ZXR 750 H1 in Green White and Blue

[philfingers]

The top yoke was plain nasty, years of keys marking it and some surface corrosion too. The stock finish I think is like it’s been held on a belt sander, then anodised and then possibly lacquered. I cleaned it up with celly thinners, cleaned it up with a scotchbrite pad, cleaned again with thinners and then a coat of celly lacquer. Then once dry polished up with mini DA and compounding mop with some cutting paste
The finished thing looks much better. Which now reminds me to do the one on the KR1-S, which is similar and the NC30 one needs to be done in Satin black too, missing paint where I fetched the carbon yoke cover off.



Here’s the mini DA, really handy, came in a kit with 2” and 3” [50 and 75mm] pads and sanding discs. But fit a sponge pad and it’s ideal for polishing or cutting too. Use a reasonable amount of air, my compressor will keep up but runs pretty much all the time. Similar item http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-75mm-Air-Mi ... 4d0dfda26d



Talking about tools I had to buy a few tools for working on the 851 recently and bought them from http://www.thetoolacademy.com/ the prices are very good, much cheaper than ebay, but you get stung on the £10 shipping charge, so there’s an incentive to buy more! I bought one of these cable oilers, never had one before but very impressed with it http://www.thetoolacademy.com/list_prod ... archtype=0

I got stuck in and refitted the oil cooler, oil filter and pipes. Interestingly the H1 ZXR uses a remote filter housing, which is dead easy to get to, later models were in the sump. Filter is a stock item

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, £6 from Halfords, not as cheap with a trade card as I thought, they’re only £5 online inc delivery.

[url=http://s188.photobucket.com/user/oilphiluk/media/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2121_zps34efb9fb.jpg.html][img]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z143/oilphiluk/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2121_zps34efb9fb.jpg[/img][/url] 

Filled the motor with some 10W40 I got from Hein-Gericke in their big oil sale last year, before they went into liquidation.
I considered dropping the stock exhaust but in the end didn’t get any further than checking all the nuts were loose/not seized.  Whilst the top yoke and forks were off I dropped the steerer stem/bottom yoke out and checked the bearings, they were perfectly good so some new grease and back in.

Radiator and associated bits all got refitted.  Forks back in.  I removed the discs from the front wheel and clean them and the wheel with wheel acid, prior to using gunk and then soapy water.  Followed by some adhesive remover on spots of the old wheel weights.  They came up great, really nice.  Was impressed, the stock Kawasaki wheels of the period seem to be almost porous and seem to ‘absorb’ dirt and brake dust.

[url=http://s188.photobucket.com/user/oilphiluk/media/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2141_zps692fdfe0.jpg.html][img]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z143/oilphiluk/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2141_zps692fdfe0.jpg[/img][/url]  [url=http://s188.photobucket.com/user/oilphiluk/media/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2140_zps1597c29d.jpg.html][img]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z143/oilphiluk/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2140_zps1597c29d.jpg[/img][/url] 

Carbs were off.  I admit to being one of those that didn’t know that Japanese bikes used a different type of crosshead screw, the JIS.  So I’d ordered on from http://www.modelsport.co.uk/index.php?s ... ring=74006 as per the recent thread

The MOT history basically shows the bike has done less than 200 miles a year since 2005.  So I was expecting the carbs to be in a mess.  I don’t think they’d ever been apart, they were 98% mint inside!  I didn’t even bother putting them through the ultrasonic tank, just cleaned all the road grime off the outside in the parts washer.  Float height were all spot on at 13mm.

Whilst the carbs were off I pulled the plugs out, basically new.  Then rocker cover off.  Cam chain and tensioner looked good, cams were also mint, no scoring and to my real surprise the valves were all in tolerance for clearance.  Unusual for an old bike, and nice because I think it’s cams out to do them.

I’d ordered a remote/ auxiliary tank for balancing the carbs but it still hasn’t arrived.  I hooked the balance gauges up and used the same old gearbox oil bottle I’ve always used.  There’s a ‘web’ of lockwire around it to allow it to be hung upside down.  Just like the rest of the engine the balance was pretty good.  NC30 owners please don’t cry, if only balancing carbs on an NC was this easy, look where the adjusters are!

[url=http://s188.photobucket.com/user/oilphiluk/media/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2123_zpsfbba2d08.jpg.html][img]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z143/oilphiluk/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2123_zpsfbba2d08.jpg[/img][/url]  [url=http://s188.photobucket.com/user/oilphiluk/media/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2122_zps3b739368.jpg.html][img]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z143/oilphiluk/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2122_zps3b739368.jpg[/img][/url] 

I built the calipers back up.  But how I lost one dust seal I don’t know.  Just as well I only needed one, it cost about £5 from Kawasaki, there’s 10 piston seals and 10 dust seals in the 3 calipers.  Easy to see how you could spend £100 on seals.  Luckily the original seals and pistons were nigh on mint so all got reused.  The leaking brake lines that were the cause of the strip and brake fluid everywhere were fine when assembled properly with copper washers.  In fact at one point where there two banjo’s on the same bolt there hadn’t been a washer between them.  I’m sure this was the main cause of fluid leak, together with loose bolts!

[url=http://s188.photobucket.com/user/oilphiluk/media/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2120_zps9a51f374.jpg.html][img]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z143/oilphiluk/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2120_zps9a51f374.jpg[/img][/url]  [url=http://s188.photobucket.com/user/oilphiluk/media/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2119_zps853a7d35.jpg.html][img]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z143/oilphiluk/Kawasaki%20ZXR750H1/IMG_2119_zps853a7d35.jpg[/img][/url]

[philfingers]

I’ve got this real handy little bottle for bleeding brakes, as you can see the hose goes in and a moulded tube which runs to the bottom of the bottle, suspended from a wire conveniently hung off the bike, you can’t knock it over. Works really well. I didn’t want fluid all over the freshly painted calipers. On hindsight I should have been more patient and done them in 2k lacquer.



There were a few cracks in the bodywork, the main one being the LH side panel. I fixed this using plastex. Grinding a V groove in the back of the crack and then filling with powder and dropping the solution in. Sets really hard. I used the same method on some stress cracks in the front mudguard too, to prevent the cracks spreading. The paint on the mudguard was pretty poor as a result of the leaking brake fluid. So I used the mini DA again with compounding mop. Screen was the same, lots of marks on the inside from sprayed brake fluid. This took a fair while with the DA to polish/reduce the marks out, but looks 10 times better now. Sorry limited pictures of this.

Cradley Kawasaki had stock of the polycarbonate screws for the screen, I only needed 2, so the screen is original and with the correct fasteners too. Nice. I’m not anal about these things, but seeing as I had 4 already, the last 2 for £3[pair] seemed worth the bother. The only other detail is the little clamp that stops the clutch reservoir cap coming adrift. Again, it’s available and on order for £3. It finishes things off.

The bike came with two keys, one for the ignition and the one for the tank and seat lock. So I set about to modify the locks in the seat and tank to take the ignition key. I’m not wholly bothered the tank and seat lock should use the original 5 locking tasb. Here’s how it’s done

Remove the tank cap, by removing the two screws shown.


Remove the two screws on the back


Exposing this


This little part lifts out


So you should have these little parts removed


Use some pliers to pull the end cap out [Snap On ‘Linesman Pliers’ another great tool]


Put the original key in the lock and then you’ll need to slide the locking tab across, I used the tip of a scalpel blade.


You can see the locking tab furthest away from the key in the picture below. You can see all the tabs are contained within the diameter of the barrel. Other than the locking tab, which stops you pulling the barrel out when you remove the key.



Here you can see the ‘new’ [ignition] key, fitted in the same barrel. Note the tabs are now sticking out. These ‘lock’ into a recess in the lock body, which stop you turning the lock with a key that doesn’t fit.


So basically these need to be modified, so they’re flush with the body of the barrel. You’ll need to push them from the other side with light pressure as they’re spring loaded. I ground them off with a grinder, then finished by hand with a file.


Drop the barrel back in the lock body and give it a try. If it all works put it all back together, drop of oil to keep things moving.

The rear seat lock is the same process, only that little locking tab is a swine to get to! So now I have 1 key fits all locks, just need a spare now

[philfingers]

So what’s left? I refitted the hoover pipes and the screen. Then realised I’d never checked the illumination in the clocks. You guessed it, speedo in darkness. Yes officer, I had no idea I was doing 110mph in a 30 in the dark. New bulbs on order, I think they’re a T-7, as they’re 6.5mm OD and 3w. Most T-5/286 bulbs are 2.0 or 2.3W http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... OC:GB:3160

I gave the bodywork a good mop over with the mini DA and some polish on the pad. Really quick and easy, it took the top layer of oxidation/marks etc off, no swirls and a quick buff with a soft cloth. Looks nice.

Adding the bike onto my classic policy with Peter James www.peterjamesinsurance.co.uk I can’t praise this company enough, I sent a quick email asking for a quote, 15 mins later I have a reply saying it’s on cover and it’s £24.23 for the remaining 10 months of the policy. I call with my card details, no call waiting or automated options. A real person and the one I want to speak to answers the phone. . . . . . I won’t drone on!

So I finally got to give the bike a run, seems ok, suspension is firm at the back but doesn’t feel particularly tired, I can live with it. You definitely sit ‘in’ the bike opposed to ‘on’ it. It’s actually quite comfortable, much less cramped than the NC. So fuelled it up and carried on, felt like it was missing slight at low rpms. Then as I slowed to a junction it stopped. And wouldn’t start, flat battery. Gave it a few minutes and it restarted, but obviously wasn’t charging as the lights were dim. Headed home quickly and it stopped once more, seemed to be worse when I was using the brakes, I guessed the slight extra drain of the brake lights coming on was dropping the voltage too much.



On investigation the alternator belt was shredded, and it was new too. Pity the clown that fitted it forgot to tighten the mounting bolts up, as they were both loose. Pretty unusual design on a bike to have an alternator belt. It’s very small, only 290mm and hence it’s a dealer only pretty much, £24. I got a price off Brammer [bearing/belt supplier] but it was the same price pretty much. While I had the fairing off I noticed a reasonable amount of oil, so changed the clutch push rod seal too, as this seemed to be the culprit. The push rod is aluminium and a groove had worn around the seal. I wonder if just turning the rod around, as it can be fitted both ways, would have solved the issue. Seal was only £4 though. Belt is a pain to fit, it’s tank off, airbox off, carbs off. Probably a 1.5 to 3hrs work to do it properly. I had the fairing off so fitted the T-7 bulbs I’d ordered, perfect fit. Once the carbs were back on a cursory check at 4000rpm showed 14.5v, so all is well with the charging system. So fingers crossed it ok now.

Bits left to do. Well the swing arm needs painting, it’s pretty nasty. Apparently silver hammerite isn’t a bad match, so may give that a try. I was going to pull the swing arm out but need to make up some more adaptors for the abba stand to support the bike off the footrest mounts and not the swingarm spindle. I intend to strip the linkage and check the bearings, paint the swing arm whilst it’s out. I was waiting to ride the bike to see how bad the rear damper is. They were renowned for being hard in 1989, but since then it will have softened with age, may have been rebuilt and I think bikes are more firmly damped now. If you rode a new one today would the journos say the same thing. There are options, including a 2005 ish ZX10 stock unit, which would be much better.
The crack in the side panel I’d really like to sort. I bought the paint to do this, just not sure how confident in my paint skills I am. It’s a 3 part process [part is Kawaski Pearl Alpine White] of base, pearl and lacquer. As I have the 2k lacquer, the small amount of base and pearl was about £15. [codes

So here it is as it stands at the moment

[VFRkieran]

Anymore updates with this one mate? I've been stalking eBay again for one of these :p

[philfingers]

Yes, it started smoking yesterday around the alternator, I used it with the lights off, thinking it was the alternator belt again but checked it just and the belt is fine. However I have about 14.6v no load and about 12.6v with lights on, so I think the Alt. has partially died.
I also found a Maxton shock off another model, which I'm hoping to make fit. Will most more when I do more. Other than that it was MOT'd on Monday and was fine
If you're up our way, you welcome to drop by Kieran

[dobbslc]

Good job Mr fingers that looks very tasty!
It's good to see an old bike bought back to life like that.

[VFRkieran]

Shame about the alternator I imagine parts for these are getting hard to find. I saw a few lovely ZXR's at the classic TT, few of them where putting in good times.

Thanks for the offer mate will let you know if I'm up your way and I'll try and drop by.

[lip]

very nice phil! made much faster progress than i have managed to with the l1 very tidy looking machine now.
shame the weathers so poor at the minute would like to see this next to its younger

[philfingers]

Phil- you're welcome over any time, best wait for a drier day than today, it's pish!
I never did ride that L1, I like the H1 tho, I suppose long term it's a safer bet, being the first of the breed.

[lip]

Yeah the weather isn't racetec friendly at the minute lol it's a tidy looking and I reckon a capable bike given some nice weather