steve_gus
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| posted on 26/9/05 at 11:24 PM |
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my recent project
No, not the car. Thats been parked for a few months - i needed the break from the thing to get some sense of completing something.
So, after looking on ebay for yonks, about a year ago, i found an almost exact replica of the bike I bought when I was 17. In the days when you could
just get a licence, turn 17, and jump right on to a 100 mph bike and kill yourself.
My choice was to me, the most elegant and 'techie' 250 on the market.
The Kawasaki KH250 two stroke triple.
This bike has been completly rebuilt, inc a frame powdercoat, rebore and crank rebuild. Its not the correct colour, but its near enough till i get 300
quid to burn. Single most expensive thing was the crank recon, at 340 quid.
About 1200 quid later (inc bike cost) I have it back on the road. Been pottering around on it running the complete engine rebuild in - just 160 miles
so far.
Its a nice feeling to think I have rescued a 28 year old box of bits from oblivion, and have it back on the road.
One weird thing was getting the one and only bit I needed from a kwak dealer (the headlamp bulb!). In 1976, this bike sold by the truckload. Go into a
dealer now and ask a 30 something for a bulb, and they have no clue what you are talking about. I suppose the bike is getting rarer and im getting
older!
atb
steve
 
Rescued attachment Img_3031_small.jpg
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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steve_gus
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| posted on 26/9/05 at 11:25 PM |
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another
 
Rescued attachment Img_3033small.jpg
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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rayward
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| posted on 26/9/05 at 11:56 PM |
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ahhhhh, the memories.................
very nice job
[Edited on 26/9/05 by rayward]
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niceperson709
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| posted on 27/9/05 at 06:57 AM |
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Hi Steve
nice job mate but remember to ride it hard because they did have a reputation for fouling plugs if puttered to much . a mate of mine had one and the
clouds of blue smoke were amazing !!!!!
Best wishes IAIN
life is not the rehearsal , it's the show so don't sit there thinking about it DO IT NOW
http://iainseven.wordpress.com/
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James
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| posted on 27/9/05 at 07:18 AM |
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Looks like a really nice job mate- well done!
Cheers,
James
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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Scotty
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| posted on 27/9/05 at 07:25 AM |
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WOW!
i had one too
never missed a beat
of all the bikes i had, the kh brings back the most memories
enjoy it steve !
PLEASE NOTE! All comments made by this person are to be considered "Tongue in Cheek" and are not meant to be taken seriously in any way - so there!
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Gav
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| posted on 27/9/05 at 07:46 AM |
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I had a Kawasaki KR-1S as my first bike, carnt beat the smell of a stroker!
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Hellfire
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| posted on 27/9/05 at 08:31 AM |
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Steve - you've made a lovely job of restoring that bike. Hat's off to you!
Have the wheel spokes rechromed and it would look brand new!
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Surrey Dave
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| posted on 27/9/05 at 08:36 AM |
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Luverly
always loved the looks and sound of those bikes...........
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Noodle
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| posted on 27/9/05 at 01:23 PM |
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Seized my KH twice when maxed out.
I laugh now, but's that's the drugs.
Neil.
Your sort make me sick
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Peteff
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| posted on 27/9/05 at 03:59 PM |
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Have the wheel spokes rechromed and it would look brand new!
Get them replaced in stainless and they'll be brand new. My mate had one of those with metallic green paint. Nice job Steve.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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Cita
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| posted on 27/9/05 at 04:28 PM |
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Congrats Stevo!!
Very nice job!
Love the sound of those two strokers at idle.
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Ian Pearson
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| posted on 28/9/05 at 05:28 AM |
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Nice bike. I had a KH400 which also used to foul the centre plug. Was told to get a cooler running plug? Whatever it was, it seemed to do the trick.
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Surrey Dave
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| posted on 28/9/05 at 04:17 PM |
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How Much?
How much did you have to pay for the frame to be blasted and powder coated?
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steve_gus
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| posted on 28/9/05 at 06:45 PM |
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http://www.triple-s.co.uk/
Bit of a journey for me (3 hrs each way) but it was on the company i worked for at the time's time and fuel
prices are on there..... sorry to be a bit short - will reply later, just gonna watch footie on tv!
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
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steve_gus
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| posted on 28/9/05 at 08:56 PM |
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Thanks for the positive comments
Yep, these bikes have a reputation for oiling plugs, generally if you keep the revs below 4k for an extended period (8k5 red line). As the bike is
meant to stay below 4k for runnign in period (ive compromised at 5k) they would oil a bit. So, i have used a 'hotter' plug. Plugs have a
heat range set by the design of the core and nose insulator. These plugs come in grades B7HS to B10HS, with the bike using 9 as std. I have used
8's (a hotter plug) which the KH400 uses. Once run and and 'thrashable' I will go with the 9's. One feature of the bike is it
has a neat lilttle spare plug holder under the seat for a set of 3.
Trying to make a bike pefect would cost serious money. It could really do with a better lower right exhaust, but these are hard to find and are nearly
all scraped at the lowest point. Getting wheels rebuilt costs about 110 each, so im not rushing on that one. The front forks had a bit of pitting,
which would have failed MOT so I had them ground, plated with chrome oversize, then machined back to original - this is better than std spec. That
cost 120 quid alone.
The powder coating was done by triple s. nice job, their site gives pricing. Dunno if they can do a locost chassis, but i would recommend them for
smaller bits
cheers all
atb
steve
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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Triton
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| posted on 28/9/05 at 09:33 PM |
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I had a brief affair with a KH but found deeper joy with an LC....and loud spannies Nice to see people doing them up at long last
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steve_gus
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| posted on 29/9/05 at 06:32 PM |
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i read somewhere that there are few LC's around now as they all blew up in no time, or were thrashed.
atb
steve
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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