CYLINDER IDENTIFICATION BY YEAR OF MANUFACTURE

[streetsleeper]

I would be extremely grateful if somebody could help with identifying my cylinder. My KX500 is an '87 according to both its frame and engine numbers. I have tried to do my homework and researched left, right and centre on different sites but am still unable to find out what year the KX's cylinder is from. I am trying to do this by distinguishing the area where it has KIPS embossed into the aluminium inside a rectangle. None of the pictures I've seen posted look the same. I know the '87 should have a sticker inside the rectangle and the '88 has KIPS embossed without the rectangle. Mine is different, photo here:
I am not in a position to take the bike apart at the moment (it's in the kitchen, and I'm under strict orders), but I am aware that I need to get the barrel off in order to look for the ports with compression reliefs for the KIPS, plus there's this - as sandblaster says: "88 has 8mm head studs to barrel not countersunk like 86/87" - I can check that too eventually. In the meantime I'd appreciate identification by external visualisation only. (It would appear that there are anomalies out there - ones that came from the factory that aren't the usual spec, so is mine one of them?).
I'm still learning how to use the site for posting and I think I can only post 2 photos per post? So anyway, I've posted more than once to display the photos copied from sandblaster and DoldGuy (thanks). Oh yeah, I have also pressed insert image and the [img] [img] bits show up but the photo is not between the [img]s. Also the photos are not showing up in the previews. Where am I going wrong? Thanks again!

[sandblaster]

It's either a 86 or 87.
There is no external way to know which it is as far as I am aware,,

http://www.oem-cycle.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=110&t=1504

[streetsleeper]

Thank you sandblaster. Your reply popped up before I posted the second part. I have "borrowed" your photos from your own site KX Guru Racing.

Here it is:
Post by Sandblaster » Fri Sep 12, 2014 1:21 am
And the 88 kx500 cylinder is the only year that has KIPS in raised letters like this:

FIRST PICTURE OF '88 CYLINDER SHOULD APPEAR ABOVE
88 kx500 kips id on side of cylinder.jpg (146.04 KiB) Viewed 2394 times

Both 86-87 have a sticker on the side.
No sticker is shown but it's suppose to be there

SECOND PICTURE OF '86 CYLINDER SHOULD APPEAR ABOVE
86-87 KX500 KIPPS STICKER.jpg (121.77 KiB) Viewed 2394 times

Quote from umberto (I think):
87 has KIPPS sticker
88 Has KIPPS sign inprinted solid

HOWEVER, I have NOT seen any '87s with cylinders that look like mine. If you look closely at the photo I took yesterday of the cylinder in my first post, it is different to both of your photos. It is neither the sticker one or what you call "88 kx500 kips id on side of cylinder" or what umberto calls "88 Has KIPPS sign inprinted solid." Someone told me, from a verbal description I gave, that it's an '88, but that doesn't correspond with the photos. It's painted black which I'm pretty sure is a factory finish, with KIPS embossed in aluminium coloured finish inside a black rectangle. Photo is in my last post on this thread at 08:33 on 19/01/19. Thank you to all of you who try to help me ascertain this categorisation.

[streetsleeper]

Answer to my own question:
I think I've sussed out the business with my cylinder and exhaust. What I thought was embossed alloy inside the rectangle saying KIPS is a plaque that's been glued on (I think). That's due to the bike being a) indoors, b) bad lighting, c) need new glasses but don't trust opticians here, d) age!
Wouldn't have mattered 20 years ago, I still had 20/20 vision back then, now I'm just an optically challenged, delusional, arthritic geriatric....

But seriously, I think it's an '87 because the KX doesn't appear to have messed around with too much. Probably for that very reason, i.e. it's in Mexico and parts are impossible to get hold of or sent here, so I reckon the previous owner just bodged everything that went wrong. Stuff like sticking bolts in the wrong threads everywhere, forcing bits to fit, making home made brackets etc.

That could mean I even have the original '87 single ring piston in there - it's gotta be shot though, cos by turning the flywheel I can wiggle the piston in the bore, particularly at TDC and even more pronounced at BDC. I know I can get a later piston but once I've had the cylinder off I'll know more about it.