My newest purcahse: 1982 kawasaki ar80

g3ssexy

Active Member
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Bought this titled running (poorly) ar80 recently. Installed new tires and removed the battery box and air box as neither had the side covers. Changed out the cdi box and installed new lights. Tried tuning the stock carb, but it is very limited as to what can be done with it. Stock needle only has one clip position. Upgraded the carb from the stock 18mm to a 21mm. She's now running great! Future plans include a full powdercoat, and possibly a kx or kdx engine swap. Stock power is 9hp, whereas the kdx and kx 80's are making close to 20. Also a new single cafe race seat out of fiberglass.
 
Congrats, I love those bikes. You'll have fun with it I'm sure. I'd like to do an engine swap in my MB5 but having difficulty finding a donor. Post up if you do the swap.
 
Thanks. Already have a 1mm bored over kdx engine that needs the bore cleaned up, so that's more of a parts engine sadly. "Should" be picking up a kx80 air cooled engine today if all goes to plan. Owner knows nothing about it, so i'll assume it's also a parts engine, but it's cheap.
 
got the kx80 engine today. splines on the shifter shaft are missing. piston had no rings. cylinder looks good however. might be able to make one good engine out of the two...
 
I am waiting to get my Dads AR from him (need to find a friend that has enough time to take a 6 hour road trip and a truck) his is bored out to a 105 and has widened rims on it and an FMF pipe. He used it for cart track racing 15 years ago but since I now live in Arizona I don't have to worry about emissions standards. After I pick it up I just need to put a kick stand lights, mirror, and a horn on it and I will have a fun second toy to ride in the canyon with. These bikes are sweet that is for sure!
 
g3ssexy said:
CHiPmnR.jpg


Bought this titled running (poorly) ar80 recently. Installed new tires and removed the battery box and air box as neither had the side covers. Changed out the cdi box and installed new lights. Tried tuning the stock carb, but it is very limited as to what can be done with it. Stock needle only has one clip position. Upgraded the carb from the stock 18mm to a 21mm. She's now running great! Future plans include a full powdercoat, and possibly a kx or kdx engine swap. Stock power is 9hp, whereas the kdx and kx 80's are making close to 20. Also a new single cafe race seat out of fiberglass.
Congrats! I just bought one & had it shipped cross country to Austin TX. I have no clue where you are - but the scene here for obscure motorcycles has grown over the years, and it seemed like the right time to own, again, the bike I bought with my lawn-mowing money when I was 15. Mine's in great shape but won't run off choke. Carb's clean, jets okay, it'll idle with the choke off but if I give it throttle it dies. On choke it runs like a banshee. A chainsaw banshee. I'm asuming a previous owner fitted the wrong main jet so I'm ordering a couple larger ones. I'm curious which jet you're running?
Also VERY curious what larger/better tires I can fit, and which metric sizes / brands I can squeeze on there. The tires on it are 30 years old!
While I'm at it, anyone know how to convert from 6v to 12v? I just ordered some converters on eBay so I can at least put a bright-ass 12v led bulbs in it, but that's a stop-gap fix.
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Miroku said:
Mine's in great shape but won't run off choke. Carb's clean, jets okay, it'll idle with the choke off but if I give it throttle it dies. On choke it runs like a banshee. A chainsaw banshee. I'm asuming a previous owner fitted the wrong main jet so I'm ordering a couple larger ones. I'm curious which jet you're running?
Also VERY curious what larger/better tires I can fit, and which metric sizes / brands I can squeeze on there. The tires on it are 30 years old!
While I'm at it, anyone know how to convert from 6v to 12v? I just ordered some converters on eBay so I can at least put a bright-ass 12v led bulbs in it, but that's a stop-gap fix.
mxjn.jpg

I also just picked up an AR80. 1400 original miles and she is in great condition. I just need the stock decals, which I found at Diablo Cycle. Although the tires are in rideable condition I may change them. Did you ever find out about the larger size tires?

 
Sorry to bring this topic back from the dead. didn't realize people had posted in it. miroku, not sure what the stock jet size is, but i can take a look next time i'm in the garage. as far as tires go, i fitted some irc zapps from treatland.tv they no longer have the zapps, but i've had good luck with sava in the past as well. i think i've got a 2.50 in the front and a 3 inch on the rear. no fitment issues. both of your bikes are beautiful. and both have the fairing?! that's always missing. mine is currently undergoing the engine transplant (kdx80). i've got some take off parts including the entire engine and both carbs as well as some misc body pieces i'll be selling if either of you (or other ar80 owners) need anything. there is a video of me riding it last summer on youtube if you search for ar80 test ride.
 
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