1982 Kx80 Manual

Hey everyone this is MotoMike again,(I posted the review about the 1985 Kx80) anyways the power in this Bike is as I remember very 'smooth',and that would be the greatest word I could only decribe of it.After I decided to move on from a crankshaft problem that needed to be fixed I decided to race my brothers 1987 kx80 for the rest of the 1987 season.It was fast (yes) however after racing fulltime the 1985kx80 and then this here (1987 kx80) I feel that the 1985 kx80 just hit more hit to it.Hit as in more low end and top end,where the 1987 kx 80 I felt was more mid-range then anything.Yes it would go fast if you entirely laid it wide open,and really I also liked this bike,but to be honest everyone,the motor to me always seemed to be 'missing' something.We ended up going one tooth or two lower on the back end to bring it up a little faster on the wide open tracks to improve.I feel that Kawasaki really should have left the motor alone instead of converting it to more of a mid-range bike.And after reviewing a review about this bike where someone else said it was 'more of a mid-range' I had to agree.Yet still very 'smooth' feeling,and this bike was also bought brand new off the showroom floor in 1987.

Here is where it different from my 1985 kx 80 at the time,I really loved the suspension on this.Definitely was improved (and I didn't think you could improve on it already from the 1985 kx 80) yet it really took all the whoops and bumps even better adding to the already 'smooth feeling'.

Always were dependable both front and back and stopped me right away.No problems here and couldn't ask for anything more.

As amazingly as this sounds I am going to give this just a little lower score then my 1985 kx80.And even though nothing ever went wrong with this bike (as in compared to blowing a top end on my 1985 kx80 which also had at the very end I had it a temporary crankshaft bearing probkem),I feel that the 1985 kx 80 just had all around low end (which you need to get in and out of the corners) and especially top end (for those starts and long straights) was better in the motor department.And when you race alot and the suspension doesnt really matter that much to you (as it does me) you really depend on what the motor can do for you.Many thanks to my brother Dan (who know wrenches for Casey Johnson on the AMA circuit),for offering to let me race this bike (as it was his) for the rest of the 1987/88 season!.Overall I give this bike a score of 85,because it was so smooth and reliable and never had anything go wrong with it.
-Motomike

85

kawasaki tamed the top end too much on this bike and made it all mid range,it was better for novices but the 86 was a faster bike for experts and intermediates

shock was softer than on my 86 forks felt about the same

good for the time,rear wore out fast though

good bike and this was the first year the big wheel was available,with the big wheel and a 105 kit this bike would rip,the 105 on the regular kx was a little much though

95

good for a 80

fairly soft

pretty good

it was a good bike but i am too big for it

90

good but little low end

exelant rear, kinda soft front

front are disk but aren't the best. good rear brakes for being drum

90