reviews on a new muffler but opted for it just to save some weight) and a pumper carb made it downright badass. The suspension is definitely soft (I'm 6'3" and two hundy) but after some tweaking it's livable and with some upgraded springs and valving I hear it gets much better. There are literally hundreds of options for upgrading this bike and it all depends on how much you want to spend. If you get it rocking, the size and weight allow for some really fun riding. No it's not fantastic right off the showroom floor but I'm a "go green or go home" guy and I love my bike. Best of luck to you. If you have any questions let me know!
[align=left] [/align]