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Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 01:00 am Apr 19 2021
by ericr
I need a new CDI for my 220. The bike wouldn't start and I checked with with a voltmeter and it was out of spec. Just to be sure, I swapped the CDI from my 200 and it ran fine.

So, I need a new one. I checked Partzilla and new ones are available - for $442! A quick check of ebay shows used at about $100 and some clone ones priced down to $40.

I remember reading about a guy in S. America building tunable CDI's too. I'm not going to buy a new OEM so I'm curious what others have done. Suggestions?

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 09:30 am Apr 19 2021
by KDXGarage
Jaguar is the member's user name (Paraguay I think it is)

Thanks for demonstrating that having two bikes is a great way to swap parts and figure out issues.
Good luck on the shopping.

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 09:38 pm Apr 19 2021
by SS109
I really like my Jaguar ignition. It helped wake the bike up.

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 11:01 pm Apr 19 2021
by ericr
SS109 wrote: 09:38 pm Apr 19 2021 I really like my Jaguar ignition. It helped wake the bike up.
I'm leaning towards that option too. Do you remember how long it took to arrive from Equador. Did you go with his suggested CR250 HT coil? Thanks.

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 11:51 am Apr 20 2021
by SS109
It didn't take long/ Maybe a week and a half or two weeks? It's been a long time since I bought it. On the coil I ran the stock one.

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 10:41 pm May 26 2021
by ericr
I got a replacement CDI and the bike runs great now - actually, better than ever. My choices for a CDI were new OEM at $442, a Jaguar tunable from Paraguay at $230, used at about $100+ on ebay, or an Amazon cheapo at $42.

Being a tightwad, I went for the cheap one. Guess what? It runs perfectly. It started first kick after a year. It idles slower than ever and runs perfectly throughout the rev range. I couldn't be happier.

I had been so frustrated thinking the poor performance was jetting related. My friends were also frustrated waiting for me to kick and kick to get the bike restarted. It got so bad, I bought a used Beta Xtrainer mainly for the magic e-button and put the 220 to bed for over a year. The Beta was great for the tightest, gnarliest single track but once I got to third gear, the suspension just wanted to kill me. I missed my KDX.

With the KDX running perfectly now, I sold the Beta and couldn't be happier. These are great bikes we have.


Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 12:11 am May 27 2021
by KDXGarage
WOW! Thanks for the update!

It is good that you got it going again.

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 02:26 am May 27 2021
by SS109
Interesting. Thanks for sharing the info!

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 09:10 pm May 27 2021
by doakley
Wow! That’s outstanding. I’m tempted to buy one just to have waiting in the shop.

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 07:20 am May 31 2021
by Skoalman
doakley wrote: 09:10 pm May 27 2021 Wow! That’s outstanding. I’m tempted to buy one just to have waiting in the shop.
I agree. And I’ll probably be ordering one later on today. Great find & info.

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 10:12 pm Jul 01 2021
by billie_morini
ericr, thank you very much for sharing this experience & tip. I'd been wondering what to do if the CDI died on my KDX220. Now I know. The cheap, $42, Caltric CDI has me thinking about getting one simply to keep on hand.

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 02:17 pm Jul 02 2021
by TwistedRoot
ericr: Thats a great find. Did you have to do any monkeying around or was it plug and play/braaap??

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 10:11 pm Jul 02 2021
by ericr
TwistedRoot wrote: 02:17 pm Jul 02 2021 ericr: Thats a great find. Did you have to do any monkeying around or was it plug and play/braaap??
It's plug and play. One wire is colored differently from factory colors. Just connect all of the other color matching wires first until that's the last one and all is good.

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 05:15 pm Jul 06 2021
by John_S
Amazon lists one for the 200 and one for the 220. The part numbers are different. OEM is the same part 200/220. I wonder what the difference would be? Eric which one did you get? I’m going to install one and keep the 20 year old OEM as a backup.

Re: Replacement CDI options?

Posted: 11:44 am Jul 07 2021
by ericr
I didn't realize they sold two different versions. I bought the version for the 200 thinking it was like OEM. It seems to work fine.