franken bike suspension advice
Posted: 11:07 am Mar 04 2017
Hi All,
Ive been fixing up a bit of a rough 89 kdx200 SR i bought at the end of last year, the bike is generally in good shape but has had both the front and rear suspension swapped in from other bikes. I'm going through the process of sizing up my options for getting the bike in good shape and could really do with some advice and help from people familiar with these bikes (ive not had a kdx before)
here is my franken bike as she stands:
the forks seem to be from a KDX250, possibly an SR as they are gold anodised and most seem to have been blue. They seem incredibly soft, have zero adjustability and the aluminium is pretty rotten so they need to go!
If i were to put stock kdx200/220 fork back on Im wondering if there is a particular age of bike to go for, or avoid? i noticed the older bikes have a single pot brake vs 2 pot on the newer ones, do the brake caliper and hangers interchange between years. i.e. are the fork castings the same? like wise are the fork yokes/clamps the same across years?
im also wondering if anyone knows of a fork swap for a diffent USD that would use much of the KDX250 stuff ive got on my bike already, it would be brilliant if theres an adjustable KX fork that would use the same clamps wheel and brake for example, that could save me a lot of time and money!
it would help me out a lot if anyone knows the length of, or could measure the stock fork leg, from the centre of the axle to the top cap. i have most of a front end from a 96' RMX250 (the year it got 45mm conventionals) i could graft on, but don't know if these forks are way to long or short vs the stock ones without any numbers to work with
The shock is an ohlins, i found a part number off it and its from an early 00's gasgas Ec, im not sure which model exaclty. Does anyone know if this is likley to have been a straight swap? i dont really want to get into messing with the bikes geometry and linkage etc, so if its going to be an involved job getting it working ill probably just source a KDX shock. From my reading it sounds like they work perfectly well
also, if anyone has numbers from setting up the sag on a stock shock lying around it would be really helpful for me to figure out if this one has been done properly already, likewise if anyone could tell me the kdx shock length to bolt centres that would be brilliant and would save me a ton of hassle.
Sorry about the barrage of questions! but i would massively appreciate any help getting this bike in shape, im itching to get riding it!, and would really value any advice from you seasoned KDX vets on what might be a smart route to take.
and for what its worth ive no interest in bling factor, i just want the bike at its best
Ive been fixing up a bit of a rough 89 kdx200 SR i bought at the end of last year, the bike is generally in good shape but has had both the front and rear suspension swapped in from other bikes. I'm going through the process of sizing up my options for getting the bike in good shape and could really do with some advice and help from people familiar with these bikes (ive not had a kdx before)
here is my franken bike as she stands:
the forks seem to be from a KDX250, possibly an SR as they are gold anodised and most seem to have been blue. They seem incredibly soft, have zero adjustability and the aluminium is pretty rotten so they need to go!
If i were to put stock kdx200/220 fork back on Im wondering if there is a particular age of bike to go for, or avoid? i noticed the older bikes have a single pot brake vs 2 pot on the newer ones, do the brake caliper and hangers interchange between years. i.e. are the fork castings the same? like wise are the fork yokes/clamps the same across years?
im also wondering if anyone knows of a fork swap for a diffent USD that would use much of the KDX250 stuff ive got on my bike already, it would be brilliant if theres an adjustable KX fork that would use the same clamps wheel and brake for example, that could save me a lot of time and money!
it would help me out a lot if anyone knows the length of, or could measure the stock fork leg, from the centre of the axle to the top cap. i have most of a front end from a 96' RMX250 (the year it got 45mm conventionals) i could graft on, but don't know if these forks are way to long or short vs the stock ones without any numbers to work with
The shock is an ohlins, i found a part number off it and its from an early 00's gasgas Ec, im not sure which model exaclty. Does anyone know if this is likley to have been a straight swap? i dont really want to get into messing with the bikes geometry and linkage etc, so if its going to be an involved job getting it working ill probably just source a KDX shock. From my reading it sounds like they work perfectly well
also, if anyone has numbers from setting up the sag on a stock shock lying around it would be really helpful for me to figure out if this one has been done properly already, likewise if anyone could tell me the kdx shock length to bolt centres that would be brilliant and would save me a ton of hassle.
Sorry about the barrage of questions! but i would massively appreciate any help getting this bike in shape, im itching to get riding it!, and would really value any advice from you seasoned KDX vets on what might be a smart route to take.
and for what its worth ive no interest in bling factor, i just want the bike at its best