winter project - hybrid #2 2003 cr125/E-series

kawabunga · Post by **kawabunga** » 04:57 pm Feb 19 2012

It looks like their tons of boots available for 2001 and older on fleabay,
but gooseegg for 02' on up.
I did try an"E" model boot I allready have, and it will work nicely with an aluminum adaptor. Looks like the cage and filter will work, and be asssesable.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... f6d59eb9d9

marrk_us · Post by **marrk_us** » 09:55 pm Jul 25 2012

Well, after spending the last few months working on night shift, i'm finally back on my regular shift, rested and ready to spend some time in the garage. Working nights I never felt like doing anything but trying to catch up on my sleep. I've done plenty of parts shopping and hopefully will start making progress again.

Since my last post I found a Cr shock, had it rebuilt and revalved for the woods, and installed

Mounted the subframe and airbox. Once it was mounted I really wasn't happy with the fit. I had a little too much tension on the intake boot for everything to mount as it should. It would have probably been ok, but I didn't like the idea of it popping out while in the mountains, and possibly having to screw with it in the middle of nowhere. The time to fix it was now. First I pulled the Rad Valve assy (which i'd been happy with for years) since it was longer then I had room for. Ordered up a V-force unit, it uses the stock intake manifold and overall is shorter then the Rad valve that comes with its own intake. Well, I mounted it up and the angles still weren't right, closer, but not right. (again I could have pried and made it work, but I want it right) So after some more head scratching I went to Ron Ayers site to use the cross-referance there. I crossed the part numbers for the 90 kdx intake manifold gasket and for the clamp on the stock intake. My thinking was I could find some Kawa's that had a manifold that would bolt up to my cylinder, and if that manifold took the same clamp then my carb would fit it. I just needed an intake that had a slightly different angle off the cylinder head and I'd be in business. Came up with about 6 different kx125's and the H series kdx that would fit. Luckily on ebay (if you're patient) you can find intakes for $15-20 all the time. So I ordered up 2 from different years kx125's, they arrived and both had slightly different angles from the stock 90 kdx. The first on was a no-go, but the second one will work (with the stock reed cage). I'm still waiting for an H series intake to arrive to see if it will be any closer. Actually hoping it will work with the new V-force reeds sitting on my workbench. If not i'll just go with some 607's in the stock cage and call it good. If the VF's won't fit i'll be putting those up for sale. H-series intake should be here in a few days.

I also managed to pick up some really nice crf250x wheels off ebay for only $200! I was nervious until they showed up in great condition, most crfx wheels go for $200-300 each so I was stoked. Also picked up some more goody's

I always wondered what the difference was between a cr125 and cr250 FMF quiet core. The intake pipe is the same diameter and the body exactly the same diameter, the 250's is a couple inches longer that's all. Either would have probably been fine, I decided to keep the 250 and use it, mostly because it's just long enough to give the white plastic kit enough room to not discolor it.

As for the pipe I found out that the H-series FMF would not clear the kips cover on the E-series engine, so i'm waiting for an E-series FMF to arrive and i'll cut and paste it just like I did on the first hybrid. I'll use a Dr D radiator lowering kit (in reverse) to raise the radiators slightly to clear the higher riding pipe. The kit and some devol radiator guards should also be here in the next few days.

After much research I decided to go with the IMS oversized tank. Once it got here I test fit it, and got some good news. I was worried i'd really have to do a lot of remolding since the kdx engine is much taller then the cr125 that it's replacing. But i'll only have to do minimal molding to clear the water outlet.

The outlet barely touches so shouldn't be much of a problem.

Pegs mounted

I've ordered up new tires and wheel bearings. I couldn't resist having a beer and test mounting the new bodywork (without graffics) at the end of the evening, just for a little motivation

marrk_us · Post by **marrk_us** » 10:16 pm Jul 25 2012

Just got an email from the guys at CEET. They are checking to see if they still have any "orbit blue" seat cover material. If they do they'll be willing to make me a blue seat cover to replicate the original white kdx's (only with black gripper material in the middle). It's a new seat so maybe i'll hold off installing the blue cover (if they still have the material) until it wears out. Fingers crossed.

kdxtreme · Post by **kdxtreme** » 10:53 pm Jul 25 2012

Looking nice just got the kx frame thanks for the great deal cant wait to get it together.

hbgod · Post by **hbgod** » 12:13 am Jul 26 2012

damn that thing looks so nice in white. hopefully it stays that way....... i doubt it lol. but scratches and dings give her character :)

Post by **Julien D** » 08:10 am Jul 26 2012

Looks incredible! Good work!!

marrk_us · Post by **marrk_us** » 10:58 am Jul 26 2012

kdxtreme wrote:Looking nice just got the kx frame thanks for the great deal cant wait to get it together.

Your welcome. I couldn't see those parts just sitting in storage knowing I'll (hopefully soon) be busy enjoying this hybrid. Look forward to watching your build.....enjoy!

factoryX · Post by **factoryX** » 04:02 pm Jul 27 2012

Looks great, the tusk rotors a great bargain as well.

chopper · Post by **chopper** » 09:49 pm Jul 27 2012

After much research I decided to go with the IMS oversized tank. Once it got here I test fit it, and got some good news. I was worried i'd really have to do a lot of remolding since the kdx engine is much taller then the cr125 that it's replacing. But i'll only have to do minimal molding to clear the water outlet.

The outlet barely touches so shouldn't be much of a problem.[/quote]

I too am building a CR125/KDX hybrid and what I have done to address the clearence problem between the coolant outlet and tank was to remove the head and have the thermostat housing milled down lower. We have no need for a thermo so there's no reason for that space to be there and raising the elbow up into the bottom of the tank.

marrk_us · Post by **marrk_us** » 02:32 pm Jul 28 2012

Seems like a much easier/cleaner solution! I'll get the head to the machine shop on my days off next week. Thanks Chopper.

Post by **dfeckel** » 07:29 am Jul 29 2012

Milling the water outlet is a great idea. I would have done that with my hybrid build if I'd known about it!

chopper · Post by **chopper** » 10:10 pm Jul 29 2012

dfeckel wrote:Milling the water outlet is a great idea. I would have done that with my hybrid build if I'd known about it!

Actually I milled the thermo housing while I was having the front headstay milled off.

marrk_us · Post by **marrk_us** » 10:49 pm Aug 01 2012

First thing this morning I got the head off and dropped it off at the machine shop to have the water inlet milled down. They're going to take .250" off, that should give me all the room I need to fit the hoses with the IMS tank.

Here's what I wanted to fix today. The stock intake manifold puts the bell of the carb almost into the spring, the corner where the float bowl bolts on is actually between the spring coils by a hair. I could have pried on it a little, forced the boot on and it may have been ok, but why risk it.

Here are my choices, in the back the CR air boot, an e-series, and an h-series kdx boot. In front, e-series intake, h-series, and 2 different kx125 intakes.

After a lot of combinations (thank Mr. Honda for removable subframes

), I ended up using one of the kx125 intakes. I also cut about a 1/4" off of it and widened the inside diameter of the rubber a bit deeper so the carb still fit properly once I shortened it. It not only let me move the carb away from the spring, now it's also forward enough that I can easily adjust it, and can even get the float bowl off if need be. It looks close in the pictures but the h-series air boot has plenty of clearance around the shock.

Next up is doing the air box adapter. I picked up the materials today and have read scheckaet's excellent post http://www.kdxrider.net/forums/viewtopi ... ate#p84421. Shouldn't be much of a problem. It'll all be worth the peace of mind not worrying about the carb jumping ship unexpectedly.

I might do the adapter tomorrow or just blow it off and go riding..........Mmmmmm....... probably riding...........all work and no play you know. The KLX is calling my name

marrk_us · Post by **marrk_us** » 05:33 pm Aug 02 2012

Got the new tires mounted today. Installed new wheel bearings, brake discs, rear sprocket and disc guard. Looks like the new chain will need to be about 5 or 6 links longer then stock. Will order it plenty long and cut it down. This will be my first trials tire, everyone I ride with uses them and swears by them.

Also mounted the right side rad and guards so I could make the first cuts on the pipe. The Dr. D kit to raise the radiators hasn't arrived yet, it's going to be close where the pipe swings under the R/S radiator. Need to weld the inlet from another pipe onto the one i'll be using to reach the cylinder, after that i'll see where i'm at with clearance.

marrk_us · Post by **marrk_us** » 06:44 pm Aug 08 2012

Picked my head up from the machine shop and got it remounted. Plenty of room for the tank and hoses now.

Cleaned up the first welds on the pipe, now it'll reach the cylinder.

Here's the right side radiator mounted without the pipe.

Radiator and pipe apparently can't occupy the same place at the same time

I'm thinking if I cut it here and rotate the right side up(direction of the arrow) about 5/8" the radiator might just clear...

Used a HD hacksaw, fine blade and took my time. Pretty straight cut.

Radiator remounted and pipe in place. Still clears the kips cover and bottom of radiator. I'll probably have to cut the end section by the factory weld and rotate it in slightly, once this is tacked in place. Not doing any welding today, in the 90's today so it's not happening, maybe tomorrow evening.

Finished up the day doing odds and ends. Filing and fitting lower motor mount spacers, mounting the kickstand, and started on the air box adapter.

The guys at CEET do have some orbit blue material left so I ordered the seat cover, special order so it'll be a couple of weeks but the retro look is finally a go.

Dekon · Post by **Dekon** » 08:55 pm Aug 08 2012

Nice build!

chkdx · Post by **chkdx** » 09:58 pm Aug 08 2012

Just curious, which trials tire and front tire did you buy?

marrk_us · Post by **marrk_us** » 09:41 am Aug 09 2012

chkdx wrote:Just curious, which trials tire and front tire did you buy?

Front Dunlop D952
Rear Dunlop D803 Trials

I've always used Dunlop's in the dirt, never had any problems and i'm used to the D952 (good in Colorado conditions). As I have no personal experience (yet!) with a trials on the rear, figured i'd stick with Dunlop.

Post by **Julien D** » 10:08 am Aug 09 2012

Excellent work! I like the attention to detail.

hybridracing65 · Post by **hybridracing65** » 11:34 am Aug 09 2012

good post with details.
nice work.
You pipe fitment is almost identitical to how i did mine.
I should have taken pics to post!
so are you running KDX rad hose routing of Honda rad hose routing?
I just purchases an IMS tank and not i have to do the same spigot mod as you did.
I also need to update rad hose routing to fit tank.

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