Ridin' For Harambe, Part 17

What could be better than being seventeen years old and finding yourself in possession of a proper enduro racer? Ryan tells the story like so:

This is my 1992 KDX 200. Purchased new by my uncle, it has participated in a few dozen AMA D14 Enduros and Hare Scrambles, as well as competed at the Silverdome for three years with the Motocross Racing Association (MRA).

I picked up the bike from him when I turned 17, having moved up from a XR100. I put over 2000 miles on it, spending my summers navigating the labyrinth of trails that cross Northern Michigan. It is hands-down the best woods bike I have owned, only my friends on their newer KTMs could keep pace through technical sections.

For a few summers time, I had transferred over the majority of my XL200s switchgear onto the KDX and plated it for street use. Thanks to Michigan’s very lax laws regarding street legality, it took nothing more than turn signals, a brake light switch, and bicycle computer/horn to receive its plate.

As I fell deeper into the car hobby, the bike sat. I parted out the remnants of the “dual-sport” kit and it went relatively unused for the past 4 years. Last month, I relocated to our vacation home north of Grand Rapids. Over Labor Day Weekend, I pulled the bike out and replaced all fluids. I then proceeded to put another 100 miles on it around our property’s .5-mile motocross loop.

Plans are to give it a thorough cleaning, new tires, and come up with a better way to once again make it street legal come springtime. It should make for a fun commuter for the 10-mile trip back and forth to school.

Try to keep the front wheel down, brother. Or don't!