As the title states, this will be "Phase One" of my 2005 KX250 build, although this will be the third iteration of this bike.
Backstory: It's February of 2020, I am drowing between my 40 hour a week job, my bartending gig on Fridays and Saturdays, and also managing to take 16 credit hours at the University of Nebraska. (and also a time suck of an ex). At the time, I had an RMZ-450 that had been collecting dust for about 4 months and made the decision to sell it, and I would buy a bike later that fall once things slowed down. So I sell my RMZ, and then 3 weeks later, Covid happens, shuts down everything, and now I have all the time in the world to ride my dirtbike.
I start scanning Facebook Marketplace, and find this 2005 KX250 just an hour up the road on Council Bluffs Iowa for $1,400 (Obviously way too much), with a bend head pipe, clogged powervalve, destroyed airbox, and a paddle tire (we are 8 hours from the nearest dunes). Take it home, ride it once and then tore it down and built my first iteration of the bike:
Decided to do a version 2 of this build, which was way more freeride vibes as at the time I was no racing besides maybe 3-5 times a year:
Cont: Ended up doing a top end, and mistiming the powervalve by one spline (I'm a jackass I know) and ruined the top end and caused the bottom end to seize up. Had a bunch of life stuff pop up, and sold the bike to what is now a good friend (which is another crazy story), where this bike sat in the attic of his shop for the last two years....
Until I got it back this week. Fully in pieces, but almost everything to rebuild this back into a rider and local vet class machine.
I've done a few things so far: assembled the airbox, made it more of a roller, but haven't dug in super deep just yet. This is my plan for "Phase One":
- Strip frame down and clean up the frame, swing arm, wheels, etc.
- Grease all bearings
- clean and inspect engine components
- Rebuilt engine to stock specs.
- New seat cover
- Motocutz Graphics
Just enough to make it a little bit of a looker for the time being, and then start stock piling parts for this winter to really go crazy (if the wife allows it🤣)
If you have an 03-07 I'd love to see them, or if you have any touch points of advice on these I'm also open to that as well.
Ill be following this one, I love 05-07s, and have owned my 06 since early 2011.
Set the air gap on the ignition pick up/flywheel to the biggest spec the manual allows, this helps prevent pinging under load with pump gas, I believe it slightly retards the ignition timing.
Also, call Matt @ Active-Ride and have him internally shorten the rear shock. He did the suspension on Hamblins 2005 KX250 national bike, and shortened my rear shock. I love the way my 06 handles, gets rid of the "Stink Bug" everyone complained about at the time.
Thanks for the info!
I've never noticed any "stink-bug" feeling, except when I tried the ProCircuit link. Went back to the stock link and never felt that again. But maybe I will have to get a second shock to try that with.
What are you running for gearing? I've historically just ran +1 on the rear, but have heard some guys going +1 up front and staying stock on the rear?
Any chance you want to sell the PC link if you still have it?
I sold it a while back unfortunately, if you are needing one I would try and call PC directly, which is what I did to get mine.
The Shop
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No worries! On the back order list, just impatient.
If i were you, i would immediately dissasemble the powervalve and have them sent out for DLC if they are in good condition, they are needle in haystacks as they been discontinued for over a decade by Kawi japan.
Friends of mine, professional mechanics with access to good sources have struggled big times to find certain powervalve parts in solid conditions, as in specific the: LEVER-COMP,RH & LH wears down on delicate rollers.
partnr: 13236A, 13236.
Anway, cool to see a kx 250 in great condition.
Stock gearing here, I ran a 14T front and it was ok, but I definitely missed the snap off the bottom
Neglected this for a little bit, been slammed with work between category and territory expansions, plus my 5 month old keeps me on my toes🤣
Grabbed a little bit of time today to get the OEM airbox put together and slid into the subframe, installed, slid in the shock and forks, repacked linkage and installed swing arm. A few other odds and ends.
Waiting on some plastics from UFO and a warranty on my ARC lever to come back in.
Found a few things in the transmission area of the cases that I think I will have to address. Going to dig into the transmission myself before I jump to any excessive conclusions.
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