XL's in Action

22 December 2000

Hi

My XL250 motocrosser has a bigger sleeve installed, the cases enlarged and runs an 82mm bore. If it fails or gets slower in the future I will have to use one of your JE 79mm pistons.I know a guy here in Aust that has the know how to take a 250 XL out to 360cc.He uses a Harley Davidson piston, XL con rod with the small end reamed out, a TT500 cylinder liner modified to fit a XL 350 cylinder and a 250 XL head! Sounds good, maybeI will try it down the track a bit. 

My XL 305 looks like a bucket of crap, blowing smoke etc at the start line. I used to get all these funny looks from the guys with big budget Honda's in all sorts of trick frames etc. But boy do they get a shock when the gate drops. I have slowly improved the suspension since finishing 3rd at the Aust Champs and plan to improve on that in 2001.I will send more in the pictures in the new year. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Robert Tumes robjul@centralonline.com.au

PS check out my section in John Laurents KT Kawasaki web site if you haven't already!

25 December 2000

HI Rick,

The improvements to my forks involved fitting 76 XL 350 forks with a spacer under the top out spring to shorten travel down to seven inches. The rear end has some Koni Gas (decarbon floating piston type) shocks that I found at the local wreckers and cut open (not rebuildable) and cleaned, re-oiled, drilled and fitted valves to gas. The forks work great, but then again for 72 Vintage the XL forks were much better than stock 74 KX 250's (36mm). My XL ones were badly worn inside. I haven't fully tested the shocks as yet but they seem ok. I work on a shoe string budget so they will have do. I only paid $450 for the whole bike and have only spent a few hundred getting it competitive against some big budget efforts. The Kawasaki web site is very good, I got your e-mail address from it's links.

Kind Regards, Robert Tumes.


 

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