09 KLX250s Thread

[MeefZah]

Originally Posted by mscardig

Dude ... the mod's are happening quickly for me , can you post some pic's of your ride? I'm looking at doing a lot of the mod's you've already done and want more detail ... cig lighter? radiator guards? footpegs? Tell me more!

Originally Posted by Gadget Boy

Meefzah, you've done quite a lot of mods on your KLX.. how about a pictorial tour?

I'm going to add Bill Blue's big bore kit and turn it into a 351 cc.

Well, here's the most recent picture I have with my saw ready for some trail cleaning! You can see the pegs and radiator guards in the shot.

The cig lighter is mounted to the crossbar of the handlebars using a pair of metal wire looms. I'll take a picture later and post it. It is wired direct to battery through a two wire flat SAE plug that hangs just under the speedometer. This way I can unplug the cig lighter and plug in a battery charger.

I just installed a headlight "off" switch using a similar method (metal wire loom to the crossbar, SAE plug); I'll take a picture of that, too.

Following a tip on the KLX forum I just ordered a set of 1" raising links to raise the suspension for a taller ride... kind of like hillbillies lift their pickups, I guess. Should be arriving in a day or so.

As far as the 351 kit, I'm leaning towards that once I get my V Strom paid off. I think it will be paid off in a few months, and the big bore kit would make a nice winter project (for my mechanic!).



If anyone is interested, here's a few KLX250S videos I put together on Youtube.

The first is mostly of my buddy, on a WR450; but if you look closely I'm in there a bit!



This one depicts my constant inability to stand up. Lazy, I guess. It bites me in the ass sometimes...

[je2000]

Dude you gotta stand up and lean forward on a hill like that!! But I'm sure you figured that out pretty quick there!

[MeefZah]

Originally Posted by je2000

Dude you gotta stand up and lean forward on a hill like that!! But I'm sure you figured that out pretty quick there!

Refer to the comment above the linked video. I know how to go up 'em, I just get lazy.

[MeefZah]

mscardig and GB, I came home from work and took some pictures just for you guys, before going to bed.

The headlight off switch and cigarette lighter are installed to the crossbar using different sizes of this little guy, a metal wire loom ($5 / multi pack).



The cig lighter is a regular automotive interior model from NAPA ($7), you have to buy one that has a removable chrome mounting bezel and which has both the positive and negative studs on the back of the element (some models look like this but have the negative stud on the mounting bezel). Pitch the bezel in the trash. Using a larger wire loom and the pictured smaller looom bolted together, you can secure the cig lighter to the crossbar. It is very sturdy and a strip of friction tape under it makes sure it doesn't rotate. It is waterproof with the included cap (not shown) on.



The switch is a SPST 15A throw ($4), not waterproof; doesn't need to be. It will eventually go bad, but is cheap and easily available. The mounting plate is a piece of some scrap I had in my nuts and bolts drawer. I used a SAE connector because I made a "jumper" out of another SAE connector that I can plug in if the switch does go bad, so I still have use of my headlight.



Buell blinkers ($15 ea), Enduro Engineering handguards ($50), Spiegler brake line ($70)



Unabiker radiator guards ($100). These are very sturdy, but required a bit of cajoling to get installed. I ended up having to shim the clutch side with nylon washers to get enough clearance around the radiator to mount the guards.



IMS footpegs ($50 used), very nice. I used to think wider footpegs couldn't possibly make a difference; how wrong I was.



Generic (maybe Acerbis, it says "made in Italy", but nothing else) taillight and subfender ($15), Buell blinkers. I like the sideways plate. Very KTM.

[uelansh]

Originally Posted by redpillar

I know some guys are installing the vortex throttle but not sure which one.

Originally Posted by MeefZah

Unless the bars are "fat bars", 1 1/8" diameter, you won't need a mount kit.

Any 7/8" bar will mount right up.

Otherwise, the list seems about right. I use Gorilla Glue to mount grips, but grip glue seems to be the right stuff...

Thanks! Yeah the throttle tube is the only thing I'm confused about now. I'll prolly end up buying the wrong one. lol :)

[Chuck289]

Originally Posted by NJ-GS

Took delivery yesterday; $5,164 out the door. Prossibly not the cheapest, but fair.

Price = $4,167
Destination/freight = $495
Tire fee = $3
Sales tax = $326
Title/reg. = $75
Documentary fee = $98

That sounds fair. My friend just bought one last month. We got them down to about $3,910 for the bike I think. But with the fees it ended up being more out the door than what you paid. He paid $5,500 OTD. More fees in California I guess? That damn freight fee was nearly $900. Does anyone know what that is exactly and why it varies from dealer to dealer?

[gas_pig70]

Originally Posted by Chuck289

That sounds fair. My friend just bought one last month. We got them down to about $3,910 for the bike I think. But with the fees it ended up being more out the door than what you paid. He paid $5,500 OTD. More fees in California I guess? That damn freight fee was nearly $900. Does anyone know what that is exactly and why it varies from dealer to dealer?

$900 for freight? Sounds like they are asking you to bend over and take it. Usually a figure around $300-$400 would be normal for this charge unless you perhaps live in HI or AK.

[uelansh]

Oh, found the part # for the vortex 1/4 turn throttle tube is #01-0054.

Originally Posted by gas_pig70

$900 for freight? Sounds like they are asking you to bend over and take it. Usually a figure around $300-$400 would be normal for this charge unless you perhaps live in HI or AK.

LOL! Yeah that's pretty high! My dealer added $100 to my bill because I bought my bike with a credit card. I ended up looking up the law here in CO. It's illegal to add a fee for a credit card (legal to give discount for CASH though). I filed a complaint with BBB and my cc company placed a hold of $100 on the charge and the company never disputed it! After I made the purchase I transferred it to a 0% balance transfer card and paid it off. (kinda dumb but... oh well)

[GB]

Meef, thanks for the pics and explanations and the videos.. that's pretty flip in the second one!!

[NJ-GS]

The owner's manual suggests 22 psi for the front and 22 - 25 psi for the rear. When I picked up the bike from the dealer, the pressure in both tires was between 35 and 40 psi -- probably too high.

What do you guys suggest for mostly street use?

[NJ-GS]

The owner's manual that came with my 2009 KLX250S is very thorough and well written. I'm sorry to say it puts the manual for my 2007 R1200GS to shame.

[Chuck289]

Originally Posted by NJ-GS

The owner's manual suggests 22 psi for the front and 22 - 25 psi for the rear. When I picked up the bike from the dealer, the pressure in both tires was between 35 and 40 psi -- probably too high.

What do you guys suggest for mostly street use?

Use what your owners manual suggests. The dealer probably doesnt bother to look up tire specs for every single bike. They just air it up and give you the bike

[TomN]

Love the 2nd video, classic

Originally Posted by MeefZah

Well, here's the most recent picture I have with my saw ready for some trail cleaning! You can see the pegs and radiator guards in the shot.

The cig lighter is mounted to the crossbar of the handlebars using a pair of metal wire looms. I'll take a picture later and post it. It is wired direct to battery through a two wire flat SAE plug that hangs just under the speedometer. This way I can unplug the cig lighter and plug in a battery charger.

I just installed a headlight "off" switch using a similar method (metal wire loom to the crossbar, SAE plug); I'll take a picture of that, too.

Following a tip on the KLX forum I just ordered a set of 1" raising links to raise the suspension for a taller ride... kind of like hillbillies lift their pickups, I guess. Should be arriving in a day or so.

As far as the 351 kit, I'm leaning towards that once I get my V Strom paid off. I think it will be paid off in a few months, and the big bore kit would make a nice winter project (for my mechanic!).



If anyone is interested, here's a few KLX250S videos I put together on Youtube.

The first is mostly of my buddy, on a WR450; but if you look closely I'm in there a bit!

This one depicts my constant inability to stand up. Lazy, I guess. It bites me in the ass sometimes...

[SgtSmoker]

Now the Big Red Pig has a cute little sister...


My wife's first bike and she is loving it. She'll rarely lets me ride it, and that's probably a good thing. It's so much lighter and easier to toss around than the KLR. It's way too much fun!!! I'm seriously considering getting another for me. Non-SM though... I gotta have my dirt.
She already picked up the TurboCity rack and ProTaper bars. Looking for a larger tank alternative as fuel range is a problem.
She may have farkle-itus worse than I ever did.

[NJ-GS]

I've got less than 100 miles on my 2009. Starting it in reasonably warm weather, it turns over and starts with the choke all the way out. After 30 - 60 seconds of warm up, fully choked, I push the choke in and it stalls out. It's really hard to start back up--choke or no choke.

Once I do get it started and am on the road for a little while, it runs fine in idle.

Any thoughts or suggestions for easier start-ups?