1988 kdx200 Anygood? have been offered one

[mxmaniac]

Just wondering what the thoughts of the 88 kdx200 are? i have been offered a running original one for $400
all original with road tyres, not riddin in over 10 years

[LWC82PE]

I was looking in the 1986 Australia 4 day enduro (SA) programe today and 99% of the 200 class was KDX200's. I would think they only got better from then onwards. From memory there was 2 models around 88/89 One had compliance and one didnt. if you want to rego it make sure its got compliance or at least has 2 holes where the plate was. Others here will know the specific details though. cant go wrong for $400 though.

[holeshot buddy]

they are a good little bike i raced one with a mate in the wonthagi
6 hr and we got second in experts
murray tainton used to ride them a lot
thats a good price

[mxmaniac]

Many thanks fella's

[Nathan S]

Great bikes.
$400 is a bargain - I haven't seen any sell for less than about $750 on Epay (not even the real shitters).
Only weak point seems to be that badly neclected KIPS valves will break. I guess the electrofusion barrel lining is fairly likely to be worn by now, but then again, most other bikes are likely to be on their last oversize by now... Replating is cheaper than resleeving.

88 will be the air-cooled, front disc model and should have compliance.


It was 89 when they released the water cooled, rear disc models (the enduro model with a plastic tank and no compliance plate, the trail model with a steel tank, oil injection and an ADR compliance plate).

[Canam370]

Another weak point on an otherwise excellent model is the flywheel. The bonding used on the magnets deteriorates (likely due to the effect of water over the years) and the magnets drop off with the obvious result - destroyed electrics. Expensive. If they are OK I would recommend having the magnets re-bonded as a precaution. This problem started with the 175's. PE Suzuki's do it too.

[ba-02-xr]

I think this is the model Slackwell had when I was a kid. I remember a great bike.

[SUZUKI311]

Yep, a great little bike, had one new and never had a problem at all with it. The later watercooled models seemed to have KIPS dramas, but not so much the aircooled. I remember somebody talking me into cutting the exhaust to remove the internal second skin, and what a nightmare that was!

[mxmaniac]

thanks again, appreciated. Any info is good info, wish there was pre90 vinduro!

[LWC82PE]

It will come dont worry

[GMC]

I had one back in 86, it was the USA model with no compliance but you could get them registered anyway.
I rode it at the SA four day and the Wonthagi 6 Hr.
Great bikes, I bought an 88 model a while ago, stripped it down to rebuild it and didn't get any further. Hopefully later in the year i will do something with it.
The 86 model had a slightly different rear guard to the 87-88 model, they looked the same but the fitting was different.
The 86 also had the neat looking headlight (see below), the later ones had the big square looking ADR light.
Actually went through a few headlights. I still to this day remind my mate Dave who rode with me at the Wonthagi 6 hr about when he handed it back to me and I took off to find the forks / bars twisted and the headlight flopping around in pieces.
He tells me later it was a good bike "but the suspension's not the same as an MX'er is it"
Seems he had a big off in a whoop section.
Some consider them too modern for Vinduro's, they are modern as far as the power valve and front disc is concerned but they are still old school air cooled with the old rocker arm rear suspension.

[Canam370]

The KDX's were a favourite with all but they struck me as a little more fragile than the IT's and PE's. Kickstart gears were also an issue.
 If I found a nice, low hour example I'd be tempted though.

[Nathan S]

Interesting - anything in particular Paul? Or just the crappy Kawasaki plastics?

My well worn '84 KDX* creams the IT175s and PE175s in every way - and the 86+ KDX was considerably better again. The IT200s seem to have considerably better suspension than the first generation KDX200, but overall they seem fairly evenly matched.

*That bloody GMC fellow cost me several hundred dollars! He rode it at HBBB and then pointed out a list of faults that I'd been happily ignoring. Its cost me a couple of hundred already, and its still got a rattly engine...  .... ... :'(

[Canam370]

Just they were a very new model out. Some issues were related to the owners - an electrofusion bore for the masses led to horror stories about the longevity of the bores but the incidences of failure were likely no greater than seizures on steel sleeves. The repair costs were not comparable though.
 I'd mentioned earlier the propensity for the magnets to detatch from the flywheel and the kickstart shaft and gears had meshing issues and I think replacement necessitated a case split ( I think!).

 Now, having said all that, they are a bloody good bike. They were a gun choice that made PE's and IT's seem dated.

[Davey Crocket]

Is that a little GMC on number 13 before he grew up? ....wonder if he had the Elvis sideburns back then?