Another Newbie

[Metalmaker]

Hi all, been away from biking for many years and thought I'd do it the hard way, so I've just bought a damaged/beaten up/wrecked ZXR400 as an over winter project aiming for an MOT in the spring of 2009! Looks like a front to back rebuild but it will be a challenge, most of the easily broken off bits have been and the farings are bit tatty so lots of visits to the breakers and shopping on ebay. Any advice or a vist from another owner would be welcome! Be good to see what I'm aiming for.
I was going to upload some pictures but apparently they are too many kb's, so maybe I'll take some more and add them another day.
Cheers Bob

[RedexRobB]

Hello bob, glad to hear your doings the hard way!

We're here if you need help at any point so dont be afraid to ask! Plenty to keep you busy there!

RobB

[masterofinsanity]

Hi Bob welcome to the site, where abouts are you based? i'm breaking a zxr at the moment if you need anything, see the parts for sale threads.

[Metalmaker]

Hi I'm in Bedfordshire, Flitwick which is about half way between Luton & Bedford, If your ever passing.
Bob

[Metalmaker]

Don't know if this is the right place to wirte this but I've actually got the bike going! During last week I had the plugs out and cleaned them, shone a torch down the plug holes to make sure that there were pistons there, I turned it over and they even went up and down. Squirted oil in the bores to lub them as no doubt there wasn't alot of oil in there. Took the carbs off, cleaned all the bowls out, blew thru the jets and washed them out with cleaning fluid we use at work. Reassembled them and had the tops off to make sure the diaphrams weren't split. Everthing looked ok so I put it all back together. Saturday got some petrol and out with an old car battery and jump leads. Connected it all up and there's petrol coming through the tap, not out of it, but through it. Anyway put a pot under it and carried on. To cut a long story short by the time I'd got petrol into the carbs the battery was flat. Charged it overnight, took the petrol tap to bits & the o ring had disintegrated, so I just put a funnel straight into the fuel pipe and filled it up. Cranked it over and heard a couple of encouraging chuffs and then it fired, no can on the exhaust so it woke my youngest daughter up in her bedroom! Ran it for about 15 mins in total in 3 or 4 goes, seems to rev well, steady on tick over and not too much engine noise, but I've got nothing to compare it to mind you. So let the rebuild commence!
If I've posted this in the wrong place, sorry, point me to the right place and I might give a blow by blow account of the project.
Cheers
Bob

[masterofinsanity]

nice one glad you got it going, there is a section for build threads if you are doing one otherwise post where you want lol

[arkell]

where abouts did you find that bike just out of interest and for how much? I quite fancy a winter project so am looking for a seriously cheap knackered zxr400L which I can fix up.

I dont really know why I have the urge to do this as I already have a perfectly functioning zxr...maybe because i feel compelled to take it apart for no reason and then find that when i want to go somewhere its in pieces!

[Gemini]

I quite fancy a winter project so am looking for a seriously cheap knackered zxr400L which I can fix up.

why dont you buy bazs bits off him? almost a complete bike - apart from front end

gem