Alright, so I decided to dust off the old KX80 the other day. Been sitting for a bit, but I got the itch to see what it could still do, specifically, how fast it would actually go flat out. It’s not like these things are built for top speed, more for ripping around a track, but curiosity got the better of me.
First things first, I had to get it ready. Pulled it out of the shed. Gave it a good look over. Checked the tire pressure, made sure they weren’t flat or cracked. Lubed the chain because it looked pretty dry. Checked the fluids, topped off the gas with some fresh mix. Didn’t want it seizing up on me halfway down the road. Gave the brakes a squeeze, checked the throttle cable – basic stuff, really. Just making sure it wouldn’t fall apart or lock up.
Next, I needed a place to actually open it up. You can’t just do that anywhere, obviously. Spent some time driving around, looking for a decent spot. Needed something straight, long enough, and definitely quiet with no traffic. Found this old access road behind some fields, hardly ever used. Paved, surprisingly, but a bit bumpy. Walked it first to check for any big holes or rocks. Seemed okay, long enough to get up to speed and slow down safely.
Got the bike there. Fired it up. Let it warm up properly, listening to that little two-stroke engine buzz. Always loved that sound. Hopped on, felt familiar. Started off easy, just getting a feel for the bike again and the surface of the road.
Then it was time. Found my starting point, took a deep breath, and just went for it. Clicked through the gears, first, second, third… kept the throttle pinned. The little bike was screaming its head off. It gets pretty vibey at high revs, you feel everything through the handlebars. Fourth gear, fifth… Tucked in as much as I could, which isn’t much on a small dirt bike. The wind noise picked up.
How fast did it actually go? Well, I didn’t have a fancy GPS strapped to it. I had my buddy follow in his truck for a bit on one pass, trying to pace me. It’s not super accurate, I know. But based on that and just the feel of the bike revving out in top gear, I reckon we were hitting somewhere around 55-60 mph. Maybe a touch more on a good run with a tailwind, perhaps a bit less if the truck speedo was off.
Honestly, that felt plenty fast on that little machine on that bumpy road. It wasn’t exactly stable, felt pretty light and twitchy at that speed. But yeah, that was the experiment. Got it back, let it cool down. Fun little exercise to see what the old KX80 could manage when pushed. Still a cracking little bike.