Kawasaki KX450F
Ringleader: Brian Catterson
MSRP (2009): $7549
Hours: Approx. 20
Accessories & Modifications:Kawasaki fork and shock springs, Vance & Hines exhaust, Dunlop Geomax tires
At the morning riders meeting, REM's Frank Thomason said something that made me question my dedication to motocross: "How you finish depends on what you did during the week and on the last two or three laps."
"Hmmm," I thought, "drinking, smoking and fading."
Though I'd handily won the 40-plus Novice class my first time out, my best result since bumping up to Intermediate was eighth. When I endoed out of that day's second moto and tweaked my shoulder and thumb, I was suddenly looking at six weeks off the bike. To make the best possible use of that time, I enrolled in a fitness boot camp (www.kuttingweight.com). Let the pain begin...
Vance & Hines logo looks out of place on a dirtbike, but the slip-on silencer/spark arrest
In my last update, I wrote that I was going to try to lose weight instead of getting the KX's suspension redone. I've since decided to do both. I had Kawasaki's techs replace the stock 4.6 N/mm fork springs with heavier 4.7 N/mm ($54.60) units, and the stock 52 N/mm shock spring with a 54 N/mm ($136.45). The bike now rides higher in the stroke with me on board.
Meanwhile I paid a visit to Vance & Hines, which recently entered the dirtbike market, filling the void left when White Brothers was killed off by the two firms' parent company. (Moment of silence please.) I mentioned that I had a long-term KX450F, and a few days later an XCR exhaust ($299) showed up at our offices. The squared-ellipse-shaped, brushed-aluminum slip-on connects to the stock head pipe with a stainless steel mid-pipe, and there's an optional spark arrestor ($44.86) for trail riding. It's noticeably quieter yet feels snappier in the low to midrange, even with the stock fuel-injection map.
A few weeks later, Dunlop held a press intro for its new Geomax knobbies. Successor to the popular D756s that came on my bike, the new MX51 intermediates are designed to work in everything from soft to hard-pack conditions, with added stability and durability. The event was held at Perris Raceway after biblical rain, and predictably the tires clung to the tacky dirt like Velcro. But they also worked well that weekend at sandy Glen Helen-right up until I went over the bars
More after I get back out there...
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