89 KDX200F

[mick25]

I'm with you a bit mickD , sorry for the high jack rant  on bad designs I brought my first modern bike 12 mths back and I'm disgusted with some of the stupid designs  Made on purpose so it don't last and work so you spend more money at your local bike spare parts dealer .
Ktm 530 2011 great power but had to tow start it with my 1976 tt500 every time I wanted to ride it at Louie bike park nsw , I should send the towing photo to ktm head quarters a 40 year bike towing a 2011 bike .
I won't get into the list of bad designs   
After goggleing starting issues with ktms I
Near Cryed with all the dramas on diffrent forums .

[Mick D]

I'm with you a bit mickD , sorry for the high jack rant  on bad designs I brought my first modern bike 12 mths back and I'm disgusted with some of the stupid designs  Made on purpose so it don't last and work so you spend more money at your local bike spare parts dealer .
Ktm 530 2011 great power but had to tow start it with my 1976 tt500 every time I wanted to ride it at Louie bike park nsw , I should send the towing photo to ktm head quarters a 40 year bike towing a 2011 bike .
I won't get into the list of bad designs   
After goggleing starting issues with ktms I
Near Cryed with all the dramas on diffrent forums .

You certainly are one, whose mind isn't confined by a square Mick.
I believe nearly all and most things have room for improvement(evolution).
Beauty of hindsight too.

There is also a lot to like about these little bikes too , so it will fill the void for a while.
I will endeavor to display a few of its design failings though.

[Mick D]

Suzuki AC100 had a a nice small oil bottle. Same part was used as part of the TS/TM 'race kit'

The TS oil tank outlet breaking would have been a one off freak accident i reckon or the plastic take had been left out in the hot sun for years?. I have seen some suspect dry/crusty looking ones on ebay USA in the desert areas. I have never heard of it happening, its certainly not common and not something that would have me questioning the reliability of the system.

I certainly agree it is not common, but was a failure witnessed by many.
In comparison the T250 and T500 titan tanks were metal and had metal hose tails.

As I said the bike only had 3,200 klm's when purchased and only 4,000klm's when Luke road it in that event.

It is a carryover model, 1993 on compliance plate to be exact.
No it was never ravaged by UV in its life.
Never been apart.

What I think happened?
It had a horrible vibration in it when purchased(engine mounts were loose
I guess I should of cleaned every thread on the bike and applied loctite.
But I already have enough shit to do

Because what had actually happened Leith, is that the entire oil tank had unknowingly come loose.
We didn't notice it was loose when filled with oil before that event!
Maybe it jumping around loose somehow broke off the hose tail, Good enough reason as anything maybe?
All I know, that if I live long enough and ever get my shit together? it will be cleaned and hung up on the wall of fame, or something. 

[mick25]

I have a bad habit of changing something that could work better in work or play , just me .
I see some better designs on older bikes than moderns , I say they designed things to work and last longer in the early days 
Must be fustrasting for these bike designers when the big boss taps him or her  on the shoulder and says don't you make that part to work well or last 
Sorry for the rant someone had to here it 

[pokey]

Kwaka still seem like they build a bike then add all the covers and bits later on. my KLR650 first needs the sidecovers removed then the seat to get to most things and then the fairings and tank for anything like removing a spark plug. Thank DOG for iridium.
For a nice lightweight and small oil tank, whipper snipper fuel tanks breed by the thousand at your local tip shop.

[Mick D]

I have a bad habit of changing something that could work better in work or play , just me .
I see some better designs on older bikes than moderns , I say they designed things to work and last longer in the early days 
Must be fustrasting for these bike designers when the big boss taps him or her  on the shoulder and says don't you make that part to work well or last 
Sorry for the rant someone had to here it 

Well sadly Mick, that is another grievance I have with this bike,
Trying to shop local for parts & supplies or just trying to get things quicker

Although there are some who will never get my bucks again, but the people at Newcastle Kawasaki certainly have my vote, best ever people to deal with. I would like to buy a new KLR Adventure of them?
One thing I am sick of though with the very popular cult folowing of KDX is, Sorry PART NO LONGER AVAILABLE

[djr]

Serious? take the seat off with spanners just to top up the oil tank? atleast suzuki had a clip and hinge on the seat. ... maybe thats a modification that could be implimented?


 for some odd reason a vague recollection of a damn old english bike came in to my mind that also had a design flaw in accessing a basic service item but Im dammed if I can remember what it was.

Are you thinking of  the Triumph Tiger Cub ?
To change the Gearbox Sprocket involved removing engine & splitting the engine cases !

[Mick D]

OK, one of the main fluck up problems, is that the two stroke oil is disappearing from its tank.
When we bought the bike and prepped it for the first time.

We removed the tank and seat like always of course, looking for problems, wiring chafe etc, etc. etc.
Well what do you know? look its got an oil tank, and Ooooh an oil pump too
Good thing we checked hey, cause look the %$@*&& thing is empty, BONE DRY no problem we'll just fill it up. Good save hey
Then upon start up heaps of smoke, maybe its just been sitting? It'll clear up, we have to be there tomorrow least it shouldn't seize    Smoked cleared up, had a great weekend

89 Bike isn't welcome in welcome in pre90 Vinduro anymore, cause some don't like the look of rear discs in an event that no could care less about
So bike hasn't been used till now. Prepping for rego, discovered oil tank is empty again, WTF.
Geez lucky I stopped when I did at Gloucester in 2014, probably nearly seized it,,,feeew, lucky hey.

Filled the oil tank a few weeks ago, up to the brim
Well, next discovery last week is that has lost 10mm in 10 days WTF?

Well starts it up this time anyhow, ran poorly again at first.
More smoke than the old BHP blast furnaces. Finally clears and starts to run well after 15-20mins.

Nothing to worry about, it has a "low-oil" an idiot light on the dash you say?
Well next realization is that every single light globe in the bike has blown the filament of its mounting prongs.
I can tell you the only thing that causes globes to blow in such a way is a current surge.

Anyhow, lots of smoke after stored.
Oil missing from tank,
No leaks under bike.
Gear case oil level constant. Smoke clears up, so its not the RH crank/to tranny seal.


Obviously oil is siphoning straight through pump into Crank case.
I don't give a shit whether its supposed to do it or not, at this amount of use?

[HeavenVMX]

We can safely assume from this thread you are not a fan of Kawasaki 2T oil injection systems then

 

The blown globes? Does the bike have a battery if so it can not be removed unless you install a largish capacity in its place to stabalise the regulator.

[Mick D]

So anyhow, I start testing the electrics to track down cause of surge.

What no capacitor on alternator feed to smooth out current spikes, how disgustingly cheap MR KAWASAKI
Considering the amount of unnecessary crap you did add. Dick heads.

Checked ceramic resistor on Alternator feed back to earth, 5.8 ohms. I reckon that's probably about the only thing that's not $%%$#@@$

Diode check on Rectifier/Reg, yeap she's %^^%$#@#$

Sorry, no longer available. Could wire in any one I suppose. But I found the OEM one freshly listed on ebay that night.

[Mick D]

We can safely assume from this thread you are not a fan of Kawasaki 2T oil injection systems then

 

Mate, you haven't heard the half of it yet

[Mick D]

So OK, time to test the stator resistance

Unplug the harness connector. Check it whilst still hot. check it again cold, different hey.

Ummmmmh, so whats all that black oil shit ooozing out of the stator wiring loom gland/ grommet seal?
Better investigate hey?
Takes Stator cover off
WTF
Half cup of BLACK oil gusses out.
Lets see if you can guess what that is boys,
No come on, why do you think there would be a more than half a cup of BLACK OOZE in there?

Any guesses?

[HeavenVMX]

The dregs of your morning coffee brew

The remains of the Japanese guy that set the timing at the factory

The content of the 2T oil tank that keeps emptying by itself

Possibly a crank seal gone

[Mick D]

We can safely assume from this thread you are not a fan of Kawasaki 2T oil injection systems then

 

The blown globes? Does the bike have a battery if so it can not be removed unless you install a largish capacity in its place to stabalise the regulator.

Arrh you've added an edit.

No these bikes do not have a battery. They only have a ceramic resistor in attempt to calm out the current.
That's what I have said above, needs capacitor. Kawasaki cheaped out. Poor cheap design, what a failing. This bike is one hundred percent original and intact, not for much longer though
As soon as the REctifier/REg blows, so does every globe in sight!

[HeavenVMX]

Well actually a regulator will really struggle to do its job without a reference voltage which is usually provided by the battery but can be provided by a capacitor which stores a reference voltage to stablise the reg. The resistor I agree is a very cheap way of ensuring the reg always supplies a load (therefore current) to at least, well in theory, prevent the output voltage climbing excessively.

Current surges do not just happen they are a result not a cause of problems. Any load draws a current. The globes actually blow due to excessive voltage not current.