Billy Bolt goes under the knife , Dean Wilson suffers shoulder injury on last lap at Daytona SX, live off-road video race coverage on opposite ends of the USA from NGPC and GNCC, full story on the insane 1997 KDX220 bike build, 3-Bros 6-Hour Endurance Race information for this weekend, New Products and more in this Weekly Feed brought to you by Scalvini Exhaust USA.
1997 KDX 220 BIKE BUILD
By Carson Brown
The KDX200/220 was one of the best woods bikes ever made, in my humble opinion. It was simple and cheap. The engine, with its KIPS power valve, was super smooth and torquey back in the day—kind of like a four-stroke without the weight and complexity. They can be uncorked for racing with aftermarket products but still get it done in more technical terrain. We found this particular 1997 KDX220 on Facebook Marketplace for a pretty good deal. It wasn’t in the best shape, but we knew it would be a fun build.
Naturally, the first order of business after getting this gem home was to really assess what was needed. As you probably expected, a complete engine rebuild was necessary. We went online and ordered all the rebuild parts from MotoSport.com and sent the cylinder off to Southern California so Pro Circuit’s Mitch Payton could work his magic.
This KDX220 is Carson’s favorite machine to ride in his huge fleet of interesting motorcycles.
All the OEM parts needed for this build came from Motosport.com while Pro Circuit handled the engine performance upgrades.
When the cylinder and head came back, so did a pipe and silencer combination that we weren’t expecting. The pipe was the Platinum 2 that had to have come from the rafters in some old stock room, because we didn’t see it anywhere on Pro Circuit’s website. Also, the silencer was originally built for a KX250 motocross model. Mitch assured us this would not only fit, but would work perfectly with the modification he made to the cylinder.
The OEM Kawasaki carburetor was long gone, so we installed a Lectron Fuel Systems metering-rod carburetor to allow us to calibrate fuel intake based on the various conditions we face in the Pacific Northwest region on the United States.
With the upgraded engine performance, we switched our focus to improving the handling. With all the bikes and parts laying around the Brown compound, we found a set of upside-down 2004 KX125 forks and swapped them out with the OEM units in hopes of increasing the rigidity and adaptability in tight woods. Vintage Works MX took the stock shock and completely rebuilt it, and they even included some custom art on the shock reservoir.
Before we installed the Dunlop tires, the wheels got new purple rims and oversized spokes connected to the refurbished OEM hubs that were all put together by Kristen and the crew at Dubya. Other chassis bolt-on items included Devol Racing aluminum guards and a skid plate, a complete Works Connection clutch perch system, Renthal bars and drive system, and a Guts Racing seat foam covered by a retro-purple gripper cover.
The build was held together with a complete bike hardware kit from Bolt Motorcycle Hardware. We had to go back online at MotoSport.com to get some assorted plastics and other OEM items before designing a retro ’90s graphics kit with Eric Boskee at Fusion Graphics that tied the entire build together. Living up in Washington state, the entire BBR Motorsports family goes from riding sand in the cold, windy, dry desert on the east side to crawling over slimy logs in the woods in the Cascades. This bike is able to adapt to just about anything! I love all the upgrades, and now I can push the limits just a little bit more. A huge thanks to everyone who helped get this beauty done. The only question now is, what should we build next?
INDUSTRY BUZZ
BILLY BOLT BEGINS RECOVERY AFTER SUCCESSFUL KNEE SURGERY
Billy Bolt is recovering well following surgery yesterday to repair the injury he sustained to his left knee at round three of the 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Germany. The Husqvarna Factory Racing star will be sidelined for several months in order to recover fully but hopes to be back in action in time for the second half of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.
Landing awkwardly off a jump in practice at round three of the SuperEnduro series, it was immediately clear that Bolt had injured his left knee. However, in typical Billy style, the FE 350 rider went on to not only win that round, but dominate the remainder of the championship, ultimately securing seven wins from seven starts.
After claiming the SuperEnduro crown on Saturday, March 2 at his home round in Newcastle, UK, Bolt went under the knife on Tuesday, March 5 to reconstruct his ACL, repair his meniscus and post lateral corner, and ensure that two identified fractures in his tibia had healed. Thankfully, the surgery went well and Billy has already started his recovery process.
Despite requiring several months of rehabilitation, the newly crowned SuperEnduro World Champion has his sights set on returning to competition in time for the second half of the upcoming FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. Everyone at Husqvarna Motorcycles wishes Billy a full and speedy recovery.
Billy Bolt: “It feels good to be out of surgery and the doctors are really pleased with how it all went. They were able to successfully repair all the damage to my knee and were happy to report the two fractures in my lower leg have already healed up nicely. Unfortunately, as we were already aware, there’s quite a long healing process, and I don’t want to take any risks. This will mean I miss the first few rounds of Hard Enduro. But all being well, I hope to be back racing for the second half of the season. Huge thanks to the team who patched me up, and of course the fans for their support and messages.”
Fabio Farioli – Husqvarna Factory Racing Enduro Team Manager: “It was impressive how Billy managed to still come out on top this SuperEnduro season, even with an injury. Billy has been really motivated and focused on getting this title, and I don’t know how he managed to push through and ride in the condition his knee was in. His health has to come first though so that he can be feeling 100% for the next races, so we decided to stop now and have the surgery. I have no doubt that Billy will come back even stronger and faster than before.”
DEAN WILSON OUT WITH SHOULDER INJURY
Dean says this injury is probably a “six to eight week healer” so it probably ruins his plan for this supercross season, although he hopes he can make it back for some of the final rounds. Wilson posted the comment below on his social media following the race:
“I am so mad at myself! 🤬 Solid top 10 in the books for Daytona, rode solid all main. Just over a lap to go I barely made a mistake in the rhythm and got grabbed by a soft spot and threw me on the ground,” said Wilson in a social media post. “Got up as fast as I could, went to pick the bike up but my shoulder felt off. Ended up breaking my Scapula in 3 spots. I’m so frustrated at myself. I was in such a good spot for a good finish and boom it’s over. Gonna do all I can to heal up and be back for the last few SX races. Gutted for my team and my fans. Wanted to be out there every weekend for you guys.”
GLEN HELEN RACEWAY 3-BROS 6-HOUR ENDURANCE RACE INFORMATION
Click here to Register
Race Starts 8:30aam – 2:30pm
*3 Riders per Team 2 Bikes
* Pits location will be marked (please use what is marked only)
*Impound is location at the National Track Starting Line
*Finish Line at Musuem – Must go Through Pits each lap 10 MPH
*Gates open Saturday 2pm-8pm
*Gates Open Sunday 6am-3pm
*Gate fees $10 per person
*Camping $20 per night per vehicle
Schedule of Events – Location GHR Musuem
Registration Open Saturday 1pm-4pm
Registration Open Sunday 6am-
Riders meeting 8am
Race Starts 8:30am
Race Ends 2:30pm
LIVE FEED COVERAGE : ROUND 3 OF 2024 NGPC PRO DIVISIONS
COMPLETE RACE DAY COVERAGE OF 2024 WILD BOAR GNCC
WIN RV’S FULLY MODIFIED YZ250 TWO-STROKE
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