Handle Bar Stabilizer

[bouillion]

Anyone using a handle bar stabilizer on a KX-125? If so, what brand and how do you like it?

Considering one for my 05 model.  Thanks

[Motorrad]

I dont have any experiance with your bike.. But I can give you my oppinion on stabilizers I have used..  Hope it helps ya some...

On my 640 KTM. (dual sport bike, that well I push faster than most guys on off road bikes).
   Have a full on Emig racing setup. (tripple clamps, underbar damper, etc)   Very nice fit and finish.   
    PRo's-   One click from full Off to Full ON... makes it nice... as well as 12?13? differant settings.
                Very VERY nice machine work on all his parts...
                Clamp on stem is a work of art, and no welding on frame!
                 Dealing with Gary Emig... You call the company, he answers the phone, runs the machines, etc etc. will make you ANYTHING.

    Cons-    No fast speed circiut (like scotts). so its either on or off... hit a root rock etc while its off, its all on you...
                Doesnt get stiff enough for my liking (emig said he can fix this for me, but havnt sent it to him yet)
                when out in the sun for long periods of time (say 100deg and above) the knob becomes hard to turn (I assume its     expanding and putting too much pressure on an oring in there??


On My Kx500, and about 4 other of my bikes.. (setup to move one damper around)
        Scotts (ohlins)
      I race desert with this, if your on a track... dont know how good scotts is on a track (I hear GPR is good for track use??)
    Pro's-  Slow and fast speed circiut... Makes it nice, you can have the damper shut off.. and if you hit a rock, it will dampen the hit...
             Kits to fit just about ANY BIKE known to man
   Cons.   takes about 4 full 360deg revolutions of the knob to get from "Full off to Fullon"
              It is never actually OFF... it always provides some dampening (where the emig is nice)
             Fit and finish of the stem, etc is deff mass produced. (not pretty to look at)
              The knob it comes with is SMALL SMALL SMALL... hard to reach up at 100mph in a wash and adjust.  I put on the "Large knob" and it helps. but fits loose, I glued it to the shaft, which helped...
             
               

[bouillion]

Thanks, a little technical for me.  I'm a beginner just kind of getting back to riding with my son.  We ride woods.  I dropped a KDX220r motor in the kx chassis and since its a little squirrely on the trails I'm trying to decide whether to re-valve suspension or add a stabiler?  I just recently changed out the rear rim to a 18" and placed a 120/100-18 Maxxis IT on it.  Haven't been in the woods since. 

[myckmcclung]

I have an 07 KX250 that I ride woods
I run a GPR sub bar mount
i set it around 3 depending on the temperature
seems it gets real firm when the weather is cold
it is great!!!!

[bouillion]

Thanks, I was looking at the GPR sub bar mounts but I didn't fine a model for a 2005 KX 125?  I only found the old version 1 models which fit above the bars.

[dirtjunkie85]

I don't have on on the 125, but on the 450 I have a GPR and love it.

[myckmcclung]

The condition you are describing is the same every 03-08 KX 125&250 owners have, the fork rake is too steep, and the dogbone link is too short, the only real fix is to get the 3mm longer link,or raked out clamps, but no one makes the clamps and they don't fix the issue of the quick rising rate of the shock from the short dogbone, and Pro Circuit is out of the dogbone, with no plans to manufacture more.
Installing a steering dampner will only mask the issue not make it better, the shock will still buck and make the fork feel harsh, and the rake will still be too steep causing the twitchy feel.
Drop the forks as far down as they will go in the clamps (fork tube top flush at the cap/tube top gap) , set your race sag at 120mm. use a lot of rebound dampening (4-8 out from full clockwise) to keep the rear end low/slower rise.
Also depending on your weight, take out some compression from both the fork and shock. I was running 18 out on both w/ stock valving & springs on my 250,( same suspension, you have softer springs.
Revalve the suspension, get the proper spring rates for your weight,
If it's still twitches then get the steering dampner. I run one, but it is to fight deflection from off camber roots, not mask the issues I had with the geometry.

[mdw471]

I dont have any experiance with your bike.. But I can give you my oppinion on stabilizers I have used..  Hope it helps ya some...

On my 640 KTM. (dual sport bike, that well I push faster than most guys on off road bikes).
   Have a full on Emig racing setup. (tripple clamps, underbar damper, etc)   Very nice fit and finish.   
   
On My Kx500, and about 4 other of my bikes.. (setup to move one damper around)
        Scotts (ohlins)
           

Do the Emig and Scotts stabilizers work in both directions?

I have noticed that the MX style keeps a rock from jerking the bars out of your hands and then allow you to return to neutral steering with little resistance. The DT and roadrace styles typically offer resistance in both directions.

We have used a WER product with great success.

Mark

[2-Stroke Tom]

First, adding either a Scotts or GPR stabilizer to your bike will be an improvement, regardless of the large amount of positive caster associated with a '05 KX125. Within reason, more caster makes the bike more stable at higher speeds, while less caster makes the bike easier to turn. If head shake that is experienced at higher speeds is decreased by use of a stabilizer, and it prevents you from taking a spill, this is an improvement no matter which way you look at it.

Since bouillion stated he is riding woods, maybe high speed head shake is not as much of an issue, so either the Scotts or GPR would be fine. From my personal experience (and this is just my opinion), if you're going to be riding at high rates of speed, like desert racing, having high speed dampening like the Scotts is an advantage, but plenty of desert racers still run the GPR.

The fact that the Scotts is always dampening, and can't be shut off like the GPR doesn't really seem like a disadvantage because I can't think of any riding condition that you would benefit form zero dampening. Even the pros in supercross with all of those tight turns have some dampening set up on their bike if they choose to run a stabilizer.

As previously mentioned, dropping your forks down into the clamps and setting the proper sag and rebound will greatly help the "raked out" feel of the bike.

[bouillion]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, I know absolutely nothing about suspension tuning.  We don't do any high speed riding, only woods.  If and when I hit fourth gear I use it as a reminder I'm going too fast (old bones heal slow).  myckmcclung identified my issue -  deflection.  I've considered doing a little suspension tuning also however, waiting to see if the daughter is  going to step up from the 100 she is riding now anytime soon before doing something I can deal with for now.