g3ssexy
Active Member
Picked up an 82 kawasaki ar80 last summer from my work. (pic below) Stock carb had no pilot or needle adjustment, so i swapped in a 21mm mikuni to replace the stock 18 and replaced the original tires. Then i drove it around for the summer. Was a fun little bike and did around 60mph with the larger carb. However, i wanted something a little quicker.
http://postimage.org/
cleaned up and with new tires and carb.
http://postimage.org/app.php
and here's a quick run with the new carb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M9OuEtFR7k
For an engine swap, i needed something with an angled exhaust port to clear the frame, and wanted to stay with a kawasaki power plant. I figured the kx /kdx 80 series engines would be perfect. They were angled exhaust port and still small enough to fit in the frame. The stock ar80 has a claimed 9hp @9500 rpms, although mine seemed to peak around 8500. The pipe really didn't want to go much past that. However, the kdx engine has a claimed hp of 18 and revs to around 13000 in stock trim. So i picked up a 1983 kdx80 engine along with an 84 kx80 engine.
stock engine vs kdx80 size comparison
I did a full rebuild on the kdx and kx engines and cut the old engine out.
http://postimage.org/
http://postimage.org/app.php
out of bike stock vs kdx
http://postimage.org/
I wanted to kind of go for the look of the kr50 (production racer? can't really find much info on it)
http://postimage.org/
http://postimage.org/
and really loved the colors of the kr250
First thing that need to go was the stock triple tree top clamp with it's weird integrated bars. So i picked up a honda mb5 triple tree top clamp and machined a ton of material off of it.
I then threw on some clip ons. It more or less fit like it was made to.
http://postimage.org/
I chopped the rear frame to kr50 length and then replaced the stupid heavy stock foot pegs with light aluminium ones and made some custom rear engine mounts and got everything lined up.
http://postimage.org/
Then i painted the gas tank and made some kawasaki decals to throw on it. New front motor mounts were welded on and shift linkage was made and welded on. It also got a stainless braided front brake line.
http://postimage.org/
I need to make and install a pipe and seat pan. I'll be running a trail tech vapor computer and will probably do battery powered lights. It's running a 30mm oko flatslide carb in place of the stock 28mm mikuni. Future plans include a larger front brake with twin pot caliper (if my calculations are correct, it should be able to break the ton) and possibly a custom machined head with center spark plug and better squish band.
http://postimage.org/
cleaned up and with new tires and carb.
http://postimage.org/app.php
and here's a quick run with the new carb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M9OuEtFR7k
For an engine swap, i needed something with an angled exhaust port to clear the frame, and wanted to stay with a kawasaki power plant. I figured the kx /kdx 80 series engines would be perfect. They were angled exhaust port and still small enough to fit in the frame. The stock ar80 has a claimed 9hp @9500 rpms, although mine seemed to peak around 8500. The pipe really didn't want to go much past that. However, the kdx engine has a claimed hp of 18 and revs to around 13000 in stock trim. So i picked up a 1983 kdx80 engine along with an 84 kx80 engine.
stock engine vs kdx80 size comparison
I did a full rebuild on the kdx and kx engines and cut the old engine out.
http://postimage.org/
http://postimage.org/app.php
out of bike stock vs kdx
http://postimage.org/
I wanted to kind of go for the look of the kr50 (production racer? can't really find much info on it)
http://postimage.org/
http://postimage.org/
and really loved the colors of the kr250
First thing that need to go was the stock triple tree top clamp with it's weird integrated bars. So i picked up a honda mb5 triple tree top clamp and machined a ton of material off of it.
I then threw on some clip ons. It more or less fit like it was made to.
http://postimage.org/
I chopped the rear frame to kr50 length and then replaced the stupid heavy stock foot pegs with light aluminium ones and made some custom rear engine mounts and got everything lined up.
http://postimage.org/
Then i painted the gas tank and made some kawasaki decals to throw on it. New front motor mounts were welded on and shift linkage was made and welded on. It also got a stainless braided front brake line.
http://postimage.org/
I need to make and install a pipe and seat pan. I'll be running a trail tech vapor computer and will probably do battery powered lights. It's running a 30mm oko flatslide carb in place of the stock 28mm mikuni. Future plans include a larger front brake with twin pot caliper (if my calculations are correct, it should be able to break the ton) and possibly a custom machined head with center spark plug and better squish band.