My 98 KDX220 is apart for winter maintainence and I have an opportunity to correct a gearbox issue I have been dealing with all last year. The Kawasaki (at least compared to about ten other bikes I tried out) had a very notchy feel between first and second and would hang up in neutral if you weren't careful. It would sometimes feel as if second gear was engaged, and then pop out immediately. Also, any slight tap on the gear shift (downward) would pop it out. Once the bike was solidly in second gear, it never popped out under load. All other gears are working fine. I have owned this bike for one year and generally the previous owner had done an excellent job maintaining it, so it was probably never abused. The motor is modded out and has a Hinson basket; the clutch seems fine. Numerous other riders tried my bike and noticed that although it was rideable, there was a problem. The motor is out for top end maintenance and I have an experienced rider/machinist friend who will split the cases for me, but he would like to know if anyone else can tell us exactly what things to look for. My friend has owned Kawasakis before (KX, KLX) and found them notchy compared to other bikes. Also, that loop on the frame can catch the lip of your boot from time to time. So should I split the cases, or just work on my shifting technique?
