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Reader Bike Build – Dirt Rider Magazine

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Thursday, August 12, 2010

/></a> <p class="wp-caption-text"></p> </div> <h3><em>Sometimes here at Dirt Rider we can’t help going above and beyond the call of duty. Karel Kramer did just that with his Reader’s Ride bike build, both in terms of the build/mods to the bike and his write up, which would have busted the seams out of the September issue if we’d tried to stuff it all into the magazine. So here’s all of Karel’s ramblings, I mean, his more-in-depth explanation of the impressive bike he built.</em></h3> <p><strong>Dirt Rider’s Reader Ride Fix Up Form</strong></p> <p><strong>DR Staffer/Wrench:</strong> Karel Kramer<br /> <strong>Reader’s Name:</strong> Barry Jencson<br /> <strong>Bike Year/Make/Model:</strong> 2006 Kawasaki KX450F<br /> <strong>Reader’s Input:</strong> NAME: Barry Jencson<br /> <strong>AGE:</strong> 36<br /> <strong>WEIGHT:</strong> 195 lbs<br /> <strong>HEIGHT:</strong> 6’2″ <br /> <strong>LOCATION:</strong> Colorado Springs, Colorado<strong>RIDING ABILITY</strong> – Novice/Intermediate, Will race some Hare scramble races in Vet C class. On a track I am not the best because I am not a dare devil when it come to jumping but I can hold my own. On a trail I am faster than most because that’s my bread and butter!<strong>TERRAIN YOU RIDE (MX, off-road, both? Rocky, sandy, prepped loam, etc):</strong><br /> Both MX and Off-road, Mainly ride mountain terrain that is hard packed and ROCKY but I do ride track as well. I’d say 80% mountain terrain and 20% track. There is not much sand or loam here.<strong>WHAT1S THE BIGGEST CHANGE (OR TWO) YOU1D LIKE TO SEE WITH YOUR BIKE?</strong><br /> New exhaust is my first request, I would also like some help with the engine braking/ wheel hop (guess I’m not that smooth of a rider) like a slipper clutch? If the clutch is out of the question then make it look purrty as my second request (new plastics, graphics or some nice black rims) Now I’m dreaming right!<strong>WHAT’S THE ONE THING (OR TWO THINGS) YOU DON1T WANT TO CHANGE ABOUT YOUR BIKE?</strong><br /> The color HAHA, really the only thing I can think of is the rear sprocket size (silly maybe). I have tried other sizes and always go back to a 52 tooth rear sprocket. Other then that the rest of the bike is fair game.<strong>EVALUATE YOUR BIKE</strong> – Riding in the mountains I feel I don’t have enough protection for the bike itself. Skid plate or radiator guards would be helpful. The chain guide on my bike is toast and rubs the rear sprocket. I am happy with the performance of the bike, power and suspension wise, but the bike lacks in the cosmetic area. Seat foam is breaking down and I am tired of breaking my levers so how about some AVS unbreakable levers? One other note is I ride this in the mountains and some of the single tracks here can be hard for this bike Temp. wise so maybe a Boyesen Supercooler water pump to help in the tight tracks? Easy add on while you’re in there doing the clutch right?<strong>ENGINE How is the power delivery and what would you want changed?</strong><br /> It’s a Kawi so there is plenty of power, but it is abrupt at the throttle. My thoughts on that would be a pro motion throttle kit but I am unsure if that would help. It’s not bad when I ride hard but when I am lugging it it’s touchy to me? Just so you know there are a ton of hours on the top end. To me is runs good but I know the valves are getting a little tight last time I checked and that was at least 15 hrs of run time ago.<strong>Your Goal in the Fix Up:</strong> I rode the bike, and even though I am heavier than Barry, the suspension was harsh and stiff for motocross, the power was aggressive and the exhaust loud for motocross trail use. I’ve ridden in Colorado, and this bike set-up would beat the heck out of me. From his description, I don’t think we are that different in speed, so I just set up the bike the way I would like it for riding in Colorado, but without ruining for the track.I started by pulling the suspension off and getting it to Race Tech. Since it was four years old, I figured it needed mods <em><strong>and</strong></em> freshening up, and RT has all the update parts you could need. RT used three different types of Gold Valve pistons including the compression and rebound pistons in the fork. After that I needed a lot of accessories, so I called Rocky Mountain ATV to make it as close to a one-stop shopping deal as I could. I got fork guards and a cam chain from Kawasaki, a stand from Trail Tech and plastic from Acerbis. Then I found out that RMATV/MC had the Acerbis stuff as well. I concentrated on making the bike reliable, off-road capable and protected. When I took the suspension off I ran the swingarm up and down and it moved smoothly and easily, but on inspection the linkage and swingarm bearings were toast.Race Tech did a full mod and rebuild on the suspension, and to make sure it worked as it should, I replaced the suspension bearings with All Balls kits. I serviced and greased all chassis bearings and pivots (even those not replaced), put on new front brake pads, new disc rotors, new chain and sprockets, all almost new stock chain guide left over from an old test bike, new rimlocks, rim bands, chain adjuster blocks, carb fuel screw, carb float bowl drain and All Balls chain rollers. I added Dunlop MX51 tires, too.When I rode the bike the comfort was poor, and the control efforts weren’t great, so I used Motion Pro cables including a complete revolver throttle to ease control efforts, but while I was replacing them, I noticed that the handlebar had a lip worn in it from the throttle tube. We had a clean used stock Kawasaki bar left over from an older project, so I put that on. Moose Racing has an Ultimate Clutch System complete clutch perch/lever that has a pivot bearing, a nylon sleeve for the bar and a choice of two location for the end of the throttle cable. When I put the cable in the opening closest to the lever pivot, the combination of added leverage and the Motion Pro cable made a drastic improvement in clutch pull. I fixed a loose brake pedal tip, and the controls were off-road, all-day ready.The engine was powerful, but I knew it had time on it. Barry rides exclusively at high altitudes, so I used a Vertex high compression piston and rings and a new cam chain. While the engine was apart, I added a 7-ounce Steahly flywheel weight to the stock ignition rotor, cleaned the internal oil screens near the oil pump and generally checked things out. The valves were in spec. One thing he specifically mentioned was the bike running hot on trails, so I installed a Boyesen waterpump cover and impeller. It looks like it will flow a ton of coolant, and we hever had a problem with it puking coolant on us. We had a quiet Leo Vince X3 full quiet exhaust from our 2009 Kawasaki KLX450F. It was still in great shape, and fit well. Otherwise we’d have gone with the stainless steel unit for a shade under $500.With the chassis, engine and controls dialed, it was time to add protection and get it looking good. The looks, and off-road prowess started with a Clark tank, the Acerbis plastic, Attack custom graphics and number plate backgrounds. For protection I started with the awesome one-piece billet sharks from from Scotts and a Ricochet off-road aluminum skip plate. The stock seat was beat to sleep, so an SDG unit was the final step. Between the Acerbis plastic and the Attack graphics, the bike looks great.After break-in the bike started really nice, and the power pulls smoothly and makes the bike easy to ride on the track or trail. Thankfully, the exhaust is quiet, and all of the control efforts are silky and light like a new bike, or perhaps better than some new ones. I think the suspension is 1000-percent better than it was for Colorado’s rocky trails and still works fine for light-duty moto. It might be a little soft for aggressive motocross and peaky jumps, but everyone seemed to get along with the set-up pretty well regardless of the rider size or weight. I ordered a Trail Tech kickstand knowing it was for later models and hoping it would fit. It fit the frame perfectly, but the peg mount is too wide. I think a KLX footpeg will fix the problem and allow the stand to be used on an ’06. Even though I am used to riding the latest and greatest of current bikes, I could easily live with this bike. It really works well, and certainly better for me than they did new. <div><a href=/></a> <p class="wp-caption-text"></p> </div> <table> <tr> <td colspan="4"><strong>Companies Used</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Company</strong></td> <td><strong>Part</strong></td> <td><strong>Price</strong></td> <td><strong>Website</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4">Total cost of fix-up (parts and labor hours)</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4">40 hours labor</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Vertex</td> <td>Hi-compression piston kit</td> <td>$196.66</td> <td><a href="" rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:window.open( www.vertex.com Cometic gasket kit $54.99 www.cometic.com Steahly 7-oz flywheel $109.99 www.steahlyoffroad.com Acerbis Replica plastic kit $121.99 www.acerbis.com Acerbis Rally Pro handguards $83.99 www.acerbis.com Clarke Mfg. 3.1-gallon fuel tank $199.99 www.clarkemfg.com All Balls Linkage bearing kit $69.99 www.goallballs.com All Balls Swingarm bearing kit $58.99 www.goallballs.com All Balls Chain rollers $13.99 each (2) www.goallballs.com Primary Drive Steel kit with gold X-ring chain $89.99 www.rockymountainatv.com Tusk Front rotor $59.99 www.rockymountainatv.com Tusk Rear rotor $59.99 www.rockymountainatv.com Tusk Carbon front brake pads $13.99 www.rockymountainatv.com Boyesen Engineering Waterpump cover and impeller $164.99 www.boyesen.com Ricochet Offroad Skid plate $87.95 www.utahsportcycle.com Motion Pro Revolver VR throttle kit $139.99 www.motionpro.com Motion Pro Armor rim strip tape $6.99 www.motionpro.com Motion Pro LiteLoc rim locks $31.98 www.motionpro.com Motion Pro T2 clutch cable $37.99 www.motionpro.com Dunlop 80/100-21 MX51 front tire $57.99 www.dunloptire.com Bridgestone 120/80-19 404 rear tire $71.99 www.dunlopmotorcycle.com Attack Graphics Slasher preprinted backgrounds $44.99 www.rockymountainatv.com Attack Graphics Custom graphics $75.95 www.rockymountainatv.com Moose Racing Ultimate Clutch System $53.95 www.mooseracing.com Race Tech Suspension mod/rebuild with Gold Valves $702.15 www.racetech.com Maxima Lubricants Maxum4 $11.99 www.maximausa.com Renthal 971-08 7/8ths bar $used www.renthal.com Leo Vince X3 Enduro Sport titanium system $1099.00(used) www.leovinceusa.com Kawasaki Cam chain $45.11 www.kawasaki.com Kawasaki Chain guide $74.75 (used) www.kawasaki.com
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