89 kdx from NL, Canada

[rumble700]

hey guys, i skipped the introduction part already. never really noticed that part, i just got right to da point lol. so hi i'm Justin, i'm 31 and i grew up riding and fixing ski doos wasn't any bikes down home growin up. i got a 89 kdx 200 liquid cooled i think she may be a E series. shes my first bike and i've been riding 5 yrs. i'm from mary's harbour labrador and living in conception bay south, newfoundland. i come to find out these kdxs r real tough bikes but i didn't know that when i bought her. but my buddies tell me if i had a different bike she would be blew up long ago. i did a nice bit of maintenance on her in da past couple yrs but i one of my power vavles on da top end is broken but no loose parts and still works fine. (still needs to be replaced). i made a comment on a post about someone having trouble with clutch not shifting smoothly and mine has a sticky clutch problem also. feel free to comment with any info. (fingers gouging the basket seems to be a possible cause) . anyhow guys glad to be a part of this great site.
thanks

[cstuckless]

I'm in CBS as well, and just bought a 2004 KDX 220 earlier this summer. Had it out for a few long trips up around Brigus Junction - loving the bike!

[rumble700]

yes by cool, i ve been on mine a nice bit first when i had her but hard to find the time now. its a nice ride out to witbourne too nice trail.
Nice pics and upgrades. I only joined this since i ve been out on da rig(out here on times) so I never got no pics up. got lots of time on my hands this trip lol. Is that a maier fender? what did ya do with da old fender with the light?
i don't have many upgrades but i found handguards great. I put a set on mine great protection for hands and levers. I bought new ones at Reids motorsports, the tough ones like i got has aluminum through the plastic and secures at each end.

[Gotanubike]

I have an E1 too....just got mine May and its been a blast to ride. My bike is the exact same age as me , if you check the steering headstock there is a sticker that will tell you the month and year the bike left the factory.

I also had to replace the far left powevalve, along with a water pump rebuild, seals etc...Those valves are not cheap; around $50 a piece here in the Kingston, On region. The most trouble I had was finding the source of a coolant leak that was pulling in huge amount of water and just barfing out my exhaust. Somehow how the PO managed to run this bike completely bone dry with a broken LH powervalve and a crack in the cylinder! Still ran all day, just a bit of knocking from the overheating. After two tear-downs trying new head gaskets, resurfacing the head, on the third try I found a split between the water jacket and outside, under the KIPS cover. The motor was pulling in water through the resonator port.

As for your shifting problem, i recommend checking your shift lever. Mine got loose on me and I thought i might have some serious internal issues. Turned out to be a loose shifter and just needed to be tightened. And now I can finally find neutral!
If you experiencing sticking clutch issues, i'd recommend trying a transmission type F in the gear box. the high detergent could help free up your clutch.

[rumble700]

ya shifting isn't the problem or the gear shift. when i comes to a stop she ll stall unless i revs her a bit and she comes free and idles. she dont usually start in gear cuz shes grabbin a little and she ll spin the tire when i shifts from N to 1st.
Also is it much trouble to rebuild or work on the kips components? that stuff gotta be timed up too? i never had it apart yet but i don't think its working or broken. i had the head off once to check size and condition of piston. i noticed that there was a little piece looked like a dowel or something dropped out. she kept working without any noises or hick ups so i didn't touch the kips yet but i need too.
thanks

[Gotanubike]

Take some time and read over the manual on dis-assembly and reassembly of the KIPS. It's not very hard, just a little logic and some common sense does the trick. Just remember, with the control rod all the way out, all three valves should be open. Everything is re-installed closed. And watch out for the reverse threaded nut for the lever on the side. It also makes the job a lot easier to just pull the jug off to work on them.

That piece that fell out was likely the top part of a valve above the gear that would normally be intact with the rest of the valve and being held by the collar. While it is possible to run without the powervalves, I highly recommend fixing them! When those babies are engaged at 6k rpm its a major gain. I can't think of riding a kdx without it now.

Be sure to post some pics of what you find when you get into it!

[rumble700]

i will post pics. but wow she really gotta rev that high to get the kips to engage? well i never felt them ever kick ini guess they never ever worked lol. i don't even have time to use her lately now anyway and building a new house. Do ya usually order a rebuild kit for them or haul it apart and order parts as needed?
another note i think i remember that collar being worn into the head? this was over 4 yrs ago when i first bought the bike so the valves must ve been broken before i had her i would say.
thanks for info

[KDXohio]

Its good to clean them periodically as well