xpwarrior

Member
Jan 14, 2001
40
0
I bought my 96 KDX200 about six months ago and have rode it nearly every weekend and thought it absolutely ran great. I took the pipe off to due some cleaning today and looked up into the exhaust port and found the subports all the way open and the main valve all the way up. Its evidently been that way ever since I got it. I popped the cover off where the advancer shaft is and I can run the valves closed but if you leave then open they stay that way. It looks like something is broke down at the centrifigul unit which I'll check out later tonight. The valves aren't stuck and don't look gummed up so i'm in luck there. When I got the bike the clutch basket was chewed up so I figured something in the KIPS system had broke but I thought it had been fixed since it ran so good. I fired it up with the cover off the advancer and it stayed all the open and everthing sounded normal so I flipped the valves closed. Wow what a difference in the way it sounded, nothing like it ever sounded before. I always thought other KDXs sounded more subdued than mine at low speed. Sorry for rambling just can't believe i'll have even more low end when I get this fixed. :cool:

------------------
96 KDX200
98 Ninja 250R
90 650SX Jetski
 

xpwarrior

Member
Jan 14, 2001
40
0
Yeah Brush I bet you're right because the big govenor shaft doesn't feel connected at the lower end any more. I should be spring loaded from the centrifugal unit right. Also can the small governor shaft be replaced by just removing the clutch cover and basket or does the case half need to come off?

------------------
96 KDX200
98 Ninja 250R
90 650SX Jetski
 

BRush

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jun 5, 2000
1,100
0
You need to take off the entire right side cover, not just the clutch cover. It's not too much more of a hassle. Besides, you are going to have to hunt around for the broken rod. When you put the cover back on, put the right cover on with the clutch cover still open then make absolutely, positively , 110% sure both the advancer gear and the water pump gear are correctly engaged before you button it back up.

ps. a new advancer rod is $7 and change, but while you are in there, take apart the advancer centrifugal mechanism and inspect the pancake bearings & replace if needed (again around $7 per each). Also, remember that the nut holding the "claw" gear at the top of the shaft by the cylinder head KIPS mechanism is a LEFT HAND THREAD
 

xpwarrior

Member
Jan 14, 2001
40
0
Just pulled the cover off and the plate that the shaft fits into was broke. It broke right where the plate makes the 90 degree bend. All I had left was the flat part bolted to the main shaft. It was easier to take apart than I figured. Probably easier than getting the parts from the local dealer. So how much more low end power can I expect once I get the system working? This may be like getting a new bike.
 

xpwarrior

Member
Jan 14, 2001
40
0
No luck with KIPS

Installed the new governor shaft(lever) and fired the bike up today. Even though I could easily flip the valves open and closed by hand they weren't working very well with the bike running. The valves would try to work but were really sluggish and since I don't want to do a top end right now I pulled the clutch cover back off and was just going to run without the KIPS system for a while. When I got a look at the governor shaft it appeared slightly bent and I did support it properly when tightening the left handed nut. With a little pressure from my thumb I snapped the brand new governor shaft off the plate. The metal where the shaft goes through was highly crystalized and would have quickly broke on its own and probably trashed out my clutch again. Right know the governor assembly and the shafts are in a zip lock bag in my tool box and the KIPS valves are blocked wide open. I may not know what i'm missing but I like the way it runs and I know I don't have that stinking shaft in there just waiting to destroy my bike. Just wanted to give a heads up that a new governor shaft may fall apart faster than the original. :eek: It sucks to have such a weak link in an otherwise bullet proof engine.
 
Top Bottom