Noob alert!

[Madderz]

Good evening guys!

Just got back from collecting my lovely new 1992 Zxr400 and thought I'd sign up!!

So after passing my DAS 2 weeks ago I was umming and ahhing about what bike to get. Obviously being 24 and stupid and excited I was immediately looking at the usual 600 suspects (gsxr, r6, cbr,zxr) but after a lot of research and a few stern words from the Mrs I went back to the drawing board and fell in love with the old 400 zxr. To me this thing doesn't look dated and they look nice and big. I searched online but was struggling to find one in my rather small price range (baby on the way and wedding in august!) but whilst I was sat looking one popped up for £950 and I immediately rang him and arranged a viewing! Get my lovely mother to drive the 3 hour trip there and bless her having to watch me get to grips with my first sport bike along national speed limit roads!! I made it though and loved every minute of it. The only downside is the bike managed to rip a hole in my boxers (WTF).

She's a bit rough around the edges and there is only 2 problems that I'm aware of:

1- Right indicator flashes slowly and the left ones stay on completely (flicking the switch repeatedly got me home safe lol). After some research I think it's the indicator relay which I cannot find for the life of me. Under the seat apparently? All I can spot is the battery a fuse/junction box and a couple of plugs? Have a better look in the morning.

2- The second one is a bit odd. The bike starts fine but idles really high at like 2.5k. Now if I leave it in first and let the clutch out slowly until the revs die down it will sit where.it should (1.7k) I believe, but, as soon as I even look at the throttle the idles rise again? I cannot locate the idle screw for the life of me! I'm told it's under the tank on the left hand side? Like a plastic screw thing but I have a feeling the fairing isn't original as I can't find it!

Maybe it's been a long day and both these things are right in front of me!

Hopefully there's a couple of pictures of her (using my phone) and I hope to be an active friendly member of the forum!

[Madderz]

Ok apparently adding pictures didn't work, I shall get a couple up ASAP at work in the morning.

[Madderz]

Ok here we go (again)

[CaNsA]

upload to http://imgur.com and copy the BBCODE link then post it here.

[Madderz]

Thanks I shall do that next time, are you able to see the one picture I managed to get up?

[Miles]

Idle screw is on the rhs of the bike as you sit on the bike, just poking out from under the frame

I can't remember which side I believe the indicator relay is behind the rear fairing

[Madderz]

Thanks for the reply, I did look both sides just in case but I still didn't see it, is it possible that it could be missing?

So seat off and rear fairing for relay?

She's undercover atm for the night but will be tinkering tomorrow. If you get a sec would you mind taking a quick pic of your idle screw? I'm sure I'm not that blind or stupid lol.

[Miles]

Looking for a "black plastic star looking knob" that should be located next to the expansion bottle , there should be a bracket on top of the clutch cover that it hooks into,

Have a good look because if its not there then it may not of been hooked back into that bracket and could be on top of the engine

The indicator relay is near the exhaust hanger behind the rear fairing, rhs as you sit on the bike

[Madderz]

Ok so quick update. I found the idle adjust (Thanks to Miles for that one), as shown here:



Now after she warmed up, she was sat idling at 2.5k so I turned the adjust and brought her down to 1.7ish. Great problem solved....not. Now the same thing happens except if I put it in gear and ease on the clutch it now drops down and idles at 0.7k until I twitch the throttle and she raises back to where I set it at 1.7k Sometime if I just leave her in neutral she will settle back down to 0.7k on her own. How she's set now makes it ALOT easier to pull away etc and it's now not so jerky but something still not right is it? I'm thinking air leak maybe? Where would an air leak commonly happen on these bike? I've checked over the induction hoover pipe thing and they seem fine. I hope to god it's not the head cracked or a gasket going!

The other thing was the indicator relay, I had a quick nose up under the rear fairing by the exhaust bracket, see here:



But as you can see no obvious relays or plugs, just a lot of rust I did take the rear seat out and there was nothing just a small compartment space (toolbox?) and under the main seat I could see like a coil (?metal gold thing) Inside a rubber housing along with battery, fuse box and a couple of like rubber squares with plugs going into them tucked down the side. I've googled and searched for indicator relays to try and see what the look like but to me they just look like a car relay with 2 pins that will sit in a board somewhere. Do the relays have a plug going into them or do they just pop into a board like a car?

Apart from these little niggles I am LOVING her. I hear they are stolen quite frequently
Currently I'm using a long thick metal wire lock and run it through the rear wheel and up round the front headstock and padlock it to try and keep it secure can any one recommend something a little more secure? Are disc lock secure or shall I just get a dirty great chain and bolt it through the rear wheel?

Man I ache so much today. You sports bike riders must all be in shape lol.

[Madderz]

Pictures sorted

[kawazonkey]

The best security I can think of is a) a garage b) a ground bar in cement on the floor with a f*** off lock and chain on it c) paint bomb mines by the garage door d) a dog that barks a lot, or a cd of a dog that barks a lot.

[Madderz]

The best security I can think of is a) a garage b) a ground bar in cement on the floor with a f*** off lock and chain on it c) paint bomb mines by the garage door d) a dog that barks a lot, or a cd of a dog that barks a lot.

All sound very good. A) i don't have a garage and any to rent round hear are miles from home B) I don't own my house and my landlord will have a fit if i get the driveway dug up. C) Paint bomb mines? Are they actual things?? D) My dog is too big annoying and smelly so is at my mothers. D) My neighbor complains if i so much as fart too loud LOL :smt013

Tbh I was thinking, if somebody really wanted to nick it all they would need is a van and a mate, the thing weighs bugger all. So i'll do my best to make it as difficult as i can i.e put my bike on the drive locked and covered and then put my car in front of it. Pain in the butt to juggle around but better to be safe than sorry!

Think i'm gonna try and move to somewhere with a garage hopefully.

[banner001]

a ground anchor is a really good idea, you dont need to damage much of the driveway, and some these days are "recessed" so that he can just leave it there and it wont impact on anyone.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... und-anchor

tell him you will buy it and concrete it in (use a few bags of the fast-set stuff).

[Madderz]

a ground anchor is a really good idea, you dont need to damage much of the driveway, and some these days are "recessed" so that he can just leave it there and it wont impact on anyone.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... und-anchor

tell him you will buy it and concrete it in (use a few bags of the fast-set stuff).

Wow, i was expecting something much larger and vulgar. Tbh if i tuck that away at the side of the drive they probably wont even notice as its telescopic so i assume it sits flush when not in use? This biking lark is becoming expensive with the odds and sods here and there lol.

Excellent find Banner. Thank you.

[banner001]

a ground anchor is a really good idea, you dont need to damage much of the driveway, and some these days are "recessed" so that he can just leave it there and it wont impact on anyone.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... und-anchor

tell him you will buy it and concrete it in (use a few bags of the fast-set stuff).

Wow, i was expecting something much larger and vulgar. Tbh if i tuck that away at the side of the drive they probably wont even notice as its telescopic so i assume it sits flush when not in use? This biking lark is becoming expensive with the odds and sods here and there lol.

Excellent find Banner. Thank you.

thats correct, the top is pulled up with a small bit of metal, that lifts the top square up and that sits into place with a set of 2 spring-assisted metal legs, you push these back in when you want to drop it back flush.

dig through the top layer of tarmac, dig down through the hardcore/dirt until you get to about 6" over the required depth, then back-fill the hole with some hardcore and tap it down to give a solid foundation, check your level again and then put the ground anchor in and fill it with concrete and add water as directed. if you can find a way to keep it upright as the concrete sets you will get something that is very solid and flat.

that way if someone wants your bike they are gonna have to 1. bolt-crop the chain (so get a damn good strong one for use just at home and a good lock) or 2. angle grind through the ground anchor/chain or 3. dig the ground anchor out of the ground...all are noisy and take a while - well except the croppers, which is why you wanna get a good thick chain that manual bolt croppers wont go through, and most burglars wont have a pair of powered croppers to hand...