Or, put another way:

"If everyone tells you you're dizzy, maybe you should lie down".

 

I just noticed that you have more posts on the KLX forumthan miles on your old KLX.

 

Ioway guy I just don't think you gave the KLX a chance or give it some credit it deserves. It is clear it was not the bike for you and as I stated before I really hope you are happy with your new bike and it works for you. Yes,the KLXis an old design that Kawasaki should have made more updates to over the years and needs a fair amount of work to be a real off road machine. Larger bore over the 250, a pumper carb, and professional suspension make a dramatic difference in the bike. Yes, I can more than hold my own with mymodded KLX300with the 450's and 550's on the trail. I do it on every ride I go on and as I stated before they can easily run away when the trail opens up.I'm geared lower than they are to make up forless power. Good in the tight stuff bad in the high speed stuff. We are usually in the tight stuff most of the day. However,I can staymuch closer to the DRZ 400. I'm in CA. andusually ride Clear Creek, which you can see a few pictures in the new Dirt Bike Magazine, and Pozo. I do have experience riding the 450's and 525's as my riding partners are also my good friends and I ride them any time I want. If most of your riding is on road I would definitely say the DRZ is a much better choice but off road I wouldrecommend and take my KLX any day. Some day I will also want more and if I stay dual sport it will be either the KTM or Husky 450 andif I go strictly off roadit will most likelybe aKTM 300 2 stroke.

 

The KLX is an old bike in all departments, but you can thrash the hell out of it all day, miss the next four oil changes, have really old spark plugs and don't wash it, it'll still keep going and be very reliable. If it were a WR 250/450, KTM or Husky, they'll all punish you bad for that neglect. let's face it, the KLX is cheap, upside down forks - but cheap, Mono rear susp - cheap, even the rims are soft and dent easily (rubber hammer and no pity - fixed), but it does the job. It's not an enduro bike, it's a trail bike that endures. Spend some on header/muffler, free mods, then if you have some dosh, get a big-bore kit and carb, works out about the same as a DRZ 400, but far more nimble. For me the bike of choice would have to be the KTM 250 street legal four stroke, but it's not cheap for all that top of the line gear. Money. If you like the bike for what it will always be, spend a little, you'll learn and be surprised what not that many horse power gains can feel like on this bike. good luck on your choice. A bit hard on IOWAGUY chaps, I don't want a forum for only those of one opinion, thanks for reading.

 

Hey, bottom line to all of this is you should ride a bike that you want and that fits you. I have purchased so many bikes, modded the hell out of them, only to sell it in less than a year. Case in point, I purchased a ZZR1200, made all kinds of mods to it and just hated the f'in thing. Thought it was the biggest POS I ever owned. Now, go tell that to some guy that loves his ZZR and where the ZZR fits him, his riding style and his purpose and he would call me an asshat. I could list 90 things I didn't like about the ZZR, but what would it get me? No where, it was my choice. And what did I replace it with? A Ducati ST4s, yep, a very different bike and three years into it I wouldn't trade this bike in for nothing.

Same goes for the KLX, if the bike didn't do it for you, then by all means you should sell it and get what you really want. But one should remember, just because the KLX doesn't have enough power for one person, doesn't mean it isn't perfect for someone else. Trying to keep up with the Jones' however, is childish in my opinion and should be no reason to sell the bike.

I see Iowaguy as a person who purchased the KLX and just didn't connect with it, nothing wrong with that. As I said, I have owned over 15 bikes in over 20 years of riding, in the last 7 years I have purchased and sold 5 bikes all within a year of ownership, someone of them damn fine bikes (2003 ZX636, ZZR, ZRX, Futura) but it wasn't until the Ducati that I found the bike that "spoke" to me, was perfect for me and 20,000 miles later I am still in love with it. The KLX is the same for me, off road, the bike is damn near perfect for my riding style, ability and desires. A little more HP would be nice, and I may do the 292cc over the winter, but pretty much not because I think it needs it, but rather because I can, it is safe and working/modding bikes is a hobby and fun.

Bottom line is, you should ride what you like, not **** on what someone else rides and be a motorcyclist first and an internet posting ***** second. Just IMHO, YMMV, blah blah blah.

 

Overall, this thread has some pretty good info. If you could throwout some of the emotion and subjective embellishment, it would serve very well as a sticky for the many riders who are faced with this decision.

My reasons are very differentdue to the country I live in.Ownership suddenly becomes a lot more expensive when youhave a bike that is over 249cc in Japan. Theidea that I don't have to deal with bi-annual inspections and muchmore expensive insurance are a couple of the heavy weight points. In that regard,I also like the idea that you can go to 331cc and still fly under the radar.

As far as the bike fitting me and my riding style, ithelps that I'm a cornerjunkie...I don'tneedgobs of straight line power; been there and done that with sport bikes.This bike still puts a grin on my face, with 249cc, anddoes so while getting 65MPG...that's when I'm getting on it HARD.

DRZ's also have higher seat height, but I guess if you don't mind one legging it at stops it's no big deal. My rides are usually pretty long in duration so that gets to me after awhile.

 

Has anyone actually read the first post? He said he wants to keep the klx and buy a second bike for when he goes out with his 450 buddies, YES A SECOND BIKE. He did not mention selling the klx, just if he should keep modding the klx and be able to keep up with his buddies on the trail, or accept the klx for what it is after the bacis mods and get a different bike for when he calls for serious power and speed. Nobrakes, shadetree, dirtsufer, and a few others are the only ones on this forum that know what a pumped up and big bore klx is capable of,in my opinion everyone else should have kept there mouths shut about the topic.

 

Well, very good, you've expressed you opinion. Maybe if you made the forum rules and had a hand in enforcing them, it would mean more when you opened your mouth on the subject.

I've ridden many a friend's bike here in Japan who are running the 315cc kit. I guess that means my mouth should be shut as well, because I haven't actually owned one or done the mods myself...YAWN!

I'm so ashamed thatmy posts don't meet with your appoval...NOT!!

 

Well, thanks for everyone's input. It was well appreciated. I didn't realize I had ventured into such
a heated subject matter however! You all had very good points and it is nice to see everyones
different perspectives. The bottom line for me is that I did buy this bike to get into dualsport,
and knew that doing so meant loosing alot of what I was used to on my MX bikes. So I just
need to suck it up, quit whining and get on with the mods! My KLX might not be as explosive
as my CR or my buddies YZ450, but when we sneak down the roads between trails, I am not the one
looking over my shoulder constantly fearing another ticket either! It is a great dualsport, excellent trail
bike, and rides single tracks like a champ! Thats all there is to it. I did 85 miles of ORV trail the other
day, and was not nearly as beat up as I used to get on my stiff CR (not to mention what that concrete
seat used to do to me!) Besides, its time to grow up and slow the hell down a little anyway!
So, who has a 300 jug lying around!!???

By the way, slightly off subject, I may be gettin a 1986 Honda Interceptor 500 this week
from a guy I work with. I just want it for gas mileage (I drive 70 miles round trip to work)
since gas is at astronomical prices. Anyone had one? It runs excellent, very clean, no leaks
17,000 miles. $1,000. I think it is a good deal.