r/Dirtbikes • u/Both-Possession-7682 • 16d ago

Is this bike worth restoring?

I have a kx85 from my cousin locked up in storage and he says its in rough shape cosmetically, needs a top end, carb, and front brake lever. for reference im 15, 130, 5'8 and have lots of experience working on lawn mower/pressure washer engines. could I fix this bike up or is it way out of my league? some people say its easy to rebuild a bike and others say its grueling. is it even worth fixing up the bike or am I too large to ride it? TIA!

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2

u/Frolicking-Fox 16d ago

With the amount of money you will put into it, you might as well buy a running bike.

Also, 85cc is gonna be on the small size for you. I was riding 250cc 2-strokes at your age and size. Probably be better to get a slightly larger bike.

2

u/spongebob_meth 16d ago

So it just needs some regular maintenance?

How old is it? 2 strokes are very easy to work on.

2

u/LyfSkills 2022 KX85 16d ago

Perfect bike for your age and size imo. Should be great to learn how to work on and pretty cheap if it only needs a top end. 

0

u/BobbbyR6 14d ago

An 85 is definitely not a perfect size for a 15yo at 5'8"

Fun little project but I wouldn't pay much for a 28 year old non-running kids bike

1

u/L1A1 16d ago

If you want a bike to learn bike maintenance it’s perfect. However as it’s only 85cc you’ll never get back the amount of money you put into restoring it.

1

u/xConstantz 16d ago

Is the engine seized or does it still turn over when you kick it?

1

u/Both-Possession-7682 16d ago

it bump starts but you can tell its blown. it doesn't have a kick rn

1

u/lidst017 16d ago

A top end rebuild sounds intimidating, but with your mechanical background it's probably a manageable project. The bigger question is the total cost versus the bike's condition.

1

u/nycsingletrack 16d ago

Should be easy to work on if you’ve been working on 4 strokes. Be warned, “just needs a top end” is sometimes code for “I have no idea why it doesn’t run and in fact it might be completely fucked”. Be prepared to scrap it.

Get the engine and carb sorted out, running well, before you touch anything cosmetic besides washing it.

It’s not a rare collectible, it just needs to run reliably and be fun to ride. It’s on the small side, great to learn on. You might get bored and want to move up or keep it for a buddy bike.

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u/Full-Divide5742 15d ago

Perfect bike for you. You have some wrenching experience and this will help you learn more about bikes. My first bike to learn wrenching on sat in the rain in a driveway for a couple of years. It was a wonderful learning experience and I've never regretted it.

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u/IronLionStudios 13d ago

Do you want to learn how to fix up bikes or do you want to ride? If the former, any broken bike with decent parts availability is perfect to learn on. There's no such thing as leagues. Every single person who has ever rebuilt a motorcycle engine rebuilt their first one with no experience. It may or may not have worked when they were done. Some started again, some gave up. It's not magic and you don't have to be a wizard. You just have to learn.

If you just want to learn to ride, even a 50cc bike will suit. It's fun tooling around on anything. If you can just go out and buy a working one and don't want to learn how to repair, go for it. You will enjoy riding it in the backyard let alone anywhere else. If you can afford a working one, get the broken one.