Mr KIA

THE 300 MYSTERY Dear Mr. Know-It-All, Why are all the current large-displacement two-strokes 300cc? I see that 250s exist because of racing-class rules, but why don’t we have 350cc or 400cc two-stroke off-road bikes? The old Husky and…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My 2008 WR250F has been sitting for over six months, and I had drained the fuel in the float bowl before I stored it. I’ve never had a problem with clogged jets, but this time when I turned on the fuel, gas was…
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BIG-TIME LEAKER Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I recently performed a complete rebuild on my ’02 CR250R. While all turned out great, I have one stinking issue. A few hours after throwing the bike on a stand following the break-in ride, I began to…
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FATTY FRONTS Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I’m an off-road rider who is older and chunkier, but I love to ride in the desert. I have been seeing a lot of coverage on these “fatty” front tires. What do you think? Would one of them be a good choice…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I recently bought a Beta 390 RR-S dual-sport bike. I love the bike but don’t care for the handlebars or the cramped riding position. The Beta top triple clamp has three holes for bar adjustment, plus the bar clamp…
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BETA OIL SPILL Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2020 Beta 300RR. I recently noticed after my last ride that there was a bit of oil seeping from behind my countershaft sprocket. I confirmed that it wasn’t excess chain lube and was indeed…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2020 Beta 300RR that is oil injected, and I love the bike dearly. The bike has almost 200 hours, and I want to replace the reeds when I do my first top end. Since the oil line routes directly into the…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I run a Tubliss system on my Husky dual-sport bike on both ends. My main reasoning is that I can change tire pressures to improve traction, and if I puncture the tire, the bead will (or should) stay on so I can ride…
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To the honorable and all-knowing Mr. Know-It-All, I am the proud owner of a 2003 KTM 525EXC. It has been very reliable over the last 17 years and has been through thick and thin with me. One thing that has never worked as well as I wish…
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NEGLECTED Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I’m truly annoyed! I just opened my regularly scheduled Dirt Bike Sunday e-mail to find you gave a spot-on answer to one John Barnhart about his issues with the 2020 KTM 250XC TPI. My bone (rage by now)…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My 2017 GasGas  300 has been giving me a headache lately. The problem lies in the rear brakes; they keep locking up from getting too hot. I’ve adjusted them and made sure that the pedal isn’t too high up. While riding…
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WR450F PISTON REPLACEMENT? Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I am a slightly overweight, 50-plus-year-old slow guy who has enjoyed my 2005 Yamaha WR450F since purchasing it new in 2004. I religiously service the bike myself, including regular oil and…
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STUFFED POTATO Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My 2003 KX125 has started running as if someone stuffed a giant Idaho spud down the throat of its exhaust. It’s super rich and loads up badly. It has a fresh motor all around from top to bottom. I…
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BAFFLED Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2002 KX250. I love the bike, but recently it has started running very rich. It’s not losing transmission oil, so I know the crank seal is okay, and I’ve played with a million needles and pilot jets…
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A FASHION RISK Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a fashion question for you. Do you know of a vented/warm-weather off-road pant that has a slimmer-than-normal knee area for those of us who don’t yet wear knee braces? The local shops have a…
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SHE HAS A BLEEDER Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I recently changed the coolant on my 2001 KDX200. After pouring in the fresh coolant, I was skimming through my shop manual and realized the bike has an air bleeder on the cylinder head for the…
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A 480-POUND POGO STICK Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I bought a 2015 KTM 1290 Super Adventure new, and I love everything about it except the suspension. The rear suspension has exceptionally light damping to the point where the bike just pogos up…
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Dear Mr K I'm a two stroke guy who hasn't owned a two-stroke in years. Somewhere I gave in to peer pressure and got a used Suzuki RM-Z250. Unfortunately, I love it. It's unfortunate, because I have now ridden it for over 250 hours with…
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TELL ME WHAT TO DO! Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2020 KTM 250XC TPI. Love the handling and suspension. Only “like” the motor performance. Stock, the motor is spluttery at partial throttle openings from low- to mid-range…
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