Posts
370
Joined
9/13/2009
Location
Magnolia, TX
US
Edited Date/Time
10/2/2015 1:09pm
I brought home a pretty rare find this weekend that I thought I'd show y'all. The bike is nothing special, it's just a 98 KX250 with the standard mismatched plastic. It's the parts that came with the bike that I couldn't pass up.
Jeff Emig's Works factory forks, works factory larger capacity fuel tank, works chain guide, and works Nippon Denso radiators. He said that he couldn't get the Mg clamps because they were fatigued and they wouldn't let them go. He had Emig Racing build a set of billet Alum. clamps custom for the larger works forks. Also two sets of rare Flo green plastic that Team Kawasaki used from 96 on.
It also came with just about everything else you would need to build a really trick replica. Works connection skid plate and case guard, new excel rims and stainless spokes with aluminum nipples, Wiseco piston kit, Crank kit and clutch basket and clutch cover, New Pro Circuit pipe / silencer, throttle tube, Ti Pegs and clutch perch, new cables, pivot works swingarm and linkage bearings, seat foam and purple cover, Boyesen clutch and ignition covers, Boyesen Water Pump, New Chain and Sprockets and buffer, and and bunch of other small stuff.
I'm not much of a Kawasaki guy, but how often do you get the chance to buy works parts? If someone here would like to buy it for a project let me know at: flesche917@hotmail.com. Otherwise, I'm going to weld tabs for the skid plate and case guard to the frame before powder coating it Flo Green and building a replica of this bike:
Jeff Emig's Works factory forks, works factory larger capacity fuel tank, works chain guide, and works Nippon Denso radiators. He said that he couldn't get the Mg clamps because they were fatigued and they wouldn't let them go. He had Emig Racing build a set of billet Alum. clamps custom for the larger works forks. Also two sets of rare Flo green plastic that Team Kawasaki used from 96 on.
It also came with just about everything else you would need to build a really trick replica. Works connection skid plate and case guard, new excel rims and stainless spokes with aluminum nipples, Wiseco piston kit, Crank kit and clutch basket and clutch cover, New Pro Circuit pipe / silencer, throttle tube, Ti Pegs and clutch perch, new cables, pivot works swingarm and linkage bearings, seat foam and purple cover, Boyesen clutch and ignition covers, Boyesen Water Pump, New Chain and Sprockets and buffer, and and bunch of other small stuff.
I'm not much of a Kawasaki guy, but how often do you get the chance to buy works parts? If someone here would like to buy it for a project let me know at: flesche917@hotmail.com. Otherwise, I'm going to weld tabs for the skid plate and case guard to the frame before powder coating it Flo Green and building a replica of this bike:
I'm going to need Team Pro-Circuit SplitFire graphics and seat cover so if anyone out there has a set please let me know.
No matter which direction I go with it, I'm definitely going to have the frame powder coated that florescent green color they used in the late 90's so I may as well get started on that. I tore the bike down, and it was pretty much what I expected with no big surprises. It definitely wasn't maintained very well, but it is a great candidate for a rebuild. I had a tough time getting the swingarm pivot out and ended up having to use an air-hammer to drive it out. The swingarm/linkage bearings are completely corroded.
I'm going to weld brackets on for a case guard and skid plate next. Here it is mocked up.
The Shop
The frame is ready now so I shipped it off for powder coat and should get it back soon.
I put the skid plate, case guard, and stock clamps and forks on for now as I'm not sure if I'm going to use those works parts or not. I like how Kawasaki started using rubber mounted and one piece top bar mount on this 98 model. I thought the larger works forks and billet Emig Racing clamps would be much heavier, but they actually weigh the same as the stock forks and cast clamps at 26 lbs. I got a current CRF front brake master cylinder and caliper to replace the weak KX setup. Also a set of new Renthal 971's and those trick PC cast Ti Pegs.
Next up, start on the swingarm and linkage.
Kidding aside, I just watched a video of the '97 Bercy SX on YouTube and WOW do those factory Kawi's in all flo green REALLY stand out. (You should check out the video-- this was also the only race I know of where MC rode an aluminum '97 CR.)
The '98 is considered the ultimate year by many KX fans (I gather you've hooked up with some of these good folks while investigating options for the project).
And man -- the work you've done to the frame is TRICK. (Had to get a Rudy word in there!)
There are some unique aspects of these years Kawi's -- a signature, ripping low-speed powerband, of course the flo-green plastic, the best box-stock suspension, the first perimeter frame in MX-- that will make watching your build of this project a real treat. The factory parts make it even sweeter!
Boy -- I still kinda wish I had had the resources to build her myself... But a certain cherry '89 CR250 had dibs on my pocketbook ;-) But you'll do an amazing job like always. As for myself, I can't wait to see how a built KX compares to the '96 CR's. It would be a hoot if you "go green" after this build (guys-- DJ's a Honda guy to the BONE).
Keep those updates coming, 917!
I used aircraft paint stripper which worked great, but man that stuff is caustic...check out the cup in the pic! Looks pretty good now, but the surface is going to take a little elbow grease to get that brushed aluminum finish like the factory bikes.
Lack of grease in the swingarm bearings is definitely evident.
I pressed in a new Pivot Works bearings kit so it will be as good as new.
Next up is the linkage bearings which are about as bad as the swingarm.
I'd personally go with plan A, the factory look, but that's just me. I loved the look of those bikes. Shoot me an email with what you might be selling.
Cheers, Col
He's got COOL friends ;-)
Hey, Viking, you thinking about going the full factory route on this project or what? This could be a pretty unique bike, either way -- the '97-'98 KX250s are still talked about by the Kawie guys (whom I think you've discovered, are pretty hardcore brand loyal).
You & I, having worked on several Honda builds, it's easy to see how advanced -- and well constructed-- Hondas are. But I think it's pretty cool that Honda with all its resources had a competitor that came out with perimeter frames, nearly a decade before anyone else -- and that also "went their own way" in terms of perfecting a very distinctive power delivery.
Hey, MXA's Bike of the Year 3 or 4 years running-- with the best motor AND suspension... that's a good project foundation. FWIW, I'm pretty sure that after years of copying Honda porting, Suzuki switched to copying Kawasaki porting up until '03 or so, when they switched to ripping off Yamaha. They say imitation is the sincerest flattery. And if I remember correctly, it was the KX's year-in-and-year-out suspension dominance that caused Honda to switch to KYB on the '95-'96 CR250s.
It's been a few years now, so it's easy to forget, but these year KX's were the bee's knees. Fro was really the only guy who could challenge MC during this time... Part of it was that each rider was pretty evenly matched in terms of equipment.
I was concerned about using those works forks as the brake carrier mounts are much closer together than stock. I would have had to have one made to accept a stock caliper. I was lucky to find a works SR front caliper and Magnesium carrier setup.
I also found a magnesium right side case, water pump cover, clutch cover and a the carbon clutch cover.
I already have the cast Ti PC pegs but I have a set of the works Kawi Ti pegs as well.
I have the 25mm works Ti rear axle and a front axle.
The Billet rear brake carrier is for an earlier KX circa 1994
The clamps are Emig racing from Team Pro Circuit 1998.
I found out the radiators, large capacity fuel tank/seat setup is off the Jan De Groot Kawi team from when Sebastien Tortelli and Fredric Bolley rode there in 1996 (125 World Title for Tortelli)
Here is a pic of the tank/seat I have mounted on one of Emigs 96 practice bike frames:
The seat has a special base that is recessed for the tank it is nearly undetectable that it is a large capacity setup.
Tortelli's 1996 125 World Championship Bike:
Pit Row
It' funny, because I just posted that I found those plates, shrouds, rear fender and I believe that seat and a Damon Huffman seat in my garage last week and posted photos in another thread. I also have the seat that goes with the shroud in the original photo of this thread.
DJ
Stole this photo from Buckley's site, thought you would like it if you had not seen it. I sent you an email regarding the plastics.
Selling any of emigs old parts?
I am wanting a project as well.
I saw you post of those old school seats and shrouds on the other thread, just wondering if they 're still available or if you have sold them? Cheers
Thanks!
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