rollazuki

No release bearing required. RH gasket required(definitely). Some kinda sealant needed where gasket passes over case split. Id replace metal plates as well, they wear and warp check metal plates for blueing or high spots. You shouldnt need springs, but Id chuck in a HD set to be safe. Ensure you tighten down the pressure plate bolts bit by bit evenly, pretty straightforeward job. PS, do it on the sidestand and you shouldnt lose any oil!!

Oh yeah, airbag suit, back on track, looks great. Id like to see it cover the whole body like a giant 'fat' suit. that would be fun. Itd be a nightmare if you slipped a one piece waterproof on top of your leathers tho wouldnt it.......

Yup, the kill switch game is a crazy stunt, it may lead to bouts of...erm......stilness.....and excessive mirth......... Rolla

under the front seat.

We used to see how tough old lids were by crushing em in the jaws of the tyre fitting machine. Some lids defeated the machine altogether. It was excellent fun.....

just take your number plate off......easy!

You lot are wrong uns!

Think about it this way, your best mate in all the world goes on the bike, you lend him a lid, crash, and he is cabbaged due to fractured skull. he can still think, rationalize, but cant work anymore, and can see his wife and kids suffering, mortgage going unpaid, and so on and so forth. What options does he have other than to sue you? ok, being a mate is important, but watching your family suffer is gonna make that insurance payout pretty important. I have seen a friend go thru it, as one of their mates had to (kinda) drop a few of em in trouble to get the payout that would look after him. They all fell out about it, but what options did the guy have? Income support for life, or sue? Sobering thoughts indeed. Rolla

bout 30mph bounced off and slid on the road(on my face looking at the front of my lid) still alive with a little whiplash, all good.

damned tranny had it comin!

DONT You dont know the history, period. Arai can Xray their lids to check for damage, but hey, is it worth it? You are right in wanting an Arai, I feel there is nothing finer, but try several on. Ive just bought a new un, and found one model felt horrible, but different model(same size) was perfect(really, it is a perfect fit!) My advice, save up the Xtra 2 hundred and do it right. Ive just headbutted a tranny van at 30mph face first, and Im happily still here(hence the new lid). They are good helmets. Imagine the cheap end helmet production line, falling of the end of the line into hjc boxes or similar. How many are checked, 1 in 100, 1 in 500, 1 in 1000? Every arai is hand built, and check(and initialled) 3 times as its built. Thats a lot of quality control. They are made and tested to Arais exacting(race approved) standards, not some dozy government test you could get a bobble hat thru with a few bits of strategically places kevlar. Its your head, for me its WELL worth the outlay. You can break an arm(hopefully your leathers and armour will help), you can break a foot (but your heavily armoured boots should help), but you cant reasonably break your head can you. Rolla(off my soapbox for now)

Hahahahaha Thats assuming the driver who wipes you out is insured........ welcome to the real world(where flouro vests dont help much!) Rolla(dissilusioned with flouro vests and insurance generally)

Best filters in the world. Ive had em on everything Ive owned in the last 15 years or so. Fit em.

Just bought another arai to replace my written off one. Got the'chaser' Jolly Roger design. Saved my skull against a wall of transit van, Id never buy another brand. It could have been finished in primer, but Id have bought the Arry due to fit and design and build quality. Ive had AGV, and Shoei lids, all good, but not Arai good. Personal opinion obviously. Im still here, that makes me happy!

Its THE best place in the world. Bikes take over, you cant get away from them. GO, if you like bikes youll love it, theres something for everyone, and nowhere in the world has the same kinda racing(move your feet back lads, bikes are coming thru soon!!) Honestly, go, I cant recommend it enough!

sounds ok, z/gpz 550 motors have a chain primary drive and sound a bit 'clunky' if the carb balance isnt spot on. Id be more worried about the rear light

strip the carb down, taking very careful note of where everything goes, and if some items are only screwed part way in, wind them in fully then remove them, counting the number of turns from where they were(so they can be replaced in the same position) Soak, or rinse all the parts in carb cleaner, then use compressed air(if you have a supply) to blow any dirt from all the tiny drillings and passages. Rebuild the carb. All should be good.

Also prone to making the end of spark plugs melt off, eating the top of pistons, and nibbling little chunks out of valves. ALL BAD STUFF!!! A light metallic 'pinking' noise is usually the prelude to running weak problems, as is an overheated spark plug, or higher than expected piston/head temps(also exhaust header) Very bad state of affairs generally!!

The springs that hold the 2 shoes in place can be problematic, and hard to replace. Leave plenty of time so you dont have to rush. Ensure the brake is adjusted with some slack also, dont just tighten the sdjuster up, or itll bind when its hot, back it off a few turns to give the brake some freeplay. This'll all make sense after you have stripped the wheel/brake outa the bike.

But a cheapo 125 then trade up when you can afford and your license will stand it. Non of the above are sports bikes, they are dressed up 125's. Wait till you can get a proper powerfull/quick bike, you'll wish you had saved your money. Im not being flippant, just honest. Yeah a 125 will struggle to just over a ton, but they do just that, 'struggle' Rolla

Dab of silicon, never move again till you peel it off.

Try must run what you brung drag racers.... you fit longer drop outs to ya swing arm, and add an extra length of chain when racing, then remove it back on the road. Works every time. The removable link is the proper item, and if used correctly, and ONLY ONCE, its perfectly safe. If you lost one on a zxr400 then it was either used more than once or incorectly fitted. Each to their own tho......

Little tip for ya. Measure twice and all that, make sure adjusters are wound fully in, and fit the chain. Dont use the rivet link, but a removable link, with a fishtail clip. Everyone will be now, but listen on. The strength is in the sideplates, not the clip or rivet, so the strength is the same. The clip must face closed end in the direction of chain travel, but heres the science bit....... Get some setting silicon sealant. Preferably in a red or blue or similar bright colour. Bung some degreaser on a rag and wipe the sideplate and clip. Smear silicon all over it and make it look neat and tidy, but fully covered. You now have an easy to fit, easy to remove chain that is completely safe. My last bike made 200bhp+ on nitro, ran on a Regina chain linked in this way, and had NO issues. Saves on worry, and a chain riveter.

Ive not read every post, but where is the KTM RC8? It should be on the list, and would get my vote for sure.

Kawasaki carbs are crap, british fuel is crap, winter is cold....... To isolate the issue, ride along until it starts to happen, pull in, kill the motor. Wait 3-4 minutes(while the ice melts) and ride again, If its OK, then gets bad again, you know its carb icing. Silkolene ProFst does work very well, my CCM was running on it(it ices BADLY) but its very expensive, I tried super fuels, and expensive brands, and to be honest, the super unleaded seemed worse than regular supermarket, so I used cheap fuel and ProFst. I meant it tho, Kwak carbs are pants from that era, many bikes suffered from icing problems.