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View Full Version : Help me What year is my Tecate, Does it have a KX motor ??



Tyler 54
01-13-2004, 03:39 AM
Well I finally got my Tecate stripepd down to the frame tonight. I plan on sandblasting it tomorrow. I noticed the Vin on the motor Said KX 250 DB . Is that a KX motor? Or Just stock? My spare motor also says the same thing. It also has "Kustom Kraft" Inscribed into the side of the Jug. Anybody know what that means?

Now that I have it down, were in the Hell are the VIN Numbers? I don't see them anywere, However there is like 6 Lares of different color paint on it. It will be blasted tomorro, hopefully they are there somewere Were is the general area for the VIN? I have never rode this bike, and this is the most I have done to it Since I got it 5 months ago. Please help me figure it out. For All I know its an 86, but It might be an 87, I just want to know for sure what year my bike is.

Thanks, Tyler

sportvette
01-13-2004, 08:43 AM
a few posts have said that all the engines say kx 250 on them, even the kxt bikes.

the vin is in the front of the frame. where the triples mount to the frame. if you were to turn the handlebars right you would then be able to see it on the left side. (just as a reference, since you have the bike stripped already).

thanks,
mark

Jeb
01-13-2004, 09:38 AM
KX & KXT motors are basically the same. The same engine cases and covers are used on both motors.

Tyler 54
01-13-2004, 10:12 AM
Thank alot guys, any way of knowing what the top end is? If I do find the VIN, can anybody on here tell me what year my bike is? If I don't find the VIN, there is only one reason I could even imagine that it would not be there for. What do I do if the VIN is gone? I should know by tonight, then I will post again. Any suggestiosn are greatly appreciated.

Curtis-Tecate3
01-13-2004, 01:02 PM
FYI, Kustom Kraft is known for doing Big Bore stuff as well as cylinder sleeving. You should measure your bore size and see what you have on that cylinder. Stock is 70mm and if it is sleeved you can bore all the way up to 72mm. Anything bigger than that and someone has a big bore kit in there.

www.kustom-kraft.com

Curtis.

sportvette
01-13-2004, 01:34 PM
type your vin into http://www.autocheck.com

that will tell you the year of the bike.

thanks,
mark

Ace Mon
01-13-2004, 03:11 PM
Dont tecate motors' kickstart kick forward like 250rs ? That might be an indicator . But I'm not sure because I dont own a tecate . :)

Curtis-Tecate3
01-13-2004, 03:19 PM
Ace, Rear kick through a tunnel/cut out in the rear fender is the way Tecate's are from the factory .....

Curtis

Tyler 54
01-13-2004, 04:01 PM
Welp, just got in from the shop. I got it almosy blasted, I'm on break :-D
Anyway, It is very clean up in the Goose neck area. I could just slightly see were the last Digits, appeared to be 403.. then I touched it, and I couldnt see it anymore. Is it possible the VIN wore off? No way somebody ground it off, or anything of that nature.

sportvette
01-13-2004, 04:19 PM
i had issues with the vin number when i purchased my tecate. at first it was covered in rust. then mike rubbed off the rust with scotch brite and was able to make it out. i plugged the number into autocheck.com and it did come up as a 1986 kawasaki. the number is pratically unreadable. i was able to make it out at first, but now cant even read the digits off of it anymore. i guess i will restamp it. i say it is possible that the number wore off, especially the case in which i just pointed out. since there were multiple layers of paint on your frame and it was blasted. it could have wore off.

Tyler 54
01-13-2004, 08:15 PM
Yea, I mean I can faintly see some marks that might have been The VIN at one time. It's official though. :rolleyes: 5 Coats of paint. Black, RED, Hot Orange, Hot Pink, and Silver, It is lookign alot bettre though. :-D BTW my Jug says 71 on the side of it right below the Kustrom Kraft enscryption...

Jeb
01-13-2004, 09:17 PM
I'm assuming from the last coat of paint you listed being silver and the 71 on the side of the cylinder that you have an 86/87.

I'm not for sure how to tell what year motor. As far as the frame goes, if it has a keyed ignition, parking brake, or 1 adjuster knob on the shock reservoir it is more than likely an 87.

Tyler 54
01-13-2004, 09:47 PM
Holy shift!!!!! Its got A parking brake, I think it has the Adjuster knob you refer too, I'll have to check that. That mean shes an 87? please tell me yes LOL

Can you guys Tell me if this is a stock pipe? The guy says it is, But I thought stock pipes were Black, and steal this one is aluminum..

Jeb
01-13-2004, 10:18 PM
87s are the only KXT to come from the factory with a parking brake. Does it have a Keyed Ignition? Only 87 did.

As for the adjuster knob on the res, the 86 has two knobs stacked up on each other. the 87 has one.

Tyler 54
01-13-2004, 10:20 PM
Sweet, yea, mine has the one knob, No key pad though. It is amazing that the parking brake was stil there, Although the cable is gone.

Jeb
01-13-2004, 10:31 PM
The muffler you posted a pic of is most definitely........................................ ......................................



not stock.

Tyler 54
01-14-2004, 01:15 AM
Jeb, You do know what type of a pipe it is? I payed $50 shipped for it, Did I do ok? I figured it will look awesome Polished up. Whata good day its been for me and the T-3. I got it all blasted, and find it outs probably an 87, now its at the place were I am having it E coated. Then I get an aftermarket Silencer, for a decent price!!!

The Tecate Gods must be looking down on me :-D

does anybody have the rest of the park brake setup?

Tyler 54
01-14-2004, 02:39 PM
I think this pipe looks just liek the one I bought..?? So maybe mine is a
DG?

86waterpumper
01-14-2004, 02:48 PM
wasn't that the silencer off that t3 on ebay the guy is parting out? Wow you got him to end the auction early for you??? I can't even get the foo to email me back. :x

Tyler 54
01-14-2004, 03:04 PM
HAHA Ya thats the one. What were you asking him? it was hard to get him to end it, but he finally did. I think if he knew it was an aftermarket pipe. It would stil be on ebay. But He insisted it is a "stock pipe" so I said hell yea, and bought her up. :-D

sportvette
01-14-2004, 03:11 PM
what bike is that a picture of? is that your bike tyler? it has a westcoast swingarm.

thanks,
mark

Tyler 54
01-14-2004, 03:15 PM
I only wish it was mine LOL Its a pic of one from Tecateworld.com

It has a Dura blue axle, vented air box cover, DG exhaust, West coast S/A, Foot peg extensions..pretty nice if it was restored.

does West Caost Stil make Tecate Swing arms?

86waterpumper
01-14-2004, 03:20 PM
I asked him about the wings, and made him a offer as soon as he listed them and he never answered me :rolleyes:

Tyler 54
01-14-2004, 03:21 PM
Well when I bought the silencer. he didnt want to end ..because he said it makes people mad. I said no body has bid yet? how does it make people mad if there are no bids?? Fianlly he told me what a reasonable offer was.

sportvette
01-14-2004, 03:31 PM
i doubt if westcoast makes swingarms still. maybe jeb would know. i think he got stickers from them once.

Tyler 54
01-14-2004, 03:33 PM
Well I was reading about another Tecate, and the Guy Said he bought a NEW + 5 Swinger from West coast in 2002

sportvette
01-14-2004, 03:57 PM
wow. where are you reading this stuff? on tecate world? perhaps he bought a nos (new old stock) from someone. i have purchased some new parts from people.

thanks,
mark

sportvette
01-14-2004, 03:58 PM
maybe contact the person that posted that information. i woud be interested in some westcoast information if you get it.

thanks,
mark

sportvette
01-14-2004, 05:03 PM
that post on tecateworld is jbkx on 3wheelerworldforums i am going to pm him.

Tyler 54
01-14-2004, 06:39 PM
Right on, soudns like a good idea

sportvette
01-14-2004, 06:56 PM
he said that he bought it off a guy and westcoast does not make them anymore.

Tyler 54
01-14-2004, 07:09 PM
Man, that sucks. there is no hope. Oh well from what I can see of the West coast Swingers, I wouldnt even buy one unless it was ATLEAST a +3 or 4..the +2's just don't look as if they add a hole lot. There for I would never pay for what people want out of them. Besides I like my polished Stock swinger as far as looks go. Its kinda like my Right Shroud, It has some Extremely small cracks in a different pots, I will glue them. I will never pay what it costs to get a different one until my brakes clean off.

sportvette
01-14-2004, 07:15 PM
i bought a cal-fab +2 for big bucks. it seems to be the favorite and i am glad i came across the few parts that i got.

Jeb
01-14-2004, 09:33 PM
WestCoast hasn't made ATV products in quite sometime. They make watercraft performance stuff now.

I bet whoever got that 86 KXT westcoast swingarm got it from the same guy I got my Tri-Z Swingarm from and a brand new 84 KXT swingarm. I wanted that arm too, but it was already spoken for. had he not got it, I would have! :( I have the Z arm on my trike still and the 84 Tecate arm I sold like a dummy. He had several Honda Arms. I would like to have one of them now.

They were all NOS.

Now that I re-read the posts above, It must not have been the same guy. I thought the 86 arm I missed out on was only +2. I'm glad I didn't get it, I wouldn't have been happy with +5!

IN MY OPINION.... +2 is just right. It helps to keep the front end down without sacrificing turning.

Jeb
01-14-2004, 09:44 PM
... But He insisted it is a "stock pipe" so I said hell yea, and bought her up. :-D


More power to you! What a goof the seller was!

What does that sticker say on the side? It does look like a DG silencer to me. It kind of looks like my CT silencer on my Z. Which who knows? CT probably got them from DG back in the day! :D

Tyler 54
01-14-2004, 10:18 PM
Haha yea, I asked him what the sticker said, but All he answered is that its stock, so Oh well. so plus 2 is just right??? I guess I'd have to feal it on my bike. Which, I have never heard my bike run. I'll be asking plenty more questions if it doesnt run :-D

Jeb
01-15-2004, 11:26 AM
+2 is just what I like. especially on an 84/85 KXT. I know yours is 86/87 but they are a little longer out back. I personally don't like the looks of a long swingarm. and they have no practical use in my opinion except for going in a straight line.

86waterpumper
01-15-2004, 12:02 PM
The oldschool racers ran a +2 always. That is enough for me :) All the remaining westcoast arms were bought by some guy in a huge lot, and sold on ebay together, didn't get any bids, or meet the guy's reserve, so he split them up. It was the same batch that Catfishwhisker bought his 200x arm from I think. At any rate, westcoast won't return any emails, so I called them awhile back, and that was a dead end too.

sportvette
01-15-2004, 12:20 PM
any information on the JP racing air filter covers that i had posted pictures of? has anyone seen these around? is JP still in existence?

Curtis-Tecate3
01-15-2004, 02:11 PM
JP Racing is long gone. John Perry was the owner and ran the west coast shop. Factory Kawasaki racer Steve Mendenhall opened up an east coast division of JP. I have already contacted Steve aboout tecate stuff and he has nothing at all left from his racing days.

FYI. JP made quite a few interesting items back in the day. I saw an ad for aftermarket Tri-Z triple clamps to correct the geometry for specific types of racing etc.

Curtis.

Jeb
01-15-2004, 02:22 PM
They also are famous for the Aluminum Tri-Z "airbox" fuel tank that is on the 86 Z mods article on 3WW.

waterpumper, thats the guy I got my Z swingarm from.