It is spring time in the NW and the KX is complete. It runs really well and it is about time to ride it a little.  Not too much just cause its really hard to replace parts for this thing and I really like the way it looks now.  I have other bikes to ride and beat on so this one can just look pretty even though from my short rides on it the motor rips. It doesn't have great handling or suspension but i'm sure it would do fine in whatever evo class I could fit it into at the local vintage race. Now for a couple photos from before and after.

1986 KX125 when I brought it home in Aug of 2011

The Same 1986 KX125 May of 2013.

 Proper badging decals were very hard to come by. I could not find any reproductions on ebay or any other vintage sites. I took it upon myself to digitize some artwork for the needed decals and found a willing printer to help me out, it puts the finishing touch to the project.
There are a couple of modifications to the bike that depart from original. The rims are aftermarket excell units with a 19" in the rear as well as spokes and green spoke nipples.  Also the exhaust is a DG aftermarket part but was made in the 1980's so it is a period correct mod.

This last shot is of the KX with a 1987 CR125 That I restored along side the KX over the last year.  There is a link to that site on the right side of the page or follow this www.cr125project.blogspot.com to go and check that project out.

Thanks for following along, I have other projects going slowly along and some that I have not even started yet but I will soon enough. Besides the RM project that is listed to the right I have an 87 CR250 that I will be starting this winter so look forward to that.

KX125 Finishing Details

Finally some of the finish Decals are going on the bike. I made the digital files some time ago and didn't like the color that came out the first go round. So this is the second run with a little thicker material and I like it enough to put it on the bike. Here you can see the blue color is much more blue then the first run.  Still a little royal purple in some light but it looks good.








I really like that the Decals make it look complete.

 

 

 

 

 

Graphics attempt one.

My search for the shroud graphic for this model year bike has turned up empty.  I have found several for the KX250 but they wont transfer to the 125, also found some for the 1987 model but I want to stay with original model year. Granted I strayed from stock form with the wheels and the DG pipe but those things could have been changed out during that time period if you had the cash to do it then.  So I took a stab at recreating the graphic on my own.  Here is how it turned out.
I had several of them printed just for use on the #2 bike and I wanted a replacement.  Well I was not that happy with the results.  First the vinyl was not as thick as they said it would be and they didn't put the clear laminate over the top that I asked for.  Then the blue color came out looking purple, that is not really the printers fault. it turns out the dark blue on my computer screen is actually a royal purple.  Other then that the fit is great, the green matches great and the design is spot on.  I will be trying again though with a different print company, trying to find some place local that will use the .9mill thick stuff with the lam covering.  I also put the designs into a different program instead of photoshop that is supposed to yield a better color representation and allow the print company to die cut the finished product so I don't have to cut it out myself.

I went ahead and put on on the #2 bike just because I have it. It fits good and even on that faded plastic looks pretty nice.

 

Second Ride

As stated in the "First Ride" post I had a 13t front sprocket and a 48t rear on the bike when I did that ride.  I have been working on making the second of my 86 KX125's run....I'll restate that, run better.  Really I tore everything down on the bike, fixed and or maintained any parts that were in need and re-assembled as any good dirt bike guy would do.  I did find some extra stuff in the carb that really shouldn't have been in there so I was pretty sure that it was going to run much better then when I brought it home..... Welllll it didn't. That actually surprised me, I was sure that it just needed the carb cleaned out.  To fill you in on what it is doing, it just has no get up and go, very little on the bottom end of the power range which is typical for a 125 but it wont pull through the mid range and just starts sputtering and spitting and has nothing on top cause you can't get there.  Figured it has to be the carb is clogged up. By the way it has 12t front and 48t rear sprockets.  The only other part that I thought might be the problem was the power valve set up.  Now it is actuating properly but if the PO disassembled it and didn't get the alignment marks in the right spot it could be an issue.  From the outside looking in it seemed fine and was assembled the same as the one on my first restore KX but since I didn't take the valve out only took the cylinder off, something could be wrong.

All this to get to taking the #1 KX for its second ride.  I started to question whether I had #1 put together correctly and if it would run good on the top end.  I decided to swap the front sprocket to the 12t (I had a new one for it). and give it a run. 
WOW!  That bike rips!  I was very happy to discover that the #1 KX runs really good, It snaps to attention and flat gets to rippin right away.  I spent about 10 minutes on the bike just playing around and making some fast runs across the property before putting it away with a big smile on my face.  Always nice to know that your long hours in the garage paid off.

So back to #2, that ride put my mind at ease about the power valve being wrong as when you take the covers off of the left side of the cylinder you can see that the valve is in the same position on both bikes.  Back to the carb.  I decided that maybe there was still gunk stuck in the main jet or the ports that feed the main jet.  I tipped the carb on its side and pulled the plug off the bottom then pulled the main jet to have a look.  330 main.  Then it hits me,  #1 bike has a different size main in it.  check the book it says it should be a 370. I pulled the main jet out of #1 bike and sure enough it is a 370.  Don't know why I did this but instead of putting the 370 in bike #2 and taking it for a spin just to test it out I went and put it back in #1 and went and ordered a 370 for #2.  So in a couple days when the Jet shows up (should have it by the weekend) I will go test it out and let you all know if that fixed it.  Hopefully that is the only jet or needle that got changed from stock, the numbers on the rest of those things are soo small I don't think I can read them. 

First Ride.

On a whim I took the KX out of the garage and went for a spin. It was really nice to ride it since it has been in the garage and in progress for a year now.  It was only a little 5 min. shake down ride then back in the garage to tighten things up and yes there were a couple things that came loose.  I also found that I don't really like having the 13t counter shaft sprocket on it, I will try the 12t the next ride out.  It also has a 48t rear sprocket when stock was a 47 so I am basically 4t up from stock so it runs out of power on top pretty quick.