Stroker Shift Fix Kit

As much as I like my KLX, Kawasaki has yet to pull their heads out and fix a chronic problem that plagues the entire KLX line. The transmission tends to slip out of second gear and back into neutral, and it always seems to happen at the worst possible time, like climbing out of a steep ditch or over a rock, negotiating deep sand, or crossing a creek. You start off in first, shift to second, twist the throttle and WHAM! The motor revs through the roof and you lose momentum. It can really ruin your day.   The good new is that Four Stroke Works has a simple, inexpensive solution. For around $25, they exchange your old star gear for a new one with the lobes ground to a finer point, and a custom dowel to increase the spring tension on the star gear. The new gear and the additional tension keep the bike in gear...


The difference is amazing. Shifting feels much more defined and the slip problem appears to be gone. This kit is worth the money and the time it takes to install it...


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The new star gear, custom dowel and old gear. Before you install the kit, remove the chain guard, front sprocket, and shift lever. Mark the lever position on the spline so you can find the right spot later. Remove the shift, and note which holes each 8mm bolt they came from -- some are different lengths.

 



Next, remove the hex nut with a 6 mm allen driver. Push the tension arm downaward to free the star gear and slide it off. The tension arm and spring are held in place with a 10 mm nut. Remove the tension arm and spring.

 






Slip the drilled aluminum dowel over the end of the tension arm spring.

 






Install the Stroker replacement gear, the spring (with dowel attached), the tension arm, and 10 mm nut, taking care to keep the dowel key behind the gear lined up. Note the effect the dowel has on the arm.

Replace the gasket, reinstall the cover, gear, etc. and you're in business.