Killa's biking history *Part 8*

[killa]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8

Killa's biking history *Part 8*

Project resurrection begins.

https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/DKCABXNUOBCAOTABPECAL2H9JICACAT87LCA85QA0KCAXFMEFLCAU5VKNQCA4384OLCAU39DNUCAP5XORZCAYS9P9FCA5Y1PJ8CAMR8LD9CAB3U3YTCAEH6ELMCAVQ54A4CA9W99W-1.jpg

I had my old ZX7 and the new one sat in my garage. The scorpion exhaust, braided hoses, entire back end including tail tidy and a few other odds and sods came from the old bike and onto the new.

It wasn’t much of a ball ache really, I knew the bikes assembly pretty well by now, so in a couple of afternoons she was looking good.

https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/a.jpg
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/DSC00720.jpg
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/DSC00775.jpg
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/DSC00719.jpg
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/DSC00776.jpg

Finally, to really create the doppelganger, I removed the Kawasaki stickers from the sides of the bike, just like the old one and she finally looked the part.

https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/DSC00152.jpg
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/DSC00153.jpg
https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/DSC02087.jpg

It’s a very strange thing, riding someone’s else bike that is the same make and model as yours. Even though the number plates were different by only three letters, I could feel that the bike was defiantly not my old girl, even though it looked so similar. From the small play and feel of the clutch and gear levers, to the buttons for lights and start up, it wasn’t quite how I’d maintain it.

After some love and attention, I finally got some mileage down on the road and she started to behave just how I liked and felt just right.

I was never 100% happy with the brakes though, they always felt a bit spongy, a bit tired.

Eventually it became a real issue and the pads started dragging. Before I realised how bad it had got, the pads warped the discs. These aren’t inexpensive items as you all probably know, so I decided to poke around on Ebay for a set. I found some for about £190, they took no time to fit and I was happy with the results.

Now I’m no virgin mechanic, I could at least sort the callipers, before they ruin another set of discs.

I took them apart, cleaned them, steam cleaned them, popped the new seals in and tried bleeding up the system. I never could get the maximum pressure again, despite doing it the automated way and manual way. How the hell could I still have a problem after the overhaul?

https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/IMG_3320_bremsen.jpg

I took the bike to the local bike shop and asked them to service the callipers. The callipers themselves didn’t need replacing, only the seals...but if this wasn’t a cure, then I could wind up paying for a new set of pistons and with the Tokico 6 pots, this isn’t something you want to be doing. The next day they called and informed me, they too couldn’t sort the pressure in the system.

The options were, new pistons, more new seals, modify the braided lines so there is no splitter (just an idea) or take a look at the master cylinder. All money, all ball ache as you can imagine.

The Suzuki shop I had been going to unfortunately suffered redundancies and then finally, they shut down. Leaving me with one local garage, I had little choice but I knew this guy was independent and willing to help.
In short, he stripped them, cleaned them, adjusted everything, changed the brakes lines so they go straight to the callipers without the splitter, he even stopped charging me labour when it got ridiculous. After all that, they were still dragging, still not enough pressure in the system. In the end, I gave up, with no money and no luck I decided to have a break from it all.

I had a little money spare, after around six months of problems I went and saw a good mechanic I knew at his new unit. I left him with the bike for a fortnight, to work on as he could.

It was just a stroke of luck really, one afternoon he was wandering around the bike with a torch smoking a fag when he spotted the inside of the disc and the number engraved. The two discs, that should have been identical, were not. One was measured to be a small amount thicker than the other, thus creating the drag and why there was a permanent problem with the pressure in the system.

Relieved but kind of gutted at the same time, I needed to save for a decent pair of discs.

https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/ebc-front-brake-disc-rotor-md4022-zzr100-zzr-1100-d1-d9-16950-p.jpg

With the work done, I was free to enjoy the last few months of summer before things got a bit dicey on the roads with the harsh winter we had.

I patiently waited until it was about time to do a small service and get back on the road. Plugs, filters, oil, general walk around. All seemed to be well.
On starting the bike, everything sounded spot on. I warmed her up and took her around the little estate I lived on. Then it happened, not sure why but something suddenly came loose internally, bouncing around inside like a marble stuck in a gearbox. I switched her off and wheeled her back into the garage.

On the second start up (possibly not one of the best ideas) I tried desperately to indentify where the noise was, top or bottom. Before I knew it, she cut out, well, seized. The back wheel wouldn’t turn and I knew this was serious.
My mind was racing, trying to go through everything I had done previously during the small service. Everything that had come off was back on, nothing fell into the engine.

It was a hard decision to make but after some calculations on repairs, replacing the engine and what not. I decided to part with the bike, start a fresh if I could.

Don’t get me wrong, it may have sounded like I had issues with the bike more than I rode it but I did manage to lay down several thousand miles on the bike, when she was running well. The brakes were not my fault and no fault of the bike, just bad luck. The apparent suicide later turned out to be an unknown piece of metal that was found inside the engine, which destroyed it.

If you can, at some point try to ride or own a ZX7R, they’re not getting any younger. From the low distinctive burble of the tick over, to the gorgeous sound of ram air induction at high speeds. If you’ve ridden superbikes before and enjoyed them, in the right hands you’d understand the 7R is still up there, providing you don’t mind the minimalistic style of construction. It’s pure Japanese superbike the whole way through with killer looks to match.

https://i1190.photobucket.com/albums/z451/SV_KB/Ninja1.jpg

Thanks for reading.
Coming in part 9. I finally get the TL1000R but it's not without a little drama.

Part 9
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[moppy]

Great, looking forward to the next one.

[moppy]

Bump, just so we can get you to write another one!

[lilredmachine]

Agreed, been very interesting, the ZXs you've had are very sexy indeed.

MOAR!
____________________
Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

[darthbuttchin]

Just read all of these - really interesting!

Patiently waiting part 9...

And the Kwikasfuki looks gorgeous!
____________________
CG125-K1 (1978) - 35 years old and (mostly) going strong! (Restored and rebuilt by my own fair hands).
Call me Tomsk - I am the Flying Womble after all.

[DrDonnyBrago]

My brother's 7r brakes were the same. Utter ball ache.


He swapped them for some 4 pots from a GSXR750/Bandit 12 - seemed to do the trick.