Tony I worked for Kawasaki from 1981 to 2001 as a district sales manager. I rode KDXs all the way from the very first 175 until I left. I was even able to win a handful of SETRA enduros back in the early 80s on KDXs. In 1996 I think it was we were at the dealer meeting that year and John Hoover, who was Kawasaki's motorcycle product manager here in the US, brought a Japanese gentleman to my sales booth to discuss the 200/220. In Japan the KDX was a street legal dual sport bike and they wanted to bring it into the US as a 220 to make the parts supply easier. They came to me because they knew I was still racing and understood the off road class structure. I explained that 220 would have to compete against full sized 250s and that would be hard to do. They wound up sending me one and I rode it and discovered how easy it was to ride and I convinced John to keep the 200 for the 200cc class and to bring in the 220 for age class guys who could ride any size bike. So that's the simple story of why Kawasaki had a 200 and a 220.
I would also be willing to bet, being 1996, with the FIM deciding the 4-stroke is what we are going to ride in the future, development pretty much stopped for the KDX 200 2-stroke. If the 4-stroke was not forced on us, (no force in a real free market, just competition), I bet there would have been a good chance Kawasaki would have come out with a KDX250 2-stroke. I am sure at least a new cylinder would have to be made, but even thought they could have sold a lot, they knew 4-strokes were taking over in about 3 years,--so the demise of a great bike we loved to ride, (and could still afford to ride), had the writing on the wall. IMO, it is almost incalculable how the FIM has hurt our industry over the decades. The AMA should never have become an arm of the FIM.
Thanks Clay! I love my 05' KDX220 (last yr. model). Was just cleaning it today. Wish I could post a pic. Inherited my grandfathers 73' F7 175 with oil injection after he passed as my 1st motorcycle at age 7. (KTM now pretending like its some new thing.) Got a KX125 that was raced in the Anaheim AMA Supercross at 13. Now approaching 40 and love my KDX 220R. I've had faster but its just plain fun & reliable! Can't sell the KDX or last gen KLR. They aren't even the most thrilling bikes I've been on but they're damn good!
It is so strange to me that young people today buy 30 year old motorcycles. The changes from 1976 to 1996 were incredible. Back in the early 80's the bike magazines would question whether you could win a motorcross race on last year's model. Now bikes go decades with no changes at all. XR650L, Dr400s, Dr650 etc. Great times back then. Muscle cars in the 60's. Motorcycles the 1980's . Graphics cards and CPU's seem to have finally "peaked" in the computer world. Hell, even the girls were hotter back in the 60's-90's (Thanks McDonalds). I'm rambling. Great video.
The Japanese really figured out how to make performance off road motorcycles in the 1990s and I think the difference between one made in the 1990s and a modern bike is so small that you have to be a professional rider to extract the performance out of a new bike. unless you drop 12 grand on a euro trash model you can’t find a niche model to suit your ability, rider style, and terrain you ride on. Even now the trail bikes are really just warmed over motocross bikes. I own a modern fuel injected high performance motocross bike and I own a 2000 model and the bike from 2000 is honestly better built, smoother, better shifting, and better suited to the type of riding I do. If Kawasaki slapped fuel injection on that kdx model with an LED headlight on it with zero changes they would sell TONS of them. They would of course have to put electric start on it as well for all the snow flakes. That old bike I own is a DRZ400 kick start model. I has way more power than the super Moto version because of its higher compression larger cam and pumper MX carb on it and it weight like 45 lbs less than the dual sport version they still sell. The Japanese figured out they can invest more into side by side snore mobiles for the people afraid to ride and sell them huge dollar machines with financing plans.
Now this is the guy who has something to say! I love it when someone knows what they’re talking about. I had a little humor and gives me information I didn’t already have. Way to go, man! I really enjoyed reading your comment.
I had 2 bikes when I was racing. A 1989 Yamaha YZ 250 WR- what a rocket! And a 1990 KDX 200. I stopped racing in 1992. I sold my KDX 200 in 2004 and purchased a KDX 220 R in 2006. I had Jeff Fredette mill the head, bore the carb to a 36mm, polished and ported the cylinder. Added Boysen Rad Valve, re-valved my shock for my weight and riding style, put Gold Seals and RaceTech springs in my forks, modified my air box, and FMF rev pipe. The bike is truly AWESOME! Not as fast as my YZ250 was by a long shot, but way faster than any 200 I ever ran. I still dual sport with it, and many many people are amazed that I keep up- and even pass many 10K Euro dream bikes. I can't say enough about it. I was offered 4200 for it, which is exactly what I paid for it in 2005. But there is no way I could find a bike with that cash worth this much in fun and smiles. The fun factor out weighs any other bike for this ol dual sport rider.
My first bike was a brand new 1981 Honda XR100 and my last was a brand new 1991 Kawasaki KDX200, I loved them both. I sold the KDX in 2002 for $1,000 and my old Honda was passed down to a chain of friends whose kids learned to ride on. I think it is still going strong today.
I have a 99 kdx220r, and it's absolutely perfect for Rocky Mountain trail riding. I actually love that it's torquer than the 200, it's impossible to stall out and trucks up steep stuff reliably without the need to be in higher rpms. I've ridden a 200 before and to me, the difference is all about low end tractor like power. Coming off a 4 stroke, the 220 fits my riding just a touch better. Love the thing.
To summarize: 1980-2005: Kawasaki made fun, reliable, economical, capable enduros. 2006: Californazis cracked down on fun. Edit: it was foreshadowing really, to just 14 years later when the Californazis would make it illegal to even step foot outside. Or to sell anything, let alone 2-strokes.
I had a 250 RMX, (96). Great for tight trails, but the scariest thing I ever rode by far on a MX type ride, (which probably includes my first bike, a 72 street bike Honda CL100, lol). I think it was the short wheel base and maybe a steep head angle, but man, was that thing "twitchy" at speed on rough ground. (bike was stock)
That was so cool!!!! I raced the KDX200’s in the black jack enduro Circuit in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana and New Mexico. They are still running it today. I raced enduros from 85 to 04 all on KDX’s. 85 200, 92 200, 94 250 and an 97 200. When all sed and done I was in the A200 class and whining my class. I was moved to the AA class for 05 and never raced in it. I have retired from racing. Loved all the 200-250 KDX’s. I never got the chance to ride an 175 though. I’m on my 40th new bike now and way over 100 used bikes in my life and over 30 broken bones so far. Lol. Happy riding my friend. Love your Channel.
The KDX is always the bike I recommend to new riders. Have had a few myself and will probably have another one someday. Easily the best off-road motorcycle ever made. Thanks for putting together the video.
You know, "easy to ride" is very terrain specific. Compared to a 300, the KDX 220 I had was much harder to ride. I really wanted to love that bike but here in the slimy PNW, it was either spinning or bogging up these nasty climbs and no amount of clutching would help it hook up. Same with the KTM 200...not easy to ride in challenging terrain. Things got a lot more fun when I got a KTM 300 and never looked back. If you like tiny motors then "less power to ya" but Kawasaki should've added a 300 and ditched the 220.
I'm a proud owner of a 1990 Kawasaki kdx200 with 1200 miles on it and I will never get rid of it. Never watched your channel before but I'm definitely subscribed NOW, thank you for the VERY INFORMATIVE video!! 👍🤙✌🤛
I owned a kdx175 when I was motocross racing a yz250..can not believe how fast the Kawasaki was. My wife bought me a 1988 kdx200 at a yard sale, it was probably 4 years old, let friends play ride it, sat in the barn for 30+ years..thought I would trail ride it..ended up swapping out suspension with kx parts. Dg pipe aluminum silencer, ports matched, great western bike. Started crosscountry racing it with Ahrma, will run with modern bikes. At a Pueblo race would run the 6th gear straight even with modern 4stroke 250 motocross bikes. At unadilla this year, frame deep mud 6.4 mile loops all 2nd 3rd gear throttle pinned, bulletproof, absolutely amazing. And it would always start 1or 2 kicks after I fell down
I purchased my KDX200 B2 in 1985. I still have it today. It is always a great fun bike. It has proven to be so capable on steep rough terrain. I pass the other bikes, once they stall and flood on the hills. They put shit on me calling it a dinosaur but I shit on them on the trails. They are like the 2 wheeled version of the Toyota land cruiser 80 series. Perfectly capable production built off roader. Thank you Kawasaki for the memories.. crank it up...
I had the '89 model as my first full sized dort bike, got it for Chrostmas when I was 15 yrs old and then bought the final model as a showroom floor leftover in 2007. Still own it to this day and absolutely love riding it in single track. This was a great video, thanks.
I owned one KDX, a brand-new 1986 KDX200C1. It was impressive the amount of low-end torque it had that smoothly transitioned into the meat of the mid-range torque and power. I entered just one race with it, a hare scrambles in 1986, in the woods of muddy, rocky, tree-rooted New England in springtime. The engine characteristics made it easier for me to cope with a course I did not know and finish the race to 6th in the Novice class. I knew riding buddies that owned KDXs at one time or another: A 1984 KDX200A2 in the red color; a 1990 KDX200E2; a 1991 KDX200E3. The liquid-cooled E model was even more electric motor-like with the smoothness of the power delivery. I knew the KDX200 was an effective dirt bike when my buddy bought a new 1984 KDX200A2 in red and was able to ride it fairly well considering how little he got practice in on actually riding his new dirt bike. This was noteworthy as he sort of bought the bike on a whim, it seemed, because he did not go riding with me and my other riding buddy more than a few times over the course of the 10 years we rode practically every weekend together. About the 1991 - 1994 KDX250D: I was able to ride one of these bikes a few times - a 1994 KDX250D4 - when a salesman at the local Kawasaki dealer was allowed to take one home as a demo bike to have fun with while working for the dealership. We were friends so we got together for some dirt bike riding on several occasions, and he allowed me a few rides on it. It had a noticeably larger chassis than the 200, and after riding the bike I concluded it was a fun and capable bike for play riding but did not have the top-end horsepower of bikes like a Yamaha WR250Z. That's because it was a street-legal dual-purpose bike when sold in other countries, and when it was brought to the USA, they stripped all the street-legal parts off and mounted off-road knobby tires. Not surprising a bike designed to withstand thousands of street miles did not have the engine tuned as highly as an off-road-only racer thoroughbred.
I ride an 89 KDX that has been up graded a little and love it. It's not a fire breather like the bikes I rode when I was younger but it's a good old farts bike (I'm 62) I ride mostly desert and it works fine for me.
Recently sold my white/blue '90 200. Owned it for years, and it never let me down. Great bike that didn't excel at anything, but did everything pretty darned well.
Another great video! I love woods/trail/enduro bikes of all kinds and really appreciate all your hard work putting this episode together.(I always wanted a KDX). The pictures, specs, and comparisons to other bikes was awesome and brilliantly done. The videos of the ads and brochures of the bike you added are excellent as well ! (I had forgotten how much I missed those). I was fortunate to have owned a 1980 Yamaha YZ 490 and before that a 1980 Yamaha IT 175. Needless to say the 490 was a wild beast, but I love the IT 175 and would love to see a similar video on it. Again, I so appreciate what you do! The time, effort, and passion you put into this channel is evident. Thanks Brother!
I own a 2006 kdx 200. Bike is fully modded with pro circuit motor and factory connection suspension among many other things. This video was really exciting to watch
You've got me feeling nostalgic now. My first dirt bike was a 97 KDX 220. One of those "first thing you buy with your own money" things. It was a great bike, but I didn't appreciate it at the time. I was firmly focused on becoming Jeremy McGrath at the time and the KDX was too slow and squishy to be cool. I moved on to mx bikes after a few years. Now as a 35 year-old dad, I'd sure like to bum around in the trees with one of these. I remember reading a shootout with the KTM 200 and being envious that it's seat wasn't "filled with stale marshmallows".
Hell yeah man I just picked up a 87 200 barn find, it runs really good! Air cooled power valve motor is awesome, it's super peaky and turns super aggressive!!!!!!
I rode this exact model, 1987 200 and all it would do is start, run and provide fun every single time I rode it. The 87 was one of the last years before water cooling and that was fine for me. It never broke or refused to start. I LOVED that machine.
I was 13 in 1983 I got a it 175 and my dad got a kdx200...both great bikes but that kdx was much more powerful these 200s were great everywhere except suspension too soft jumping was no bueno....but it was fun to snick it into sixth and waste 125s in the desert top end was somewhere around 75 mph.I liked that it had a light i used to ride mine to school in ninth grade riding wheelies past the bus...great fun.
ThankU Tony!!!👍👌👏👏👏 I had an 85' KDX 200 Loved IT ALWAYS lusted over the 88' Put the 88 graphics,blue fork boots & 89 uni track decals. 88 handguards. So it was an 88' in my 15 year old fantasyland😀
I love my KDX 200 ,the way it changes direction,the mello power and jiust fun all round bike,my mate had YZ450 ,rode the KDX ,sold the 450 and got a 250 exc KTM
I have a 1987 200. I have owned many (over 300) dirtbikes in my 47 years of riding and this is one of my favorites. The engine is stock with a DG pipe and I fabricated a 12mm wide spacer under the cover of the kips valve on the left hand side. The DG pipe makes the bike a bit more lively and the spacer dramatically increased the bottom end response. It now pulls so cleanly off idle I am thinking of putting on added flywheel weight to improve traction. Changing the oil in the shock makes a big difference. The standard fluid is not that great. Running a less restrictive muffler ( I'm using one off a KTM125 EXC) also helps and is much lighter. Next modification is to graft a rear disc brake from a later watercooled model onto it. Air cooled bikes are less top heavy feeling and less likely to overheat from mud in the radiators. I am also a long time PE175 Suzuki owner having had over a dozen. Currently setting up a 175 T engine in a 1984 RM125E rolling frame. Suspension has been shortened to 10" and I will be using a 1981 RM250X expansion Chamber which give the bike a huge increase in bottom end and midrange. You can improve the standard pipe by removing the mesh on the inside of the chamber. It's a tedious and messy job but very worthwhile.
Francis Hoen I have a 1986, love the shit out of it. Can you share some pictures of the spacer you made? Sounds very interesting and I work in a metal shop so probably could get one done for mine. Thanks!
Hi Tony I really enjoyed your KDX 200 review. Over the years I have had 3 KDX's, 2 200's A '91 and a '92 and a '97 220. I still have my '97 220 after nearly 22yrs. The '91 KDX and my mates KDX250 were stolen along with my bike trailer and gear after a ride never to be seen again. Thats when I bought the 220. It's an ideal bike for me these days as its easy to ride and hard to stall. I found i could run a bigger rear tyre and could pull second gear a lot more than on the 220 than the 200. Watching your series on the PE's and XR's etc brought back great memories of riding in the '80's and 90's ( before kids). Keep up the cool reviews.
In addendum, and a more positive note, I had a 99 EXC 200 which was stolen but "miraculously" recovered 5 years later! She was replaced by a 00 KDX 220 which i still enjoy riding hard or just plonking around. I found the EXC tighter/more precise in steering but the 220 hit "harder"/ snappier engine response and a more authoritative rear brake, like when squaring a turn. Starting off in the early '70's, I never thought I'd own a KTM, Maico, Husky, etc., and after all this time I ended-up with my favourite type, performance, and "at ease with" 220. Nice bike she be!
I rode a kitted out 89 kdx 200, and it was awesome, these enduro's are absolutly fun off road. Riding a peaky mx 2 t is fun for blasting round a track, but the kdx was the best for all round riding.
I just came across this...great job! I picked up a KDX200 about a year ago...had never seen the bike before as I'd been out of dirt bikes for decades (my last bike as a teenager was an IT175). It's a great bike...fairly bullet proof. The guy before me didn't do much maintenance so I'm working my way through everything. It has a fun power band with some good low end grunt and some decent fun top end punch (no, it's not an MX bike, but it isn't "slow"). I want to keep the bike for nostalgia even if I got something newer (like a YZ250X).
Nice. I'm staying in South Africa, I'm currently riding the 2006. The previous owner thought it was an 80s bike haha? This confirms it. Very informative. Thanks
@@sgtunix It does have a very different feel in the turns and the suspension just eats rocks and ruts up, it's not as advanced as the modern enduro bikes with hydro clutches and fuel injection obviously but when on a single trail the green machine shines. Hope you have a berm filled Sunday. not sure if you have seen this but it may interest you. ruclips.net/video/eeDUPSG5wkI/видео.html
Thanks for the fun and interesting review of KDX 175 and 200 dirt bikes. I used to have a Kawasaki G4 100, which was a great little trail bike for the back woods. Now, I have 2 budgies. 1 yellow and 1 green. They should be called Suzuki and Kawasaki. Lol. But their actual names are Coco and Bobo. I will post a link to a picture in the next message. Cheers from Canada :-)
I loved the 220. I found that that the 220 ran great on 25% methanol and would outperform the 200 with no problem. If you ran the 200 on methanol 25% it would ping. The one cool thing about the KDX line is that you can register it for the street if you get turn signals and mirrors.
As kid in the 1980s, these were dream bikes. I had a few older friends who had IT 200, 250 and the KDX 175 and 200. I got to ride the KDX175 and earlier versions of the KDX200 (83-85). In Africa, I never saw the blue seat for the 1985 KDX. Drag race the IT200 was faster at flatout from what I saw. I remember seeing the new 86, sexy!! I also remember the new 89, wow, it seemed fast, a buddy that had previously riding IT 200 and 250, had bought the KDX in 1989 and he was flying on it!!
I do remember Jeff Ferdetti racing MX/SX on one at Santa Fe Speedway in Hinsdale Illinois and thinking who is that nut. He did very well on the KDX what ever displacement he was racing.
I had a 96 bought brand new in 98 from Pete's cycle in Severna Park MD. I raced mx at the time. I loved the KDX, the fun factor was off the charts for what it was, I wish I still owned it.
My buddy had a 91 KDX250R, I know he loved that thing, he never let me ride it even though I let him ride my 84 CR250R I had at the time, I remember him saying my bike was scary fast compared to his 😅 Side note, have you ever seen the 93-94 KDR250SR's? I don't know if they were Japan or Asia or certain European countries only, but they're wild looking compared to the US specs, instead of all bright green frame and plastics with the blue seat and blue anodized fork uppers .... they're either teal frame and seat with black plastics with purple, red, and yellow decals, or even wilder, teal frame, seat, and tool bag with hot pink plastics and teal, pink, and purple decals.... they're even more "90s" than the 92 RM's and about as crazy "90s" as the early to mid 90s TM's 😂 I mean they're much more bright and catching compared to the 92 CR's which are dull in comparison 😅 Now that I've seen one, I need all super 90s bikes of the, well, 90s lol....
Weird that the KDX changed to the blue seat in 85, but kept the 84 writing (similar to the KXs) as opposed to outlined 85 writing on the KX, then right back in line for 86. Love the presentation Blaze!
Nice video, winter time, can't go ride : ( I have a 93 200, 2000 200, and 2001 220 (all street legal!) and like the 93 about the best, it's super nimble, it's like riding a trials bike. The stock 220 is a different beast, with the proper gearing you can throttle loft the front wheel all day at low speed. Super fun tight woods torque monster. With the bigger bore and smaller carb, the torque is so much different than the hit of the 200. Oh I have had maybe 15 other KDX's including the air heads. All such fun bikes!! Thanks for the nice video.
My kids learned to ride on a 03 KDX50. Great little bike and it pricked my ears towards the kdx200. I have a 2011 kx250f but I would love a late model kdx200!
I've always been a woods/endure rider and have owned too many bikes! I've owned two KDX200s and found them to be one of the most fun of my collection! Sure, they lacked the suspension and fire-breathing attributes that I had on my race bikes, but it was extraordinary in tight trails and climbing, and the muffler was amazing! First one was a 1999, and I liked it so much I purchased the 2006 as it was the last year. I later purchased a KTM 200 XC-W after the Kawis and was disappointed in their lack of climbing (torque and hook-up) abilities compared to the KDX, thought the KTM had a far superior suspension, amongst many other things. But the extra cash put down for the KTM didn't seem worth it to me.
Nice video like always. My dad had 2 of them one when he was younger then one when i was 7 my brother was 4 he went out bought us a xr50 and a xr70 and himself a 93kdx. Had alot of fun holding on to those handle bars i thought the bike was a rocket ship lol!
The dirt rider tests were so detailed. I would read the entire article including "technically speaking" which was huge and back then it all stuck in my head.
My buddy in high school had a 200. He impressed me everytime we went out. It was a great bike and he was a great friend. RIP Piercey. We seldom fail to tell a story about him whenever we get out on the trails.
What state were you guys in what year was it I can relate my friend in Huntington Beach Todd his dad used to let us take out to Yamaha 425 Two Strokes total tractors at El Mirage Dry Lake in California we were fifteen and a half years old
I still remember gawking at this online as a kid. The 200 / 220 thing confused the hell out of me and I didn’t even know what I was looking at lol would be cool to pull that up on the way back machine
Memory lane for sure. I had the 220cc with carb bored and jetted by Fredette Racing, FMF Pipe and racetech fork and shock revalve. In a straight line it would crawl away from my cousins 200cc Kdx after fourth gear. I spent about $1100 and boy did the mods transform the bike.
I just picked up a non running KDX220 a couple of weeks ago for $1k. (bad coil). Lucky the coil was bad because the PO who took it in trade had put straight gas in it. Woulda locked up in minutes! The Last dirt bike I had was a 79 KX80 when I was a kid 35 years ago! Most fun you can have with your pants on!
Nice comprehensive history!. I had an 89 CR250 and my buddy had an 89 KDX200. We would trade once in a while and though his bike didn't have that big HIT, it never felt slow to me. Also, when we were riding the fire roads I would get frustrated because his 'little' 200 was about 20 miles an hour faster than my race bike!. 0 to 50 I was GONE, but my CR was only a 5-spd and geared for track racing, so he would catch up and pretty much blow by me. 😠 The KDX220 was an odd thing, but the worst thing KDX did IMO was put the inverted fork on (late), then take it back off again!. I loves me some inverted forks, especially in blue. 😁 I I wouldn't mind having one in my garage though, even with fork boots. 😣😌
Kawasaki u guys listing to this fella bring back the kdx200. Awesome all rounder . I have a 1989 kdx200 and love it . Have had it for 15years and will never get rid of it. I love the soft seat and suspension. U can ride it slow or fast. I dialed in the oil injecting and it runs dry at the pipe. It can sit for 12 months I lay it on it side let carb drain and bang it fires right up. My gripe is the crank seal can't be replaced with out splitting the cases . Not cool.!
I recently bought a kdx 175 with only 370 original miles. The clutch is stuck from sitting and the air filter is disintegrating. Where is the best source for parts ? I looked on RUclips for information and am a new subscriber because you put together a great presentation. Thanks.
Computer was junk, mine stopped working within the first few months. I loved that bike, other than the flexy forks and super easy to stall in tight woods sections. Ended up upgrading to the 220 and it's was much better.
Interesting that the 220 was dissed somewhat when the characteristics mentioned would certainly appeal to in the woods, gnarly, hairpin turn, mountain climbing terrain I see off road in my area.. I could certainly see the appeal.. Sounds a bit like the 350 Bighorn dual sport as far as the torque I had back in the early 70's minus some weight.. Certainly served my dual sport needs quite well...
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Tony I worked for Kawasaki from 1981 to 2001 as a district sales manager. I rode KDXs all the way from the very first 175 until I left. I was even able to win a handful of SETRA enduros back in the early 80s on KDXs. In 1996 I think it was we were at the dealer meeting that year and John Hoover, who was Kawasaki's motorcycle product manager here in the US, brought a Japanese gentleman to my sales booth to discuss the 200/220. In Japan the KDX was a street legal dual sport bike and they wanted to bring it into the US as a 220 to make the parts supply easier. They came to me because they knew I was still racing and understood the off road class structure. I explained that 220 would have to compete against full sized 250s and that would be hard to do. They wound up sending me one and I rode it and discovered how easy it was to ride and I convinced John to keep the 200 for the 200cc class and to bring in the 220 for age class guys who could ride any size bike. So that's the simple story of why Kawasaki had a 200 and a 220.
That is what I figured thanks for the info
I would also be willing to bet, being 1996, with the FIM deciding the 4-stroke is what we are going to ride in the future, development pretty much stopped for the KDX 200 2-stroke. If the 4-stroke was not forced on us, (no force in a real free market, just competition), I bet there would have been a good chance Kawasaki would have come out with a KDX250 2-stroke. I am sure at least a new cylinder would have to be made, but even thought they could have sold a lot, they knew 4-strokes were taking over in about 3 years,--so the demise of a great bike we loved to ride, (and could still afford to ride), had the writing on the wall. IMO, it is almost incalculable how the FIM has hurt our industry over the decades. The AMA should never have become an arm of the FIM.
Oops. I see later in the vid a 250 came out in 91-94
Thanks Clay! I love my 05' KDX220 (last yr. model). Was just cleaning it today. Wish I could post a pic. Inherited my grandfathers 73' F7 175 with oil injection after he passed as my 1st motorcycle at age 7. (KTM now pretending like its some new thing.) Got a KX125 that was raced in the Anaheim AMA Supercross at 13. Now approaching 40 and love my KDX 220R. I've had faster but its just plain fun & reliable! Can't sell the KDX or last gen KLR. They aren't even the most thrilling bikes I've been on but they're damn good!
@@EarthSurferUSA How long have you been surfing the earth?
It is so strange to me that young people today buy 30 year old motorcycles. The changes from 1976 to 1996 were incredible. Back in the early 80's the bike magazines would question whether you could win a motorcross race on last year's model. Now bikes go decades with no changes at all. XR650L, Dr400s, Dr650 etc. Great times back then. Muscle cars in the 60's. Motorcycles the 1980's . Graphics cards and CPU's seem to have finally "peaked" in the computer world. Hell, even the girls were hotter back in the 60's-90's (Thanks McDonalds). I'm rambling. Great video.
LoL, I have a tendency to ramble about the good ol' day's myself buddy 👍
The Japanese really figured out how to make performance off road motorcycles in the 1990s and I think the difference between one made in the 1990s and a modern bike is so small that you have to be a professional rider to extract the performance out of a new bike. unless you drop 12 grand on a euro trash model you can’t find a niche model to suit your ability, rider style, and terrain you ride on. Even now the trail bikes are really just warmed over motocross bikes. I own a modern fuel injected high performance motocross bike and I own a 2000 model and the bike from 2000 is honestly better built, smoother, better shifting, and better suited to the type of riding I do. If Kawasaki slapped fuel injection on that kdx model with an LED headlight on it with zero changes they would sell TONS of them. They would of course have to put electric start on it as well for all the snow flakes. That old bike I own is a DRZ400 kick start model. I has way more power than the super Moto version because of its higher compression larger cam and pumper MX carb on it and it weight like 45 lbs less than the dual sport version they still sell. The Japanese figured out they can invest more into side by side snore mobiles for the people afraid to ride and sell them huge dollar machines with financing plans.
Now this is the guy who has something to say! I love it when someone knows what they’re talking about. I had a little humor and gives me information I didn’t already have. Way to go, man! I really enjoyed reading your comment.
I had 2 bikes when I was racing. A 1989 Yamaha YZ 250 WR- what a rocket! And a 1990 KDX 200. I stopped racing in 1992. I sold my KDX 200 in 2004 and purchased a KDX 220 R in 2006. I had Jeff Fredette mill the head, bore the carb to a 36mm, polished and ported the cylinder. Added Boysen Rad Valve, re-valved my shock for my weight and riding style, put Gold Seals and RaceTech springs in my forks, modified my air box, and FMF rev pipe. The bike is truly AWESOME! Not as fast as my YZ250 was by a long shot, but way faster than any 200 I ever ran. I still dual sport with it, and many many people are amazed that I keep up- and even pass many 10K Euro dream bikes. I can't say enough about it. I was offered 4200 for it, which is exactly what I paid for it in 2005. But there is no way I could find a bike with that cash worth this much in fun and smiles. The fun factor out weighs any other bike for this ol dual sport rider.
I just became a proud owner of a 2005 KDX 220. Excited to hit the trails again 😁🤙
My brother has a 2006 KDX200. It is a great bike and still almost looks new.
My first bike was a brand new 1981 Honda XR100 and my last was a brand new 1991 Kawasaki KDX200, I loved them both. I sold the KDX in 2002 for $1,000 and my old Honda was passed down to a chain of friends whose kids learned to ride on. I think it is still going strong today.
This bike the kdx, brought me some of the best memories of my life.... absolutely outstanding
91 KDX 200 here. 62 years old and my friends kids want it!!! Not Yet, Kid's, still playing!!!!!!❤❤❤
You dont stop playing because you grow old,you grow old because you stop playing......keep on playing👍👍👍👍
I have a 99 kdx220r, and it's absolutely perfect for Rocky Mountain trail riding. I actually love that it's torquer than the 200, it's impossible to stall out and trucks up steep stuff reliably without the need to be in higher rpms. I've ridden a 200 before and to me, the difference is all about low end tractor like power. Coming off a 4 stroke, the 220 fits my riding just a touch better. Love the thing.
To summarize:
1980-2005: Kawasaki made fun, reliable, economical, capable enduros.
2006: Californazis cracked down on fun.
Edit: it was foreshadowing really, to just 14 years later when the Californazis would make it illegal to even step foot outside. Or to sell anything, let alone 2-strokes.
L McC Green Sticker - the reason all bikes come factory lean and with restricted air boxes.
Liberals/commies
I have a 200 that I’ve had since it was new in 2000 , what a horse it’s been !
I think the PE and RMX deserves a video like this. I love these videos 👌
Nor'Easter I plan on doing one for both
And the suzuki tsr200 (sh12a). I have a 92 model and it rips.
I had a 250 RMX, (96). Great for tight trails, but the scariest thing I ever rode by far on a MX type ride, (which probably includes my first bike, a 72 street bike Honda CL100, lol). I think it was the short wheel base and maybe a steep head angle, but man, was that thing "twitchy" at speed on rough ground. (bike was stock)
@@TheMotocrossVault Looking forward to a PE review....awesome!
How about the IT’s ? It’s pretty cool how Graham Noyce was involved or lead in the development of the line.
That was so cool!!!! I raced the KDX200’s in the black jack enduro Circuit in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana and New Mexico. They are still running it today. I raced enduros from 85 to 04 all on KDX’s. 85 200, 92 200, 94 250 and an 97 200. When all sed and done I was in the A200 class and whining my class. I was moved to the AA class for 05 and never raced in it. I have retired from racing. Loved all the 200-250 KDX’s. I never got the chance to ride an 175 though. I’m on my 40th new bike now and way over 100 used bikes in my life and over 30 broken bones so far. Lol. Happy riding my friend.
Love your Channel.
The KDX is always the bike I recommend to new riders. Have had a few myself and will probably have another one someday. Easily the best off-road motorcycle ever made. Thanks for putting together the video.
Thanks for watching
Hey I just bought one and the clutch is messed up. What should I do.
@@möth39E fix the clutch
Wonder how it would keep up with my DRZ in the desert.
You know, "easy to ride" is very terrain specific. Compared to a 300, the KDX 220 I had was much harder to ride. I really wanted to love that bike but here in the slimy PNW, it was either spinning or bogging up these nasty climbs and no amount of clutching would help it hook up. Same with the KTM 200...not easy to ride in challenging terrain. Things got a lot more fun when I got a KTM 300 and never looked back. If you like tiny motors then "less power to ya" but Kawasaki should've added a 300 and ditched the 220.
I'm a proud owner of a 1990 Kawasaki kdx200 with 1200 miles on it and I will never get rid of it. Never watched your channel before but I'm definitely subscribed NOW, thank you for the VERY INFORMATIVE video!! 👍🤙✌🤛
I owned a kdx175 when I was motocross racing a yz250..can not believe how fast the Kawasaki was. My wife bought me a 1988 kdx200 at a yard sale, it was probably 4 years old, let friends play ride it, sat in the barn for 30+ years..thought I would trail ride it..ended up swapping out suspension with kx parts. Dg pipe aluminum silencer, ports matched, great western bike.
Started crosscountry racing it with Ahrma, will run with modern bikes.
At a Pueblo race would run the 6th gear straight even with modern 4stroke 250 motocross bikes.
At unadilla this year, frame deep mud 6.4 mile loops all 2nd 3rd gear throttle pinned, bulletproof, absolutely amazing. And it would always start 1or 2 kicks after I fell down
I purchased my KDX200 B2 in 1985.
I still have it today. It is always a great fun bike. It has proven to be so capable on steep rough terrain.
I pass the other bikes, once they stall and flood on the hills. They put shit on me calling it a dinosaur but I shit on them on the trails.
They are like the 2 wheeled version of the Toyota land cruiser 80 series.
Perfectly capable production built off roader.
Thank you Kawasaki for the memories.. crank it up...
I had the '89 model as my first full sized dort bike, got it for Chrostmas when I was 15 yrs old and then bought the final model as a showroom floor leftover in 2007. Still own it to this day and absolutely love riding it in single track. This was a great video, thanks.
Thank you!
I owned one KDX, a brand-new 1986 KDX200C1.
It was impressive the amount of low-end torque it had that smoothly transitioned into the meat of the mid-range torque and power.
I entered just one race with it, a hare scrambles in 1986, in the woods of muddy, rocky, tree-rooted New England in springtime.
The engine characteristics made it easier for me to cope with a course I did not know and finish the race to 6th in the Novice class.
I knew riding buddies that owned KDXs at one time or another:
A 1984 KDX200A2 in the red color; a 1990 KDX200E2; a 1991 KDX200E3.
The liquid-cooled E model was even more electric motor-like with the smoothness of the power delivery.
I knew the KDX200 was an effective dirt bike when my buddy bought a new 1984 KDX200A2 in red and was able to ride it fairly well considering how little he got practice in on actually riding his new dirt bike.
This was noteworthy as he sort of bought the bike on a whim, it seemed, because he did not go riding with me and my other riding buddy more than a few times over the course of the 10 years we rode practically every weekend together.
About the 1991 - 1994 KDX250D:
I was able to ride one of these bikes a few times - a 1994 KDX250D4 - when a salesman at the local Kawasaki dealer was allowed to take one home as a demo bike to have fun with while working for the dealership.
We were friends so we got together for some dirt bike riding on several occasions, and he allowed me a few rides on it.
It had a noticeably larger chassis than the 200, and after riding the bike I concluded it was a fun and capable bike for play riding but did not have the top-end horsepower of bikes like a Yamaha WR250Z.
That's because it was a street-legal dual-purpose bike when sold in other countries, and when it was brought to the USA, they stripped all the street-legal parts off and mounted off-road knobby tires.
Not surprising a bike designed to withstand thousands of street miles did not have the engine tuned as highly as an off-road-only racer thoroughbred.
I ride an 89 KDX that has been up graded a little and love it. It's not a fire breather like the bikes I rode when I was younger but it's a good old farts bike (I'm 62) I ride mostly desert and it works fine for me.
1984 KDX 200 owner here. Excellent bike for the trails 💪🏻 very reliable
This guy does great educational videos for 2 wheel gear heads. Thanks so much.
Recently sold my white/blue '90 200. Owned it for years, and it never let me down. Great bike that didn't excel at anything, but did everything pretty darned well.
Great video!! I am very happy with my 1996 Kdx 200, it is my first motorcycle and I am more than happy
Another great video! I love woods/trail/enduro bikes of all kinds and really appreciate all your hard work putting this episode together.(I always wanted a KDX). The pictures, specs, and comparisons to other bikes was awesome and brilliantly done. The videos of the ads and brochures of the bike you added are excellent as well ! (I had forgotten how much I missed those). I was fortunate to have owned a 1980 Yamaha YZ 490 and before that a 1980 Yamaha IT 175. Needless to say the 490 was a wild beast, but I love the IT 175 and would love to see a similar video on it. Again, I so appreciate what you do! The time, effort, and passion you put into this channel is evident. Thanks Brother!
Thank you for your kind words I appreciate it 🙏🏻
I own a 2006 kdx 200. Bike is fully modded with pro circuit motor and factory connection suspension among many other things. This video was really exciting to watch
Thanks I am glad you enjoyed it
I would love to see a video about the Yamaha IT series of enduro bikes!
Keep up the great work your doing.
You've got me feeling nostalgic now. My first dirt bike was a 97 KDX 220. One of those "first thing you buy with your own money" things. It was a great bike, but I didn't appreciate it at the time. I was firmly focused on becoming Jeremy McGrath at the time and the KDX was too slow and squishy to be cool. I moved on to mx bikes after a few years. Now as a 35 year-old dad, I'd sure like to bum around in the trees with one of these. I remember reading a shootout with the KTM 200 and being envious that it's seat wasn't "filled with stale marshmallows".
Hell yeah man I just picked up a 87 200 barn find, it runs really good! Air cooled power valve motor is awesome, it's super peaky and turns super aggressive!!!!!!
I rode this exact model, 1987 200 and all it would do is start, run and provide fun every single time I rode it. The 87 was one of the last years before water cooling and that was fine for me. It never broke or refused to start. I LOVED that machine.
I was 13 in 1983 I got a it 175 and my dad got a kdx200...both great bikes but that kdx was much more powerful these 200s were great everywhere except suspension too soft jumping was no bueno....but it was fun to snick it into sixth and waste 125s in the desert top end was somewhere around 75 mph.I liked that it had a light i used to ride mine to school in ninth grade riding wheelies past the bus...great fun.
ThankU Tony!!!👍👌👏👏👏
I had an 85' KDX 200
Loved IT
ALWAYS lusted over the 88'
Put the 88 graphics,blue fork boots & 89 uni track decals. 88 handguards.
So it was an 88' in my 15 year old fantasyland😀
I love my KDX 200 ,the way it changes direction,the mello power and jiust fun all round bike,my mate had YZ450 ,rode the KDX ,sold the 450 and got a 250 exc KTM
I have a 1987 200. I have owned many (over 300) dirtbikes in my 47 years of riding and this is one of my favorites. The engine is stock with a DG pipe and I fabricated a 12mm wide spacer under the cover of the kips valve on the left hand side. The DG pipe makes the bike a bit more lively and the spacer dramatically increased the bottom end response. It now pulls so cleanly off idle I am thinking of putting on added flywheel weight to improve traction. Changing the oil in the shock makes a big difference. The standard fluid is not that great. Running a less restrictive muffler ( I'm using one off a KTM125 EXC) also helps and is much lighter. Next modification is to graft a rear disc brake from a later watercooled model onto it. Air cooled bikes are less top heavy feeling and less likely to overheat from mud in the radiators. I am also a long time PE175 Suzuki owner having had over a dozen. Currently setting up a 175 T engine in a 1984 RM125E rolling frame. Suspension has been shortened to 10" and I will be using a 1981 RM250X expansion Chamber which give the bike a huge increase in bottom end and midrange. You can improve the standard pipe by removing the mesh on the inside of the chamber. It's a tedious and messy job but very worthwhile.
Francis Hoen I have a 1986, love the shit out of it. Can you share some pictures of the spacer you made? Sounds very interesting and I work in a metal shop so probably could get one done for mine. Thanks!
@@CommieCat I'm wondering the same thing about that spacer.
These motorbike history videos are pure gold. Thanks so much.
Thank you for watching
Hi Tony I really enjoyed your KDX 200 review. Over the years I have had 3 KDX's, 2 200's A '91 and a '92 and a '97 220. I still have my '97 220 after nearly 22yrs. The '91 KDX and my mates KDX250 were stolen along with my bike trailer and gear after a ride never to be seen again. Thats when I bought the 220. It's an ideal bike for me these days as its easy to ride and hard to stall. I found i could run a bigger rear tyre and could pull second gear a lot more than on the 220 than the 200. Watching your series on the PE's and XR's etc brought back great memories of riding in the '80's and 90's ( before kids). Keep up the cool reviews.
Thanks 🙏🏻
A 1980 KDX175 was the first bike I owned.
In addendum, and a more positive note, I had a 99 EXC 200 which was stolen but "miraculously" recovered 5 years later! She was replaced by a 00 KDX 220 which i still enjoy riding hard or just plonking around. I found the EXC tighter/more precise in steering but the 220 hit "harder"/ snappier engine response and a more authoritative rear brake, like when squaring a turn. Starting off in the early '70's, I never thought I'd own a KTM, Maico, Husky, etc., and after all this time I ended-up with my favourite type, performance, and "at ease with" 220. Nice bike she be!
I rode a kitted out 89 kdx 200, and it was awesome, these enduro's are absolutly fun off road. Riding a peaky mx 2 t is fun for blasting round a track, but the kdx was the best for all round riding.
Just got a ‘93. Throwing a ton of new parts on it. I have all winter to perfect. Can’t wait for spring!! Gonna ride Michigans ORV Trails.
You covered it better than other shows.
I just came across this...great job! I picked up a KDX200 about a year ago...had never seen the bike before as I'd been out of dirt bikes for decades (my last bike as a teenager was an IT175). It's a great bike...fairly bullet proof. The guy before me didn't do much maintenance so I'm working my way through everything. It has a fun power band with some good low end grunt and some decent fun top end punch (no, it's not an MX bike, but it isn't "slow"). I want to keep the bike for nostalgia even if I got something newer (like a YZ250X).
Love my kdx200 and 220. The 200 definitely rips harder on the pipe.
Nice. I'm staying in South Africa, I'm currently riding the 2006. The previous owner thought it was an 80s bike haha? This confirms it. Very informative. Thanks
Shan Also in South Africa. Still see KDX's at funduros. Great single track bike
@@sgtunix It does have a very different feel in the turns and the suspension just eats rocks and ruts up, it's not as advanced as the modern enduro bikes with hydro clutches and fuel injection obviously but when on a single trail the green machine shines. Hope you have a berm filled Sunday. not sure if you have seen this but it may interest you. ruclips.net/video/eeDUPSG5wkI/видео.html
@@shanvmw Thanks, already saw the torture test. I had a KDX 220 a few years ago. Now on a 2017 KTM 300 XC-W
Thanks for the fun and interesting review of KDX 175 and 200 dirt bikes. I used to have a Kawasaki G4 100, which was a great little trail bike for the back woods. Now, I have 2 budgies. 1 yellow and 1 green. They should be called Suzuki and Kawasaki. Lol. But their actual names are Coco and Bobo. I will post a link to a picture in the next message. Cheers from Canada :-)
I loved the 220. I found that that the 220 ran great on 25% methanol and would outperform the 200 with no problem. If you ran the 200 on methanol 25% it would ping. The one cool thing about the KDX line is that you can register it for the street if you get turn signals and mirrors.
Owned a 80 kdx, great turning bike.Cut one inch off both sides of handle bars to slide threw trees in northern Mi. Little hard to lift front end
My '92 KDX 250 is an amazing trail bike. I ride desert and forested tight trails and it's really capable. Climbs hills like a goat.
Nice review, documentary. I have one, 2001. Perfect trail bike for someone who just wants a hassle free ride. Love it.
Also had a 1980 PE175
Would crackle & backfire!!
My Dad & I called her Rigamortis' or Riggi'
justin henderson sounds like your reeds were feathered
I’m obsessed with this bike. They just don’t make em like they used to. Dream would be to have a garage with XR 250 & 400, and a KDX.
As kid in the 1980s, these were dream bikes. I had a few older friends who had IT 200, 250 and the KDX 175 and 200. I got to ride the KDX175 and earlier versions of the KDX200 (83-85). In Africa, I never saw the blue seat for the 1985 KDX. Drag race the IT200 was faster at flatout from what I saw. I remember seeing the new 86, sexy!! I also remember the new 89, wow, it seemed fast, a buddy that had previously riding IT 200 and 250, had bought the KDX in 1989 and he was flying on it!!
Very compete and detailed presentation, always learn something here.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this upload which I return to. I have a 89 water cooled. Terrific machine, simple, strong and fun.
I do remember Jeff Ferdetti racing MX/SX on one at Santa Fe Speedway in Hinsdale Illinois and thinking who is that nut. He did very well on the KDX what ever displacement he was racing.
I had a 96 bought brand new in 98 from Pete's cycle in Severna Park MD. I raced mx at the time. I loved the KDX, the fun factor was off the charts for what it was, I wish I still owned it.
Great clip. I had a brand new 96. Loved that bike.
Rode a 89 and it was the best. In the woods it was sweet. Good suspension, great power, fun to ride
My buddy had a 91 KDX250R, I know he loved that thing, he never let me ride it even though I let him ride my 84 CR250R I had at the time, I remember him saying my bike was scary fast compared to his 😅
Side note, have you ever seen the 93-94 KDR250SR's? I don't know if they were Japan or Asia or certain European countries only, but they're wild looking compared to the US specs, instead of all bright green frame and plastics with the blue seat and blue anodized fork uppers .... they're either teal frame and seat with black plastics with purple, red, and yellow decals, or even wilder, teal frame, seat, and tool bag with hot pink plastics and teal, pink, and purple decals.... they're even more "90s" than the 92 RM's and about as crazy "90s" as the early to mid 90s TM's 😂 I mean they're much more bright and catching compared to the 92 CR's which are dull in comparison 😅
Now that I've seen one, I need all super 90s bikes of the, well, 90s lol....
Weird that the KDX changed to the blue seat in 85, but kept the 84 writing (similar to the KXs) as opposed to outlined 85 writing on the KX, then right back in line for 86. Love the presentation Blaze!
Great vlog very interesting and informative and brings back memories
The best off road fun on two wheels !! I did a lot of enduro's on my 175. Lovely bike which you could'nt kill.
Hunted for a KDX200 for months and found one.. put a lectron carb and its a fun, reliable, capable dirtbike.
Very informative, love these kind of videos.
Nice video, winter time, can't go ride : (
I have a 93 200, 2000 200, and 2001 220 (all street legal!) and like the 93 about the best, it's super nimble, it's like riding a trials bike. The stock 220 is a different beast, with the proper gearing you can throttle loft the front wheel all day at low speed. Super fun tight woods torque monster. With the bigger bore and smaller carb, the torque is so much different than the hit of the 200.
Oh I have had maybe 15 other KDX's including the air heads. All such fun bikes!!
Thanks for the nice video.
My first bike 1990 kdx 200 , great bike got it 3 months ago for $750 here in a town called Elsa,Tx and it runs like a beast and turns on on first kick
I’ve got a 91KDX I need to redo the bottom end but I do love it and it does start very easy
My kids learned to ride on a 03 KDX50. Great little bike and it pricked my ears towards the kdx200. I have a 2011 kx250f but I would love a late model kdx200!
Love the enduro bike reviews, hopefully we’ll be lucky enough to see more, thanks again Tony, your the best.
Thanks
just a bloody great dirtbike. truely nailed the all roundness of it
I've always been a woods/endure rider and have owned too many bikes! I've owned two KDX200s and found them to be one of the most fun of my collection! Sure, they lacked the suspension and fire-breathing attributes that I had on my race bikes, but it was extraordinary in tight trails and climbing, and the muffler was amazing! First one was a 1999, and I liked it so much I purchased the 2006 as it was the last year. I later purchased a KTM 200 XC-W after the Kawis and was disappointed in their lack of climbing (torque and hook-up) abilities compared to the KDX, thought the KTM had a far superior suspension, amongst many other things. But the extra cash put down for the KTM didn't seem worth it to me.
Nice video like always. My dad had 2 of them one when he was younger then one when i was 7 my brother was 4 he went out bought us a xr50 and a xr70 and himself a 93kdx. Had alot of fun holding on to those handle bars i thought the bike was a rocket ship lol!
My dad has 2 i remember riding on the bars as a kid great video
The dirt rider tests were so detailed. I would read the entire article including "technically speaking" which was huge and back then it all stuck in my head.
My buddy in high school had a 200. He impressed me everytime we went out. It was a great bike and he was a great friend. RIP Piercey. We seldom fail to tell a story about him whenever we get out on the trails.
What state were you guys in what year was it I can relate my friend in Huntington Beach Todd his dad used to let us take out to Yamaha 425 Two Strokes total tractors at El Mirage Dry Lake in California we were fifteen and a half years old
I still remember gawking at this online as a kid. The 200 / 220 thing confused the hell out of me and I didn’t even know what I was looking at lol would be cool to pull that up on the way back machine
Had a 97 kdx 220 for 15 years never disappointed ....👍👌
The 1984 kdx80 came in red. I bought one new. Great little bike.
I had a kdx 175 1981, it was a great woods bike.
Memory lane for sure. I had the 220cc with carb bored and jetted by Fredette Racing, FMF Pipe and racetech fork and shock revalve. In a straight line it would crawl away from my cousins 200cc Kdx after fourth gear. I spent about $1100 and boy did the mods transform the bike.
I have a KDX 200 1997 it’s the best bike to have fun on.
Fantastic vids....
Would make my day if you did this for those beautiful Yam ITs. Wish Yam kept those colours to this day!!!
Very great quality made video keep it up
I just picked up a non running KDX220 a couple of weeks ago for $1k. (bad coil). Lucky the coil was bad because the PO who took it in trade had put straight gas in it. Woulda locked up in minutes! The Last dirt bike I had was a 79 KX80 when I was a kid 35 years ago! Most fun you can have with your pants on!
I had a 1991 KDX200! it was a great bike
My 3rd bike after my 82 CR 80 and 87 KX 125 was a mint white 88 KDX 200. I miss that bike.
I never had one, but I knew a few guys who could fly through some of the nastiest higher speed Michigan single track trails on their stock KDX200.
Nice comprehensive history!.
I had an 89 CR250 and my buddy had an 89 KDX200. We would trade once in a while and though his bike didn't have that big HIT, it never felt slow to me. Also, when we were riding the fire roads I would get frustrated because his 'little' 200 was about 20 miles an hour faster than my race bike!. 0 to 50 I was GONE, but my CR was only a 5-spd and geared for track racing, so he would catch up and pretty much blow by me. 😠
The KDX220 was an odd thing, but the worst thing KDX did IMO was put the inverted fork on (late), then take it back off again!. I loves me some inverted forks, especially in blue. 😁
I I wouldn't mind having one in my garage though, even with fork boots. 😣😌
Kawasaki u guys listing to this fella bring back the kdx200. Awesome all rounder . I have a 1989 kdx200 and love it . Have had it for 15years and will never get rid of it. I love the soft seat and suspension. U can ride it slow or fast. I dialed in the oil injecting and it runs dry at the pipe. It can sit for 12 months I lay it on it side let carb drain and bang it fires right up. My gripe is the crank seal can't be replaced with out splitting the cases . Not cool.!
Owning a kdx has been on the top of my bucket list for some time... and a honda sx250... I could go on hahaha
I go and pick up my 2000 kdx 220 Saturday..... dreams can come true.
I recently bought a kdx 175 with only 370 original miles. The clutch is stuck from sitting and the air filter is disintegrating. Where is the best source for parts ? I looked on RUclips for information and am a new subscriber because you put together a great presentation. Thanks.
I had the 1985 model, one of the best bikes I ever had! Nice history piece!
Thanks for the great montage! Had an '84 KDX200 & loved & rode it for 6 fun years here in New England. Jeff Fredette was my hero.
Computer was junk, mine stopped working within the first few months. I loved that bike, other than the flexy forks and super easy to stall in tight woods sections. Ended up upgrading to the 220 and it's was much better.
GASGAS had a 200 in late 90's early 00's - to compete withKDX, although obviously not in overall sales. I still have a 01 GASGAS XC200. Fun bike
Another good one! Thanks!
Loved the KDX never owned one a buddy had one a 220 street legal with turn signals horn it was a kit
Would you ever do a video on the kmx?
Interesting that the 220 was dissed somewhat when the characteristics mentioned would certainly appeal to in the woods, gnarly, hairpin turn, mountain climbing terrain I see off road in my area.. I could certainly see the appeal.. Sounds a bit like the 350 Bighorn dual sport as far as the torque I had back in the early 70's minus some weight.. Certainly served my dual sport needs quite well...
Thank you very good review. I owned an 1983 and loved it. It did seize once but did no damage and never happened again.
Plan to buy a KDX soon. Have KLX 300 and want a two stroke option.