Cheap KDX200

[cash_62]

Hey everyone--
Just bought a '95 KDX200 in great shape yesterday for $400. It's my first Kawasaki, and I really like it so far. I need to do some work with the lighting as it's not working right now. Aside from a wiring diagram for that year (i did run a search and saw the diagram for the '89), does anyone have any words of wisdom for me, either regarding electrical or in general about the bike?

 

[julien_d]

Best advice I can give is purchasing a service manual.

Other than that, good luck! Those $400 bikes can turn into $2000 projects very very easily. I know this from experience!!!

J.

 

[theckeler]

Ya get a manual... my $575 1995 KDX 200 bike turned into a 1k bike with all the junk I had to do to it (maybe even more with tools/helmet/boots/etc). Keep your eye out for deals on ebay for parts and bug the sellers for free ship or discounts. Right now people aren't buy a whole lot so good time to find deals.

 

[cash_62]

yeah, the bike is in near-mint shape as far as mechanically and cosmetically...all I need to do is figure out what wires connect where to hook up the lights again. I've had tons of bikes, and was going to DS my KTM 300MXC, but it's just too much of a beast for anything but the track. After I bought the KDX yesterday, I thought, "wow, I got a pretty good deal." I then went to check the blue book on it and almost crapped myself when I saw that it blue-books for $1305!

 

[julien_d]

1305??? You must be looking at the retail value. Bikes simply don't sell for close to that. That price assumes that an authorized dealer has gone through the bike, everything has been tested to be mechanically sound, consumables are all replaced, etc.

The trade in on a 95 KDX200 is about 800, which is closer to what you'd expect to pay private party for a good condition machine. In my area, any old bike that runs good and is fairly clean is worth 1000. I have to travel to find any decent deals.

 

[sr5bidder]

althought the wiring on these bikes is very simple its hard to explain:

If I recall there are two leads right under the tank on for the switch to plug into, one from the regulator (under the seat). just make sure the regulator is in the circuit!!

 

[reepicheep]

I'm elbow deep in a similar deal, except that I started at $850.

I would definately pull the head and cylinder. Mine looked great on the surface, but pulling it apart showed a cracked piston skirt, and the cylinder plating being worn through in places. As it is, that'll be $500 for a big bore refurbed top end. Had I run it for long, that crack would have finished, and it would have put shrapnel all through the engine.

The stock piston and cylinder wall coating seem a bit weak... aftermarket nickisil coatings and a new piston are the fix.

The carb is incredibly easy to service, do that. Stock jetting is a bit rich, you can probably lower that to a 155 / 42 (YMMV, do at your own risk, etc).

A good cleaning and dismantling of mine also showed a lot of little broken bits and brackets on the frame that I had to weld back... but mine clearly lived hard... :(

 

[cash_62]

Mine's been pretty much babied. I subscribed to cyclepediaD0Tcom to get service manuals/wiring diagrams this morning (and I must say it's worth it!). I've found that at some point it looks like there was a dual-sport kit installed on my bike, and much of the switching mechanisms were removed, but wires left in place with no indication as to what they function as. Now, I get to try to figure that out...it is nice to know what's stock and what's not though!

 

[theckeler]

I had the same issue with my wiring, tons of extra wires all rotted and nasty, switches, boxes... I picked up everything that was orig off ebay (it was replaced with 2 different boxes) for a decent deal and put that all back on. The stator has a floating ground now that I need to redo and after that I'm hoping that's it for a while ha...

 

[cash_62]

well, the reason I got it was for dual sport, and I need to have the basics for road use (horn, H/L beam, Taillight, brakelight). Both brake switches are still there, so I'm hoping to find a cheap mechanic that will finish the wiring for $50. After that, I'm road worthy. Anybody from Lancaster County, PA?

 

[sr5bidder]

my brother was there but now in westmoreland county where I left him for sunny sky!!!

 

[mudpack]

I'm hoping to find a cheap mechanic...

Rule #4: Do not let a cheap mechanic work on your bike. They will inevitably cost you more than a $75/hr mechanic will.


:cool:


Mud

PS: I checked the First Quarter 2009 AMA Black Book of Motorcycle Values. It says the 1995 KDX200 has a retail value of $955. Apparently it has no wholesale value, as that column is blank.

 

[glad2ride]

Sorry to be off-topic, but what is the "First Quarter 2009 AMA Black Book of Motorcycle Values"? Thank you.

 

[mudpack]

You might know it as just the "Black Book". It's one of the quarterly publications listing all motorcycles and their MSRP-when-new, and wholesale and retail values. Much like the NADA "Blue Book", it's put out for the motorcycle industry and financial institutions to use.

Our shop uses both and the Black Book we have is the more current of the two.

Mud

 

[glad2ride]

Ah, OK. Thank you. I have heard of NADA.