I'm ready to ride mean green!

[dcollins4328]

I bought a 1993 kx 500.  It is a very old,used and torn up machine.  I have stripped it down to the frame, and plan to rebuild it completely.  I want to make it as fast as possible, without going to higher octane gas, or high compression pistons.  Any recomendations for mods.  I plan to ride in the open desert of new mexico.

[hughes]

Clean jetting, fmf gnarly desert pipe, gearing, good set of reeds, that should be a good start. Welcome to the site.

[dcollins4328]

Clean jetting, fmf gnarly desert pipe, gearing, good set of reeds, that should be a good start. Welcome to the site.

Thanks.. I'll definately try those mods.  I did have a question about the kickstarter.  When I first bought the bike, it started and ran fine for about 2 hours.(The jetting sucked, and it needs a top end and new reeds, but it ran)  Then I tried to kick start it.  When I would kick it over and it would begin to start, the kick starter would come flying up with enough force to knock me out!  I wasn't able to start the bike like this either, because it would happen so fast, as soon as the bike got a power stroke, it seemed like the engine would not disingage the kickstarter gears like it should, and stall, as all of the power was used to force the kick starter up and cut a gash in my leg.  Anybody know what might be the problem with it?

[hughes]

The kick starter shaft has a ratching type design. Sounds like it is not releasing. There's a spring and a c-clip on the shaft. Need to pull the clutch cover/and probley the clutch basket and remove the kick starter shaft. Somethings worn or the spring or clip is broken. Look at the gallery danger4u2 has pictures of the kick starter shaft.


Try this http://www.kxriders.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=80

[Danger4u2]

The problem I had with my kick starter was the small spring that makes the ratchet engage the gear.  There are two springs on the kick start shaft, one makes the ratchet engage and the big one is the return spring that brings the kicker back up.  The gear on the kick starter shaft is always turning when the bike is running.  I sounds like the gear is frozen to the shaft.   That could be from rust or maybe it was run low on oil (trans) and got hot enough to "weld" it to the shaft.  If the gear does not spin free it will slam the kicker back up like the prob you are having.

[hughes]

You da man with pictures 

[alan]

Welcome! where are from in NM ? We have serveral members here in el paso!

Alan

[steve1965]

Welcome and good luck getting your K5 up and running. This site has helped me with so much since I started coming here and yest the pictures are a great help when trying to figure something out.

[dcollins4328]

Welcome and good luck getting your K5 up and running. This site has helped me with so much since I started coming here and yest the pictures are a great help when trying to figure something out.

Thanks, yall for the info. and great pictures. I think the gear may have welded itself to the shaft, because the when I drained the tranny fluid it was dark grey, and low.  I should have changed it immidiately after I bought the bike, instead of ridding it around for a while.
I'm from artesia new mexico, it's near roswell.  I also ride two 2004 rm 250's.  One is modified for the desert, the other for mx.