With the frame, subframe, hubs, steering stem, brake pedal, plastic brackets and motor mounts in the powdercoat stack, we decided to either polish or wire wheel everything else. Every inch of the KFX was covered in salt corrosion and rust which we attempted to break down using a combination of solvents, including Purple Power degreaser, an Etching wheel cleaner, mineral spirits and Maxima contact cleaner. The swingarm was polished by hand with some Mother's polish and a hand drill, which gave it an almost-new look. The brake calipers, master cylinders and every other rust-covered piece were meticulously (not to mention time-consumingly) cleaned on a bench grinder with a wire wheel and/or a Dremel tool. Every single bolt and bolt hole was rethreaded with our trusty tap and die set.
The Rebuild
As soon as the powdercoated items came back from Diversified Powdercoating, we realized it would be a sin to use the rusty OEM bolts on the pristine chassis. A quick Google search led us to an eBay vendor named "Fastener Guy"; my first thought was to steer clear, as I'm still leery of the eBay thing. I re-Googled (is that even a word?) a variety of search options, and all roads led back to the mysterious Fastener Guy, Apparently he owns Google (and quite possibly eBay). I decided to contact him, and lo and behold, he was actually a very decent guy with a very decent little business and not the shyster I'd presumed (so much for my "everyone on eBay is shady" theory). Not only was he easy to deal with, he shipped everything out even faster than he said he would. The hex-headed bolt kit looks trick, and the fact that each and every bolt comes in its own labeled plastic baggie saved us a ton of time and guess work. New bolts for our new bolt-holes was better than Christmas, and Fastener Guy's bolt kit turned out to be the MVP of the build.
To guarantee proper assembly of the KFX I enlisted the services of ATVR's resident "Meticulous Mechanical Genius" Rick Sosebee, and "Space-Taker-Upper" Thad Josey, both of whom owned KFX400s in the past and combined have more experience with that model than just about anyone. I'd be lying if I said things went 100 percent smoothly; while the shiny, new, aftermarket parts all fit and functioned great, the few original parts we decided to keep were all but worthless. The gas tank was a complete mess, everything but the tank itself (petcock, gas lines, gas cap) was either missing or deteriorated. Of the three brake calipers on the machine, one seemed to work occasionally at best, every cable was seized and the carburetor was completely gummed up. Luckily for us, a quick e-mail to our buddy Justin at Kawasaki remedied most of our issues (we mistakenly decided to tackle the carb ourselves). Everything carried over from the KFX's past life was rebelling, with the aforementioned carb being number one on the rebellious list (three separate complete disassemblies and cleaning techniques were employed on the carb before the KFX would even consider running). Once we got the carb dialed, however, the 400 roared to life. Each new part that we installed had us giddy, as it became obvious we were working on something special. It's rare to assemble parts from various manufacturers that complement each other perfectly, and this build was one of those serendipitous occasions. The fact that it was for a good cause made it all the more rewarding. To be honest, it wasn't long into the process that we realized that the "good guy" thing wasn't so bad after all.
Build It, Ride It, Just Don't Break ItWith the KFX finally running and looking better than ever, we decided to get our "after" pictures and take it, and its rightful owner, out for a spin. Moose Racing was kind enough to send us some riding gear for Greg, and we were anxious to document his first glorious ride aboard his rebuilt steed. Happily for us (and Greg), the Moose Qualifier gear is tough, as Greg's new KFX showed him who was boss right from the start. Within mere seconds of climbing aboard, Daube was unceremoniously spit off the back of the machine. Apparently ATP's motor, combined with FMF's PowerCore 4 system, ITP's GNCC Holeshot tires and Hinson's clutch kit, delivered a bit more power and traction than Greg was used to. Luckily he was fine, unluckily Thad missed the Kodak moment. Daube was eventually able to shake off the cobwebs and reacquaint himself with his machine. "Dude, this thing is awesome" was uttered at least 36 million times, and by day's end, it was as if they had never been separated. (Cue the sappy music.)
As touching as Greg's story was, we couldn't wait to ride the KFX for ourselves. Every excuse we could muster was used to wrangle control of the KFX, and before long we pretty much confirmed its awesomeness for ourselves. The iShock kit is amazing in not only fit, but performance. It may be a low-dollar kit, but it works great. The G-Force's strength was tested more than once on day one, and the axle performed flawlessly. As I said before, the motor, clutch, exhaust and tire package is phenomenal without being overkill. I may be biased, but the looks of the machine are top-notch as well. Fullbore's green plastic is brighter, sleeker and just plain better looking than any other kit on the market, and when you factor in the Adapt seat cover and G4 graphics kit Daube's Kawi is guaranteed to turn heads. I wish I could say something insightful about the plethora of Moose products that we used; it's just that other than the perfect fit and the fact that they work exactly as they're designed to while looking trick, there's really not much to say. As a whole, the machine just works, and when you consider the shape in which we received it, we're pretty stoked with the end result at a total overhaul cost of $7,047.20.
All in all, nearly 90 days passed from the day we took possession of Daube's rust pile to the day we handed it back in showroom condition. And as hard as it may be to believe, it was difficult to see it go back to Greg after spending three months bringing it back to life. While daunting at times, the experience was more than worth it for us. With that said, are we ready to tackle your rust pile? Heck no, I for one am taking the rest of the year off from rust, dust and half-dead charity cases. If you don't believe me, send us your sad story (via snail mail to 2570 E. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806; photos would be helpful) and see just how fast we shoot you down (or not). The staff at ATVR would like to once again thank everyone who helped out.