Project FZR 250

[damz]

Bought this bike as a winter hack but winter was already over so barely been using it since i got it. however i feel like doing some work on it to get it looking and running better.

bit of info on the bike, The fzr (stands for four stroke racer, even though it uses a z) this was one of the smaller bikes at only 250cc but despite its small capacity it still puts out around 45 bhp by revving the tiny engine to 18,500 rpm, so the piston moves at over 300 times per second .

this was it originally

https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR250.jpg?t=1242965740

and what it looked like when i got it

https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/DSC01102.jpg?t=1242965740

the owner before had someone ride the bike into a hedge and the fairings got damaged so just removed them. was tempted to try and get it back to looking standard but fairings are more expensive than the bike!.


anyway here are some more pics of it and what iv'e done so far

https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0281.jpg


(old chain and sprocket) also you can spot the exup cables and rotor in this picture in the top left, its pretty cool when you turn the key as the electric gismo's make all kinds of whirring sounds.
https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0282.jpg

https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0287.jpg

as you can see the tachometer starts at 3k rpm lol
https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0292.jpg

https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0274.jpg

oil filter is going to be a pain in the ass to replace due to its location, it is located within the engine casing and requires you to lie under it, under lots of small screws/nuts/bolts which is located just above the exup valve so you have to remove the exhaust to get at it and have the bike a fair bit off the ground. so im expecting cylinder head bolts to snap, exup cables to get fucked and the screws to get to the oil filter to be rusty,seized and rounded

basically iv'e taken off the screen straight way, replaced the grips and repainted the mirrors, did this the day i got it.

since then i have replaced spark plugs, chain and sprocket and wheel bearings, new brake pads, new brake fluid and took apart the calipers for a good old clean. next on my list is oil and filter.

slight problem when i tried to remove a spark plug
https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/RVF/100_0231.jpg
https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/RVF/100_0232.jpg
the plug snapped when i tried to remove it, it started to move then snapped so luckily i managed to get a flat headed screwdriver to catch on the lip of the plug and twist it out.

my plans for it is to scrap the whole front end as the frame for mirrors and clocks are bent and rusty. going to get rid of the lights and indicators as these are pretty tatty. either going to go for twin headlights in a triumph style or a single headlight. leaning towards triumph style however i cant seem to find any at all, any ideas where to get them? new indicators are a fairly simple task, although i will try and mount them elsewhere on the bike so the forks look less cluttered. Clocks will probobly get replaced however im having dificulty finding clocks that will go up to 18,500 rpm so may have to keep them and try and fix the broken lugs on it.

also as you can tell it has a fair bit of rust on it, going to strip it down and give it a good clean out. also requires a valve clearence as it ticks pretty dam loud. also the pipes are blowing as well so need to sort that out. fuel tap is also wonky as it will only run on reserve.

as you can see i have removed the rear fairings, at that time i was wanting it off to see what it looked like completely devoid of fairings, and i liked the rear subframe, enough that i will try and keep it naked at the back as well. the great thing about the bike is that it has a 400 frame but 250 engine, so theres loads of space within the frame for electrics so i will be trying to shift all the important delicate electrics under the tank and seat and weather proof other exposed areas. also remove the rear seat as i wont be taking pillions on it as well.

tempted to have the blue paint stripped off and repainted in black and get a new black or maybe white seat as i think it would look pretty neat, it would also match my leathers. the wheels look manky in the pictures but have turned out to be quite nice when cleaned.


so on my list of things to get

Headlights, preferably twin style (not dominator or small tube ones, wanting triumph style)
possibly new clocks or some kind of screen, again possibly like a triumph to protect the rear of the clocks from nature.
new mirrors
new paint job
redone electrics and shifting them about
new reg plate, for some reason it doesnt fit the bracket in a normal way
replace indicators
sort out exhaust pipes

any suggestions or ideas for me to use on the bike?

im doing all this myself, with help from friends and not in a rush so shouldnt be too expensive, a few hundred quid will be ok, this is also more of a learning exercise as i will hopefully learn much from this project.
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Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[ms51ves3]

You seem to like removing plastic from the bike, so do you want to sell your front mudguard to me?

[MaybeGuy]

reminds me of...
https://img30.imageshack.us/img30/9468/188zet.jpg
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[damz]

[MaybeGuy]

https://img33.imageshack.us/img33/7251/197v.jpg

no idea what they are
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[neatbik]

They look like Triumph Speed Triple/Speed Four lights to me.

[damz]

any idea where to get them? i tried ebay and google and nothing so far
____________________
Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[Kickstart]

[damz]

i take it i buy two small lights? dont see many option for twin headlights

so i'd buy two of these?

https://motorcycleproducts.co.uk/catalogue/headlight-round-chrome-p-2497.html

https://motorcycleproducts.co.uk/catalogue/images/378057.jpg

how would these fit onto the bike?
i currently have these brackets on the bike at the moment

https://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/ProductImages/300/2007_MC_Enterprises_Universal_Headlight_Bracket_--.jpg
____________________
Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[MaybeGuy]

mine had a bar going along the bottom of the 2 that they bolted onto. it fell off though, hence the not being in the pictures.

EDIT: pic of the bike when i finished it, before the bar fell off

https://img40.imageshack.us/img40/2698/145v.jpg

ill do some more whorage if you want
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[damz]

bit more work done today as i had nothing else to do.

got it down to this

https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0305.jpg

i have removed the exhaust and found this.....

https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0297.jpg

pretty gubbed, im guessing its a total loss, however getting a replacement will be pretty dam hard as the exup exhausts for these are fairly rare.

also when i removed the studs some ended up like this
https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0312.jpg
while others came out like this
https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0313.jpg

iv'e started trying to shift some of the electrics. are these two safe to move from the outside of the subframe to the inside?

https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0307.jpg
https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0306.jpg

thinking off getting a metal plate fabricated to run from under the seat to under the pillion seat and get it to cover the center of the subframe and curved so water shouldnt be able to reach the electrics.


also im wanting to remove my front wheel, as you can see in the pic above i have a front padock stand however im somewhat confused how to do it as there are metal plates blocking the spindle so i cant remove it.

https://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt349/Kaiser_Damz/FZR/100_0315.jpg
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Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[Steve-D]

The metal plate should be facing downover, the 2 bars one sits under the leg the other supporting behind the leg.


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www.southwestbikers.com
Tristan The said 'Dunno what my pace will be like, fastish slow puncture on the rear and if I go too fast I risk my 'keys' falling out'

[damz]

well iv'e been checking up on exhaust pipes, there seem to be very few fzr 250's in the uk let alone exhaust pipes in good condition. tried a few breakers and their pipes are rotting as well.

however i have been made aware that the early R1's pipes are almost identical and have been fitted to fzr250's also they have exup valves as well so should work out ok.

checking with other fzr 250 owners to see if it actually works well and what was needed if anything to fit the new pipes.
____________________
Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[jack_zxr400]

go on japanese ebay
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Previous Bike: ZXR 400
Current Bike: R6
Test Date: 8/8/2008-PASSED

[ben350]

Yahoo auctions japan is where to look

Unfortunately very few Japs will ship outside Japan
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Ducati 996 Biposto
Suzuki Goose 350
DT125R Supermoto (Project)

[chris-red]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Agree with the above.

Exhausts work by bouncing pressure waves around, and the lengths are very important for the rpm the exhaust works properly at. Hence at best you would land up with an engine / ignition / intake system all desgined to work best at getting on for 18000rpm, with an exhaust designed to work at 10000rpm.

However if you make the exhaust bore too large you land up losing the pressure waves, and so losing power. The R1 exhaust is almost certainly far larger bore.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[damz]

sorry meant R6, gonna borrow set of old pipes to see if they fit, it has been done with the 400/600's. the pipes are a bit wider wider but can bodge them to fit.

obviously this isnt going to be a great fix or might not even be a fix at all but it'l work better than the original ones at least.

tried a lot of places for parts, ebay,gumtree, austrailian ebay and thos japn idea's (however i cant read japanese so wasnt that helpful) and any that are free to be sold are rotting away just as badly


also the yahoo auction japan looks really good with all the parts on it but is there a way to get it translated?

infact found some on the jap site but i cant understand any of it so dont see how it would be possible to try an get the stuff
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Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[binge]

CBR600 pipes will fit the CBR400 if you warm up the headers and bend them closer.




Ben

[Kickstart]

[damz]

i only paid £350 for the bike so not wanting to turn it into a money pit. after its in good running order and i know everything is working ok i will be more willing to spend some more cash on it. so far iv'e only spent around £40 odd quid, mostly on liquids,pads, chain and sprockets and bearings.


managed to remove the front wheel and to Steve -d's comment earlier. that did not work at all, basically the fork just rolled off the metal bars making it impossible to use it that way. i took out the spindle and quickly put the stand on the way i had it before and is ok now, luckily the front end is stupidly light so the mudguard just rested ontop of the tyre.


The r6 headers have to bent to fit much like binge's suggestion with cbr's headers. also just because the bike rev's to 19k doesnt mean it always will be, the peak power is at 15k iirc which r6's rev nearly to i think. not really fussed if performance is a bit off as it is pretty much a commuter bike (horrible choice really) which will also be a bit of fun.

as soon as i get the basics sorted i might start doing more work on it to get performance and the overal condition of the bike better.

my objective is to get it past its next mot at the moment so doubt they'l care that the pressure in exhaust isnt perfect or horrifically bad as long as it doesnt blow badly.
____________________
Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[Kickstart]

[damz]

[Kickstart]

Hi

That is why you need someone who knows what they are doing with the exhaust, not the local boy racers place that thinks puttign a drain pipe on a Nova will make it much faster. Probably best to just copy what is already there with correct size pipework.

To be honest the first thing I would investigate is getting that pipe repaired.

Could also be worth trying Motad and see if they make a suitable system.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Steve-D]