www.zxrworld.co.uk

just overhauling my zxr, engine needs new hg, doing the cam chain whilst i'm in there, and checking the bore dimensions. The radiator's tired, as is oil cooler, but they cvan be tidied. Thinking of samco hoses for the rad.

But what should I then do? Fully strip and clean the whole chasis and running gear, new spray job, and new zorst and oil cooler + hoses. Expensive and time consuming.

Or sort the engine, give the bike a damn good clean, clean out the rad and oiler cooler as well as can be, repair the missing bodywork mounts, and fix the small crack on the fairing? Quicker and easier and cheaper.

I'm not planning on keeping this bike, since it's a complete road bike that's relatively sound, but i'd like to get hold of one for a track build, maybe with an engine swap or similar.

Any one got any ideas?

Dont fix anything that aint broke mate

Rob

well, the oiler cooler is crumbling at the back quite badly, and lets face it, strandard rubber hoses do not age well! the main rad isn't much better! should be able to clean them up a bit to restore air flow. makes me wonder when they make rad out of ally that just flakes and crumbles and gets blocked so easily. why not make the rad thicker (ie longer front to back) with fins twice as thick, but half as many. These wouldn't get blocked so easily, and wouldn't fall apart so quickly. Maybe chrome plating the rad would be an idea to minimise corrosion. the rad would be slightly heavier and larger to slightly reduced efficiency, but it would loose that efficiency so fast, so after a year or two's use it would be better than a normal design!

Ohhh, hows about titanium nitriding your rad? low stiction, so the dirt/bugs wouldn't stick! It also wouldn't rot due to salt etc!

I just spray my radiator with ACF50, protects it well, and makes the bike smell good

I wouldn't upgrade anything that didn't give me a benefit. So personally I wouldn't replace the coolant hoses unless an inspection suggested they needed it, Kwak do not list these as a time / mileage limited replacement item. Mine are 18 years old and a detailed inspection of them when I restored mine gave me no cause for alarm.

I would definitely strip and grease the entire suspension and consider replacing the shock, which is probably tired.

Mend bodywork, which is expensive to replace.

I'm pretty sure some firm makes oil coolers to order for bikes. Anyway, surely you can pick up a good second hand one as racers seem to remove them. Would deffo replace that if knackered.

Then strip and respray components as required.

I would also do all the other mileage / time limited tasks Kwak recommend but which are often neglected - replace coolant, brake fluid, rebuild master cylinders, replace brake lines, fuel hoses. Possibly fork oil.

coolant will be new anyway, along with all other service items. lines are goodrich in good nick, and i've got a set of new dp hh pads waiting. Had forgotten about doing the linkages, though I know it's important, well reminded. Shock seems fine, as do forks. If anything the forks are too hard and were eating tyres, now i've softened them off it's alot more civil.