Those are some beautiful bikes!
You should maybe get some barkbusters, though :b

 

I sure miss the kdx power

But klx is good enough...

...but the crf250r makes up for the klx's mild manners

 

Zeno,
Did you find any old threads expressing more than concern for cracked headstay? Any actual problems?

I've had the '06 KLX250s for over four years now and have modded it out for tough trail riding (351, pumper, desert tank, low gears, valved forks and shock, TMII & Parker Desert tires, etc). It is my first dirt-oriented bike. I don't race, but do trail ride with moderate aggressiveness.

Picked up an '03 KDX220 in September as a beater trail bike and am having a blast with it. I think its around 40 to 50 pounds lighter than the KLX which is just a pleasure in the sand washes and tight technical trails. The low-end chugging is impressive, but not nearly what the KLX with 351 and pumper carb offers. And the KLX certainly feels more stable at higher speeds. I wanted to try a lighter two-stroke on a budget and am not disappointed with the KDX, but it is outdated technology. Perhaps something orange will find its way home in the next few years.

 

A properly shod and setup KLX or WR250R has got to be the best 1 bike solution for gaining skills off road while learning the "rules of the road" on pavement. Then put your gal on back and share the experience !

If only the KLX or WRR had a closed loop EFI - We could ignore altitude..


BTW - The new EXC's don't have passenger pegs !

 

Thank you! Found the 05 kdx with only about 12 hours on it. Klx is a 14 i bought new. Bark busters would be a great idea!

 

This is a damn good point... The only ever actual example I saw was the infamous one from a rideasia? forum (I think a Malaysian tour business if I recall correctly) with a really weird break in the metal that people were saying was way out of the norm and likely a material fault rather than an issue with frame design.

I guess I haven't seen any reports of frame issues other than that (not counting subframes breaking from heavy luggage, which won't ever be a problem for me).

So.. since your tire combo is the same one I had already decided to try next.. what are your thoughts on that front Parker Desert tire? Is it fine for grass/hardpack and the occasional gravel road?

Yeah, in the future I think it'd be awesome to own a Gas Gas 250 EC or a KTM 200 XC-W.... But that's not in my cards anytime soon

 

Tires are great for hardpack and gravel roads. I don't know what to tell you about grass.

Now that you mention it, I think I recall that example.

 

I have the Trackmaster II's front and rear on my bike and really make a difference for the riding that I do. The stock tires (Dunlop D605 I think) were horrible, even on gravel roads, in my opinion. I swapped them out right away from Kenda K270, then got more into gnarly single track and then went to the K760/Trackmaster II's.