I Got a DirtBike!

[bttrfngrz]

i'm so psyched i cant wait to ride it!
anyone have any tips for me as this is my first official personal dirtbike

it's a 2005 kawasaki kx125

 

[bttrfngrz]

 

[IYAOYAS]

Keep the rpm up and ride it like you stole it!

 

[upthemaiden]

Looks like fun! Wish I had somewhere to ride a dirtbike.

 

[TooFst]

Center of gravity foreward. U almost want to sit on the tank. Tons of fun. Congrats. 1st rule, I almost forgot is NEVER ride without a helmet or MX boots.

 

[03Firebolt9R]

Like toofst says, stay up on the tank. Dont be afraid to slide it and throw it around in the corners, just keep your inside foot out and up. You dont want to get it pinned back or against the peg if you get too low.

Also, look far ahead for your line. DO NOT look directly in front of the front wheel no matter how much you will want to, just keep your head up.

One last thing, be prepared to crash...because it will happen. Good luck.

 

[freak2180]

Respect the bike.........I raced for 17yrs and have seen the carnage a dirt bike can do. Just know your limits, maintain it properly, set the suspension for your riding style and weight, and respect it.

 

[03Firebolt9R]

Good advice freak! [up]

 

[Trill]

ALWAYS check/clean the air filter after every ride or 2

Mix your gas/oil correctly

Carry a spare spark plug

Let it rip!

Since it is a 2 smoker , they tend to want a new top end frequently with alot of use.. but are so cheap to do it is well worth it

Have fun and wear your gear! Boots and helmet especially

 

[anrkizm95]

ride it like you stole it,rear brake more less front,throttle gets you out of more trouble than the brake does.youll learn more bike control in a months worth of rideing dirt than a year of street and be a better over all rider.good luck wear all the gear!

 

[bttrfngrz]

thanks guys. would it be legit to put up motocross pics?

 

[TooFst]

Heck yea!!! Post pics. I'll try to get some up soon. Turn this into the new MX thread.

 

[Sidewinder]

Don't forget to weight the outside peg when going around corners.

Also grip the bike with your knees/calfs. This will really help you from being pulled around by the bike making the effects of arm pump from gripping the handlebars less likely.

Ohh. Elbows up to it will really help with handling.

You can get a lot lower than you might think in a corner. With the right tires these things will handle dirt just as well as our bikes handle pavement.

You also may want to look into some new tires. It's hard to tell in the photos but they look to be worn quite a bit.

Grats on the new bike. I have myself a 09 YZ450 and I'm looking to get a 125 for practice.

 

[Abledcool1]

Looks great! I like the Metal Mulisha decals.

 

[Riderdie]

Def. keep weight forward when getting on the throttle and keep your friends off it!!!

Although your friends will break before the bike does!

 

[AV8guy]

Awesome bike man. Check out the graphics on my RM 250. but yeah, keep the revs up and just do what everyone has said. Preload the rear for a jump and just fly brother. Its an amazing feeling. [up]

 

[bttrfngrz]

awesome!!!!


yeah anyway i went to work two hours early to work on it like add fasteners lube stuff, i dropped 350.00 on parts and motorcycle gear. i got thor jerseys and pants plus a helmet and oakley o frames. plus new bodywork because i'm thinking of sharpie arting it. also i got fork seals and all the washers i need( the forks are pissing) any way long story short i didn't have enough time to throw on a new front tire. i took it to the track and i was told i'm doing well for a newb, i'm clearing a few jumps my novice class co worker isn't. (at least i was after i figured out the powerband and how to not shift down when coming off jumps.) Torwards the end of the day i was finishing up a lap and cleared a jump but when i downshifted to take the corner, i was applying a little front brake to get a good entrance speed and my front tire washed out. i broke a clutch lever, scraped myself pretty good and i thought i bent the **** out of the bikes high atv renthals,
anyway i'm changing the tire tomorrow morning.. wish i would've seen sidewinder's post.


i'd say it was a hell of a great first ride!

 

[bttrfngrz]

Hooray for ****ies!

i'll get some shots tomorrow

oh last question, i noticed my feet lifting off the pegs in jumps, this scares the **** out of me, should i be pressing my legs together and using my heels as a pinch point?

 

[Sidewinder]

Yep. Grip the bike with your feet and legs.

You should also be riding with the balls of your feet on the pegs(or slightly behind) instead of on the arches of your feet. It'll keep you from accidentally slapping the bike into a different gear or hitting the rear brake on a landing.

Check out www.Thumpertalk.com . There is a ton of helpful info on there to make you a better rider.

BTW, Dunlop MX51s are supposed to be great, but because they are a softer grippier compound they won't last quite as long as a lot of other tires.

 

[anrkizm95]

you might want to invest in some asv levers.