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Product Reviews
Not much to say, except they're well made aluminum and have give me
absolutely no problems since I switched to the triple clamp mounts. Used these
on both of my KTM's and KX250's.
Brembo to Nissin Front Brake Conversion (KTM 300MXC)
I'm one of those unfortunate people who got stuck with a Brembo front brake that
was just plain lousy. To attempt to fix it, you name it, I did it, but it didn't help. It
was getting to the point where I couldn't ride as aggressively for fear of not being
able to stop in time. One day a guy on an Internet discussion group mentioned
that he had swapped the Brembo master cylinder with a Nissin unit from a
Honda CRF450. I was desperate at that point, so I bought one from Service
Honda. I got the complete master cylinder kit that included the lever (the best
parts diagram is <here>). When I first installed the Nissin, it leaked at the banjo
bolt. I was using the Brembo brake line with the Honda banjo bolt (required),
which is a slightly different length. The hole in the banjo bolt needed to be
centered in the end of the brake line, so I added a washer on one side and put
on some teflon tape for good measure. If you really want to try, you can make the
bolt leak by pulling in the lever for 20 minutes or so (with help from a zip-tie).
You'll get a drop or two of brake fluid squeezed out, but under normal use I
couldn't see that there was any leakage.
Does it work? The answer is yes...but I tried a lot harder to remove every last
bubble from the brake line and master cylinder. I'm not sure that the same effort
wouldn't have improved the feel of the Brembo. I also replaced the seals in the
caliper, just to be sure there was no problem there. It still was never as firm as
my KX250, but definitely an improvement.
Fabtech Fork Revalve Kit (KTM)
The 50mm WP's on my '99 EXC spoiled me. They were probably the plushest
forks I've every had the pleasure of owning. KTM's switch to 43mm inverted forks
in 2000 made the front end a lot lighter, but the forks were harsh in the rocks
(and everywhere else). Some of the harshest hits were so intense that my jaw
hurt (go figure). I bought the $40 kit on eBay and it was a good improvement.
The kit came with detailed instructions and a set of shims for the compression
stack. If you can change your fork seals, you can handle the do-it-yourself revalve
kit. There were 3 valve stacks to choose from, and I chose the softest. The
improvement wasn't exactly like hopping on my old '99 EXC, but it was a good
modification. My jaw didn't hurt anymore, but the forks could sometimes still be a
bit harsh. The strangest thing about the revalve was that it made sand whoops
easier to manage. The front end seemed to float over the top of the whoops
better than anything I've experienced. Other types of whoops weren't any different
than before, but it was a lot more fun to ride the sand tracks at Flat River. It was a
worthwhile $40 expenditure.
Moose Racing Steel Pipe Guard
One word: STRONG! Six more words: Pain in the ass to install! But well worth
the effort because it's never suffered any damage whatsoever. Thick aluminum
construction makes it difficult to shape around the pipe, but a large rubber
mallet and a lot of pounding will eventually get it mounted properly (a vice helps;
also, I used a floor jack stand to aid in the pounding/shaping). The guard is
relatively light, not too expensive and will probably never break. Good stuff.
E-Line Carbon Fiber Pipe Guard
When I bolted on a new FMF Fatty pipe for my '04 KX250, I decided it was time to
step up and give it some real protection. To preserve the light feel of the KX's
front end, I wanted to go light, so I shelled out some serious dough and picked
up an E-Line pipe guard. These are not cheap - about $140 - but they are simple
to install and very lightweight. The only downside besides price is they do scuff
easily. However, for me, the word "scuff" is completely neutral as it applies to my
dirt bikes. This is the guard to have.
Flatland Racing Radiator Guards (KTM)
I installed these on my '02 MXC. Even though I've never punctured a radiator,
they do tend to get slightly out of shape after a few hard crashes. The Flatland
guards have front and a certain level of side protection via a brace that runs from
one radiator to the other (the brace goes through the frame). Protection is
substantial, but there are a couple of tradeoffs. If you relocate your CDI box
under the tank, the relocator kits won't work because the brace gets in the way.
However, there are other places to mount the CDI under the tank that don't
require the relocator kit at all. Also, the radiators had much less flex with the
Flatland guards. Without the guards, when tree branches grabbed at the radiator
shrouds, the radiators could actually pull out of the rubber mounts at the frame.
However, that's not as likely to happen with the Flatland guards, so when trail
junk grabs at the shrouds, they tend to crack because there's less "give."
Contrary to popular belief (o.k., my belief), the guards did not keep the radiators
from getting slightly out of shape from side impacts. The radiator shrouds still
bolt directly into the bottom part of the radiator, so a side impact will push in the
bolt and make the lower part of the radiator get a bit curvy. The Flatland guards
were more like catastrophic protection that keeps you from getting stranded on
the trail. Even so, the guards were, at the time, some of the strongest made and
they made a good addition to the bike. Since I bought these in 2002, the KTM
Hard Parts catalog has offered a design that braces the radiators from both front
and side impacts.
Devol Engineering Radiator Guards (KX)
I put these on after destroying my right radiator on the 2003 KX250. I had been
using Works Connection braces, but they didn't offer the kind of protection I was
looking for (not that any brace would have saved my radiator). Like many guards,
the Works Connection version connected partly to the radiator itself, didn't offer
much side protection and had no frontal protection (they were cheap on eBay,
what can I say). The Devol's are not quite as sturdy as Flatland's but the key
difference is they mount entirely to the frame. It doesn't have the cross brace that
the Flatland guard has, but it does have a rear brace that replaces the smaller
stock brace. This brace keeps the radiator from being pushed backwards if it
takes a direct frontal assault. Installation was a bit easier than the Flatland
guards, mostly because I could use a 1/4" drive socket with long extensions to
get at the inside frame bolts. It's still a little tricky, but not bad once I figured out
the proper technique. Took me about 45 minutes to install, but if I had to do it
again, I could probably do it in about 15 minutes. The fit was very good and
quality was excellent (good instructions, too).
Flatland Racing odometer spacer (KTM)
Flatland is a great little company that puts out some very well-made products for
KTM, Gas Gas, and others. Their odometer spacer replaces the odometer drive
when you don't need to use it. As I learned from experience, there are hundreds
of ways to break the odometer cable, so the less opportunities you provide for
breakage, the less chance of ruining the cable; thus, the odometer spacer is
usually on my bike. The spacer is billet aluminum and looks very cool. It does a
really good job of sealing the wheel bearing on that side (it's the only wheel
bearing that I never had to replace on the EXC). Overall, the odometer spacer is
top-notch and reasonably priced.
Applied Racing Triple Clamps (KTM - '99 300EXC)
Most people replace their triple clamps to switch to tapered handlebars or
because they look cool. I replaced mine because I bent the stock triple clamps
on my '99 EXC. Don't ask me how...I was unconscious at the time. Applied was
having an internet special to help promote TAG handlebars (see below), so it
was a good time to try out their product. The finish and workmanship were
excellent. Installation wasn't too hard, but the bottom clamp required a press (at
least 12 tons) to remove the steering stem. The clamps did not come with
instructions, but it wasn't too hard to figure out. The handlebar mounts had two
positions, an improvement over the stock '99 EXC upper clamp that was a one
piece solid casting. One side benefit of the Applied clamps was that the forks
don't twist as much when I crashed, apparently because of a higher quality
surface area. Overall, the product was good and the price was reasonable.
TAG Metals Tapered Handlebars
I bought a set of T2's several years ago and have owned about 4 sets on 3
different bikes. They are very similar to Answer's Pro-taper handlerbars in both
price and functionality. I can describe their performance in one word: Strong.
After many hard crashes, I still haven't been able to bend them significantly. I
typically cut them down to about 30.5 inches for woods riding. In combination
with the Applied or Emig triple clamps and the Scotts steering damper, the
TAG's have worked very well.
DP Brakes brake rotors (front and rear) - KTM
These rotors replaced the incredibly weak stock rotors on my KTM 300EXC that
lasted about 6 months in the rocks of Missouri. The rear rotor bent so badly
(despite a rotor guard) that it broke off a piece of the stock hub. The DP rotors
are built stronger and I had no problems with them. The rear rotor eventually
wore past its wear limit, but it took about 200 hours to get there.
Fredette Racing Products chain guide - KTM & KX250
This is an aluminum guide that worked very well on my KTM's and KX250. Best
part about it is that MSR Racing makes replacements for the poly chain blocks.
And the blocks and be reversed to get some extra life. Be careful, though - if the
lower blocks wear too much, the chain will start digging into the bolts that hold
the blocks in place. A pretty good guide that resists bending pretty well, even in
the rocks.
Performance Engineering clutch basket - 2004 KX250
In 2007, the stock clutch basket on my 2004 KX250 had such nice grooves worn
in by the clutch plates that, upon first glance, I swore they must have been
machined from the factory that way. When this happens, the clutch tends to drag
because the grooves prevent the clutch plates from sliding as needed to
engage and disengage the clutch. I ordered up a Performance Engineering
clutch basket, which is made from hardened metal, rather than the cast material
of the stock basket. It's an economical alternative to both the stock basket and a
Hinson basket (the Cadillac of clutch parts). Installation requires drilling out the
rivets that fasten the primary gear to the stock basket, and reattaching the
primary gear to the Performance Engineering basket with bolts.
absolutely no problems since I switched to the triple clamp mounts. Used these
on both of my KTM's and KX250's.
Brembo to Nissin Front Brake Conversion (KTM 300MXC)
I'm one of those unfortunate people who got stuck with a Brembo front brake that
was just plain lousy. To attempt to fix it, you name it, I did it, but it didn't help. It
was getting to the point where I couldn't ride as aggressively for fear of not being
able to stop in time. One day a guy on an Internet discussion group mentioned
that he had swapped the Brembo master cylinder with a Nissin unit from a
Honda CRF450. I was desperate at that point, so I bought one from Service
Honda. I got the complete master cylinder kit that included the lever (the best
parts diagram is <here>). When I first installed the Nissin, it leaked at the banjo
bolt. I was using the Brembo brake line with the Honda banjo bolt (required),
which is a slightly different length. The hole in the banjo bolt needed to be
centered in the end of the brake line, so I added a washer on one side and put
on some teflon tape for good measure. If you really want to try, you can make the
bolt leak by pulling in the lever for 20 minutes or so (with help from a zip-tie).
You'll get a drop or two of brake fluid squeezed out, but under normal use I
couldn't see that there was any leakage.
Does it work? The answer is yes...but I tried a lot harder to remove every last
bubble from the brake line and master cylinder. I'm not sure that the same effort
wouldn't have improved the feel of the Brembo. I also replaced the seals in the
caliper, just to be sure there was no problem there. It still was never as firm as
my KX250, but definitely an improvement.
Fabtech Fork Revalve Kit (KTM)
The 50mm WP's on my '99 EXC spoiled me. They were probably the plushest
forks I've every had the pleasure of owning. KTM's switch to 43mm inverted forks
in 2000 made the front end a lot lighter, but the forks were harsh in the rocks
(and everywhere else). Some of the harshest hits were so intense that my jaw
hurt (go figure). I bought the $40 kit on eBay and it was a good improvement.
The kit came with detailed instructions and a set of shims for the compression
stack. If you can change your fork seals, you can handle the do-it-yourself revalve
kit. There were 3 valve stacks to choose from, and I chose the softest. The
improvement wasn't exactly like hopping on my old '99 EXC, but it was a good
modification. My jaw didn't hurt anymore, but the forks could sometimes still be a
bit harsh. The strangest thing about the revalve was that it made sand whoops
easier to manage. The front end seemed to float over the top of the whoops
better than anything I've experienced. Other types of whoops weren't any different
than before, but it was a lot more fun to ride the sand tracks at Flat River. It was a
worthwhile $40 expenditure.
Moose Racing Steel Pipe Guard
One word: STRONG! Six more words: Pain in the ass to install! But well worth
the effort because it's never suffered any damage whatsoever. Thick aluminum
construction makes it difficult to shape around the pipe, but a large rubber
mallet and a lot of pounding will eventually get it mounted properly (a vice helps;
also, I used a floor jack stand to aid in the pounding/shaping). The guard is
relatively light, not too expensive and will probably never break. Good stuff.
E-Line Carbon Fiber Pipe Guard
When I bolted on a new FMF Fatty pipe for my '04 KX250, I decided it was time to
step up and give it some real protection. To preserve the light feel of the KX's
front end, I wanted to go light, so I shelled out some serious dough and picked
up an E-Line pipe guard. These are not cheap - about $140 - but they are simple
to install and very lightweight. The only downside besides price is they do scuff
easily. However, for me, the word "scuff" is completely neutral as it applies to my
dirt bikes. This is the guard to have.
Flatland Racing Radiator Guards (KTM)
I installed these on my '02 MXC. Even though I've never punctured a radiator,
they do tend to get slightly out of shape after a few hard crashes. The Flatland
guards have front and a certain level of side protection via a brace that runs from
one radiator to the other (the brace goes through the frame). Protection is
substantial, but there are a couple of tradeoffs. If you relocate your CDI box
under the tank, the relocator kits won't work because the brace gets in the way.
However, there are other places to mount the CDI under the tank that don't
require the relocator kit at all. Also, the radiators had much less flex with the
Flatland guards. Without the guards, when tree branches grabbed at the radiator
shrouds, the radiators could actually pull out of the rubber mounts at the frame.
However, that's not as likely to happen with the Flatland guards, so when trail
junk grabs at the shrouds, they tend to crack because there's less "give."
Contrary to popular belief (o.k., my belief), the guards did not keep the radiators
from getting slightly out of shape from side impacts. The radiator shrouds still
bolt directly into the bottom part of the radiator, so a side impact will push in the
bolt and make the lower part of the radiator get a bit curvy. The Flatland guards
were more like catastrophic protection that keeps you from getting stranded on
the trail. Even so, the guards were, at the time, some of the strongest made and
they made a good addition to the bike. Since I bought these in 2002, the KTM
Hard Parts catalog has offered a design that braces the radiators from both front
and side impacts.
Devol Engineering Radiator Guards (KX)
I put these on after destroying my right radiator on the 2003 KX250. I had been
using Works Connection braces, but they didn't offer the kind of protection I was
looking for (not that any brace would have saved my radiator). Like many guards,
the Works Connection version connected partly to the radiator itself, didn't offer
much side protection and had no frontal protection (they were cheap on eBay,
what can I say). The Devol's are not quite as sturdy as Flatland's but the key
difference is they mount entirely to the frame. It doesn't have the cross brace that
the Flatland guard has, but it does have a rear brace that replaces the smaller
stock brace. This brace keeps the radiator from being pushed backwards if it
takes a direct frontal assault. Installation was a bit easier than the Flatland
guards, mostly because I could use a 1/4" drive socket with long extensions to
get at the inside frame bolts. It's still a little tricky, but not bad once I figured out
the proper technique. Took me about 45 minutes to install, but if I had to do it
again, I could probably do it in about 15 minutes. The fit was very good and
quality was excellent (good instructions, too).
Flatland Racing odometer spacer (KTM)
Flatland is a great little company that puts out some very well-made products for
KTM, Gas Gas, and others. Their odometer spacer replaces the odometer drive
when you don't need to use it. As I learned from experience, there are hundreds
of ways to break the odometer cable, so the less opportunities you provide for
breakage, the less chance of ruining the cable; thus, the odometer spacer is
usually on my bike. The spacer is billet aluminum and looks very cool. It does a
really good job of sealing the wheel bearing on that side (it's the only wheel
bearing that I never had to replace on the EXC). Overall, the odometer spacer is
top-notch and reasonably priced.
Applied Racing Triple Clamps (KTM - '99 300EXC)
Most people replace their triple clamps to switch to tapered handlebars or
because they look cool. I replaced mine because I bent the stock triple clamps
on my '99 EXC. Don't ask me how...I was unconscious at the time. Applied was
having an internet special to help promote TAG handlebars (see below), so it
was a good time to try out their product. The finish and workmanship were
excellent. Installation wasn't too hard, but the bottom clamp required a press (at
least 12 tons) to remove the steering stem. The clamps did not come with
instructions, but it wasn't too hard to figure out. The handlebar mounts had two
positions, an improvement over the stock '99 EXC upper clamp that was a one
piece solid casting. One side benefit of the Applied clamps was that the forks
don't twist as much when I crashed, apparently because of a higher quality
surface area. Overall, the product was good and the price was reasonable.
TAG Metals Tapered Handlebars
I bought a set of T2's several years ago and have owned about 4 sets on 3
different bikes. They are very similar to Answer's Pro-taper handlerbars in both
price and functionality. I can describe their performance in one word: Strong.
After many hard crashes, I still haven't been able to bend them significantly. I
typically cut them down to about 30.5 inches for woods riding. In combination
with the Applied or Emig triple clamps and the Scotts steering damper, the
TAG's have worked very well.
DP Brakes brake rotors (front and rear) - KTM
These rotors replaced the incredibly weak stock rotors on my KTM 300EXC that
lasted about 6 months in the rocks of Missouri. The rear rotor bent so badly
(despite a rotor guard) that it broke off a piece of the stock hub. The DP rotors
are built stronger and I had no problems with them. The rear rotor eventually
wore past its wear limit, but it took about 200 hours to get there.
Fredette Racing Products chain guide - KTM & KX250
This is an aluminum guide that worked very well on my KTM's and KX250. Best
part about it is that MSR Racing makes replacements for the poly chain blocks.
And the blocks and be reversed to get some extra life. Be careful, though - if the
lower blocks wear too much, the chain will start digging into the bolts that hold
the blocks in place. A pretty good guide that resists bending pretty well, even in
the rocks.
Performance Engineering clutch basket - 2004 KX250
In 2007, the stock clutch basket on my 2004 KX250 had such nice grooves worn
in by the clutch plates that, upon first glance, I swore they must have been
machined from the factory that way. When this happens, the clutch tends to drag
because the grooves prevent the clutch plates from sliding as needed to
engage and disengage the clutch. I ordered up a Performance Engineering
clutch basket, which is made from hardened metal, rather than the cast material
of the stock basket. It's an economical alternative to both the stock basket and a
Hinson basket (the Cadillac of clutch parts). Installation requires drilling out the
rivets that fasten the primary gear to the stock basket, and reattaching the
primary gear to the Performance Engineering basket with bolts.
| Groovy. |
| Banjo bolt - Nissin master cylinder |
| Finally - indisputable proof that radiator guards work (click on picture for details) |
| Fredette chain guide on the 300MXC |
| Performance Engineering clutch basket |
| Primary gear installed |