Another KDX in the family

[Goofaroo]

A couple of months ago I picked up another KDX200 project. This time it was for my son in law. It is a 92 model E series that had less than 1000 miles on it. However, the crank seals had failed a few years ago and damaged the engine. The jug was replated and top and bottom end were gone through by a local shop. Then the owner installed heavy springs front and back, rode it a couple of times, and then it sat in the garage for a few years. Finally, it ended up on CL and I snapped it up.

I don't have a pic of when it was first purchased but it looked to be in very nice shape. It wouldn't start because the gas was expired so I used that against the owner during negotiation. It also came with a ton of spare parts:


This pic doesn't do it justice and not everything is in this box but it came with:
(all new in package)
4 new 13 tooth countershaft sprockets
About 7 new rear sprockets
1 new chain
front and rear All Balls wheel bearings and seals
All Balls suspension rebuild kit
2 packages of silencer packing
grunge brush
OEM clutch cable
2 Motion Pro clutch cables
Motion Pro levers
Twin Air filter (new spare)
Twin Air air box plug for cleaning the air box
MSR shift lever
Brake pads front and rear
FMF Fatty and Turbine Core- already on the bike

Extra parts that aren't new in package include:

Stock pipe and silencer
headlight bucket and light
stock fork and shock springs

You get the idea. I'm sure I'm forgetting several items but overall I was very pleased with the purchase. I ended up handing him $1,000 and he delivered it to my house about 4 miles away.

So I got it home, dumped the old fuel, took the carb apart and cleaned it up, serviced the ait filter, and dumped in some fresh 40:1 and it fired right up. Lighting worked well, and it shifted perfectly through the gears. It then went into my garage for some service to get it ready for the trail.

The rear shock was my biggest concern. It didn't feel right at all so I took it off and removed the spring. I had to take it off anyway to switch back to the factory spring so while I had the shock in hand, I decided to take it to the shop to get it serviced. I told the guy at the suspension shop that I use what I needed for my son in law and he knew exactly what to do with it. He did a revalve on it, new seal head, new bump stop, new oil, and a new nitrogen charge. He aslo set the preload collars and it was so close to being perfect for my son in law that I didn't even bother changing it. $150 spent.

Here's the settings and specs that he wrote on the shock if anyone is curious:


I also had to take the forks apart for a thorough service, to change back to the stock springs, new fluid (7.5wt), new seals, and new Daystar boots. I also went ahead and serviced the steering head bearings while the forks were off.

Other than that, I just lubed the cables, cut the bars down about 7/8" on each side, cleaned and greased the throttle assembly, flushed, cleaned, and greased the front brake. I also ended up having to replace the spokes on the rear wheel. It was horribly out of true and several of the nipples were seized. I decided to treat myself to outsourcing the job and dropped it off at a local shop for new spokes. $200 well spent and I got the rear wheel back ready to install:


So once it was back together, we finally got to go riding. My son in law has some street riding experience but had never been in the dirt. It was muddy the first day and the trail was slick as hell. I was on my XR350 following my son on the 87 model KDX that I rebuilt for him last year and my son in law. I should have taken my Go Pro. He went down at least a dozen times and some of hiswrecks were really awkward. I was laughing my ass off most of the day watching him slide around between crashes but he did great for his first time out. There was a few times that he was very frustrated and I thought he was going to abandon the bike and hike back to the truck but every time he had some trouble it would be followed by him doing really well and he'd start having fun again. I told him before we left that I was going to make a "grisly old trail rider" out of him and he just laughed. Afterwards, he told me he thought he was grisly now but I assured him that it would take at least a couple of years before he would reach that status. I didn't want to discourage him though, so I told hem he did pretty good for a pup. lol We rode again a couple of days later and he improved considerably. I would say that he only went down 5 or 6 times and he was having a great time. Unforunately, the bike took on a little damage but nothing major.

The headlight bucket and headlight have seen better days:


Luckily, the bike came with an extra headlight and bucket but I don't think I'm going to install it just yet.

The subframe was tweaked pretty good so I need to straighten that. The shifter also got bent a little but I think I'm going to straighten it then put the new MSR shifter on and use the old one as a spare.


As far as the engine goes, the bike ran great and started easily even after being routinely dropped in the mud and water. The only problem I've noticed is that the tranny fluid looked a little milky through the site glass. He was also complaining that it was hard to find neutral. I found that the shifter was bent and dragging against the case making it a little tricky to find neutral. I'm hoping that is all that was wrong. I drained the fluid and was surprised that it didn't look as bad as I expected. My initial thought was that it was the water pump seal but it could very well be water getting in through the clutch arm seal which is leaking badly. Actually, this thing is also weeping around the shift shaft and kick shaft seals as well so I have a complete seal kit and two new o rings for the countershaft. I am going to go ahead and pull the side cover and replace the water pump seals and reassemble with all new gaskets.

Here is the patient:


So anyway, that is where I'm at on the new project. I'll take some better pics when I get it back together and we are going to be doing some riding over Christmas break so I need to get busy!

[Goofaroo]

I spent most of the day yesterday and a couple of hours today getting the 92 model ready to go again. I installed all new seals on the motor and now it doesn't leak a drop. I also adjusted the chain, patched up the headlight bucket, flushed the rear brake, serviced the kick lever, and a few other maintenance items. It should be good to go. I also did some needed maintenance on my son's 87 model.

Tomorrow, I'm finally going to get to spend some time on both bikes. I'm going with one of my old riding buddies and leaving my XR at home. The plan is to take turns riding each of the green bikes. I'm really looking forward to finally getting to spend some time on them. I'm curious to see how the 87 compares to the 92 model.

Here they are serviced up and ready:


And here is where I'm at with the E series. It needs a good cleaning but it's really solid now mechanically:



I'm not a big fan of the pink graphics so at some point it will get a makeover but for now I just need for my son in law to get past crashing it all the time.lol
I patched up the broken headlight bucket for now and then once I'm confident he won't destroy it I'll install the spare that came with the bike. For now, I just put the socket in a ziplock bag and zip tied it to the bucket so it doesn't get wet or damaged. Then I zip tied the bucket together so it doesn't rattle and fall apart. It'll do for now.


Anyway, I'm really looking forward to riding the hell outta them tomorrow.

[Sullyfam]

Nice bikes and no doubt it will be good to reap the benefits of some solid work tomorrow. Look forward to hearing how the different vintages compare.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Goofaroo]

We went out to our local riding area today and I finally got a chance to put some real ride time on both bikes. We had an ice storm here a while back and temps have been low until recently so it is finally melting off. The ground was completely saturated making it slick as hell. The clay would build up on the tires and there were lots of broken limbs littering the trail (the blue trail for those of you familiar with Crosstimbers). Everything was rutted, littered with limbs, lots of low hanging branches, and water filled ruts and trenches with broken ice about an inch thick floating in them. A perfect test for the KDX.

I rode the 92 model first. Right away I felt right at home. I was very pleased with the ergos and the clutch action, braking, and shifting were spot on. I found the ride to be very plush even over logs and roots and square edge rocks were easily soaked up by the fork and the shock. The seat was even more comfortable than my XR and I could tell right away that I could do some very long rides on this bike even at a brisk pace. The motor was seamless. It pulled plenty strong from bottom to top and I was actually surprised at how quickly it would build speed when I came into a rare open stretch. The narrowed bars came in very handy through the really tight sections and the low seat height made the bike easy to correct when I had to dab. Overall, it doesn't have the low end grunt or top end hit of my XR or my old KTM300EXC but I found that the motor fit the bike perfectly and it had more than enough power for it's intended purpose. I am jonesing to take it out there again when it dries up and try it on the expert trail. I really think I could maintain a pretty good pace on this bike while remaining comfortable and without wearing myself out. The front and rear seemed very well balanced and the fork was fantastic. It has stock springs and 7.5wt. oil. As much as I love my XR, I have to say that I think the front end on the KDX is actually more to my liking and the rear shock is at least as good as my XR. Overall, we both really enjoyed the time we spent on it. We both felt that it was the perfect bike for the sloppy conditions but it seemed more than capable of running at much quicker speeds out in the open. Overall, a very fun bike to ride which is my most important criteria.

The 87 on the other hand, was a bit of a disappointment. However, I have it set up extremely soft for my 130 lb son. The motor ran perfectly. It carbureted flawlessly and like the 92 model, it was effortless to start and ran perfect all day. The difference was in the suspension. I think I need to first try a bit more preload on the fork and I am going to drain the fluid and go from the 10wt that it called for stock down to 7.5. The forks on both bikes seem to be identical but the 87 model just didn't have the same level of plushness and control that the 92 model had. It also needs a new front tire so it really isn't fair to be too critical of the front end on this bike but we both agreed it wasn't set up as nice as the 92 model.
The rear is also not nearly as plush as the 92 model but I'm not going to be too critical of of it either because it is not even in the ballpark of being set up for me. I am definitely going to make some adjustments on both ends of this bike. Overall, it was very comfortable, easy to ride through the slop, and did great. Just not as great as the 92 model. I know that there is a lot more to be had from this bike after I make some adjustments.

Anyhow, we had a blast and it was great to finally do a real ride on both bikes. I have a feeling I'm going to have to find another one for myself!