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Product Reviews
Acerbis front brake rotor guard - KTM & KX250
This is a product I used for awhile on my '99 EXC but quit using after awhile. Not
that there were any quality issues (Acerbis products are always good), but it got
in the way of front wheel installation. The guard is held on by the axle bolt and
zip ties (it's also a lower fork tube guard), and eventually the plastic around the
axle bolt wore away because of the tightening and un-tightening of the bolt.
Eventually the guard would flop around, which happened once during a race.
The guard for the '03 KX250 does not use the axle bolt, but instead uses a
special brake caliper bolt and also uses one of the brake line guard mounting
holes. Even so, the disc guard will have to come off before the wheel can be
removed, which is still kind of a pain. It also has to come off to access the
compression clicker on the bottom of the fork leg. But it does provide decent
protection. It should be noted that some mail order catalogs are listing the
Acerbis guard for the '03 KX250 also fits the '04 KX250. This is not correct.
Because the brake line routing is different on the '04 KX250, the mounting of the
disc guard is different and the '03 guard will not fit.
Acerbis front brake rotor guard - 2004 KX250
Acerbis now makes a nice front rotor guard for most later-model dirt bikes that
does not interfere with front wheel removal. It comes in two pieces: the plastic
guard and a metal mounting device that actually replaces the stock wheel
spacer. The plastic guard stays very close to the rotor, which keeps out plenty of
trail junk and doesn't make the front end any wider than stock, which can be
helpful when navigating deep ruts. I like it.
Braking Oversize Front Brake - 2003 KX250
I found one of these on eBay for about $60 delivered to my door, so I gave it a try.
It came with the oversized rotor and a bracket that replaces the KX's stock
caliper carrier. The bracket uses the stock slider bolt and the little rubber
booties. The bottom line is, it'll get you stopped in a hurry. I can't say it was a
huge improvement over the stock front brake, because the KX's brake was pretty
good to begin with. For $60, compared to around $300 new, it was a good
upgrade but I probably wouldn't buy one of these brand new. The only downside
is that the larger rotors aren't always compatible with rotor guards.
Acerbis frame guards - KTM
These are an economical way to keep your boots from wearing off all the paint
where they rub against the frame. The Acerbis guards actually give more
protection than the stock guards. These are plastic, but they hold up just as
well as the fancy, expensive metal guards and cost much less.
EK O-ring chain
I won't be using EK anymore. I tried one of these on my KTM 300EXC and found
that this is one of those cases where you get what you pay for. EK is cheaper,
but the chain stretched rapidly and wore out quickly. I'm back to RK for good.
Factory Effex Seat Cover
I used one of these covers on my KTM 300EXC, and it's a good replacement for
the incredibly cheap KTM seat covers. It grips very well - almost too well. The
first few rides chafed my arse until I either got used to it or the grip wore down a
bit. The cover I chose had the gripper part of the seat on the top and sides, as
opposed to the kind that have a gripper surface only on the top. It had a small
amount of graphics at the rear of the cover, and it didn't take long to rub off some
of the orange color from the inside lamination. I finally did tear the cover by
some fluke, where I dumped the bike against a broken-off tree branch. Even so,
two years with a seat cover isn't half bad.
Brake Snake
Don't buy it...mine didn't survive its first ride. This is a product designed to keep
trail junk from wedging between the brake pedal and the clutch cover. Not sure if
I installed it wrong or what, but a couple strands of safety wire work just as well
and cost about 1% of the brake snake.
Smith Goggles with Sweatbuster face foam
Not sure why it took me so long to discover the magic of thick face foam on
goggles, but it's been a huge improvement. For ten years I stuck with Scott 89
goggles and put up with sweat being flung against the inside of the goggle lens
after healthy jolts. No more with the Smith Sweatbuster foam. I used them
during the 2004 season and never had an incident of sweat dripping down the
inside of the goggle lens. Check out the difference between Smith Top Fuel
(with Sweatbuster) and Scott 89's:
The Scott 89's do have a slightly larger lens, but I never noticed the smaller
Smith lens while I was riding.
Moose Racing Over-the-Boot Pants
On a whim, I bought a set of these pants from my buddy David Brewster and
tried them out in Colorado in 2006. If you don't like cleaning mud from your
boots, these are the pants. Plus, they have several pockets and an infinitely
adjustable waist belt, which is great for odd-sized waists like mine. Not sure I'd
race in the pants, but they are great for long trail rides where you want some
extra space for odds and ends that fit into pockets. With the pant legs exposed
all the way down to the ends of your boots, the lower part of the legs will get
abused a bit more. In the winter time, these also make great ski pants during
moderate-temperature outings (in combination with long socks like the Fly
socks below).
Motocross Socks
Knee guards chafing your legs? Well, get yourself a pair of up-to-the-knee
socks and chafe no more. I love my Fox Pivot knee guards but they rub in
uncomfortable areas. The socks take care of this completely.
Knee Guards
So here's a rant for y'all: they all suck. I've been using knee guards in one form
or another since 1993 and have yet to find a pair that feels good and doesn't
crack when you whack your knee against a big rock. The pricier versions are
less prone to cracking, but all of them have straps that rub my legs raw. Sure,
you can throw on a pair of long socks, but who wants another layer of clothing
on a 95-degree day? My latest pair is the $65 Fox Raptor's, which look nice and
have some pretty thick plastic pieces that extend all the way up to the thigh. The
guards are actually three pieces, connected by riveted hinges. After a couple
rides, the rivets started falling out. Some I was able to recover inside my pants;
those I covered with duct tape to keep from losing. The missing rivets were
replaced with nuts and bolts. Eventually I cut off the top two straps because they
rubbed so badly. They get the job done, that's about it.
Fox FX3 Boots (2008)
When you're a bonehead like me and do stupid things like forget to bring your
boots to an enduro, every once in awhile you find yourself a little epiphany.
Sometimes you get what you pay for, and the Fox FX3 boots I bought in
desperation on the way to the race just happened to be the most comfortable
(and most expensive) boots I've every owned. No break-in period. Absolute
comfort right out of the box. I have managed to lose a couple boot straps, which
were replaced free of charge by Fox, but after several races I have no
complaints.
This is a product I used for awhile on my '99 EXC but quit using after awhile. Not
that there were any quality issues (Acerbis products are always good), but it got
in the way of front wheel installation. The guard is held on by the axle bolt and
zip ties (it's also a lower fork tube guard), and eventually the plastic around the
axle bolt wore away because of the tightening and un-tightening of the bolt.
Eventually the guard would flop around, which happened once during a race.
The guard for the '03 KX250 does not use the axle bolt, but instead uses a
special brake caliper bolt and also uses one of the brake line guard mounting
holes. Even so, the disc guard will have to come off before the wheel can be
removed, which is still kind of a pain. It also has to come off to access the
compression clicker on the bottom of the fork leg. But it does provide decent
protection. It should be noted that some mail order catalogs are listing the
Acerbis guard for the '03 KX250 also fits the '04 KX250. This is not correct.
Because the brake line routing is different on the '04 KX250, the mounting of the
disc guard is different and the '03 guard will not fit.
Acerbis front brake rotor guard - 2004 KX250
Acerbis now makes a nice front rotor guard for most later-model dirt bikes that
does not interfere with front wheel removal. It comes in two pieces: the plastic
guard and a metal mounting device that actually replaces the stock wheel
spacer. The plastic guard stays very close to the rotor, which keeps out plenty of
trail junk and doesn't make the front end any wider than stock, which can be
helpful when navigating deep ruts. I like it.
Braking Oversize Front Brake - 2003 KX250
I found one of these on eBay for about $60 delivered to my door, so I gave it a try.
It came with the oversized rotor and a bracket that replaces the KX's stock
caliper carrier. The bracket uses the stock slider bolt and the little rubber
booties. The bottom line is, it'll get you stopped in a hurry. I can't say it was a
huge improvement over the stock front brake, because the KX's brake was pretty
good to begin with. For $60, compared to around $300 new, it was a good
upgrade but I probably wouldn't buy one of these brand new. The only downside
is that the larger rotors aren't always compatible with rotor guards.
Acerbis frame guards - KTM
These are an economical way to keep your boots from wearing off all the paint
where they rub against the frame. The Acerbis guards actually give more
protection than the stock guards. These are plastic, but they hold up just as
well as the fancy, expensive metal guards and cost much less.
EK O-ring chain
I won't be using EK anymore. I tried one of these on my KTM 300EXC and found
that this is one of those cases where you get what you pay for. EK is cheaper,
but the chain stretched rapidly and wore out quickly. I'm back to RK for good.
Factory Effex Seat Cover
I used one of these covers on my KTM 300EXC, and it's a good replacement for
the incredibly cheap KTM seat covers. It grips very well - almost too well. The
first few rides chafed my arse until I either got used to it or the grip wore down a
bit. The cover I chose had the gripper part of the seat on the top and sides, as
opposed to the kind that have a gripper surface only on the top. It had a small
amount of graphics at the rear of the cover, and it didn't take long to rub off some
of the orange color from the inside lamination. I finally did tear the cover by
some fluke, where I dumped the bike against a broken-off tree branch. Even so,
two years with a seat cover isn't half bad.
Brake Snake
Don't buy it...mine didn't survive its first ride. This is a product designed to keep
trail junk from wedging between the brake pedal and the clutch cover. Not sure if
I installed it wrong or what, but a couple strands of safety wire work just as well
and cost about 1% of the brake snake.
Smith Goggles with Sweatbuster face foam
Not sure why it took me so long to discover the magic of thick face foam on
goggles, but it's been a huge improvement. For ten years I stuck with Scott 89
goggles and put up with sweat being flung against the inside of the goggle lens
after healthy jolts. No more with the Smith Sweatbuster foam. I used them
during the 2004 season and never had an incident of sweat dripping down the
inside of the goggle lens. Check out the difference between Smith Top Fuel
(with Sweatbuster) and Scott 89's:
The Scott 89's do have a slightly larger lens, but I never noticed the smaller
Smith lens while I was riding.
Moose Racing Over-the-Boot Pants
On a whim, I bought a set of these pants from my buddy David Brewster and
tried them out in Colorado in 2006. If you don't like cleaning mud from your
boots, these are the pants. Plus, they have several pockets and an infinitely
adjustable waist belt, which is great for odd-sized waists like mine. Not sure I'd
race in the pants, but they are great for long trail rides where you want some
extra space for odds and ends that fit into pockets. With the pant legs exposed
all the way down to the ends of your boots, the lower part of the legs will get
abused a bit more. In the winter time, these also make great ski pants during
moderate-temperature outings (in combination with long socks like the Fly
socks below).
Motocross Socks
Knee guards chafing your legs? Well, get yourself a pair of up-to-the-knee
socks and chafe no more. I love my Fox Pivot knee guards but they rub in
uncomfortable areas. The socks take care of this completely.
Knee Guards
So here's a rant for y'all: they all suck. I've been using knee guards in one form
or another since 1993 and have yet to find a pair that feels good and doesn't
crack when you whack your knee against a big rock. The pricier versions are
less prone to cracking, but all of them have straps that rub my legs raw. Sure,
you can throw on a pair of long socks, but who wants another layer of clothing
on a 95-degree day? My latest pair is the $65 Fox Raptor's, which look nice and
have some pretty thick plastic pieces that extend all the way up to the thigh. The
guards are actually three pieces, connected by riveted hinges. After a couple
rides, the rivets started falling out. Some I was able to recover inside my pants;
those I covered with duct tape to keep from losing. The missing rivets were
replaced with nuts and bolts. Eventually I cut off the top two straps because they
rubbed so badly. They get the job done, that's about it.
Fox FX3 Boots (2008)
When you're a bonehead like me and do stupid things like forget to bring your
boots to an enduro, every once in awhile you find yourself a little epiphany.
Sometimes you get what you pay for, and the Fox FX3 boots I bought in
desperation on the way to the race just happened to be the most comfortable
(and most expensive) boots I've every owned. No break-in period. Absolute
comfort right out of the box. I have managed to lose a couple boot straps, which
were replaced free of charge by Fox, but after several races I have no
complaints.
| Putting all the goodies to use |
| Acerbis front disc guard on the KX250. This works better on the KX than on the KTM's. |
| Braking oversize rotor on the KX250 |
| Fox Raptor knee guards |
| Fox Boots |
