Which bike is the better deal?

[KnoxKDX]

Differences in a 250sx and 360sx?

I just sold my KDX and thought I would get out of riding for a while, but don't think I can do it...already have the fever. There are 2 bikes for sale nearby that seem like decent deals and I thought I'd get some opinions on it from some folks who have ridden these. What are the differences in size between the 2 of these bikes as far as dimensions go? The bikes in question are a 96 360sx and a 98 250sx..thanks fellas.

 

[fuzz]

The 98 is more narrow than the 96. It is also more nimble and less "Euro" feeling than the 96. The 360 wasn't very good and personally, I'd stay away.

 

[k-ryder]

what fuzz said.....heard some of the 360's are evil ?

 

[CMcCarthy]

The 98 is dimensionally the same as a 2004, so all the plastic and stuff like that will interchange. This will make finding replacement "woods damaged" part much easier. It also has the same engine as my 99 250 EXC, which has proven to be bulletproof. That is by far your best choice.

 

[KnoxKDX]

thanks for the views, guys. I think that is the routeI shall likely take. I really haven't heard much good about the 360 other than she's the usually the biggest girl in the bar. Reiliability and ergos seem to be strong negatives for this one.

 

[Patman]

Actually as the past owner of a '96 KTM360 I'll have to disagree with the reliability issue and it not being "very good". This was indeed a bike that was heavier than a newer design but not XR600ish by any means. It offered open class power in a more managable package and in the case of the E/XC made for an awesome woods bike. The pipe needs to be replaced as it's not adequate in design being a 250 pipe. The jetting becomes much easier to dial once this is done and for some a decompression hole makes stalling less of an issue though I never had problems. Eric Gorr has tons of valuable insight in to 2 strokes and he had just the ticket for giving me "3 stroke" power by changing the setup of the power valve. Why did I sell it if it was sooo great? Because I needed something that was less of a race bike to ride with my son now that he's on a bigger bike. Is the 360 the be all end all bike? Nope but it IS quite a bit better than most folks who speak from hear say would lead you to believe. If I was choosing between the two bikes I would base the decision on if I was going to race or not and the actual condition of the bikes. A well maintained 360 is better than a beat '98 for a fun ride any day but might not be the ticket to race.

 

[ktmboy]

It's true: the 360 is evil.........very evil............and very fun to ride. When short-shifted it has almost 4-stroke like power, but when allowed to 'come on the pipe' it can be scary fast. With a judicious use of throttle control it can be an effective weapon.

And it's so cool to be able to shut off the throttle on a nasty hillclimb, then jump back in it and be right back on the pipe!

 

[KnoxKDX]

The suspense of riding the 360 and mystique that surrounds it is killing me, so I'm off to test drive tomorrow afternoon. Thanks again for the replies :cool: Ths bike is an SX, so even though the tank is kinda small, does anyone know if the IMS tank that says it's for the M/EXC work for the SX, also? If not, why?

 

[yota]

The shock on he 98's was the worst. If you can get a newer shock go for it. The 360 is a very good machine, a great shock, great motor (very reliable), and turns good. The fork was the weakest part but managable.

 

[CMcCarthy]

I don't know about interchangeability on the 96 stuff but for a 98-up any 2 stroke MXC/EXC/SX tank will interchange, as long as you have the correct shrouds for that tank.

The 4 stroke tanks fit too, but they are worth considerably more money so you aren't likely to stumble across one of those.

 

[KnoxKDX]

Well, I'm kinda bummed. I went and looked at the 360 and was less than impressed with this one. It is an SX with a 14oz fww, an MXC tank, new light orange plastic (the old style), new pipe and silencer, and somehow, I still didn't even make an offer on it. There is something to be said for a well maintained bike. This was not one of them. The countershaft seal was leaking pretty good, and the bottom of the case had soooo much oil on it I couldn't tell where it was coming from for certain. Also, the right fork appeared to be bent as well as the subframe. As for the power delivery...It would hardly run in first gear, let alone idle. I can't see how anyone could ride it slow...seems to me you have to pretty much hope you are pointed in the right direction when you hit 2nd gear.

 

[Patman]

The FMF pipe and silencer is THE hot ticket when combined with cleaned up jetting which typically involves a new (leaner) slide and the reed spacer block (chunk of aluminum). From the sounds of it the bike was not treated well nor ever sorted out. It's also possible it had the #1 head which when combined with not doing anything to sort the bike made it a problem child. The #5 head (lower CR) or adding the decompression hole or just spending the time to get the bike dialed or a combination of the above made all the difference in the world.

Green Horn knows how a properly setup 360 runs (he bought mine) and I'll testify he knows how much trouble 1st gear can get you in if you rev it :laugh:

 

[Vortex(Oldschool)]

I live in Knoxville Tn also.
I was wondering what places there are to ride besides Winrock and Royal Blue

 

[KnoxKDX]

Well, we have ridden in Rockwood at the Airport exit and also in Crab Orchard just below Black Mnt State Park (talk to the folks at the BP station off that exit). Also, have you tried Windrock on the Lake City side?

 

[ktmboy]

Sorry to hear the 360 you looked at was such a rat bike. As Patman said, a well-prepped 360 is a kick to ride, and can easily be ridden in the tight with proper technique.
When I first got mine I thought it was a real hand-full in the turns because I was trying to ride it like a 250----on the pipe. I did some research and found out that open bikes can actually be ridden faster in tight corners when short-shifted because you eliminate some of the wheelspin. You feel slower but actually carry more speed. This method has worked well for me on our SoCal Wrecking Crew rides through the 'Manzanita Trail', a trail so tight that many of the newbies come away with bloody fore-arms!
Good luck with whatever bike you end up finding! I think you would be happy with any of the orange bikes, even the 'bad' years. A lot of it is just proper set-up.

 

[RTL]

Say it aint so...

After the EG port job? :yikes: Mike, what gives? You actually talked me out of selling my X, and now you are looking at pumpkins? Whaz up with that? Did you sell it to Vol Rider? John W has a sweeet YZ 250 with all of the woods stuff for sale... Worth looking into... :cool:

 

[KnoxKDX]

I know, I suck! I just never liked the suspension on the KDX and didn't want to dump anymore money into it. But, the KDX was and is still a great bike!!! The guy I sold it to lives down in Noogie and has already sent me an email saying he still can't get the smile off his face. What's dude want for his woods ready YZ (although I think I'm going orange on this one).

 

[RTL]

I know, I suck! I just never liked the suspension on the KDX and didn't want to dump anymore money into it. But, the KDX was and is still a great bike!!! The guy I sold it to lives down in Noogie and has already sent me an email saying he still can't get the smile off his face. What's dude want for his woods ready YZ (although I think I'm going orange on this one).

John is Reesknight on DRN, check out his bike with pics in the F/S forum.. He is asking $2900, which is a good price for his 01 YZ 250...

 

[Reesknight]

KnoxKDX, check your PM's, I sent you one about a week ago about the bike. T-Roy, thanks for recommendation!!

 

[KnoxKDX]

Ahhh...I forgot I have pm capability now.

 

[Reesknight]

Ahhh...I forgot I have pm capability now.

Just sent you another one!! You can also set it to email you when you get a PM.