New KDXer with lots of ?'s

[KAWA200RIDER]

Ok well I got a 1985 KDX 200 a little after christmas. The bike hasnt given me any trouble or anything starts right up and runs great. I just want to get a little more out of it. This summer I plan on riding at a MX track and think I will need strffer forks and springs. If anybody knows some places that make treplacement suspension and stuff for older bikes please tell me. I also am thinking about getting new reeds and a pipe. Whats the deal with reeds? The reeds I found that fit my bike is the boyesen pro series reeds. Is that a good choice? Now for the pipe, The pipe I found is the DG pipe and silencer. Is that a good choice if not can you please point me in the right direction. Thats the only place i can find that makes one for my '85 kdx. Does the silencer make it noticably quieter? Any other info is appreciated thanks. Keep riding GREEN!

 

[kmccune]

Go to the links below, the first one is a good informational site about the KDX and the second one Fredette Racing is a good place to get older KDX parts and upgrades. Yup the suspension is soft and as for the silencer the stock one was very quiet but by now it most likely has no packing left so the DG one may be quieter. Cobra makes an add on spark arrester if the DG silencer is not forestry legal. The Boysen reeds are good, but Fedette wil be able to help there as well.

http://www.dirtrider.net/justkdx/

http://www.frpoffroad.com/

 

[KAWA200RIDER]

nope!

Thanks for the links but frpoffroad doesnt make parts for my bike! My bike is too old! Oh well, Thanks anyway.

 

[kmccune]

Yup, but I believe that he stocks or can get used parts, that may mean older parts?

 

[KAWA200RIDER]

yup!

awesome thanks i'll have to see. Did you do any mods to your bike?

 

[kmccune]

So far I've removed the airbox lid, rejetted and put in new fork springs but nothing more. I think I'll bore the carb and put in a wing/devider thinger. I may just cut my stock pipe and remove the baffles or go with a pro circuit pipe, I haven’t decided yet, but I'm keeping the stock silencer cause I want it quiet for the trails. I may put gold valves in down the line too???

See Ya around

 

[rgalbraith]

KDX A series mods

Hi,

I'm in the middle of restoring/upgrading my 1984 KDX 200 (identical to your '85). I decided that I wanted a front disk brake, so I found a complete front end off an '86 model and have been grafting it on. I decided that I wanted to upgrade the '86 forks, so I contacted a local shop that is certified by RaceTech. I'm having cartridge fork emulators and new springs put in, and the whole shebang revalved to my weight/riding style. I'm not sure if RaceTech offers anything for the '84 forks, since I was intent on losing the drum setup. The '86 forks are a larger diameter, so those parts won't work. If you are interested in the disk brake conversion, do a search of the posts for the discussion on this mod. Suffice it to say that '86-'88 steering stems are the same diameter as the '84, so it's a bolt-up proposition.

As a final note on the disk brake conversion, make sure that you get a complete front wheel. I just got a hub and thought I would lace up the '84 wheel to the '86 hub. Wrong! Kawasaki no longer supplies all the spokes needed to relace an '86 hub. I'm having to use spokes of the same bend, but longer, and then cut threads down the shank to fit the wheel up. No aftermarket company makes rebuild kits for the bike, so unless you have a sample of each kind of spoke (there are three types), you have to do what I'm doing.

Pipes for this bike are a problem. DG is the only solution, and you better hurry, as there are only a few left.

I'm running the Boyesen Pro Series reeds. Have been using them since 2000, and they work just fine.

If you decide to upgrade the rear shock, I have discovered that it may be better to call Works Performance and have a shock fabbed, than to attempt to rebuild the original. The shop that is doing the forks is running into problems finding parts for the seal head, and the piston in the reservoir is non-rebuildable. Also, there are few options for replacement springs. I should know more about this in a week or so, as that is when the suspension is supposed to be finished.

All in all, unless you just have an emotional attachment to the bike, as I do, you are better served to only fix what needs fixing, and just enjoy the bike. If you attempt to do what I have done, you could have bought a new bike. I have rebuilt the motor from the crank up, and am finishing the chassis mods. When I'm done I'll have in excess of $4,000.00 in this bike. Color me a fanatic! :eek:

 

[KAWA200'sRule]

That bike better be one of the best '84 KDX's out there because the bike is only worth about $900 on kelley blue book. Oh well I'm getting there too. I'm only at about $300 now but I have alot of ideas ready to go on.

 

[rgalbraith]

I knew going into this project that I could never get my money out of it. By the middle of April, I suspect it will be one of the best '84s out there, but it will never be a new KTM EXC200 or WR250. Always something to keep in mind when modding an old bike that is not yet vintage status. I am even having to make some of the bolts because Kawasaki no longer stocks them. So far the upper shock mount is the only real pain. I'll be cutting down and rethreading a new mount tomorrow night if it warms up. If I were sane, I would have parted this machine out, bought a lightly used late model KDX and been riding by now!

 

[Rob84KDX200]

howdy all...

just thought I'd pass on a few of my experiences with my 84 KDX200 project bike.

it is 100% running, took me 6 months to transform what was literally a 'parts bike' into a fully running restored bike.

like many of you, I have found it tremendously difficult in finding parts and aftermarket solutions. particularly the suspension (forks and rear shock), where I've pretty much left it the way it is, unrestored.

The engine is stilll runnning okay, although low-ish on compression, so it will need at least new rings. The rest though has been a labour of love. OEM pipe, aftermarket universal muffler, renthal bars, brush guards, new levers and switch assemblies, O-ring chain, full electrics, speedo, seat.

You might be saying "oh yeah, what most bikes should already have!...". When I purchased this bike late august '03, it had NO fuel cap! NO speedo! NO brake cable! NO levers! NO air filter! And to top it off, it was not running... all because the ignition components (flywheel, stator, cdi unit) were sourced from a KX80! No wonder why there was no spark!...

All up, i've spent about AUS$1500 on this project, and it is a wonderful bike. I've learnt plenty from this experience, and now learning to ride in the local bush... having a ball, would not have it any other way.

one bit of advice, if you're worried about the cost of the project piling up... stop counting! don't keep an expenses list. it takes the fun out of the sheer joy of restoring such an under-rated bike. Look around here in DRN forums, not much on these 83-88 KDXs.

another bit of advice (plug alert...). My web site is fully devoted to the aforementioned project bike. Will be going through a MAJOR update soon, where you can even download an original sales brochure (circa 1984). Here's the web link below... enjoy your stay...

http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~rcacic/kdx200