Craig, a couple years back when I was 17 you got me really into fixing bikes. I started out with a 1993 Katana 600, ended up loosing money but kept at it. I ended up having a bored out hayabusa, a modded out widowmaker, and now I have a 2015 r1. I do all the work myself, including engine and electrical. Thanks for the inspiration and teachings, I genuinely couldn’t have done it without you, your channel, or your time at bikes and beards!
I’m at the beginning of my Bike flip journey. I just bought a 2008 Honda rebel Cmx250c for $800. Had a ton of issues. Hopefully I can get to where you are.
@@StroppyBeast don’t be offended but if you want to turn a profit stay far away from small bikes. Stick with 600cc and up. Or get basket case dirt bikes atvs. Don’t pay more than $500 for anything that doesn’t run and ride.
@@njmxjunkie3128honestly I agree but dont go on the more expensive side either, they get much harder to sell and if everything isn’t perfect on it they take like a 1-2k dip in price
Hey Craig , my buddy sent me this video. Turns out , I was the original owner. I sold it to Chris years ago and wanted to buy it back many times . Unfortunately he wouldn't part with it . Amazing you got it and we're able to bring life back to it. Had many good times with it in New York state , and New Jersey ( when you could find places to ride there ). Best wishes , thanks for the video. Lee , p.s. Quads more my speed now .
Ultrasonic cleaner filled(not so much that the next container wil overflow it obviously) with distilled water+a smaller container(preferably glass or something the ultrasonic waves will move through) filled with your choice of penetrant. Put the part in container with the penetrant and put that in the ultrasonic cleaner. Put the ultrasonic cleaner on hot and let it run! Just a humble suggestion! I work on cyclotrons and this has worked with frozen pnuematics and such that I was ready to toss. I can't tell you how awesome this channel is and how much I've learned about working on motorcycles such! Thanks for the videos!
Little tip: borax is good for cleaning up mouse residue. It neutralizes uric acid and breaks down any smelly lipids that they've left behind. Gallon of hot water, few tablespoons of borax and a shot of dish soap, and you're good to go on demousing anything you like.
I felt that stuck slide in my soul. I had a 20 year old Polaris snowmobile that needed a full teardown. The magneto would not come free. Used two separate flywheel pullers, both broke. Let it soak in penetrating oil, heated it up, then drilled holes in a 1/4" steel plate, bought some grade 8 bolts to tighten down to the crank snout, and still broke the bolts. Took the bottom end to a top notch motorcycle mechanic, he said he had it soaking for days, heated it till it was smoking, and then broke his own heavy duty 30 year old tractor flywheel puller. Ended up throwing in the towel and bought a replacement engine and dropped it in. What a frustrating experience.
I've been watching The Bearded Mechanic for a long time and even bikes and beards. This is my first comment. Do to the fact I watch it on a roku TV, where you can't comment. I feel like an idiot. I just realized Crieg and the night shift guy Greg are the same person. Maybe I'm not smart enough to operate or work on a bike. My world's turned upside down. Y'all are great and Dan is the icing on the cake. Love the way he rips on Crieg, it makes the show awesome. Thank you for endless hours of fun. Keep it up. #08b-king4ever
LMAO!!!!😂😂 I love these guys and I died laughing at your comment about just finding out about Greg!!! Love your comment. ❤🇺🇸 this makes my week to watch these epic videos with Craig, Dan, and night rider Greg. Greg wears his sunglasses at night.
years ago i had a jetski 2 stroke run away, pulled the plug leads off still ran, rammed my hand over the air intake and it stopped, frightened the life out of me!
That's my bike! (Well, mine was just like it!) I bought it new in early 1986. I loved that bike. Still my favorite. I sold it in 1992 due to $$$$ issues. I wish I never got rid of it!
So a better way to unstick a slide other than just prying is to pry it up a little then tap it back down and slowly move it back and forth and that will help loosen the slide as well. Also clean the slide hole with scotch brite above the slide so the hole is cleaner above it.
Carbs like that, take out the idle screw, use a shim and force the fslide to fully close to break the seal using a vice. You can add heat and wd40 as I have done in the past, ultra sonic clean after any movment might help too. Hope this helps
I used to have the exact same bike. My uncle and dad bought matching bikes brand new and I used to ride on the gas tank as a kid and when I was 16 he gave it to me. I loved every second of that thing. Wonderful memories
Awesome. You looked like a kid just got his first real motorcycle riding it. That feeling is with you for life. Many can relate I'm sure. Another good one here. Cheers. 👍
A riding buddy had one of these KDX200 ... Off road we all drop the bike several times a day .... He dropped the KDX and put the clutch lever through his left palm - Nasty. Top supermoto racer tip ... if you want to play silly buggers on the back wheel, that mudguard is really not an issue .... but if you think it is then drill a series of 2 inch holes up the mudguard ... no more wind issues 😉 P. S and not for the first time ... Yamaha's own carb cleaner. Nothing else works like it.
I hope this video blows up (not in a bad way of course). Or maybe it can be a runaway with millions of views ;). Already one of my top favorite videos on the channel, and was great to see Greg in action. He needs more prime time action lol
I could see how hard it was to say anything positive about those products, TEMU propably paid good $$$. Craig is a cheeky bugger, getting paid for "can i fix motorbike using the cheapest crap i can find"-challenge without wasting his own money on said crap. :D Did you notice that he compared everything to the original parts and even weighed some and didn't recommend -anything-? :DDDD
Dude!! I really enjoy your videos, but this was epic, and I just HAD to comment! A "runaway" is incredibly nerve wracking and scary!!! You having the presence of mind to cap off the exhaust to kill it is really amazing. Very, very few people would think of this. WELL DONE!!! Vettepilot
Craig. I remember reading about this bike in Dirt Bike magazine while a senior in high school. Couldn't afford one being a student making $2.50 /hour, LOL. So cool seeing my dream bike coming alive again. Thanks for the video!
Yea, Dalton was stuck in bed for like a week. Pretty sure he almost died. That first video back after he got sick he still looked so worn out. Glad dudes ok though, I love PBG. One of my favorite RU-vidrs.
Man. I had one of these back in the day. Love that sound. This was a great episode. Give ya credit for even trying with that carb. I woulda hucked it! 😅
My father bought me my first big bike at 15. 2002 Kdx220. We spent nights and weekends rebuilding it top to bottom. Those were the best of memories. Thanks for the nostalgia of the beast of the Kdx platform
That was painful to watch his team monkey with a classic suzuki.no air box ,no exhaust ( thanks to Cletus and a sawzall ) then I bet the valves had either rust or carbon on them so causing lack of compression, then they wondered why it misfires ! Absolutely chimps could do a better job ....ps it was a gs1000 L
They already trashed that bike. Funny how big engines and small engines have such a disconnect, and mechanics have such a disregard for mechanical sympathy about something they have little experience with, or regard.
That's one of the MANY things I've learned from this channel- just use WHATEVER you need to get it running, and worry about the duct taped throttle cables later😎
I had a KDX 200 and a KX125 as a teen. That KDX was amazing, just straight up bulletproof. It would climb a tree and jump a double too! Great bike. They don't make em like that anymore. The KX125 was fast but you blew a lot of top ends if you kept it on the pipe for a few races. They were fast but easy to break but it was cheap back in those days.
Yes. I bought an '87 that was ridden 1 time, the rider broke his collar bone, and parked it. Needed tires, and a needle and seat. Wish I never sold it, great bike.
Hell yea. Grew up on an 87 kdx200. One of my fav bikes ever. Awesome to see one on your channel. Also…. Happy summer tour. Hope you get to see the band!!
Owned a 2005 KDX 220 built by Jeff Fredette. Such a sick bike with a massive cult following. KDX's are tanks and still hold their own today with modern bikes.
That's an 87 which you can tell from the tank and seat graphics. I bought an 86 KDX new at the age of 17. It was a great bike that I had a ton of fun on.
I had the same carb issue with my xl80s. Soaked it in barryman chem dip for 4 hours. It helps if you leave the throttle cable attached, wrap it around a pipe and use the leverage of twisting the throttle cable against the carb body. Pulled right out. Then chem dipped it again to get the remaining varnish out.
Had an 87, 92 and now a 94. Love those things so much. Almost sold my 94 recently but have put so much work into it I couldn’t let it go. Seeing an 86 like that is awesome! I had an 87 I bought for my brother for $400 and it was chained to an AC unit when I bought it lol
I like videos that show the real life - guy troubles lol. This is how many projects go REALLY lol. Most channels just show boom boom pow parts on, crank and go. They don't show the 439 times you tried to get one screw out, or when you used a 3foot pry bar on a carb lol. I love it!
I bought one of these new in late '86 as an '87 model. It was a great bike! Bulletproof and never had to touch the engine. Rode the wheels off it until my skills surpassed it, but it was awesome! Even won a race or two on it.
That is the original Unitrak with the dog bone linkage! I had a 1982 KX125. First year with front disk brakes and liquid cooled engine, with the radiator all on the left side.
I had a 1980 KDX 175 , i bought it new in 1980 , i had it till 1985 , i never ever had any problems with it it was super reliable , my brother had a 1979 Yamaha IT 175 he also never had any issues with it , these bikes were tanks !
Can't wait to see this episode about 2 years ago I bought an 89 kdx200 Birmingham al. Been sitting in the guys basement for 7 years. Paid 650. Got it home. Cleaned carb fired rite up. Crazy but gotta do water pump seal &fork seals its like a time capsul !
I just got a 87 that needs a primary stator coil i have on order and can't wait to get it running. I loved the video and hope you keep your kdx and enjoy the crap outta it.
The "carb" portion was the best battle, hours and hours fighting to save the carb from mouse urine, I wish you could of saved the vintage carb.. great content!!
I had a banshee run away 2 days ago. Kill switch didn't do it, ignition key didn't do it, pulled both plug wires and was still running wide open. Pulled the choke to flood it and it finally shut off
Seized alu or zamac, you can give it a bath with light acid (vinegar, citric...) even before adding any solvents, lubricant...it MAY help. The oxides are usually easier to dissolve than the base metal...
Those were great bikes. I had a Gen1 KDX200 and we rode the wheels off of it. A Gen2 must be the best of all worlds: simple engine, better brakes and suspension.
I love my KDX200. I had an '86 for a while and now have a factory white '88 model. I completely rebuilt the engine to make sure it was 100% and have been freshening up everything else on it as I have time. The power spread/delivery is near perfect on them. Once all the small stuff is buttoned up I'll be doing a 240cc top end for it.
Recently picked up a 1986 Kawasaki KLR 250 which was standing in a garage for 18 years. Really love to see you fixing a similar bike, excited for that first ride !
I can only imagine the power behind that. When I was about 15 or 16 my friend tried to teach me to ride his Kawasaki KDX 80... It did NOT go well... Too much power for me as a first time rider and not knowing how to properly shift gears... Just seeing that green and blue brings back a lot of memories..
Hey Craig! Love the videos, and dry humour it’s great! I used to have an early generation liquid cooled kdx 220, it’s what I learned on and was a tank! Was abused badly but ran for years!, with many repairs from a friend that reminds me of yourself. Dan must have a blast!! Your KDX 5:23 200 air cooled looks like so much fun! After the hard work finally playtime haha ! Love seeing these cool older bikes being brought back to life!! Thank you Craig for doing what you do here! I really appreciate your content! And good luck with that cranky miss geico..
this really takes me back. i had a kdx200 ('89) waaay back in the day (mid 90's). i was goofing around in first or second gear and dislocated my shoulder. all i had done was a full fmf exhaust, upgraded air fiulter, carb jetted for the pipe and new clutches.
when your slider in carb is stuck u cant just run heat on it.. they'll warp the carb.. what u can do is just soaked it with oil/diesel for period of time and try to wiggle it better broke the slider instead of the cylinder housing you could taken the main jets and use some smaller alan key inside it to help push from below...and tapped it slowly ....once it moved i sanded the slider housing with 2000grit paper..and lubed it a bit..and replace or..reuse the slider yes this need lots of care and time if u wanna save the carbs especially if thats original...which hard to find and EXPENSIVE where i lived... i faced this experience many times handling junkyard bikes i fixed... handling it with fire just breaks it even more..
Man what a memory brought back. I had that same bike and year model along with the KX200 back in 02 and 03 what a blast i had on them. I preferred riding the KDX more though
