KDXRIDER.NET

Alright guys. This is my first dirtbike, 1998 kdx220, and I bought it off Craigslist but didn't know what signs to look for. Guess I shoulda checked here before I bought it, but long story short took it in to the shop and they said that first and second gear are completely shot. (Also the clutch won't engage when lever is pulled and put into gear, while bike is off.) Said it'd be cheaper to do it myself, so that's what I'm doing. I was wondering what I'd need to replace. Also I've yet to find a manual online that's free, might just have to bite the bullet. Help would be much appreciated! Please helpp.

Welcome to the KDX family! A manual is a must have. If the gears are indeed shot you will need to split the case to replace them. This would also be the time to do a fresh top end.

Thx for the reply! So is there a specific gear I should buy for this bike? Or is it just standard?

I would recommend you get a manual before doing anything else. This will answer most questions and you won't be doing any guesswork. Then find an online parts list so you know the OEM part numbers. These 2 resources and this website will tell you everything you need to know.

Good luck with your new to you KDX.

on the bright side, the 220 has a bad habbit of exploding stock pistons without warning
this will be your chance to replace the piston with a forged unit before it does any real damage

the manual is your friend (like mentioned before)

once you get that start digging into it and post your picture on here, we will be happy to help you out and back off the roads

Yep. Definitely looks like I'll have to invest in a manual here soon, thanks guys. I'm sure to be on here again at some point, probably when I get my next paycheck hah thanks again for the help

almost forgot to mention, just because you need to rebuild the bottom end doesn't mean it is a bad craigslist deal yet...depending on what you paid for it

that bike, in good shape, in certain areas will fetch around 2K
so keep the total investment underneath that number and you could still call it a good deal

Hi. What did you pay for it?

It may be cheaper in time and money to just go buy another one.

Did you not test ride it first?

I paid 900 for it. We did test ride it while we were there? Which is why I don't understand why its having this problem now, didn't notice it before.

The clutch doesn't work when the bike is off. That is perfectly normal and not a problem to be concerned about. The wet clutch needs centrifugal force to spin the oil out from between the plates and release. That force is not present when the engine is not running.

As for first and second gear, can we elaborate on "shot"? I am mistrustful of many shops. It would be nice to get an explanation of the symptoms of 2 gears that are "shot". :)

Welcome to the site, and congrats on the bike. I think you'll be able to get it sorted out and be happy with it.

Alright so I guess the gears aren't necessarily shot, they're running loose in the gearbox? The guy said they're practically just spare parts.

I am with Julien D on not trusting shops. Did they split the cases to tell you the gears where just spare parts? Did they take anything apart to come to that conclusion? Otherwise I am not sure how they would know that.

When you have the money, get the manual and start taking the easy stuff apart first. You may find it is just something simple that isnt working. There is a good thread with videos about a shifting problem that you should look at. It was updated a couple of weeks ago, so you shouldnt have to search too far back.

Yea the guy split the case, and I've yet to come by to pick it up. But on the phone they said they put the gears in a folder. I'll know more as soon as I pick it up though. Should be within a day or two.

This doesn't add up. If they have already split the cases, then the bulk of the work is already completed. Slapping in a couple new gears and stitching it back up is the easy part.

I was told they had opened it up. Only talked to the owner though and not the mechanic, so I'll have to get more information.

That does sound strange.

I hope they are organized for your sake. To get to the point where the cases are split, there are a lot of parts that come off. If you dont get everything, then the repair will just get more expensive and take longer as you wait for parts to replace missing items.

Me too.

If they have split the cases you are already into the $ for the work they have done.

I bought a bike in pieces from a shop because the customer walked away from it. I paid the shop 1/2 what they had into it; from the shops point of view that was better than nothing

I have a manual that I would sell, $1500 and you get a 95 200 for free!!!!

Ahahah man, what a deal. I have a bike though, how about 1500 for the manual