For someone who is happy with the stock performance of the bike (exhaust,jetting,etc.) what are some recommendations for making the KLX a better trail machine?

I have the USC skid plate, which is great. I also have Ken Sean folding enduro mirrors which are okay (could be better).

what are the favourite parts for:
hand guards / bars?
sprocket / chain ?
turn signals?

any other must-haves I'm missing here?

I am riding some pretty tight / gnarly trails now and am sick of bending / breaking stuff.. I know all of these topics been covered separately but I'm curious about the complete package people are choosing for making the KLX bullet proof in the rough stuff!

 

Acerbis dual sport rally hand guards with the built in blinkers. 13-48 gears, flush mounted rear turns. Here are a few pics. Of course I have yet to drop my bike, but I know the day is coming.




You got rid of that low hanging plate holder right?




Let's see what else? Hmmmmmm I'll think of something later.

 

Moose handle bars and handguards


moose fender bag, acerbis light and flush mount signals

 

anything other than the junk stock handlebars and what passes for brushguards. brand doesnt matter (remember.. u get what u pay for!!).. id definitely recommend aluminum tho for the bars. i turned my stock set into a pretzel when i had a good wipeout. also get a solid set of brushguards that bolt not only to the bars but ones that bolt into the outside of the end of the tubes.. this protects ur perches and ur clutch/brake levers.
i upgraded my chain guide also... i laid the bike down in a grass field at speed and mangled it. its definitely a cheesy part that will fold on the first good knock.
also... i ended up having to have the welds on the tabs that the rear turn signals bolt to redone/beefed up. once you have bent the metal tabs ur turn signals are bolted and bent them back a few times, chances are the cheese weld on them will give.. mine did and i ended up with a melted turn signal on my muffler.
tires.. stock are junk.. i got 1200 miles out of my rear tire.
46t rear sprocket and a new chain (tooth amount may vary depending on what u like). def a worthy mod. the quick/easy/cheap way to gear down is the 13t countersprocket, but theirs probs with that... u increase the wear on ur chain/sprocket due to the sprocket turning faster... also some have reported noise (i experienced noise myself the 500 miles i ran the 13t)

about all i have to offer tho im sure theirs more im forgetting.. its 6am and i just got home from a 12 hour shift so im shot. happy modding!!

edit: look here for the community album... lotsa pics of every1's rides for tunin ideas etc.
http://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q168/klxsonly/

 

You know, a few months ago I was saying "I am going to keep this bike stock, it seems decent" then after a few trail rides and more than a few get offs I have:

1) Added Acerbis hand guards, the stock ones cause more harm than good.
2) Swapped the suck stock tires for a set of Dunlop D756 (dirt only, no good on the road)
3)Replaced front and rear signals with shorties, which to my surprise have survived tons of crashes.
4) Moose rear fender back on rack
5) 13t CS sprocket
6) Dynojet Jetkit with all the other airbox and smog mods.
7) Removed airbox lid
8) Big Gun exhaust (just purchased last night)
9) Rim locks and heavy duty tubes
10) GPS mount so I can find my way out (I use the GPS from my street bike when off road)
11) Skid plate

The first things I replaced were the hand guards, skid plate and stock tires, if you ride off road, these are a must.


And I still have a 45 tooth rear sprocket sitting the garage pending the purchase of new chain. And chances are over next winter I will go with the 292 cc kit.

 

Handguards are a must for tight woods riding. I also recommend cutting the bars down to 29 inches. I just cut my bars down to 29 and I have moose aluminum aftermarket bars. I cannot tell you how much easier the bike is to ride in the tight stuff. I also recommend a 49T rear sprocket it really wakes up the bike. The other big change I did was going with michelon s12 tires these tires rule in the conditions I ride jersey sand. I did not care about having DOT tires because I'm racing my klx and ride short distances on the pavement. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Hey bushrider............I too am content with the stockMotor (for now)

1. The replacement Moose bars I bought bent like butter after a fall...........Pro Tapers work great now!!
2. Aluminum wrap arpound brush guards with plasticsheilds by Moose work Great!!
3. Kenda Trakmaster Tires as the stockers suck!!
4. Rim locks and HD Tubes
5. I havea Renthal45T rear sprocket with new RK Gold X-ring chain....NICE IMPROVEMENT!!!!!!
6. New rear fender bag...........anything you like there
7. New flush mount signals
8. Foldable mirrors are key........................

I have yet to get a skid plate but after I do.....I'll be ok for some time.

Everyone here is spot in in their reccomendations and it'sa good idea to check the photobucket pics to see what it all looks like.................
Good luck stay safe

Dave

 

thanks for all the suggestions and the nice pics.. I will have to take some pictures once I am done with the changes to my bike.

a couple things not stock about my bike I forgot are:
-tubes (using heavy duty ones now definitely a must-have)
-tires: I'm running a Trackmaster rear (120/100-18) and a Rallycross front (90/90-21).. I would definitely recommend this combo for offroad. I am liking it so far though I can't comment on wear since I haven't had them long.. of course the kenda is terrible on the road but I don't care about that

anyone found any folding mirrors better than the ken sean ones? I find these nicer than stock but would still like to toss them for something better

 

that is incredible
I have yet to have a day out where I don't drop my bike.. hehe

 

Just a few things to add to the great suggestions above.

Foot pegs make it feel a lot better, especially standing:




A KF sticker has been documented on the dyno to add 3 HP:




And the MX rear fender adds at least 5 more:




Another thing you might want to do when you have some down-time is to remove the swingarm and linkages and actually grease all the bearings. The stuff from the factory is very light vaseline-like and you can hardly even tell they put any on, if they actually did. It's not hard to do, you can do it in a few hours at most:


Swingarm:

https://www.kawasakiforums.com/m_79913/tm.htm


Rocker Arm:

https://www.kawasakiforums.com/m_80225/tm.htm


Another one to check and grease is the steering head bearings:

https://www.kawasakiforums.com/fb.asp?m=78034