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It a ZXR?? Is It a Blade??.......This....... is
Eds story......... |
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Before
reading this please know that I had very
little expertise in these things and was
just bonkers to attempt it!!!
I bought the imported bike in 95 in the
black/orange/pinky/purple colour scheme
you know the one.
Used for I think 2 years or so and on
way to sign my completion agreement for
my house hit some oil on a bridge and
needless to say threw it down the road.
As I was a sprayer at the time I designed
and painted it purple/blue with a very
nice fogged effect diagonally, with turquoise
wheels, and made my own ZXR and Kawasaki
logos, which I have to say looked great
and attracted lots of girlies.
During this time riding and loving the great
handling of the bike I did find myself wanting
more power even though I did upset a lot
of much bigger machines. So...
I started getting the idea of putting a
ZX6R lump, but the sump looked too deep
to clear downpipes etc, but my hunger grew
for this little beauty to be a stealthy
fighter and upset as many bikes as I could
find to conquer. |
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My
mission took me to A1 bike breakers in Ashford,
Kent where I was friendly with a guy called
Rick ( sadly no longer with us ), who was
a top bloke and when I told him my plans was
eager to help. So with an engine trolley we
went around the place looking for suitable
kit, when I saw a picture of a fireblade on
the wall in exploded view showing the engine
very clearly. I thought that's it! its tiny
it must go, within minutes we found a RR model
magnesium headed minter. We put the thing
on the trolley and offered it up to the bike
and looked like it was meant to be. I handed
over £1100.00 for the lump zorsts, carbs,
cables, airbox, pipes, genny, starter, pumps
the whole caboodle.
That was it, I was committed now. |
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The
bike got taken into the house ( no wife type then
you see ) and stripped the bike down. When it
got to the bare frame lots of measuring and marking
took place till I was happy it would go. Then
consuming some big brave pills out came the hacksaw
and angle grinder. I cut off the top engine mounts,
the lower rears and the upper rears. The engine
got stood upright on blocks and the frame gradually
had bits shaved off the beam section until it
slotted over the engine. More measuring and marking
later and I gave the frame to my brother Andy
to make new top and lower rear engine mounts.
This done I drilled the mounting holes and put
in temporary fixings so as to line up gear box
sprocket and so the upper rear mounts could be
sorted, again brother to the rescue. Upon its
return a bit of fettling to sort chain guides
out and with that, it was in!
Now the awkward stuff!
I tried to make 1 good airbox from mating the
two together, no chance, I hadn't allowed for
the carbs had I? and they sat to one side of centre
unlike the ZXR. So I made an aluminium one out
of scraps and once again gave to bruv to make
proper. I have to be honest this still sorting
as it is scruffy but it works very well with the
carburation and that's what counts! Next the electric's
which were sorted by mating the two looms and
help from friend Domonic. The exhausts were suprisingly
easy to fix really by shaving 2 inches off the
collector length and on it went with a little
bodged braced welded on. Front and rear end went
on and tank filled with fuel and with a big throaty
vrrrrroooooommmm from the debaffled carbon can
she was alive. With no sense for the law I jumper
on it still no seat lights panels etc, ( I sat
on the subframe rails ) I road it up the road
to try it out. within about 400 I had to head
back, too mad to ride with no seat needed head
on straight to ride this beasty that was for sure.
Ok so all ancillaries on 2 hours later once again
I was ready, the chain was rubbing a little on
the frame, but I was going mad with anticipation
I had to have a go. I left my home and turned
out on to the main A299 Faversham to Margate road
gradually picking up speed saw the rev counter
completely of the scale ( still using the ZXR
one and not being recalibrated you see ) so forgot
about that and concentrated on the Speedo. Happy
all was well with the little rocketship I turned
back from Faversham and it was time to give it
a handful before 3rd gear was finished with it
had already gone passed the indicated 190kph limit
on the clock and on it went into 4th and then
5th to find the needle buried to the stop pin
before hitting 6th where my bravery ended as the
road became crowded in the distance and I though
better of it. A little play around the bends was
called for so of I went to play. The bike had
lost none of its agility, but now raged liked
a bull to tear itself around the bends and eager
to get to the next. This was too much I never
thought it would be this good, surely something
had to be wrong, but no it was the bike I had
wanted it to be and more!
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This
bike was meant to be, even the original fairing
still fitted with only the tiniest of filings being
made to fit around the engine casings and a small
widening piece made to increase the width where
the lowers meet under the downpipes. The radiator
wasn't pretty and the rad pipes also a little shoddy,
but the experiment had worked and I was chuffed.
I rode it around for a while upsetting lots of people
and friends alike and took it to Cadwell Park for
a track day, great fun and too much for me to cope
with at times, the power out of the corners was
immense, such a tiny bike and such power it flew.
We did 6 successful sessions when disaster, the
framed cracked!!! My baby had had all it could take
she broke the day was over and so was the frame.
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In
my stupid pissed off state I sold the bike and
thought that was it, but the guy that bought it
had the frame sorted and painted it gloss black,
well sort of gloss black, more black with dirt
chucked at it.
He had it for 3 years and left it in his garage
all this time apart from taking it to North Weald
to drag race it.
Last year I found the need for a bike again after
not having one since the ZXR and I started looking
around, couldn't decide what to buy, when the
guy with the ZXR asked if I would interested in
buying it back, he assured me the bracing had
worked and a deal was struck. I had lost all my
confidence on the road and found it a real handful
to control all last year and only took it out
a few times.
This year I bought a 1000 EXUP and it was far
easier to ride, nowhere near as aggressive and
helped me regain my composure. A friend asked
if I fancied a track day to sort myself out and
to practice cornering etc and I accepted. We went
off to Mallory Park with the ZXR and his FZR600.
The first session was very poor because it had
been raining and the condensation built up on
my visor making it hard to see and trundled round
in last place very unhappy. The sun then came
out big time and the next session was a different
story, by the end of the first lap I was in the
lead and really happy with the feel of the bike,
I had got it back, this felt good. 2 more sessions
went the same way and I was able to relax and
have a play and try different ways of braking
and cornering. No less than 7 people stopped to
say " what the f*** is in that thing a 750
" ha ha the plan had finally worked a "ZXR400,
blade engined stealth nutter bastard" .
I have decided that it will stay a track bike
now as I am not very good when it comes to prettying
up things, I like the slightly tatty look as it
helps with the stealthyness.
I will never sell it again and next year it will
see lots more track days.
So if you see a double-bubbled ZXR400 coming up
behind you "Look Out" it might be me
about to swallow you up.
Ed |
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