Thinking about buying kx100 help

[aaronkx]

i am kind of new to dirt bikes, but i really want to get into the sport. i found a 97 kx100 for sale for really cheap. i dont know anything about the bike yet but i am going to look at it soon and i was wondering what types of questions i should ask and thing i should look for. Thanks in advance for the suggestions!

[litning]

I was in your shoes about 3 months ago...except a kx80- 94
You either are going to get a bike that needs alot or not and it depends how mechanically inclined you are and then how much money you want to put in the thing...I looked before I went and found you can get parts-oem from multiple sites, and i quickly found my favorites, oh and then also spending about 20 hours reading forums and figuring out on how to fix the thing.....I only bought this bike so I could putt around with my oldest boy, I picked him up a fifty, And also not a pity party but just what I've had to so far, maybe a little over board, but I figure it'll be his in 2yrs or less.
First I got a Clymer manual and started working on it.... Mine did not run, got it for $100....had to replace piston, rings, top bearing, pin etc., replace the transmission fluid, flush the rad, new spark plug, clean the air filter, reoil it, get a new gas can and some oil and that's the real kicker...oil for 2 stroke...if you look you'll get 30 different opinions on what the best it from 20 different people....previous owner on mine used standard non synth on the bike with a ratio of 40:1....when it should of been 32:1 per Kawi. I debated on this and went to Bel-ray H1R for the mix and for the tranny....contacted Bel-ray and he wrote back and told me what ratio and tranny oil weight to use......Got the bike running....won't shift right and fouling plugs like crazy....now you become an expert on jetting....plus my bike has a fmf fatty and Boyesen Rad valve(which I had to send pics to multiple people and then Boyesen helped me alot) so wrote them and asked there recs on jetting...fmf has it posted but Boyesen wrote back....Onto the tranny....replaced the cable, clutch discs and springs, the pusher shot and the actuator very worn and relaced the seals and bearings on the cover. Now it shifts fine....Which I just finished last night!! I forgot to mention the previous owners son let it sit outside so both brakes were totally seized, had to buy used off ebay and rebuild those....
Not to mention both tires are hard and dry rotted and the front and rear bearings need replaced to, got the front bearing kit....gonna wait abit on the back....when i do it I'll replace the sprockets and chain at the same time, along with both tires....and I forgot....have to replace the gas tank too...leaks at the very top can't fill it too high. (breathe)
So if this all sounds new to you, not trying to scare you away, but you just don't know what you're getting, especially if you don't know what your looking at.....and I haven't even touched the forks or the shock and all the bearings on the frame, swingarm, linkage, yet either. All in all what I've learned 2 strokes are so easy to work on, BUT you have to do top ends every 40-50, hrs depends who you talk to. Hope this helps

[aaronkx]

thanks for the reply! ya i will be paying five hundred for this bike. im pretty sure its not going to be in as bad of condition as yours was lol, no offense. but ya i am kinda scared it will need some work and i dont really have the money to rebuild the whole bike. with my luck it will probably blow up and need some major repair that i cant afford to fix at the moment. i have a buddy who is a pro rider and he said he will help me rebuild the top end. thats the only thing that puts me off about theses bikes is that they new new top ends so often and i plan on riding quite a bit when i get it and i think it will get pretty expensive to keep up with the maintenence. hopefully it doesnt need much more than a good rebuild and some new fluids. thanks so much for the input!

[djg962]

Aaron dont b scared of maintenance on 2 strokes, I've owned alot of them and its not that bad. If this bike runs well just clean the air filter and change the tranny oil every 3 to 4 rides and u should b fine. I would order a service manual for it too, U can learn alot from it. And these forums can b very helpful. U just have to use some common sense when reading some of these reply's. Good Luck and Good Riding

[litning]

Sounds like you'll be alright havin a buddy who can help....nice if he can go with ya to look at it. As long as everything is there and your crank is in pretty good shape and nothings bent....like the frame, wheels, forks etc. You should be just fine....best thing to remember is one thing at a time. Be sure to reply on your post how it goes.
As for my bike I got some new packing and going to repack the silencer this weekend and probably the front wheel bearings, axle,etc. As for the wheel bearings can't even tell when your riding it, but can tell when I put it on my stand which I made out of 2x4's I had laying around in the garage.
BTW- thanks for the lol....you got to ya know...lifes to short to get hung up
on frustration of a bike!
But, I'm warning ya..once you ride it and hear that 2stroke sound and feel the powerband kick in..you'll be hooked like the rest of us

[KickassKX125]

Originally Posted by litning

Sounds like you'll be alright havin a buddy who can help....nice if he can go with ya to look at it. As long as everything is there and your crank is in pretty good shape and nothings bent....like the frame, wheels, forks etc. You should be just fine....best thing to remember is one thing at a time. Be sure to reply on your post how it goes.
As for my bike I got some new packing and going to repack the silencer this weekend and probably the front wheel bearings, axle,etc. As for the wheel bearings can't even tell when your riding it, but can tell when I put it on my stand which I made out of 2x4's I had laying around in the garage.
BTW- thanks for the lol....you got to ya know...lifes to short to get hung up
on frustration of a bike!
But, I'm warning ya..once you ride it and hear that 2stroke sound and feel the powerband kick in..you'll be hooked like the rest of us

Just don't crash, or you will end up like me, sat around with a broken wrist being starved of the 2 stroke addiction NEED 2 STROKE!!

[aaronkx]

i finally got my kx100 today and all i can say is wow these things are sweet. they have a lot more power than i expected. the powerband kicks in real fast. the first time i rode it the front wheel came up about a foot without me ecpecting it to lol. the bike is in good shape for its age but needs some new plastics. but im not too worried about the looks right now. though i will be spending while a while doing some detailed cleaning. the bike runs great the only thing wrong with it is that the kick starter skips so you cant get a full kick in which is a huge hassle especially when cold starting it. im going to ask my buddy to help me fix that. does anyone know how much it cost to rebuild those. also the front brake isnt that strong. if i pull it all the way it still isnt slowing the bike down a whole lot so i have to push really hard on both brakes to slow down quickly from high speeds. but other than those small problems i love this thing. i hope to get some good riding time in tomorow since i only got to ride it for about half an hour because i had to work.

[litning]

Yep, you've done it....you're hooked now!!! As for the kickstarter...don't know whole lot about them...good luck on that be sure to post what you find.
As for the front brake....When you squeeze it has a stiff feel right not spongy, but just takes a bit to slow down....if thats the case sounds like your pads, but you might need to pull it make sure and chk the rotor see if its okay...not warped or cracked. Also your guide pins might need lubricated too. Wouldn't hurt to flush some new fluid thru the line too, use a brake bleed kit, they work great. Good luck new Kawi rider!!

[aaronkx]

the brake does not have a lot of "feel" to it, you could say its spongy. ill check the pads later. but i have found after riding on an old track at my house that it has enough stopping power, just not a really stong brake like on other bikes i have rode. as with the kickstarter, i dont think it will be too big of a problem because the bike cold started on like the third kick, and it starts warm on the first kick every time. another thing i noticed is that the clutch lever wiggles around a lot but i think that will be an easy fix. it was probably just dumped a lot, and i added one wreck to the list today when turning a sharp corner

[litning]

I've never felt a front spongy brake...they say if it's spongy...has air in the line. Have to bleed and might as well flush the line with new fluid too....my rear is a little spongy but has great stopping power with the new pads I put on. You might be able to blead it real quick for a temp fix. Already wrecked....be careful

[aaronkx]

ya i looked at it and it needs new pads. im just eventually going to get new pads on it and see how it does without bleeding the lines. if its still not stopping real good ill take your advice. i also found today it needs a new front brake lever cause its really loose and i just saw today it has a little bit of duct tape on it lol doesnt look too safe. ya i wrecked it again today, i was going around a corner on my track and the dirt is really dry and loose and the front tire slid out from under me, but i was not going fast. but the bike landed on my leg and bruised it pretty bad and my right arm got scraped up pretty bad ( about a three inch long area where i no longer have skin) but i brushed off and kept ridin! lol thank all you guys for the help so far, im hooked!