Mike's piece on irresponsible riders really struck a nerve out there. 99.9% of the riders out there are law abiding, considerate, and safety conscious citizens - but the few exceptions give the sport a bad rap.

12/02/2001

Thank you! Dirt bikers need to get some balls and start policing within our own ranks. These clowns are everywhere and it doesn't matter how many of them there are, it only takes one out of a hundred to give the rest of us another black eye. I hate to bring this up, but do you ever see mountain bikers acting that way? Why do these rat bike riders all have rat bike mini kids riding in the staging areas on clapped-out, oil-drooling, ear piercing bikes while they guzzle beer and crank their "tunes" on a stereo that's worth more than their motorcycle and pickup combined? Better yet, why do the rest of us put up with this crap?! As far as I'm concerned these type of idiots are as big of a threat to us as the environmentalists.

Ray Weber
Tacoma, Wa.

12/04/2001

I understand completely!!!!! I cannot begin to comprehend what goes through the minds of some of the people you run across while on two wheels. I have a similar story, I am from Washington state and ride almost every weekend, and during the week if I can squeeze it in.

I consider myself a good ambassador to the sport of motorcycling, almost strictly because, why give the people out there trying to shut down our riding areas any ammunition! So I was out this last summer with my uncle and nephew, both who are relatively new to dirt biking. After a good ride we come back to the staging area to find the epitome of stupidity. There was a fellow riding wheelies back and forth across the gravel parking lot (very nice wheelies by the way), after he would get tired of doing wheelies across the parking lot he would take to the paved road. Oh and did I mention he was wearing jeans, a T-shirt, tennis shoes, and was apparently wearing one of those invisible helmets.

So after watching the great wheelie exhibition for about ten minutes, I got tired of having my ten year old nephew be subjected to such carelessness, and decided to say something to him. So I walked out to where he was riding and flagged him over. He came over and I asked him if he could be a pal and take his bike to the trails where he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else, after all, it is called a staging area. He promptly told me to mind my own f*#@ing business, and don't ever tell him what to do again. I was as nice and cordial as I could be. Now I just wanted to rip this little puke's head off and crap down the hole.

But we are back to why I'm am out there talking to him in the first place, now not only is my nephew watching me talk to this guy but so is the entire staging area. I once again pleaded with him to please take it to the trails, so he at least doesn't hurt any number of the kids warming up their mini-bikes while the dad's get ready. He turned to me and said " I'm to f*&@ing good to screw up and hurt somebody" and with that he started his bike and spun away from me. I retreated back to my pickup, and to my uncle and nephew, who could almost surely see the veins sticking out in my neck and the nervous tick. So my newfound friend on the CR proceeded to whip out about 3 more wheelies across the lot and loaded his bike. After loading his bike he pulled over to where I was parked and yelled out the window "Got anything else to say?"

"Have a nice day." I say as I fuel up for the next ride. And with that, he left. So my challenge to you and all other responsible two wheelers out there is, how do you rationalize or subdue the rampant stupidity that kills our sport which we love so much. I believe that it is a major contributor to the closing of some of our most treasured riding areas. I also implore people to get involved by joining the Blue Ribbon Coalition. This is the first time in the history of off-road vehicles that there has been an entity with enough clout to truly make a difference for our sport and for the best interests of all involved, not just the outspoken few who have enough money to waste on lawyers to close down public land to the public. My thanks goes out to you and your staff for giving our sport another responsible and educated outlet to promote our sport.

Thanks,

Ryan Cox

12/05/2001

Oh man that article hurt Mike!

That article really hurt because it is ever more apparent that these people are not only hurting themselves but our sport in general. I live in Austin, Texas and am one of the staff members of the Austin Motosports Association. We are a family oriented dirt bike club with about 240 members and also sponsor a couple hare scramble races each year for the Texas Championship Hare Scramble Series. We also have a 1000 acre cycle park for members to ride at, mostly woods riding.

It is so difficult to get people to wear a damn helmet. I have some TRUE, unfortunately, stories for you!

At one event three years ago, a kid gets on his dad's WR400, without a helmet, and takes off riding out on the property while the 2 hour events were going on. He falls and hurts himself, broke leg, cut his head all up and other things. His dad has a law suit filed and a couple of years later they win half of the land owners property (about 614 acres). It was the sponsor of the race that should have policed the event well enough to prevent this kid from jumping on his dad's bike and go riding on the property!

I am at our cycle park. This guy is in hauling ass in the pit camping area, no helmet. I am counting the shifts: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th! I ride over to him and ask "what are you doing?" He says "Checking out my jetting, bike won't run for shit!" I ask, "Were is your helmet?" He says, "Oh man, I forgot about that. I am a little drunk though!" I think, "Oh if you drunk then that is O.K. If you weren't drunk I would say that you need to get your helmet on!" He got kicked off the lease because he was found again riding without a helmet after we warned him in writing. He got an attorney and they argued that we are violating his right to ride without a helmet even though our rules clearly state that our insurance requires us to wear a helmet at all times while riding 2 or 4 wheel dirt bikes or ATV's.

A grown man about 45 is riding his 4 wheeler with 3 kids between 4 and 8 years of age all without helmets. I ride up to him and ask him "where are your helmets?" He says, "We don't have any, I left them at home!" I say, "Oh, O.K. you don't have any helmets. Well I guess that is O.K. then. If you had any helmets, I would say that you need to put them on. But since you don't have any, then I guess that is O.K.!"

We were sponsoring a race. About 1 in the morning the night before the race we are woken up by some people that tell us (the course officials) that they hear bikes out on the track riding. So we get on our XR lit bikes and slowly make our way around the track until we find these two guys crashed and laughing while laying on the ground. They do not have any helmets, seriously, and are just wearing riding boots but no other riding gear but their hydration systems. One has beer in it and the other has tequila and water in it. Seriously! We asked them what they thought they were doing? They answered that they were just having some fun and they weren't hurting nobody. BULL. This is against the AMA rules, it is against the event rules, we could loose the property to run races on next year, we could loose our AMA insurance, we could loose the entire race and have to send everyone home. So we took the plugs out of their bikes and made them walk back, called the sheriff, and has them hauled off the property. We compound their bikes and vehicles. Now they are threatening to sue us for illegally taking their bikes and trucks, forcing them to walk back while they were so F'd up, and not giving them their race entry fee back! Seriously! What are these people thinking? But more importantly, there are actually more people out there who think this same way and are gonna mess things up for the rest of us who enjoy this sport!

I would say that people not wearing helmets is the biggest and most difficult thing to enforce. Most people do not want to say anything. They are afraid that people will look at the them as being a pain or too picky. After all, we are rough and tough dirt bikers and after all we are just having fun. Why do you Barney Fife's have to come along and ruin our fun?

We do not have many riding area's here in Texas. It seems like we loose a property or National Forest about every 3 to 5 years. I will not be surprised if we loose our cycle park in the years to come just because of a few people who continuously break the rules and because of others who trespass and ride during the week when they know that nobody will see them.

Bummed in Texas
Larry (Lumberjack) Carlisle

12/11/2001

Well, I have to agree with you. We run into some real morons in this sport.

BUT.... that's exactly what people want to hear. People like the Sierra Club and the BLM. It's our own ammunition they are using against us. It's like the "Quicksand" video that was made in Glamis. It wasn't made for anyone but Off Roaders but it sent us back 10 years in the fight for places to ride. Let's do what we can to educate the morons and keep them out of the news.

Amy

12/14/2001

Dear Mike Hobbs,

I take offense at your biased and misinformed reporting! Did you ever think for a second that the guy with the missing front brake lever was actually a flat track expert simply recreating that afternoon? Don't you know that helmets are another example of the Man trying to trample our freedoms? After all the West wasn't won by pioneers and cowboys wearing helmets as they crossed the great plains on horseback.

The comment about the gimp with a cast really infuriated me. As an off-road editor you should well be informed that the front brake does 90% of the stopping work for you when using modern techniques. This leaves the rear brake as some archaic appendage similar to our own tail bone that serves no purpose what so ever.

For shame Mr. Hobbs. I hope that next time you take into consideration both sides of the story before you come out with another slanted article. :O)

Sincerely,
Scott Benda

12/04/2002

I ride for Team Green out here in California. I've met with Nicole at a national in Colorado. I really appreciate you guys giving the women's team some press. Only women motocross gets press so it's nice to see the off-road women out there in the spot light. Good job Mr. Editor!

Heather Wilson

I was very excited about being able to facilitate this article. Kim Orndorff originally came to me with the info that Nicole, who had been corresponding with her after reading her columns, would be racing the ISDE. Turns out that she races in the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit here in Colorado, and is an officer of that organization. This is the same circuit I raced in '97- '99. Were I still racing - I would undoubtedly be the WebMaster for the RMEC - but we all have our cross to bear - mine's MXOffroad.com.

I was jazzed - It's very nice to be able to root for the home team - as it were. Even better to see that women are breaking into international racing scene in a big way! It's long overdue!

12/11/2002

Your story makes us all ride along in our minds with you, and yes it is so true what you say about memories...I am very glad you guys did this...and thanks for making me re-live very similar stress filled (but irriplaceable) times in the Baja 1000 I have had a chance to live...

Good job girls!
Sally Montiano

02/19/2002

Ok, I just want you guys to know that I think your really awesome. I love dirtbike riding, even though I'm not that good, and I'm so glad to see some women racers. I would never get the courage to race but, Its so cool to know someone is doing it. I'm 14 years old and I live in Ohio (Grove City) My younger brothers ride dirt bikes and I ride quads. I'm way better on them! We recently sold our quad and I was kind of bummed. But I just wanted to tell you that I think your really cool.

Sincerely, Shana

We received quite a number of comments for this article - most of which were of a technical nature. Here is a rant we enjoyed reading.

12/04/2002

An anachronism for only $4700!

Five years later we should'nt expect innovation, just new graphics. Thank You Kawasaki for a tired KDX250 frame, bored out KLR250 street bike motor, fork w/o rebound settings, dated street bike CV carb, and bold new graphics. I'm sure Kawasaki is working around the clock on fuel injection, super quiet header and silencer, and awesome suspenders for a reasonable price.

I think your review would have been great for a 1997 model, but for 2002 Kawasaki should have seen the light and invested a few bucks in R and D and made a truly wicked trail bike. I really wanted to buy this bike in 1997 but decided to save some bucks and settle for the low tech XR400R. We have to get these big companies to make innovative, powerful and super quiet bikes so our sport will thrive and grow. I don't want the only bike in my garage to be my mountain bike. Hey, maybe I could help review some bikes. I'm in the bay area, we could hook up at Hollister or in the foothills, or meet at Searles Station at Easter time.

Thanks for lettin' me rant, Joe

These are excellent machines with good handling characteristics, one of the first water cooled 4-strokes on the market, but you have some excellent points. There is a lot that needs to be done to the bike to make it a truely great performer. It is probably cheaper to go with a bike that is already closer to perfect.

The 2003 KLX 300 still has the anemic CV carb, and no rebound adjustability, but the good news is that the new Electric Start KLX 400 has the Keihn 39 FCR carb & compression and rebound in the front (conventional) forks. I look forward to throwing a leg over one of these soon - looks like Kawi is moving in the right direction! Too bad the bike gained 30 lbs and $800 in the process.

04/21/2002

Hi There,
My name is Hennie Koen.I have purchased a secondhand KLX300.I am very happy with the bike.The only problem I have occationaly when we do enduros when the bike cuts out.It battles to start.Do you have any solutions.Our local Kawasaki dealer replaced my timing chain because the old one was noisy.I has been back several times with the same starting problem.The local dealer said all the timing marks line up but still the same problem.Can a electric starter be fitted to this bike?

Thanking You
Kind Regards
Hennie

If it cuts out on you it could be several things that cause it...

1. Bad electrical component, system or a short. Try and figure out when and why the bike dies... If it dies when you turn the handlebars the engine kill switch might be the culprit. Weak spark, bad coil and so on...
2. Carb float is not adjusted properly causing the bike to starve for fuel
3. Blocked fuel line

I have no idea why the dealer is so adamant about the timing, this sounds like an electrical or fuel problem to me.

As far as I know there's no elec start for that bike.

Good luck,
Mike Hobbs

No idea Doug. All I can say is dirtbiking coverage is on the upswing - I hope "Speed Channel" subscribers can make the message clear. Johnny is absolutely amazing