help choosing the best frame for my conversion

[jrowley85]

Ok, so i have been doing alot of reading on this site over the past year and im having a hard time deciding what is the best frame/ style to go with, either SF or AF. any of your input would help a ton. this will be my first build so my only knowlage is from what i have read on this site. I want to get good new aged handeling but i also want somthing thats going to be easy to convert since i'll be needing to have someone do all the "technical stuff" for me, like fab, welding, and any grinding of the swingarm.. again any help with deciding what to go with will be a huge help, also once i get my donor bike i'll be posting up my progress and accepting any advice to minimize my f*ck ups.. LOL

[The Flyin Hawaiian]

Id say go SF if your looking for easy to convert. No special frame rails needed. The rails seem to be hard to get at times also. Too much hacking of the frame needed to fit the 500 into a 4t aluminum frame in my opinion. The 03/04 KX250 2 stroke  chassis is leeps and bounds more modern and "New Age" compared to the original 500 chassis.

[jrowley85]

so the 03/04 is an easy conversion? i think that will be my best bet then. is the head stay on those years on the back as well or is that one of the years that i have to have it cut off and build a front head stay?

now comes the hard part.. finding a bike that will make a good donor

[The Flyin Hawaiian]

Head stay is in the rear. I cut mine and centered it with the mount on the head. The frame mount is offset.

[don46]

If you look at economics, the 250f steel chassis is the way to go, they are much more plentiful. You can use the Showa components for good feel. It isn't that difficult of a conversion. The newer 250 chassis is easy as well just not as easy to find cheap. I had an AL chassis bike and steel framed 250f, I sold the AL bike, I've since built another AL bike, not sure which I'll keep.

[The Flyin Hawaiian]

I agree with the availability of the 04/05 KXF250s. The 2t from 03 up, atleast ones that are blown up or rollers, are hard to come by.

[jrowley85]

well thanks for all your input and responces, i think i'll try to find the 04/05 250f but the only problem i think i may run into is im about to move to alaska since the army wants me to live there, lol, but i have been looking and i know those bikes are really hard to come by way up there. i may have to piece one together off ebay

[PowerFiend]

The problem in my mind with the KXF conversions is there are no decently sized tanks.

[Motorrad]

The problem in my mind with the KXF conversions is there are no decently sized tanks.

thats one of the main reasons I dont have one