| Author | Message | ||
     Reepicheep |
Its been a long summer project, but its pretty much done now (just needs a new clutch)... It all started with a craigslist "runs good" KDX200... for $950. I call the kid on the phone, and he assures me it runs great, and is ready to ride, and that the tires even have some life left in 'em. I specifically ask about broken spokes, dented rims, frame damage, or other major damage. "It's fine" he assures me, so I load up motorcycle road trip loving kid (who may just be in it for the junk food) and the trailer on the Saab, and head 2 hours with cash in hand...  I get there, and the kids are nice, but young, and the bike is really rough. REALLY rough. But, it *does* run, so how bad can it be, right? So I tell them I'm not trying to jerk them around, but that the bike is much worse then they described it, and asked if they would take $750. They say "Dad said I can't sell it for less then $800", and I don't feel like arguing about it, so I peel off the benjamins and load up the bike.   Well, the more that came apart, the worse it got. How that bike was running is beyond me. Airbox full of mud, shredded air filter, cracked piston, trashed cylinder, frame broken in several places, the list goes on and on. There was hardly a part of the bike that didn't have to be fixed somehow or replaced. And the biggie... a stripped output shaft (which means we split the cases).  That was actually, after a lot of planning and thought, fairly easy. And you gotta love a job that includes tools like "Grill, gas" and "Freezer".  The bike had a mismash of other wrong parts, so I had to weld in an extra 1.5 inch of kick stand, fabricate an replace a frame brace and engine guard that is no doubt somewhere deep in the woods of eastern ohio.    A work in progress...    But it turned out great! And promises to be a pretty fun little bike. I can't ride it until Nov 10th, which is when my ACL reconstruction surgery is supposed to be "as good as it will ever get". All in all it was a great "rehab" project to scratch that motorcycle itch while I was forced not to ride.   It probably ended up costing me $2000 or $2500 out of pocket, but that includes new rubber, new seals and bearings everywhere (that stuff adds up), new plastics and seat foam and seat cover, and most importantly a nickisil big bore kit with custom porting (220 kit). So more then I hoped, but certainly worth that... especially for a now unobtanium woods two stroke (you can still get KTM's, but they are a bit high strung and race oriented)... But I wish it was a Buell built direct injected two stroke instead... | ||
| Alchemy |
Great job, great pictures, great post! | ||
| Court |
Great looking kid . . . . keep feeding him the $100's . . . . looks like he's about 8 years from causing you a tuition nightmare and I'll be here laughing at you! Great looking bike! | ||
| Blake |
I was looking at an ad for a KLR the other say myself. But I'm not giving up on knobbies for the Uly yet.  | ||
| Blake |
Your boy looks like trouble with a capital T! |
