Conference csc32::fxrs89::cycles

Can you say complicated ? I thought you could.  There are thousands of little
details to building your own bike. Every time you do one thing 5 more crop up.
I am not saying that I am not having a whole lot of fun doing this, but it is
amazing how many things keep cropping up. Like if you lower the whole bike a lot
you need to shorten the forks. Ok so take them all apart and install 3" lowering
blocks. Now the springs are too long to fit back togethor. Which end do you cut
? The tightly wound end would result in softer suspention the loose end is far
easier to get to but would result in stiffer forks. (I cut the loose end.)With
that decision made ,now how much oil goes back in. So many cc's for stock forks
but these things are now 3" shorter. It goes on and on...
	With the rolling chasis almost done I've moved on to the motor. If you
thought the chasis part was complex, you ain't seen nothing yet !!! Building a 
bone stock motor is easy. You just look up part numbers and replace parts.
I thought I could mildly port the heads, come up with a flow bench number at max
lift and calculate from there. Wrong !!! You need and average flow, From .050
lift to where the head stops flowing. This average plus the max number will
"characterize" the flow of this particular head. From there you can pick a cam,
calculate where to degree them and figure optimal shift points. Sounds easy
doesn't it ? Ok with that accomplished, now the expert that I trust the most has
recomended a "reduced base circle cam." (The "expert that I trust the most"
because none of them agree.) This cam sounds like a killer but you can't just
slap it into the head and go. The lift is .429. Anything over about .380
requires that you switch from "shim over" buckets to "shim under". Also the
valves have to be sunk into the head at least .025 so that you have .200 static
clearance. Without .200 the valves tend to kiss each other as they pass. I don't
think I want that. (-: You never know, one "expert" might say that was good. Ok
so you have your valves sunk and clearenced. Are you done yet ? Nope not hardly.
Remember the new "shim under" buckets? Did I tell you that they are .010 thicker
than stock ? Back to the grinder to shave the tips down a few thou. Still not
done. Now you move on to slapping on the springs and cams and bench shim the
whole mess. At that point I might be done with the head, but I dought it.
Somthing else is bound to crop up. I haven't even dared look at the bottom end
yet. 


					A bit dazed...
						Brian...

re:                  <<< Note 42.359 by CSC32::MDS002::FRASER >>>

	Really enjoyed reading about your learning experience. Pls keep
us updated! I especially liked your spelling of the word "doubt"! I assume
it was an indication of what you believe the future may require for completion
of your project! :-)

>whole mess. At that point I might be done with the head, but I dought it.

Rick

Boy was that a Freudian slip !!!   (-:
I have kept a spread sheet since day one of all the parts and cost including
nuts, bolts and even shipping. Other than gas and oil I know exactly what it
costs to be this foolish...

			Brian...

    Brian,
    
    A quickie re. the fork oil... answer: 
    
    Forks are not FILLED with shock oil...only enough to make the damper 
    unit at the bottom (top sometimes) operate properly and allow enough
    free air in the unit to take up fork travel. 
    
    Bottom line: put in the same amount originally required for the original
    shock unit.  Less air in the fork tube will only cause the shock to 
    dampen quicker/harder as it nears it's stroke limit.  
    
      Cheers.

RE:fork oil  Yup I knew forks wern't filled. They'd be just a bit stiff if they
were. (-: I did fill them with the stock 11 oz. and they work fine. 

	Found out my crank is bent. (sounds like a personal problem to me. (-: )
I tracked down a straight one and had it welded. At this point I am ready to 
start assembling the bottom end. In parallel I'll work on setting up the head
and hopefully be ready to run in 2-3 weeks. 
	If I can scrape up a few bucks I'd love to throw this thing on a dyno
and do some tuning before the season opener in mid April.
	One thing I have been wondering about. How do you break in a drag motor?
It's not like you can drive it 4-500 miles before you run it hard. I guess they
don't stay together long enough to worry about longevity.

					Brian... 
	

Hi,
My shed is bursting at the seems with used Kawi parts. I've used all I need from
the two 1982 KZ1000/KZ1100's. I still have a ton of stuff that I am going to get
rid of. Partial list; two rear tires and rims (1 dunlop K591R, 1 Kenda) Two gas
tanks, chrome rear fenders, one painted front fender, some directionals, chain
guard, two sets of 34mm cv carbs (one stock, one dynojet kit), 110 link 630 DID
chain (slightly used), 2-3 counter shaft sprockets 13-15 tooth (new), 1 entire
wiring harness (KZ1100 spectre) , some shaft drive guts, assorted relays and
electrical gizmos. 
	If anyone out there needs any of this crap, let me know ASAP. At the
end of this month it all goes to the dump. (1-Mar-97 = clean out date)


					Brian...

    
    My brother bought a Spectra which he is restoring. I am not sure what
    he needs, but I will ask. He my be interested!! I'll call him tonight
    and get his list.
    
    Alpo

Hi,
A few people have asked, because I forgot to mention that the KZ parts are
located in Colorado Springs Colorado...

				Brian...

    
    Brian,
    
    I talked with my brother and he is interested in anything that is
    related to the Spectre (esoecially the wiring harness, shaft drive
    parts, and gas tank) which is worth the time and effort. He would
    also like to get the KZ parts. I am prepared to pay for any
    shipping costs, the price you want for the part/s, and for your time
    packing the parts for shipment. So, if you haven't parcelled the parts
    out, I am interested.
    
    Alpo
    

    Breaking in a drag engine, eh?
    
    Well... the way the 2 stroke Rosd racer's `break in' a new set of
    rings, (which they seem to replace every other race or so), is to 
    rev 'er up and toss a pinch of Comet cleanser into the intake...
    
    Seems kinda brutal to me, but them rings'll sure match the bore 
    like right away.
    
    I had a '66 Street Hemi and the breakin for that was kinda bizzare, 
    but it was water cooled.
    	- 2 consecutive 1/4 mile runs from stone cold at about 1/2 throttle 
        - 2 consecutive 1/4 mile runs while warm at 1/2 throttle
    	- 2 consecutive 1/4 mile runs from stone cold at 1/2 throttle
    	- it's broken in... nail a coupla runs at full bore. 
    
    The Hemi had chrome rings...
    
    Chrome rings are REAL TOUGH to break in so the cold runs were to
    squeeze 'em hard with a shrunken (cold) cylinder size and low
    lubrication levels (cold oil is stiff and most of it bypasses back
    to the crankcase instead of being misted onto the cylinder walls.
    See...that Sliick-50 stuff DOES have a purpose.
    
    Anyway, my .02
    
    John
    
    
    

For those who have asked for specifics about what I have left...
Anything you need,,, make me an offer, you pay shipping...

1982 KZ1000 LTD Parts:

- 34 mm CV Carbs. 
	These are the only parts I won't give away. This is a very nice set of
	carbs, reworked with a Dyna-Jet kit. On a stock, or slightly reworked
	motor, they run real, real nice. I'll only let them go for $100. 1/2
	what the Dyna-Jet kit alone cost.
- Chrome chain guard
- stock starter
- air box
- tail light assembly
- horns
- kick stand
- gas tank - Black/red&gold stripe. 3 small dents on top
- LTD handle bars - chrome
- rear fender - chrome
- rear wheel - K591R Dunlop 2 years old, ~100 miles on it at most. lots of tread
	left.
- foot pegs

1982 KZ1100 Spectre parts - color = Black / maroon center sections, surrounded by
	gold stripe
- 34 mm CV Carbs - stock
- both side covers - some peeling of the clearcoat
- gas tank - small scratch on top left
- front and rear fenders (painted)
- both mirrors
- tail light assembly
- 1 right rear turn signal
- starter
- Shaft guts (the case/parts that bolt onto where the countershaft is.)
- coils
- horns
- entire wiring harness, including the relays/fuse block
- odo cluster
- ignition switch
- starter relay
- tach/fuel gauge cluster
- seat lock
- front wheel
- rear wheel - Kenda "challenger" (new)
- fork assembly
- air box (chrome sides)
- turn signal,horn handle bar assembly and harness
- throttle/starter handle bar assembly
- handle bars, black
- rear shocks/air lines
- rear brake master cylinder/reservoir
- 2 rear calipers
- 3 front calipers
- 3 front disks
- 2 rear disks

	Before you drain the fork oil from a set of forks it would really help
to remember that they are air pressurized. Otherwise you end up with the 
situation depicted below. (-:


	___		___
	| |		| |
forks ->| |-------------| |
	| |-------------| |
	| |	| |	| |
	| |	| |	| |
	| |	| |	| |
	| |-------------| |
	| |-------------| |
	| |		| |
	| |		| |
	| |		| |
	| |		| |
	| |		| |
	| |		| |          
	| |		| |______________________________   <--- oil stream
      ----------------------				 -
      |			   |				  -
      |			   ||			|	    -	
      |	   Box to sit	   ||			|	      -
      |    forks on so	   ||			|	       -
      |	   oil will drain  ||	Catch Bucket	|               - oil puddle
      |	   into bucket	   ||___________________|	        -------------

Anyone out there ever run an inline 4 without a flywheel before. I would bet it
won't idle below 1500-2000 rpm. Probably stall a lot easier. It should rev REAL
quick though, and drop revs just as fast. Should be an interesting ride. (-:


					Brian... 
	2-3 weeks away from the formerly "slow pig" coming to life. I hope...

I found out the hard way that you should never throw away the stock pistons
before you get the  new ones. Espesially before you bore and hone the cylinders
to fit the new ones. I received the wrong pistons. The pin height is wrong by
.050. (KZ1000 vrs KZ1000J) If I had kept the stock ones I could have mesured
that. I now have a set of nicely bored and honed jugs that have to be fit to the
pistons instead of the other way around... 

					The saga continues...
			Brian...

Finally !!! Finally I have a set of pistons. I couldn't get a set to fit my
1135cc jugs, so the only solution was to re-bore and hone the cylinders to fit
1166cc pistons. The 1166 kit arrived yesterday and I will take them up to
Denver tomorrow. Hopefully in another week or so I might have a running motor.
At this point I'll believe it when I hear it run. 
	Just in case anyone is thinking of ordering Kawi or Suzuki drag parts
I'll give the short version of my experiance with Schnitz Racing. Way back in
January I called them to order an Aries 1135cc kit, by part number for a 1982
GPZ1100. (KZ1100J motor) They no longer stock them but had MTC sets in stock.
I told the order taker what it was for and it even says so on the shipping list.
In spite of all that info she sent the wrong parts. (as noted in my earlier
replys) Schnitz refused to make good on their mistake and WOULD NOT re-bore and
hone my jugs to fit the new pistons. Take it for what you will, but I personally
will not be ordering anything else from them, and have sent them a much nicer
than it should have been letter letting them know exactlly how I feel.

					Brian...

    The letter shouldn't have been nice.
    
    I'd tend to send another letter and cc's to all the appropriate bike
    mags to let THEM know there's a lousy vendor with a bad attitude out 
    there screwing customers.
    
    Businesses like that don't deserve ANYBODY'S patronage...there are plenty
    of others which care about their customers that can and should take
    their place.  What ever happened to Yoshimura?
    
    Good luck,
    
    J- 

    
    Brian,
    
    I think that is a real bummer. If it was your mistake, I could maybe
    understand. But, since it was their mistake, I think it was less than
    cool. My wife had an item she returned 3 times because she either got
    the wrong item or the item was damaged.
    
    Alpo

Hi,
Well it gets worse... )-:
We measured everything last night. Even though every piston vendor says you can
bore 1100 jugs to 1166 or 1170, you can't. Boring them that big would leave .065
sleave walls. I called MTC (the piston manufacturer) and they said the minimum
wall thickness required is .080. Screwed again. Just about my last resort is to
call Aries and see if they can make me a set of pistons to fit the 1135cc bores.
I'm just about out of patience with this whole project... If I ever get it
together and running, it had better be one h#ll of a ride...


				Brian... 
		Look for the stamp on my forehead,,, I'm about to go postal...

    Geeze Brian!  What a buncha BOZO'S!!!
    
    Whazzamatter with them clowns anyway?  
    
    If THEY'RE so freaking SMART, how come THEY didn't know enough to ask 
    you some questions re. machining of the engine block to accept the
    BIGASS pistons they sent you in the first place?  
    
    What it amounts to is you got hold of a STUPID parts dealer who
    basically knows NOTHING about the mechanics of engine building...
    they just sell parts and are too ARROGANT to admit they screwed up.
    Why not?  If it's all YOUR fault, it's all at your expense too, right? 
    
    Can you help me understand why the stock sleeves can't be removed and 
    the block rebored to accept BIGASS sleeves to match the BIGASS pistons? 
    I know it's more money and aggro, but I BELIEVE that's the way the big 
    boys do it short of custom racing blocks machined from billets with 
    whatever BIGASS sleeves and jugs the crank throw centers will allow
    without totally compromising bore to bore web strength.
    
    Of course, I've seen Mini Cooper blocks `trick bored' to over 1,500cc's
    with `staggered' bores that didn't run down the crank's centerline yet
    the bores themselves were centered to the crank throws.  Just imagine
    a REEEEELLL narrow `vee' engine in a linear block...it keeps the bore 
    to bore webbing strong yet allows a max-out of engine cc's. 
    
    Anyway, the whole idea behind sleeves is to keep the structure as light as
    possible, (alloy blocks), yet have a sturdy bore that'll take the
    abuse that lightweight alloys won't.  As a result, sleeves ain't all 
    that thick and normally even automotive sleeves will only accept a max 
    of say .020" overbore before they are not serviceable.   
    
    Why not look up and visit some of the `big boys' and pick their engine
    builders' brains before you get in any deeper?  It might save you MORE 
    than you've already been fleeced.  The drag strips and mags should have
    some names, addresses, phone no.'s etc. that are public info. I would 
    think.
    
    "Illigitimi non Carborundum"  (Don't let the bastards wear you down.)
    
    J-

Hi,
Yes you can sleeve the block with bigger sleeves.

Sleeves -       $160
Block machining $285
Top case boring $100

	Total   $ 545 + shipping

This is on to of the $350 for the 1166cc pistons.

	The other solution is Arias. 

Arias pistons  $520
returned
1166cc pistons ($350)

	Total  $170

5 week lead time, but I think it is my only real solution for now...


					Brian...

    REF .379
    
    Brian,
    
    Oh!  You haven't bored it yet, eh? 
    
    Yeah, sounds like a plan to me.
    
    Will the 1136 bore be O.K. with the original jugs? 
    
    Is this machine going to be your `learner'?  If so, I wouldn't put a 
    humongaloid amount of skin into it either.  No sense trying to be John
    Force if you're not already a (multi) millionaire or have big sponsors.
    
    Keep the faith... 
    
    FYI, drags were a big passion of mine in the 60's... I had 3 cars fit
    for weekend asphalt strolls: 
    	- "C-Sportsman" (prepared as "C-gas" but with single carburator)
    	  55 Ford 2dr. (tiny 272cid V8 with a lot of heart... low 14's) 
    	- "A-Super Stock" `wedge' 426 4sp '64 Dodge ht 
    	  (street sweetie...mid 13's all day long)
    	- "AA-Super Stock" `hemi' 426 auto '66 Dodge ht
    	  (animal...mid 12's on street rubber!)
    
    The meanest, of course, was the hemi, but I had to get rid of it before
    it turned me into a homeless person, (6mpg on 2X4bbl's). 
    In retrospect, I shoulda kept it for the collectible and vintage racing
    value, but in '66 there was no end in sight to the "cubic inch wars", 
    and the braking and handling technologies never caught up to the
    available horsepower and top speeds.  By '72 the war of endless cubes
    with no emission controls was history.  So I don't feel cheated at
    all...
    
    John

The 1100 jugs are already bored to 74mm (1135cc). 
I'm not sure you could call the Kawi a "learner", although they have all taught
me somthing. The Kawi is the 3rd bike I have campaigned in the bracket wars.
I started on a Yamaha FZR600 (13.4s @102) moved up to a Yamaha FZR1000
(11.4@122) and then the Kawi (12.183@109 so far). It also looks like I'll be
running my CBR1000 street bike (12.180 @114) for a while this year until I get
the Kawi together. Its not a "real" drag bike, but more of a "wanabe" drag bike
put together with a welder and scrounged stock parts from several different
years and many different bikes. 
	Boy you've had just a few pretty cool cars, especially the mopeds...
I played with cars on the strip for a short while, but to tell the truth the 
faster ones I've driven scare the cr#p out of me. I've run a lot faster on a
bike and felt far more comfortable. That's kinda nuts I guess... (-:


					Brian...

    Brian,
    
    	Was the fzr1000 and cbr1000 stock? If so it sounds like you loose
    about a second compared to sea level. I've often wounder how much
    we loose but I would imagine it depends on the bike.
    	Tony

    ref 42.381
    
    Bri.,
    
     Yep, a drag car IS scarier than a bike the forces at work are a H--L
    of a lot more brutal and the chances for mega-grenade type explosions
    higher.  Plus, there's a lot more mass being hurled down the track, and
    if it gets off center just a teensy bit at anything over 60mph, (which
    ANYTHING that DESERVES to be there will accomplish), it's a crap shoot
    whether you're gonna live through it.  
    
    Geez Louise!  Sounds like the Yama-Hammer and 1Kcc's treated you
    well...whattya think's making the larger Kawa-Zoomie motor more sluggish? 
    Is the machine heavier or something?  Ever think of aluminum framing?
    (Yeah, I know...it's a bitch to weld, but once you've got the
    gear...it's like brazing.  
    
    Having spent 32 years `in the saddle' as well, I would feel safer on a 
    drag BIKE too...the faster you go in a straight line, (within reason 
    including air spoilers/downforce devices), the more stabile they tend 
    to become.  (Watch everyone JUMP on that one!  Note: I DID say WITH
    airflow management body/devices).
    
    Secondly, the fork rake and the gyroscopic effect of the wheels on 
    a 2 wheeled vehicle tend to keep it upright and stabile in spite of 
    your best efforts to turn it left or right.  GP bikes are a reeel
    handful through twisties... that's why the dudes hang their butts waaaay
    over to the inside of a curve... the combination of fork angle and 
    wheel gyroscopy are trying to get the bike UPRIGHT plus the highly
    placed weight on the bike (RIDER) is is trying to be forced toward
    the OUTSIDE of the curve by centrifugal force. 
    
    Anyway, I digress... 
    To be honest, I always dreamt of owning a drag bike; I think they're 
    extra cool and the money and time isn't anything NEAR what you've got 
    to invest to campaign a 4-wheeled `digger'. 
    
    FYI, I haven't used the 1100's ignition parts yet.  The sensors are 
    going to replace contacts in a V-12 Lambo distributor and the coil 
    firing modules will fire CD boxes which fire the coils, so the 
    freaking thing will have a nice HOT ignition and STAY in tune. 
    
    Good luck this season...
    
    John
    

Hi,
Pueblo is rated at .9393 of sea level. Denver is .92.

The kawi and yamaha are both liter bikes, but they are separated by 11 years.
The Yamaha was a 5 valve genisis motor that has intake ports as big as a 4v
Cleveland head. It had nothing below 6k and then would rip to 11.5k. The Kawi
is actually faster in stock form to the 1/8 mile. (7.7 vrs 8.5 seconds) It's
antique technology small port 2 valve heads are great for making low end torque,
but run out of breath by 6500 rpm. The difference is just 80 horse compared to
125 horse. The Kawi is even quite a bit lighter. 365# vrs the Yamaha's ~500#.
Dropping weight and tuning is how I got the Kwacker from 13.4's bone stock to
12.2's stripped. If it ever gets back together I hope to have cured the lack of
top end problem, without losing too much of the bottom end.

					Brian...

Hi,
This weeks plan is to re-ring the 1000cc pistons and run those until the Arias
1135cc pistons are ready. When I talked to the guy at Arias he did say that if
I sent him a cashier's check for $10,000, I could have a set of pistons in two
days. I thought that that was just a tad steep (-: so I decided I could wait
the 4-5 weeks for their normal turn around time. 
	I am undecided which head to run though. I'm not sure my "good" head
and more radical cams would work with the low  (9:1) compression. The other
choice is to run the stock liter head and stock cams. The stock parts should
still run low 12's or possibly high 11's. I guess that would be ok to start
this season, just so I don't have to beat on my CBR anymore.

				Brian...

    
    My Kwacker gave me my first problem ever this morning. Actually, I can
    only blame myself for not finding the "extra" buzzing that I was
    hearing/feeling. While leaving the Groton post office after mailing a
    check to the IRS, I noticed my clutch wasn't working as well as it should
    (not wanting to dis-engage). I also saw some smoke arise from around the
    left header after I pumped it a few times. Investigation confirmed
    that the metal hydraulic piping had been vibrating against a down tube
    (rubber protector had moved) and had developed a small pin hole leak.
    Fortunately there isn't a lot of pressure in that system without
    draining the resovoir and I was able to work the clutch well enough to
    make it back home. :-)
    
    Alpo
    

    
    Almost forgot to mention, another biker stopped and asked if I needed
    some help. There are good dudes out there!! :-)
    
    Alpo

    REF. Brian's notes...
    
    I DUNNO Brian, the secret where you live is to get MORE AIR into the
    beast so's it kin burn, er, flow mo' fuel... that can only happen via 
    one or more of the following:
    - bigger ports
    - bigger valves
    - more valves
    - stuffing it in
    
    I think I'd try the higher flow new heads with perhaps a step richer 
    in jetting unless you've got fuel injection or flomaster auxiliary 
    jetting which sorta seeks it's own ideal mixture levels like a variable 
    venturi carburator only lots quicker and adds tremendously to the top
    end while the stock jetting takes care of the low-mid range.
    
    But then again, 11's are certainly enough to get my blood stirring. 
    
    John
    
    
    

Well I decided not to order the custom made Arias pistons because Western
Performance in Denver convinced me I could get off the shelf Wiseco pistons
in one week. Well they come in yesterday and I made another 150 mile round trip,
jugs in hand, up to Denver to pick them up. There they were, all nice and shiny
in their box. Marked in big bold characters "1135cc 74mm piston kit". Well
labels are all very nice in them selves, IF THEY ARE CORRECT !!!!!
The box said 74mm. The #$%@#!~! pistons were 75mm.... @#$%#@! This is becoming
a joke.... 
At this point the whole aftermarket piston industry has one more chance to get
it right. If the correct parts don't come in this friday, I quit.

				Brian...

    re: 387.............
    
    
    musta not seen it was a norton till AFTER they stopped!  ;^)
    
    
    chet

    REF. .389
    
    Woah!  Bummer, Brian!
    
    That'll teach you to go to the store without your calipers or piston
    sized micrometer... Parts people and the parts INDUSTRY on the whole
    have outgrown their own ability to cope with the endless variety of 
    crap that's needed.  The real pisser is that so many of the counter
    folks these days are such arrogant a--holes who supposedly have all 
    the knowledge you don't...wrong.
    
    I'm only guessing, but I suppose their misplaced arrogance comes from 
    working across the counter with lots of clueless bozo's who don't know 
    as much as the counterperson's micro-brain can hold. 
    
    I had virtually the same damn thing happen to me with the "C-Gas" 55
    Ford engine... Took the short block to the machine shop for a complete
    blueprint job and when I got it back, I reassembled it, put it in the
    car and on the big moment, it wouldn't turn over... tried everything
    including jump starting...
    
    ONE PISTON in the set was TOO TALL and came up above the deck, 
    striking the head!!! 
    
    I was one Pissed person, let me tell ya... a month's worth of prep and
    restoration work shot to hell because the parts counter bozo didn't
    have a brain and his clone, the machinist, didn't bother to check 
    everything for proper clearances etc. once it was assembled. 
    
    Needless to say, I got ALL the machine work and a new set of pistons
    and that one rod replaced for free, but it still didn't compensate me
    for pulling, installing, teardown, reassembly and hauling the mill a 
    second time.
    
    Hang in there, Brian... you're NEARLY past the "BOZO ZONE".
    
    John

    
    Come on Chet, ya know Norton's rule. :-) Ya should move on back to a
    real motorcycle!! :-)
    
    Alpo
    

If I could use smaller type here I would, because I don't want to say this too
loud. I now have a set of 1135cc pistons. 2.910 dia. .0025 cylinder wall
clearance. They fit !!! They'll work. They're in the motor !!!!
Re-clearance the valves, degree the cams and into the frame it goes. I actually
might have a running motor by next week !!!!


				Brian...

    re .393
    
    Bri,
    
    When's the maiden run?  Keep us posted re. times.
    
    Whatchya running for fuel...pump stuff with some fun juice or???
    
    Ever thought of Nitrous?  Woah!! That's a kick!
    
     John

    ref .392
    
    Wazzamatter Chet...brain fart or too many miles with loud pipes?
    
    This is the Kawakazzi notes, not Norton...that's Alpo's domain lately.
    
    John

I just need to re-shim the valves and do the final assembly. If I have time I'll
squirt a quick coat of paint on the plastic. (Kawi green of course.) I had to
settle for 10.25:1 pistons so the CR should be around 11:1 so I may be able to
run pump gas. Don't know yet. If all goes well I'll have it together for next
wednesday's test and tune up in Denver. 
I still havn't figured out how I'm going to run the thing at 2500-3000 for 20-30
min with the open pipe to break in the cams. My neighbors might not like that
too much. (-:

			Brian... 

    ref .396
    
    Bri,  
    
    A quickie to keep the noise down only I don't know how long it'll hold
    up due to heat...
    
    A friend of mine who had a Vette used to run muflerless pipes all the
    time.  When he wanted to cruise with it, he simply took innertube,
    stretched it over the ends of the pipes and hoze clamped it.  After
    that, he simply slit the "drum skins" with a razor blade and it simply 
    purred.
    
    If you can find some red (hi-temp) silicone rubber in sheet form, that 
    should do the trick.  Contact a rubber or plastics dealer or Fisher
    Scientific Co. in your area... ONE of them SHOULD be able to help you
    or lead you to it.
    
    The next best thing I can think of is get some scrap silicone jacketed 
    Ignition wires, bundle them in a flat/ribbon fashion over the pipe ends
    and clamp THEM onto the pipe like the sheet rubber.  The exhaust
    passing BETWEEN the tightly bunched 'rubber bands' should be pretty
    darned quiet.  The wires oughta be FREE from any garage's trash bin.
    
    Worth a shot, anyway.
    

If I took the inner tube section and just tied one end over the pipe instead,
would I end up with a 100 somthing horse power whoopie cusion ??? 

Just a thought... (-:

				Brian...

Somtimes I just crack myself up... Sorry...

    
    C'mon, try it, it would be a gas!!

    re. .398/9
    
    I imagine blipping the throttle might sound something like a
    Harley with heavy duty condoms...
    
    Rrrrrubba-dubba-dubba-dubba, Rrrrrubba-dubba-dubba-dubba.
    
    You'd be a hit with the 'farty-farty' bikers.
    
    8^P
    
    John

Hi,
Well I have a complete motor together. Not exactly the combination I want yet,
but I am damn sick of running my "el porko delux " 650 pound Honda and I need
the Kawi back NOW. I still have a bit of work to do on the new kawi head. The
valves are too long for the availible shims so I need to take .010-.015 off the
stems so that I can shim them now and have some room for future shimming. 
With that in mind I decided to put a stock head and cams on the 1100 motor and
get it together to run down in Pueblo tomorrow. I'm down to a list of 6-8
details left to clean up and with a little luck I should be able to run the
Kawi. I would expect high 11's in this form. I'll still try to stuff both the
Kawi and the Honda into the truck though. Just in case the Kawi doesn't run
right, or won't pass tech.

				Brian...

Hi,
Won't pass tech ??? Ba Ha Ha Ha !!! Tech in Pueblo is a joke. Basically it was
"Looks like a motorcycle to me." "Go ahead, you're good to go."
Anyway, I made three runs with the Kawi. First run was a real easy shift at 6K
and just make sure everything works run. 12.01 @ 108 The second run the air
shifter quit and I just idled it through. Third run I pushed on it harder. I
though on the second run I just hadn't put enough air into the shifter so I
pumped it up to 120# and tried it again. I must have a leak in the system
though. When I hit the button for second it worked, but I lost all presure, so
that when I hit the button for third nothing happened . Good thing I have a two
step rev limiter, because I came up on the upper limit real quick. Anyway I
shifted the rest of the gears manually, backing off the gas between gears and
still managed an 11.74 @115. After that I parked it due to the shifter quiting
and an oil leak from the oil presure sending unit.
	This puppy pulls like a bear on the bottom end. 1.75 60 foot times
without really hammering it off the line. 7.5 second 1/8 times compared to 8.8
last year. Its stable, runs straight and is real easy to ride. When everything
works  and leaving it just the way it is low 11,s should be easy. With the new,
better head and much better cams this thig should run REAL well !!!
	All in all I am a happy camper. It is a bit of a pain not having an on
board starter and managing all the details of running by myself, but the ride is
worth it. Iron out the last few bugs and this should be a fun season.

					Brian...

    Atta Boah, Bri!
    
    Sounds like the air shifter button/solenoid valve itself or the cylinder
    might be your culprit.  
    
    If you're not already using it in the air shifter system, I'd recommend
    changing over to Imperial/Eastman "Nyloflow" hard Nylon Hi Pressure 
    tubing and compression fittings system wherever possible because it'll 
    take 300psi. working, is MUCH lighter and quicker acting than rubber 
    hose with SS braid covering, (doesn't expand/flex as much), and never
    leaks if periodically snugged up 1/2 flat or so till it's settled in. 
    It's basically the same stuff as used for air-shock plumbing.
    
    You literally want to keep control hose i.d.'s fairly small so the air 
    used goes for filling up the shifter slave cylinder, NOT the hoses...
    the larger the hose you use, the longer it will take to fill 'em with 
    air before the shifter cyl gets filled... no?
    
    Sounds like there's still plenty of headroom for finding power in 
    the "Kawakazi" and I envy the fun you're gonna have this Summer... 
    With all the improvements you have in mind, I'll bet she'll crack a `10'
    pretty easily.
    
    ...Now THAT's a RUSH!
    
    John

The oil leak was simple. The contact for the oil pressure sending unit should be
pressed up into its little plastic housing. I must have banged it out somehow.
A small tap back up into the housing and that problem was solved. 
The air shifter was even easier. It does use a hard plastic air shock type line.
I must have missed tightening one fitting and its line poped off. 
Everything is now tight and leak free and ready to go for this Friday up in
Denver. 

					Brian

    Bri,
    
     Yeah, it's often the little details that'll get ya.  Good thing you
    didn't miss a shift on Nitrous!!!  HoooooWeeee!  Grenade time! 
    
     Harleys and tractors are what you might call basic.  
    If you're going racing or ride anything more sophisticated, then
    you've got to pay attention to the details. 
    
     Good luck Fri...can't wait to hear your times.
    
    J-

Hi,
Friday in Denver was a bit crowded due to a big meet on saturday. Lots of new
out -of-towners came in so we only got two practice runs. The first was 11.75
with a bit of wheel spin. I let a little air out of the rear tire and adjusted
the two step down 500 rpm to 6500. The next run was 11.57 at 114. 
114-115 looks like the physical limit for that head/cam combination, but I bet I
can get 11.2-11.3 out of it pretty easy. 
I lost first round on a 423 red light. It seams like I have reajusted my mental
launch computer to get the "el porko delux" Honda off the line and that's just a
bit too quick for the faster leaving Kawi.

				Brian...

    Thanks Bri... 
    
    Yeah, it's funny the habits the machine can create in us... I guess
    that's what marks the difference between a pro and a hobbyist..
    
    I couldn't even fathom some of these auto drivers who are equally 
    comfortable, and FAST in stock cars, F-1's, Indy cars, and IROC's.
    
    There are a handfull who do it all, but I haven't a clue how... they
    gotta be SUPER drivers.
    
    You're gonna cut a 10, I can feel it!  Maybe not, as you say, with
    current cam/head combo, but it definitely looks like the MACHINE is good 
    to go... how stable is it out of the chute and at the top end? 
    
    J-

Hi,

RE:stability

Off the line it is fine. The couple times I have spun and gone sideways, you
just cross stear it like a dirt bike and it straightens out smooth as silk. No
twitching or nastyness what-so-ever. I am thinking about running without the
wheelie bars this week, just for fun. On the top end it is arrow straight. No
problems at all. Adding the 5 degree rake to the front and 4 inch longer
swingarm makes the wheelbase 6 or 7 inches longer, which stabilizes it out a lot
at speed.

					Brian... 

    Welllll Alllllrighty then!
    
    Sounds like a freaking blow dart on rails!  Cool!
    
    Next time I'm out in the Springs, (month or two), I'd like 
    to see 'er, (maybe in action?).
    
    I haven't used the stock igniter setup yet...got some fab to do, and
    I'm not in a hurry to disect that oddball Marelli distributor just yet.
    
    Got another car with single points that'll be easier to do... might try
    it first.
    
    J-

    
    I recently had my hydraulic line on my 85 Kwacker 900 Eliminator sawed
    through because it was rubbing against the metal intake for the water
    pump. Anyway, I finally replaced it last Saturday with a plastic coated
    steel braided line. The parts I used were made by Goodridge and I swear
    my clutch feels better now than it did before. I am thinking of putting
    this same line on my front brakes. Just might make them feel better.
    
    Question: I have a little bit of pre-ignition pulling 6th gear up a
    hill at almost lugging speed when I get on it a little more than
    normal. This has only been occurring with Reformulated Gas. What I am
    contemplating is putting in an ignition advancer advertised as being
    set at 4 degrees. What does this mean? 4 degrees BTDC? 4 degrees greater
    than the stock 10 degree setting (14)? The advertisements don't make
    this clear. Anybody know. Oh, the ads also say it increases mid range
    so I am inclined to believe they mean 4 degrees BTC
    
    If it sets it to 4 degrees BTDC, this would retard my initial timing by
    6 degrees and might get rid of the pre-ignition. Sims & Rohm sells an 
    adjustable advancer, but I don't feel like spending $100 for one.
    stock setting of 10 degrees.
    
    Alpo 

Hi,
The advancers I have seen add advance. They set the counter weight plate
advanced by however many degrees advertized and then the centrifical advance
works normally advancing from the new advanced starting point. 

				Brian...

    
    The present advance plate is fixed (no weights) and it has no centrifical 
    advance. It is electronically advanced. The two magnetic pickups I assume
    use the plates to trigger off of and the advance is probably determined
    by the RPM. But, I would't bet on it. If the advancer adds advance,
    that's exactly what I don't want! Hell, I'll just give em a call and
    find out. I called Dale Walker once, and their tech on the phone didn't
    know even though they sold them.
    
    Thanks
    
    Alpo  

    Alp,
    
    I agree with Brian... most of the 'trick' ignition goodies do NOT
    retard your ignition, they make ADDITIONAL ADVANCE, which is the exact 
    of a cure for the problem you describe. 
    
    It is also an alternative to downshift 1 gear in such situations and keep
    the money in your pocket and your machine together and stock.  
    
    You sound like me... always trying to fix problems the machine doesn't 
    really have... drives my wife absolutely bonkers.
    
    You also could also slightly loosen the screws on the sensor plate in 
    your "distributor" and lightly 'tap' it about 1-2 degrees in the
    direction of engine rotation. This will retard your initial 10degree
    advance settng and your entire advance range which which should knock
    off the rattling, add a bit more `torque' to low & mid range, and shave
    a touch off the top end rpm's and max hp.  It'll also make the engine 
    run cooler under extreme loads.  
    
    This would be the ideal 'street/touring' setup as far as I'm concerned, 
    but if you're intent on racing, which it doesn't sound you are, then
    it would take some tinkering in the opposite direction and higher octane 
    fuel. 
    

    Maybe you don't have to modify ANYTHING...
    If you're burning `regular' in the bike and hill pulling in 6th is a 
    routine thing, go up to the next grade fuel and try it.. it's a little
    more expensive, but what do you care at 50-60mpg.?
    
    
    John

    
    John,
    
    I have had the feeling that what the advancer would do. I unfortunately
    think both you and Brian are correct.
    
    I noticed this when I got stuff behind a line of cars and hadn't down
    shifted yet. I just don't like to hear any pre-ignition because that
    tells me the motor is running a little hot at times. I am also
    concerned that they (gov) will change the levels in the reformulated
    gas which could really start causing some problems. I will be putting a
    dyno kit in this bike later this summer which also will splash a little
    more cool gas on the pistons which might stop this.
    
    BTW - With 11:1 compression I am running the highest normally available
    gas I can.
    
    Alpo 

    Alp,
    
     You don't HAVE to run top octane, although it can't hurt.  It's GOT to
    be a 4 valve engine or you couldn't get away with it.
    
    Anyway, since you're gonna warm it up a little, I would also look into
    water injection... No joke here... they work pissah and the additive is
    pretty cheap-o!
    
    They accomplish several things:
    	- keep combustion temps cooler
    	- add steam to the combustion cycle which actually develops
    	  more compression and hp.
    	- puts free oxygen atoms into the combustion cycle which BURNS that
    	  fuel completely
    

    
    The old 85 900 motor does have 4 valves per cylinder and I believe it
    has a pent roof combustion chamber design. Each valve has its own
    adjustment for lash. Supposedly, stock it cranks out 100 hp with about
    62.5 lb-ft of torque. That all happens  around 8K with a red line of
    10.5K. Of course, this beast really doesn't like turning too much!!
    
    I actually bought the dyno kit/sync sticks last year and have been waiting
    for the correct time to put the kit in. I have had some mixing issues when
    the needles have control. The dyno kit with the clip type needles plus
    different tapper should resolve this . Read that to mean, I have a flat
    spot between 3000-4000 RPM which I will get rid of. Yes, the mains are a
    little bigger too. I have on order an Accel coil kit which supposedly
    will increase the spark voltage to 35kv. I thought about Dale Walkers
    pipes, but don't want to ruin my mid-range by eliminating the power
    (expansion)  chamber. Anyway, I am not trying to hot rod this beast,
    just would like it to run a little smoother/stronger.
    
    Water injection. I had heard about that before, but didn't think it had
    any credence. Is this really proven technology?
    
    Alpo
    
    

    Alp,
    
    They've been using water injection in diesels for only about 45
    years...
    
    I GUESS it's proven...
    
    John

    
    
    	Hmmm, I wouldn't think you'd need water injection for the addition
    of a dynojet kit.  A turbo maybe, but not just a jet and needle change.
    When I put one in my ZX it also called for drilling a hole in the
    bottoms of the slides.  Mine worked as advertised and got rid of the flat
    spot around the 4k range.  The hardest part of putting the kit in was
    getting the damn throttle cables back on.
    	I've seen the ads for the Dale Walker stuff, but to my eye his
    pipes look kinda dull and over square.  I'd be inclinded to check out
    what Muzzy has for Kawasaki products.  Put in a K&N or UNI filter and
    your bike will be breathing far easier.  If you have the time and money
    it would be interesting and usefull to put your bike on a dyno before
    and after your changes.
    	Re lugging etc,  Just downshift and spin the thing!  Its not a old
    british twin after all.  
    
    
    Scooter

    
    Scooter, 
    
    I researched the dyno kit before I bought it and heard comments that
    holes were only to improve throttle response and in some cases caused
    problems. So I had already decided I wasn't going to drill the holes.
    BTW - the kit I bought also included a K&N air filter along
    with the stage III mains. I just wanted to get rid of the flat area and
    the preignition I heard. As for spinning it a faster, you are correct.
    I took your advice before I read it here and did some serious RPM'ing
    yesterday. Nordy's red line will be around 7K, but I don't think I will
    spend much time in that area. There, I think I'll just lope along when
    I get it on the road.
    
    As to Dale Walker, I have his catalog and the pipes do look a tad
    funny. Also, since they take out the power expansion chamber, I would
    not be surprised if the curve were a bit more peaky. I checked with
    Muzzy (called) and the person I talked with said they didn't carry
    anything for my bike. At least in the realm of pipes. Many of the 900
    components are the same between bikes. Running it on a dyno would be
    cool. Any ideas how much it would cost? Any idea?
    
    Alpo

    Drilling holes in the slides allows some vacuum bypass before building
    up enough to raise the slide piston and allow more air and fuel mixture 
    into the engine...in effect, "choking" your way through the flat spot
    created by too quick a rise in the piston which in effect "starves" the
    engine momentarily with a "gulp" of air before an adequate amount of fuel
    can be drawn through the jet orifice which the needle in the slide 
    regulates the flow of. 
    
    In other words, most variable venturi ("choke" in Brit) carbs don't even
    HAVE accelerator pumps to eliminate flat spot "air gulps".  Even when 
    they do, the pumps usually have a very limited `squirt' capacity.  
    Major flat spots have to be 'engineered' out as a cooperative function 
    between jetting and piston rise, (venturi opening). 
    
    As for the water injection...it's not related to your dyno kit or
    anything else...it's a cheap addition of HP with no harm to
    the engine and actually promotes longevity through lowering Comb.
    Chamber temps.
    
    Alp, I have to agree with one of the last notes in that the Kawi engine is 
    an `oversquare' engine which gets it's max torque at much higher
    rpms than an `undersquare' Brit design or rediculously undersquare 
    Harley or John Deere design which are torquey, but run at comparatively
    low rpm's.  Long stroke engines typically will wear out quite quickly 
    if pushed up to high performance levels and higher rpms are attempted
    for extended periods of time.  This is primarily due to high heat
    buildup in rings, pistons etc. running at incredible speeds due to long
    strokes.  Why do you think Harleys require such HEAVY oils? 
    
    The Kawi has to `breathe' in order to develop HP and torque, so why do 
    you want to lug hills like a farm tractor?  It's actually harmful to 
    your mileage and the engine.
    
    Check Kawi's manual for max HP and Torque rpms... if you're 
    pulling steep grades at or near the mfgr.'s max torque rpm's, it will
    be operating at peak efficiency in all categories like combustion temps,
    oil pressure, fuel mixture, fuel efficiency, exhaust scavenging etc. etc.
    
    Kawi engineered the machine and gave you the specs precisely for the 
    purpose of knowing how to use it's capabilities to best advantage. 
    
    If you need a John Deere, you bought the wrong "Green Machine"... 8^P
    (tee hee)
    
    Regards,
    
    John

    
    
    Alpo,
    
    	Dyno time is usually charged by the run ie. the operator does a
    roll-on test in something like 4th gear and another run through all the 
    gears.  They usually give you printouts to take away and study/show
    off.  You then go away and make some change and then rerun to see
    what the change made.  I dynoed my ZX-11 at the sport bike rally as they
    had a horsepower shootout going on all weekend.  If memory serves it was 
    around $15 per run.  The guy who ran the dyno is a good source of
    information as they see alot of bikes with mods and can usually
    make some recommendations about what works.
    
    	Rather than putting on a whole new exhaust system, you could look
    at some slipons ie. Yoshimura, Kerker, Vance and Hines etc.  These
    would keep the stock header pipes so this approach doesn't give you
    the lightest solution but hey, its a cruiser bike not a bimota!
    
    Scooter
    
    

    
    John,
    
    I could always paint the bike Green. :-) If it runs like dear, smells
    like a dear, then it must be a dear.
    
    I believe you to be absolutely correct about the operation of the
    needle off the diaphragm. Also, the emulsion tubes were designed to
    provide the accelerate pump type action when a CV type carb is initially
    whacked open. So, I am not going to a drill the hole unless my performance
    dictates.
    
    Again, concerning oversquare and undersquare motors we are in concert.
    
    As for pulling hills in 6th gear as a norm, I usually don't. Sometimes
    I just don't shift. The following said in a whimpering confessing
    voice.
    
    "I'm sorry!! I confess!! I'm guilty! I didn't shift officer!!! :-) Next
    time I'll do 45 in a 40 MPH zone in 5th or 4th gear instead of 6th!! I
    didn't mean to pre-ignite. I'll burst into flames later." :-) Actually
    I can pull up to about 55 in 1st. Actually max torque is about 8K and
    max hp is about 8.5 K,
    
    Alpo   

    
    Scooter,
    
    Right you are! I have been relatively happy with the performance of the
    bike. Just a little unhappy with the carbueration around 3-4K. Also, I
    did experience some pre-ignition in 6th. I figured the dyno kit would
    eliminate these issues.
    
    That's a good suggestion (dyno at a meet). I just might try that!!
    
    Alpo

Hi,
I am now the proud owner of a Kawasaki racing green kwacker. I picked up the 
paint last weekend and with some misgivings squirted the bike last night. I
wasn't sure I would like the green. It is kind of a garish color, but once it
was all done, dried and back together, I like it !!!! 

11.571 so far...

				Brian...

    Atta boah, Bri...
    
    I always liked the "Kawabunga" neon green racing colors with black and
    white accents/graphics myself... LOUD to be sure, but there's no 
    mistaking what it means...
    
    Green side up...the K-force be with you.
    
    John

    
    
    Brian,
    
    	Did you put any stripes on?  Might I suggest the paint scheme from
    the Eddie Lawson replica 1100.  Good choice to go with the Kawi racing
    colours.
    
    
    Scooter

Hi,
RE: stripes

Nope, I just did a real quicky , cover up the raw plastic, paint job. I'll get
fancier next winter. For now I'll just stick on Kawasaki labels on the tank
shell and Apex Sports decals on the side covers. Then I'll get back to the
"good" head. Get the valves cut down, shim it properly, and see if we can go out
and run a 10 or two...

				Brian...

    ref. .427
    
    YESSSSS!  Go for the big ONE-0, Bri.
    
    John

My son and I took the bikes down to Pueblo Sunday. He is still poor and doesn't
have his own street bike yet so I let him ride the "El porko Delux" Honda and
I was on the now slightly faster Kawi. The two bikes used to run almost side by
side. Not anymore. The green machine was flying !!! Best run 11.264 @ 117.
I am re-learning how to get it off the line. It takes a few runs to figure out
what a new type tire will do and I think I am getting a handle on this Dunlop.
60 foot times were in the 1.68 range and my worst run all day was a 11.32.
	At this point, I think I'll leave it alone for another two weeks. I have
races in Denver for the next two Fridays, and then a month break .(In Denver)
I'll change out the head then and use Pueblo for testing and tuning.

	It was a rocky start,,, but Damn this is fun again !!!

				Brian...