And holy cow. I'm not a new rider, but I'm a very inexperienced dirt rider. Have ridden off and on since I was maybe 8 years old, that's 23 years... but by "off and on" I mean there's been gaps of 2-3 years.
I've ridden bulls and busted broncs. This bike almost compares. The biggest difference I've found between it and climbing on a large wild animal, is at least I have control over what direction I'm going.
I'm used to riding a cruiser. But about a month ago, while shopping for parts to rebuild my Vulcan after a crash last summer, I came across a good price on a 2010 klx110 that needed some work, so I grabbed it up for my son. He's been having so much fun that I had to jump in too.
This 450 was the best deal I could find on a used bike that would haul my fat ass around. A 250 trail bike would be my preference, but I couldn't find one locally for a price I was willing to pay.
It has 83 hours on it, and I'm wondering what kind of maintenance I should be looking forward to.
I've found where it's missing a couple body panel bolts. The fuel petcock is hanging on a zip-tie. Missing the rear axle cotter pin. I'm sure as I go through it I'll find more bits and pieces to fix, just like with my son's 110.
So I know that no one seems to love the stock rear chain guide. This one appears to still be in decent shape, although the chain needs to be tightened. I'll need to look up specs on that.
The suspension has aftermarket components, set up for a rider who was 6'4" and 350 pounds. At 6' and 250, I find it stiff, but not unrideable.
The kill switch was scavenged from some other machine it seems. Doesn't fit the handlebars and only did it's job once all afternoon yesterday. So I cut the wires at the splice, bolted one to the bars, stripped about 5mm of insulation from the other, and I touch it to the bolt to kill it. Will look for a new switch today, maybe not OEM, but one that will at least fit and work.
Will do an oil change soon, within the week. Will drain the gas and put in some fresh 91. The seller claims he bought it from a friend of his about 2 months ago, never even got a chance to ride so he said screw it and sold it. He has no clue as to when the last oil change was or how old the gas is. Will also be checking/changing coolant and brake fluids.
The clutch doesn't seem to fully disengage. Not sure if that's normal for a MX bike. When kicking it while in gear and clutch lever pulled, it has a bit of movement. When started in neutral then put into first, it has a bit of jerk. Very minor. Haven't adjusted the cable yet. On my Vulcan, you can't feel the change from N-1 at all.
Will change the pipe. My Vulcan is far bigger, has down swept pipes and no mufflers, and this dirt bike seems louder. Annoyingly loud. Maybe it's simply the location of the pipe.
So that's what I've found so far. Anything else to look for? I'm mechanically inclined.
Oh, it'll mostly be used for trail riding in rolling small hills and well maintained woods trails. I don't think I necessarily need a dedicated trail riding set-up, but I'm open to suggestions.
I've ridden bulls and busted broncs. This bike almost compares. The biggest difference I've found between it and climbing on a large wild animal, is at least I have control over what direction I'm going.
I'm used to riding a cruiser. But about a month ago, while shopping for parts to rebuild my Vulcan after a crash last summer, I came across a good price on a 2010 klx110 that needed some work, so I grabbed it up for my son. He's been having so much fun that I had to jump in too.
This 450 was the best deal I could find on a used bike that would haul my fat ass around. A 250 trail bike would be my preference, but I couldn't find one locally for a price I was willing to pay.
It has 83 hours on it, and I'm wondering what kind of maintenance I should be looking forward to.
I've found where it's missing a couple body panel bolts. The fuel petcock is hanging on a zip-tie. Missing the rear axle cotter pin. I'm sure as I go through it I'll find more bits and pieces to fix, just like with my son's 110.
So I know that no one seems to love the stock rear chain guide. This one appears to still be in decent shape, although the chain needs to be tightened. I'll need to look up specs on that.
The suspension has aftermarket components, set up for a rider who was 6'4" and 350 pounds. At 6' and 250, I find it stiff, but not unrideable.
The kill switch was scavenged from some other machine it seems. Doesn't fit the handlebars and only did it's job once all afternoon yesterday. So I cut the wires at the splice, bolted one to the bars, stripped about 5mm of insulation from the other, and I touch it to the bolt to kill it. Will look for a new switch today, maybe not OEM, but one that will at least fit and work.
Will do an oil change soon, within the week. Will drain the gas and put in some fresh 91. The seller claims he bought it from a friend of his about 2 months ago, never even got a chance to ride so he said screw it and sold it. He has no clue as to when the last oil change was or how old the gas is. Will also be checking/changing coolant and brake fluids.
The clutch doesn't seem to fully disengage. Not sure if that's normal for a MX bike. When kicking it while in gear and clutch lever pulled, it has a bit of movement. When started in neutral then put into first, it has a bit of jerk. Very minor. Haven't adjusted the cable yet. On my Vulcan, you can't feel the change from N-1 at all.
Will change the pipe. My Vulcan is far bigger, has down swept pipes and no mufflers, and this dirt bike seems louder. Annoyingly loud. Maybe it's simply the location of the pipe.
So that's what I've found so far. Anything else to look for? I'm mechanically inclined.
Oh, it'll mostly be used for trail riding in rolling small hills and well maintained woods trails. I don't think I necessarily need a dedicated trail riding set-up, but I'm open to suggestions.
