KDXRIDER.NET

I just found this bike and im just looking for any info i can get from some riders.. i have had a few bikes before but nothing worth my time mostly junkers.. this bike to me seems like a good bike to start on.. if u have any info u would like to add feel free.. im just looking for anything really..

1988 kawasaki kdx 200 with 1263 miles, 83 hrs.. great shape for the year.. complete.. i got this bike today.. found it for 200.00 bucks.. cleaned the carb and she fired first kick.. runs really strong and has good power from what i can see.

i dont plan on riding it onroad so i decided to take the light off and remove the odometer and things that would get in the way. also removed the kick stand.. i hate them things..

i have a few questions about this bike.. i was wondering if maybe some people can help? i want to change the rear fender to a motocross one and was wondering if any of the kx fenders would work? also.. id like to do some mods to this bike (reedsm exhaust, clutch) as i feel it would be a fun project.. last year of air cooled and its in great shape.. it may not be a motocross bike but id like to make it as cool as i can.. anyone have any ideas, please chime in.. thanks for looking.. im sure il have more ?'s as time goes by.

also.. i am in the process of chainging the oil and not really sure what to get for oil.. i heard that if i use the wrong oil it can damage the clutch and i dont wanna do this.. can anyone recommend the right oil for me? thanks

Congrats on the new-to-you bike. $200 is a steal for a bike that's all there.

Regarding the rear fender, I don't know of anything that will work without modification. Certainly nothing modern looking. Possibly a KX fender from the early to mid 80s would be close because they used the same kind of Uni Trak, airbox, and subframe arrangement as the air-cooled KDXs.

Don't get rid of any of the parts you removed. These bikes are relatively rare. A new OEM digital odometer is worth more than what you paid for your entire bike, so for God's sake, don't throw it away!

I know you can find an aftermarket pipe and silencer on eBay, used or new. Some parts are tricky to find, however. I had some trouble finding an OEM style NO Toil filter, but they eventually got me the right one. Suspension bearings are expensive and hard to find. New bolts for the push rod in the rear suspension don't exist.

For transmission oil, you can go with the cheapest motorcycle-specific oil you can find. I get the Suzuki 10w40 at my local dealer. If you check the labels carefully, you can use automotive 10w40, too, but it can't have any friction modifiers. Or, you can use ATF. Lots of choices.

GEt some pictures of your C series up here so we can ogle it!

Welcome! Where about in Vermont are you?

rbates9 wrote:Welcome! Where about in Vermont are you?

i am in north hartland vt right by white river junction vermont.. what about u?

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dfeckel wrote:Congrats on the new-to-you bike. $200 is a steal for a bike that's all there.

Regarding the rear fender, I don't know of anything that will work without modification. Certainly nothing modern looking. Possibly a KX fender from the early to mid 80s would be close because they used the same kind of Uni Trak, airbox, and subframe arrangement as the air-cooled KDXs.

Don't get rid of any of the parts you removed. These bikes are relatively rare. A new OEM digital odometer is worth more than what you paid for your entire bike, so for God's sake, don't throw it away!

I know you can find an aftermarket pipe and silencer on eBay, used or new. Some parts are tricky to find, however. I had some trouble finding an OEM style NO Toil filter, but they eventually got me the right one. Suspension bearings are expensive and hard to find. New bolts for the push rod in the rear suspension don't exist.

For transmission oil, you can go with the cheapest motorcycle-specific oil you can find. I get the Suzuki 10w40 at my local dealer. If you check the labels carefully, you can use automotive 10w40, too, but it can't have any friction modifiers. Or, you can use ATF. Lots of choices.

GEt some pictures of your C series up here so we can ogle it!

wow thanks for all the info lol.. i have been rippin this bike in my yard alot in the passed few days.. it runs awesome for that i paid.. the motor is really clean, the only build up on the motor is under the carb and air box, the exhaust has a lil bit of build up around the exhaust port on the motor but beside that its clean, plastics are good shape, but i want to make the plastics either green or black.. i like white tho.. but the kid who had it before had but a yellow ufo front fender.. i got some pro taper fat bars from my buddy along with the acerbis lever guards, but cant use them until i get the pro taper clams for the bars.. i changed the oil and have been going easy on it.. this bike has awesome punch. it is really torqy.. fast too.. im gonna try to put some pics but as most of the forums, usually they wont let u put pics right away

this is before



now..

so after riding my new bike for a week i decided its time to tear her down and do a lil work to her.. i started cleaning the motor with it still in the bike and found that is hard to do,so I decided to take the motor out and started cleaning it a bit.. still not done cleaning the motor yet, it had alot of built up gunk on it and i wanted that clean, so i went out and got me some cleaner and gonna do some more tomorrow.. here are a few pics of what i have so far before and after

I'd love to put that motor in a more modern frame....

Well, not THAT motor, that's your motor, but an air cooled ~200cc motor.

Why is that? Are these good motors?

Yeah....Other than liquid cooling, you've got the best AC KDX motor they made. Nickel bore, Keihin PWK carb, simple but functional powervalve.

Nice thats good to know. I find it really easy to work on. And lots of power for what it is. I didnt expect this thing to be so quick and snappy on the bottom. Its geared at 14/48 and it is fast. It still really snappy

ok so i worked another few hrs on my bike today.. got the motor cleaned as much as i could anyway, and started dissasembling the frame for cleaning.. i think i want to paint the frame blue if i can get all the grease and gunk off it, and then start replacing bearings and bushings in everything.. here are some pics so far..

The motor




The bike




and finally the frame...


hope to have this cleaned soon so i can start painting, if thats what i decide to do..

I'd like to know what the motor weighs side-by-side to a wet motor. I'm sure it's less.

Im not sure probably 30 40 lbs

Yikes that's one massive clutch cover. Glad my 89 doesn't have that
Sweet looking ride though.

Ok lol.. In the meantime im debating weather i should paint the frame blue or lime green. I am pretty stuck on the kawasaki lime green color right now. I may end up doing green or black plastics of i can find some that will work. Im not a big fan of painting plastics. Anyone have any ideas?

Fletch wrote:Yikes that's one massive clutch cover. Glad my 89 doesn't have that
Sweet looking ride though.

thanks man.. its my first restoration ever.. thought id try something different then rc trucks lol.. been into rcs for a long time and all that money i have spent in that hobby i could of put into this one.. i much rather ride something lol

FYI, The lime green shows every little scratch or nick, and where your boots rub. And the correct color is expensive. but you can get "grabber green" pretty easily.

Kawasaki green aint that bad. I called my kawi dealer and its like 12.00 for a can. Ive never heard of grabber green. In my eyes tho its a dirt bike its gonna get scratches injust want to renew it.

Where? My dealer says he can't get it....

And the color changed a few years ago, too. Maybe it's not the lime green.

my kawasaki dealer is out of clairmont nh.. i called and he said he could get it in a day or two. its the kawasaki lime green from what he said.. i hope its a nice green.. whats the grabber green?

nm i just found it.. cheap too.. is it good paint for dirt bike frames?