An educated discussion in futility

[Modding_out]

My Klt may be a fast little booger, but lets be honest, it's only 185cc's. Translate that figure into real numbers..... your prolly only looking at 179cc of actual displacement :wondering

Now my question is two fold, one theoretical question and one actual dilemma, I think I'll start with my problem.

Some of you have heard me say my neighbor has a 86 350x nice bike right? I have and 86 klt 185....not as nice:( Well long story short were going to go riding this summer and while it's obvious my bike can't hold a candle to the X what can I do to my KLT to make my demise less painful? It's shaft drive so I can't gear up, it has a not existent after market support, but I do need new tires,the largest I've found that fit the rims are 22" (11x8)....Bolt on options? not much There is however a faint glow worm of hope, I am a hobby machinist and my Dad is master tool&die maker, so any thing I can do, he can do better:lol: So what are my options? no matter how ludicrous I'm willing to listen, some thing might just be crazy enough to work.

Now more my theoretical question: is there any #$#%% difference between 185s engine and 200s engine? I mean really, who is gonna notice 15cc(idk what the number is, but it's pretty small) when your riding.....

[dcreel]

I'd sell it and get a bigger trike.

[oldtoys72]

I'd sell it and get a bigger trike.

I second that!

[Modding_out]

Sorry guys, that's not an option. haha I don't sell I horde **cough** I uhh mean collect! things that I purchase.......If any thing, I'd buy a 350x but I'm a little strapped for cash atm so I'm working with what I've got.

I'm prolly just gonna maybe get a larger carb (don't quote me on this one) Weld my self up a 3 or 4 stage exhaust system and find some 25" tires.

[fabiodriven]

Check this out-

You have 22x11x8's on it? Put a set of some modern 20" tires on it like Titan Fast Trekkers or RAZR's or something like that. It will both gear it down and make it able to slide around corners. The only down side is a slower top speed. How fast do you really need to go on that thing though? If you put the 20's on another set of rims you can swap the two sets of wheels out for when you want to change the gearing and handling.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/Thewholefamdamily004.jpg

[fabiodriven]

I just now noticed you are thinking of putting 25's on that trike? Don't even waste your time with that. That little thing won't turn 'em worth a sh!t.

[hang&rattle]

Check this out-

You have 22x11x8's on it? Put a set of some modern 20" tires on it like Titan Fast Trekkers or RAZR's or something like that. It will both gear it down and make it able to slide around corners. The only down side is a slower top speed. How fast do you really need to go on that thing though? If you put the 20's on another set of rims you can swap the two sets of wheels out for when you want to change the gearing and handling.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/Thewholefamdamily004.jpg
I want...., I want...., I want. I dream of a KLT (85+). Every time I see one. I want one. I think they are the coolest, rare, trike that I'd love to own.

[Modding_out]

I just now noticed you are thinking of putting 25's on that trike? Don't even waste your time with that. That little thing won't turn 'em worth a sh!t.

Hmm I'll take note of what you say with the tire size... but would you mind explaining your answer more?

At the moment I'm running 22's and from a dead stop I can top out the first 3 gears very quickly(first gear is almost instantaneous) 4th and 5th aren't bad though it takes an appropriate amount of time before a shift is required. I don't know what your 160 does but my 185 is geared pretty low. Now how would 20" tires help me if I'm already doing death revs by the time is takes me to shift in and out of 1st gear?


Now before any one jumps on here and says "dude your clutch is shot" Trust me there is no excess slippage, I'm sure it could use rebuild, but the engine is not howling like banshee while I'm barley moving. quite the opposite.

[fabiodriven]

From what you're saying you must be doing a lot more high speed riding than I would have guessed. That machine is made for farting around the yard and the woods. If you're blowing through the gears and you don't have enough top speed than you should just get a bigger machine. I'll tell you right now that trike isn't going to like 25's.

[Modding_out]

I literally do EVERY thing with my KLT......

I race around my yard, I go mud bogging, I go racing down the rail road tracts, I come back, find some more mud, I hitch the trailer to it an do farm work, I find some high water to wash it off, pull doughnuts in the water, find some boulders to crawl around on in first gear, go through the woods to my neighbors house "fall" into the creek, continue to toward neighbors house in the creek, race around his yard ,come home, find the boulders again, race around my own yard, put my much loved KLT back in the barn. That concludes a normal day :lol: :TrikesOwn

[Modding_out]

Sooooo.....Any tire size/type suggestions for my, uh....."riding style"....

[oscarmayer]

in sort despite what you wan tto do, your trike will not compete against a sport trike. if you want to do more, buy a 2nd trike. there's a reason yours is a worker and the 350x is a x style (x=motocross/cross country). It was built from Honda to compete and ride faster than a normal trike or yours a worker bee.

[fabiodriven]

Sooooo.....Any tire size/type suggestions for my, uh....."riding style"....

Dude, we've discussed 20's, 22's, and 25's. What else do you want to talk about?

[jb2wheels]

... what can I do to my KLT to make my demise less painful? ...

Quit worrying about it - just go ride and have fun. If the ride is just a, "Mine's bigger than yours," contest it's just gonna get old fast.

[RubberSalt]

Get some pro wedge tires, they don't last amazingly long on pavement or anything besides sand and snow, but they ROCK. Smoother ride, variable gearing thanks to the massive expansion of the tire at high speeds. and 22inch to start with.

At low speeds they are 22 inches. At high speeds, they could be 25 inches, this is a guestimate.

Maxis 4-snow, pro wedge and i think the ams zippers

You could make the bigger exhaust like your saying. Cut the valves and try putting in some bigger 1s. Don't know how well they would work, but you could try valves from a KLT200 or something. Get a 26mm carb. The KLT200 uses a 26mm, that should be a sign. Mill the head down a hair for higher compression.

[acidburn]

my honda 185s has 25" tires however there only duro 2 ply so they are really light. also im not sure if its stock gearing but this thing has alot of power from bottom to top

[Modding_out]

Get some pro wedge tires, they don't last amazingly long on pavement or anything besides sand and snow, but they ROCK. Smoother ride, variable gearing thanks to the massive expansion of the tire at high speeds. and 22inch to start with.

At low speeds they are 22 inches. At high speeds, they could be 25 inches, this is a guestimate.

Maxis 4-snow, pro wedge and i think the ams zippers

You could make the bigger exhaust like your saying. Cut the valves and try putting in some bigger 1s. Don't know how well they would work, but you could try valves from a KLT200 or something. Get a 26mm carb. The KLT200 uses a 26mm, that should be a sign. Mill the head down a hair for higher compression.

I'll have to look into those tires, they sound promising. I wonder how much i can take off the head before I run into timing chain problems. 30 thousands should be plenty.



Dude, we've discussed 20's, 22's, and 25's. What else do you want to talk about?

I want to feel confident I made the right tire choice, more specifically what type/ tread pattern, because being a college student I can only blow $80+ on tires once.....at least for now. When I graduate in like 4 years I'm guaranteed a job and should be roll'in in dough, till I get married :crazy:

[250x]

no one else's seems to hacve caught where fabiodriven stated to put smaller tires on it for more top speed? your nuts bud..lol smaller tires give it more bottom, bigger tires more top and less bottom. your tires look pretty good, if your looking for a little more out of it and to slow down the quick rev, just go down 1-3 teeth in your rear sprocket, or up 1 tooth in your front, that is a heck of alot easier to adjust your rev range/power/speed that way. 22 are a great size tire to use, especially on a trike.

[Modding_out]

Well your right, but I wouldn't have started this thread if I could do that but I can't cause it's shaft driven:wondering

[willreed03]

You need to get a bigger machine. You are trying to make your (analogy time) 4 cylinder geo metro compete against a corvette. Never gonna win, never even going to be close. The only thing you are going to do is spend money in the pursuit of the win and ultimately blow it up. The 185 is what it is and it is never going to be anything more. I don't mean to be rude or offensive because I am not trying to be, I just don't want you to waste time and money. Sell the 185 and go get a 250 stroke or a 350X if you want to go fast. Or trade it for a 200X.

[Modding_out]

Yea, I can't afford those sand and snow tires. It would appear that only the "4 snows" are guaranteed to expand and since they're out of production and the sand draggers like them, they go for a lot of $$.


What about some of those cheapy 2 ply fuzzy tires? Do you think if I got them also in 22's the would expand like the 4 snows?http://www.motocross.com/image.php/thumbnail.jpg?width=235&height=235&image=http://www.motocross.com/imgs/p_76813.jpg

I mean in the end I really don't care, but the idea of a expanding tire intrigues me....A little voice in the back of my head says it's prolly not that safe though.....

[fabiodriven]

no one else's seems to hacve caught where fabiodriven stated to put smaller tires on it for more top speed? your nuts bud..lol smaller tires give it more bottom, bigger tires more top and less bottom. your tires look pretty good, if your looking for a little more out of it and to slow down the quick rev, just go down 1-3 teeth in your rear sprocket, or up 1 tooth in your front, that is a heck of alot easier to adjust your rev range/power/speed that way. 22 are a great size tire to use, especially on a trike.

Way to pay attention noob. Try reading what I wrote again before opening your yap.

That may be the reason why you were "the only one who caught it".

Good luck changing sprockets on a shaft drive machine.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/rubioriqueno/epic-fail.jpg

Anything else you want to clarify for me?

Stating that 22's are a great tire to use on a trike is a matter of opinion. I personally hate 22's. They look goofy and they'll bounce you right off the trail.

[CRAZY70MAN]

I need more popcorn.............

[hang&rattle]

What you have is a great trike. And I agree with fabiodriven. All mine and my kids trikes have 18's and 20's (except 1). They are fasttrekkers and are cheap ($), but work well:http://motors.shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=fast+trekker+&_cqr=true&_nkwusc=fasttrekkers&_rdc=1. Racing and rodding around is won in the corners, the handling. Good tires will give you an edge. Also, they will get you to the last gear faster, help you keep up. I hate 22's or bigger, they handle terrible, not sticky enough. My son's Yt 125 even had 18's.

[Modding_out]

Yall, convinced me on those fast trekkers(not much to convince though I think they're sexxy:drool:)

[3W3W3W]

If you dont mind me asking HOW OLD ARE YOU?

[yooperman]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/rubioriqueno/epic-fail.jpg

.

fabio that is awsome where do you guys guys find these things or do you guys make em? i might have to rob it from ya lol.

this is better then going to the movies.

[fabiodriven]

It's a trade secret.;)

[Modding_out]

If you don't mind me asking HOW OLD ARE YOU?

Umm who are you talking too? you should try the quote feature, works wonders....

[oscarmayer]

guys, he's a kid. colledge student, so I would say about 19-20 maybe? LEts be a little nicer to the kids cause one day we will be the old farts and will have forgotten everything we know now and will have to get the newb info from kids like these. :/ said but it is true..

[Modding_out]

right on the money, I'm 19.

[ironchop]

back on topic......and stop poking Fabio with a sharp stick....he was being all nice and helpful for a minute until somebody ruined it...LMAO


so Modding....Play to the strengths of that KLT....tight woods riding and water crossings

So my sport trike broke down before a planned ride one time and I didn`t want to stay home so i took my beater 200S. My buddies all laughed their asses off for the first fifteen minutes and then kept warning me off the technical trails stating "that old trike won`t make it".....So i say "follow me assholes" and take them through a tight section, busted a new trail, shot down into a 3ft deep creek, up out and across a 15ft sandbar and then up an 8ft. 80 degree creek embankment....so on top of the creek bank I look back and see the two dirtbikes (a Kaw kxf450f and an XT600 enduro) were stuck in the sandbar and the kfx700 was stuck in the creek....So guess who was laughing NOW????.......ME!!!!......and I was running TP`s on the back.....imagine that

Let me tell you they never laughed again.....play to the strenghts of that KLT like I said and don`t worry about beating them in a foot race...they can`t easily lose you in the woods

[cattle-dog]

this is the best advise you have been given and to the point every trike has its strong points and ironchop hit the nail on the head with no stupid comments. oh and fabio likes being poked with sticks!!!! now back to our regularly schedualed program.
back on topic......and stop poking Fabio with a sharp stick....he was being all nice and helpful for a minute until somebody ruined it...LMAO


so Modding....Play to the strengths of that KLT....tight woods riding and water crossings

So my sport trike broke down before a planned ride one time and I didn`t want to stay home so i took my beater 200S. My buddies all laughed their asses off for the first fifteen minutes and then kept warning me off the technical trails stating "that old trike won`t make it".....So i say "follow me assholes" and take them through a tight section, busted a new trail, shot down into a 3ft deep creek, up out and across a 15ft sandbar and then up an 8ft. 80 degree creek embankment....so on top of the creek bank I look back and see the two dirtbikes (a Kaw kxf450f and an XT600 enduro) were stuck in the sandbar and the kfx700 was stuck in the creek....So guess who was laughing NOW????.......ME!!!!......and I was running TP`s on the back.....imagine that

Let me tell you they never laughed again.....play to the strenghts of that KLT like I said and don`t worry about beating them in a foot race...they can`t easily lose you in the woods

[hoosierlogger]

I found this pic of Fabio on the net. He can be cranky at times, but I did see him say something nice once. LOL