Kx 65

[gettr]

Hey all.... Just bought my boy (8), a new '09 KX 65.. I hope I can wait till Christmas...

I wanna do the washer mod... any other good mods for a younger (less experienced) rider?

Thanks...

[Nickx65]

My vote is Not doing washer mod , he will only twist the throttle when he feels comfortable . The Kx65 is a great bike and he can lug it around and still have fun while he learns to ride with confidence.

Although you might foul a plug or two (because he wont be riding on the pipe)

The power will always be there , If and when he wants it .

The best mod for a young rider on a 65 is "SEAT TIME" ...

Ride safe and Have FUN !

[Nickx65]

gettr,

Where do you ride in Illinois ?

[thumper dad]

I liked the washer mod because it was my sons first clutch bike and gave me the peice of mind I needed, until he mastered the clutch.

[shortyr6]

My vote is Not doing washer mod , he will only twist the throttle when he feels comfortable . The Kx65 is a great bike and he can lug it around and still have fun while he learns to ride with confidence.

Although you might foul a plug or two (because he wont be riding on the pipe)

The power will always be there , If and when he wants it .

The best mod for a young rider on a 65 is "SEAT TIME" ...

Ride safe and Have FUN !

100% agree.

[John45]

100% agree.

+1 i didnt do the washer mod and my son hasnt had any issues. He is also 8 and is 55" tall and 72#.

[gettr]

Thanks for the reply all! He's going pretty good on his CRF50... I think it's time for the step-up. I guess I'm just worried (and shouldn't be probably) about the clutch...

Nick, we usually ride at Fox Valley Off Road, which is near Wedron. I'd like to take him to try Ki, but don't know much about it..

[Nickx65]

Nick, we usually ride at Fox Valley Off Road, which is near Wedron. I'd like to take him to try Ki, but don't know much about it..

Cool , we ride there too ....

We started racing in the Arsenal series at Joliet mx , which is a cool place to ride also.

They have a nice 50 track that your son would enjoy .

[kdub442]

When it comes to Mods. Probably the most valuable mod we did was ASV adjustable levers. We didn't buy the super nice ones, but got the F1 short levers. They put the brake and clutch lever in a much easier position for the small hands. We put a aftermarket pipe the FMF fatty. I don't know if it made a HP increase, but it broadened the powerband. Made it much more user friendly. The biggest complaint by most parents is the on / off of the KX power band.

[wjw11teen]

throw a 14 tooth front sprocket on it too.. it will help him learn to slip the clutch out a little and also soften up the hit a little...

invest in a few quality spark plugs..you might need them till he learns to rid in the pipe a little more...

be patient with him....one of these days he just may be launching 60 ft. doubles and wide open through the whoops....and you might start wishing he was back to killing it in the back yard again.....

enjoy!

[Smacaroni]

I liked the washer mod because it was my sons first clutch bike and gave me the peice of mind I needed, until he mastered the clutch.

This.

Also invest in a flywheel weight. I sold it separate from the bike so it basically cost half of retail from Steahly Offroad. If you're looking for used ones, one for a KX60 will also work, but you'll need to buy two or three extra gaskets from Kawasaki for clearance.

[gettr]

Good info... thanks all.

Anybody using the lowering links on their bikes? He sat on a KX65 with a 2" lowering link and it seemed to fit pretty good.. he's 72lbs and 52" tall... it was a bit tall, but, not too bad.

[wjw11teen]

its pretty easy to make lowering links..i made a set for my kid and all i used was 3/16 plate steel..a drill..and a grinder...

im pretty sure 3/8 in. droped the rear 1 1/2 and if you put risers on the bars you can drop the forks down quite a bit to help keep the bike feeling balanced

i stack drilled both ends for a more accurate finished product and they worked great...and they where free

[DerHossMeister]

I just made sure that his suspension was on the softest setting and it allowed enough sag for him get his feet down.

[Wandell]

The washer mod is great for a kid coming off a playbike. Also, if the bike is too tall, you can also shave the seat. Then just pic up a used on off ebay for when he grows taller.

[thumper dad]

its pretty easy to make lowering links..i made a set for my kid and all i used was 3/16 plate steel..a drill..and a grinder...

im pretty sure 3/8 in. droped the rear 1 1/2 and if you put risers on the bars you can drop the forks down quite a bit to help keep the bike feeling balanced

i stack drilled both ends for a more accurate finished product and they worked great...and they where free

What do you mean "stack drilled"?

[gsa102]

You can order longer links from Kawasaki (or Suzuki) for about $40 to lower the seat.

CR 85 links work as well and lower the seat about by 1 1/2". I got a set for about $15 on Fleabay.

Stack drilled is drilling them both at the same time, one stacked on top of the other, to make sure the holes are in exactly the same place.

[thumper dad]

Stack drilled is drilling them both at the same time, one stacked on top of the other, to make sure the holes are in exactly the same place.

Thanks

[jlmotox]

I would just let him ride it...just got my son a kx65 and our second trip out he is already ringing the crap out of that motor...took him a few mins to figure out the clutch but once he figured out he could just rev the piss out of the bike and dump the clutch and he was off...

my boy is 8 yrs old and came off a pw80...they pick up things quick!!

good luck!

[thumper dad]

I have had both pw80 and a crf 50 for my kids and there is no comparrison. Yes I would let my kids go full out on a 65 coming off a pw80, but not a crf50. The crf50 has half the power and speed of a pw80, which is half the speed and power of a 2 stroke 65.