New to '04 KDX200 - Need info. please

[2elaines]

Nice Website! Just purchased used '04 KDX200 and did not get the owners manual, I have ordered one though. I need to know the torque spec for the oil drain plug and the nut that holds the kickstarter to the shaft. Also, the coolant bottle is marked low and full. I am assuming that low is when it is cool and full is when it is hot. Is this correct? Thanks!

Also, what front number plate will fit? I have see posts about the 2002 kx125 and the 2003 kx125 number plate

[Green Hornet]

14.5lbs. for the drain plug. Coolant-Keep it filled to the top, before each ride. Its better to blow fluid out the overflow, than to cook your engine. The Kick Starter, I'll have ta get back ta ya
Also,Whats wrong with the light/Number Plate?????

[canyncarvr]

Refilling the coolant overflow bottle will be a requirement...if you want to keep coolant in there.

After most every ride you will find it empty. It's what KDXs do...the water gets shaken out. I stopped messing with my bottle years ago. I check the rads, but don't sweat the overflow.

In any case, it's not so much low-cool high-hot as it is low is the lowest it should be and still able to pick up fluid, high is for the highest it should be if it's NOT in an overflow state, but still have room FOR overlflow.

You'll see it peeing on a regular basis! ;)

Some riders just take the thing off under the thinking that airflow improves. I tried that for awhile..then I DID see low rad levels on a regular basis.

Welcome to the site!

[2elaines]

Also,Whats wrong with the light/Number Plate?????

The headlight was destroyed when the previous owner went over the bars. The rest of the bike is like new. probably has all of 10 hours on it. the previous owner said he cushioned its fall when it landed on top of him

[canyncarvr]

One thing leads to another...

If he hit that hard and he still has the OEM bars, they might be bent.

They might just LOOK bent, too.

Another common KDX quirk.

Without a one piece top clamp and WITH the lightly bushed bar pedestals the KDX has, the bars may appear bent when they are not. To 'fix' a tweak of the bushings, simply remove them and put them back in.

The act of taking them out of the top clamp and off the pedestal studs will 'reseat' them so the bars will 'appear' straight again.

A one piece top clamp will distribute blunt trauma damage to the bars, so the bushings won't take a 'set' so easily.

Fredette sells them. There may be other choices, but none that I am sure of. Some googling may be in order. Heck, post a thread asking here. I've not seen a choice for that clamp noted on this forum.

What put him over the bars? Good brakes!!??

It's a good idea to take anything apart that is greased and regrease it. That's a good idea on a NEW bike..and if he didn't do it (and do it correctly) you WILL save yourself time AND money if you do it now.

What parts?

Rear suspension
Swingarm
Steering head

Oh...overfill that tranny, too. Spec is 700ml (or so..I've never paid attention to it). Use, say, 100ml of the quart to flush out the bits before you put the plug back in then fill it with the remaining 850ml. Running a bit more oil quiets the clutch down some. It's still a noisy stinker, but more oil helps.

Have fun!

[2elaines]

I noticed the bars looked a little bent but not really. I went to the Kawasaki shop and the new ones were the same way! Thanks for the info. on the bushing reset.

Is it ok to use Shell Rotela T in the trans? That is what I use on my YZ250F

This is my first 2-stroke in years.

[canyncarvr]

From: http://www.rotella.com/qa/answerresult.php?rowid=205

[quote="Rotella tech"]ROTELLA T does not contain friction modifiers that are added to many passenger-car-only-oils,[/url]

Note the ash comment.

There ARE 'general' motor oils that are supposed optimized for wet clutch use.

I used plain old engine oil (Quaker State I believe) in earlier years ('71 R5) to the tune of 50,000+ miles with NO clutch maintenance whatsoever!

Yeah..things change. Still, I wonder just how cracky some of this 'all new gotta have it' stuff is....like the wet clutch oil above.

BUT, I did just pick up some of it (Valvoline..FOR motorcycles) for my street bike.