Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Discussion for swapping a KDX motor in a MX frame...
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Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by Tyl3r »

Thought she'd make a much prettier Christmas tree than that puny plastic thing I had laying around... Happy Holidays everyone!
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by KDXGarage »

WOW! Cool idea. :cool:
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by Tyl3r »

Thanks! I can't take total credit it for it though... saw a couple on the MX pages I follow on Instagram lol

I'm tickled every time I walk in the room and see it sitting there. Now I can comfortably eye-rape it from the comfort of my own couch! haha

I did it in the middle of the day when my neighbors were at work. The woman that lives next door is best friends with our landlord's wife. After I pushed the bike into the living room, I quickly broomed the tire tracks off the sidewalk that lead directly to my front door haha not exactly sure how that would go over if she happened to mention it.... I usually feel its best to ask for forgiveness than permission :shh: :lol:
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Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by G22inSC »

Tyl3r wrote:Also did some reading on the Rekluse set-up that Harry was so kind to investigate, figure out, and share with all of us... DEFINITELY plan to do that swap

Can you elaborate on this or provide a web link? I'm currently trying to figure out how I want to set it up with the different spring and wedge options.
'05 Kaw KDX200 ('00 KX125 forks / '02 RM125 Showa "K2" shock)
'14 Yam YZ125(x) (oldest boy's)
'22 Yam YZ125X (youngest boy's)
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'10 Honda Recon (wife's)
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by Tyl3r »

The page I was talking about. I incorrectly said Harry in that post. Tedh98 is the author

https://haroldbawlzangya.com/project-kdx-rekluse-exp/
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by G22inSC »

Gotcha. I'm familiar. Thanks.
'05 Kaw KDX200 ('00 KX125 forks / '02 RM125 Showa "K2" shock)
'14 Yam YZ125(x) (oldest boy's)
'22 Yam YZ125X (youngest boy's)
'17 Yam YZ85 (soon to be FOR SALE)
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by Tyl3r »

I must say, 2-years later and this thing is still kickin! If anyone is on the fence about building one, spend the time and do it. I haven't been riding as much as I'd like to lately, but I fall in love again with this thing every time I take it out. I couldn't ask for a better bike in the tight stuff.

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I haven't been lurking around here much either. Work has been keeping me quite busy lately with a big project and lots of trips overseas. I hope everyone is well! Happy braaaapin!
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by KDXGarage »

Still looks great! :supz:
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Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

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:rock: Thanks!
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4- Year Update: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build

Post by Tyl3r »

Exciting news today! Just send my head off to RB Designs and my cylinder to Fredette Racing. Pretty excited to see how she runs when I get everything back!

I guess I can provide some updates since I last posted like 2 years ago. I also wanted to write some stuff for anyone who is on the fence thinking about building a hybrid...hope to help push you over the edge and build one too!

Its almost 4 years exactly since I finished the bike, well, since I started riding it, its never really finished. I must say, it has been an absolute delight for me. I'm no expert rider or racer or anything, just your typical weekend rider, so take my opinion as you will.

Compared to the standard KDX (I had a 97 KDX220 at the same time to compare the two side by side) it is so much easier to throw around, both turning and while navigating tricky obstacles. It feels better balanced from front to rear and is definitely easier to wheelie, which also makes it easier to get over tall obstacles like fallen trees or big rocks. The bike isn't physically much lighter, but it just feels like it is. The suspension works so nice, I hardly ever feel like I'm going to get bucked off it. It soaks up everything I throw at it and tracks beautifully. Just a respring and re-valve for the woods from my local suspension guy. I also put in a Tubliss in the rear which just further helps traction, being able to run 10psi or lower at all times. I really like it. I do need to add air to both air circuits every time I ride....but o well, I have to do that with pretty much any other tube as well.
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It revs soo low, its almost hard to stall, as I am sure most of you are already aware lol. I've went between the FMF woods pipe, desert pipe, and the PC pipe. The Woods pipe felt weird and the loss of top end power was very noticeable, did not like at all. The PC pipe was nice, around the same bottom end power with some more up top. The Desert pipe feels like no loss down low, with the most up top. Still feels like it has some to be desired up top, so hoping that will improve with these coming machining mods.
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The bike ran very well with the stock carb and proper jetting... but I had a Lectron on my dual sport and didn't really want to sell the bike with it on there...so I got a new ring machined for it and installed it on the hybrid before I sold that bike. I already knew what to expect with it from the dual sport, its just awesome. The bike revs so clean. Definitely felt a more crisp throttle response and peppier all over (maybe the previous jetting wasn't quite as good as I thought? lol).

Working from home and being bored has me tinkering with it again. When I was doing the top end the first time, I installed new head studs. When I put them in, I double nutted them and ran them into the cylinder. This resulted in a there being like a half a thread on the head nuts not being engaged by the stud. I kept an eye on them and would check the torque every so often. Nothing ever loosened up or anything, but it always bothered me. So I said OK, enough is enough, I'm bored, I'll fix this. Led to me pulling the cylinder to clean out the KIPS (all was a little black, but no bad build up or anything) and re-installing the studs. Ring gap is still within spec of new. No scoring on the piston or anything. Plug is a nice mocha color. Cleaned everything else up real nice. Now I'm just waiting to get the head and cylinder back to fully reassemble.
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Two things I had to fix from the original build. My lower pipe mount needed some correcting, was a really bent piece of rubber to make up for severly misaligned holes. My mistake during the fab phase, didn't want to grind the powder coat to weld and have to get it re-coated. I didn't get a photo of the new solution, but it lines up nicely, basically just offset a standard pipe mount with a little bracket. Second thing was the head stay brackets. I made them out of aluminum diamond plate that I had laying around. It cracked at the bend. This time, I'm having a friend cut me some new ones out on his CNC plasma table. We will have reliefs along the bend that will get welded in the end, preventing the same failure mode. Just waiting for the material to come in for that
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I've been wanting a good torque wrench, one that was primarily designed with Nm units (to read directly from the KTM and Kawi service manuals). When I was in Germany for work recently, I spoke to some guys in our factories to find a good one. I ended up getting quite a few recommending the Wera brand. I went with an A5 I got on Amazon for small duty (2-25 Nm) and plan to also get a 3/8" one at some point as well. The readout is freaking awesome. I hate that style like the HF and other low cost ones are that I can never fully trust if its set to the right value. Can't wait to use it to put the bike back together lol
https://products.wera.de/en/torque_tool ... e_a_5.html

Anyways, all of that to sat that shes doing great. I absolutely love this bike, it makes me so happy every time I ride it. It is exactly everything that I want and I would have to say that the only thing better in the woods that I've ridden would be the modern 350EXC's or the 250EXC (2-stroke one)... basically the same for me but the KTM's are a bit more snappy, have a bit more on the top...BUT....they can't rev quite as low, are several thousand more and don't give you the satisfaction of building your own bike. If you are thinking about building one...i can't stress this enough....DO IT!
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by KDXGarage »

Thanks for the follow-up!
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by Tyl3r »

Anytime :grin:

Also, here was that torque wrench I mentioned in the last post. I maxed out the number of attachments, but wanted to share a photo.
20200817_152618.jpg
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by KDXGarage »

Nice!
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by Pressingonward »

Nice write-up on your hybrid build. Bike looks great!
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by Kdxfan4130 »

Fantastic looking hybrid. Nice work. Can’t wait to hear how it runs with rb mods.

Check out you tube Jenny’s garage, the couple fix up a kdx200 out of a few machines and shows annealing aluminum so it doesn’t crack like your brackets did. It works. Interesting funny couple fixing up bikes and other stuff.
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by bikeman2502001 »

Hey did you ever get your cylinder back yet from porting anxious to hear how you like it I know your gonna just want to see if you can wipe the smile off your face after riding your NEW motorcycle as Jeff Says and its so true nice bike you have there!
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

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Sorry for taking so long to respond! Got it all back together and took it out for a few hours. I'll tell you what...it is like a whole new bike! I almost can't believe it, a few times I thought I was on a 250! haha It just has more power everywhere, I don't know how else to say it. To be honest, I feel like I have now put together the perfect bike, I don't really see how it could get much better than it is now as a complete package; even after riding a couple newer KTM 250 2 stokes and 350 4 strokes, I think I like this the best.

In addition to the very noticeable power gains, it can finally rev out too, which is awesome. I feel like it used to die off wayy to early before. Did a couple of pretty long climbs holding it wide open and it felt like it just kept going! Cruising around in the middle of 4th and cracking it and the front comes right up for some pretty fun wheelies. I know I wasn't able to do that before.

Since I last rode, it got the RB Head mod, Fredette porting, switch from PC pipe to FMF Rev pipe, half turn to richen the rod on the Lectron, 1/4 turn to richen the power jet (will probably turn back 1/8 turn), slight idle increase, and straightened the handlebars in the clamps :lol: I think its spot on now. Not that it needs it, but are there any other power mods to do to this thing, besides running race gas?

When I had it apart, I took the rings off the piston to check the ring gap. It was still within the spec for new rings, so I put them back on the piston. I didn't know if that meant I needed to heat cycle it again to seat the rings in or not? I went ahead and did a couple heat cycles, but what do you think? Did I need to do that?

It was so clean, I had to get some glamour shots before I got it dirty
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by Tyl3r »

While I was waiting on the motor parts, I wanted to make some new head stay brackets. I took some measurements, made some sheet metal parts in Inventor, and sent the flat patterns over to my buddy to cut out.
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He has a pretty cool little Langmuir CNC plasma table he bought to cut out brackets and stuff for his SXS and rock crawler projects. We cut them out of some 3/16"s with a pretty heavy relief at the bends to make bending easy. Then welded them up, had a test fit, then slapped some paint on them. Sadly, I don't have access to powder coating equipment and didn't feel like waiting on someone else lol I think they came out pretty nice though:
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Ended up ordering some slightly longer bolts to finish it off. I don't know if anyone else has tried this or not yet, but it worked out for me a couple of different times so I thought I'd share. I'm super particular about everything, and want all the bolts to look the same. I hate to go and buy a metric bolt from a hardware store with like a 13mm head or something weird with no flange. So, I just looked in Partzilla at what Kawasaki called the other similar bolts that I wanted to match, then just searched that description in a Kawasaki parts search and just changed the length in the description to get the bolt I wanted and was able to find a matching bolt to order, in the length I wanted. I don't know, the thought just came to me and worked out nicely a few times.

I also got a Cycra Bolt kit with some of those super cool works washers to use on all of the mounts for the plastics... small detail, but looks pretty cool I think!
20200923_202234.jpg
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by KDXGarage »

Looks awesome!
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Re: Tyl3r's 05/04 KX/DX Hybrid Build - DONE!

Post by Tyl3r »

KDXGarage wrote: 11:17 pm Sep 23 2020 Looks awesome!
Thanks! :supz: Cant wait to ride again this weekend!
04/05 KX220 Hybrid all decked out
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24 KTM 300XC-W Cheater bike
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