Just brought home an '89 KDX200
Posted: 08:00 am Mar 14 2014
Hello, I've been a member of this forum for a while now but haven't really posted much. I joined up at the end of 2012 because I found myself with a really nice '96 Suzuki RM125 rolling chassis and I was looking into swapping a KDX200 motor into it and making a hybrid. That project sort of moved to the back burner after I had no luck finding a suitable donor bike. Recently I started actively looking for a donor bike again but I was starting to think that maybe the hybrid wasn't the route I wanted to go and I might be better served by just riding the KDX. I ended up finding this '89 about 300 miles from my house. The price was right and the seller was cool so I hitched up the little trailer and went and got it yesterday.
It's in really good condition for the year and the price that I paid for it. It looks like it's been ridden respectfully and well maintained. It's supposed to be ready to ride and doesn't need anything. I picked it up from a residential area in Michigan early in the morning and it was COLD out. It started up and sounded healthy but was running a bit funny because of the temperature so I didn't get to put it through its paces. I've decided to just ride the KDX and forget about the hybrid plan. There's no point in tearing apart a perfectly good bike to make another one. Plus, I think the KDX is just an awesome looking machine. I REALLY like the late '80s styling with the kind of chunky, angular look.
I grew up riding dirt bikes in SW Ohio and my first "real" dirt bike was a '78 Yamaha IT175. I've had a soft spot for mid-size 2-stroke enduros ever since. I've been an avid motorcyclist my whole life but I haven't really done much off roading at all for the last 15+ years other than light, green lane type stuff. I plan to really get back into it this year and probably even start racing some hare scrambles.
I'm going to spend some time making sure the new KDX is mechanically sound and then start riding it as-is. I'll slowly start doing upgrades as time and money permit. There are a few parts from my RM chassis that might work really well on the KDX, front end especially. I'm off to the fork swap forum to do some research.
It's in really good condition for the year and the price that I paid for it. It looks like it's been ridden respectfully and well maintained. It's supposed to be ready to ride and doesn't need anything. I picked it up from a residential area in Michigan early in the morning and it was COLD out. It started up and sounded healthy but was running a bit funny because of the temperature so I didn't get to put it through its paces. I've decided to just ride the KDX and forget about the hybrid plan. There's no point in tearing apart a perfectly good bike to make another one. Plus, I think the KDX is just an awesome looking machine. I REALLY like the late '80s styling with the kind of chunky, angular look.
I grew up riding dirt bikes in SW Ohio and my first "real" dirt bike was a '78 Yamaha IT175. I've had a soft spot for mid-size 2-stroke enduros ever since. I've been an avid motorcyclist my whole life but I haven't really done much off roading at all for the last 15+ years other than light, green lane type stuff. I plan to really get back into it this year and probably even start racing some hare scrambles.
I'm going to spend some time making sure the new KDX is mechanically sound and then start riding it as-is. I'll slowly start doing upgrades as time and money permit. There are a few parts from my RM chassis that might work really well on the KDX, front end especially. I'm off to the fork swap forum to do some research.
