Mr KIA

CHAINED AND GAGGED Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I require your wisdom. I ride a YZ250 two-smoker, primarily off-road but occasionally on an MX track. I was taught that I should only change my chain and sprockets all at the same time, and that it…
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ROCK AND ROLL Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I can’t seem to figure out how to ride through rock gardens that are basically fields of loose boulders. Each time I attempt one, the bike just deflects and flounders beneath me, which makes me dab my…
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BOILING UP Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I hope all has been well with you. I have a 2020 KTM 690 Enduro R that I use for light adventure touring and moto camping. With a stock 3.5-gallon tank, I knew I would either need to carry fuel or add an…
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WHAT A KOOK! Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I was in the middle of a rather large race last weekend, and midway through, my 2021 KTM 300XC started running like somebody stuffed a softball in the intake and wouldn’t idle or rev out. Upon trying to…
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SQUEAL LIKE A PIG Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I have a 2020 KTM 250XC TPI. Love the bike, really happy with it, but when I start it after it has cooled down, it makes a horrible squeal for a few seconds after the motor fires (electric start).…
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RANDOMLY BIZARRE Dear Mr. Know-It-All, Now I am ready for an all-new motorcycle. One I can buy and not fix it. I just want to ride it tuned to me—sag, tire pressure, fork oil, seat grip and handlebars, actual pull on the pipe and off,…
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YELLOW BOOST Dear Mr. Know-It-All, Hi, I’m looking to get some updates on the latest way to uncork the 2019 RMX450Z off-road bike. What is the latest way, parts, mods, to unleash the beast? You guys ran some tests and mods back in the…
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BRAKE TIME Dear Mr. Know-It-All, Should I beg for you to impart some of your great dirt bike knowledge? The way readers had to beg for a response from Rondo Talbot in the mid-’70s? I have a Husky, a KTM, and a new GasGas. When braking, I…
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MY HEAD HURTS Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I just purchased an S3 head for my 2020 KTM 300XC and have a problem. I opened the kit, and I see the included head O-rings and crush washers, but I have one extra O-ring; it’s a smaller size. Where on…
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BOXING WITH AIR Dear Mr. Know-It-All, Can I delete the airbox on my old Aprilia (Rotax 277cc) two-stroke (trials bike) and just install a clamp-on K&N air filter to the back end of the carb? Some people say the box is there and can’t…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My new-to-me 2007 RM250 won’t run properly. It runs super rich and stalls on every downhill. I can’t keep the thing running for the life of me. It has fresh fuel and a clean, well-jetted carb. It is a new issue that…
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STUCK IN THE MIDDLE Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My exhaust valve in my 2017 300XC was absolutely stuck shut. Lacking snarl was an understatement. I was using Maxima Castor 927, partially because I liked the smell. You can’t use that oil. Darn…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, At one point in time, I got myself some brake pads that had an extra piece that I assumed was some sort of thick heat-reducing pad. It went between the pad and piston. This was several years ago, and I have continued…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My 2005 KLX300 has been running horribly, and I have nowhere else to turn. I figured the carb was just dirty and have cleaned it spotless. But, even still, the bike’s idle is inconsistent, and when you get on the gas…
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Dear Mr. Know-It-All, My 2020 KTM 300XC has been making a horrible mess right around the power-valve cover. I’m not sure what kind of oil it is, but I’d expect that a new bike shouldn’t be leaking this bad. Please advise. Hoyt Oswald Via…
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CLOSED UP TIGHTER THAN A… Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I’m sick and tired of trail closures. Every time my buddies and I go to our local zones, there are always more trails fenced and closed each time. We ride respectfully, and most riders in…
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SAGGY Dear Mr. Know-It-All, Recommendations on rider shock sag are specified to the millimeter, yet my rider shock sag varies 5mm or more depending upon where I sit. Is shock sag measured when all the way up on the tank for cornering or…
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300 LACKS SNARL Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I purchased a 2020 KTM 300 XC TPI, and while I love the machine, it feels a bit docile when trying to get up on the pipe and revving the bike out. The bike has plenty of power, but lacks that snap and…
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FUEL QUERY Dear Mr. Know-It-All, I can’t remember a time before your column was in Dirt Bike, and I have been a reader since before Super Hunky left, yet I have never before asked a question. What is the order of preference concerning…
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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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