Dicks Racing's suspension mods are the biggest change to my '05 KTM 525 MXC. I chose modifications that would make it possible to motocross yet still work better than stock off-road. Dicks Racing's APS fork mods are unique. Now only one rebound adjuster remains atop the right-hand fork leg. The other adjuster was converted to a high-speed compression adjuster. The compression adjusters on the bottom of the fork were also modified. One has more control on how much fork dive there is, while the other is relatively normal low-speed compression. Among the four adjusters, the fork has plenty of range to convert the bike from trail to moto or back with just external adjusters. Dicks also worked on the shock and installed stiffer springs front and rear. One key modification to the shock was the installation of a high-speed compression adjuster from an SX shock. The HS compression lets me control bottoming in G-outs, as when the bike lands in the vee of jumps in a rhythm section.
I began with all the adjusters full soft for off-road then tuned the settings. Now the KTM is amazingly stable through whoops and chop. The bike feels balanced and easy to control. It's as supple in rocks as a stocker. By going stiffer on the settings, I can run grand prix or moto tracks. If the track is full supercross, the suspension isn't stiff enough; but for riders in the weight and skill ranges for which the bike is set up, on real motocross tracks, it works great. It doesn't ride as high in the stroke as a full-moto setup, but the bottoming resistance is good. The Dicks mods are time-consuming to perform, so they are a little pricey; but the standard adjusters do not have the range I wanted.
I also compared the IMS and Clarke tanks. The IMS held 3 gallons but is a bit wider, so I swapped to the Clarke-same volume but slimmer. The 525 had new 756/742 Dunlops installed. The tires have awesome traction and still look good with the hourmeter reading five more hours of riding. Enduro Engineering guards with my name engraved in them-so the other staffers know whose bike they're not going to steal-replaced the bent Acerbis units. The MXC still feels new and has had no major mechanical issues. A dose of Factory Effex graphics and preprinted number plate backgrounds and a Cycra front fender made her look new. It will soon be time for rear brake pads and a chain, but otherwise, she's going strong.
Running TallyHours on the bike: 59 (23 since last update)
Modification cost total: $1619.8OEnduro Engineering hand guards with shields, $74.9OClarke 3.1-gal. KTM 525 SX tank, $19O.OODicks Racing fork and shock modifications, $1165.OODicks Racing fork guards, $25.OOFactory Effex graphics, $1O9.95Factory Effex preprinted number plate backgrounds, $54.95Cycra XC front fender, $31.95
Maintenance and consumable parts: 3 oil changes1 Bridgestone M4O2 rear tire1 Bridgestone M4O1 front tire1 Dunlop D773 sand/mud rear tire2 Dunlop D742 front tires1 Dunlop D756 rear tire