Will be starting soon, anyone need measurements or other????

Questions and comments about converting to beefier forks..
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berto2us
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Will be starting soon, anyone need measurements or other????

Post by berto2us »

Well, i hope this is worth the effort......
Everyone said, get as new of parts as you can, so i did, and that was or is the start of new problems.......harder to find all the "newer" used parts than the older parts......

will attempt to convert a 2002 kdx 200 to USD.......
picked up some 2004 kx250 forks, ended up with a "new" universal brand kx250 triple and clamp, which i hope will work.....problem now is trying to find a front wheel that will fit, dont think the pre 2003 or even a 2003 will fit, so.......may try to change the internals to use my kdx wheel....which would be better anyway......but may have to find an axle that will fit if the kdx one wont........and ofcourse not even sure about the brake attach points on 2004 forks, will know soon enough though......

anyway........bike is stock and still together.......anyone wanting any weight measurements, height, length, whatever let me know and i can make whatever is needed, will keep good records and take lots of photos, probably so i can put it back the way it was if this doesnt work out .......just kidding ........i hope.......

i also have started a excel spreadsheet with cross ref. year parts and colored coded the ones that are the same (by part number anyway) used years 1998-2006 kx.....it is not complete, time consuming to look up the information.......but anyone interested let me know.......

any last words, anyone?????

rob
robertg3@charter.net
Rob
DFW, Texas
2002 KDX 200
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Indawoods
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Post by Indawoods »

March on soldier! :grin:
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Post by KDXer »

Good luck and Welcome... :partyman:
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m0rie
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Post by m0rie »

Welcome and good luck on the conversion!
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krazyinski
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Re: Will be starting soon, anyone need measurements or other

Post by krazyinski »

>|<>QBB<
berto2us wrote:Well, i hope this is worth the effort......
Everyone said, get as new of parts as you can, so i did, and that was or is the start of new problems.......harder to find all the "newer" used parts than the older parts......

will attempt to convert a 2002 kdx 200 to USD.......
picked up some 2004 kx250 forks, ended up with a "new" universal brand kx250 triple and clamp, which i hope will work.....problem now is trying to find a front wheel that will fit, dont think the pre 2003 or even a 2003 will fit, so.......may try to change the internals to use my kdx wheel....which would be better anyway......but may have to find an axle that will fit if the kdx one wont........and ofcourse not even sure about the brake attach points on 2004 forks, will know soon enough though......

anyway........bike is stock and still together.......anyone wanting any weight measurements, height, length, whatever let me know and i can make whatever is needed, will keep good records and take lots of photos, probably so i can put it back the way it was if this doesnt work out .......just kidding ........i hope.......

i also have started a excel spreadsheet with cross ref. year parts and colored coded the ones that are the same (by part number anyway) used years 1998-2006 kx.....it is not complete, time consuming to look up the information.......but anyone interested let me know.......

any last words, anyone?????

rob
robertg3@charter.net
ask wanaride about the front wheel he just did an 04 or 05 fork on his kdx . this conversion is so easy it makes you wander why the factory didnt do this a few years ago they could have carried the bike at least three or four more years.
2000 KDX220 FRP Ported,plated cylinder,milled head, FRP bored carb, V force 3 reeds, FMF desert pipe, 10oz FWW, 98 KX forks and oem shock re valved by Pro Action, hyd clutch, fastway pegs, tall seat foam, gripper cover, 29" CRhigh mini bars, Cycra brush gaurds.
berto2us
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Post by berto2us »

well see, got the rest of the parts tonight on ebay, so next week, we will see............

will have a new rear fender complete with wiring, light and all for sale,
also the front headlight with bulb and all, these are oem almost new/perfect condtion and ofcourse the front end of a 2002 kdx200 so be checking ebay in a week or so...........

rob
Rob
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2002 KDX 200
berto2us
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Post by berto2us »

ok here is the deal so far......

alright, hit the snags early.....yeah 5th largest city in america and lots of machine shops, but no one does that stuff anymore.....they all want to do cnc only.......then the ones that would talk to me dont do steering for insurance/liability reasons, was getting nervous there for a while, yes dealers all do that sort of work but dont want to pay them $$$, so i started calling local custom build chopper shops and they were more than happy to work with me, ahh.... pressed out two stems $9, (bargain, kdx stem just didnt want to depart its home) then, needed knurling so off to machine shop they use, knurled and then had him press new bearings on (which was a job) all total $15....should have had him cut me a spacer out of aluminum instead of using washers, just would have looked nicer and would have been cheap.....oh well, nobody sees that anyway.....down hill i think from here......

kdx stem pressed out - use heat and plenty of it.....
had to knurl but that is no big deal, guy did such a good job wasnt sure it was going back in......also threw on some green loctite.....wasnt needed...

found the washers, go to Ace hardware great selection of everything....
got everything mounted up for pics and to look at it.....now the tear down and final adjustments.......still waiting on kx wheel and axle from ebay, hopefully tomorrow........so far looks good......

selling front headlight/lamp/rear fender and lamp, forks, front wheel assembly....so check your ebay next week......

so now, where is that wheel???????????????
Rob
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2002 KDX 200
berto2us
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Post by berto2us »

check gallery for pics under rob 2002 kdx
Rob
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Indawoods
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Post by Indawoods »

Clamps look sweet! :grin:
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Post by KDXer »

Well done... Is that crooked ??

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berto2us
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Post by berto2us »

wait, is that supposed to be striaght??????
ah, man.........

how can it be well done if it is crooked?????

just kidding, either it is photo angle or i didnt have things tight just a quick fit.....now that things are tightened up it looks straight, however the way i ride i probably woundnt notice........???????

yeah clamps are real nice, got a great deal off ebay on them......
couldnt find kx stock in the year i needed.........

still no front wheel......

rob
Rob
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2002 KDX 200
berto2us
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Post by berto2us »

hey got a question???
seems like were running the forks high in clamps......is there going to be any problem with fender clearance on max fork travel?????
has anyone ran into this??? i will know soon enough but like to know before i turn bottom of fender black and come to a quick stop.....

rob
Rob
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2002 KDX 200
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Post by KDXer »

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No skid marks on mine. The fender that is... :blink:
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berto2us
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Post by berto2us »

glad to hear it.........

was little worried about that.....
Rob
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berto2us
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Post by berto2us »

all right more problems....

got the wheel, it is 2003, with axle and spacers....forks are 2004-2005
axle fits forks and wheel good but spacers seem off, the kdx brake unit is not looking good either....at least with these spacers, so i need someone who has a kx or similiar years to check their spacers please...

mine measeure approx. (could be 1/16 off either way) but
the large one - 1 7/16"
small one - 7/8"

also, with the spacers in the axle bolt does not counter sink like the pics i see, it stick out of the forks clamp.....

rob
Rob
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2002 KDX 200
berto2us
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Post by berto2us »

Finished!!!!!
Well almost, waiting for fork guards, but rideable!!!!!!
Few more problems than expected, but all minor and self induced, i guess.....
main thing get same year model stuff.......that caused me some grief.
had spacer issue, ended up making custom spacers......
riden around city street,,,,try to get out this weekend for ride....seems nice though.....will report back......

pictures at Rob 2002 KDX in gallery........
sold everything on ebay and would be even for project except went with the aftermarket triple set, so that added a little on, about $80 out of pocket after all is done.....doesnt help have to replace the tire when i went to the kx wheel....so new tire coming, else be close to even.....
no intentions to going back to just a kdx.....cant now anyway.

rob
Rob
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2002 KDX 200
berto2us
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Post by berto2us »

also just FYI-

didnt have KX manual for torque values but do have 2006 yz125 manual so used them as fork setup is really close to the same.....

top steering nut (top of clamp) 105 ft lbs (i just put it tight)

top clamp pinch bolts - 17 ft lbs
bottom clamp pinch bolts - 14 ft lbs
axle nut - 75 ft lbs
axle pinch bolt - 17 ft lbs.

think that is about it.....

rob
Rob
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2002 KDX 200
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Post by berto2us »

well first real ride report.....
now, i am not doing the woods stuff, i am riding on a mx track with serious jumps, and lots of kx450f guys around....first impressions...
after installing forks and climbing aboard the bike, the rear sags and the front dosent seem to move at all, rechecked clamps for user induced stiction, but never could get the front to really sag, however what i cared about for now is could i even compress these forks when riding, so....after a easy ride to make sure i got the bolts tight, i took it airborne a few times and noticed that i was getting full compression on the forks, however "the rear seemed retarded"......borrowing from another fellows comment in here.....
rode several hours mx style/course.....rear will need some adjustment and thinking the forks will loosen up after some time....talked to a racer friend who rides kx250f/450f and he said his forks were really stiff when bike was new but they loosened up.....

high speed - front seemed light almost to point of a light shake but not really sure i could call it that, however, over all felt really good, much stiffer than kdx but that is what it is, i ride a yz sometime, so used to that...

cornering - front seemed to want to wash a little to a lot, probably need a new tire, could be hard packed with bad dirt over,.... but not sure what to make of it, may need some adjustment there also, i had race sag set, but after the rear sagged so....i jacked the rear up a little to try to stiffen the rear so that is off and will need to be reset.....i dont really have any more front rise than before, but i ride more mx style and stay on the tank, so that may have someting to do with that....

i do like it, it has made a very different bike out of it, better i think, especially for what i do with it, and :grin: i think if i can get the rear dialed in and resolve the front wash it will be an almost perfect machine.....
any ideas???? i take suggestions.......

rob
Rob
DFW, Texas
2002 KDX 200
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