OzVMX Forum
Marque Remarks => Kawasaki => Topic started by: buckets on March 27, 2009, 08:44:59 am
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I have been offered what looks like a KDX250
Air cooled, compliance plated, it has a disc brake front which makes me wonder if its the right front end.
Where the clutch pivot is on the engine ( LHS ) it has been deconed, but it comes with a spare engine
( in a box ) which is OK as you can see what is knackered.
About the only orginal plastics are the tank.. $400
How are they for spares??
This might actually be a 200,
Mono shock rear suspension
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No KDX250s came with a front disc. The 200s didn't get them until 1986 - easiest ways to pick the later 200s from the earlier bikes, are the safey seat and KIPS exhaust power-valve.
Can't think how to describe the differences between an early 200 and a 250 (not that I really know them properly anyhow). Both had the same style of Uni-Track rear suspension (similar the the Full Floater set-up of the same era).
To work out whether its a 200 or a 250, the best bet would be to look at the barrel for the capacity. Compliance plate will also also tell you.
The 250 was a very good bike in its day - always got rave reviews. Like the PE250, it suffered by not being updated regularly, so the IT edged ahead as the years passed.
Among the Jap 175/200s, the KDX200 was always the best or a close second.
Either way, they're supposed to be a good thing to ride, and ought to make a great Vinduro bike.
Kawasaki parts are far harder to get, than I've found for any other Jap brand. Admittedly, I haven't gotten too serious on chasing bits for my KDX200B1, but when you walk into a Yamaha dealer and ask for parts for a 1968 model, they'll at least try for you.... Unlike my Kawasaki dealer who pretty much refused to acknowledge that there ever was a year 1984, and even if there was a 1984, nobody was making dirt bikes then.... ::)
Plastics are a particular bitch - 'nobody' seems to make old-style universal rear guards in green, and definitely not with a tail-light on them.
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No KDX250s came with a front disc
what about the 91-94 KDX 250, they had disc
http://www.dirtrider.net/justkdx/91kdx250.html
'nobody' seems to make old-style universal rear guards in green, and definitely not with a tail-light on them.
well what about this then for a rear fender, this is all i know of thats fairly easy to get. This fender came out in 1979
http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp;jsessionid=UEWZX5QLZWWQ1LA0WTISM4VMDK0OWIV0?store=&skuId=590179
- only 2 left
UFO are remaking this fender again for their vintage line thats been re-released but not in green yet. im sure if theres enough interest they will though.
yeah it will cost a fair bit to get one sent here ( i got 2 red ones sent here before) but your either desperate or your not. If you want one bad enough you will cough up the $. You cant find them in Australia, although i did see some NOS ones in a shop in Adelaide but that was about 2 years ago i reckon. They might still be there though.
or what about a MX type fitted with a TY yamaha type light
http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp;jsessionid=JTCR5A4DXSGYLLA0WTISM4VMDK0OWIV0?store=&skuId=590174
i have 3 types of NOS Kawasaki green 80's style front fender extensions if any ones interested.
for KDX parts also look here
http://www.motoduro.co.uk/include/main.php
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this site also lists green rear fender with light. the white one pictured is a Cemoto but they dont list a green one unless what this website has is old stock or its s different green fender with light
http://www.dirtbikestore.co.uk/acatalog/DirtBikeStore_com_Universal_Plastics___Lights_144.html
HERE is another green one. its a UFO but a different style. I cant belive these are still out there. This one looks a lot more KDXish
http://www.mdracingproducts.co.uk/products/djerba-enduro-rear-guard/
MD racing products ships to Austalia and say they can do a discount for Australian buyers
also might be worth a try to see if Link international or any Polisport dealers have any green rear fenders with lights. A few years ago i wanted to get some yellow enduro rear fenders made by Polisport. The SA distributor Cykel no no longer listed them and they were NLA/discontinued. So i decided to ring good old Ballards offroad in Penrith and they contacted LINK direct and found that they still had stocks of the old Polisport enduro rear fenders. Im not sure about green but they certainly had yellow and as green is less popular im sure they could have some.
Also look on UK and Euro ebay. i often see NOS Acerbis, Stilmotor and M.Robert rear fenders and earlier this year i did see a NOS green one.
there cant be many more of the UFO -1207 left though. So all you kawasaki vinduro riders, i would be getting any of these green fenders before they are gone, because then all you will be left with is DC plastics option.
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what about the 91-94 KDX 250, they had disc
Oh yeah... derr me. I completely forgot about the watercooled 250s. :-[
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we all have those moments ;D
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Whats watercooling & disc brakes ? ::) car parts? :-*
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Checked the ADR plate 84 mod KDX250
So the disc brake front end must be a ring in..
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I dunno they had disc brakes on some of their MX bikes from '82.
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early/mid 80's KDX250's did NOT have disc brakes fitted. only the mid 90's models did. if yours has a disc front end its off of something else. What OD are the fork legs? that would help ID the front forks/wheel and also can you post some photos if you would like the front end identified.
also just because the compliance plate says 84 that doesnt mean its a 84 model. 84 is the manuafacture date and before that there would the the month it was made in of 1984. the next years models usually came out towards the end of the year and about half way into the following year, so for example if a bike was made in late 84 to early 85 it would be a 85 model. usually the best way to be 100% certain what model bike you have is to contact your local dealer with the engine and frame number and dont just assume it is a certain model and then get caught out with ordering parts for the wrong model. People have been known to swap engines, frames, seats, cosmetics etc and it may look like its a certain model but its nor actually that model.
here is what a non ADR spec 84 should look like
(http://fhq7hw.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pOpUT9fXsp08WsWv62ljx34E6vMoWTY-Aj46AckFy_hPKqHIJakvqBXDDP1zu4nXP1e6Xd-ZIgA6vuETd-d9Waw/kdx_2.jpg)
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Het Buckets...did ya buy it??
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yup I had an '84 KDX250 and definately no disc. Sweet handling and power to burn but they have a tendany to crack and devour their bearing carriers/crankcases. When they were first released I grabbed the brand spanker demo for a weekend, took it up to Peachester in the Beerburrum/glasshouse area and it was a bloody beautiful bike to ride ;) I bought my own years later but the engine went blam. I sold off the wrecked motor (it had a fresh ported top end and nice pipe) for what I' paid for the entire bike and ended up slipping my RM400 donk into the KDX chassis ;D actually when I say slip it infact required much cutting and shutting and modding but it was worth it. Rode it like that for over 10 years and actually won a few dirt track races on it. I still have the chassis but I doubt it'll ever resurected again although this talking about it does make me wonder why not.
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Slight hijack but here's another pic with the RM motor fitted. I'd guess it'd be near 20 years ago now :( Feet up 98% of the time was the only way to ride as the handling was so predictable, the longish swingarm made it a nice slider but it didn't wheelstand at will like the RM. A trait that comes in handy when washouts appear from nowhere ;)
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No havent bought it.. still considering it, but it looks well bastardised.. but it comes with a spare motor...
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Buckets the motor was the biggest disappoinment with the early KDX250B/C's Not because they lacked power as that's one thing they certainly didn't but they broke crankcases with some frequency. I believe it was the imput right side bearing carrier that use to crack and drop forcing gear clusters to jam into each other with nasty results. Not all but a lot of them ended up at the wreckers for this reason, too expensive to rebuild and good secondhand cases were rare back then. This is half the reason I fitted the 400 suzuki motor. The rest of the bike was great and they handle beautifully ;)