Nice bike. I've had two. A 96' 200 and a 98' 220. When it comes to the bars, rotate them in the clamps. I can see looking at your cross bar that the bars are lower than I would like them and I"m only 5'.5" tall. Rotating the bar forward should give you another 3/4" in bar elevation. I ran the stock exhaust for two years or even three and didn't change it until it had been bashed. I will tell you the change to the FMF Gnarly Torque made a HUGE difference. So much so that I almost had to relearn now to ride the bike. More power everywhere and a tad louder than the stock, double walled expansion chamber. Using an E-line carbon fiber pipe guard ensured the pipe never got smashed again. The 220 has a 2mm smaller carb than the 200. I owned both and can tell you the 200 is a tad "faster" overall. So when I bought the 220 I switched the carb wit the one that the 200 comes with so ended up with the best of both worlds. The "twitchyness" you're experiencing is likely cause by suspension related variables. The KDX is known for soft front suspension and stiffer rear. Most folks over 140 pounts will find the found end a bit too soft. The "twitchyness" on the front end can be cause by incorrect sag on the shock placing pressure on the front end. Choosing the correct spring rate in the rear, then setting proper sag is key. I'm in the market for another bike after almost 20 years of no bike. I've considered the Yamaha YZ250X but I'm starting the think that the good old KDX (95 to 2006 only) might also be contender. I hope you're still riding this as I see the video is old. Good luck.
A lot of great points Christopher... Thanks for sharing your insight. I have put a lot of hour on this bike since the video. And its been a great bike, The pipe and jetting did make a huge difference i agree. Suspension seems to work pretty good for me. But I'm around 150lbs.. Wish it soaked up the small bumps a little better. I will over haul it when i do the next top end.. Hope you get back in the dirt soon man... take care.
That's gonna be a great bike:-p Be careful, once you get started fixing it up it's hard to stop.:) I've thought about getting a newer bike like a 300, but I keep doing more to the 200. Good video, I subbed ya.
I know exactly what your saying.. I was wanting the 300 as well. And I just ordered a bunch of stuff for the KDX. Pipe, footpegs,tires... still need to get hand and rad guards. Are you running radiator guards?
Sent my 98 parts to Fredette Racing and he sent back the best bike I have ever owned. I'm 68 and riding since I was 15. I own 5 bikes right now. A Fredette KDX is as good as it gets. Will run with any comparable bike off the show room floor.
Good video bud. The KDX will really open up once you mount your new pipe and silencer. After that look into the RB Design head and carb mod. Cheers... sub'd.
From what I hear RB is the master of making these motors sing. Will for sure have the carb and head work done down the road/ trail :) Thanks for the sub
That is a really nice bike. Looks almost new. I think you will really like it. You might check out my riding buddy Mike's videos on his KDX200. He goes by TippytoeRider.
You will find that you can do anything with the Kids to. I've had eight of them from 175 to 450s Bulletproof I'm building one for the dirt and Street now
I would say if its in decent shape go for it. I don't see them for sale very often . and hard to find a good one. I never had any problems with mine. but the 220's are known to have bad oem pistons. I put a wiseco in mine a few years ago. for peace of mind.And it still starts first kick after many hours. For the money i don't think you can find a better bike..feel free to ask anything else.
@@ZSharkPH you the man.. Thx much. I will pick your brain on that piston if I buy the bike. I'm 215lbs is the bike to small for me. I read some reviews on weight etc?
@@if9365 Glad you mentioned that.. At 215lbs.. the KDX will pull you. But you might be lacking some power on hill climbs. And the frame is smaller if your a tall guy as well. I put Pro taper risers and CR high bends on all my off road bikes. which gives me more room. I would hate to see you be underwhelmed with buying it. Try to take it for a spin and see if it might work for you.
You can hop up a KDX to be plenty fast for 215 lbs. Especially for its intended use. I’m 220lb without gear and with a pipe and no airbox and proper jetting it does power wheelies without the clutch in first three gears easily. Mines a 2001 owned since showroom floor and never given a single problem. I don’t ride a ton, few weekends a year in Northern MN so probably 120-150 hours. Never even done a top end or nothing. Can’t beat it for a trail bike if you like two strokes. And I’m 48 yrs old. Best thing is it’ll be tame enough for a beginner but rip for an expert. Oh yeah, I have race tech suspension front and rear which is huge for us old fat guys.
Thanks for the comment.. those 990's are beautiful bike. Little to heavy for my liking. But great sounding twin. Bet it eats road miles in comfort also. Ride on my friend.
@@ZSharkPH I also had a KDX 220, can't believe I sold it. I now ride a R1200GS and KTM 300 XC-W, but I am actually looking for a KDX 200/220 (probably 2003-2006). Hope you still enjoying your KDX!
lol I like the occasional silly sound bytes and pictures. Great bike too man. Great roads for the KDX, or any trail bike. Trail/off-road bikes are so damned much FUN!!!
It's beautiful, looks just like mine did when I first picked it up. Couple of small things here and there, and the already good base bike gets way better :D Like others have said, FMF gnarly torque or rev (aka desert, my preferred one) pipe would be my first modification. As much as I loved the quietness of the stock pipe, it just kept it from revving and was heavy as sin to boot. A free mod is to pull 2 of the shims out from each fork base valve and reassemble. Helps the primitive forks some in the gnarly stuff. Have fun!
Sweet, Thanks for tips man. I need all the help i can get with this thing. But I'm loving it so far. I have a feeling I'm going to keep this bike for awhile. Already ordered the FMF desert for it. I haven't heard of the 2 shim fork mod yet. Did you make a video on it by any chance?
Thanks for the comment.. I'll try the Golden tire and the front forks will need some work. Thinking about swapping them out all together. Sounds like you have had a KDX or two :)
I am on my 2nd 220. I had one years ago , and made the mistake of getting rid of it for the xr400r . Doing daul sport rides, the xr is better at say top of 3rd gear on up, the kdx is far and away better in the slow tight, trialsy stuff i look for now. I will be putting up sme ride vids soon. I put up my tire thoughts already.
Nice, glad you found another one. And I agree the 220 lacks on top for the street. But off road its just about all you need. I hope to never get rid of mine.
Sweet Machine! Having owned many KDX's I would say the decals on the shrouds and swing arm indicate its a 2003. They're identical to the 2004 except the decals.
Absolutely love it..I thought it would lack a little power up top. But its plenty for me. I've done a few things to it since this video. Need to start editing them. Putting a FMF pipe on and jetting made this a whole new bike. I like to ride weds afternoons if your free sometime.
You're riding in a perfect area for any trail bike. Where is this? Gotta love the low weight of the KDX. And hard to beat the entry cost, low upgrade cost and basic reliability. Subbed, as I appreciate other riders who are everyday riders like me.
Yep you said it. Just putting around like this is so much fucking FUN. I got a KDX 200 earlier this year and I'm in love with it. Dirt bikes are the ultimate way to explore a huge amount of area off road.
Class of 96 here. It's a grunting mountain goat. 100 hrs on a piston and I change it on purpose along with the reeds. I raised my bars for stand up comfort. I put a pipe on it. 3rd gear wheelies now. I can't imagine selling it. Looking at a blown up 250f to put the enigine in. The light comes in handy though. Cool bike
Thanks for the comment.. I can't imagine selling mine either.. Its such a great bike.. I have many miles since this vid.. And she has never left me stranded yet.. does everything i need. Pipe and air box mod wakes these bikes right up.
@@ZSharkPH I thought so, south of Las Vegas opposite the shooting range near Jean? I've got a bunch of good single track located back there, good stuff.
@@desertshooter007 Yep.. you nailed it... I ride single out there a lot.. but its hard to piece together a good loop.. Lets ride some sunday if your up for it.
I,ve had a few trail bikes from Honda XRs to Suzuki DRZs and i most say the best bike has to my old 04 KDX 220 my brother had a KLX 300 no match....watch the ruts lol, my new bike is a 2016 KLX 450.
Thanks for the comment. I'm sure that KLX is a handful. Never rode a 450, But its hard to beat those DRZs. Great all around bikes for short money. Ride safe and stay rut free :)
I had this bike , absolutely loved it
Excellent woods bike
Beautiful machine my friend 👍🤠
Thank you.
I've had 3 KDX's, currently reassembling the parts bike as it's my only one left. Lovely machines!
I still have mine.. Its been a great machine for years now.. Very hard to beat this bike for the money.. ride on Bro!!!
I think my 2004 KDX has about 2 hours on it. Stored since 2005.
Nice... sounds like its almost to nice to ride :) Drain the fluids and put it in your living room :)
Nice channel name.... Time marches on!!!!
Sits right next to my 2001 YZFR1 with 6,000 miles on it.
Can I buy this dirt bike off you ?
Its not for sale at the moment.. But i could always be tempted :)
Z Shark let me know when you wanna sell
Nice bike. I've had two. A 96' 200 and a 98' 220. When it comes to the bars, rotate them in the clamps. I can see looking at your cross bar that the bars are lower than I would like them and I"m only 5'.5" tall. Rotating the bar forward should give you another 3/4" in bar elevation. I ran the stock exhaust for two years or even three and didn't change it until it had been bashed. I will tell you the change to the FMF Gnarly Torque made a HUGE difference. So much so that I almost had to relearn now to ride the bike. More power everywhere and a tad louder than the stock, double walled expansion chamber. Using an E-line carbon fiber pipe guard ensured the pipe never got smashed again. The 220 has a 2mm smaller carb than the 200. I owned both and can tell you the 200 is a tad "faster" overall. So when I bought the 220 I switched the carb wit the one that the 200 comes with so ended up with the best of both worlds. The "twitchyness" you're experiencing is likely cause by suspension related variables. The KDX is known for soft front suspension and stiffer rear. Most folks over 140 pounts will find the found end a bit too soft. The "twitchyness" on the front end can be cause by incorrect sag on the shock placing pressure on the front end. Choosing the correct spring rate in the rear, then setting proper sag is key. I'm in the market for another bike after almost 20 years of no bike. I've considered the Yamaha YZ250X but I'm starting the think that the good old KDX (95 to 2006 only) might also be contender. I hope you're still riding this as I see the video is old. Good luck.
A lot of great points Christopher... Thanks for sharing your insight. I have put a lot of hour on this bike since the video. And its been a great bike, The pipe and jetting did make a huge difference i agree. Suspension seems to work pretty good for me. But I'm around 150lbs.. Wish it soaked up the small bumps a little better. I will over haul it when i do the next top end.. Hope you get back in the dirt soon man... take care.
That's gonna be a great bike:-p Be careful, once you get started fixing it up it's hard to stop.:) I've thought about getting a newer bike like a 300, but I keep doing more to the 200. Good video, I subbed ya.
I know exactly what your saying.. I was wanting the 300 as well. And I just ordered a bunch of stuff for the KDX. Pipe, footpegs,tires... still need to get hand and rad guards. Are you running radiator guards?
I run Devol radiator guards.
Thanks, I'll order some up... thanks for helping me spend more money:)
Sent my 98 parts to Fredette Racing and he sent back the best bike I have ever owned. I'm 68 and riding since I was 15. I own 5 bikes right now. A Fredette KDX is as good as it gets. Will run with any comparable bike off the show room floor.
hey bud im still ripping my 97 220, go green!
Yeah buddy.. It's such a great bike.. I love my 220
Good video bud. The KDX will really open up once you mount your new pipe and silencer. After that look into the RB Design head and carb mod. Cheers... sub'd.
From what I hear RB is the master of making these motors sing. Will for sure have the carb and head work done down the road/ trail :) Thanks for the sub
OH! and make sure you swap out the OEM piston for a wiseco. OEM 220 pistons like to crack fairly quickly on the intake side skirt and come apart!
Yeah it scares me to think about it...I've read that on a few forums.. I need to change that asap.
That is a really nice bike. Looks almost new. I think you will really like it. You might check out my riding buddy Mike's videos on his KDX200. He goes by TippytoeRider.
Thanks Mark.. So far I like it a lot. Looking forward to bringing it to Moab. And I'll search for Mike and sub him up.
You will find that you can do anything with the Kids to. I've had eight of them from 175 to 450s Bulletproof I'm building one for the dirt and Street now
Still have it.. Love it !!! Would be great to find a nice KDX450 for the collection.
Thinking of picking one of these up....how you like this bike? any pointers? advice? guy wants to sell it to me for $2000
I would say if its in decent shape go for it. I don't see them for sale very often . and hard to find a good one. I never had any problems with mine. but the 220's are known to have bad oem pistons. I put a wiseco in mine a few years ago. for peace of mind.And it still starts first kick after many hours. For the money i don't think you can find a better bike..feel free to ask anything else.
@@ZSharkPH you the man.. Thx much. I will pick your brain on that piston if I buy the bike. I'm 215lbs is the bike to small for me. I read some reviews on weight etc?
@@if9365 Glad you mentioned that.. At 215lbs.. the KDX will pull you. But you might be lacking some power on hill climbs. And the frame is smaller if your a tall guy as well. I put Pro taper risers and CR high bends on all my off road bikes. which gives me more room. I would hate to see you be underwhelmed with buying it. Try to take it for a spin and see if it might work for you.
A full pipe , boyseen reeds and airbox mod will wake it up also.. but enough... only you can decide.
You can hop up a KDX to be plenty fast for 215 lbs. Especially for its intended use. I’m 220lb without gear and with a pipe and no airbox and proper jetting it does power wheelies without the clutch in first three gears easily. Mines a 2001 owned since showroom floor and never given a single problem. I don’t ride a ton, few weekends a year in Northern MN so probably 120-150 hours. Never even done a top end or nothing. Can’t beat it for a trail bike if you like two strokes. And I’m 48 yrs old. Best thing is it’ll be tame enough for a beginner but rip for an expert. Oh yeah, I have race tech suspension front and rear which is huge for us old fat guys.
Even a 690 can be heavy, that's true. I remember picking up my KTM 990 a couple of times. THAT wears you out. 😂😂
Thanks for the comment.. those 990's are beautiful bike. Little to heavy for my liking. But great sounding twin. Bet it eats road miles in comfort also. Ride on my friend.
@@ZSharkPH I also had a KDX 220, can't believe I sold it. I now ride a R1200GS and KTM 300 XC-W, but I am actually looking for a KDX 200/220 (probably 2003-2006). Hope you still enjoying your KDX!
Are you in Arizona ??
Hey Jack... I'm in Las Vegas Nevada.
lol I like the occasional silly sound bytes and pictures. Great bike too man. Great roads for the KDX, or any trail bike. Trail/off-road bikes are so damned much FUN!!!
Thanks for watching and your comment.. The KDX is a great machine.
Looks like a nice bike, real racer :) if I am saying this correctly :) Thumbs up from Ireland :) !
Thanks for your comment Drone Girl.. It's a nice bike indeed.. Cheers
I have the same dirt bike but I think it's older
Long live the KDX !!!
I have a 2001 kdx 220 and she’s a beauty
Thanks... she doesn't look this pretty anymore.. But after many upgrades and miles, she's still running strong. Need to do a follow up vid soon.
It's beautiful, looks just like mine did when I first picked it up. Couple of small things here and there, and the already good base bike gets way better :D Like others have said, FMF gnarly torque or rev (aka desert, my preferred one) pipe would be my first modification. As much as I loved the quietness of the stock pipe, it just kept it from revving and was heavy as sin to boot. A free mod is to pull 2 of the shims out from each fork base valve and reassemble. Helps the primitive forks some in the gnarly stuff. Have fun!
Sweet, Thanks for tips man. I need all the help i can get with this thing. But I'm loving it so far. I have a feeling I'm going to keep this bike for awhile. Already ordered the FMF desert for it. I haven't heard of the 2 shim fork mod yet. Did you make a video on it by any chance?
I never made a vid of it, but the how-to is pretty good, can be found here: www.kdxrider.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=102&t=14418
Appreciate you taking the time to send the link... Thanks Man
What happened to the number plate?
Not sure.. was missing when i bought it.. but have since put one on.
get the goldentyre 216aa fatty fr tire. stiffer fork springs, possibly softer rear spring. Freddet racing for all things kdx.
Thanks for the comment.. I'll try the Golden tire and the front forks will need some work. Thinking about swapping them out all together. Sounds like you have had a KDX or two :)
I am on my 2nd 220. I had one years ago , and made the mistake of getting rid of it for the xr400r . Doing daul sport rides, the xr is better at say top of 3rd gear on up, the kdx is far and away better in the slow tight, trialsy stuff i look for now. I will be putting up sme ride vids soon. I put up my tire thoughts already.
Nice, glad you found another one. And I agree the 220 lacks on top for the street. But off road its just about all you need. I hope to never get rid of mine.
I took your advice and put a Shinko fatty on last tire change.. really improved the frontend feel. I already ordered another one for back up :)
Sweet Machine! Having owned many KDX's I would say the decals on the shrouds and swing arm indicate its a 2003. They're identical to the 2004 except the decals.
Thanks for your input Jeff.. You are probably correct. I have never looked at the numbers. I don't regret buying one bit :)
Z Shark I put at least 5000 trail my on my kdx 220. Same model you have. NEVER HAD ONE PROBLEM
It's really amazing how reliable this bike is. Has never left me stranded yet.
Does a 97 use pre mix fuel
Yes... you must mix the oil and gas.
Learning how to power wheelie on this bike! Nice video!
Thank you... I've been practicing my wheelies on a dry lake bed lately.. enjoy the KDX !!!
I just do it in town like a rebel 😎
That bike looks mint! How do you like it?
Absolutely love it..I thought it would lack a little power up top. But its plenty for me. I've done a few things to it since this video. Need to start editing them. Putting a FMF pipe on and jetting made this a whole new bike. I like to ride weds afternoons if your free sometime.
You're riding in a perfect area for any trail bike. Where is this? Gotta love the low weight of the KDX. And hard to beat the entry cost, low upgrade cost and basic reliability. Subbed, as I appreciate other riders who are everyday riders like me.
Yep you said it. Just putting around like this is so much fucking FUN. I got a KDX 200 earlier this year and I'm in love with it. Dirt bikes are the ultimate way to explore a huge amount of area off road.
wheres, the head light?
Previous owner took it off for some reason. It now has a Black number plate on it.
awesome bike man
Thanks for watching... This KDX was a great find for me.
U got a new bike
Nice Bike. I love mine
Class of 96 here. It's a grunting mountain goat. 100 hrs on a piston and I change it on purpose along with the reeds. I raised my bars for stand up comfort. I put a pipe on it. 3rd gear wheelies now. I can't imagine selling it.
Looking at a blown up 250f to put the enigine in. The light comes in handy though.
Cool bike
Thanks for the comment.. I can't imagine selling mine either.. Its such a great bike.. I have many miles since this vid.. And she has never left me stranded yet.. does everything i need. Pipe and air box mod wakes these bikes right up.
Man the stock pipe on these bikes sound like ass
I agree... The FMF pipe really woke this bike up as well.. great mod
Vegas?
Yes sir
@@ZSharkPH I thought so, south of Las Vegas opposite the shooting range near Jean? I've got a bunch of good single track located back there, good stuff.
@@desertshooter007 Yep.. you nailed it... I ride single out there a lot.. but its hard to piece together a good loop.. Lets ride some sunday if your up for it.
Do u understand that u cant engine brake on a 2 stroke.
Thats how i stop :)
@@ZSharkPH dang i dont remember commenting this. It doesn't really matter anymore with these modern bikes tho
I,ve had a few trail bikes from Honda XRs to Suzuki DRZs and i most say the best bike has to my old 04 KDX 220 my brother had a KLX 300 no match....watch the ruts lol, my new bike is a 2016 KLX 450.
Thanks for the comment. I'm sure that KLX is a handful. Never rode a 450, But its hard to beat those DRZs. Great all around bikes for short money. Ride safe and stay rut free :)