2001 KX125 forks

Questions and comments about converting to beefier forks..
Malibu406
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2001 KX125 forks

Post by Malibu406 »

Belive it or not the stock bars, they have nevere been bent. Seems like they are mocking me as I have wanted to change many times. Generally higher bars on the small kdx would benefit. I was going to get cr high bend 7/8", but never did.
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by morganid »

I've read several places people like it higher so they can stand up. I'm concerned it may take away some leverage for pulling up or maneuvering it bike around.
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by 6 Riders »

morganid wrote:I've read several places people like it higher so they can stand up. I'm concerned it may take away some leverage for pulling up or maneuvering it bike around.
I run higher 1 1/8" bars on both E and H series bikes. Yes you can go to tall, infact, I have a set of bars that are to tall. They give me arm pump badly. The set that is just right, but still taller than stock is excellent and the big bars have less vibration, although you still feel vibration.
COST is a huge factor. You need; bars, bar mounts, new bark buster mounts and you loose the ability to mount the stock odometer. I think my overall cost was close to $200.

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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by morganid »

Vibration isn't a factor for me. I started riding a KX500 at 14 years old. I had it for 10 years. That bike would walk it's self down the street when ideling on it's kickstand. I'm looking for strength. I currently run a set of Tusk 7/8 bars. I really like them, but I tend to bend them easily. I'm also planning on getting a Trail Tech for speed/tach etc.

What brand of fat bars do you use? Do you know which bend you feel is too high? Which bends do you like?
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by 6 Riders »

morganid wrote:Vibration isn't a factor for me. I started riding a KX500 at 14 years old. I had it for 10 years. That bike would walk it's self down the street when ideling on it's kickstand. I'm looking for strength. I currently run a set of Tusk 7/8 bars. I really like them, but I tend to bend them easily. I'm also planning on getting a Trail Tech for speed/tach etc.

What brand of fat bars do you use? Do you know which bend you feel is too high? Which bends do you like?
I run ProTaper bars, the Windham bend on RM forks (no risers) and like that set up. With risers, on my stock E series, I believe the Windham bend is a little to tall.

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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by morganid »

The KX tripple clamps I'm going to use have mounts cast in them. If I use fat bars, the adapter will also be a riser. I think I am going to try it. I'll probably go with a lower bend of some sort.
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by KDXGarage »

KX125 in several years had cast 1988.89,90?? or so - 2002, but KX250 and KX500 are bolt mounted, like a 1986 - 1988 / 1995+ KDX200.
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by 6 Riders »

The stock upper clamp on my RM forks are cast in, I went hunting and found an aftermarket (Answer) top clamp on eBay that had bolt in mounts. It was worth the hunt.

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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by morganid »

NOOB MISTAKE #1: FIND OUT WHICH DIRECTION TO PRESS OUT THE STEM!!!

I decided to start my build tonight. I got the triple clamp free of the forks, set the forks and put the lower clamp in my new-to-me 12 ton Harber Freight press. I put the stem pointing the ground so I wouldn't risk having it shift while pressing it. I maxed out the press. I then tightened the release valve on the press even more and really went to work on it. I grabbed a small torch and decided to gently head up the clamp. I was just about to give up when I saw I bent the BEEJEEBERS out of the clamp. Each end of the clamp was about 1/4 in off the press. :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

I quickly flipped it around to try to bend the clamp back. MUCH to my surprise, the stem started to slide right out. It dropped on my $0.99 pillow from Walmart that I had underneath the press. The clamp was still bent :shock: :vom: :shock: I repositioned and pressed the clamp again. Without the stem, I couldn't press it in the same spot to bend it back. I decided to risk it an put the stem in backward. I was able to get the clamp bent back so it's sitting flat on the press. I pressed the stem out again. I did damage a small chamfer on the inside of the hole where the stem goes through the triple clamp. I'm pretty sure that chamfer doesn't seat against anything so I should be good. The face of the hole that touches the stem is not damaged as far as I can tell.

Noob mistake #1....
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by KDXGarage »

:shock:

I would just chunk it in the recycle bin. I can't see it being super safe OR perfectly aligned. Hopefully, you are talking about the KDX clamp.
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by morganid »

Unfortunately I am not. It was the lower KX triple clamp. For now, I'm going to give it a shot. If the forks don't slide in easialy, or there is any other indication of misalignment, I'll chuck it and hit up eBay for a new lower.

I should say that the 1/4 in I saw on either side reduced significantly when I released the pressure from the press.
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by KDXGarage »

You may want to read some of the older threads here to see what issues they ran into and how they resolved it.
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by morganid »

I have. That's one of the reasons this happened. I can't rember who, but one person told their stem to a shop and they couldn't press out the stem with the shops 12 ton press. The person then went and bought a 20 ton press and did it themselves. I was expecting this to be difficult or impossible with the press I have.

I think I'm fairly prepared for most other things (brake line routing, RB spacer, etc.) I've spent hours reading posts. I just never came accross which direction to press. Live and learn. That's also why I posted it on here so hopefully someone in the future will read it and. Save themselves some trouble.
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by KDXGarage »

I looked up ... direction stem press. Several threads came up. Here's one from about 12 years ago.

http://www.kdxrider.net/forums/viewtopi ... tem#p32999

Use a piece of metal pipe under the clamp, very close to the stem area. Supporting the clamp at the end is a bad idea.

Also, you may need to use a good bit of heat to get the KDX stem out with "just" a 12-ton press. If you plan on reusing that bearing, you may want to try to make a heat shield. One time when I was presing one out, I just folded up a bunch of aluminum foil to make a shield.

For anyone in the future searching:

Stems are pressed down to the ground to go out. They are pressed in from the bottom. Obviously, one has to flip the lower clamp upside down when installing the stem.

Any reason you went with the 12-ton instead of the 20-ton?
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by morganid »

Yeah. I realize there is information on it. I just didn't come across it in my research for this and I didn't think to look it up.

I went with the 12-ton because I got it used for $50. If it didn't work for this I was going to go and get the 20 ton new from HF. So far, I've been able to make due.

I'm waiting on a set of wheel spacers from eBay. Once those are here, I'll keep going on the swap.
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by KDXGarage »

WOW! $50!

Heck yeah!
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by morganid »

Yep! Exactly!

Question for you guys: For the KDX stem, I'm thinking about putting the lower triple and stem in the freezer overnight. Then as I press it, applying some heat with a torch. Hopefully, there will be a brief moment where the stem is as small as possible and the clamp as big as possible letting the stem slip through.

What do you guys think about that?
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by KDXGarage »

I think the "brief moment" would be VERY brief. Pushing out steel stems was always a good bit moe effort than the aluminum stems when I did a few years ago.

I have a Harbor Freight 20-ton.
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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by Uknow7who »

morganid wrote:I never thought I'd be doing a fork swap. But here I am. (My bike: 2003 KDX 220)

I bought a 2001 KX125 roll-well, dragging chassis. I call it a dragging chassis because I don't have any rims. Here is what I do have.

Frame
Sub Frame
Swing Arm
Most of the suspension linkage (no rear shock)
Forks
Tripple clamps
Front and rear axels
Front and rear hubs (no rims)
Front caliper and brake line. (No lever or perch)
Clutch cable
Ignition system and wires

Q1: I thought I read that the triple clamps will work IF the KDX stem is pressed into the KX triple clamp. Is that true? In my research, I found a thread where someone just machined a bushing to take up the extra room above the frame, under the top triple clamp. I assume they are using the KX steering stem.

Q2 If I use the KDX stem, the bearings should be OEM size bearings, right?

Q3. Will ANY rim work with the KX hub? I assume it's the hub that makes a wheel compatible/incompatible with a set of forks. I have the KX hub, but not a rim/spokes.

Anything else I should be aware of when doing this swap?
Why don't you swap the 220 into the 125 frame. I've heard they are insane in the woods if you build it right, VForce 3 reads, gnarly woods pipe and turbine core 2

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Re: 2001 KX125 forks

Post by KDXGarage »

Welcome to kdxrider.net. :bravo:
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