KX250 -82, what to look for?

TTperra
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9/24/2016 9:57am
I am going to look at a KX250 -82 tomorrow, are there any model specific problems or kawasaki problems i should look for?
Or hard to find parts?
Never had a green bike..
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CamP
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9/24/2016 10:53am
Parts are very scarce. The '82 was not a great bike, even when it was new.
MaxPower
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9/24/2016 2:18pm
Look for frame cracks in tbe swingarm pivot area.
If the shock seems whooped you may be looking at an replacement
Myself i wouldnt care if it wasnt the best bike in 82. We are racing our peers of other out of shape fat bald men Its more important to me i have tbe bike i want and that im having fun. And they weren't bad bikes either
TTperra
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9/24/2016 4:02pm
MaxPower wrote:
Look for frame cracks in tbe swingarm pivot area. If the shock seems whooped you may be looking at an replacement Myself i wouldnt care if...
Look for frame cracks in tbe swingarm pivot area.
If the shock seems whooped you may be looking at an replacement
Myself i wouldnt care if it wasnt the best bike in 82. We are racing our peers of other out of shape fat bald men Its more important to me i have tbe bike i want and that im having fun. And they weren't bad bikes either
Well said.
Remember drooling over the brochure when i was a kid, they looked so cool, guess thats why i want one.
I ride the bikes, so its important that i like the handling and engine, but even if its bad it is still better then me..
I will se how much he wants for it, the ad said $800 or higher bid..
MaxPower
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9/24/2016 5:35pm
If its not a metal fatigued pile 800 is pretty fare. There are non around hardly. I think that year uni trak works great. Youll have a better brake than anyone not on a kx. Getting 43mm forks set for you cant be all that hard. I dont know how the engines were, but i never heard one mentioned in the same sentence as a 84 yz125 or 1980 kx125 as far as lack of power. Hopefully it has that silly front number plate.
What parts are so hard to get? Its not like a Gilera or Cagiva even. The internet makes the world a whole lot smaller. I just wish there was someone like Stevie but had a love for Kawis instead of Hondas

The Shop

notme
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9/24/2016 6:43pm
I raced one in 83 and did well on it. Motor was lowend/midrange with not a lot on top, but still easy enough to ride. Good cornering ability with little headshake. Clutch action not the smoothest. Cramped ergo's for tall riders. I was 5' 10" and didnt complain.
There was a guy on Marks with a few nos parts, not sure if still around.
CamP
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9/24/2016 8:01pm
I raced one in '82. I quit racing for 6 months because of that bike.

There is good reason why you very rarely see them at the vintage races.

Sorry if that hurts anybody's feelings.
ATKpilot99
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9/25/2016 4:56am
I had one back then and loved it . If I found a decent one now I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
TTperra
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9/26/2016 1:51pm
Another one of "Dream bikes from childhood" to the stable.. going to pick it up tomorrowSmile



MaxPower
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9/27/2016 3:04pm
Hey good for you TTperra. That is a good looking kx. I also run my KX without the side plates. I think it looks more like the old SR works bikes. Im going to steal the idea of using screen inside the air box holes. I have an extra swingarm off the 83 if you ever would want to go with the single gold dogbone strut. 84 wheels fit right on and gives you strait pull spokes. Footpegs from the early XRs and YZ80s fit on with a touch of grinding. It couldn't hurt to gusset the swing arm pivot area if the frame was built anything like the125. Thats a cool bike
TTperra
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9/28/2016 2:39am
Thanks Max, it looks better on picture but its running and good start for a resto.
I will start a new thread later with pictures when i get to it.
Good info about wheels and pegs, have to research about suspension and to get handlebar more forward
motojason
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10/7/2016 1:01pm
Race Tech emulators and springs for the forks are an improvement and easy to do. Later triple clamps, up to 87 I think, with the gull-wing style bottom clamp and upper clamp that has bolt on bar mounts help handling and allow you to move the bars forward. The one-piece handle bar mount top clamp from 87-88 also fits if you run OEM bar mounts, but you have to use 7/8" bars.

Shock strut heim joints develop play if the boots crack or are missing and they are not constantly cleaned and lubed.

Shock bodies wear out pretty quickly if the oil gets too dirty. If the body is good Race Tech can rebuild, spring, and revalve the stock shock with good results for several hundred $ less than a new custom Noleen, Works Performance, or RaceTech G3 shock. Ohlins made a shock, I do not think they are in production anymore, great shock if you can find one, but expensive.

Later OEM shocks to 86 fit and offer compression damping adjustment on the reservoir. You get an upgraded shock with a close to stock look and they can be rebuilt / revalved by RaceTech.
TTperra
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10/8/2016 2:39pm
Thanks for the info.

I am not a "strictly original" guy, but I like to have period correct modifications if I can, or at least look like it.
On my CR480 -83 I have bar mounts from a Husky CR500 turned backwards(pointing forward) to get the bars more forward, don't look so good but period correct.
The guy I bought the KX from was a high level rider in Europe in 80´s and early 90´s, we talked about those bar mounts, and he told me he did that mod with Husky mounts on some bike.
In later 80´s he rode Suzuki and they had rubber inserts angled backwards(like most 80´s), so he flipped the upper triple clamp upside-down so the bar mounts was angled forward..
Bigfoot
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10/8/2016 2:47pm
How about....look for an 82 RM250? Tongue
MaxPower
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10/8/2016 5:46pm
I have 98 Showa Conventionals on my KX so the bars are forward. Made a huge difference.
Ill be going to 88 KX forks and triples though. Hopefully the Ahrma will legalize the 83 to race Ultima. I dont want to push there good reasoning and my luck by showing up with modern forks and a disc brake from a crf450.
I feel the single piston caliper was a pretty decent brake.
Thinking back it was so much better than anything at the time and no one made a big a deal about it as it really was

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