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Not Cat but Kawasaki advice needed

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Not Cat but Kawasaki advice needed Empty Not Cat but Kawasaki advice needed

Post  weasley Fri Feb 18 2011, 14:15

I know there're some clued-up people in here, and even one that goes by the name "dirt bike...", so I thought'd I'd ask in here.

As some may remember, I bought a KDX 125 off of eBay a while back but having spent some time on it it is clear all is not what it seems.

It is a 1996-registered bike, meaning it must be an import as they weren't sold here then - I suspect it's a French import. Anyway, it is a pukka KDX 125 frame and engine and, it seems, swingarm/shock etc. However, the front end is, I am certain, not stock. It has USD forks with blue anodised uppers with "Kayaba" stickers. They have one screw in the top plug, which I assume is an air bleed, rather than damping adjustment. It holds a twin-pot caliper, rather than the standard single pot one.

I thought this might mean it's a KX front end, but the front wheel has a speedo drive, which a KX wouldn't have.

Firstly, I need to positively identify the various components so I know what I'm working with. In the first case, it failed the MoT today on "sticky" forks, loose head bearing and loose wheel bearings. The head bearing I assume I can tighten and I guess I can find wheel bearings by observation and measurement. However, how do I deal with fork stiction? The seals are good and the stanchions are spotless. They travel full stroke OK but the tester thinks they require too much effort.

I was wondering if there was some adjustment I can make to ease the forks? Air pressure? If so, how? I will check the fork alignment to make sure they're parallel (and straight).

And how do I positively identify exactly what I have? I have a Kawasaki workshop manual for the KDX 125SR, which covers most of it, but is useless for the front end.

This is the most immediate of my issues - it also seems to have some kind of hybrid wiring loom which attaches neatly to what I think is a set of KMX clocks, but they are smashed to bits and I have some KDX ones to replace them, but the wiring connectors are different. I'll chase the wiring and sort this out, but it all adds up to a Heinz 57 bike which I like, but find frustrating to work on!

To add to it all, the tax runs out this month so I need an MoT in less than 2 weeks.

On the plus side, last night as I was prepping it for the MoT the front brake light switch just stopped working. I took it off, cleaned it up and gave it a calibrating tap, but no such luck. Then my eye caught the Cat parked the other side of the garage and I wondered if I could jerry-rig the switch off of that to do the job. I took the switch off and would you believe it is exactly the same unit! 20 seconds later and the KDX brake light was working again!
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Not Cat but Kawasaki advice needed Empty Re: Not Cat but Kawasaki advice needed

Post  furball Fri Feb 18 2011, 17:35

I would take the stancions out and split them, my bet is the oil in them is well used and black, give them a good clean out with white spirit, and let them dry out then pop them back together with fresh oil and take it from there......

The head/wheel bearings will have a number stamped on them, that a local bearing place should be able to mach up with something, or a quick google of the number might throw something up.

as puting the number in EBAY might be worth a shot............

Davie
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