On an autumn Rocky Mountain trail ride this weekend...

 

You can have more ground clearance and seat height by installing the correct rear shock spring for your weight. This will in turn be a fix rather than a band-aid.

 

2009-2012 Kawasaki KLX250 S, SF Raising, Lowering Links - $21.50 : burkhartcycle.com, Motorcycle Parts and Accessories

 

Hi All! I've been lurking for a bit and just wanted to say a big THANKS for all the great info that helped me take home my new(to me) 2009 KLX!
Here she is her first time in the driveway! Can't wait to get her dirty!!

 

Anyone know how to raise the bike a bit? I've been riding stairs quite a bit and I smacked the lower linkage a little a few times... They were pretty light taps so I'm not worried, just wondering if there's any way to get an extra inch of ground clearance without going to an 18/21 setup.

And to any of the guys with the SF here: Anyone else loose that little tube hanging from the reservoir at the bottom of the bike? I'd been dragging it in corners, which looks pretty cool on a video by the way, and one day I looked down and noticed it was gone.

 

The link I posted above is for both raising links and lowering links. My oil drip catcher came off first ride... Then a side reflector, then another, then the rear one, then the tool bag. Not sure how that broke loose.

 

About the holes, I drilled up about 30 holes with 5mm diameter, so as to perforate it a bit. My basic idea was to open up an additional flow area slightly larger than the flow area given by the inner pipe diameter to de-restrict the flow, but still let the extra walls shatter the noise pulses. I left the first and last ~20mm without holes so it could nicely fit into the chamber dividing plate in the silencer. Unfortunately I have no photo of the thingy, and I messed up the thread of one of the 3 end cap screws so I won't touch it again unless I have to...

About the raising links, I bought it from a German company since I live in Europe:

Tail riser*Kawasaki*KLX 250 alle Modelle / +40mm

I ordered the +40mm and the +25mm, but sofar I have only fitted the +40 and it works out pretty OK. No sign of nervousness at high speed. I was a little bit afraid of what it would do to the front fork angle and the potential instability issue coming with a slightly steeper angle. I had to install them with a spacer washer, though, since they came too thin as delivered. I also had to make a cut-out in the accessory bash plate (Kawasaki's own part) since it came dangerously close to the linkage when in their lowest position.

As someone points out, a more firm rear spring is probably the way to go if you are also a bit heavier, but I think I have about the right sag with the stock spring (I'm about 170 lbs), so I will try this for a while.

 

Here are some pics from a perfect fall day up here in MN

 

Here's a quick blast on my mod'd KLX (331 thanks to Bill Blue)




<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1tTNfrWWTBI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

picked it up about 2 weeks ago from the dealer, and took it back 3 days later to get all the goodies installed.