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2bims
Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7292
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:43 am Post subject: 2003 Kawasaki KDX220 Restoration....ahem... |
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In the very words of Britney Spears...."Oops I did it again........".....Another steed is en route to potentially replace the KTM Tango...I say potentially as although the KTM is listed on ebay and has made its reserve....cash is not yet in hand and the bike still resides at home....thus I've put all the bikes on a diet so that the "newbie" can fit in.....And....As soon as the thermometer scale creeps above 5 degrees, and it stops snowing....a light restoration will be under way for anyone that's interested??
The bike is exactly what I was looking for .....Not a minter...and not a complete hound but a good runner......needling some fettling.....and fit for honing around in....No ECU...No abs......not worried about dropping it....basic lights only off a genie...so no battery to worry about keeping on charge......premix in tank so no oil pump to worry about either...simple speedo to keep on the right side of the law...when theyre watching that is.....Just have to control myself to not give it a full Minty nut and bolt resto that's all..........Hhmm...Now whats my Ebay account log-on again???....
Ying ying....also saves me from trashing my sons DT125R before he's old enough to ride it....as it was getting a bit more use than I had anticipated......That's now 2 bikes in the garage that I used to have in my early years....so I suppose on the heritage Nostalgia trail I should now be looking for a RD400E in Yammie speedblock colours red/white/black......a Mean green ZXR750H1 and a Speedblock Yammie FZ600....and RG500....maybe I'll skip at the Kawasaki KLE500....Ahem...
Last edited by 2bims on Sat Mar 10, 2018 1:59 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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laminator
Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 320 Location: Midlands
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:48 am Post subject: |
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Nice work, that'll be loads of light front wheel action. Laminator approves! (Not that it matters )
I've got a bead blasting cabinet, ultrasonic tank (big enough for four carbs still on one rail), 3d printer for small bits (small brackets, wire clips/etc) if you want anything cleaning or printing let me know. _________________ Bimotas, Yamaha FZR 2TK, Honda NC30, MV Agusta F3 800, Aprilia RS250 |
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vort28
Joined: 22 Mar 2010 Posts: 2194 Location: Northwest , UK
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:36 am Post subject: |
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Must be like some 70's boutique in your garage.
If tango orange was not enough you have matched it with psychedelic green. !!
Next you going to tell me you've taken to wearing a beanie . |
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Admin Site Admin
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 508 Location: Stafford, UK
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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Oooh, nice
Katy |
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2bims
Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7292
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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laminator wrote: |
Nice work, that'll be loads of light front wheel action. Laminator approves! (Not that it matters )
I've got a bead blasting cabinet, ultrasonic tank (big enough for four carbs still on one rail), 3d printer for small bits (small brackets, wire clips/etc) if you want anything cleaning or printing let me know. |
Bead blasting....Hmmmmm........header and tail can to be done.....and see how they come out before i decide to go for nickel plated growler system with alloy end can.......have to decide whether to keep standard or bling up....ehhh... i mean...modify.....was going the "modify" route with my sons DT125R until it cleaned up so well...so left it as a lightly restored "survivor" which is all the rage nowadays......and this ones pretty stock as it is.
3D printing....Hhmmm......have a few clips holding rear brake lines and speedo cable on sons DT125 that have gone brittle and snapped....robbers on ebay want £25 a piece per clip....and no guarantee they aren't 25 years old and just as brittle.....
Havent started the strip yet on the KDX....been busy V5/sorn and insure....nice new system for V5 new owners details now can be done all on line...works a treat and saves postage cost or getting lost in post.... |
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2bims
Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7292
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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vort28 wrote: |
Must be like some 70's boutique in your garage.
If tango orange was not enough you have matched it with psychedelic green. !!
Next you going to tell me you've taken to wearing a beanie . |
Pure Nineties and Naughties in my garage matey......80's stuff is all in the dining room....Latest addition is the last of the last KDX220SR models...before the puff and whiff of a 2-stroke went the way of 4 stroke trailies........been busy hammering my ebay account this aftie....bike is now insured and all bits I want to change/need changing now ordered....if only it was that easy with Bimota spare parts!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone interested in me doing a resto thread on here? seeing as Bimota chat is so few and infrequent this winter? |
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2bims
Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7292
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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Admin wrote: |
Oooh, nice
Katy |
Cheera Katy....bike may be making an appearance at forthcoming Mcr bike show on the 2-stroke stand....DT125R and Vdue already booked in for their stand (darn turncoat I hear you all chant....) |
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PaulDB2
Joined: 26 Apr 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Manchester
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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2bims wrote: |
Admin wrote: |
Oooh, nice
Katy |
Cheera Katy....bike may be making an appearance at forthcoming Mcr bike show on the 2-stroke stand....DT125R and Vdue already booked in for their stand (darn turncoat I hear you all chant....) |
You will be having your own section on the stand at this rate! I was never really into 2-strokes after a friends GT750 Kettle tried to throw me off (I'm sure the steering head was mounted in rubber) and another borrowed Suzuki (GT550) had the front end skip sideways whilst cornering hard and gave me a near heart attack. Despite that I wouldn't mind a Suzuki T500 (race look-alike) or a Kawasaki 750 H2 triple. _________________ Bimota DB1, Bimota YB5, Bimota YB6 Exup, Bimota YB9 SR, Ducati NCR Replica, Moto Guzzi 750 S3, Honda CR750 race replica, Seeley-Suzuki TR500 |
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2bims
Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7292
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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I think its the "era" of the 70's that youre referring to that was trying to kill you....2 strokes were supposed to be more power per cc....yet still shared typical "of the time" built to a price VJMC...aka limp frames, spindley suspension and wooden brakes....Hence the Bimota "mantra" that came about to improve not only Jap 2-strokes but 4-strokes also by keeping the good bit....the engine...and ditching everything else, albeit at great extra cost.
90's and 00's 2-strokes kept things light with smaller engines so as not to kill you so quickly....although again Bimota took that one step on with the Vdue in 1997....and that will try to kill you....running or not.....
You'd love my improvised loading ramp that my brother knocked up this morning to load the KDX.....his daughters "thrown out" metal folding ironing board....wire mesh base...now strengthened with guide timber sections at the sides top and underneath.....tested with my weight first....worked a treat and quicker than driving to yours to borrow one..... |
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PaulDB2
Joined: 26 Apr 2014 Posts: 316 Location: Manchester
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
You'd love my improvised loading ramp that my brother knocked up this morning to load the KDX.....his daughters "thrown out" metal folding ironing board....wire mesh base...now strengthened with guide timber sections at the sides top and underneath.....tested with my weight first....worked a treat and quicker than driving to yours to borrow one..... |
If you really want to test it I can come round and jump on it _________________ Bimota DB1, Bimota YB5, Bimota YB6 Exup, Bimota YB9 SR, Ducati NCR Replica, Moto Guzzi 750 S3, Honda CR750 race replica, Seeley-Suzuki TR500 |
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Bud977
Joined: 03 Mar 2013 Posts: 525 Location: Sydney
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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Cool bike. I love my two strokes. That one looks to be in great shape. So what is that, a KDX220SR is it? We had the 200 and 250s over here but never heard of a 220. |
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2bims
Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7292
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Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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Yeh....its a 220sr.....216cc......last of the last.....testers thought it had less power than the 200//.....but stroke and power is more low down and useable to compete with the bigger 400 4-strokes at the time...more tractable and low down grunt...28bhp and 100 kilos light....just for honing around on and maybe light enduro use....coz me not so light...and gives me something to tinker with and restore...needs a darn good clean...if it ever stops snowing that is |
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welshlamb
Joined: 09 Mar 2011 Posts: 592 Location: South Wales , Nr. Abergavenny
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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A local buy or another Unit 5 purchase? I love the bikes but at 100kg in my skimpies (sorry!) and 6ft 4" they don't really fit. Have at last started on my XT600 build now that DB2 is with its happy new owner! _________________ Not as many bikes as I would like and already too many to keep up with! |
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2bims
Joined: 03 Apr 2010 Posts: 7292
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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You'd fit fine on a KDX220...tall bikes LONG travel suspension, height adjustable...this bike has had 2 inch bar risers fitted and it makes sense when you grab the bars.....Not UNit 5....genuine UK model...and twas a mere 5 miles from my house....no brainer...I shouted out to Unit 5 for one....but seemingly they are a rare beast...and I think they prefer to bring in "tinker" 125's and 50/80cc's as they seem to be in demand in the UK market...Rose tinted Nostalgia and all that |
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brian
Joined: 22 Aug 2011 Posts: 3769 Location: Australia
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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Nice. A change from the bright tango orange to the bright lime green. I'm alway a fan of lime green. _________________ '99 DB4 #104, '96 SB6 #1165, '94 DB2 J #652, '99 DB4 #088, '08 VTX1800, '93 ZXR750R M1, '95 ZXR750, '95 ZXR750 Race Bike, '94 CBR400rr NC29 Race Bike, '94 CB250, '49 BSA C10 250, '61 BSA A10 650, '89 ZXR750, '91 Ducati 851 |
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