The oem 220 pistons were reputed to grenade unexpectedly. Great motors, but those bikes were dated by the time they stopped making them, and that was over 10 years ago. A Husky 125/144 is ten times the bike a KDX is. I owned a few of them, and I wouldn't recommend one as anything other than a beginner/play bike.
Unless you have to have green I wouldn't go kdx either. Great bikes, rode a couple of 200s recently when considering a small-bore and glad I went wr144/165. I did the math and wasn't worth it to upgrade and rebuild the older bike and then still have old tech.
I ran the original piston in my 220 for the first year and then switched to a Wiseco, which had the reputation for NOT breaking the intake skirt.
Never a problem with the piston but my son changed it out after a few years. I contacted Kawasaki about the larger flat washer blocking the input shaft needle bearing from getting oil after we burned up two bearings on the 220. We tricked out the engine to mr KDX in canada. Kawasaki engineering got back to me and said they never had that problem. I put two oil grooves that run behind the washer in the case. My son pushes the limits on everything he rides. He rode my 81 cr250 Husqvarna that I built and ported and that bike took everything he could throw at it and more. I guess the Husqvarna trannies were over built. Because they put bigger cc's on both late 70's and 80's trannies. Let's not forget it was life before the CAD system so everything was over kill not designed on the hairy edge. My son owns two kdx's now a 200 & 220. In NETRA racing the 220 is in the 250 class where it's not really a underdog the 220 is nimble in the tight areas when the 250 is faster in the open areas. It's a 50/50 trade off. Penton was right about the smaller sized bike. I think running the kdx200 stock would serve anyone well. A used bike we would change the piston and ring anyway to freshen it on any used bike might as well do crank seals and bearings too. I remember the NETRA AA RIDERS being wall to wall team green kdx200's before KTM offered there 200. I think the Kawasaki kdx200/220 was one of the most successful woods bikes ever designed and sold.
Nice bike! With some white fenders and hand shields it won't look like a pumpkin At least the frame's not orange!
Thanks friends! Yes this bike is so mild mannered and rider friendly. He had a grin all day, said it was like a euro sports car, just proud. I was mad that i over looked the clutch side oil bolt was JB welded, i dont like omissions to a bikes story when im buying it. I decided to re glue it and watch it close, going to pull side cover off and redrill and tap for a M12 bolt. Seasons almost done anyway
