Kawasaki ZZR600 progress thread

I recognise Rokker jeans!
So what's left to do?

And I suppose more holistically, what do you want from a bike? ie do you want to be going mental on it up some Euro passes, or just touring about. Or doing the shopping. And do you have the space/money/cats to have multiple bikes at once?

Can this bike do what you want from a bike that you want to keep for a long time, I suppose is my question.

What would you buy? Then we can chop-bust about it not adding anything/solving everything.

Oh, your quote from the OP says "It was bought as a project as I love tinkering with stuff and really need something to do over the summer" so there's that :D. If it kept you busy over the summer then it's job done unless the reqs changed. Fricking reqs.
 
Diddums said:
I could probably get a few hundred for it, chuck a few extra hundred in and buy something else, but then I lose the bike I've spent so much time and money on.
Click to expand...
You would, yes, but onwards and upwards and all that jazz.
You’ve clearly gained a lot of skills, so maybe move on to something that could turn a profit when finished, or something you actually want to keep and enjoy long term (I say that because if you really wanted to keep the ZZR you wouldn’t be questioning it).
And by that, I mean a 125/250 2 stroke.
You’ll have to replace the rings every 15 seconds of use, but as an experience you can’t beat a smoker.
 
Depends on what you want from your hobby mate. A bike of that age and condition, as you've found out, will cost quite a bit to get into "show" condition, but it really depends on what you want to achieve. Do you want to continue to learn a good skill set that allows you to tackle issues as they arise, do you want to buy cheap and turn around for profit or do you just want to ride? If you tinker AND ride you will find a lot of riding time can be eaten up with tinker time, although you can pre-empt maintenance during off peak times.

I'd personally enjoy her for what she is, and work on eliminating that flat spot. Ride her in the spring, then decide what you want to do next. No point even considering selling her this time of year.
 
Scuzi said:
You have arrived at the realisation that minimum of two motorcycles is required. We all end up there. Your other bike should be a reliable runner whilst this one satisfies your tinkering and fettling needs.
Click to expand...
My missus recently twice had a dream that I got one more motorcycle without asking her. I just said keep having these positive dreams and someday I will end up there. :D
 
Scuzi said:
You have arrived at the realisation that minimum of two motorcycles is required. We all end up there. Your other bike should be a reliable runner whilst this one satisfies your tinkering and fettling needs.
Click to expand...
I think that’s dream in any vehicle class.

One is a super reliable transport tool for year round use and the other is a fun toy to tinker with in the garage over winter and take out for a blat on a sunny day.
 
Took it out for a few miles today, mainly to Normandy to see if they could get one of the screws out of the front brake fluid reservoir as I've not been successful and want to mount a Quadlock on it. Sadly they were locking up so I'll see if I can go past on Friday.

That said, it's running so much better since I tweaked the AFR, but it's still not perfect. I want to replace all the hoses between the tank and the carbs, fuel, vacuum, the lot. And fit them properly to rule out any vacuum leaks, then tweak it properly. I'm gonna start off by giving it a thorough deep clean this weekend if the weather holds out, the poor thing's not had a proper wash in years and it really shows.

Things that I still need reassurance on:

  • I still stink of petrol after riding and playing. I'm not sure whether this is just a side effect of carbs, or if I need to sort something. Further research required.
  • The valve train makes a racket. It rides perfectly, but the valves sound like a sewing machine. Whether this is normal or not, I don't know, so I need to take it to Normandy and see what they think.
Obligatory photo from this afternoon:

Eu2jnSc1_o.png
 
The valves probably need re-shimming. They are shim and bucket on that motor and they do wear and make quite a racket when they wear too much. I remember having to do mine at around 30k miles or something like that.
 
Rilot said:
The valves probably need re-shimming. They are shim and bucket on that motor and they do wear and make quite a racket when they wear too much. I remember having to do mine at around 30k miles or something like that.
Click to expand...

I did the valves myself 250 miles ago, but further research indicates that it could be the chain or tensioner. Other responses just say that it's normal. I'll take it to Normandy tomorrow and see what they think.
 
Diddums said:
I did the valves myself 250 miles ago, but further research indicates that it could be the chain or tensioner. Other responses just say that it's normal. I'll take it to Normandy tomorrow and see what they think.
Click to expand...
The noise could definitely be the chain or tensioner, the ZZR one is very similar to the Thundercat one that I have, and it has made a bloody racket sometimes.
It does quieten down when it's warmed up and although it automatically adjusts the tension, a quick manual 1 notch nip up makes it much nicer on the ears.

In all the years the Thundercat has needed a little adjustment only once or twice and that's simply because of me messing about inside the old beast.
 
Rilot said:
I don't remember my valves being that noisy on my ZZR. It was 30 years ago that I had it though.......
Click to expand...

That's my problem, I could very well be overthinking it. Of course it doesn't help that loads of the acoustic foam is missing from under the tank too.


I was just out and about on it again, very close to home I lose power, even at wide open, no power at all. So now I'm starting to panic, and as I turn it to my road, it cuts out and won't start. WTF.

Then it hit me - I've not filled the bloody thing up in months :p


That said, it rides like an absolute peach, so I'm not even sure if there's anything wrong tbh.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom