I have embarked on a new project, it's not a Ducati, it's a Kawasaki ZXR400 L3. Basically my mate bought it cheap a few years back with a view to spend a few hundred £ and get it back on the road while he didn't have a bike.... It had been sat for years and years so the carbs wrecked! so after multiple re-builds and messing around I have finally got it to run, next job is to balance the carbs and check for air leaks around the inlet rubbers (common). The list of fairly large jobs includes: 1) Completely rebuilt front brakes, possible cheaper to exchange or swap with some GSXR600 Calipers. 2) Same for the Rear brake, even the pistons in both are wrecked. 3) Clean and degrease the whole bike; check electrics and lights and replace RH Handlebar. 4) Re-Spray bodywork and find missing in-fill panels 5) Replace Tyres and check suspension components and wheel bearings for wear. TBH, it's a close run thing as to whether it's worth doing! but it is a project none the less and if I can get it running really well once the carbs are balanced it will encourage me to do the rest on as tighter budget as I can. I did a 2005 Aprilia RS125 a couple of years ago and it turned out really well, I put a 34m Carb on it and re-built the top end and it goes really well, I guess the ZXR400 is another bike of my youth that I fancied getting together for a blast! Anyone else had experience with ZXR400's? My Ultimate plan will be to use it for commuting or small trackdays.
I had a ZXR400 H2 which I bought as a just-runs but wouldn't rev over 5000RPM. Was a dirty jets issue. I've pretty much had that bike to pieces about a million times. If it is a non-UK model there are a couple of tricks to get around the restriction (100ohm resistor needs soldering inline with the ?pink? wire from the ECU to earth, costs 46p from Maplins) You can fit GSXR750 Calipers straight on the front with a sleeve and a spacer. I fitted a GSXR1000 rear shock too, needed to modify the battery box a little bit and drill out the shock bush to fit a larger bolt. The fairing came from a guy on eBay that races in the formula 400 class. He makes SV650 fairings too but I can't remember his company's name right now. Mine had no lights, a GPT digital speedo (which cost £100), a number plate and a horn That was it. The most fun you can have on a road. Feel like john mcguiness but only go 120mph max I really loved that bike.
That's a really nice bike! Tbh the carbs were cleaned but I couldn't really get the Pilot jets cleaned as they wouldn't come out, it would start on choke, rev like crazy but then cut out off choke, so I stripped them again and blew through the jets with a bike pump and cleared them, and now it runs off the choke and will rev on the throttle but the carbs need balancing. I now have some balance gauges and understand what the screws do! before I was just trying to do it via ear, which was making a difference but you need guages! the idle is still very high, but I understand that I can adjust the main air mix screws and also need to check for leaking air on the inlet tracts. If I can sort this and getting running nicely then I will move on to cleaning and checking wheel bearings, swingarm bearings and getting some brakes. The eBay seller that used to sell GSXR spacers seems to have dissapeared, do you know anyone else that sells them?
I bought a set of spacers for my Track Bike from this seller. Good quality, sure he'd make set, if you know the size. Brake Spacers Caliper Conversion Washers Suit Nissin,Brembo,Bendix,Mintex,EBC | eBay
My bike came with the spacers already fitted but they were just a couple of top hats, I guess you just need to find the right diameters? The problem on mine was going from the Idle circuit to the main as well. Might be worth tracking down someone with a compressor to give them a proper blow through. The original rear calliper is as much use as tits on a fish. I never used mine.
Thanks, tbh I will leave the brakes for now until I get the engine running properly although I know how useless the rear brake is, I need it there for an MOT so it will be rebuilt last. I have some other issues to sort, leaking fuel tap (just need to order a repair kit) and such, but really it's getting the carbs balanced and happy that it runs to a point it would be MOT'able then I will just continue to add too it. I know for example how poor the rear shock is. Best I can do at the mo is make sure that the swingarm and linkages are moving correctly and that the shock is on standard settings and then go from there. Interestingly.. that spacer link that Nelson posted, was thinking I could get a spacer made to lift the rear ride hieght depending on how much spare thread there is on the bolt, the arse sits on the floor on these bikes even though they steer okay. Because I will be jumping between my 848 and the ZXR quite a lot I don't want to go from one extreme to the other!
Currently I am trying to find a Compression tester with a 16mm Hex connection so that I can compression test the engine, I tried with one I borrowed but it was push fit and showing 88-90PSI on the middle cylinders which is below the min 99 recommended.
Btw not strictly a Ducati would be that 748 with a TL lump in ot. This is nothing like a Ducati, its a Kawasaki! lol which I also had one of, loved it to bits and so nearly bought another, in fact nearly buy another everyyear
See if the bottom gasket has been removed, as they were removed to add compression by racers. The head gaskets go too.
Haha sorry Bradders! I meant to put some quip about how it's completely not a Ducati and only even tenuously linked by the fact I only sold my first one to buy a 748. But I didn't, cause I'm an idiot! Bottom gasket is there, we know the owner and he had a FZR racebike so this was for the road. I do think it's had a very hard life though so I won't be getting carried away! I blew my last one up, dropped a valve; but in my defence the guy who had it before me came into my bike shop and told me he had 'done the valve clearances himself and they are spot on' at which point I know it was a crapper!
Made good progress with the project this weekend, completely balanced the carbs and got it running really well so that's pleasing. I also removed as much tacky vinyl as I could such as chequered flags and various horrid stickers. If is still going to be several different colours but it's okay. Next job is brakes, which actually may not be as bad as we first suspected and may be a rebuild job.
