wallasaki

Member
May 23, 2002
95
0
Thanks for looking into this thread. Posted a message in the mini-bike forum and got no replys. My 10 yr old son got a Suzuki DS 80 to ride with me this spring. He learned the ropes quickly this fall, and can move through the gears efficiently enough for the yard. A bit more practice and we hit the trails. The bike is a 1980, and is in good shape, ran well, just a few small repairs. This winter I would like to go over the entire engine to ensure a fun breakdown free spring. Never did a top end and don't know what to look for. Can anyone give me some advice as to where to begin and what to look for. I have done a great job maintaining my 2001 kdx, have the tools, etc., I'm ready to get the DS ready. Thanks and Merry Christmas in advance.
 

kmccune

2-Strokes forever
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jul 3, 1999
2,726
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Well if you can find one a shop manual is very good. It is a 2-stroke and it is  23 years old. New rings ,piston, top and bottom rod bearings, cylinder over bore?  Chain and sprockets... depends. tires maybe tubes are a big yes ( flats suck on the trail).  I think that had an oil injector.. check it. Clutch ? not a big deal if it feels good. New oil !!!! BOLD NEW GRAPHICS... They make me feel good for some reason :yeehaw:

Have fun!

 

Kevin
 

gwhII

Member
Mar 31, 2003
238
0
First thing I do would be to get the OEM shop manual and any addendums to the manual if they exist. Also for a bike that old, a parts fiche is also handy. If you're lucky they may even have one or both in an Adobe .pdf electronic format. If the manual is out of print, try Clymer or Haynes. Makes it easy to figure out critical specs, dimensions, etc.

Do you have any maintenance records? Those would go a long way in determining what of the below should be done. It sounds like the bike is in great shape but I would check all the rubber/plastic parts for cracks - the intake boot, wiring, tires, etc. I would also check or even replace the clutch and brake cables. Next would be a compression test and there should be an acceptable PSI spec in the manual. Depending on how good the records are for the bike and how long it has been, you may just want to buy a piston and rings and replace them anyway. If there's nothing funny in the oil, I wouldn't think about splitting the cases. I would think about doing the fork seals and fluid because it may be old too. I would also plan on looking at all bearings and bushings and lubing or replacing as necessary. I would look at the back shocks but I don't know how much PM can be done to those; the manual should tell you that. I'd probably replace the air filter too. Lastly, I'd put everything together and make sure that all torque specs are correct, especially the foot controls. There's nothing worse than a shifter eating all the splines off of a shaft because it wasn't tight.

Hopefully this helps. Good luck and Merry Christmas to you too.

Best,
Greg
 

gwhII

Member
Mar 31, 2003
238
0
Originally posted by kmccune
NEW GRAPHICS... They make me feel good for some reason :yeehaw:
[/B]

Yeah, Kevin's right. Kids, big and little ;), like things to look new. That dancing banana is too funny... ;)

Hey, a great mechanical book is Eric Gorr's "Motocross & Off-road Performance Handbook." It's less than $20 from Amazon and would make a great stocking stuffer for you. Its got a lot of great information on the procedures for redoing a top end, etc. It won't replace the manual but its a great second source.

-Greg
 
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