KX 125 84 /85 PICS ANYONE

[ELC hunter]

Picked up a125 today just roller disc front drum rear was w/cooled anyone have any pics of 84/ 85 or is it 83?anyone. elc.

[BAHNZY]

ELC hunter,
Unless you have a complete roller with the rest in boxes to build the bike, then you will need a great deal of $ and luck.
Have been building up a bank of spares for the water cooled Pre85's for the last 3 years and they are as hard to come by as rock'n horse shit. You have to be a purist to boot as the bikes were pretty average againt the offerings from the rest of the manafactures at the time. But they where cool looking machines, hence the perserverence.

[BAHNZY]

And your original question.
Post up the frame number and well be able to help the ID process.

[Rossvickicampbell]

www.bikepics.com has a heap of photos of all 3 models - might help.

Rossco

[mainline]

i've been keeping my eyes open for an '84 and the main difference (from what I can see) between that and the 85 model seems to have been the KIPS chamber on the cylinder. Without the engine for an identifier you'll definately need frame numbers I'd think.

[Nathan S]

... the bikes were pretty average againt the offerings from the rest of the manafactures at the time. But they where cool looking machines, hence the perserverence.

The '85 125 was widely considered to be the best 125 of 1985. The 84 was best or second best, depending on who you listen to.
In the mid 80s, Suzuki had lost the plot after the brilliance of the 81 RM125X, Yamaha was making very good bikes that didn't quite gel (specifically, mis-matched engine components that made them slow), and the Euros made overly European bikes that didn't appeal to Australian (or American) riders.

That left the Honda and a Kawasaki to duke it out for top spot.

I'd happily own any of the KX125s with the single radiator, despite my general allergy to green dirt bikes (although I seem to be growing out of it quite rapidly).

[Nathan S]

Here's some photos of the test ADB did early in 1985, on the 1985 KX125 (ie: poor man's scanner). The bit missing is where I foolishly cut out the specs panel for a long-since-lost scrap book... :'(
The text is hard to read, so I didn't bother with the other articles I took photos of.


Another pic of the same page, which might be easier to read:
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f128/annaandnathan/Bikestuff/KX125Tests/KawasakiKX1258485006.jpg

[Nathan S]

And from the 85 125 shoot-out:

[Nathan S]

Finally, ADB's 1984 KX125 test.
Note the solid front disc - I reckon its the most obvious feature to identify ELC's bike if its engineless.

[BAHNZY]

Whilst the magazines gave the Kawi's a good write up at the model launch, what occured over a race season was far removed from the tests. Track down a rider from back in the day and they will talk about the rear suspension woes, the breaking frames, terrible brakes etc, seizing engines. Still, i think there one of the best looking bikes from the time. Whilst i am a SUZI nut, my favorite bike is my 83 KX500 by a short margin to my RM400C.

1982 - B1
Upward Facing Air Cleaner
No Front Fender Brace
Number Plate in Rear Guard
UniTrac Twin Link (Adjustable)
Solid Rod Rear Brake

1983 - B2
Sideways Facing Air Cleaner
Adjustable Front Forks
Revised Cylinder Head

1984 – C1
Cable Rear Brake
Finned Style Cylinder Head
Front Fender Brace
Number Plate Integrated Into Side Panel, Not Rear Guard
UniTrac Single Link (Non-Adjustable)
Revised Swing Arm (Chain Adjusters)

1985
Not sure. As they are kinda a pointless bike with the Pre85 rule in place in OZ as you have to race them in Pre90 and they are far from competitive. Different story if you are collecting, restoring and not racing though.

[Nathan S]

Whilst the magazines gave the Kawi's a good write up at the model launch, what occured over a race season was far removed from the tests. Track down a rider from back in the day and they will talk about the rear suspension woes, the breaking frames, terrible brakes etc, seizing engines. Still, i think there one of the best looking bikes from the time. Whilst i am a SUZI nut, my favorite bike is my 83 KX500 by a short margin to my RM400C.

Interesting. I thought those dramas had been sorted in the '84 model bikes, and completely sorted for '85?

[ELC hunter]

Thanks for the input people i can see from the pics that its an 84 with the solid disc ,any suggestions on master cylinder kit?frame no kx1250003893.

[BAHNZY]

Nathan, your pretty much on the money.
The 84 KX's were pretty good but overshadowed by the RM. The RM was essentially a copy of the 83 works bike and was real fast and more importantly reliable strait out of the crate.
Due in part to our MA GCR's the 85 is in no man's land as it has to compete against the offerings from 1989 in club/state events (Pre90) and is not eligible for any form of competition at a National Level other than modern Open classes.

84 KX's (in any capacity) are real scarce and near on impossible to get parts for, even the good old US of A has dried up with parts supply and what is avalaible is overpriced, at a guess a result of the low volume of the stuff. So if you are going to do one, your best to start with a complete running bike or be prepared to spend a lot of $ and time resurecting a basket case.

[holeshot buddy]

hey bahnsy how do you stop your 83 kx500
if the brakes are so bad

[BAHNZY]

Custom disc and a 84 CR500 Honda dual piston caliper mated to a late model Kawasaki NISSIN master cylinder. Rear has been radius ground and a special compound added to the OEM shoes.
I actually thought the Kawasaki front disc system was pretty good, that was till i rode a RM465 with the twin leader but  I guess on a 125 it wouldn't be here nor there.

Of interest is when you read the write ups, most of the front brakes are evenly matched, which is strange given that there is a mix of drum and disc on the bikes. Disc's in the early days diddn't sem to meet the hype against the well sorted twin leading drums.