Not gelling with a bike?

inthebadboycorner 9/23/2020 1:10am
9/23/2020 1:10am
inthebadboycorner wrote:
1979 YZ125, 1982 CR125, 2003 KTM SX250.
sf702/410 wrote:
The 03 ktm250sx was like riding a radical saw horse, with 500cc handle bar vibes. Lol
The vibration was even worse when I installed the 300 kit.
navalseabee
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navalseabee 9/23/2020 4:22am
9/23/2020 4:22am
This happened to me with a 2016 YZ250F, me and that bike just did not get along. I think i tried for 30 engine hours or so to get it right and never felt comfy so i sold it. No point in keeping if your not having as much fun as you can.
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dedi684
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dedi684 9/23/2020 4:34am
9/23/2020 4:34am
agn5009 wrote:
2014 KTM 300XC. I was coming off a 2012 YZ250. I was over 3.5 minutes a lap slower on my 10 mile harescramble loop. The suspension...
2014 KTM 300XC. I was coming off a 2012 YZ250. I was over 3.5 minutes a lap slower on my 10 mile harescramble loop. The suspension was pure garbage and the power delivery was just odd to me. The best decision I ever made was to get rid of that turd.
str8line wrote:
15 KTM 300 XC, bought it new coming off a YZ250 and sold it with about 20 hours on it after a two week trip to...
15 KTM 300 XC, bought it new coming off a YZ250 and sold it with about 20 hours on it after a two week trip to the desert. Hated the fork. Got a 15 KX450 and loved it(that mid-range hit!). After a few Kawi's I went back to KTM in 2017 and have had four of them including my current snowbike. The KTM's got really good in 2017 IMO. Even the 17 300XC was way better than the 15 to me.
15 ktm 250 sx coming from 4 yz 250's. I bought 2 more yz's since then.
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mx724
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mx724 9/23/2020 5:17am
9/23/2020 5:17am
I have found that even the wrong bar setup makes a huge difference. Or if you have bar mount options try moving them closer to you. Try changing the handlebar angle. Also things like sag and fork height. Small changes in these areas have dramatic effects. Those are all free options minus trying a different bar bend.
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mx317
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mx317 9/23/2020 5:24am
9/23/2020 5:24am
chasetwo79 wrote:
Every YZ 450f that I’ve ever tried to ride.
Tenacious P wrote:
I’ve got 50 hours on my ‘16 and eyeing a Kawi
Look at a 20 or 21 YZ450F. Much different than the 16 and the best bike I've owned so far. I just got off a 17 KTM and a 19 Husky and could never get that loving feeling from either one.
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Rickyisms
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Rickyisms 9/23/2020 6:55am
9/23/2020 6:55am
Real weird. IIRC the 17 and 18 should be nearly identical.
Falcon
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Falcon 9/23/2020 8:49am
9/23/2020 8:49am Edited Date/Time 9/23/2020 8:50am
Your avatar picture says it all. Roosting, wheelieing and having a good time on a 2-stroke. Then, buy a 4-stroke, and BOOM! The thing just doesn't work.
It's what I've been saying all along.... 4-strokes suck. All of 'em.

EDIT: That said, I had a '98 RM250 that was out to kill me. I don't know why; I never did anything to it.
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agn5009
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agn5009 9/23/2020 8:51am
9/23/2020 8:51am
agn5009 wrote:
2014 KTM 300XC. I was coming off a 2012 YZ250. I was over 3.5 minutes a lap slower on my 10 mile harescramble loop. The suspension...
2014 KTM 300XC. I was coming off a 2012 YZ250. I was over 3.5 minutes a lap slower on my 10 mile harescramble loop. The suspension was pure garbage and the power delivery was just odd to me. The best decision I ever made was to get rid of that turd.
str8line wrote:
15 KTM 300 XC, bought it new coming off a YZ250 and sold it with about 20 hours on it after a two week trip to...
15 KTM 300 XC, bought it new coming off a YZ250 and sold it with about 20 hours on it after a two week trip to the desert. Hated the fork. Got a 15 KX450 and loved it(that mid-range hit!). After a few Kawi's I went back to KTM in 2017 and have had four of them including my current snowbike. The KTM's got really good in 2017 IMO. Even the 17 300XC was way better than the 15 to me.
I have a 2017 husky TE300 that I like. The forks were still pretty bad though. I ended up dumping a bunch of money into them but I think they're decent now. Probably about as good as stock yz forks. I've ridden a few different 2020 TE 300s and the forks seem much better now but its hard to tell how good they really are without putting some serious time on the bike. It's always blown me away that KTM runs with the "ready to race" platform but has continued to go with the WP forks. They get the most complaints out of any of the top suspension companies out there. I know there will be a few guys who dispute this and say they love the forks and blah blah blah but they're absolutely in the minority. If KTM released a 2021 300 with KYB forks I would be about $10,000 poorer in an instant. I could go beta race edition but they have many flaws too (no FI and poor resale value are two biggies.)
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chasetwo79
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chasetwo79 9/23/2020 8:51am
9/23/2020 8:51am
mx724 wrote:
I have found that even the wrong bar setup makes a huge difference. Or if you have bar mount options try moving them closer to you...
I have found that even the wrong bar setup makes a huge difference. Or if you have bar mount options try moving them closer to you. Try changing the handlebar angle. Also things like sag and fork height. Small changes in these areas have dramatic effects. Those are all free options minus trying a different bar bend.
So many people worry about the wrong things in set up. The rider cockpit is one of the easiest and biggest difference makers you can do.
sf702/410
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sf702/410 9/23/2020 8:54am
9/23/2020 8:54am
inthebadboycorner wrote:
1979 YZ125, 1982 CR125, 2003 KTM SX250.
sf702/410 wrote:
The 03 ktm250sx was like riding a radical saw horse, with 500cc handle bar vibes. Lol
inthebadboycorner wrote:
The vibration was even worse when I installed the 300 kit.
Omg, do you cut yourself too? Lol
TJ FRG
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TJ FRG 9/23/2020 9:03am
9/23/2020 9:03am
agn5009 wrote:
2014 KTM 300XC. I was coming off a 2012 YZ250. I was over 3.5 minutes a lap slower on my 10 mile harescramble loop. The suspension...
2014 KTM 300XC. I was coming off a 2012 YZ250. I was over 3.5 minutes a lap slower on my 10 mile harescramble loop. The suspension was pure garbage and the power delivery was just odd to me. The best decision I ever made was to get rid of that turd.
str8line wrote:
15 KTM 300 XC, bought it new coming off a YZ250 and sold it with about 20 hours on it after a two week trip to...
15 KTM 300 XC, bought it new coming off a YZ250 and sold it with about 20 hours on it after a two week trip to the desert. Hated the fork. Got a 15 KX450 and loved it(that mid-range hit!). After a few Kawi's I went back to KTM in 2017 and have had four of them including my current snowbike. The KTM's got really good in 2017 IMO. Even the 17 300XC was way better than the 15 to me.
agn5009 wrote:
I have a 2017 husky TE300 that I like. The forks were still pretty bad though. I ended up dumping a bunch of money into them...
I have a 2017 husky TE300 that I like. The forks were still pretty bad though. I ended up dumping a bunch of money into them but I think they're decent now. Probably about as good as stock yz forks. I've ridden a few different 2020 TE 300s and the forks seem much better now but its hard to tell how good they really are without putting some serious time on the bike. It's always blown me away that KTM runs with the "ready to race" platform but has continued to go with the WP forks. They get the most complaints out of any of the top suspension companies out there. I know there will be a few guys who dispute this and say they love the forks and blah blah blah but they're absolutely in the minority. If KTM released a 2021 300 with KYB forks I would be about $10,000 poorer in an instant. I could go beta race edition but they have many flaws too (no FI and poor resale value are two biggies.)
Buy a sherco!
vdrsnk04
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vdrsnk04 9/23/2020 9:40am
9/23/2020 9:40am
Some bikes just do not work well for some people. I will say though I had a friend with your exact bike and he fought the exact same issues with cornering as you are for a couple years. He traded it off on a 2018 yz250f and instantly was riding much better and having zero cornering issues.
str8line
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str8line 9/23/2020 9:42am
9/23/2020 9:42am Edited Date/Time 9/23/2020 9:44am
agn5009 wrote:
2014 KTM 300XC. I was coming off a 2012 YZ250. I was over 3.5 minutes a lap slower on my 10 mile harescramble loop. The suspension...
2014 KTM 300XC. I was coming off a 2012 YZ250. I was over 3.5 minutes a lap slower on my 10 mile harescramble loop. The suspension was pure garbage and the power delivery was just odd to me. The best decision I ever made was to get rid of that turd.
str8line wrote:
15 KTM 300 XC, bought it new coming off a YZ250 and sold it with about 20 hours on it after a two week trip to...
15 KTM 300 XC, bought it new coming off a YZ250 and sold it with about 20 hours on it after a two week trip to the desert. Hated the fork. Got a 15 KX450 and loved it(that mid-range hit!). After a few Kawi's I went back to KTM in 2017 and have had four of them including my current snowbike. The KTM's got really good in 2017 IMO. Even the 17 300XC was way better than the 15 to me.
agn5009 wrote:
I have a 2017 husky TE300 that I like. The forks were still pretty bad though. I ended up dumping a bunch of money into them...
I have a 2017 husky TE300 that I like. The forks were still pretty bad though. I ended up dumping a bunch of money into them but I think they're decent now. Probably about as good as stock yz forks. I've ridden a few different 2020 TE 300s and the forks seem much better now but its hard to tell how good they really are without putting some serious time on the bike. It's always blown me away that KTM runs with the "ready to race" platform but has continued to go with the WP forks. They get the most complaints out of any of the top suspension companies out there. I know there will be a few guys who dispute this and say they love the forks and blah blah blah but they're absolutely in the minority. If KTM released a 2021 300 with KYB forks I would be about $10,000 poorer in an instant. I could go beta race edition but they have many flaws too (no FI and poor resale value are two biggies.)
In 2017 the new WP AER 48 fork was 3.1 lbs lighter than the 2016 4CS fork. The frame was updated too, among other updates. I felt a huge difference from the 2015 I owned. Loved the 2017 300 but it was my buddy's. I bought the 2017 450XCF and it had the same updates as the 300. If I recall the 2017 450 was 8 lbs lighter than the 2016. From the first rides I always thought the fork was great.
Lightning78
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Lightning78 9/23/2020 9:48am
9/23/2020 9:48am
Jbulz wrote:
I had the same thing with my 06 RM250. Such a sweet looking bike with a great engine... But I've never crashed so much in my...
I had the same thing with my 06 RM250. Such a sweet looking bike with a great engine... But I've never crashed so much in my life!
Surprisingly as beloved as that bike is.....I didnt like it either.
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captmoto
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captmoto 9/23/2020 10:31am
9/23/2020 10:31am
My 97 CR250, but then, did anyone really gel with that bike?
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c0ncEpT
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c0ncEpT 9/23/2020 11:22am
9/23/2020 11:22am
navalseabee wrote:
This happened to me with a 2016 YZ250F, me and that bike just did not get along. I think i tried for 30 engine hours or...
This happened to me with a 2016 YZ250F, me and that bike just did not get along. I think i tried for 30 engine hours or so to get it right and never felt comfy so i sold it. No point in keeping if your not having as much fun as you can.
Its crazy how different people can be.

My 2016 YZ250F is far and above my favorite bike I ever owned. Chassis was so stable and predictable, motor was super strong , and suspension was just dialed. Only thing was it didn't turn as well as the new generation. I would recommend that bike to anyone based off of my experience.
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Baton Rouge 9/23/2020 11:36am
9/23/2020 11:36am
Well it is happening to me too with a 350 FC 2019...can’t gel with the bike after 35 hours on it and some factory suspension...I believe it is the motor and the new frame because i really liked my 17 250 sxf before that (minus the air fork but it was kind of fine revalve). Anyway, i plan to sell it and go back to a 250F 2021
Eddy_V
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Eddy_V 9/23/2020 11:40am
9/23/2020 11:40am Edited Date/Time 9/23/2020 11:41am
Had a 14 sxf350. Had a rmz450 2005 before that. Normal spring fork, but never got positive feel in the ktm, deflecting, nervous. Had it 3 years, then bought a 19 fc450 rockstar. Switched aer fork for kyb inserts. Now its 95% good.

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Grovesy98
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Grovesy98 9/23/2020 1:20pm
9/23/2020 1:20pm
2015 RMZ 450 was like riding a heavy park bench for me, felt awful on that thing.

Just sold a 17 SXF 350 that I just didn't gel with. Just felt weird but didn't really do anything that badly. Think it was the power delivery as I'm used to 450s. Just gone to a 20 KXF450 and feels like home again Laughing
navalseabee
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navalseabee 9/23/2020 4:00pm
9/23/2020 4:00pm
c0ncEpT wrote:
Its crazy how different people can be. My 2016 YZ250F is far and above my favorite bike I ever owned. Chassis was so stable and predictable...
Its crazy how different people can be.

My 2016 YZ250F is far and above my favorite bike I ever owned. Chassis was so stable and predictable, motor was super strong , and suspension was just dialed. Only thing was it didn't turn as well as the new generation. I would recommend that bike to anyone based off of my experience.
100%, I feel the same way about the other guy saying he didn’t like his 150SX. I had two and really liked both. Different strokes or so they say I guess.
Chance1216
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Chance1216 9/23/2020 4:11pm
9/23/2020 4:11pm Edited Date/Time 9/23/2020 4:18pm
94 KX 250. Busted engine mounts seemed to be the norm. Replaced the frame twice.
Great engine though.

84 CR 500. Lock to lock bar swap and a pain in the ass to start. Fun/scary stuff for being 17 at the time.
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hubbardmx50 9/23/2020 6:48pm
9/23/2020 6:48pm
2009 CRF250. Ergos and suspension were good but I made a dumb decision to buy it used from an Mx vacation company out here and the thing had been pressure washed to death. It was very slow and unreliable. I ended up blowing up the bottom end and had to replace one of the cases. We got it running again but it was always hard to start. Finally traded it in 2016 when I got my leftover 2015
AZRider
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AZRider 9/23/2020 6:50pm
9/23/2020 6:50pm
Since 2006 I can't ride a yamaha. The rider cockpit is way off for me. Granted im 6 ft and have long legs and arms. Every yamaha I have ridden feels.like it was designed for people under 5'10"
erik_94COBRA
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erik_94COBRA 9/23/2020 7:01pm
9/23/2020 7:01pm
Baton Rouge wrote:
Well it is happening to me too with a 350 FC 2019...can’t gel with the bike after 35 hours on it and some factory suspension...I believe...
Well it is happening to me too with a 350 FC 2019...can’t gel with the bike after 35 hours on it and some factory suspension...I believe it is the motor and the new frame because i really liked my 17 250 sxf before that (minus the air fork but it was kind of fine revalve). Anyway, i plan to sell it and go back to a 250F 2021
Check my post history. Couple of changes made a huge difference for me.

I haven’t yet gelled with any 450. Takes about 25 hrs to know for sure.
Jbulz
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Jbulz 9/23/2020 7:37pm
9/23/2020 7:37pm
Jbulz wrote:
I had the same thing with my 06 RM250. Such a sweet looking bike with a great engine... But I've never crashed so much in my...
I had the same thing with my 06 RM250. Such a sweet looking bike with a great engine... But I've never crashed so much in my life!
Lightning78 wrote:
Surprisingly as beloved as that bike is.....I didnt like it either.
Man I tried like hell too! Probably tried 5 different bar bends, clamps, spring rates. Shipped suspension back and forth to Enzo a few times. Big old money pit for me, but it sure sounded sweet on the pipe!
YZed250
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YZed250 9/24/2020 9:14am
9/24/2020 9:14am
Time to ride some other bikes and have some other vet riders try yours and see if anything is out of whack.
A LOT can go wrong from when the bike was released to today. Most people have ZERO regard for how good a stock bike can be.
jtiger12
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jtiger12 9/24/2020 9:17am
9/24/2020 9:17am
davis224 wrote:
I might be the only person who never got along with my 07 CRF450. To be fair, it had been set up for a bigger vet...
I might be the only person who never got along with my 07 CRF450. To be fair, it had been set up for a bigger vet rider and I didn't keep it long enough to really get it set up properly for me. Couldn't turn it.
22mm offset clamps, revalve, and 14/52 gearing. You would have loved it.
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Monk
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Monk 9/24/2020 9:18am
9/24/2020 9:18am
rivvs wrote:
Hi, I would like to know if any of you guys had a bike that you never gelled with? I have a 2016 350sxf I have...
Hi, I would like to know if any of you guys had a bike that you never gelled with?
I have a 2016 350sxf I have put 100hour on it and im thinking about selling it because it seems like no mater what i do I can't seems to get the bike working right for. I even changed the forks for aer 48 and that helped a lot with the front en washing out in every corner but it still dont feels right.
Maybe Im retarded and Im the problem haha
B class rider in canada so I think Im not too bad of rider.
Took me nearly 60hrs to learn how to ride a 350 correctly...

My recommendation is to work with a suspension guy (or someone knowledgeable) that can help you with setting up the chassis/suspension... I find setting the 350 up more like a 250f is more beneficial then trying to set it up like a 450
GeorgiePorgie
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GeorgiePorgie 9/24/2020 9:46am
9/24/2020 9:46am
Baton Rouge wrote:
Well it is happening to me too with a 350 FC 2019...can’t gel with the bike after 35 hours on it and some factory suspension...I believe...
Well it is happening to me too with a 350 FC 2019...can’t gel with the bike after 35 hours on it and some factory suspension...I believe it is the motor and the new frame because i really liked my 17 250 sxf before that (minus the air fork but it was kind of fine revalve). Anyway, i plan to sell it and go back to a 250F 2021
Loved my 17 250 fc. Struggling still some with my 18 350 at 17 hours. Might consider just selling. Rode a 20 felt decent. I don’t know. I don’t want to give up yet.
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Stevo683
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Stevo683 9/24/2020 10:03am
9/24/2020 10:03am
captmoto wrote:
My 97 CR250, but then, did anyone really gel with that bike?
That is a negative. Like riding a steel beam between your legs..
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