KDXRIDER.NET

First, this is a great site. I love two strokes and do all of my own engine mill and rebuild work. This site reminds me of CR500riders, of which I am an active member. This is my first KDX, and green bike. I have been on red since 1986. I know the Hondas well and this site is helping me learn about this bike.

Just bought a 98 kdx 220 for my son, to replace his 02 XR 200. Seller needed the money and I could not get it started so we settled on $800. The past week me and my son took the bike completely apart to do a frame up rebuild. I knew it had a new piston, but turns out it has a new oem crank and bearings also. I have serviced everything on the bike from the suspension to the brake caliper/mount pins. I found the the reeds were stuck closed, chipped and the carb was all gummed up. Found the starting problem.

He weights 135, I installed a 4.7 spring on the shock. The .35s in the forks should be good.
Bike has a rad valve and a K30 burly pipe with power core 2 silencer. I opened up the lid to the air box. I just want to make sure I have the rev pipe and not the woods pipe. Sorry for the intro tangent.
Is it the rev or woods pipe? I don't have a k35 to compare it to. The circumference of the middle cone is 14.5". Can someone tell my if I have the woods or rev pipe?

Welcome, and sounds like you've done a great job prepping the bike for your son!

K30=Woods. It's a personal preference thing, but I prefer the most bottom out of a pipe for a woods machine, and could care less about overrev. In most 'testing' I've done these bikes are nearly/if not faster setup this way and short-shifted....Just like a Kaw5 vs a CR5. Doesn't FEEL faster, but the low-mid is where this motor shines so my 2c is build around it. If it still has the 33mm carb on it you'll find a lot of top in converting over to a 35 from a 200 without much, if any, sacrifice on the bottom while running the torque pipe.

ok Thanks. I will look into getting a 35 PWK from a 200. Or I might just have RD do the carb.

Hi steve, i have the `woods` pipe on my 220 with a powercore2 silencer, i`m also running the boysen rad valve with the 35mm carb from a 98 kdx 200, i`ve removed the snorkle from the airbox & drilled/installed x3 small `uni` filters on the lid to help it breathe better , the bike runs really well off the throttle with a much stronger pull in the mid range through to the top but does flatten out toward the higher end of the revs a little (220 trait), i tend to ride single tracks with some technical sections & seldom get the bike in top gear anyway so the above mods suit me & the bike...p.s if you fit the 35mm carb you`re best to run the needle from the 220 (clip in 3rd pos) along with the pilot jet 42, air screw 1.3/4 to 2 turns out, main jet i run 152/155 if cold temp, the jetting is quite sensitive with the rad valve , the bike also runs better on 98 ron fuel (super unleaded) hope this helps.

got it running just a few minutes ago. Took it for a ride down the county road.

Jetting is stock 42, 1173 3rd, 145,

She runs good on the pilot and main. But the needle at 3/8 to 5/8 is too rich. I will raise the clip to 2nd tomorrow after work.

Or I might just have RD do the carb.

Even better, will come back with different needle/jets too boot.

Welcome aboard! I think your son will really like the KDX. They are a real pleasure to ride as well as work on.

Jetting getting closer. Temp is 80 deg at sea-level. 38, 1173 2nd, 145, and air box cover %80 cut away. Next I will be shaping the #5slide into a #6.
Here is it. All cleaned up and serviced. Sorry I did not take a before pic. I was to busy taking the bike apart to stop and take pics. Besides we all know what a dirty KDX looks like. Bought $500 in parts to get it trail ready. The front fender and side panels were the only cosmic parts that need replacing, the rest of the money went into mechanical parts.

here is my 04 cr 500 afc that I built my self last winter. It is a 04 cr250 chassis, a 90 cr 500 motor

nice KDX and nice honda hybrid!

Update: Carb is getting closer to the correct settings. Still 75 deg., tomorrow will be different. We have a cold front moving through. I am shooting for a good baseline to jet from.

Ground the slide from a 5 to a 6. I used my 6 slide from a 38 pwk for reference. Wrapped sandpaper around a 1" dowel and sander away. It did not take but 5 minutes. The results are impressive. The slight rich bluber at 1/4 -1/2 throttle is gone. Bike is super crisp. The idle is easier to achieve and requires a lower slide hight. (Which means I am on the pilot more.) Next, I pulled the 145 main in installed a 150. Better still. More power from 1/2 to wfo. Front wheel comes up much easier and with the slide change coming out of turns is better.
With a correctly jetted carb, the bike is easier to use in the power, no matter with the trail gives you.

Sweet!

quick update.
Son Cameron LOVES the bike. He riding better and faster than ever before. It is so nice to see him enjoying the KDX and using all the riding techniques I have been teach him for 7 years.
As for the Jetting. Temp was 50 deg today. Bike ran great on a 40,1173, 2nd, 152, and slide is now cut to a #7.