KDX 200 to 220 question

[OldIron]

Glad there's such a forum with all this experiance.

I bought a 2005 KDX 200 and wanted to convert it to a 220. It's coming with a Gnarly pipe and some aftermarket bars. I already know in order to do this mod I need to change out the following:

Carb to a 33mm
Cylinder
Head

A few questions I was wondering about are:

Do all the KDX cylinders have a sleeve or are there cylinders that are just alumimum with a nikacil coating and if so is the 2005 one of them?

To change out the sleeve how hard is this and is their any technique to getting it out and a new one back in?

Also are there any kinds of sleeves that are better then others?

I was also wondering if the KIPS will move right over to the 220 cylinder or since the bore is different do I need to mod the KIPS valve.

I realize the porting for the 200 is considered by many "better" but I want low end torque to ride in the mountains. That's why I was planning on using a 220 sleeve. This leads me to the last question:

If I reaplace the sleeve to a 220, do I have to find a 220 cylinder (aluminum housing) or will changing only the sleeve suffice?

Thanks for any info in advance.

 

[cornishwrecker220]

if you want to convert your 200 then perhaps the best / simplest mod would be to send the cylinder & head & carb off to jeff fredette for some engine work (porting etc) or eric gorr & get the 240 big bore sleeve kit installed..these mods will transform your 200 giving you plenty of low down torque combined with a good usable mid range pull right through to top end power should you require..you could also install a stealty flywheel weight if you need to soften down the hit should it be too much for more technical stuff.

 

[OldIron]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to convert it into a 220 for the low end torque and reliability. I probably should have bought a 220 but I thought and still believe that it's not that hard to convert it over. And it was a good deal on the 200. I just wanted to know about the sleeve because I've never removed one. I'm guessing I can just press it out. And as for the new one, I imagine chilling it down maybe in a freezer then slipping it in may work. My friend told me he used liquid nitrogen on a sleeve and that worked fine. I don't have that so maybe just a freezer might work well enough.

 

[cornishwrecker220]

the sleeve will need to be pressed out with a hydraulic press & installed the same way, apart from the health risk of useing liquid nito you may end up cracking the sleeve across the port bridges..i`d be surprised if you could do it with out a press to be honest...la sleeve make a sleeve for the 220 which you could purchase, then all you need is to have the 200 head modified to fit the barrell..i`d keep & re-jet the 200 carb to suit..either way the above mod may work out pricey...suitable gearing (lower perhaps a 50t rear), a boysen rad valve with dual stage reeds, fmf gnarly woods pipe combined with a flywheel weight should work just as good? put up a post with your finnished project.

 

[OldIron]

Ok thanks 220. I just found out that the cylinder is aluminum and nicasiled around the bore. So it appears the sleeve I was seeing (which is the LA Sleeve you mentioned) was only another way of changing out the bore.

I haven't picked up the bike yet but I should have it this weekend. From talking around to many people I think I'll just wait to see how it works with that gnarly pipe. It may be minimal difference since the gnarly pipe is suppose to help out the low and mid range.

I have read that the port timing is different between the 220 and the 200. I imagine this is where the 220 makes it's torque, and the 200 makes it's rpms.

Time will tell. Thanks.

 

[mudpack]

Glad there's such a forum with all this experiance.

I bought a 2005 KDX 200 and wanted to convert it to a 220. It's coming with a Gnarly pipe and some aftermarket bars. I already know in order to do this mod I need to change out the following:
Carb to a 33mm
Cylinder
Head.

Those, plus the piston, rings, head gasket, and base gasket.
I'd leave the 35mm carb in place, if it were me.
No sleeves in the stock 200 or 220; nikasil coating on aluminum.

 

[DBragg]

If you are not happy with the 200's torque, I would have the head modded before swapping to the 220 jug. While i have not modded my 220's engine, the best mod I ever did to my ktm was having the head modded. The head mod did more than any pipe ever dreamed of doing. It provides a much cleaner burn, is easier to jet, and provides notably more pull through the low and mid throttle openings. Its easily the best 50 dollars I have spent on an engine.

RB designs, Jeff Fredette, and Eric Gorr seem to be popular tuners on this site. I would correspond with one or more of them to get their input. Jeff Fredette rebuilt and revalved my shock. Hes a nice guy, did great work, and had a good turn around time. Im sure the other tuners are good as well.

Good luck and enjoy your bike. Let us know what you decide, and how it turns out.

edit: sumtyms im not a gude spelar :whoa:

 

[OldIron]

Mudpack and DBragg,
Thanks. That's exactly what I needed to know. I'm going to keep as is for now and first see how she does in the hills. If I need more torque, I'll look into the specialists and some head work. Thanks for the great advice.

 

[Mark Clay]

I sent my cylinder to Eric Gorr Foward Motion and he sent me back a cylinder with a 125 kit and it was ported. Best 500.00 I ever spent on a dirt bike realy made the KDX 200 come alive. I had a FMF gnarly pipe also.

 

[OldIron]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

 

[EYY]

I sent my cylinder to Eric Gorr Foward Motion and he sent me back a cylinder with a 125 kit and it was ported. Best 500.00 I ever spent on a dirt bike realy made the KDX 200 come alive. I had a FMF gnarly pipe also.

do you mean a 225 kit?