1990 KX250 restoration - Labour of love

This photo is from early November 1989.

This is a year later and the day I took her to Elbe in Coventry for a 91

I rescued my project from a young lad in Birmingham who was riding the bike around the local play park, bit of a tit. I paid £500 as a non-runner. He'd found that you can't remove a flywheel with a hammer.

I pulled the bike apart and realised it was an unloved gem. Great condition original pipe and silencer, original plastics and even the remains of genuine exhaust packing.

There were issues though. The wheels were scrap, all the aluminium was stained and tarnished etc etc.






Having pulled the bike apart I boxed her up and left her for about a year.

There was no unlimited budget so I had to be thrifty without cutting corners. It's surprising what you come across from around the world though.

The problem is though that once you start, all the things you'd though would be OK turn out to be parts for the bin.

I spent about 18 months searching for and buying bits here and there. Cradley Kawasaki's website gave me schematics and part numbers. To give you an idea, one list for bolts and fixings alone came to £300. Not a chance.

A few more of the rip down.

Much of the bike I left in the old chaps garage, I just took a few bits home to mess with in my small workshop including the engine.
Apart from being in a stained and tarnished mess on the outside the inside wasn't too bad. Barrel needed re-plating, crank was blue, rings were stuck in the piston and all the magnets fell out of the flywheel.
The gearbox including selectors and shift bits looked good as did the clutch and other cogs and whiry bits.

Hi SOHC,

First job was a new workshop, supplied and built by the secure shed company.



I sent my frame for powder coat along with my sub frame and swing arm for blasting. The frame came back nice but the abrasive blasting made a mess of the ally stuff. Many hours of sanding just about bought them back from going in the skip.

I was pleased with how my fixings and brackets turned out, I found a local guy that restores Suzuki Kettles who had this
done.
I refurbed the original footpegs and spent a few hours cleaning my headstock and shock mounts.

Every bearing was replaced as was the rear brake reservoir, the rest was cleaned and polished with my dremmel. New oversize rads from Australia £70 delivered. They almost fit as well

No new suspension parts other than the bearings. I sprayed the shock spring with Halfords appliance blue, not a bad match




I cleaned and sanded the airbox before buffing with a lambs wool mop to bring back some shine





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Engine cases back from the vapour blaster, all new seals and every bearing replaced.






Now came a steep learning curve. My crank came back from PJME in Wolverhampton complete with its new PROX rod kit. Engine rebuild didn't go too badly other than I didn't realise Kawasaki don't run a centre gasket so I had to delay it and order some engine bond. Crank back in the freezer.

This is the first time in 3 years that the engine and frame have been together.

One of my biggest problems was the bikes wheels. The rims were scrap, especially the rear, the spokes were rusted solid and the hubs disgusting.
I couldn't justify over £500 for a set off the shelf so the search began.
I broke them down with bolt croppers and refurbed the hubs.





I found a set of cheap used rims which were better than I thought and bought new stainless spokes. I re-laced them myself but paid to have them trued. I also replaced the front disc, I always preferred the look of the slotted disc but didn't want the new wavey crap.

I cleaned and serviced the front forks. The oil inside was thick, black and didn't smell good. Most of it was missing. I cleaned the aluminium parts and made them shiny.

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Both calipers were re-furbed, I kept the Pistons but replaced everything else.

New Wiseco piston and the barrel went back on.

Along with the original sorted exhaust

Forks back in with new guards and some nice KYB stickers






Back wheel complete with new disc

I had a pair if braided brake lines made to suit, off the shelf just didn't fit correctly. Only £40 made to measure with the correct bends. I also,replaced the front master cylinder with one from an 01 500.

I originally bought a replica seat cover from the Far East, it looked ok but was very thin and creased from the start. It had to go.

I wanted Dunlop 752 tyres as that's what mine came with back in the day. A pair of 952's did the job.



New chain and sprockets next.

I bought all new UFO plastics, the genuine ones were more than double the price. I searched for 1990 graphics but couldn't find any that included covers for the tank. I eventually decided upon Thorpe SR500 replicas from EVO-MX with a seat cover to match.







Wearing my race number for 1990, the old girl is finished apart from side panel numbers, they sent ones for the 89.

I enjoyed every minute of this project. Sourcing the parts, a polish here and a paint there. Did it cost too much? yes. Do I care? Not one bit. Will I do anther? Hell yes I've already bought one.

A 94 I believe. I'm going to,do a Splitfire replica if I can get the bits

Cheers.

I know I still can't believe how great the condition of the pipe was. I do plan to race the 90 next year but work might get in the way.