TOPIC:

tk11b40 wrote: How much greater an honor than to be chosen by KZ enthusiasts to be the Bike of the Month....

I could not be happier !!
Many thanks.

No Ted, You Honor Us
Thank you for sharing such a special machine with all of us here at KZR

Dave

I keep looking a the bike on the Home page, just giddy.

Thank you so much.
The engine..
Ok this might take a minute.
I did no internal work to the motor. I polished the hell out of it, took many hours. Like hundreds. Why no internal work on the motor? I bought the bike from a friend of mine, who bought it from another friend you know.... we all know each other, because we were in the same Infantry Platoon in the Guard. We all lived in a small town of about 30,000 people (Wenatchee).

The top end was rebuilt with the 998 kit at the local Kawasaki shop, by the same mechanic (also a friend) who rebuilt my Eddie Lawson motor. We called him Mad Jack. Mad Jack went to High School with my wife "The Lovely Miss Karen"... small town fun. He still works on bikes and has since 1977 where he started as a factory mechanic. Mad Jack always did a valve job, guides etc, when doing the big bore kit. I have no receipts as it was probably done a long long time ago when friend number one owned the bike. I don't know how many miles are on the top end and bug bore, but the bike sat for about 5 years before friend number two bought it from friend number one. Then sat for a few years before I got it, where it just became a project as documented here for about ten years.

Mad Jack was a factory trained Kawasaki Tech and aside from a big company like APE is probably one of the best KZ mechanics on earth. I rode the hell out of the ELR after he rebuilt it for me... no problems, and I know of may other KZ's with the same results. So the bottom line was "why?" would I tear down the motor and rebuild it spending a bunch of money where it was not needed.

My plan was to send the engine to Pit Stop Performance and have them build a new one eventually, just to be certain. The motor is basically stock but with the 998 kit, I don't know what the compression ratio was, but Mad Jack always tried to stay on the conservative side, so must likely 12.5 to 1. He liked Wiesco, He also never admitted to having a crush on the Lovely Miss Karen...small town fun. I trusted Mad Jack with the engine work but was wary of leaving the Lovely Miss Karen alone around Mad Jack. Probably just me being paranoid.

If you want to be smart about it, I would perform a leak down test. Those engines are bulletproof, the bike does not flutter or back fire, so the valve train is very solid. "IF" it smokes on star up.. and I don't recall any smoke.. the only suspicion might be the valve stem seals which are obviously old now. These are little rubber seals around the valve stem on top of the head.

You know find yourself in the exact place I was.... why spend the money?

Myke has the advantage of having already had a great deal of work and money put into the bike before he bought/traded for it. So a new engine may make a good deal of sense at this point. Myke Please..please If you go with a new engine use the one you have (polished) and have it professionally rebuilt. I have built several engines, The experiences I have had are all good, but very stressful.

I had Mad Jack put the ELR together strictly so that I would not worry about whether or not I got something wrong. I was right there while he/we put it together, just me and Mad Jack after the Kawasaki shop closed at night. The lovely Miss Karen was not present (see above) I also built a screaming Ford Fe (GT 390) around the same time frame which cost about the same as the ELR motor I was constantly listening to the Fe motor thinking something might be wrong. That motor is still screaming after 120,000 Miles. I was way less stressed with the Mad Jack ELR, I knew it was right, and did not hear every little thing ding click rub rib rub noise... even though it probably would have sounded the same if I had done it. Even when you have the ability sometimes is good to let Mad Jack do the work... I am building my XR 400 dirt bike motor this winter.. I do a lot of that, but I would leave the KZ to a Professional like Mad Jack...

So that's a very long engine story but gives you and everyone else some perspective as to why no internal engine work was done. I sepnt the money on all the goodies that make the bike handle and stop. That motor pulls very hard as is, especially with the Dyna ignition and the flatslides. The entire charging system and wiring is also brand new. Its a new bike, wear that motor out..then tinker with it.

Street Fighter LTD wrote:

tk11b40 wrote: How much greater an honor than to be chosen by KZ enthusiasts to be the Bike of the Month....

I could not be happier !!
Many thanks.

No Ted, You Honor Us
Thank you for sharing such a special machine with all of us here at KZR

Dave

For sure. It is a real privilege and pleasure to follow build threads like this one.

The motor has no smoke at start up or deceleration. It now has about 1600 miles and there in no oil consumption..It pulls hard from bottom all the way to redline. It carburates crisply with no lean spots or hesitation. I do not have any planes for motor work , cams or otherwisr. I want to just ride the hell out of it and should something break, then I will evaluateit. however, as bullit proof as these motors are, i don't anticipate it breaking any time soon.
When I was younder, i spent all the $ on HP. Now I seem to spend all the $ on brakes and suspension..
Here is a pic of my new EBC rotors going on this week end along with a new front tire.

Those rotors arouse me.

I need to get over there when the weather is good !

I really want to ride alongside the KZ just to hear it run !!

Wow it does sound so good!

New EBC rotors and matching front tire.
Now it need a 200 mile break in ride tomorrow.

Just showing off the photos to friend number one....

Awesome !!

Myke !!

Lets see that trick exhaust hanger !!

Well any feedback?

I think it is perfect.

The original plan of 2003 was what the old bracket was all about, kind of function over style. I thought it up while looking at some Bonneville speed week bikes. I always liked the old one because it was from the original intent and reminded me of how much the bike had evolved into what you have now. It was the last of the second and third iteration improvements.One that I never got to. Your new design suits the bike well.

You are driving the project even further than I thought I would. Really cool.

Keep up the good work. I will see you soon as the Sierras thaw.