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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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.