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EuropeanNC30R... |
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EuropeanNC30R... Gay Hairdresser
Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Karma :
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Posted: 04:42 - 28 Jun 2006 Post subject: A Tale of Kawasaki Reliability….. |
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Or more specifically, GPZ500S.
After a late night msn conversation with Mike on Saturday we decided on a last minute camping trip to the West Welsh coast for Sunday. Mikes new GPZ bought with the intention of comfortable touring on the cheap, needed a road test. So far it’d done a fair bit of mileage commuting to work but never been on a decent rideout.
Initially planning to meet outside Mcdonalds at 1pm, later revised to 2pm due to general laziness and my luggage rack taking an age to bolt on. Damn thing was very fiddly to fit as you need to line up two holes, a spacer between the holes, and hold the rack lined up, before poking the bolt through. Four times. Would’ve probably still been doing it hadn’t my mum given me a hand by holding the rack and subjected herself to minor cursing as the spacers fell out for the umpteenth time.
Me, (under breath) – “&@$£&@ washer $%^&$£$*@”
Mum, (innocently) – “Sorry, what was that?”
Me – “Nuuuuthing….. I was talking to myself”
Mum – “Oh”
I eventually got it fitted, and stuck the correctly sized spanner and socket into my panniers in case they worked themselves loose mid-ride and lost my tent to the road. Very nearly stuck my whole mini socket set in, but didn’t in the end for space saving reasons, later this would become a mistake.
Sailing South down the a483 the sun was shining down, cars were maintaining some lane discipline and there was some humidity in the air, it was going to be a hot day.
Arrived at Mcdonalds to find Mike queuing up for a Maccies healthy ‘Veggie Special’, seemingly only special in the inflated price and special lack of meat for your money.
Soon we set off at a relaxed non-thrash pace partly as I had a brand new un-scrubbed front tyre, Mike wasn’t wearing full gear, and general apathy in the hazy afternoon sun. Around 8 miles further down the road in Llangollen I became aware Mike was revving the rough sounding GPZ randomly, looking about as happy as Siggi been made to watch the Queen’s speech. As we queued at the junction on the bridge in the town centre he pulled up beside and told me something was wrong. We then noticed a not small amount of fluid was pissing out of the bottom of the bike all over the road, engine was sounding rough as hell too, even for a GPZ, and there was no oil visible in the sight glass. It all looked a bit terminal.
Mike immediately killed the engine and began pushing the bike off the bridge and around the corner for us to have a look at. We were relieved to find it was petrol that was leaking rather than oil, and out of the overflow pipe. Being the prepared lad he is, Mike had no UK breakdown cover and not one tool with him. While I started to undo my panniers to get at my motley collection of spanners, penknife, bicycle multi-tool and two 13mm spanners from underneath my seat, a local bystander came up and suggested there was something stuck in one of the carb’s float valve, and right he was. The roadside bodge suggestion is to give it a tap in order to knock the dirt out of place. The right carb was given a few taps without any success before a couple old boys pulled up on a Harley 883 and some ancient Triumph 500 twin complete with pork-slicer. After a thorough inspection they agreed with bystander no.1’s diagnosis and suggested more tapping. We also did the left carb this time, which seemed to help a little! The petrol stopped leaking. For the other symptoms, the engine rattling sound had been due to a loose exhaust clamp and the oil level due to general burnage.
https://www.motocapers.com/gpzreliability/PIC000084m.jpg
A roadside carburettor strip-down had looked on the cards, the Trumphet guy was definitely not in favour though, recommending a careful ride home (perhaps with a bit of sense), and a visit to the local bike shop.
“Taking the carbs off is not a roadside job mate, not with the tools you got there!” (Points at the 13mm spanners and bicycle multi-tool I got free off the cover of a bicycle magazine 10 years ago)
Whilst putting the bike back together and thanking them for their help, Trumphet guy asked if the foot-pump Mike had bungeed to the back seat was for his air bed. We didn’t have the heart to tell him it was for the dodgy rear tyre that had a habit of deflating randomly .
Then we were off shooting up the Horseshoe pass, making fairly good progress for at least 3 miles…. until GPZ indicators and headlights began flashing in my mirrors. The geeper had dropped onto one cylinder again going up the hill with the petrol leak back in full flow. Mike had always been proud of the bikes’ MPG (maybe a lack of other redeeming factors ) so it amused me.
https://www.motocapers.com/gpzreliability/PIC000086m.jpg
After spending around 10 minutes sitting down, eating crisps and generally not being arsed to do anything about it Mike decided to give the fourth emergency service a ring. Unfortunately Keith’s mobile was turned off, doh. We did have the idea of blocking up the petrol overflow pipe, but there was a nagging thought “it’s probably there for a reason”. The prospect of a torched GPZ at the roadside may have made a good bcf ‘pwned’ picture, however with the absence of fire insurance and with a foreign trip on the horizon it was decided against. Carb removal was the only way forward.
As there was no 10mm spanner to undo the bolts attaching the airbox the carbs had to be removed with it in situ. Fortunately because of the twin engine layout this isn’t too hard on the geeper, (or ‘gepper’ as I have come to call it affectionately). After blowing out the blockage the carbs were squeezed back on with a little difficulty, one quite not sealing properly but good enough as a road side bodge.
https://www.motocapers.com/gpzreliability/PIC000087m.jpg
Finally we were off on our way and with no more hold-ups apart from a brief petrol stop in Bala, we were soon at the campsite outside Twyn unloading the bikes, erecting the tents and getting down the pub for a pie and a pint.
After procuring some firewood from outside the back of the pub (No I don’t think it’s free Mike ), and collecting sticks from a back lane we got back to the site, got a fire going and relaxed.
Next morning not having slept much due to some surprisingly rough weather, Mike left earlier than me on his own, intent on taking a short-cut back so he could meet his Dad for some fishing. Unfortunately gepper luck stroke again and his rear tyre lost all pressure a few miles down the short cut. Unable to hold pressure because the inner valve had given up, he rode it gingerly at almost 0 psi to the nearest garage where a mechanic fitted a new inner valve for him at no charge , leaving him able to complete the journey.
Three breakdowns in 150 miles, and this thing’s got to do 4000 next month |
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Steve H |
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Steve H World Chat Champion
Joined: 18 Oct 2003 Karma :
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Posted: 10:47 - 28 Jun 2006 Post subject: |
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Write ups like the above is why BCF is still a good place to frequent.
Top Stuff Mo ____________________ Mellow Yellow
The BCF Top TEN - 2010, 2009, 2008, The Original. |
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feef |
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feef Energiser Bunny
Joined: 11 Feb 2002 Karma :
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EuropeanNC30R... |
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EuropeanNC30R... Gay Hairdresser
Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Karma :
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Posted: 12:56 - 28 Jun 2006 Post subject: |
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feef |
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feef Energiser Bunny
Joined: 11 Feb 2002 Karma :
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Posted: 12:59 - 28 Jun 2006 Post subject: |
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maurice wrote: | Thanks
feef wrote: | bit of crap in the carbs affects every bike, as do flat tyres.. not just kawasakis.. dont' see how that is a "reliability" issue |
Yeah yeah I know The tyre is forgiveable, but the carb crap appeared to be general tank rust build-up. My 5 year old Honda doesn't have this, even though it spent 9 months on some salt ridden container ship |
you'll find the rust residue buildup in tanks can often come from poorly maintained petrol stations, and the rust fragments are actually from the underground tanks, not the inside of the bike's petrol tank.
This is especially common in smaller, more remote petrol stations if you buy hi-octane stuff, as it's used less often, the tanks are only 20% full, and they have more time to rust a bit.
a ____________________ Mudskipper wrote: feef, that is such a beautiful post that it gave me a lady tingle
Windchill calculator - London Bike parking
Blog and stuff - PlentyMoreFish dating |
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EuropeanNC30R... |
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EuropeanNC30R... Gay Hairdresser
Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Karma :
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Posted: 13:04 - 28 Jun 2006 Post subject: |
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I guess so, maybe it was a coincidence I also had to strip my first Kawasaki 's carbs to clean rust away at the same fine old age of 10 years |
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feef |
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feef Energiser Bunny
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Posted: 13:07 - 28 Jun 2006 Post subject: |
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EuropeanNC30R... |
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EuropeanNC30R... Gay Hairdresser
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Posted: 13:13 - 28 Jun 2006 Post subject: |
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Nah, that was a crap station I had mine from though, since closed down. Was laying some bait
As I said on the first line of the post, it was specifically Mike's GPZ 'heap status' I was having a dig at |
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feef |
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feef Energiser Bunny
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Posted: 13:17 - 28 Jun 2006 Post subject: |
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Wave2k |
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Wave2k G's Stalker
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veeeffarr |
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veeeffarr Super Spammer
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map |
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map Mr Calendar
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Wave2k |
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Wave2k G's Stalker
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Posted: 14:30 - 28 Jun 2006 Post subject: |
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i touring first week of august on it . ____________________ Ducati 1299 Panigale
2009 Corvette C6 z51
RS125->CBR400->RXS100->GSXR750K2->Ducati749S->CBR600RR5->TL1000R->DRz400->RSVR1000->Honda VTR SP1->CBR400->GSXR1000K6->Honda H100->CBR600RR3->Ducati1299 |
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Dom_ |
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Dom_ Points Mean Prizes
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feef |
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feef Energiser Bunny
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Dom_ Points Mean Prizes
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McGee |
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McGee O RLY?
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Gazdaman |
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Gazdaman I did a trackday!!!
Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Karma :
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ram_doom |
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ram_doom World Chat Champion
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Posted: 19:39 - 28 Jun 2006 Post subject: |
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I love reading your write ups mauriace My kwak had rust in the carbs too when I got it, cut out once halfway through an overtake because it blocked the carbs cant wait til you get back from the 4000 mile'er ____________________ TL1000s, KDX200 |
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anders |
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anders Banned
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 17 years, 305 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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