Beam's '93 Kawasaki ZXR750L - midlife crisis/project
Discussion
General consensus in another thread was to definitely start a reader's rides/build thread so here goes!
With my 40th birthday looming and having finally bought a house with a garage I have found myself fighting an itch for some sort of toy in classic car, motorcycle or unusual flavour. I had initially been scouting for VW beach buggies but decided I already didn't have that much space in the garage with stuff stored over from the house move last summer. A motorcycle shall have to do...
I spent a couple of months with a keen eye on FB/Gumtree/eBay, missing out on potential projects that were local to me including a proper barn find ZXR750 in green/red colours. This focused my search on other ZXR's and I even contemplated a couple of ZXR400's to build a single good one. Once I started totting up the cost of fuel and a van to fetch something unseen over the internet I then cast my net further afield to see if I could find anything worth importing.
And here we are!
1993 Kawasaki ZXR750L - not the traditional, awesome green paint schemes but I started to fall hard for the retro 90's outrun style graphics and twin headlights vibe.
It was advertised by a guy running a classic motorcycle restoration place in Germany. It was on eBay for £500 or so more but I found it again on what seems to be the German version of Gumtree so I messaged through that and after a few emails, organised the purchase and shifting of it from Germany to Scotland. £400 transporting it plus additional customs/management fees seemed worth the punt for a bike costing me just a shade under £1100.
It has sat for a few years without attention. Seller had more than a handful of them in the workshop and was never getting around to this one as he has plans to wind the business down soon. It was stated the engine needs a bit of an overhaul but the bodywork was in great condition. It was. I was pleasantly surprised by just how good the condition of the bike was despite 54,000 miles on the clock (in KM's).
I'm not after anything ridiculous in terms of restoration standards but I'd be chuffed if it starts on the button and I park up at some bike spot (some trouble-free miles later) and someone comes ambling over to admire it and tell me all about the one they or their Dad/Uncle/Mum/Auntie had "back in the day"...
Plans are to initially get it running but will drop the oil and change all the easily serviceable parts to put me on the front foot first. I'm not the most mechanically gifted but with YouTube videos, a decent toolset and a newly purchased Haynes Manual I am pretty sure I will manage the odd job to getting this restored to pretty good mechanical condition. It arrived two weeks ago but the following day my second child was born so it's been a bit hectic in the house but I have ordered little bits like two original blank keys and original mirrors as I want to revert the risers back to standard. I've also a few eBay listings on "watch" at the moment. My family have kindly chipped in to buy me an ABBA sky lift as well so will order one soon, think I might see if can pick up a deal at the Scottish Motorcycle show this weekend if anyone is selling them there.
I will no doubt be leaning on you lot for some forum knowledge and advice as time goes by so be prepared!
With my 40th birthday looming and having finally bought a house with a garage I have found myself fighting an itch for some sort of toy in classic car, motorcycle or unusual flavour. I had initially been scouting for VW beach buggies but decided I already didn't have that much space in the garage with stuff stored over from the house move last summer. A motorcycle shall have to do...
I spent a couple of months with a keen eye on FB/Gumtree/eBay, missing out on potential projects that were local to me including a proper barn find ZXR750 in green/red colours. This focused my search on other ZXR's and I even contemplated a couple of ZXR400's to build a single good one. Once I started totting up the cost of fuel and a van to fetch something unseen over the internet I then cast my net further afield to see if I could find anything worth importing.
And here we are!
1993 Kawasaki ZXR750L - not the traditional, awesome green paint schemes but I started to fall hard for the retro 90's outrun style graphics and twin headlights vibe.
It was advertised by a guy running a classic motorcycle restoration place in Germany. It was on eBay for £500 or so more but I found it again on what seems to be the German version of Gumtree so I messaged through that and after a few emails, organised the purchase and shifting of it from Germany to Scotland. £400 transporting it plus additional customs/management fees seemed worth the punt for a bike costing me just a shade under £1100.
It has sat for a few years without attention. Seller had more than a handful of them in the workshop and was never getting around to this one as he has plans to wind the business down soon. It was stated the engine needs a bit of an overhaul but the bodywork was in great condition. It was. I was pleasantly surprised by just how good the condition of the bike was despite 54,000 miles on the clock (in KM's).
I'm not after anything ridiculous in terms of restoration standards but I'd be chuffed if it starts on the button and I park up at some bike spot (some trouble-free miles later) and someone comes ambling over to admire it and tell me all about the one they or their Dad/Uncle/Mum/Auntie had "back in the day"...
Plans are to initially get it running but will drop the oil and change all the easily serviceable parts to put me on the front foot first. I'm not the most mechanically gifted but with YouTube videos, a decent toolset and a newly purchased Haynes Manual I am pretty sure I will manage the odd job to getting this restored to pretty good mechanical condition. It arrived two weeks ago but the following day my second child was born so it's been a bit hectic in the house but I have ordered little bits like two original blank keys and original mirrors as I want to revert the risers back to standard. I've also a few eBay listings on "watch" at the moment. My family have kindly chipped in to buy me an ABBA sky lift as well so will order one soon, think I might see if can pick up a deal at the Scottish Motorcycle show this weekend if anyone is selling them there.
I will no doubt be leaning on you lot for some forum knowledge and advice as time goes by so be prepared!
Edited by beambeam1 on Monday 11th March 21:12
It looks fantastic as well, doesn't it?
Just after removing the right side fairing this evening, little bit of the front bottom left side fairing came away with it but if it's original panels after so many miles, that's not too bad. Noticed the fairing attachments either side of the rider seat are broken too so will have to look up a repair job down the line so they sit flush and tight.
Need to chuck also in a new batch of fairing fixtures as it's a mashup of hex, torx and phillips in there at the moment.
Just after removing the right side fairing this evening, little bit of the front bottom left side fairing came away with it but if it's original panels after so many miles, that's not too bad. Noticed the fairing attachments either side of the rider seat are broken too so will have to look up a repair job down the line so they sit flush and tight.
Need to chuck also in a new batch of fairing fixtures as it's a mashup of hex, torx and phillips in there at the moment.
That looks amazing! I love that era of graphics, and being a similar age I've been scouring eBay looking at 400s again. I never had a ZXR back in the 90s, had an RVF and an FZR (which I regretted and wished I'd bought a ZXR).
I was in the pub on Thursday talking to my brother about ZXRs and we were debating which colours we like best. I actually nominated the same scheme you've bought, he likes the all metallic blue ones with a black frame.
My head would say 750 for the extra grunt now, but my heart still lies with the 400s
Yours is the epitome of 90s colour schemes
I was in the pub on Thursday talking to my brother about ZXRs and we were debating which colours we like best. I actually nominated the same scheme you've bought, he likes the all metallic blue ones with a black frame.
My head would say 750 for the extra grunt now, but my heart still lies with the 400s
Yours is the epitome of 90s colour schemes
Congrats Beam, one of my all time favourite bikes. I absolutely love mine, perfect power for the road, you can effectively extract and use every last hp. Such a satisfying experience redlining these through the lanes and they sound superb on song.
You will enjoy it. The factory Kawasaki manual is a great reference also, and they sit great on the skylift
Look forwards to your progress, great colours too. Fowlers have a good parts website, even if not in stock at least you can see the part numbers and put them on ebay watch.
You will enjoy it. The factory Kawasaki manual is a great reference also, and they sit great on the skylift
Look forwards to your progress, great colours too. Fowlers have a good parts website, even if not in stock at least you can see the part numbers and put them on ebay watch.
Lovely looking bike, although I am a Kawasaki fan..
Just a point on the Scottish Bike show... I've never seen ABBA stands there, but a few years ago I bought a cheaper version of it.
It's a stand that you have to screw bits onto the bike, then joins the lift.. but you only get 1 lifting action and it only lifts the bike a few inches off the ground.
Anyway, I got that one... total waste of money, very cheaply built and the company promised me certain things as I was buying at the show which they never sent.. basically 1 big con..
So yeah.. I would stay away from them if they are there..
Just a point on the Scottish Bike show... I've never seen ABBA stands there, but a few years ago I bought a cheaper version of it.
It's a stand that you have to screw bits onto the bike, then joins the lift.. but you only get 1 lifting action and it only lifts the bike a few inches off the ground.
Anyway, I got that one... total waste of money, very cheaply built and the company promised me certain things as I was buying at the show which they never sent.. basically 1 big con..
So yeah.. I would stay away from them if they are there..
Alex@POD said:
Looks great, don't the mirrors hit the screen when you turn the bars though?
I know as I've seen previous posts the risers are coming off and the bike will be reverting to standard.The nearest I've been to one is one roaring past me as I was about to turn right into a business park on my way to work and a former neighbour had their ZX-7R stolen before they became a neighbour.
That colour scheme looks good on the ZX-10R anniversary.
carinaman said:
I know as I've seen previous posts the risers are coming off and the bike will be reverting to standard.
And it will look a lot better for it! I had flat bars on a Blackbird, it made it much easier to handle when fully loaded with a pillion and more confortable for trips, but I kept the original mirrors. I'm just confused as to how the previous owner would steer it more than anything!
Nice. I’m a big fan of 90‘s sports bikes.
I live in Germany and there are sooooo many parked up in garages gathering dust. I bought a mid nineties low mileage, non running GSXR 750 for 750€ and got it back on the road/track. It really is fun to ride.
I live in Germany and there are sooooo many parked up in garages gathering dust. I bought a mid nineties low mileage, non running GSXR 750 for 750€ and got it back on the road/track. It really is fun to ride.
Edited by Kawasicki on Tuesday 12th March 19:16
Wow, a great response! Delighted to see so much love for the old girl on here.
I did see a factory Kawasaki manual on eBay the other week and dropped out the bidding south of £30. Didn't realise until afterwards that they fetch a healthy premium so I should have stayed bidding a little longer... Haynes manual will see me right I hope.
I took plenty of photos for references as the idea struck me that I could always pick up, repair and repaint a second set of fairings closer to the reimagined scheme for a bit of fun. I have toyed also with the idea of changing the rear fairings to a single pod/no pillion and quite like the blend into solid pink for a bit of inspiration... och, call me daft if you like, I'm just thinking out loud...
But yeah, love the 40th anniversary scheme now that I have seen it up close but I was staggered to find out that they have released three special paint schemes for the 40th anniversary model (in addition to the classic/typical green, blue and white but only for a total of 40 bikes... worldwide!?!? Owners can select which scheme they prefer but only 40 will be sold and no limitation placed on how many runs of each scheme are made. Bizarre as I would have thought they could have easily sold 40 of each colourway.
The other paint scheme choices available should anyone wish to drop nearly £27,000 for one.
Thanks for all the positive responses here, I edited a few down to reduce the chances of a lengthy quote post but alas, I have failed.
srob said:
Yours is the epitome of 90s colour schemes
It really ticks that classic 90's look for me, borderline garish colours and the twin headlights, for me, are the equivalent of pop up headlights on old cars!NITO said:
Congrats Beam, one of my all time favourite bikes. I absolutely love mine, perfect power for the road, you can effectively extract and use every last hp. Such a satisfying experience redlining these through the lanes and they sound superb on song.
You will enjoy it. The factory Kawasaki manual is a great reference also, and they sit great on the skylift
Look forwards to your progress, great colours too. Fowlers have a good parts website, even if not in stock at least you can see the part numbers and put them on ebay watch.
Thanks - great to know you've had an awesome experience with them. There's plenty of videos and articles out there to whet my appetite but knowing people's genuine feelings about them are positive is great to know. Abba Sky Lift has been ordered now - went to the Scottish Motorcycle show at the weekend and didn't see anyone selling them so as soon as I was home I ordered one with all the extra bits required. I turned 40 last weekend so that's my birthday present from my Dad and brothers sorted... I'm lucky I have three of them!You will enjoy it. The factory Kawasaki manual is a great reference also, and they sit great on the skylift
Look forwards to your progress, great colours too. Fowlers have a good parts website, even if not in stock at least you can see the part numbers and put them on ebay watch.
I did see a factory Kawasaki manual on eBay the other week and dropped out the bidding south of £30. Didn't realise until afterwards that they fetch a healthy premium so I should have stayed bidding a little longer... Haynes manual will see me right I hope.
the cueball said:
Just a point on the Scottish Bike show... I've never seen ABBA stands there, but a few years ago I bought a cheaper version of it... total waste of money, very cheaply built and the company promised me certain things as I was buying at the show which they never sent.. basically 1 big con..
I kept an eye out for these but never saw any. I had my mind made up on the ABBA version and nothing less anyway but I think these types of shows always attract stalls selling absolute rubbish along with the likes of tartan paint. Got wise to that after a visit to the Royal Highland Show a few years back when I saw all the miracle tools and "can do anything" but very cheap cobalt drill bits. ***SHOW PRICE***Alex@POD said:
Looks great, don't the mirrors hit the screen when you turn the bars though?
So, this niggled at me during the weekend so I hopped on the bike earlier this evening and you're right, they absolutely do knock off the screen when you start turning the bars! They can be folded though so I wonder if the transporter folded them upwards to make space for other bikes in his van when bringing it over from Germany?carinaman said:
That colour scheme looks good on the ZX-10R anniversary.
Oh man, it absolutely does. I'm in love after seeing it in-person at the bike show this weekend:I took plenty of photos for references as the idea struck me that I could always pick up, repair and repaint a second set of fairings closer to the reimagined scheme for a bit of fun. I have toyed also with the idea of changing the rear fairings to a single pod/no pillion and quite like the blend into solid pink for a bit of inspiration... och, call me daft if you like, I'm just thinking out loud...
But yeah, love the 40th anniversary scheme now that I have seen it up close but I was staggered to find out that they have released three special paint schemes for the 40th anniversary model (in addition to the classic/typical green, blue and white but only for a total of 40 bikes... worldwide!?!? Owners can select which scheme they prefer but only 40 will be sold and no limitation placed on how many runs of each scheme are made. Bizarre as I would have thought they could have easily sold 40 of each colourway.
The other paint scheme choices available should anyone wish to drop nearly £27,000 for one.
Kawasicki said:
I live in Germany and there are sooooo many parked up in garages gathering dust.
And I'd hazard a guess that some dust is pretty much all that is wrong with them? I'm after changing the speedo and headlights from a bike of equal mileage and the disintegration of the UK parts compared to German is ridiculous, what the hell do we do to our bikes over here! Lovely GSX-R though, as Suzuki moved into the early 00's from the 90's they seemed to have dabbled in bold and lovely paintjobs in addition to the classic white and blue.Thanks for all the positive responses here, I edited a few down to reduce the chances of a lengthy quote post but alas, I have failed.
So, where am I at?
I've nipped out late in the evenings the last week or so as the madness around a newborn and my 40th birthday dies down. I found an unopened jug of oil at the back of the garage so changed the oil that before anything else. Whilst I was in Halfords for another purchase I also ended up buying a fresh battery for the bike too so that's in and I can see all the lights and dash powering up no bother. The bike cranks but nothing fires... I've a feeling it could be a dead fuel pump but I can't hear much at all so might need to borrow the wife and get her to listen for any solenoids or something activating.
In the meantime, I've suffered my first casualty as I took the fairings off for access. If that is the worst of the fairings after so many miles I can't really grumble.
First job I wanted to tackle amongst getting the bike started was to swap the headlights and clocks for UK versions. As luck would have it I found some at a breakers yard just a couple of miles from me so I popped down and grabbed them for a decent enough price. The headlights were actually in poor shape so the guy ended up throwing them in for nowt but the speedo reads 56,000 miles to my bikes actual 54,000 miles (in kilometres) so I was pleased about that as it retains a bit of honesty down the line if I ever come to sell it.
Both sets of lights working before I set about switching the UK lights from broken UK brackets to the perfectly fine German ones. They no longer work properly so I have buggered a bulb or failed to connect something back up but my new battery is dead as I left the key in the ON position with maybe some indicators flashing as I closed the garage door...? Recharging overnight and I'll hack back at the bike another evening.
As you can see, I am slowly working my way through the bike and some beers but I'll keep plugging away at it.
I've nipped out late in the evenings the last week or so as the madness around a newborn and my 40th birthday dies down. I found an unopened jug of oil at the back of the garage so changed the oil that before anything else. Whilst I was in Halfords for another purchase I also ended up buying a fresh battery for the bike too so that's in and I can see all the lights and dash powering up no bother. The bike cranks but nothing fires... I've a feeling it could be a dead fuel pump but I can't hear much at all so might need to borrow the wife and get her to listen for any solenoids or something activating.
In the meantime, I've suffered my first casualty as I took the fairings off for access. If that is the worst of the fairings after so many miles I can't really grumble.
First job I wanted to tackle amongst getting the bike started was to swap the headlights and clocks for UK versions. As luck would have it I found some at a breakers yard just a couple of miles from me so I popped down and grabbed them for a decent enough price. The headlights were actually in poor shape so the guy ended up throwing them in for nowt but the speedo reads 56,000 miles to my bikes actual 54,000 miles (in kilometres) so I was pleased about that as it retains a bit of honesty down the line if I ever come to sell it.
Both sets of lights working before I set about switching the UK lights from broken UK brackets to the perfectly fine German ones. They no longer work properly so I have buggered a bulb or failed to connect something back up but my new battery is dead as I left the key in the ON position with maybe some indicators flashing as I closed the garage door...? Recharging overnight and I'll hack back at the bike another evening.
As you can see, I am slowly working my way through the bike and some beers but I'll keep plugging away at it.
I think stating in the email that I lived up the road and would be willing to collect left no wiggle room for arguing that any damage was caused in transit. All in, both parts posted were going to cost £130 so I definitely feel like I got a deal at £80 especially as I can report now that all lights are fitted and working.
Must have blown the bulb at some point when I swapped the lenses around but a new BA9 type bulb from Halfords and all good again. Bike is now complaint with UK spec with regards to speedo and lights though I'll need to adjust the headlight beam when I get booked in for an MOT.
Managed to get some original blank Kawasaki keys cut last week too. Only had the single key and was paranoid I would snap or lose it but strangely Timpsons refuse to cut customer supplied keys so I had to search out an indy close to my old address. Job jobbed perfectly and nice to keep things OEM and original where possible.
Must have blown the bulb at some point when I swapped the lenses around but a new BA9 type bulb from Halfords and all good again. Bike is now complaint with UK spec with regards to speedo and lights though I'll need to adjust the headlight beam when I get booked in for an MOT.
Managed to get some original blank Kawasaki keys cut last week too. Only had the single key and was paranoid I would snap or lose it but strangely Timpsons refuse to cut customer supplied keys so I had to search out an indy close to my old address. Job jobbed perfectly and nice to keep things OEM and original where possible.
beambeam1 said:
Bike is now complaint with UK spec with regards to speedo and lights though I'll need to adjust the headlight beam when I get booked in for an MOT.
Erm, wait a minute... 
I was browsing one of the many Facebook groups dedicated to these bikes this week and came across an advert for a complete rear licence plate holder and noticed a few extra pieces on it that I didn't possess. The OP kindly sent me some closer images to compare against my own bike and I seem to be missing the bolt on reflector which also houses the lightbulb that illuminates the rear plate.
Helpfully, someone else replied with a link to a Kawasaki outfit selling the part required on eBay for £26. Promptly ordered and what I received for my money was simply the reflector and plastic housing... irritating but even more so when I reached back out for a price on the rest of the bits required.
£67 for a bulb holder and some bolts on top of the £26 for a reflector? I'm doing the Offer-Counter Offer dance on eBay for a 2nd hand item before I let myself be mugged by the dealership. I can hold out for a while anyway as I suspect this bike is a long way off an MOT pass yet.
Anyway, a general update on what I've been up to the last few weeks with the bike!
The keen-eyed amongst you might have spotted my bike was levitating in the first image of the last post! I may have mentioned that I was turning 40 last month and that my parents/brothers chipped in to buy me an Abba Sky Lift I had been hankering after...
Took a quiet hour or so to assemble late at night when the kids and wife were asleep. Battered through a couple of beers which slowed progress I guess but what a lovely and useful bit of kit it is! The ability to nudge it here and there out of the way when I need to access other stuff in the garage has been a great help but it also saves my back when I am tinkering with the bike. A bit spendy perhaps but can't know them at all and I didn't have the headroom for a typical platform bike lift. Made use of the spare time I had by also ditching the single lightbulb in favour of 4 LED button lights which has made a huge difference to working in the garage.
With the bike in the air I have since spent a lot of time staring at it whilst trying to make sense of what is what and how it all relates to each other.
Like this canister above that I found zip tied to the rear subframe of the bike - it turned out to be the gassy bit for the rear shock absorber. Of which I have a spare sourced from eBay for £25! My intention being to set about learning to restore that and have it ready to fit when I eventually tackle the back end of the bike.
One of the first things I started to poke around with was undoing the bolts for this bit below so I could try and turn the engine over by hand. I'm pleased to report it did turn over freely with just a wee bit of resistance. Of course, I drained the oil and filled it back up with a fresh dose first.
With the fairings fully removed from the bike I had a chance to inspect other areas and realised that there is a significant amount of gunk gathering up around the kickstand. From what I can see there is a minor leak or weep from the the transmission box which has been trailing backwards, blown back by the wind when the bike has been ridden. It may well be a leak from elsewhere but it seems to pool up here. (I also found some build-up where the fairings join up below).
Bit minging, no? There's definitely some leaks elsewhere that I need to source and it's started looming on my mind that I should maybe see about going straight into an engine rebuild rather than focus on getting it through an MOT first to see what else is wrong. What really prompted this idea was when I set about swapping out the spark plugs for new ones.
Looking forward, cylinders 1-2-3-4 in a left to right fashion, first three minging but the fourth was coated in oil. Some quick Google-Fu without so much as bowing into the dojo suggests that the valve cover gasket has gone. I've been here before with my old BMW and although it took a bit of time and assistance from my little brother it wasn't THAT bad of a job. I'm reasonably confident I can tackle this and beyond especially with the plethora of rebuild/restoration content available on YouTube and historical forum knowledge all over the internet.
Until this discovery, I had struggled and failed to get the bike started and I'm less inclined to keep trying now I've found the oily spark plug. Fresh fuel, spraying carb cleaner in the right places, bypassing the fuel pump (which is working anyway) and various other snake oil/bulls
t "tried this?" empty gestures has resulted in nothing more than a solitary backfire when petrol fumes ignited in the exhaust. I jumped a bit, my brother jumped out of his skin and the neighbour across the street looked like he shat himself. It was the closest thing to ignition yet.
So, I think I might start forming a plan in my head and list of part numbers in my phone for engine removal and rebuild. I'd really like to see/hear the bike start up but I suspect that refreshing all the gaskets and seals might be the smartest move first of all then revisit the idea of a nut and bolt restoration later. Any thoughts or advice is appreciated here!
In the meantime, I've ordered little bits and pieces like a fuel tap rebuild kit and I'm still searching for an original top yoke so I can bin the riser kit above and get the cockpit looking right again. I think little easily achievable wins here and there like that will keep the motivational can kicking down the road as I get my head around this project.
The keen-eyed amongst you might have spotted my bike was levitating in the first image of the last post! I may have mentioned that I was turning 40 last month and that my parents/brothers chipped in to buy me an Abba Sky Lift I had been hankering after...
Took a quiet hour or so to assemble late at night when the kids and wife were asleep. Battered through a couple of beers which slowed progress I guess but what a lovely and useful bit of kit it is! The ability to nudge it here and there out of the way when I need to access other stuff in the garage has been a great help but it also saves my back when I am tinkering with the bike. A bit spendy perhaps but can't know them at all and I didn't have the headroom for a typical platform bike lift. Made use of the spare time I had by also ditching the single lightbulb in favour of 4 LED button lights which has made a huge difference to working in the garage.
With the bike in the air I have since spent a lot of time staring at it whilst trying to make sense of what is what and how it all relates to each other.
Like this canister above that I found zip tied to the rear subframe of the bike - it turned out to be the gassy bit for the rear shock absorber. Of which I have a spare sourced from eBay for £25! My intention being to set about learning to restore that and have it ready to fit when I eventually tackle the back end of the bike.
One of the first things I started to poke around with was undoing the bolts for this bit below so I could try and turn the engine over by hand. I'm pleased to report it did turn over freely with just a wee bit of resistance. Of course, I drained the oil and filled it back up with a fresh dose first.
With the fairings fully removed from the bike I had a chance to inspect other areas and realised that there is a significant amount of gunk gathering up around the kickstand. From what I can see there is a minor leak or weep from the the transmission box which has been trailing backwards, blown back by the wind when the bike has been ridden. It may well be a leak from elsewhere but it seems to pool up here. (I also found some build-up where the fairings join up below).
Bit minging, no? There's definitely some leaks elsewhere that I need to source and it's started looming on my mind that I should maybe see about going straight into an engine rebuild rather than focus on getting it through an MOT first to see what else is wrong. What really prompted this idea was when I set about swapping out the spark plugs for new ones.
Looking forward, cylinders 1-2-3-4 in a left to right fashion, first three minging but the fourth was coated in oil. Some quick Google-Fu without so much as bowing into the dojo suggests that the valve cover gasket has gone. I've been here before with my old BMW and although it took a bit of time and assistance from my little brother it wasn't THAT bad of a job. I'm reasonably confident I can tackle this and beyond especially with the plethora of rebuild/restoration content available on YouTube and historical forum knowledge all over the internet.
Until this discovery, I had struggled and failed to get the bike started and I'm less inclined to keep trying now I've found the oily spark plug. Fresh fuel, spraying carb cleaner in the right places, bypassing the fuel pump (which is working anyway) and various other snake oil/bulls
t "tried this?" empty gestures has resulted in nothing more than a solitary backfire when petrol fumes ignited in the exhaust. I jumped a bit, my brother jumped out of his skin and the neighbour across the street looked like he shat himself. It was the closest thing to ignition yet.So, I think I might start forming a plan in my head and list of part numbers in my phone for engine removal and rebuild. I'd really like to see/hear the bike start up but I suspect that refreshing all the gaskets and seals might be the smartest move first of all then revisit the idea of a nut and bolt restoration later. Any thoughts or advice is appreciated here!
In the meantime, I've ordered little bits and pieces like a fuel tap rebuild kit and I'm still searching for an original top yoke so I can bin the riser kit above and get the cockpit looking right again. I think little easily achievable wins here and there like that will keep the motivational can kicking down the road as I get my head around this project.
I take it you're getting spark on all four plugs? I'd be tempted to think the mess at the kickstand was chain lube and road crap build up, clean it off, check the valve clearances whilst fixing the valve colour seal then get it running and have a better look at the kickstand area once the bike was rideable.
Nice thread btw, keep the updates coming.
Nice thread btw, keep the updates coming.
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