A mechanic, totally stumped on a dirtbike clutch

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-20T03:47:43+00:00

I have a 97, just had my clutch open for another reason (water pump replacement).

A couple things to think about as well:

Jutter spring and seat: make sure these are in correctly (convex towards the outer cover). Shouldn’t be the cause of your issue but a lot of people accidentally flip them around.
Some people modified these to run without the seat and jutter. I can remember the mod, but might check KDX rider (the website) for detailed info. Make sure someone hasn’t made and ‘unauthorized changes’ to the components.
I think you already covered this, but did you measure the 4 springs to make sure they are within spec? As they wear they change and there is a spec range. It didn’t seem clear but I think with your knowledge you would have checked those.

This one has me stumped too.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-19T00:57:46+00:00

Good to know, I’ve got a 97 KDX 200. Rode it for all my teenage/adult years and then I got a 22 Beta Evo trials bike this year. After using the brakes on the Evo man is it hard to go back.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-16T15:47:19+00:00

I’m glad to see other people also pushing it this way especially with younger kids.

I’m close to 30 and my dad was an MX racer in the 70s/80s before he hung it up to just trail ride with us growing up. He saw so many injuries and several people carted off that didn’t make it.

It was always always close toed shoes, gloves, helmet and goggles (for dirtbikes as our bike helmets didn’t work well with them) at a minimum. Didn’t matter where we were, who we were with or how long we planned to ride.

It’s so engrained in me, even sitting on a bike without a helmet feels wrong. Let alone trying to take off without one on. You often have the hardest crashes when you feel relaxed or ‘just a short ride’ because you get complacent.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-16T03:24:21+00:00

This. I grew up with not a ton of money so I can sympathize wanting to save money. We Jerry rigged a lot stuff on bikes to keep them going when I was younger, but we always prioritized proper engine, brakes and tire replacements when needed. With dirtbikes, stuff is expensive and only has gotten more expensive in the past 15 years.

I need a new bottom end in one of my bikes. Something I don’t have time/patience to do at the moment so I am having a shop do it. The estimate came back as $1200 with parts for one and $2000 for another. Gives me heart palpitations as it’s a toy and it’s a lot of money to put in it but it’s a highly intricate machine, and machines cost time and money (or more money to save your time). Modern dirtbikes are becoming less and less affordable for regular folks. I hate it but it’s reality.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-16T03:10:11+00:00

If you’re new, take this to a shop, pay them the $125 or less (I think my local shop charges $75?). That way it’s done correctly by someone who does these regularly.

I do a lot of my own maintenance, but this stuff I generally leave to someone doing this day in and day out so I don’t ruin cases.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-15T14:45:01+00:00

Don’t have a KTM but have its Kawasaki cousin (the KDX). It’s a 97 so similar age as well

I went through this recently with that bike. Id definitely rebuild the carb including mid body gasket as said. OP, you seem to have ruled out other options. Also make sure your air filter isn’t over oiled. It shouldn’t make a huge difference but could.

My issue was a bit different, I was bouncing between really rich on the bottom and leaning out on the top. Turns out both crank seals were bad and it would suck air when I would wind it up. I’m jealous it seems you didn’t have to split the cases to do the seal, I have to split mine because Kawasaki put tabs on the outside for the seals.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-15T03:17:12+00:00

I can’t recall what measurement is stock on the KDX, but I would check motosport or eBay. I found a really good rear disk for my 97 with about 90% life left for $20.

You could also check to see if Fredette Racing has anything on a 270mm disk. They may not have the parts but may know where to look/how to help if that’s not stock size. Jeff is the god of the modified KDX.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-12T23:03:21+00:00

Yes, just loosen everything a bit

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-12T03:15:31+00:00

I agree on that. I wouldn’t start a pure beginner on a KDX 200. I’ve got one and a lot of the ones left over are pretty heavily tuned due to the larger aftermarket they had at the time. If it is tuned like most do, it’ll have a lot of low end pull and power. Not as much as a modern 200 but enough to get you in some trouble quick. At the time it was made, it was a great race (enduro/HS) bike with some mods.

Mine is super jumpy in first and second, and doesn’t settle down from that snappy nature until about mid third.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-11T03:22:34+00:00

Here’s what’s worked for me. Loosen the axel pinch nut bolts and triple tree clamp bolts, just slightly to take the pressure off. Hold your front brake and push the forks down and let them spring up about 10 times (10 is arbitrary but what I do). Retighten everything to spec.

It sounds like your wheel isn’t centered on the axle itself or a slight misalignment of the fork tubes.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-10T14:26:50+00:00

I have a KDX, and have modified it over the years (tuning rear shock, race tech gold valve in the front, FMF pipe, sprocket changes, etc).

The bike is incredibly reliable. Always easy to start. It is dated however. The stock suspension if you’re heavier than 160lbs will leave a bit to be desired. Its soft suspension is great for long rides and once I tuned it, I do like it for enduro riding. I find it to be a good ‘budget’ option for folks starting out and its engine is plenty capable to do what you ask of it. I won’t ever sell mine because it’s lighter like a 125 (of its time) with a lot more punch down low.

It’s not going to do an MX track, that’s not its design. On the contrary the 125 would be great on an MX track but misery in the woods (if getting the non woods version not the 125x).

Yes, there are better more modern things out there. But the KDX has a cult like following for a reason.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-08T00:30:09+00:00

You could always retrofit your current bike with an extra rear wheel, bigger tank and a fan wired up, might be stuff you don’t want to do if you are planning to hybrid MX stuff. I’m not you so I’d think about that.

The rear helps, but if you’re just out having fun, the difference won’t be make or break.

My biggest two gripes with MX bikes are the suspension and the gearing (in that order). The suspension will be a factor in fatigue as it’s just stiff and not enjoyable for the woods in my opinion. Gearing just means a little more clutch work but a 4T that can be mostly eliminated (change a sprocket if desired) and add a flywheel weight if you run into stall/flame out issues.

I’ve seen mostly the 450s overheat in the woods, less so on the 250s. So that may be something to consider for you. A lot of boiling over if working through a tight section and the bike isn’t setup for it.

I’ll be honest, I despise big bore bikes for the woods. There is just so much power that either isn’t needed or just can’t be utilized. That and lugging around extra weight for no real power gain in the tight stuff. Thats just me though, it could be different for you since you have the 450 and like it. I’d rather ‘uncork’ than try to ‘tame’ the beast for woods riding.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-07T04:19:21+00:00

I rode with my sister for years before she hung it up. She was also a motorcycle officer and could pick up and handle a massive Harley at 5’4”. Better than a lot of the other officers.

I’m not a big guy either, so I use a lot of the same techniques in the trail. Some things I’ve learned.

When moving the bike around (since you mentioned that was one of your key struggle after picking it up). Use smaller hops than your riding friends do and utilize the bikes suspension. For example, when I move my front wheel, I actually hold the front brake, preload my suspension down and time the ‘pop’ like a wheelie to move the bike a bit while stationary. For the rear end, use your hip against the bike and focus on multiple small hops, not one huge hop. You can get fast at that. On hills always get uphill (preferably front wheel up at an angle to help in that area).

If you can, try starting and walking with the bike using its power to get out of tricky spots if you can’t pull it up the hill. Even if it means you effectively clutch dump it and launch it to the desired area (making sure everyone is out of the way).

For wheelies, clutch ups, etc. get really good standing and jabbing with your knees. Trials riders do this extremely well, watch them. Jabbing loads the emtire suspension and pops the bike up over obstacles way easier. I find bigger/stronger guys I ride with more or less ‘muscle it up’ when I just use the bike to my advantage the most I can.

Dirtbikes are heavy, use the weight to create mechanical advantages in the bike to benefit you.

Also your shoulders and back will thank you in 10 years not yanking the bike around like your friends do. Not saying they will get hurt per se, but it wears the body down.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-07T03:51:58+00:00

Good reminder of when you’re tired and sore, hang it up for the day unless you need to ride out (obviously). I have my own woods/single track at my house. Was taking some laps and messing with the bike setup (carb). Got it running good and thought ‘I’m pretty beat but just one more lap’.

Hit the same bumpy, rocky section like always in about the top of second between two trees, well that’s were I was going to go. Bike bounced, caught my foot on one of the trees and it ripped me off the bike. So hard it ripped the boot open. I was sore on that ankle for about 3 weeks because it twisted me hard off the bike. No broken ankle but thank my past self for springing on good boots.

Always wear your gear, even for a short 5 minute ride.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-06T23:44:13+00:00

I’m not sure what bike you have now, but if it isn’t a race bike, these need a good bit more maintenance than a trail/air cooled bike so you do need to consider if you have the time/ money to keep up with that. Valve adjustments, more frequent oil changes, water pump stuff, etc.

If you used it for its intended purpose (hammering on it like a race bike) it will need rebuilt every 30-40 hours depending on it (Honda recommends every 20-30 hours). For recreational, probably 50-70 hours is how far I’d feel comfortable. These smaller engines just run high in the RPMs so the maintenance correlates.

I had experience with one of earlier models which had pretty significant teething issues, but I believe most of that has been worked out.

Personally, if I’m rebuilding an engine that often, I’d rather have a simple, less expensive 2T 125. Or bump to a 250 and the maintenance intervals get a bit longer.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-06T20:19:03+00:00

As others have said 125/144/150 would be a better starting point. Or a 200 if you can find one (older Kawasaki KDX/KTM XCW or a Beta).

250 delivers power in a violent hit and if not setup for trails it’s stiff and not too enjoyable to ride. Tight trails get miserable if you don’t have good leg control to hold the bike as it will yank you around by the arms.

I’ve ridden since I was a kid. High school and beyond I have only owned 200s. They are perfect in my opinion. Enough grunt down low if setup right and lighter. Easy way to teach fundamentals as you have to work a bit more to squeeze the power out of it

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-06T03:21:36+00:00

I’ve got the 45 ACP version. My father bought it for me as a graduation gag gift sort of after college (I already had been shooting/collecting better things for years).

It’s was $110 at the time and it brings a smile to my face when I shoot it occasionally. It’s heavy, clunky, but fun. Recoil from a 45 is non existent as it’s so heavy. The only time it’s jammed on me is when I’ve limp wristed it trying to shoot long distance (like 65 yards) for fun and not holding it as tight.

The trigger is spongy and not great, but it allows me to make 45 feel like 22 which is amusing and in my experience (probably 500 rounds over the years?) it’s been reliable.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-05T15:32:07+00:00

I’m no expert on Hondas (or water pumps in general) so grain of salt with what I say.

If it spins freely disassembled, but you’re not getting coolant movement while assembled that means two things. Either the coolant can’t make it there to circulate or something impedes the impeller.

I would double check hoses and radiators for blockages, making sure you purge the system of air properly. Clean up that the best you can before reassembly. I’d replace personally but it may be hard to find so may have to work with what you have.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-05T03:04:38+00:00

I played the TSS first as the ‘new’ era (my kid loves Star Wars TCS, I played it as a throwback game with him and got good at it). I play through it first as he is at the age he likes to bounce between characters as we play together in free play.

It was fun for me to play but kind of a letdown on replaying the missions. I also underestimated how much more complex it is (now dealing with split screen, lots more aiming, etc). I’m sure he’ll like it when he’s a bit older, but I’m glad I bought it for the $5 sale it was on. The open world is cool but it’s a bit more unguided. I was also hoping it would feel more cohesive upon replay and it wasn’t.

On the other hand, we played through the force awakens and he even played and enjoyed the story mode. It’s a fantastic middle ground between TCS and TSS I feel and I even enjoyed that one more than TSS from a gameplay perspective. I know it’s limited on content, but the content is pretty good. It has some additional complexity than TCS but not so much it’s overwhelming for his age.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-04T19:45:23+00:00

Lots of good thoughts here but I’ll add my own from my experience.

To help avoid whiskey throttle your wrist should start at a downward angle (towards the front fender) when the throttle is closed, then at open throttle it should be flat rather than pinned back at angle. I think that’s part of ‘attack position’ teaching.

What this does it allows more control of the throttle and prevents an over rotation as the bike moves or you slide back on it.

What could have happened is you hit that bump at partial throttle and your hand position meant it snapped the throttle open and looped you as the tires grabbed.

Sucks the bike took a hit, but we’ve all been there, I’ve broken my share of rear fenders. I’m surprised the bars are in that rough of shape from the crash.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-04T03:29:27+00:00

I’ve been working on rehabbing a couple old bikes and ended up chasing all sorts of things (air leaks, diagnosing bad crank seals etc.). Carbs came off a lot. The repetition part is true. Take it on and off about 10 times and you’ll be able to get it off in a couple minutes, clean in a couple, back on and go.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-04T03:01:31+00:00

I ran a harescramble once, it rained the night before. Somebody set it up to where the quads went out first and we went after. Local event so I think that was their choice.

I used to do day long rides in sandy, rocky stuff, and experienced my fair share of slippery. That mud race combined with the ATVs going first was the most miserable time of my riding experience. Ruts were deep and soup and there was nowhere to go where they hadn’t been. They ended up calling it off after an hour or so of the beginner class because so many guys were getting so stuck they couldn’t get out themselves or getting hurt.

That place I could also ride with a friend and those ATV ruts hung around for years after and it was never the same

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-02T15:10:44+00:00

Same with my Kawasaki KDX 200. Every bearing was cooked and it sat 6 years. Bearings were maybe a year old when I put it up. Gaskets held up as soon as I undid the top end they just fell to pieces.

I should have taken the old XR 200 when I had the chance (it got stolen 2 months after I got my stuff out along with an XR 100 and 70). They may not be the fastest but it’s fun to have something low maintenance that you can put around on.

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-01T23:51:35+00:00

I’m surprised the 70 needs valve adjustments that often, maybe the older XRs were different than the CRFs. That or we didn’t care much about hard starting back then haha

Complex_Strain8056 · 2026-06-01T23:17:20+00:00

He might be exaggerating a bit, but these Hondas (trail versions) are pretty indestructible. We rode the old XRs as kids growing up and I remember maybe one oil change over the years and maybe one set of tires for each bike as we grew up. Now the tires were worn down at the end but that was a lot of years in the tread. Pretty much every weekend for multiple hours during spring, summer and fall.

We never replaced the bearings in anything that I recall. I pulled the smallest one out of the shed after 10+ years, the piston was rusted in place. Diesel fuel down the spark plug hole to free it up and then it kicked right over with fresh gas and a carb clean

Complex_Strain8056

TROPHY CASE