2019 KLX 250 MPG

Miles Per Gallon

As I roll out of the running-in period for my new 2019 KLX 250 I'm starting to get some consistent readings on the miles per gallon chart. The following numbers are an average of the last two hundred miles (or GPS equivalent).

Stock Odometer/Trip 72.46 mpg

GPS Trip Meter 69.93 mpg*

* As noted in a previous post, the odometer and trip meters overstate miles by 4.4%. GPS in use is a Garmin GPSMAP 64st.

Tank Usage

The 2019 KLX 250 has a represented 2.0 gallon gas tank. While the motorcycle does not have a gas gauge, it has two "low-fuel" indicators. The first is a low-fuel light at the bottom of the meter that lights up. The second is a flashing "Fuel" indicator in the odometer/trip meter window; each as shown in the screen shot from the owners manual.

The low-fuel indicators are represented to come on when there is 0.6 gallons of fuel left in the tank. My experience is that the 0.6 is a good number as I'm consistently putting 1.4 gallons in the tank when I can roll promptly into a fueling station as the warning lights are triggered.

As for tank usage, I went to the KLX 250 member forum and asked what the member's experiences were as to "usable fuel" in the 2.0 gallon tank. That's a very important number when all your rally fueling issues are largely the result of estimates and guessing. The response from the membership was that the tank is set up to provide for the full 2.0 gallons of usage.

As a result, range is a fairly decent 140 miles based on current calculations.

KLX250 Bash Plate

I have a small utility trailer (4' x 8') that I use as a makeshift lift table and was using it today to change the tires. While up there, I noted that the KLX250 actually has a bash plate; not much of one, but it's there and hard to see unless you're looking for it or doing an oil change...and I'm about 50 miles from the first oil change.

I wasn't looking to get one; there isn't one on my wish list. People make a big deal about bash plates, but the reality of my world is that the trails are all soft surface (sand and mud) and, generally, the dual sports that I focus on are in the 11"-12" ground clearance which is going to miss a lot of that. If it was rocky, it would be a whole different deal, but there just aren't any on the trails we ride.

Glad to have the bash plate, though. It was a pleasant surprise.

Polar Bear Adventure Rally

Today I spooned on the set of Michelin AC10 tires that I purchased from Rocky Mountain ATV. I picked out the 80/100-21 for the front ($79) and the 110/100-18 ($77) for the rear. As discussed in previous threads, the measurements on the rear actually turned out to be 130 mm wide and 115 mm total sidewall that would normally result in a 130/90-18. Go figure.

Luckily the rear fit okay, although the mud flap in front of the tire that protects the shock may require some modification before I'm done. I'll be riding tomorrow and can see if there's any contact.

Ready for the Polar Bear!

Getting the tires spooned on was the main task in getting ready for the Polar Bear Adventure Rally out of Keystone Heights Florida (near Gainsville) next week...January 4-6. I also need to do the running in maintenance this week.

The Polar Bear will have me back in Ocala National Forest (same as the Wild Bear Safari earlier this month) plus some other forests in the area. Home base for the event is the Gold Head State Park in Keystone Heights. I'll be tent camping.

The reason it's called the Polar Bear is, for some reason, it's always totally freezing out for this event. It'll actually be my first time at the Polar Bear. Maybe my luck will change and will have some moderate weather.

Enduro Engineering Roll Chart Holder Review

Enduro Engineering Roll Chart Holder Review
Side Loading Chart Holder

A couple weeks ago, I purchased an Enduro Engineering Roll Chart Holder; $26 from Amazon. I normally get the cheaper MSR or Moose chart holders with the snap-down lids, but I wanted those nifty aluminum knobs this time around. Here are my thoughts on the Side Loading Chart Holder:

Side Loading vs. Lid:

The Enduro Engineering Holder is side loaded and secured with a bolt and wing nut. The cheaper MSR and Moose Trophy roll charts have snap-on lids. My experience (and the reason I currently need a roll chart) is that the tabs on the lids snap. If you can catch that in time, you can wrap a rubber band around it. If not, as I've experienced before, the the lid goes flying. That, of course won't be a problem with the Enduro Engineering model.

Casing:

The casing of the Eduro Engineering is a very strong polycarbonate. It's solid. It's going to take some good whacks by tree branches/brush sailing down the trail.

The window is clear making the chart highly visible.

No Ram Solution:

Ram is the gold standard in all things that attach to a motorcycle handlebar. However, not dissimilar to the cheaper models, the Enduro Engineering did not provide for a Ram Mounting Solution. Rather, it has the typical rubber hose and hose clamp.

The reason a Ram Solution is important is it's a much more "flexible" solution. It also allows the chart holder to be raised up off the bar so as to NOT have to look down at the chart at speed on the trails.

To mount Ram Ball, I had to drill out the two rivets and drill new holes on either side of the rivet holes. While drilling is from the back,when drilling I placed a protective surface to prevent damage to the face of the chart holder when the drill bits pop through.

Of course, Ram Balls come in a number of shapes and sizes. I used this one.

Important note...mount the Ram Mount side to side or the bolt heads will interfere with the paper chart and exacerbate the issue discussed next.

Does not hold enough chart:

My first real issue with the Enduro Engineering Chart Holder occurred before I even got on the trail. It didn't hold the whole day's ride in Ocala National Forest for the Wild Bear Safari.

The day's chart was only 10-11 pages cut; that's not a lot of chart but it didn't hold it. Never had that problem with the MSR or Moose Trophy.

The Enduro Engineering Chart container doesn't seem any smaller than the Moose Trophy. After staring at it for a moment, I noticed that the problem is that the connecting rollers (to which the charts are taped) are not in the center of the container. Rather, from the face of the holder, the rollers are about two thirds down the side. Wow! that gives up a lot of layers of paper!

The only thing I could do was split the chart into two pieces (at the lunch point) and then change out the chart to finish the day. No, not a big problem, but I go to these events to socialize, have a nice lunch. I really don't want to be carrying tape and farting around with the roll chart.

Chart Advances on its Own!

Now, I've actually heard of this issue happening after a lot of use and wear that the rollers impart on the holes or, in some cases, the grommets that the rollers pass through. However, this one was new out of the blister pack...and, yeah!...it was a little loose.

The trick to fix a worn roll chart is to wrap a rubber band or large o-ring around the knobs. Well, as fortune would have it, I had a rubber band around the second half of the rally's chart so I put it on and...Viola!...my expensive new chart didn't advance on its own for the rest of the day.

But, gee, this issue doesn't say much toward the good quality that I expected.

Conclusion

On the construction, it would be good if Enduro Engineering would recognize that most of us like to use Ram Solutions and set the rivet holes consistent with where a Ram Ball would mount. That is, it would avoid the need to drill holes and risk damage to the holder.

Also, on the construction, the manufacturer needs to move the rollers to the middle of the chart box, not down near the bottom. As it is, the chart box does not hold enough chart.

Overall, the construction and appearance are very nice, but functionally, I'd rather have a chart holder that holds a full day of chart and will probably go back to one of those....even if the quality of the lid construction isn't as good.


LINK to Installation Instructions.


UPDATE:

I noticed that Enduro Engineering also sells a Lid-Type Roll Chart Holder. AND, they also sell replacement lids for $8.95. Good idea.

Michelin AC10 Sizing

After reviewing a number of 10/90 Dual Sport Tires for my 2019 KLX 250, I selected Michelin's AC10. Reviews indicated that it was one of the most aggressive DOT Knobbies in the class and should do the job out in the sandbox.

The best prices that I found on the AC10s was Rocky Mountain ATV. The front was $79.62 and the rear was $77.43.

The tire brand and model decision was one thing. The sizing was another. I went round and round trying to figure out what the spec sizes and OE Stock sizes were to help pick the size I wanted.

For the rear I chose the AC10  110/100-18. The OE Stock Dunlop 605 was actually measured to 120mm wide and I was expecting the rear AC10 to come in at the actual 110mm stated witdth. It didn't. It's actually 130mm wide and the sidewall (from the floor to the bead) is 100mm. In my simple mind, this stated/represented 110/100-18 tire is actually a 130/80-18. Also, while the 130mm measurement is the widest point on the tire, I can not find any measurement that equals or is close to 110mm.

For the front I chose the AC10 80/100-21. The OE Stock Dunlop 605 was actually measured to 85mm wide with an 80mm sidewall. That's pretty close to 80/100-21...close enough. The front AC10 came in at the exact same measurements as the OE Stocker.

So....

My real issue is that I wanted a rear tire 10mm narrower than the stock and got a rear tire 10mm wider. That's a bummer, but it will fit (the clearance was 163mm) and I'll be burning it out in 2,000 miles anyway. So I'm not planning to return it.

For those that are using "real" numbers for their tire selection:

AC10 110/100-18

• True Width=130mm
• True Sidewall Height=100mm

AC10 100/100-18*

• True Width=123mm
• True Sidewall Height=100mm

AC10 80/100-21

• True Width=85mm
• True Sidewall Height=80mm

* I subsequently found this measurement done by a member in the KLX250 Forum. So even that tire size only gets me back to the OE Stock size when I'm trying to get something 10mm narrower.

Honestly, I really just want to ride nasty dirt roads and trails and mud bogs and sand pits. All this confusion over tire sizing seems so unnecessary. If an f'ing tire is 130mm wide at its widest point then why don't they just f'ing say that.


Update....

I've now spooned the AC10s on and reinstalled the wheels. I have sufficient clearance on the 2019 KLX250, except for some possible issues with the mud guard in the very front of the swingarm (the guard that protects the spring). I need to get it laden and rolling to look at that, as it's not hitting in an unladen state...just close.

So, I had some time to lob a call into Michelin to ask about the sizing and find out what I was missing, if anything. Essentially, what I was told was that the actual width of the tires is provided in the Company's Catalog and width is provided in two different ways...Static and In-Use. Static is mounted and aired up. In-use is that plus installed and heated up from road use.

I was linked to the catalog and here's a screen shot for the AC10 widths:

These two new measurements for my 110/100-18 AC10 are, plus my measurements are:

Static Width (Catalog) 109 mm

In-Use Width (Catalog) 120 mm

Widest Point of Tread (mounted and aired) 130 mm

Sidewall Width (mounted and aired) 110 mm

True Sidewall Height (mounted and aired) 115 mm*

* The True Sidewall Height (and all measurements) in the original post above was measured unmounted. Mounting and airing up the tire was the cause of the increase.

I suppose that it's possible that the Michelin width numbers embossed on the tire are that of the tire mounted and aired up...even though their website says that width measurements are at the widest point. Moving on...

Devils Creek 2019

My new 2019 KLX250 got its indoctrination at the Wild Bear Safari in the very sandy Ocala National Forest last weekend. It will seem many more rallies. However, the biggest event of the season is Devils Creek in Brooksville, Florida, which marks the fist leg of the AMA Dual Sport Series. It runs the first Friday-Sunday of March. I always worry that I'm going to miss the registration window that's usually open for around a day and a half before the 150 maximum slots are filled. I had it on my calendar...registration starts January 2, 2019.

Then out of the blue, yesterday at noon, the organizer of this event opened up registration to the first 25 riders or 10 PM, whichever came first. The 25 slots went in three hours...a weekday afternoon. Fortunately, I was just sitting here at my computer when it came across and I was the first to sign in. So the KLX250 and I are in with a great rally (the Polar Bear) to further train on.

Good grief they increased the registration fee from $150 to $180.

UPDATE:

LOL!!

And the error is...9.4%

Someday someone will explain to me how Harley Davidson's electronics include spot on speedometer, odometer and trips while the Jap's can't seem to get their meters even close. Apparently those working at Kawasaki motorcycles haven't figured it out for the 2019 model year.

Starting with the speedometer meter and GPS readings:

Reading 50 Actual 45
Reading 55 Actual 50
Reading 60 Actual 54

Someone once told me that "legally" a speedo's reading can be up to 10% off, exactly the case above.

Oh, those dirty Japanese, they think us 'mericans and just too stupid to notice. Hard not to notice when you're doing the speed limit and traffic is backing up for miles.

Onward to the Odometer and Trips:

On today's ride, the Odometer and the Trip came in at 139.4 miles. My Garmin GPSMAP 64st came in at 133.2 miles. That's a 6.6 miles, 4.4% error. I mean, I call it an error. I suppose it's really better characterized as a planned difference.

But what's the big deal? Well, with that odometer reading error:

• you'll be doing each oil change 330 miles early to the point that eventually you'll start doing unnecessary oil changes;
• you're miles per gallon calculation will be overstated. A 1 3/4 gallon fill up at 100 miles may look like 57 miles per gallon when it's really 54 miles per gallon;
• when you go to sell it at 70,000 miles, it will really have rolled only 66,900 miles
• and, last but not least, it's an intentional error meant to confuse and mislead!

You may think, well, that's not a big deal. The japs hope you do because they've obviously painted themselves into a legal corner with these "planned differences." But if you did think it was okay, I'd ask, would you think that it would be okay if your jap air gauge was off 9%? What if the restaurant you ate at gave you change of 90.6 cents on the dollar, because a law says they could do that? How about if you mail ordered a pair of size 11 boots from Revzilla and they send you size 10...and then, when you complain, they tell you a 9% difference in your requested size is "reasonable" and "no big deal." How about we step it up a little? What would you think of an architect that had a 9.4% error tolerance designing your dream home...and then the construction company had another 9.4% error tolerance building the thing? Oh and, yikes!, what about a surgeon with a 9.4% error tolerance poking around and fixing your internal organs. The list of comparables is endless. The real problem/question is why we should be expected to accept any error when the technology is there to avoid it?

And to think...this all started with those dirty Japanese fucking with the error tolerances on the KLX250 meter.

KLX 250 Tire Quandary

I didn't go into the Wild Bear Safari last weekend with high expectations from Kawasaki's OEM tire selection. The 2019 KLX 250 is equipped with a Dunlop model D605 50/50 dual sport tire. Honestly, I've never heard of this model and I can't even see where it's for sale in anywhere other than some very distant places...like Australia..say nothing of the lack of information on things.

Overall, it really isn't a bad 50/50 tire from a performance perspective. In fact, I might put it a slight notch over the Heidenau K60 Scouts in performance...a tire that I'm very familiar with and that has moving toward being the Gold Standard in middle duty dual sport and adventure rigs. Getting through the Wild Bear requires good sand skills and a good sand tire to back it up. I have lot's o' experience in the Florida Sandbox, so technically I was able to make them work. In my opinion, a true 50/50 may really find these tires a good match.

Unfortunately, I'm a 10/90 rider and I need to move onto a tread that I can spend all day on sandy or muddy forest roads. The amount of physical drain that sugar sand and the technical skills to get through it demands is one thing. Doing it all day, one needs some help.

My regular 10/90 tires that I used on my KLR650 and my DR650 were the above's big block brother, the D606. I know them well and they were in the selection process, but I wanted to really take a close look at some others, specifically the Pirelli MT21 RallyCross, Pirelli XC/MS Soft, Michelin AC10 and Michelin S12 XC. Michelin was a favored sand tire provider during my motocross days.

However, before I could even get into researching the individual tire choices, I actually found myself in a quandary trying to figure out what the actual size of the OE tires were and the clearances for other brands on the motorcycle!

Essentially, the quandary started with the fact that the D605s used the old numeric standard that excludes the aspect ratio. Here are the sizes of the tires. If you're as old as me, these numbers have some meaning, but we both have lost touch with what they really mean in today's metric measurements.

Front: 3.00 x 21

Rear: 4.60 x 18

So I initially thought that I could just do a conversion from inches to mm to get the first of the metric conversion. That would be:

Front = 3.00" = 76.2 mm; Rear = 4.6" = 116.8 mm

Rounds out to an 80 mm front and a 120 mm rear

Then I started to see indications that the rear width spec (which didn't seem available from Kawa) may be quite a bit smaller. The indications were found in a KLX250 discussion forum and even on Rocky Mountain ATVs site as follows:

So they're saying:

80/90-21 Front and 100/100-21 Rear

Well crikey, now they've done it. Heading out to the shop with my caliper to get the tire (and clearance) readings. Here they are:

So, here are the actual measurements:

Front: 87/91-21; Rear: 119/86-18

In popular sizes:

90/90-21 Front and 120/90-18 Rear

Total clearance between the two points closest to the widest point of the D605 tires (forks front, swingarm rear) was 132 mm front and 163 rear. While those are pretty good numbers to work with, I need to force myself to keep in mind that as I look at other tires, different tires with different widths and different aspect ratios could have difference total clearances. These numbers are just useful to work with.

This new information helped me with a short list of two tires that were available in the sizes that I decided would be best (both 10/90 DOT), and that was largely based on the fact (generally) thinner knobby tires are going to be better in the sand than wider knobby tires. The sizes I'm going with are...

80/90-21 Front and 110/100-18 Rear

...and the brand/models are:

Michelin AC10

Pirelli MT21 Rally Cross

I put my order in for my selected tire at Rocky Mountain ATV and will post some photos when I get them installed. Stay tuned...

Wild Bear Safari

I completed my second Wild Bear Safari Dual Sport Rally this past weekend, December 7-9. The rally tracked some great forest roads and trails through Ocala National Forest on Saturday and New Smyrna Beach on Sunday (before we got rained out on Sunday).

My original plan was to use my KLR650 for the rally, but having picked up the KLX just a few days earlier I thought I'd give it a whorl...even though it only had 20 miles on it. Of course, I had to keep with the running in requirements, but that really wasn't too much of a problem. One of these dual sport rallies, with the constantly changing rpm levels, is probably a good way to do the running in.

Here are some photos of the rally:

So this is my routine setup at the rallies that I attend. I have a 5' x 8' enclosed utility trailer to transport the bike and that holds all my stuff. It then serves as my camper for evenings. If I don't have electric hookup, I carry my 2000 Watt Predator Generator that I got at Harbor Freight. It's good for lights and fans, but not anything heated. It did a good job lighting the Christmas lights on my canopy.

This was the rider's meeting on Saturday.

Most anything here off road in Florida looks like this. You learn to ride in sand...or you ride with the Harley guys and Sport Bike Squids on the streets.

Okay, so I usually try and find good photo ops. Sometimes I do better jobs than others, so I stopped here with an eye toward getting some action in this dip on film. Everyone took the bypass. If I wasn't running in my little KLX I'd definitely have rolled through this.

This restaurant was in Crescent City, Florida. Wow! What an awesome place. I wish we had something like this around where I live.

Lastly, the Wild Bear was also a Toys for Tots Donation Site. I donated a couple nice starter fishing sets.

2019 KLX 250

Fresh off the Showroom Floor:

Today, I purchased a new, 2019 Camo Kawasaki  KLX 250 off the showroom floor at TampaBay Powersports. I also own a 2016 Camo Kawaski KLR650 and keep a blog called KamoKLR.

I am an avid dual sport rider and the KLX will be my primary rider for Florida sand trails as we enter into the 2019 dual sport season.

Out of the crate:

When buying a new bike there are a couple things I get after right away. Before rolling off the lot, I take a quick look to make sure there's oil in the crank and, if it's liquid cooled, coolant. As soon as I can get it in the shop, and certainly before doing any significant mileage, especially on dirt roads, I check the following:

Air Filter Oil
Chain Lube
Chain Tension
Spokes (the "sound" approach)
Tire Pressure
Obvious Loose Fasteners
Torque on the Brake Calipers

I was especially concerned about getting after these items and I noticed that my dealer did not take the motorcycle on a test ride. Normally, they're obligated to ride it one mile. I took delivery after closing, so they apparently skipped that item. It was 12 miles back to the homestead.

Most all items checked were fine. As is usually the case when I check an oil-laden filter upon purchase, the oil filter was dry. As we know, it's the oil that does the filtering, not the foam. In Florida, the air quality is bad due to such high dust levels so this is important! I always have a good supply of Uni Filter Oil (and their cleaner for when I need that). Promptly taken care of.

Good grief, would you look at the size of that air filter!

Minor Modifications:

We all need to modify these motorcycles to our liking. As to some of the more minor mods, I'm just going to post here and keep a running tally. I'll make a separate post for more significant items.

Mirror: Mirrors are a pretty good dual sport design. I'll run them until I break them and then I'll get the folding mirrors for $22 each on ProCycle. As to positioning, exactly similar to my KLR650 the mirror on the right is okay and the mirror on the left makes me look at my arm pit. Fortunately, I still had the other riser/extender from my KLR fix.

Bar Height: I had a bar riser kit going into the Wild Bear Safari, but I thought I'd wait it out. Definitely needed a little more height so as not to be bent over forward and able fall out of balance. At the moment, I have 10mm of rise that required no adjustments or mods to the cables and whatnot.

Rear Bag: So that deck bag on the rear fender is supposed to hold the tool bag, but it doesn't. The tool bag is too long. However, my Slime Powersports Air Compressor fit...like a glove! I wired a cable to run it too that slides up under the fender.

Tidy Tail: That rear fender and tail light sucks so bad. I stared at if or a couple weeks before I got my grinder out and went to work on it. I cut the reflectors off the license plate bracket and then grinded it down so it's totally under the plate. The chopped away on the fender itself taking off about 7 inches.

ProCycle has a tidy tail bracket for $60 and I'll probably get it at some point. It appears I'd need to do something with the signal lights to use it. For now, I'm just trying to figure the bike out and that fender was a cosmetic thing that I just couldn't deal with any longer.

2017 Arctic Cat HDX 500 XT

I had purchased a 2013 Yamaha Drive Utility Cart with a lift kit, deck and a 10 cubic foot dump trailer to support the cleanup effort around my large property. It was a great utility asset, but really just not enough. 

So I broke down and purchased a UTV (Utility Task Vehicle) to help.

So, here we have it...

This is a 2017 Arctic Cat HDX 500 XT that I purchased at G5 Powersports in Plant City, Florida. This particular UTV was a demo model that was heavily discounted. It normally has a $12,000 msrp. I added the optional roof ($350) and a 3000 pound Warn Winch ($450) and got an out-the-door price of just over $11 grand.

The Cat's power train is a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 433cc single-cylinder engine with a CVT transmission (Continuously Variable) providing Park-Neutral-Reverse-High-Low. It has a selectable 2WD/4WD dash-mounted switch.

The HDX 500 does not have power steering.

Fuel capacity is 8.74 gallons and, for what it's worth for a utility vehicle, I'll run some mpg numbers after the running in.

Stock treads are both Duro-Kaden 3-Star 14 inch mudders with a 9" on the front and a 11" on the rear. Braking is provided by hydraulic discs on both front and rear. The Cat has 10" of travel both front and rear and 10" of ground clearance. The shocks are not air adjustable, like the HDX700s, but they have a 5-Position Pre-Load Adjustment (spanner wrench included).

No, those tires aren't the most aggressive that are available, but the CAT isn't planning any mudbogging. The tread pattern of the Duro-Kadens is about as aggressive as you want and need for utility purposes. Even at that, they're quite capable of ripping up the ground pretty good if you're not careful. Go with a tamed 4WD in real wet conditions or you'll have some major ruts to fill when things dry out.

The main attraction for me to the Cat was the enormous dump-box with hydraulic lift assist. To be honest, the reason I went to G5 was to buy fish food for my pond...and there it sat. When I saw the size of that box compared to what I'd been using I knew I had to have one of these side-by-sides.

The box size is 57" wide x 42" long x 14" deep and has a 600 pound weight capacity. As you can see, the box has an adequate number of tie-down points. Pivot levers are provided on each side of the box for convenience in lifting. Finally, while I have not done this yet, you can remove the sides of the dump box and turn it into a flatbed.

Additional storage is provided under the hood and on each side as shown in the following photos.

The operator's compartment is very roomy. While the steering column is adjustable the three-person bench seat is not adjustable. Two cup holders on the floor are convenient.

The following two photos show the dash. The dash provides for 5 switches; the 2 standard switches are 2WD/4WD and a Reverse Override. The Reverse/Override eliminates the effect of a reverse rev-limiter. The third switch on my dash is the optional Warn Winch Switch.

Lighting includes from LED lamps and LED driving strips and a rear running/brake light. Lighting and reflectors on the HDX 500 XT conform to Florida's Agricultural Vehicle Exemption for incidental road use...make sure the light switch is ON, though!

The digital meter display is easy to see and provides multiple push-button readings as follows:

• Top right: Time, RPMs, Speedometer
• Middle right: Odometer, Hours of Operation
• Bottom (Bar Gauge): Fuel Level, Engine Temp, Intake Temp, Voltmeter
• Middle left: Gear Indicator
• Top left: (photo currently shows empty) 4WD Indicator, Differential Lock Indicator (see Updates below)

Note that while the display appears to have four indicator lights at the top, only the left light is in use. That light is red and comes on when the driver's seat belt is not locked as secured. Also Note that where the driver's seat belt is not locked as secured, a 15 MPH speed limiter is engaged.

Operational Experiences:

This section is largely just stream of conscience. I'll post my observations and experiences as I go along:

Speed: My top speed during the mid-to-late running in periods is 46 mph has verified on my GPS. However, I rev-limiter clearly kicked in at that speed. I was able to prove the odometer and trip meters to my GPS trip meter, as well.

Operational Power: The HDX is really proving to be a workhorse; thankfully, that's why I have it. You really can never tell with things like this until put to use, but even at 433cc, it's very powerful and pulls through the sloppiest of conditions with ease, loaded and unloaded. The box load capacity of 600 pounds is a little on the light side, but fortunately, I don't have that big of a property that multiple trips aren't easily accomplished.

Also on the the load capacity, as previously mentioned the rear shocks have 5 pre-load settings...and they're currently at the softest setting. That shows a little in the saggy rear. When I do the 100 mile service, I'll move them to the middle setting and see how that works.

CVT: The  continuously variable transmission can be a little twitchy. The shift lever can seem to get stuck in place from time to time. I've found a little touch on the fueling pedal helps that condition. The other thing is that it sometime makes a noise like when I'm sharpening knives on a stone next to a loud speaker. I called the dealer and they said that's normal for the CVT...let's hope.

Turning Radius: One issue is the turning radius seems pretty wide. Is that something normal in side-by-sides? Don't know, but I have a lot of trees on my property so it can get a little interesting getting around with the Cat.

Insurance: Unlike motorcycles and ATVs I found that there are very few insurers that insure these side-by-sides. It's a lot of money invested to have someone drive off with it. Or, if it's ever used for recreation, and uninsured injury could be a big problemo. Ultimately, we got our homeowner's insurance...Farm Bureau...to cover it with a rider on our home policy. It wasn't expensive. No problemo.

Winch: I purchased the optional 3,000 pound Warn Winch and had it installed prior to delivery. The winch has both an in-out switch on the dash and a release on the unit itself to pull the cable cable. It has a 50' stainless cable. So far, I have not had to winch the Cat out of trouble, but my wife seems to have gotten more aggressive on where she mows with our Husqvarna Mower, and I've had to winch that thing out of trouble with it a bunch of times. Overall, as you would expect, the Warn works well; really good accessory and worth the money.

Maintenance Experiences:

This blog should not be considered a how-to. You're only reading my experiences in performing maintenance on my Cat. Similar to the section above, this section is nothing more than stream of conscience on items of interest from my experiences.

Below is the Maintenance Intervals Schedule for the Service Manual:

Service Manual: 

Most power sports equipment comes with an owners manual, but I've found that the Manufacturer's Service Manual is more useful when it comes to maintenance and repair. Well, that continues to be true for the Arctic Cat HDX...but not by much.

Dismantling: 

There is a significant amount of dismantling associated with the maintenance. The seat, seat base and center console floor need to be removed. There is a fairing over the radiator under the hood. The seat base and center console required a T-30 Torx. There is also a plastic skid plate with holes strategically located for draining (oil, rear, front diff). However, the holes didn't line up very good. In fact the rear-end drain misses the hole altogether making for a nice mess on top of the skid plate to clean up.

Spark Plugs: 

I found a discrepancy between the spark plug part number in the Owners Manual (CPR7E) and the Service Manual (CR7E); two very different spark plugs. I noted that Arctic Cat OEM Parts Dealers list CR7E. My dealer confirmed that it takes a CR7E.

Oil Port: 

The oil filler hole is very difficult to reach and requires a little contortion to deal with. A "flexible" long neck funnel is in order for oil changes and top offs.

Oil Change Costs and Value:

As it relates to the engine oil, Arctic Cat offers an oil change kit that basically includes the oil (0W40 synthetic) and the OEM filter. My dealer charged $54.99 for the kit. 

It should be noted that the normal spec oil change interval of 300 miles is increased to 1,000 miles when the Artic Cat all season 0w40 is used. An oil change using after market items (oil and filter) is about $30, which is obviously much less than the Cat Kit referred to above. However, with the interval increase, you get a 3-to-1 ratio, pushing the Arctic Cat Kit well into the better value as follows:

Oil Changes in a 1,000 mile interval:

• Arctic Cat Kit = 1 @ $55
• Other Products = 3 @ $90

The differential fluids are not included in the Arctic Cat Kit. I replaced the front and rear differential fluid with Bel Ray 75w-90 Hypoid Gear Oil. Note that "hypoid" gear oil is required for this service.

Oil Filter: 

On the removal and install of the filter, it's sitting in a good place on the front of the engine....still need to take the seat, seat bottom and console out before it's accessible. I was fortunate to have the specific size oil filter cup-wrench (I have a bunch that I've collected over the years). The size is T 65 14 Flutes.

Air Filter: 

The air filter is a two stage systems with a foam pre-filter and a primary foam filter; both require cleaning and re-oiling. I use a basic Uni Clean/Oil Kit for these types of filters. 

The pre-filter stage of the air cleaning systems is a cylindrical filter shown the photo below; the primary air box filter is shown in the background. The only maintenance on the smaller filter was to wash it out with soap and water.

Well kept air filters should last a long time. However, in December 2020, some mice decided to make home in my air box and ripped up the pre-filter to get access. They did not damage or pass through the primary air filter likely because it is oil laden and that probably doesn't taste good. 

The OEM Pre-Filter (P/N 0470-834) runs approximately $40 on online power sport part websites. UNI makes an aftermarket air filter that is a perfect match. The UNI filter is UP4229 and I purchased it on Amazon for $16.



UPDATES:

Broken left-rear axle (axle, brake caliper and brake rotor replacement).

It's now October 2020, sitting at 305 hours and 1072 miles....and an axle snapped on me. It was the left rear. The break was at the end of the hub where the threads start, just before the spline; that is, on the outside of the actual wheel. When the wheel came off, it bent the brake rotor and the caliper requiring replacement of both of those parts along with the axle.

That type of break is generally attributable to one of three things. Either hitting something, over torquing the axle nut or the axle itself is defective. Given that the cover on the hub was undisturbed, I didn't hit anything. I've never had that wheel off so I didn't over torque it, but that doesn't mean it wasn't over torqued at the factory or where ever assembled. Believe it or not, the torque on that nut is 200 foot pounds (220 N.m). I'm thinking, how does one "over torque" a 200 foot pound spec.? That leaves...

Basically, we'll never know...

The OEM axle was a whopping $325 but I found a number of cheaper aftermarket axles, all of which claim to be stronger that the OEM axle. The axle that I ultimately went with was the OPEN TRAIL OE 2.0 AXLE REAR p/n 500-017033 and the price was $109.99 + $9.35 shipping = $119.34.

This photos shows damage to the caliper.

I purchased an OEM brake rotor from RMATV for $45.55.

I found a "used" OEM brake caliper (complete with good pads) off of an HDX 700 on eBay for $50. The new OEM price for the caliper was about $436; however, the actual bent bracket plate, which is usually sold separately for around $100, was on backorder under December according to RMATV.  Overall, I got a nice caliper and a good set of pads. Easy install. 

The axle replacement process was covered in my Service Manual and, overall, was relatively uneventful. 

Overall, this has been the most serious issue I've encountered with the Cat and it's not necessarily an off-the-wall problem. Normal operation will lead to a lot of stress on the axles. It's the reason there were so many aftermarket sources for it.