oh yea its plated... MXC. it just makes things so much easier. Plus then I can ride it to work and play around on the street a bit. Does it really not have a sixth? i hadnt even noticed, but its geared pretty dammed low.... I would hazard to say almost too low but we'll see what happens when the banner drops.
I'm sure it has a 6th, just closer ratio than an EXC. As I recall, the MXC has a higher 1st, same 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, lower 5th and 6th. You'll find everything you could possibly want to know over at KTMTalk.com -M
ill have to check it out..... and if first gear is taller than other bikes I would be really surprised. first gear on the this is like a granny gear!
it would appear that way.... I have been playing around on the way to work on it.... man is it nimble. and if I thought I had a hard time keeping the front wheel down on the 650R - this thing is twice as bad. Im starting to understand what Mike means about Crack With Wheels.... its just a big toy! I still need way more practice getting a feel for it - I really dont want to learn about this bike by flying through the desert. a few more rides to work and I think Ill have a pretty good bead on it. need to practice starts too.... hey Mike, do you kick it on starts?
Not on the 525, in gear and use the button. YMMV. I know some guys kick, some kick and button, you just have to figure out what works for you. Are you going to bring it over for prep?
Dont really have time, that is unless I leave for your place sometime around 9pm one of these days this week.... if yer up for it... I was going to try and do whatever needs to be done out there on saturday
What are you thinking about doing out there? Does it have good tires? HD tubes? If so, that might be good enough for now. Sucks to have things falling off during a race though.
its got Maxxis Desert IT's on it - tubes im not sure. The tires will be good for one race but id like to get the combo I have on the 650R on the 525.
Cool. I don't know if I will be out on Saturday or Sunday morning yet. Have to wash the bike tonight, change radiators and find out if I hurt anything else on it this weekend.
Right on. depending on rain, we may crash in a motel again this time. We still have a hole in our tent from last summer..... maybe its time to replace it? who knew exhaust had such an effect on plastic?
Its ironic you just got a KTM. Last week was my spring break, and while I went down to TN for a couple of days I came back with a 525exc for a souvineer 04 too. A lot different than the XRR isnt it. The first thing I realized after getting a good day on it was any mistake I did make had much less of an effect. Very fun bikes! I can't wait to get a race on it.
that IS really weird....I have come to realize that its an insanely popular bike and that builds confidence in my decision for sure. it is much different from the 650R. I was surprised to notice how much higher it is! I love that. sadly, pretty much the first time I Get it into the dirt will be time to be racing.... so im going to have to learn fast. I dont mess around.... its still leaking a bit of oil and I need to figure out from where.
Do yourself a big favor and make sure the sag is set correctly before the race. If you can't get the sag in the specified range, you'll need a different rate spring. Any good dealer or race shop will help you out. The bike will track and turn so much better when the sag is properly set up. I would also get the manual and set the suspension clickers back to their stock defaults, it's hard to tell what the previous owner may have had them set to. The defaults are a good starting point and you shouldn't vary too far. If you find you need to vary more than say, +/- 6, chance are you need to address the issue in valving as it's too much for the clickers to adjust out, which are designed for fine tuning. Good luck!
the suspension was set up by a popular suspension shop here in town, so I dont want to mess with it just yet. The previous owner spent some money having it done, so I figure they probably did a better job that I will... I may need a heavier rear spring - to me though it seems very firm. I am VERY curious to see how this thing acts in the desert!! if its this fun going down wilshire.....
Setting the sag is important and a separate issue from from the clickers. We can do it in the desert without to much trouble.
ok cool. that would be greatly appreciated. Just talked to George - super nice guy. Remembered the bike and commented on how well the previous owner looked after his stuff.... which is nice to hear. He did the suspension a few years ago and he said to take notice of how it performs. It doesnt have many miles on it since the work was done, so it should be for the most part good.
I was just noticing this morning that it looked loose. I was wondering if it needed tightening..... perhaps not
