1978 Kawasaki KD100

[Yamatrike400]

Heres a little bike ive been wrenching on. A few months ago the plug hole stripped out and blew the rings, so I ordered some rings for it. Today i was working on the cylinder and ported it out. Also painted it and the head. I hope to give it the 2 stroke "BRAAP" power, instead of that weak 4 stroke feeling chug. Im also going to try to make an expansion chamber. Its also a rotary valve. Any ideas on what else i can do to make this a little ripper? :beer

Heres what it looked like when i had it going a few months ago, can you say "ghetto"?
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r52/squirrellrancher/07-21-08_2135.jpg
Heres pics of the Head and barrel.
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r52/squirrellrancher/12-16-08_1806.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r52/squirrellrancher/12-16-08_1807.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r52/squirrellrancher/12-16-08_1808.jpg

[brapp]

if you need any parts i have t 77 kd100 sitting in the barn no cosmetics and looks verry verru similar to the one u have in your first pic but has good top end and just needed carb stuff and exhaust to run.

[Yamatrike400]

Thanks brapp. It wouldn't happen to have the oil pump cover and the flywheel cover would it?

[brapp]

possibly i'll check tomarow

[Yamatrike400]

You ever check out that KD brapp? thanks again

[Tri-Z 250]

I had the street / trail G5 100. I remember the gasket on the carb sidecase would leak and every water crossing it would spit and spudder...thanks to gasket goo prob solved. Very dependable for me, many day ending rides coming home with the light on.

[Yamatrike400]

Cool, ill be sure to seal mine off. It is a real fun bike.

[81Rmachine]

I got a '79 and my plug also stripped. The thing shot out at my leg while I was ridin it! Well I'd like to see someone get a rotary valve to make good power, I thought mine was a real pooch compared to the little CR 80 I got to screw around while I was trickin out the R. The KD was my first bike and It used to stay next to my brothers old 400 liquid 2-stroke 2x4 Polaris. I didn't have much luck with reliability, but I hope it won't end up bein a pain in the ass for you too.

[Yamatrike400]

It wasn't very hard to put a new plug insert in, and i hope that was the only problem. I just got the rings and i'm waiting on a new wrist pin bearing. I hope i can get even the slightest hint of a powerband out of it. I read somewhere leaning it out a bit really helps. I had to do a lot of work to get it going, but it seemed fairly reliable, and got great gas mileage.

[Tri-Z 250]

I hope i can get even the slightest hint of a powerband out of it. I had to do a lot of work to get it going, but it seemed fairly reliable, and got great gas mileage. POWER BAND:lol: not that the g5 was bad...it was smooth no snap...like a trials motor. Good bottom and mid power with a pretty flat top...Good trail / starter bike. DID YOU SEE the vintage bike sale? I'm sure they have stuff in that pile for ya some where...its posted in this thread.

[300rman]

okay. there should be a drain bolt on the bottom. drain it out.

there should be a screw in the side of the case that you remove while filling. when oil starts to seep out of the hole, you are at the correct lever, but be careful and make sure it isnt running right out as you pour it in, cause the bolt hole and the fill hole are usually on the same side, so it will run out of the hole before it has time to seep to the other side of the trans. (not sure which side, get close-up pics of both sides of the motor, and ill tell you which one)

bad design by honda, they could have learned something from Kawasaki, they have a little viewing screen.

[Yamatrike400]

okay. there should be a drain bolt on the bottom. drain it out.

there should be a screw in the side of the case that you remove while filling. when oil starts to seep out of the hole, you are at the correct lever, but be careful and make sure it isnt running right out as you pour it in, cause the bolt hole and the fill hole are usually on the same side, so it will run out of the hole before it has time to seep to the other side of the trans. (not sure which side, get close-up pics of both sides of the motor, and ill tell you which one)

bad design by honda, they could have learned something from Kawasaki, they have a little viewing screen.

Not sure where that came from?

Anyway the wrist pin bearing arrived, and i got it all together with 150+ lbs compression, and after some point adjustment, she fired right up. Sounds like a little fire breather already...Im excited...

[Yamatrike400]

Got to ride it around today, there was definitely more power. In the mid range you can really notice when the power comes on. It isn't too substantial, but its better than before. It wanted to pull up the front tire, but couldn't because it would just spin on the snow. Its still not 100% yet, its got a leaky exhaust, and the head was leaking. My plug insert also broke. Otherwise i'm quite pleased with the results.

[seddon]

i love that gas tank i had one of those set ups one time one a 125

[fabiodriven]

One of my first bikes was a KD80. Nice little bike, of course the plug hole stripped out. Every time it got wet from a puddle, rain, whatever- the thing would die out on me. It never failed, or I guess it always did...

[Yamatrike400]

Yeah, i put the front tire in a small puddle once and the flywheel key sheared - Wtf?

I'm still surprised that it winds out like a 2 stroke now...

[Yamatrike400]

Messed around with it a bit. Made a cardboard head gasket (notebook back) got a helicoil insert set and re-did the spark plug hole. Tuned the carb some. She winds out real nice. It'll wheelie through second gear now, it didn't have the guts before at all. Opening up those ports really helped. Its a little screamer. I just gotta find the side cover and fix the broken exhaust stud. Once the exhaust is fixed itll have a bit more low-end.

http://s141.photobucket.com/albums/r52/squirrellrancher/?action=view&current=02-01-09_1518.flv