FOG update, and more questions!

[munich]

Hi every body, I went out looking at gear this weekend, the choices were mind bogling, I decided to do a little more research be fore I spend all my beer money on gear that is not right.

I have been studying archived post reguarding KDX220's and decided to do some work on the bike before I take it out.

One tech note suggested to regrease the rear linkages due to inadaquit factory lubrication. Has anyone ever tried to install grease zerks into the links on this bike, I am curious if I will run into a problem with a structural weakness if the links are drilled and tapped.

The bike is coming with 2 exhaust systems. The factory exhaust and a FMF gnarly pipe and silencer installed on the bike. The bike shop I purchased it from i Mississippi stated the bike was rejetted for the FMF pipe. Seeing as i am getting older and am not concerned with the cool 2 stroke sound I was thinking of leaving the Gnarly pipe on and reinstalling the factory spark arrester in an effort to keep things quiet.

My last question is when Boysen reeds are installed is the power more manageable or more violent, I am trying to create an easy to ride bike as possable.

Thanks everyone
FOG (fat old guy)

 

[kdxjr]

If you have the Turbine Core II spark arrester, the bike will not be too loud. As far as the reeds, yea I noticed a little more pep on my bike.
If its to much at first go back to stock gearing 13/47.

Looking for a good deal on gear try: bobscycle.com...welcome aboard

 

[Moose95]

Hey FOG great to hear that you're making progress, I think that keeping the stock S/A is a good idea, that's what I'm going to do when I put the Gnarly on this winter. If you want to get a chuckle reference the stock S/A do a search for my post on "Handfull of Spooge". Have you looked at Freddette's tech info on the KDX's? Good luck!

 

[canyncarvr]

reeds:
More manageable. Not more 'violent'.

Zerks:
Posts out the wazzoo on this. Opinions vary. Makes it easier to grease, but there isn't any cleaning going on, either. The most likely failure (the bottom shock mount) doesn't lend itself to the 'zerking' idea. If you're taking the linkage apart to service THAT bearing, might as well do the others (including cleaning out the old goo) at the same time.

Also, grease the steering head. Yeah...that's been zerked before, too. General consensus..doesn't work well. Filling the whole stem up with grease is a LOT of grease...and it'll be making a mess all over the front of your bike for a long time to come. Might as well just take it apart, too!

re: grease

Don't use 'general purpose' moly chassis grease. It's inherently useless for this application. Use the best grease you can find, preferably a waterproof marine grease. Good reports from belray users. I use hydrotex parasyn70 (in case you asked). It is GOOD stuff!! Lost THREE bottom shock bearings even WITH maintenance being done on a regular basis with other greases. Last time I took it apart (having used the hydrotex product) is was good as new.

Which, by the way, is complete crap. A 'new' bearing from kawi has the rollers fit so poorly, you can SEE the slant to them in the cage. It's like they forgot a roller or something. It's a pi$$ poor bearing! I bought several, so used 'em anyway. If you can get an aftermarket bearing, use it! BuyKawasaki.com will tell you bearing size if you wanna look for one.

Gotta do it. Right now, if not sooner.

BTW...if you have oem pull rods, be careful putting them back on. The shoulders on the bolts are a bit short. It's easy to NOT get the outside pull rod over the shoulder of the bolt. You'll tighten it up, go for a ride, notice your suspension is sloppy cuz it got knocked off the shoulder edge. Likely you'll have ruined your pull rod and the bolt(s) in the process.

So...make sure the shoulders go IN the rod hole!!

 

[70 marlin]

my boy run's on his 96 the stock S/A seem's to cork it up too much. I run the fmf rev with the TCII S/A on my 99 the bike is quite and will out rev jr's 96