85 KX 85 Cylinder

I acquired a kx80 or 85, not sure which yet cuz I haven't figured out the year (guessing 2000), but it needs a cylinder.
The piston was melted at the exhaust port, and it damaged the cylinder. I was told that it has a special plating and cannot be bored, but must be sent to U.S Chrome in WI to be fixed, or a new cylinder is needed, both around 400-500 dollars to do.
If anyone thinks they may have a cylinder that is in usable shape for a decent price I may entertain buying it. Will verify year if I get any replies.
Not going to hold my breath though...
 
I acquired a kx80 or 85, not sure which yet cuz I haven't figured out the year (guessing 2000), but it needs a cylinder.
The piston was melted at the exhaust port, and it damaged the cylinder. I was told that it has a special plating and cannot be bored, but must be sent to U.S Chrome in WI to be fixed, or a new cylinder is needed, both around 400-500 dollars to do.
If anyone thinks they may have a cylinder that is in usable shape for a decent price I may entertain buying it. Will verify year if I get any replies.
Not going to hold my breath though...

Remove all the studs and make it a bare jug. Send to langcourt.com in AL and put YZDOC on the order form. Ask to supply piston with re-plate, 200 bucks max I bet. DO NOT GO BY on-line price sheet.
 
Awesome!
Thanks for that. If It can be done for under 350, it is what will get this bike running for my kid. He has outgrown the XR100, and doesn't like my XR200, cant touch the ground.
Otherwise it might be scrap.
Plus, the CEO used to work for Brainerd Int'l Raceway, a favorite of mine, so I am already partial. Gotta trust a good ol' MN boy.
I'll let you know how it ends up.
Probably gonna be a couple months to recover from X-mas though...
 
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You could MEASURE the cylinder. The casting on the side will tell you how the factory sent it.

I never ran across a Kawasaki 80 with a power valve, but that means little. All the kx 85's I have seen opened had power valves.

Some thing to consider on replating is to have it bored to take the kx100 piston. Simple head swap or mod and you have the same engine Kawasaki sent. Way easier to ride. Not actually faster. Less rev happy.

Now for the crankshaft!!!
 
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Reply from Langcourt Performance;
"The cost for a weld and replate will be $256.25 + s/h as long as there is no damage to the skirt."
 
there may be more damage than you yet know
I remember spinning the crank with the rod when we got the jug off, it felt a little loose.
This looks like it may cost 500 or better. So it'll probably get back burnered, and long enough to the point where my kid outgrows it...
 
It takes a pretty long time to outgrow one of those, since you see 15 year old's still racing them. if he has a ground reach problem on your xr200 he has some time. the crankshaft is not all that spendy. ride it a year and sell it.
 
It takes a pretty long time to outgrow one of those, since you see 15 year old's still racing them. if he has a ground reach problem on your xr200 he has some time. the crankshaft is not all that spendy. ride it a year and sell it.
Thanks Andy. Good points. I will reconsider this after the holidays then, but gotta get some more positive income first.
Being off for 2 weeks doesn't help...
 
Reply from Langcourt Performance;
"The cost for a weld and replate will be $256.25 + s/h as long as there is no damage to the skirt."

boring it to take the kx100 piston cures the gouge without the welding, which you can spend on the head mods. or just look at sending it to eric gorr or some other sort that sells the packaged plan. other options are the cylinder kit supply houses.
 
I asked Langcourt, here is their response;
"I believe that there is a big bore kit available for that cylinder and we could bore it and re-plate it to fit that kit. If the bore out cleaned up the damage without any welding needed, the cost would be $229.95 + s/h."
Ultimately I would just like to get it going for as little as possible. The boy doesn't need anything fancy at this point.
 
I just spoke with Eric Gorr and for a 400 dollar price tag, it sounds like this option is the way to go. Send him the parts, and it comes back complete, with a warranty. Thats money well spent to me, and it'll come back less expensive than if I pieced it together myself.
 
Reply from Langcourt Performance;
"The cost for a weld and replate will be $256.25 + s/h as long as there is no damage to the skirt."
Told you not to. But eh, you did. :prof:
That's about a 250cc weld/plate/vertex piston price. Although the last one they did for me was 195.00 And 125 was 154.00
 
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