Barton Motors (Bath) -- Kawasaki parts 2nd user

[Ian (GPX)]

I ordered some parts from this place yesterday, they are a motorcycle breakers for Kawasaki spares, the parts came today.

The front calipers on my GPZ400R are a bit nackered to the extreme that they could not be stripped down.

As I said, the spare calipers came today, and they are in a much better condition than the ones that are on the bike. I plan to swap them over at the weekend.

The calipers came to £50.00 in total, and new ones are not obtainable according to my local Kawasaki dealer.

I also got an Anti-Dive Unit as one is damaged, this again is in good condition.

They have loads of other parts there too for other Kawasaki's, so really this post is to say that I had no problems with them and would be buying from them again if I need parts for a Kawasaki.

Has anyone else had dealings with this company ? How was the service for you ?

I've enclosed a link to the site below

https://www.bartonmotors.co.uk

While I was making / ordering these parts, I got to ask the chap on the other end of the phone if parts from one model of motorcycle could be used on another model, he said 'Most parts for any model are the same, that is, some parts on the GPZ600R are also used on the GPZ400R, and that parts on the GPZ500 are also used on the GPZ550, some other models like the GPz305 also use the same parts as that of the GPZ400R and another Kawasaki bike.

I double checked this with Kawasaki USA's web site, see here -->> https://www.buykawasaki.com/site/VIVehicleInformation/VIChooseVehicle.asp?intCatalogID=2&intParts=1

Here you can look for your bike or a bike thats simular to yours if it's a grey import and see if the parts are the same in the 'Parts Diagrams'. The parts diagrams allow you to zoom in on the schematics as well so that you can get a closer look at the part and see if it's different in some way.

[Ste]

So in other words they're a breakers yard?

www.z-power.co.uk is good if you need new Kawasaki bits

[Danny]

It would probably be handy if that breakers yard would answer e-mails promptly.

[Ste]

Is your telephone broken?

Ring em up, ask them, if they've got it, buy it then. Much easier.

[Ian (GPX)]

[Danny]

[Kickstart]

[kev]

Have you actually stripped the old calipers down and rebuilt them yet to see actually what is wrong with them or did you just go out and buy new ones?
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[Ian (GPX)]

I tried to strip one down last weekend, the bracket that holds it to the forks would not come out.

The boots and outer seals are shot too on both calipers.

The bikes are different yes, but some parts are the same, the GPz305 uses the same calipers as my GPZ400R ! The bodywork is the same as the 600R (1984-87) rear tail light cover, side pannels, the lights (main) are also the same, the tool kit boxes are the same also, and the seat(s).

Fuel tank is also the same as the GPZ600R along with the wheels.

I've checked and double checked the GPZ400R and 600R and the only thing thats different is the front forks and calipers on the 600R.

The engine is a sleaved down version of the 600R.

Why would a company go out of it's way to make a new oil filter if the one that works well is cheap to produce, the company will want to make money, no waste money, they will want to incorporate it into the bike. The same is with other small parts.

You take a good hard long look at the parts listing for the bikes on that USA site and you will see what bikes use the same parts.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Yes, the GPZ400 is a sleeved down version of the GPZ600 (or possibly the 600 is a bored out 400), although I am not sure about the actual frame. Cannot remember if the 400 had an alloy frame while the 600 had a steel frame. This is something that did happen occasionally (Yamaha did it with the RD500 where the European versions had a steel frame and the RZV500 had an alloy frame).

Oil filters are very common between bikes. For example the filter on a later GPZ500 (the filters changed in about 1990, but it is easy to fit the later filter setup to the earlier bikes) is the same as the one on the Yamaha XJ600 Diversion.

However the GPZ500 is a VERY differnet bike to the GPZ550. Other than the oil filter, clutch bits (which are probably still pretty close in a ZX6R), and maybe the brake pads on the US version of the GPZ500 (had twin disks) I would doubt that there are many bits the same between the tubular framed, air cooled, 4 cylinder GPZ550 and the box section framed, liquid cooled, 2 cylinder GPZ500. The GPZ500 has quite a lot in common with the GPZ900 and the basic engine is used in the two cylinder GPZ400, KLE500, ER500, and a couple of horrible custom styled things.

All the best

Keith
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[Ian (GPX)]

Both the 400R and the 600R employ the Alloy cast frame (AL CrossXFrame). The manual for the 600R states that two version of the 600R was made, they dropped Anti-Dive units on the 2nd one.