KDX 220R vs. KDX 200

jtomasik
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jtomasik
Edited Date/Time 12/11/2013 9:37am
I'm looking for a play bike comfortable for adults. Have my eye on the old Kawi smokers (around 2003-ish), and was wondering if there was anything else different between the 220R and the 200 besides displacement?
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imoto316
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imoto316 12/11/2013 4:48am
12/11/2013 4:48am
There's concern over the 220 piston. A lot of people replace the stock piston because it's prone to cracking.

I'm not sure sharing another website is frowned upon on this forum, but I found this site to be very helpful with my KDX200.

http://kdxrider.net/forums/index.php
jtomasik
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jtomasik 12/11/2013 5:07am
12/11/2013 5:07am Edited Date/Time 12/11/2013 5:09am
Most awesome. Thank you. I see many more KDX200's for sale, so I'm unfamiliar with the 220R. Just got rid of the kid's old YZ85....was not a fun bike for guests to ride. I'm looking for something that's fun for friends/amateur riders. The YZ spit so many off when it'd get on the pipe. Also, I could use something for the tight trail rides around here...my 500 is way too much motor for these woods. Tried a trail ride two weeks ago with the thing and it was comical.
Frodad78
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Frodad78 12/11/2013 5:09am
12/11/2013 5:09am
I've ridden the 200, 220 and 250. Personally I liked the 220 the best, it revved a bit more, reminded me of a 125 with a little more power on the pipe.
jtomasik
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jtomasik 12/11/2013 5:25am
12/11/2013 5:25am
Frodad78 wrote:
I've ridden the 200, 220 and 250. Personally I liked the 220 the best, it revved a bit more, reminded me of a 125 with a...
I've ridden the 200, 220 and 250. Personally I liked the 220 the best, it revved a bit more, reminded me of a 125 with a little more power on the pipe.
This thing's gonna be 90% for the girlfriend, my son (who's very non-aggressive), and newbies. I'll rarely ride it. But thanks for the info!

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Spagina767
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Spagina767 12/11/2013 5:34am
12/11/2013 5:34am
Has anyone ever seen one of these bikes fully built? I remember riding my friends 2003 KDX 200 and it was a fun bike. It was slow, but cool in the woods. I was wondering if when built, these motors had some power to them. Seems like it could be a fun bike to throw a built KDX motor into a 125 frame.
NeKawBoy
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NeKawBoy 12/11/2013 6:02am
12/11/2013 6:02am
The KDX220 also had a smaller carb for better low-end.
I had a KDX200 about 10 years ago and rode the wheels off of it before I switched to a KX250 and eventually onto KTM 250 XC's.
I just picked up another KDX200 this fall to use as a loaner bike and as a trail maintenance bike. I found one with 10 hours on it for $1500...too good to pass up.
Best mods for the 200: FMF Gnarly pipe, FMF turbine core spark arrestor, Boyesen Rad Valve and a Fredette carb mod. All pretty simple stuff but it really wakes it up.
The bikes are super-reliable and easy to ride...I would highly recommend them to anyone wanting a great trail bike.
Big Daddy
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Big Daddy 12/11/2013 6:44am
12/11/2013 6:44am
If I had KDX questions, I'd be asking Jeff Fredette, "Mr. KDX". He has more info on that product line than anyone else. He raced them from the early '80s until the end of the KDX production. Very knowledgeable and a great guy!

http://www.frpoffroad.com/index.htm
Mr. Ted
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Mr. Ted 12/11/2013 6:50am
12/11/2013 6:50am
Loved my 220. My wife had the 200. Both are really good bikes, and I don't think you could go wrong either way to be honest.
jtomasik
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jtomasik 12/11/2013 9:09am
12/11/2013 9:09am
One of the bike's I'm looking at already has plates for the street. Might use it occasionally to do some dual-sport rides (nothing serious). I wish we had more oxygen here. I've ridden them back when I lived in Cali, but I'd imagine up here they're fairly anemic. The ones I've ridden were a lot of fun to goof around on. They are a cool bike to add to the inventory and have around.
kevkx125
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kevkx125 12/11/2013 9:10am
12/11/2013 9:10am
Can't go wrong with either one. They are definitely reliable if properly maintained. First race bike was a 1989 kdx200, rode the wheels off of it.
jtomasik
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jtomasik 12/11/2013 9:37am
12/11/2013 9:37am
I'm seeing some RMX's (250's). I had an RM250 that I sold about half a year ago. It was too much for my son and others to ride, and I pretty much stopped riding it, so got rid of it. Anyway, how are those RMX's? Are their engines much more tame than the RM's? I don't want something that can get out of control for these riders too easily.

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