New member looking for a 200

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Rat Boy D
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New member looking for a 200

Post by Rat Boy D »

Hi everyone. New member to the forum and my brother has a 02 220 and he loves it! :supz: Looking for a 200. Live in Pennsylvania so preferably looking for one close. Found one on Craigslist that is bored .20 over. Just wondering if that is alright or if that might ruin the reliability of the bike or not.


http://reading.craigslist.org/mcy/5064886896.html
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6 Riders
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Re: New member looking for a 200

Post by 6 Riders »

Pass on that one. KDX cylinders are plated, so no need to bore them, unless you are looking to do a 225 kit or something similar. Since he doesn't mention that in the ad, he is either full of sheet or ruined that cylinder.
Remember that from 1995 to 2006 the only real difference between the bikes is color, so pick by condition and NOT year.

If you are looking at a bike with a "new top end" know what questions to ask, like "what piston did you use", "was it re-plated", "what type of plating did you have done (and where)" (in that one Nikaseal would be the only answer). Be patient, these bikes show up on CL and other places in all sorts of condition, so be picky if you can.

Also do some homework. The last bike I bought I was just B.S.ing with the PO, letting him talk all he wanted and just asking small questions. He got comfortable with me and gave me negotiating points for his bike, so I was able to get it for a descent price. I had to put a new Wiesco piston in it (stock 220), but I knew that before I bought it and took that cost out of the purchase price. If you seem like a knowledgeable buyer, the seller will be more likely to sell the bike at a fare price (or lower).
Last edited by 6 Riders on 05:20 pm Jul 07 2015, edited 1 time in total.
newbbewb wrote:^what he said.
masterblaster wrote:Man 6 riders you rock.
*side note...I'm drunk, so try to read what I'm trying to say, instead of what I actually type
Rat Boy D
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New member looking for a 200

Post by Rat Boy D »

Thanks so much. My dad was saying that it was the best bike you could find. But now I know what questions to ask too. :boogie:
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6 Riders
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Re: New member looking for a 200

Post by 6 Riders »

KDXs are good trail bikes, I wouldn't say that they are the best bike you can find, but they are priced right and cost little to maintain. Unfortunately there are a lot of them out there that haven't been maintained at all. I bought my 95 200 for $1100 (about 1.5 years ago) and had to put a few hundred into "all the little things" before I rode it. Now it's completely torn down for a full resto.
My 93 I bought for $1200 and have about that much more into it from a rebuild and maintenance, but that's after 6 years. A "real" top end job, plating, piston, gasket kit is about $450, linkage and swingarm bearings are over $100, plus fork rebuilds, chains, sprockets, wheel bearings. But ALL bikes need these things, so that is a wash.
My son's 220 was $200 for a new piston and a few dollars here and there for consumables.
Good bikes non the less and I have 4 in my stable right now (2 are mine and one each for the older boys). I'd buy a Beta 300 if I had the $$, but I don't like spending that much on a "toy", so I'm in no hurry to replace my DXs.
Remember that ALL motorcycles have consumable parts and will cost money to keep them in good shape. A lot of people neglect to replace these parts and it wears the bikes down and costs some real money to restore them. So an $1100 bike might cost $1500 before it's ready to ride (like mine) or you can spend $2000 and have one in pristine condition and wait to spend money on the consumables for a bit. Plastics will KILL your budget if they matter to you, KDX plastics are expensive so be aware of that.

Also, just because a bike is ridden regularly, doesn't mean it's trashed, it's just loved. "Barn finds" are getting rare and will need some love before riding, but tend to look better, so can fetch a good price (expensive). Sometimes they are worth it, sometimes they are money pits.
newbbewb wrote:^what he said.
masterblaster wrote:Man 6 riders you rock.
*side note...I'm drunk, so try to read what I'm trying to say, instead of what I actually type
Jim B
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Re: New member looking for a 200

Post by Jim B »

6 Riders wrote:If you are looking at a bike with a "new top end" know what questions to ask, like..."was it re-sealed", "what type of sealing did you have done (and where)" (in that one Nikaseal would be the only answer).
:blink: Nikasil is a cylinder plating, not a sealant.
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Re: New member looking for a 200

Post by 6 Riders »

Jim B wrote:
6 Riders wrote:If you are looking at a bike with a "new top end" know what questions to ask, like..."was it re-sealed", "what type of sealing did you have done (and where)" (in that one Nikaseal would be the only answer).
:blink: Nikasil is a cylinder plating, not a sealant.
Good point. That's what I get for doing this stuff at work and on my phone.....Re-plating should replace re-sealing...
newbbewb wrote:^what he said.
masterblaster wrote:Man 6 riders you rock.
*side note...I'm drunk, so try to read what I'm trying to say, instead of what I actually type
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Julien D
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Re: New member looking for a 200

Post by Julien D »

Oversize pistons are available for the KDX, so it is possible to have an cylinder bored out and re-plated. The question to ask would definitely be why it was bored, and whether it was sleeved and then bored, or bored and then re-plated. I would avoid one which has been sleeved.
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