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| Here I go again! Got 2 projects not nearly done, and Ive taken on another one!!! I got this one from a neighbor, who got it from a friend at work, who got it from a yard sale! (CONFUSED YET?). He paid $25 for the whole thing, and gave it to me in return for my promise to work on a KX100 he wants to buy that has some serious tranny problems. Turns out it is a 1993 KX 250, and it needs some serious work to be sure. It was almost all there, in crates. The top end had been yanked off, and the big end of the rod had seized on the crank. Some nice rainbow on the crank halfs told of some serious overheating. The top end was in a box, and it actually looked pretty good. Ive taken the bike almost all the way apart now, so it would fit in my shed, and right now Im just cleaning everything up. Both wheels are somewhat damaged, and Ive got to get the crank rebuilt. Ive got to buy some tools to get the cases apart. All in all its gonna take alot of time and money, but at least when Im done I will have a more modern type bike, and maybe Ill be able to keep up with my friends when the going gets rough. Ive started with bikes in worse shape before this one, so Ill get it done, maybe by next season. The thing is, this is how I work. I have to obtain the bike for very little. Then I put money into them little by little. You have to figure, by now, there are some of these bikes out there that are broke down and abandoned, yet are, or could be, capable bikes. You dont have to deal in 30 year old bikes like I do most of the time to get some serious bargains. I mean come on, a 1993 KX 250 would run me somehwere in the area of $1800 if it was in nice shape. I may wind up with $800 in this one, but its a little at a time, and the labor is FREE!!! Thats the magic of it. If I had to pay for LABOR on this project, it would be right out the window. On a project like this, I tear the thing down COMPLETELY and take it back up slowly, with all new everything. I bet I wind up with 100 hours in a bike like this. Try THAT at $60 an hour at your dealer. $6000 in labor, see? I think this will complete my "stables" for now. Ive got a wicked old street bike, a wicked old MX bike, and now a modern MX bike. What more do I need? 3 different ways to break my bones!!! |
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| Ive been busy. Ive got the frame painted. Here it is before the paint job: |
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| I took some shots after the job, but theyre not developed yet. I actually put the rear suspension back together on it and the rear sub-frame w.airbox. Its getting there. Havent done a thing to the engine though. Im saving that for when it gets REALLY cold and boring this winter. Gotta buy some tools anyway. |
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  Im happy! Put the rear linkage/shock back on! |
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| Front end is on, as well as the brakes and wheels. |
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| Well, Ive got the crank rebuilt with an IMS pro series connecting rod kit, and Ive got the main bearings removed, so I have to get some new bearings now before I reassemble it. The bottom end is going to be where most of the money is going in this project. I dont need alot of other major things for it. Ought to be a blast! |
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| Had sort of a nightmare with the crank, it had some noticeable wobble when assembled in the cases, so I had to take it back and have it re built again. They trued it for me again for free, but they had a hard time getting the thing apart. The pin had galled coming out, and it moved only once, in a terrible creaking motion, then stuck. 60 ton press, and it wasnt budging. We had to freeze the crank, and then torch the halves, and it moved again. The pin was ruined, so I had to wait on getting a new pin. Then it was finally assembled again, this time, when I assembled it, it ran true. |
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| As for the other various things, they are coming together. Got the engine back on the frame, now its a matter of all the small things. Now, as it figures, the tranny dropped out of my van, so money is gonna suck until I fix that!! |
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| Ive been doing some sort of odd things since I am short on cash. THe clutch cable was pretty much broken, hanging on by 2 strands. So, rather than spending $22 on a new one, I fixed the old one, by making a new cable end out of an aluminum rod, drilling a hole, then turning it down to size, then I cut a fresh end on the cable and soldered it on with a torch. Its holding well. I got pretty good at custom cables from dealing with all the vintage crap. So, Id just as soon make or repair one. |
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| Now I need a gearshifter, and a kickstarter and then I can probably start it up. |
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| Well, its long been nearly done. I need a clutch cable, and some odds and ends, about $40.00 worth of stuff actually. Why I havent done it yet? Well Ive been doing 60 hour weeks for the last 3 months at work, and I just havent had the time. Here is a pic of her as she sets now: |
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| Soon, I will test it out properly. It runs really well so far as I can tell, but we'll see. |
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| Yeah man. Official test ride was today at the Landing MX park in Easton. The bike ran VERY WELL. The only problem I had was the routing of the throttle cable. It stuck wide open when I turned sharply to the right. The cable ran out of slack and broke the fitting at the carb cap. The bike started screaming, lucky i had the clutch in. I THREW it down on its side and dumped the clutch and hit the kill button. I had to fix the throttle adjuster where it snapped, but there was enough threads left on it to still be useable. After that, there were no problems. |
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| (Other than my lack of ability.) |
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| I now have a bike now that is FAR more capable than I am. I ride my bighorn about as well as most people could. As for this KX, though, I need to work on it. IT handles like a dream. Like riding on a marshmallow. I dont even FEEL ruts that would dump me on my F9. Knees dont hurt either. GOt to get used to how to jump it. I jump the horn with the gas on, and I can change the attitude of the bike in the air by letting off at different times. The KX, however, doesnt respond as quickly to letting off the throttle, so it sort of messes me up. Even though the Bighorn is not a 4 stroke, the motor will slow you down quick when you let off, or if in the air, it will pitch you down. Not so on the KX. Let off on the KX and you just sail. |
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| The power on the KX is all useable, although I miss being able to chug 3rd gear like I can on the bighorn. Have to do more shifting. I still think the bighorn has in some ways a nastier engine. I mean, the KX is lightning quick, dont get me wrong, but it is SOOO refined, it feels easy. The bighorns power is unrefined, it idles like a coffe can full of rocks, but when your on the throttle, its a serious powerhouse. I can see where this will lead. I need to arrange a grudge match: Bighorn VS KX on a drag strip. |
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| Well, time to buy all the little stuff like new tires, decals, etc. I had been holding off on all that til I made sure the motor wouldnt tank. It runs like a CHAMP, although I ride like a CHUMP. Oh well, its still a BLAST man. I feel like some rider from the mid seventies that went 20 years into the future. Its really weird for me. I grew up riding a bighorn. I have the most hours on that kind of bike. Oh well, I will still race the bighorn in vintage class, but until I can get a way to transport 2 bikes at once, I will ride the KX mainly.
UPDATE: AUGUST 2004
OH man! I sold the KX on EBAY. I hate selling bikes but I needed the money, and I bought yet another old bike so I needed the room. I only took the KX out once, but the guy who bought rode it the weekend he bought it! iM GLAD IT WILL BE GETTING SOME USE! UPDATE AGAIN, 12/8/04: It's for sale on Ebay! My baby! The fellow who bought it from me is selling it now. Gee if I only had some money, Id buy it again! Heh heh! She look s alot different now. |
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