Too Stupid to Stop: 1983 KDX 250 Resurrection

[Goofaroo]

And pics. We need pics.

[GKBO]

Woooww,that looks worse than my 86 200.

[Dekon]

Any more updates on this?

[dfeckel]

Sorry to say that there aren't any updates. I am easily distractable. In the early fall, I bought a Subaru BRZ, so a lot of my free time was spent enjoying the new ride. I was actually able to get the motor all together before Christmas, but the holiday season really took a big bite out of my garage time. When I finally got some garage time, I put a new ring in my WR 125/165 race bike.



Then, I started a carb rebuild on my 1990 ZX600C,



which I haven't finished because in the middle of doing that, I took a few days to put a 2" and 31" tires on my Cherokee.



Then I got the community drill and reamer set from skippypinecone, so I split the cases on my spare H motor to enlarge the swingarm bushing for my hybrid. Then I tried to put a Gibson exhaust on my Cherokee yesterday, but found it interfered with my extended shackle, so I took it to Meineke.

I WILL get back to this bike, but I need to get the carbs sorted on the Ninja, and I need to rebuild and install the H motor into my hybrid. Then, barring any unforseen issues, I'll get back to the '83.

I suppose part of the delay is that the fun and easy stuff (motor) is done. Now it's time for the less fun stuff (clean the frame, clean up and replace bearings, rebuild the forks--I've never done that before!--and try to rehab the plastics). If my laziness gets the better of me, I may just eschew all esthetics and put together a mechanically sound, all-original "patina bike." It's the new trend in motorcycle restoration, you know. Because they're only original once!

[GooseMan]

any updates? Been a while lol, still no garage time ah?

[dfeckel]

Sadly the name of this thread should probably be renamed to, "Too Lazy to Continue."

Just so much crap going on in life to keep me from digging back into this project. My lifted Cherokee project hit multiple snags, including a broken cylinder 6 exhaust valve spring and alternator, sucking a solid weekend to get that squared away. And my ZX600C is just being a bee-otch with a persistant coolant leak and random spark loss problems. I think I finally nailed that down to a faulty CDI, which is on the way. A new o-ring and RTV solved the coolant issue. Just about time to test the CL waters on that bad boy!

But I did come real close to messing around with it today. I pushed down on the rear suspension a couple times and everything, but I didn't wheel it out. So lazy!

I guess I can report this little finding: Those old cracked tires actually still hold air! I aired them up for giggles, and dang it if they didn't hold that air right inside 'em!

Oh! And I just sourced a proper gas cap from a KDX 400 tank that was for sale locally. So now I also have a KDX400 tank and petcock. Sweet...I'm one piece of junk closer to having those Pickers guys knock on my door.

I've decided to tackle this project like I did with my '87 200 basket case--make it mechanically sound but esthetically as is. I'd like to see if I enjoy it as a rider well enough to make it a nicer restoration. If I decide I don't really want to keep it, then I'll sell it on. There just isn't that much difference in market price for these things fully restored to justify the time and effort to make it pretty. I'd rather sell it ugly for $600 than pretty for $900. If I really like it, I'll strip it back down, paint the frame, paint or replace the plastics and enjoy it pretty for a while.

All that said, I have to say I really have a thing for Kawasakis of this vintage. My first off-roader of any sort was a 1983 KLT 200 three wheeler, and then a 1985 KLF 185 Bayou. It seems like any Kawi from this period of the early '80s really lights my fire. I have my eye out for a Tecate three wheeler to restore, or other Kawi three wheeler. But I PROMISE I won't start on that until I get this one running!

[rbates9]

Every once in awhile I see a Tecate 4 for sale and have to talk my self out of it.

[dfeckel]

I like those, too. Basically, if it's green and from the '80s, it's on my bike bucket list.

[dfeckel]

I had a little extra time today before work, and feeling all guilty about not working on this project, I decided to see if the rebuilt motor ran.

I slotted the motor into the frame after steel wooling the engine mount plates (I figured I had to at least make SOMETHING clean). I pulled out the 36mm Kehin I had from another bike that is now gone, double checked that we still had spark (yes!), trickled a little premix into the tank with its newly aquired old-as-hell gas cap, verified fuel flowed, and kicked it four times. Started right up!

It turns out that I forgot to source a throttle cable, so I couldn't really throttle it much, but it ran okay on the choke and kind of fat off the choke. I stuck a finger in under the slide to blip it a little bit. I'm sure I have a bit of jetting work to do on it, but how gratifying is it to know it'll run??









Here are the five shiniest new parts I added today. One of the gussets for the engine mount is broken off, so I dug out some washers.



The threads on the end of this mount rod are just gone, so I'll have to either source a new one, or cut threads for a smaller nut.



The carb's a little drippy, so I'll have to probably get a new float gasket or use some case sealer once the jetting is all sorted out.



There! You happy?? It's been worked on! It runs, smokes, and everything!

Here's the new list of things to do.

Fork seals
Fasteners--it's missing a ton. Might just buy a kit on eBay.
Pipe mount
Motor mount rod
Clutch and brake cables
Tires
Bars (noticed today they're a might tweaky)


Making progress, one fortnight at a time!

[dfeckel]

Here we go, ever buddy! I have been fittering away time and energy on my hopeless KDX 250, and I even took some pictures along the way.

The last time I wheeled it out, I tried to install the new throttle cable I ordered so long ago. Well, we ran into a problem right off the bat. It seems the new cable is not compatible with the twist throttle that is currently on the bike. The new cable looks perfect, but the threads that engage the throttle housing are incorrect. I bodged it together just to blip the throttle a few times, but it was obvious that it wouldn't work. Plus, the carb I'm using didn't have the brass adjuster barrel that the cable clips into. What to do? Off to eBay! A search for KX throttle assembly netted a ratty used example with usable cable AND brass barrel. Sweet. On she goes.



Next, the clutch cable. I pulled out the cable I ordered also so long ago, and proceeded to hook it up. Another problem: a full 4 inches too short! No routing whatsoever could get it up to the lever (unless I routed it through a conveniently placed wormhole, I suppose, but I'm fresh out of those). EBay to the rescue again! This time, a NOS cable did the trick. However, I have the cable at max slack, and it's just BARELY enough to connect to the lever. It could be the high zoot plastic perch/levers the bike has are diffent dimensions than stock? Anyhoo, the clutch feels normal at the lever, just no free play. We'll see when i get the chain on and can buzz around the yard a bit.



I got a new brake cable all lubed up and installed. This is the ONE cable out of three that I originally ordered that actually worked! Batting .333! And I have to say that I don't expect very good stopping power from this brake--feels like I'm squeezing a piece of oak with a pair of channel locks. At least it lets me squish the forks up and down in the garage.



Hmm...Let's see... I also managed to update the looks about twenty years with the addition of a well-stickered front fender from my 2003 Hybrid bike. It was just sitting in a box waiting for the Acerbis replacement fender I'm using to break, which it never does, so why not slap it on ol' Rusty? Sho nuff!



What next? Well, I had a perfectly new set of All Balls rear wheel bearings staring up at me from my almost empty parts box, so why not? First, I assembled all the needed tools for the job.



Ratio Rite? Check Multimeter and clip leads? Check. Random screws? Check. Defective ZX600C CDI? Check. Q-tip? Check. Giant, surprisingly useful whacking tool? Check-a-roo. (If it tells you anything, this was the LEAST cluttered section of my work bench, so was thus suitable for photography)

So here's an interesting little aside. When I got the first bearing out (brake side), it unsealed a dead space inside the hub between the axle tube and hub casting. I'm pretty sure the air that came out was original 30-year-old Japanese atmosphere. And wow did it stink. Must have been a high smog day in Kobe 30 years ago.







I took the opportunity to pack the new bearings with extra grease. I'm glad I did, because two of them hardly had any in them at all.

Bearings installed, wheel back on, and all is nice and tight. While putting the wheel on, I noticed the spark arrestor is still intact in my silencer, despite the end cap being removed and missing.



What next? Airbox, of course! Early on in the process, I ordered a second air box from eBay so I could get the cage that goes inside the air filter. I'm still using the box the bike came with, plus its cover. It was missing some fasteners, but with the help of a fastener kit (I'm loving it), we're in business.









All the holes in the cover get covered up by the side panel.

I was also a bit concerned that the choke knob on the Keihin carb would be blocked by the airbox, as it would be on my '87 200, but no problem there.



It's starting to look like something I could actually ride soon!



A few random pictures. I found the rear side panel bolt is broken off in the frame. That'll be a fun hour or so.



My pipe mount will need some very special jiggering to make work.



And I'll have to get another of these chunky bolts to keep old kicky in place. I had to do this for another KDX I had, and instead of buying the $8 bolt from Kawi, I got a $2 bolt at Lowes that was half an inch too long. I hacked it down and dressed the threads, and it worked great. $5 well saved!



That's it for now. I'll be buzzing this thing around the yard before you know it! (All the while still putting off doing my fork seals...)

[ICRage42]

Bikes looking mighty refreshed !!! Love my bolt kit as well has saved me tons of hassles of finding lost bolts.

[Roadhazardguy]

Nice progress, the bike is looking great!

Yall both like the bolt kit? I was thinking about buying one.

[ICRage42]

i got the 250 pc kit for the 95-06 or whatnot. Yea its a huge time saver if you have alot of lost bolts or damaged ones. Mine even came with a new set of rear sprocket bolts and some brake parts. It had everything for plastics so for 60 bucks its not a bad deal and came with a case so I can take it on the road for repairs on trail.

[dfeckel]

I came THIS CLOSE to taking the rustacean around the yard for the first time today. But, alas, my self-imposed budgetary limitations foiled my plans.

I pulled the old chain out of its gallon zip loc bag and slapped it on the bike. I used the snail adjusters to get everything just right tension wise. I then reconnected the rear brake rod. I had to drill out the broken cotter pin, which was no problem. I had to take it to max adjustment to get the pedal to operate the brakes, so I have to think about brake shoes for the rear. Or maybe just reclocking the brake arm. Anyhoo, the back brake is reconnected and somewhat worky.

It only took 20 minutes to drill out the broken side panel bolt from the frame. Luckily, I got a nice new set of drill bits for Christmas. Happiness is a new drill bit. I started small and stepped up to almost the diameter of the hole. My easy outs wouldn't budge the thing, so once it was drilled almost all the way, I chased the threads from the other side of the hole with a tap. Problem solved.

Next, I tried to remedy the leaky fuel petcock. I was hopeful it was just gummed up inside and that cleaning it would get it sealed up again. No luck. First, I lost one of the impossibly small screws that hold the thing together. When I got it apart, I saw the sealing oring was broken and brittle. Well there's yer problem! I had a petcock from one of my Kawi streetbikes languishing in a box, so I pulled that out. Unfotunately, the swiveling barrel is a larger diameter, so its oring wouldn't work. It did, however bolt up to the tank. I had to double up on the tank gasket to get it sealed, but it worked. It is a vacuum operated valve, so that when it's in the on position, it won't flow unless the motor is providing vacuum. Luckily, it has a prime position that allows fuel to flow without vacuum. Once all together, it flowed, but also dripped badly. It's old, so I think the oring in that one is shot, too. Blast.



Well, it was still enough together to take around the yard a few times. Four kicks later and she was smoking up the driveway nicely. I gave the throttle a little blip in case the clutch plates stuck together and dropped it into gear. I fed out the clutch and...nothing.

???

I looked down to see a pile of chain under the bike. At the first sign of force applied to the chain, one of the rusty links simply let go.





Oh, well! At least it didn't wad up against the case.

So, off to the interwebs for a new fuel petcock (brand new shipped $15!) and a chain. It's kind of hard to believe that with all the rusty broken bike bits I have laying around that I don't have a semi-good chain, but I don't. Cest la vie!

[Roadhazardguy]

Glad to see you're almost there, I'll be looking forward to a riding video! :)

[KDXGarage]

OH!! So close.

[dfeckel]

Alright, now for the news you've been waiting for...I've ridden the bike under its own power! Wow!!!

The cheapest new chain money can buy on fleabay--$23 shipped!



A new fuel petcock not pictured!

Reclocked the drum brake arms to put the brake engagement point closer to when the arm is at 90 degrees to the cable.





I had to wash out the tank because there was at least two dead spiders with webs and a large dead moth in there, now gas soaked because I put gas in it before deciding to wash it out. Nice and clean, now!



After intense jiggering figuring, I came up with this crap solution for the pipe mount. I might have to bring myself to spending $15 for a new/used one of these, but I really don't want to. Not sure why.



So how did it go? Well, the good news is that the headlight still works! Hard to believe since the pull-type switch is rusted solid and half the wiring harness is out (associated with the computer). More good news, it starts with just a couple of kicks! The bad news is I have some carb tuning to do, as it won't idle. Also, the clutch slips like crazy. It grabs just enough to move the bike around, but any throttle blip has it slipping.

I think the problem, yet again, is a bad cable. The second clutch cable that I procured actually reached up to the lever, but I couldn't adjust it to get any free play. I had to actually push on the clutch arm with my foot to get enough cable to connect to the lever. As a result, the clutch arm is slightly pulled by the cable at rest. I tested to make sure it was this cable tension that was the problem by disconnecting the cable from the lever and putting around the yard with no clutch. Bingo! It held great. So I either need to get yet ANOTHER cable, or dissect a centimeter out of the casing. Doing that should get me enough free play, and there is plenty of adjustment in the cable adjuster and lever to compensate.

So where are we with this rat beast?

Forks. I dread them!
Carb. Should be pretty easy to get in the ball park. I have a bunch of brass laying around.
Tires. They are round and hold air, but that's about all they have going for them.
Bars. The stockers are quite tweaked. They also have like four inches of rise and a bunch of sweep, so I'll likely get a set of ATV bars.
Dash. The stock computer is beyond hope. Maybe I can dress it up to look stock with no internals.
Ride. I have to see if I actually like riding the thing. If so, then maybe I'll consider new plastics and some paint. :)

Stay tuned!

[Roadhazardguy]

Glad you got it running! It should be a pretty fun bike once you get all the bugs worked out.

[KDXGarage]

Congratulations on getting it to where you are at now. Continue on with your work.

It is nice to see an air-cooled KDX250 on here.

[dfeckel]

A quick update.

I used my dremel tool to cut about 10mm of the casing out of the clutch cable and was rewarded with a smooth clutch pull and solid lockup.

I actually bolted the seat on with some new hardware. Until now, it's just been resting on the bike.

I took it for another burn/smoke around the yard, and was pleasently surprised with its low-end power. It lofts the front very easily.

I spent twenty minutes or so scraping oxidized plastic off the headlight surround, and I was happy to find green plastic underneath. I just used a straight razor blade with a dragging motion, and the stuff cleaned off in a blizzard of white dust. Neat!

I'm at work so I can't post a pic at this time, but I'll post one up soon.

I'm half thinking about running a hare scramble on this thing this summer!