KDX 200 overheating

[Leandro]

I have a KDX 200 model 96 with a Fat Boy muffler and silencer and with no more accesories. I have two problems, the first one is that when I am climbing big hills and I get stock it don't have the low end power which is really difficult to go up the hill, usually I have to turn back and start again from the bottom. The other problem is that no matter I climb fast or slow or get stock or not, always the KDK gets overheat and I have to make 2 or 3 stops to fill it with water. It's almost impossible to be competitive with those stops when the other competitor are riding Suzuky DR400, WR400 and KTM 200-400. What do you suggest to solve my problem?

 

[Matt90GT]

Lack of low end can be a leak in the exhaust - the gaskets at the cylinder head to the pipe - or bad reeds. Check the reeds that they are seated tightly against the reed block. Replace as needed.

For overheating, I would suggest that you flush the system with a raditor flush. Make sure the water pump is working!!! Then refill the system after flushing, cleaning and draining with 1/2 bottle of Redline Water Wetter and the rest with the DEXCOOL coolant. There is less sulfates in the dexcool so it is gentler on the water pump. Ie makes it last longer. I have that setup in my 250 and it works great!!! The last thing is to replace the radiator cap on the bike. If that is weak, the water will boil out prematurely.

 

[craig_enid]

Overheating and lack of power could be indicators of lean jetting.

 

[spikes]

:thumb: If you have to refill so often you obviously have a leak. Fill the rads with water to start with and idle the bike for a while till it warms up properly, have a look for sighns of water leaking and repair. If no sighns, kill the motor and check the water level in the rad, if it has dropped a considderable amount your head gasket is probably leaking, strip and replace (may aswell do rings and base gasket at same time).
A good inspection of the piston and rings can tell you a lot about your performance problems while you have the top end off. Once your satisfied that you have no leaks and your top end is fine, check your jetting to make sure your not running too lean otherwise you will bugger up all your hard work and well spent cash when the motor runs too hot. Enjoy your new ride!

 

[old#48]

To help my bike run cooler, I have had luck using 40% ethylene glycol with 60% distilled water and adding Water Wetter. Add the Water Wetter per instructions on the bottle. Since water has better heat transfer characteristics than glycol (ethylene or propylene), you get better cooling by backing off on the percentage glycol and increasing the percentage water.

An "extra water" mixture will have better heat transfer characteristics although a lower boiling point than a 50/50 mix. Even with the lower boiling point, the "extra water" mixture should still provide decent boilover protection.

You may think that the lower boiling point will make your bike boil over easier. We'll, the idea is that, if you have a better performing cooling fluid in there, the bike will not get hot enough to boil over in the first place.

You can even back off even more to 33% or 25% ethylene glycol (still with Water Wetter), but remember the tradeoff is a lower boiling point and less freeze protection. If you do not keep your bike where it will NEVER freeze or will not remember to increase the glycol % for the cold months, then do not mess with going with less than 50% glycol.

In my opinion, do not get pulled into using EngineIce - see this thread on this if you want - it is a doozey of a thread so you may just better off taking my opinion on this:

EngineIce or Engine Hotter? thread

 

[MTRIDER]

I thought overheating was a Rich condition ? look at your plug and see what it looks like .....you may have some power to unleash just by jetting