jaysun

I only started riding a few months ago. I'm very late to the game and have almost no experience riding, besides growing up on utility quads that I never had to work on and never left the ground with. I also have almost zero mechanical knowledge. But I'm willing to learn and my google-fu is strong. I also have a buddy that's willing to help me out with installation of new gear (even though he's just learning himself). After nearly two decades from the last time I rode, I decided to pick up a couple quads for the family. I wanted a sport quad for myself, so I got the KFX 450. I took it on a few trail rides before I got the balls to take it out to the motocross track. Out there, though, I'm finding that stock just isn't enough. Well, it's not completely stock. It has a steering stabilizer on it (whatever that does), and a few other small, non-performance based aftermarket parts. Oh, and I'm also running a 37 tooth rear sprocket. But it just doesn't seem to have enough power to hit the ramps at nearly the speeds that others are hitting them. Especially when I'm coming out of a turn followed shortly by another jump (admittedly, though, I'm sure some of that has to do with me being a bit of a sissy out there. This track is pretty scary. I don't have any small practice tracks near me, so I have no choice but do ride the big boy track). I guess what I'm looking for is this: The bike has a high top-end speed (like 75). I don't care about top speed. I rarely, if ever, need to break 45. I need a way to get the bike going much faster off the starting line. I'm extremely willing to put in the research and the work, I just need a good starting point from people that are much more experienced than I in these matters. I have money to spend, but not much at this very moment (I just dropped $1,500 on a new PC). Right now, I could probably drop $200-$300. If need be, I could probably afford $400-$500 a month in parts. I'm not saying I want to do that, but if I needed to save a bit to get parts, it's doable. I'm just trying to let you know my budget. What I'm looking for are suggestions on parts to get this bike faster off the line. Remember, I don't know anything about engines, so I apologize for the fact that you'll have to talk to me like a child. To be honest, I usually blindly follow knowledgeable forum users in these situations, but I'm very rarely let down. If I can find some suggestions on parts, I can buy them and work out the details later, the same as I do for many other things. I appreciate any advice you guys are willing to give. Thanks.

I did some more research (including getting a manual) and, apparently, this is a fairly common issue with Kawasakis. They use 8mm bolts, as opposed to 10mm bolts used my other manufacturers, like Honda. I read stories of people shearing all 4 bolts up to 4 or 5 times a year. Drilling out 10mm holes seems to resolve the issue every time, but I don't have the tools or the know-how to do that. I just went down to Lowes and picked up some new bolts and washers. Worked great. I'll be back on the track this weekend. I think the chain and sprocket are still in decent condition. I took these photos right after coming back from the track, so everything was still really dirty. But what do I know? Not much.

And thanks for fixing my links

I went ahead and just taped it on with electrical tape for now. That should do for the time being, I hope. Once I learn more aboutt it, maybe ill pull it back out

Just got back from the motocross track, where I busted my quad (2008 KFX 450). Keep in mind that these may be stupid questions. I'm new to riding and don't know anything about anything. The chain was a little loose, I believe, and I probably should've tightened it (not that I know how to tighten a chain) but I'm not sure if that came into play here. I took a jump and didn't let off the throttle. I over-revved the engine and the rear sprocket snapped off while I was in the air. It looks like there are 4 bolts that hold the sprocket on and it appears that those bolts have been completely sheared off (see pics below). If this is just a matter of replacing these bolts, that would be awesome. Are these bolts meant to shear under pressure (like the shear pin on a boat propeller)? Also, in the side that still has nuts, that bolt is pretty skinny. The corresponding hole on the sprocket is much larger. Are these some sort of specialty bolts? Am I not even in the right ballpark with these issues? I seriously have no idea what I'm doing here. I appreciate any help.

Picked up some chest protection today. Feel a little better about my ride tomorrow. Maybe it'll give me the balls to hit those jumps a little harder.

Nice tumble, by the way. That sh** was pretty funny.

I greatly appreciate the advice, my friends. When it comes to gear, I really need to step it up. I'm out there in jeans, work boots, a long-sleeved shirt and no armor. Just gloves and a helmet with a facemask. I've thought about filming the other riders to review how they sit when they hit the big jumps but my girl told me that was creepy. I kinda agree. My next purchase, though, is definitely body armor. I don't really see the benefit of the pants, boots and jerseys that everyone seems to wear, though. How do special $100 boots protect you? How does a $50 jersey protect you? I guess I just don't get it. Maybe I'll just try and step up my hydration game. I usually drink a decent sized Gatorade before I get there and then sip on one before I ride. Maybe I need to get up earlier and get more fluids in me. I'll give that a shot this weekend. And I'll definitely be taking your advice of consulting other riders. I was by myself last time and kept to myself. I suppose it's time I introduce myself and get some help from these guys. There's no shortage of them, that's for sure. I'm just not usually the type to approach strangers to ask them to help me with my newbie issues. That's what the internet is for.

It's either the air inlet pressure sensor or the air inlet temperature sensor. Or both? No idea. I have no idea what it does or how to reattach it.

(TL; DR - How do I prevent extreme cottonmouth on the mx track? How to take big jumps without flipping and/or wrecking in any way) Loving these forums. Getting tons of help, so it's on to my next set of questions. I've only been riding for a couple months. I got comfortable trail riding and decided to hit a nearby motocross track a couple weeks ago. It made me realize really quickly just how old I am, how fat I'm getting, how out of shape I am and how much being a smoker is stupid. Anyway, my fatness and out-of-shapeness definitely came into play a lot, preventing me from being able to do more than 2 laps at a time without having to take a break. But even worse than that was the immediate dehydration when I hit the track. I drank a lot of fluids and would always take a big swig before I went but within 1 lap, my mouth is completely dry. By the time I'm halfway through my 2nd lap, my mouth feels like I've done the cinnamon challenge. It's seriously unbearable. At first, I assumed it was because of the dust. However, I have a closed facemask while everyone else is wearing goggles, meaning their face holes are exposed to the dust more than mine and they seem to be doing just fine. Maybe adrenaline can cause this issue? Frankly, it was pretty scary my first time out. My question, I suppose, is if there are ways to prevent this. Maybe chewing gum or using one of those camel pack water things? My 2nd issue is with jumping. My first lap out, I told myself I wasn't gonna jump at all. I ended up hitting a couple jumps too hard and leaving the ground anyway. After a couple laps out, I was getting brave enough to take maybe 8 foot jumps or so. The problem is, the way the track is set up, an 8 foot jump isn't enough to clear the next ramp and land smoothly. You end up slamming into the peak of the next jump instead. Obviously, these tracks are set up to take the big jump or no jump at all. I'm going back out this weekend and I think I'm gonna try my hand at clearing the bigger jumps. I could use some advice, though. The very first jump I did, I instinctually leaned forward on the way up. I almost ended up on the ground with that one. Once I got used to it a bit, I leaned back on the bike a little, which seemed to work better, but I was still hitting some jumps a little crooked, which made for some fairly rough landings. Any advice on jump posture? I'd prefer not to break any bones out there. Thanks, in advance for the help, folks.

Well, this was all very informative. Thanks for the help. I've been using 10w-40 motorcycle oil because the guy that sold me the quad gave me a couple bottles of it with the bike. I'll switch it up on the next oil change.

As my previous posts make quite clear, I'm very new to this and have no idea what I'm doing. However, I have many mechanically inclined friends, as well as a couple friends that rode/fixed ATVs growing up. That being said, I'm getting completely mixed opinions on how often to change oil. The guy I bought my bike from (2008 KFX 450) said he changed oil ever couple rides. I've had a couple other people tell me that. Then I've had several other friends laugh at me for that suggestion. Tonight, I finally downloaded the owner's manual and, according to that, I'm supposed to change the oil every 90 days or 1100 miles. What the fck? If I could get some assistance with this, I'd really appreciate it. By the way, the title (of course) should say "sport". I can't edit it.

As my previous posts make quite clear, I'm very new to this and have no idea what I'm doing. However, I have many mechanically inclined friends, as well as a couple friends that rode/fixed ATVs growing up. That being said, I'm getting completely mixed opinions on how often to change oil. The guy I bought my bike from (2008 KFX 450) said he changed oil ever couple rides. I've had a couple other people tell me that. Then I've had several other friends laugh at me for that suggestion. Tonight, I finally downloaded the owner's manual and, according to that, I'm supposed to change the oil every 90 days or 1100 miles. What the fck? If I could get some assistance with this, I'd really appreciate it.

I'm brand new to riding. Also brand new to fixing and/or maintaining a vehicle. I picked up a 2008 KFX a couple months ago and just realized that a wire was hanging. After downloading the owner's manual, I think I may have narrowed it down to the "Inlet Air Temperature Sensor". It fits in a slot underneath the seat, in the air filter housing. I'm not sure how long it's been unplugged and, honestly, I have no idea what it does. How important is this piece? I'm going to the track this weekend. I'm not even sure how to reattach it. Any help is greatly appreciated. Videos here: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvoRJexYDYc[/ame] [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRLYFFfu-Mw[/ame]