Anyone using rim locks on their klx250s/f?

I know they dont come on the bike from the factory. Has anyone added them? Do you feel they are necessary?

I picked up a pair of the Motion Pro alloy rim locks and was going to install them at the next tire change out since you have to dismount the tire completely.

I have since been told that the 250's dont really need them due to not enough power. Also, in the event of a flat tire out on the trail, they will make the process of changing the tube an even more miserable experience. Just skip putting the locks in unless I am running really low tire pressures.

I just checked and both of my valve stems were crooked. I straightened them out by removing the air, then rotating the tire til straight, then re-inflated tires back to 22psi (fr) 29psi (rr). I am going to keep an eye on them in the future and see if they rotate (valve stems) again. I bought the bike used so I cannot be sure that the tires have always been properly inflated.

Anyone else install them or feel they are/are not needed?

Thanks Ron

 

I saw one klx get a front flat because the tire spun.... i myself got a rear flat. If aired down enough yes the klx can spin the tire on the wheel. Next time i have the front tire off im installing a rim lock there too.
I got the motion pro lite loc, it weighs alot less than the all metal ones so it doesnt throw the balance off as much.
Motion Pro - LiteLoc 1.85 Rim Lock

 

Off road tire pressure (15 lbs) front & rear required rim locks or the valve stem would rip out, so I installed them. Tire/rim balancing was then required on the street to get rid of the rough ride on the freeway. Full knobby tires also wear better.

 

I run 12psi with rimlocks. No balancing.

 

Do you ride that on the street? If so, you must have some very light rimlocks as mine felt like riding a interesting pogo stick. The vibration would seem to move front to back cyclically and was just unbearable over 55 mph.

Whyzee - I ripped out the stem on a brand new heavy duty front tube on a very early ride out to Hemmingway Butte before I was comfortable even riding it hard. Put rimlocks in immediately after that, and counter balanced with the approximate equivalent stick-on lead weights on the other side of the wheel.

 

I lost a valve stem on the rear last summer on a black top road in a fast tight turn, 14 psig. So I put rim locks on as that was the cause of my near miss.

 

I saw a KLX spin the front tire on the rim too. How the hell I spun a front tire is beyond me.

I also run the Motion Pro LiteLocs both front and rear now. The front rim lock still throws the tire out of balance, but it's not nearly as bad as when using a heavier aluminum lock. You just feel a vibration sometimes above 40mph or so on the highway.

 

Braking will do that, especially going downhill.

 

If you run low pressure, as you should for better traction / handling off road, you should save a ripped out stem headache and install the rim locks. I used to run my tires at 21lbs and not worry about a rim lock. Last year I decided that I could tell the tires were bouncing off of things at that pressure and I decided to try airing the tires down to 15 lbs and adding rim locks. I really could tell the difference. Much better traction and nowhere near as sketchy on the trail. Now if you do put on rim locks, you will probably feel a giant imbalance while riding down the road at higher speeds. They sell removable spoke weights which are pricey, or you can use stick on weights. I ended up making some spoke weights of my own because I'm cheap, and because I could.
bottom line, you can get by with out them but you will want to run you pressure at 20lb, and that will hurt your off road traction and handling.
Dan

 

Mustang, the front rim lock does quite a bit under hard braking. All that force/weight is transferred to the front, and if traction is good enough, it's every bit as forceful as the rear tire under acceleration.