ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

A spin off from a previous post by RobB, I have created a forum so we can identify which model ZXR400 you have and to show different variations of colour schemes. Please feel free to post pictures to help others identify their ZXR400's but please keep them to factory std releases.

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Mori Man
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Mori Man »

hadra wrote:Hey guys, just bought zx4, its a salvage bike but i want to rebuild it. Im not sure what model is that. thought maybe u can help me out here. this is a link to the pics of my model:
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/ ... 3%2088.htm

Also i need few parts and finding problem getting it. i need both sides rear pannels (around seat) but cant find anything to my model. However i found some from newer moder ZXR400 1996, but the whole thing is a bit different (smaller seat, divided in two). Would that fit my bike? or its too much work to get it fited?

many thanks guys
Zimm should be along shortly to let you know what he has laying around for one.

These were the start of the ZX range but I'm sure very few parts are interchangeable between this and the ZXR's.

If your struggling to find what you need give me a PM with a list of your wants there are parts available over here:

Plastics: http://search1.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/ ... 0jp&mode=1
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by masterofinsanity »

Don't forget people there is more to the zxr400 than this forum... check out www.zxrworld.co.uk also.
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Davyz »

Mori Man wrote:
wee des wrote:Hi ive just joined the site and looking for help trying to identify my bike looking at it its an L1 but its on an F reg and the frame number starts zx400H suggesting its an H model but has the frame, swingarm, bodywork of the L1 any help would be great.. sorry no pictures.. :smt017

This is a bit complicated to explain but, if you go here:

http://www.kawasaki-motors.com/for_user ... earch.html

and enter your frame details under the 2nd arrow then click the furthest right button on that bar then you'll see what model you have.

Anybody using the Japanese kawasaki on-line micro fiche and wanting to save the images/info you'll need to use "Opera" as your web engine :smt004 :smt003

Noticed that my bike is a '89 H but the barcode say's it's a H2 :smt017

Going to type in the frame number and see what muther kwak reckon lol
Hi Guys, Just joined the site, great info and obviously the place to be. I have just picked up a tidy-ish in (in mechanical terms) zxr400 and obviously came across this thread and joined the site in my quest for ID etc. I used the link above and have read the whole thread and the bike I have comes up as a 1989 zxr400-j1, putting in the vin number zx400h-301xxx and engine xz400ge-01xxxx which looks right according to the data from the Japanese kawasaki site from the link, however I cant find any reference to a J2. I ask this because my bike has got the extra adjustment on the remote resevoir and adjustment on the fork bottoms, single seat unit (will look at the carbs later) could this be a J2 or more likely someone has been making a few mods along the way - the frame/swinging is black possibly powder coat and it does not have a braced swinging arm but the one described like the "L" model

The bike I have was street fightered and has a terrible paint job but I have seen it running a few years ago and it was stored properly and came with the twin headlight cluster fairings and all the bits removed for his abortion of a makeover, got it of my mate for 250 quid. I want to do a full restore as I like the twin headlight and late eighties, early nineties styling I had a zx7r not long back but could nt resist the 400, I think their better than the vfr and much higher spec than the cbr and fzr 400s.

Anyway could anyone please let me have their thoughts on this, and I will look again for the J2 model numbers.

Regards,

D
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Davyz »

Just answered my own question, Went to the link provided a few posts above to the Japanese Kawasaki site and in the top drop down box under the first arrow selected zxr400 R and hit the small button on the right that gave me the 1990 J2 ZX400-J2, clicked on the long middle button next to it and that gave me the correct engine serial number and vin match (the next model M is ZX400L-XXXX so must be earlier than that). Now in the middle of the site at the top where it gives the colour schemes I click that button and up comes the picture and notice unlike the j2 picture in this thread it does have an unbraced swinging arm like mine and the one described a few posts earlier. So it seems I have a 1990 zx400r J2. Actually I got it for free as I've not paid up yet winks.

How do I indentify flatslide carbs again???

Thanks again

D.
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Mori Man »

Ah, the J2's don't have FCR's but flat CVK's (not as much as FCR's though)

Haven't ever seen a set so get some pics up :smt004

I've got a J2 motor sitting out on the veranda and my bike is a H2 with J1 bodywork but H2 tail just now. Nothing wrong with mashing it up :smt002

Have J2 front forks with a M rear shock plus a J2 one in store room - the J2 stuff is fully adjustable


H/J 's are the best :smt003
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Neosophist »

Mori: Was it not the J2's that have the flat CVK's? This site below says that CVK's were fitted to the J1?

http://zxr400rsp.fc2web.com/spec/spec.htm
京浜FVK-D32(強制開閉フラットバルブ)


This one ^^^

Image

CVK's tend to look like that

-Edit-

I dont' have any pictures of the FVK-32's but some FVK-39's (Kawa 750)

Image

Image

Image
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Mori Man »

Errrr I said J2 :smt018

Those 750 carb's are also FCR's and just not any old FCR's but dual accelerator pumps , should be off a RR model :smt007

I am going to hunt down some FVK images geek
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Mori Man »

Well after some hunting about it seems it's just another term for FCR's as they spec the M's (SP) as using them :smt017

I also seen a SP service blog and they called them FVK so I am assuming they are reading the actual code off the carb body - this is where the confusion of the the alleged 32mm FCR's exist.

D32 is the body designation of the carb and not the size of the inlet track as this can be adjusted on generic kehins from 32 or 33 by screw in inlet stubs. The factory cast FCR's for the SP are 33mm as I have measured mine.

My own Bito's are burried under boxes otherwise I would have read the code off of them. I know they are 32mm as they were bought and used as a direct plug in on a H2 and they ratlle about in my SP inlet manifolds. 80 quid to replace the billet stubs with 33mm shocking but come the 441 conversion they are getting done biggrin

MM!
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Neosophist »

Oh yes you did! I'm going blind, as well as daft :pmsl

Those 750 FVK's are on YHJ at the moment.. 1 day left ¥50,000.. no bids

http://page6.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f95216869

Yep, i've spoken to a friend in Fukuoka earlier on who said that the FVK is the Kawasaki Flatslide model, he called them the 'fake FCR's, i'm guessing there just Kawasaki custom ones.. hence the 32mm flatslide as you note.


He also said that Kawasaki's are for 'angry people' :smt005

:-)

The Kawa SP flatslides (FVK's) have the tps / pump for the CDI box too which the factory Kehin ones don't!


Interesting... :-)
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Mori Man »

Neosophist wrote:
The Kawa SP flatslides (FVK's) have the tps / pump for the CDI box too which the factory Kehin ones don't!
Easily removed :smt003 What they also have is a choke ! Not that I need it much here - the Bito's still have the mounting points an the chambers but nothing has been drilled out for the parts.

Carb's for the 750 come up regular on Yahoo JP
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Neosophist »

Oh cool :-)

No I shouldn't imagine you would... +30c atm in most parts :D

Did I read somewhere your bitos are in a box or did I make that up too :D
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Mori Man »

Neosophist wrote:Oh cool :-)

No I shouldn't imagine you would... +30c atm in most parts :D

Did I read somewhere your bitos are in a box or did I make that up too :D
30'c inside my flat never mind outside :smt005

Found the Bito's today while looking for other parts - I've got them stripped right down for overhauling with all new O rings and the like :smt003

They read FVKD - no numbers or owt else.

Found a box with pistons, valves, oil pump and cams in it and wondered " What the fook " then I twigged it was the parts from the ninja engine re-build so my dynamic crank is in there too :smt004

Got to crack on and start the engine build but work room is utter chaos just now and no way I am building it outside.
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Neosophist »

Aha don't blame you!

I managed to rebuild my topend the other week but that was in the glorious medioctiry that is british weather.. 15c :D
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by Tirpitz »

Note that there is another difference between the H up to L3 models, and the L4 and later - the rear brake caliper. The earlier models used a caliper which has a 'boot' kind of dust seal which covers the piston skirt. From the L4 onwards the dust seal is a simple O-ring type which is similar to the piston seal. This is very important if you are rebuilding the caliper - buy the wrong seal set and you're buggered :smt012

I should know, I made that mistake :wanker
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Re: ZXR 400 H, J, L and M models

Post by banner001 »

This is a cleanup and updates pictures of Rob's original post with additional information added if possible.

H1(1989)
The bike has a twin headlight arangement (or an ugly square headlight for certain markets :smt011), very boxy bodywork and the frame is also different to the L model as you will soon see. You are typically able to see the remote reservior which on a standard model is only adjustable for the rebound damping and preload as are the front forks. Never officially sold in the UK so any that are here are all imports! The swingarm on the H1 is braced over the top and the radiator is thick flat radiator.

Lime green/Blue 24/Pearl alpine white
Image

Firecracker red/Ebony/Metallic bronze-guns
Image

Ebony/Pearl cosmic grey
Image

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J1 (1989)
Now, the J model is the SP version of the H1 model, it looks exactly the same as the H1 model but has a few subtle differences as i have highlighted in the picture below:

Image

Difference number 1
The seat unit is a single seater! One of the biggest give aways that it is an SP model! But dont be fooled as it could be an aftermarket piece of bodywork, heres how to tell viewtopic.php?t=3068

Difference number 2
The rear shock. The J1 model has a bright kawasaki green shock. As far as im aware the spring is different to standard but the shock is not any more adjustable (preload and rebound only). The remote reservoir should be present on the RHS of the bike attached to the subframe.

Difference number 3
*NEW* cant believe i forgot, the gearbox! It is closer ratio!

Difference number 4
The engine should have a J punched into the RHS of the engine just below the cylinder head.

Difference number 5
The camshafts are adjustable with slotted ends to allow for individual timing adjustments to be made to the inlet and exhaust cams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

H2 (1990)
Sort of a cross between a H1 and L1 model, it retains the H1 frame and fairings, but used a non braced swingarm (similar to the L), and a deep thin curved radiator (similar to the L). The bikes now came with a remote reservoir like the J1 model.

Lime green/Blue 24/Pearl alpine white
Image

Firecracker red/Ebony/Galaxy-silver
Image

Ebony/Pearl cosmic grey
Image

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

J2 (1990)
The SP model of the H2 model with some subtle differences. Now this is where Kawasaki looks like they started getting serious with the SP models as highlighted below.

Lime green/Blue 24/Pearl alpine white
Image

Difference number 1
As with the J1 model it has a single seat unit.

Difference number 2
Fully adjustable rear shock. Comparing the remote reservoir with the J1 there is an extra part of the reservoir. Here is where the adjustment for compression damping comes in making the rear shock fully adjustable! Its situated facing towards the front of the bike, just where the line attaches to go down to the shock.

Difference number 3
The J2 came with flatslide carburettors where as the J1 (or any of the H models) didnt. A very rare piece of kit and very very expensive if you can find them! Cams were slotted as the J1 (unsure if the cam profile was changed from the J1), and J was stamped into the cylinders on the RHS.

Difference number 4
Fully adjustable front forks, look closer again and you will see a small bit sticking out underneath the front caliper, this is where the compression adjuster is located and makes the forks fully adjustable.

Difference number 5
The gearbox is still a close ratio, its different to the J1 gearbox.

Difference number 6
Back Torque Limiter Clutch , first use of this clutch assembly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

L1 to L2 (1991-1992)
The ZXR400 has had a major face lift, apart from the engine everything is new! The headlight has gone from twin lights to two lights combined in one whole unit. The bodywork is a completely different shape being a lot curvier. The rear shock no longer comes with a remote reservoir so cannot be seen hanging off the underside.

Lime green/Pearl alpine white/Blue 36
Image

Candy wine Red (1991 only)
Image

Metallic blue gitane (1991 only)
Image

Ebony/Pearl chateau grey/Pearl gentry grey (1992 only)
Image

Ebony/Firecracker red (1992 only)
Image

Difference 1
The L1 and L2 non-japanese bikes have a different cam profile than the later bikes, producing approximately 4bhp more at the top end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

L3 (1993)
Only minor changes cosmetically with the bolder L1-L2 geometric design giving way to the distinctive "swish".

Lime green/Pearl alpine white/Blue 36
Image

Ebony/Firecracker red/Pearl gentry grey
Image

Firecracker red/Pearl alpine white/Jet ski violet
Image

Ebony/Metallic eventide
Image

Difference 1
The L3 is the last of the L models to use a "grooved" rear brake pistons and larger dust seals, these were replaced with more traditional fully smooth-sided pistons and small dust seals from the L4 onwards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

L4 (1994)
Only minor changes cosmetically, the bike now gains blue swishes on the tank and rear fairings.

Lime green/Pearl alpine white
Image

Luminous vintage red
Image

Ebony/Metallic royal violet
Image

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

L5-L8 (1995-1998)
Only small differences in the paint used between these bikes and the L4. The L5 bikes onwards use a slightly different fusebox and therefore wiring loom from the other L models. There was no 1996 specific bike, so technically there was no L6 model. The rear spoiler/ grab handle is seen from the L5 onwards.

Lime green/Pearl alpine white
Image

Pearl purplish black mica
Image

Ebony/Metallic eventide
Image

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

L9 (1999-2004)

Lime green/Pearl alpine white
Image

Pearl purplish black mica
Image

Lime green
Image

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

M1-M4, M6 (1991-1994, 1999) - 1999 Lime green

A SP version of the L model, I am assuming that the 1999 M6 borrows a number of the L9 refinements. A lovely M1 example here courtesy of MoriMan :smt007

Lime green/pearl alpine white/Blue 36 (1991-1994)
Image

Lime green (1996)
Image

Difference number 1
As with the J models they had single seat units but instead of 'sports production' they have '400R' on the number board.

Difference number 2
The rear shock is fully adjustable, as you can see the compression adjustment screw is at the front end of the reservoir.

Difference number 3
The M model came with M stamped on the engine, adjustable cams, flatslide carbs with a throttle position sensor (TPS) requiring a different rotor and CDi from the L models.

Difference number 4
Fully adjustable forks which can be identified by the compression adjustment screw below the front caliper.

Difference number 5
The gearbox! It is closer ratio! Unsure on how it differs from the J1-J2.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

L1 and L4A (1991 and 1994) - ITOHAM race rep - 1991 Kmi. blue 36/galaxy silver, 1994 Pearl alpine white/Blue 24, Firecracker red
Completely standard L model with just a special paint job, limited edition of 500 models and only sold in Japan.

1994 - the only difference between this and the 1991 is that the 1991 uses a more silver colour for the white.
Image
UK ZXR400 L3 (1993) - Fully restored and on the roads, my green beast!
JPN ZXR250 A2 (1990) - Revs to 19,200rpm... 'nuff said :smt003
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