KDXRIDER.NET

The 2004 220 is history but I did actually ride a 2005 220 this morning... I had briefly considered it months ago but due to holidays/weather simply went on to others for consideration.. The bike was cold, no kickstarter so the guy coasted it downhill and it came to life. Brought it back and asked if I wanted to take it for a ride... since I couldn't swing a leg that high to mount it, I did put the kickstand down and did a quick mount and did a quick 5 minute ride... For supposedly not ridden for a year it worked pretty good. Was starting to clear up pretty well when I brought it back... It's in ok condition visually ( graphics mainly ) internals done 30 hrs ago according to the hour meter. Gnarly pipe with protector and two FMF silencers one being an FMF Turbine 2 and another FMF I can't recall. He thinks one is for a bit more top end and the other for torque.. Except for the kickstarter, just get on and ride from what I see... Rear light missing but the fron actually works.. Didn't get a chance to really see what the motor would do but it ran fairly smoothly if it had been sitting that long.. Definitely taller than what I'd like even
sitting on it, lowering links a must for me. He claims it's a one kicker when warm.

One other thing, it's got the KX front forks. Since it's not going to be ridden like it would have been 40 years ago it's not a big deal to me.. If the 220 forks were more plush that would have been fine with me.. Are the KX forks heavier than stock 220"s ? They certainly are beefy for sure.. Less weight at this stage of the game would be more preferable. Anyone know how far they can be slid up on the triple tree ? Price : A couple hundred under $3K.. I'm thinking $2400 sans the kicker tops.. I did check the splines on the shaft.. They seem to be fine. He's got 8 to 10 bikes in the garage, about half ready to go and half in various states of repair. Seems to me he would be ready to deal.. Told him I'd give him an answer Monday or Tuesday.. Several months ago he was firm on the price, now it seems that's changed, just have no idea how much..

Thoughts ?

One more thing... the front forks are inverted. I've read that would indicate a 93 or 94 year if it were a KDX. Does that hold true with the KX's as well ? Does it give me any indication what year or what they came off of ? ( KX 125 or KX 250 )

He'd have to tell you where the donor forks came from. The KDX OEM inverted for those years were anodized blue. As for the kicker, lots of recent posts on here about using the KX250F unit with a bit of tinkering. The silencers have nothing to do with the powerband, thats the pipe. For negotitions, keep in mind the OEM 220 piston is a must change item that will run around 200$ to do yourself if it hasn't been done. You can slide the forks up the triples until they hit the bars, if you need more than that you can put risers on. Generally with the KX forks you are looking at around 20-30mm to keep the geometry similar. As for the weight on the forks, you won't really feel the difference, and the improvements are worth it as long as you spring everything to your weight. Take a good look at the linkage bearings on the rear swingarm/shock, its an area usually neglected. As for price, it really depends on the area. Here in the PNW a 2005 220 at $2700 would likely be gone in a day or two.

If you like the bike, buy it. Generally with KDX’s lately, when you “think about it” for a day or two, they vanish.

Yeah, seems to be the case with them disappearing quickly now.

SS109 wrote: 10:16 pm Feb 11 2023 Yeah, seems to be the case with them disappearing quickly now.

You're right of course.. and that might have happened had the bike not been so darn high when I took it for a ride.. Having to mount the bike from a walk to the kickstand and onto the footpeg in one fell swoop with legs that don't want to go at the angle anymore was a bit embarrassing. Even on the ride I felt I was sitting high, which of course I was compared to my XT250. At speed it wasn't objectionable. When stopped I was tip toes both feet unless I went at an angle. No question I'd have to lower it/sag it a fair amount. Guess mounting the bike set the stage for a less than enthusiastic experience. Yep, fully know newer ( yeah I'm still in the early low 70's with 5 inches suspension in the front and 3 1/2 to 4 in the rear BUT with a much lower seat height ) bikes geot high in a hurry but I had stopped riding by that time. The 300 KTM I rode in the desert a few years ago was fine since it wasn't a tight single track with hairpin turns and guys stopping every 15/20 minutes or getting stuck.. So right now, I'm going to relax and stop pouring over ad's every day looking for that perfect bike..