Captain No Beard and the KLX-230 Super Dual-Sport? - Local Rider Roll Out Series Intro

Its October here in Michigan. I was watching the leaves fall to the ground, cursing the cold and trying to think of a way to fight off the post riding season blues already creeping in. A blog series highlighting local riders, bikes, cars and whatever else! Attending group rides and events like #BattleCreekBikeNight with #HorizonRiderz I see some amazing machines and have met some awesome people. Folks always want to know what they are riding, so lets write about it!

Being that this one is more of an example of what I would like to write about in the future and I'm not a big fan of talking about myself, we will keep this one super short, try to focus on the super dual-sport and let the video below do most of the talking.

I started riding when I was a kiddo as I had an Uncle and Cousin that had dirt bikes. Started on a 1978 RM 125 that ran like garbage.. until we took the muffler off which had been designed for a 4 stroke and had a plugged up baffle. Ran like new after that! We would stuff the thing in the back of the family mini van and Dad would take me riding in Southern California at some legendary spots like Lake Elsinore. When I was 14 I was jumping the bike up a 10 foot high dirt quarter-pipe type thing and flipped it forward. Multiple compound fractures, titanium hardware in my arm & leg and a strong fear that would last most of my adult life.

After I was able to walk again I would occasionally ride but took a break for many years. Owned a few bikes between then and now. A 1988 CR 250, a KDX, a few chopper monstrosities I put together but never really got back in the saddle until recently. But life's short, I feel its important to enjoy every moment and fit in as many adventures as possible so I picked up a new KLX 230 and here we are!

So what the hell is a super-dualsport anyway? All the style and bling of a super-moto, built to rip mad wheelies in them streets.. but keeping the knobbies for when you gotta' skeet-skeet! .. allegedly.

I wanted a bike that was affordable, easy to maintain, air cooled and able to go anywhere. Found the Klx230 and the rest is history! At first it sounded like, and ran like a moped, so I got to work. Ditched the snorkel because its dumb and suffocates the bike by restricting air flow. Modified the airbox to open it up and get more of a ram air kinda' thang' going on. Modified exhaust because loud pipes save lives. Being that I am an amateur wannabe stunt rider who enjoys the occasional completely legal, closed course wheelie, the front suspension needed some upgrades. Stock forks are all squish.. no bounce. So I made two steel inserts that increase the spring pressure and reduce the amount of air inside the fork tubes, problem solved.

Next I added some budget blue bling. Blue anodized foot pegs, clutch lever, vent tube covers, exhaust tip and pegs to protect the engine casing if I lay it down. Final touches with some budget holographic bling from Amazon because actual graphic kit prices are ridiculous and I'm probably just going to scratch it up anyway. And there you have it.. the KLX-230 Super Dual-Sport! Enough about me and my bike.. I want to write about YOU and your ride!

Do you have an interesting story or a crazy custom ride? Find me on social media and hit me up if you would like to be featured in a future article!