Posts
193
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Greer, SC
US
Fantasy
644th
Edited Date/Time
3/10/2021 1:57pm
I ran across my first real race bike, a 1987 KX250, a couple years ago. It had been brought in for service at a local shop.
Long story short, I contacted the owner and bought it. Whenever you have the opportunity to buy a piece of your own history, take it.
Most of my trick parts from back in the day were still on it: cartridge fork kit, Kehein 39mm D-slide carburetor and DMC pull rods. Other parts were not: DMC pipe and silencer. The widened foot pegs were there, but had seen better days.
I have decided to make it the “best it could have been” and am looking for parts and suggestions to achieve this goal.
Phantom
Long story short, I contacted the owner and bought it. Whenever you have the opportunity to buy a piece of your own history, take it.
Most of my trick parts from back in the day were still on it: cartridge fork kit, Kehein 39mm D-slide carburetor and DMC pull rods. Other parts were not: DMC pipe and silencer. The widened foot pegs were there, but had seen better days.
I have decided to make it the “best it could have been” and am looking for parts and suggestions to achieve this goal.
Phantom
If I remember correctly I also had the pull rod and carb mods. Most importantly was the complete top end Pro-Circuit cylinder and head mods with pipe and silencer. Made a huge difference. Wonder if PC would have the specs and parts to do this 20 years later?
Pretty sure I traded a guy from Ohio straight up mid summer for a KX500 to ride outdoor nationals.
Cool to find the actual bike you owned 20 plus years later and good luck restoring it. Wish I could do the same someday.
The 1987 Kawasaki KX250 was on equal footing after adding the cartridge fork kit and DMC pull rods.
I would love to ride both now properly set up and compare them to each other and even to modern bikes. I hope to get that chance at a vintage event with Evo 4 classes.
Phantom
But it's the best decision I've ever made... keeping the thing.
Good luck on the project
The Shop
http://www.leguidevert.com/_V5/visu_sujet-forum-107487-107487-0-kawi.ht…
I hope to find some pictures from back in the day too.
I wish I still had my old riding gear. Never believe it when the paramedic says he will cut at the seam.
Phantom
Nice deal finding the same KX250...
Spark plug cap was missing, now replaced. That’s all it took.
Kick starter won’t retract on its own. Carb leaks like a sieve. Pipe and silencer mounts broken.
Many bolts missing or replaced with hardware store items. Plastic cracked and discolored.
But she runs!
Three kicks!
She just needs some TLC. I always loved this bike.
Phantom
Are parts hard to find for the later 80s KXs compared to the old KXs?
Good luck.
For example, I imported 3 sets of UFO radiator shrouds and will have the old graphics scanned, cleaned up and sub-surface printed. I can’t get them here from
UFO or Kawasaki.
I have a clean example. Tom Morgan gave me the right radiator shroud from Wardy’s bike at the 1987 Pro National at Secession MX in Anderson, SC, and Jeff
autographed it on the white stripe.
My other OEM shrouds are rough, but clean enough to get the stripe and layout correct for the left shroud.
Phantom
I had checked with several local dealers, who could get all the plastics except the radiator shrouds from Parts Unlimited.
This is exactly the kind of help I was looking for.
I am hoping to benefit from the collective knowledge of this forum for any set up tips, hop up parts, etc.
Phantom
Pit Row
When I check at the dealer, some of those parts are unavailable.
I am referring to the parts unique to the 1987 model, not the dimensional parts.
For instance, I’d like to have a new gas tank and an extra cylinder and head.
I’m planning to keep it forever and race it too, so I know I’ll tear things up.
The other reason I was seeking help was finding trick parts and advice on making it the best it can be.
Phantom
I checked the microfiche and the gaskets are NOT the same part number.
There is nothing wrong with the original cover, but the convenience of the quick change
cover would be welcome since I will already have it apart to fix the kick starter spring.
Phantom
Kawi was always good with those Team Green mod bulletins as well; Yamaha was as well with their tech mods for the avg. Joe..
Not that long ago here in NorCal, saw 2 '89 KX250s at same time; one was nice, other not so.
Seems Kawasakis are hardest bikes to find used on Craigslist or specific parts...I know that original '87 gas tank was a one yr deal as you say; was kinda tall and thinner than that big '88 one.
You can use a buffing wheel if you want to, but you might get it too hot and actually burn the plastic. If you're careful not to spend too much time in one spot, you can get it to look almost like a new fuel tank.
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