Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128329
HANDUi8AR5: Renthal Falbor McGrath bend TRIPUi ClAMP: DHI upper, w/ri.... in the #3 position CONTROLS: Works Connection quick· adjust clutch lever and perch CHAIN UJB(: Toreo Powenlicle UEl, Race fuel 50/50 with pump gos and Tarca GPT premix ENGINE OIl: Torca MTf-R 80Wl HER TUII!S: Moxxis ultno HD (18 PSI) Iding Lance Small's KX2S0 reaffirmed my personal beliefs that two-strokes - at least 2S0cc two-strokes - are still where it's t when It comes to off-road Ing. You just can't argue that they're light d nimble, fast , and handle well ; they're to work on , too and, perhaps best of , are generally qu ieter than most of the nverted MX-to-enduro four -strokes that e been hearing on the trails these days. d nothing sounds bener than a healthy a-stroke, too .} And mod ified two okes are even better, like Smail's wasaki Team Green-backed KX250 I last month at a WORCS race In Price , . It was the same bike that he rod e to ory at the opening round of the series in uite, Nevada. At that race , Smail damted and won by a large margin, and his season was looking promising; funny how a tom ACL will scr ew things up. Shortly after the Mesquite race, Smail blew out his knee and went into damagecontrol mode, salvaging as many po ints as he could up until the Utah round, his last race before go ing under the knife. Even though Smail is a Kawasaki Team Green-backed racer, he is pretty much free to choose what he wants done to the bike , what products he wants to run , and who gets to do the work. Surprisingly, Smail doesn't make too many of what we would call drastic changes to his mach ine, but he does make some significant modifications to make the KX more off-road worthy. I'lllet him explain what he did to the bike: "The first thing I do 10 all my bikes is to gel them as comfy as a good recliner: he says. "I slort wilh the already good-(eeling 10<250 and immediolely slort 10 cuslomize il 10 fil my 6 'I" (rome. A loller SDG seal helps me go (rom silling 10 slonding better, and DHI clampsin the Ihird posilion open up Ihe cockpil 10 my lilting. McGrath-bend Renlhal Fotbors are a perfecI fil wilh good rise and minimalpullback. I add Ihe RenthalDiamond dual-compoundgrips thaI hove good (eel and greal wear (or long races. "Since I like 10 keep Ihe clulch playin Ihe perfecI spot , I use the Works Conneclion lever and perch. Lastly. I lUnd of feellhal Ihe Acerbis Flag Hand guards give me a sense o( securily nol only (rom roost bUI from brush and branches, as well. "Definitely next is 10 gel the bike running properly. Wilh the Kawi, this was easy since slock jelling was spoe on. I like 10 mess around with Ihe liming on occas ion, and when I ride Ihe sand. I relard il. and 01 elevalion I advance il. "Even though gelling Ihe molar running good carnes before alher Ihings. this does not mean molar mods. Before alllhal comes Ihe crilical area of suspension. I feel Ihis is Ihe absolulely mosl imporlanl area o( performance Ihal [here is. I (ell Ihe stock Sluff was pretty goad 10 slorl wilh andonly had a couple areas Ihal needed 10 be addressed. ThaI was before I had my suspension guy (rom TBT Racing [a.k.a. Tuning By Travis} lake care o( everything. "We wonled more plushness in Ihe (ranI end, yel not leI il be 100 so(l. A good revolve combined wilh Enza sublankswas the lickel. The sublanks allow me 10 run a so(ler setting wilhoul worsening balloming. "OUI back anolher revolve was in order, along with a larger bladder in Ihe shock. A 5.0 tilanium shock spring is used wilh custom linkage 10 gel rid o( acceleration lUck. "Feeling confidence in my suspension. whether il be (rom hitting roots. slamming inro G-ouls. accelerating through squore-