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.

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]

Awesome thanks, man

You may as well have said "controversial blue banana speaker". No clue what that is. I'm sorry, man. I know you're trying to help and I appreciate it. I looked at your pic, though, and it looks nothing like the piece I'm talking about. As I said, though, I found where it needs to go, I just have to find a way to secure it back in its spot. However, even then, I have no clue what it actually does. You have the air filter casing. You have the big plastic tube that comes off of the air filter casing. Then you have this bundle of wires with a plastic cone on the end which does.... something, apparently. I'd really like to know what it does and how important it is that it's hooked up. Like I said, I have no clue how long I've been without it. Hell, this thing could've been unplugged since I bought the bike 2 months ago. I have no idea.

I found the spot for the wire. Video here... Wire2 - YouTube

However, it wasn't bolted down. I'll have to find something to secure it. I still have no idea what it does. It certainly has something to do with the air filter.

I just dug in a little further and found where it fits. I took off the seat, dug around with a flashlight, and discovered a spot where that plastic piece slides in, with a place for a bolt to hold it in. I'm not sure how all of these things are falling off my bike (this is the 2nd thing to fall off in just a month) but I'm also not sure what purpose this wire serves. The end that goes in the hole is plastic, yet has wires coming out of it. Unless it's some sort of NFC chip (like smart keys), I don't see what purpose plastic could serve.

I'm not sure what a chaincase cover is, but I assume that would be near the chain. This is nowhere near the chain. It's under the seat, towards the back of the engine. I don't mean any offense, but did you watch the video? It's pretty clear about the location of the wire.

On a side note, I initially thought it looked like something that might run the brake light. No dice. The brake light still works fine. With the brakes applied and as running lights with the headlights on.

I agree with most in here. If they're making fun of you for protective gear, that's no good. However, I don't think you need a jersey, riding pants and riding boots.

If you look at my previous posts, you'll see I'm completely new to riding. I don't know much of anything about riding or mechanical issues. I picked up a 2008 Kawasaki KFX 450R and just happened to notice a wire dangling about a week ago. There's no telling how long it's been this way. I noticed it just before I took it out to the motocross track and gambled on the fact the it wasn't important enough to matter. The quad ran fine but I have to figure out what this is for before I take it out again this weekend. I questioned a few friends before coming here and none of them could tell me, definitively, what it is. Below is a link to a short video, showing the wire. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, in advance.

Wire - YouTube

I thought I'd come back in and let everyone that posted in here know what I ended up purchasing. A lot has changed since my last post.

After much debate and a ton of driving all over the state (sometimes to see piece of sh** ATVs), I ended up with the following:

New ATV - a set on Flickr

I picked up a 2008 Kawasaki KFX 450r and a 2005 Suzuki Vinson 500. To be perfectly honest, the KFX was a vanity purchase. I ended up spending more than I wanted because I liked the way the bike looked and I could tell it was well taken care of. As I said in earlier posts, I've never ridden a race bike, but I've taken it out many times since I picked it up and I love it. The Vinson was more for the wife and kids, but I also enjoy being able to take that one wherever the hell I damn well please.

I definitely have a lot to learn about both bikes but, for the moment, I'm pretty pleased with my purchases. It was pretty satisfying to pull someone from the mud yesterday with the Warn winch on my Vinson, and it's really effing satisfying to haul as* on the KFX.

As I've said, though, I don't really know sh$t about bikes. I've checked and/or changed the oil, spark plugs and air filters on the bikes, but that's about the limitations of my knowledge. I'm curious about specifically tuning the KFX to me. If anyone is willing to help me out, it would be much appreciated. The guy I bought it from said the bike is "set up for 100 foot jumps", whatever the f##k that means. He also gave me two toolboxes full of these tiny metal disks and I have no idea what they're for.

I don't expect anyone to have to explain how to tune this bike, as I'm sure it'll be a long as* process, but I'm asking you to point me in the direction of a resource. I've been riding the bike for a couple weeks and I've gotten pretty accustomed to it. I'm generally just doing donuts and riding through sugar sand, though. No jumps yet. If this thing is "tuned for jumping", is there something I should do to change that? I'm not jumping anytime soon. I'd prefer to tune it for the environment I'm riding in.

Because I'm seriously leaning towards this...

BRAND NEW 2006 YFZ 450 WITH 3K IN UPGRADES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rule #1 on anything motorized is respect ... or you'll find out the hard way and learn to respect

Fair enough. Okay, so let's say we can consider this auto 700 as the "utility" (even though it's not. What I really mean is a bike for the girl). Which of the other sports bikes would you recommend?

I hope you're right. She's given me a lot of sh** since I started looking for bikes about not getting autos.

I just find it so hard to believe that a 700 (even auto) doesn't easily get away from an inexperienced driver. That's a lot of power.

Then again, what do I know. I've literally only driven utility 400s with non-clutch manual shift...ever.

you know, i had all my bikes manual shift until i bought the grizz. i tell ya once you have it you wont want to go back ... true story !!!

yes she'll be able to handle it ok, and probably like the auto ...

I hope you're right. She's given me a lot of sh** since I started looking for bikes about not getting autos.

I just find it so hard to believe that a 700 (even auto) doesn't easily get away from an inexperienced driver. That's a lot of power.