Mk5Centurion

Its starting to fill out a bit in here daz mate - i see you ain't got the only ZX-7R in town now.....

I'll double check the spark plugs but they're new and were working fine. The tank was off and drained for the last few weeks, the tap has a prime button so i primed it after i popped some fuel in the tank...... I'll get another look on monday

Regular viewers of this space might have seen my ZZR undergoing a wee bit of work: http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/view ... =5&t=28025 This was meant to be the weekend when "it" all came together, bodywork, exhausts, accessory circuit etc. I must admit to suffering from a bit of hubris though as the bloody thing wont start now. It was running fine a few weeks back as i'd bought and refurbished a set of new (from a scrappy) carbs, new battery and new plugs. All the cables have been lubed (GT-85) and the ends greased. I put the battery back in today with some fuel and nowt. Starter is turning over but nada - its almost like there's no spark but its got 4 new ones in it. I'm wondering if its something electrical that i've fecked up rewiing my heated grips and accessory circuit. Rant over - fed up!

I'm with Techno on this - helmets yes thats ok..anything else NO! Our freedom to make our own choices and to live our lives the way we want and to accept the consequences of our actions are what seperates us from the Americans.

What rating of cable would be sufficient to run from the positive terminal of my accessory socket to the battery - 8amp? or something a bit beefier? Cheers!

Another wee update folks: Thats the frame finished now and here's what we have - i like how the lower painted bit "flows" up to match the paint on the seat unit http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo044.jpg Pretty pleased all things considered. Started on painting the Nissin's http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo037.jpg http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo038.jpg The newly refurbished rear caliper (new seals, bleed nipples and banjo) and before anyone points it out i know that the pad is on the wrong side of the bracket! http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo042.jpg Got a new mount for the heated grips controller, starting on the accessory circuit just now as well. http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo045.jpg 12v Marine Socket http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo014.jpg Will get on with the rest of the wiring shortly (relay etc); not sure whether to go with a HID kit or not.....still undecided More soon

you got that bloody bike back on the road yet ? Um, coughs Not yet - soon though

Meant to go last year but didn't - haven't been in YEARS mind, need to check it out ans see

Is it def steam and not smoke?

You're better shot of it if you've got no time or motivation to fix it

Just a wee quick update on the rebuild; still painting at a rate of about 2 coats a night which is about all the time i can spare just now. I wish now that i'd masked the whole bike and not just one side (i'd be finished now ), although to be fair i ran out of stuff to finish the masking and i couldn't be ar**d going and getting more (garage is at the top of my street). Anyway - this is the finished side: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo036.jpg Process - 8 coats of grey primer, flatted back with 1200 grit wet and dry, 6 coats of paint, 6 coats of clear lacquer and then 3 coats of petrol resistant lacquer (you can see that its taking a while doing 2 coats a day......) I've been at it so long i'm morphing into something from Altern8 (as your big brother....) http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo031.jpg Primer on the other side: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo033.jpg Started the paint tonight. Cleaned the pitting off the stancheons: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo035.jpg Well pleased with this - looks smashing in gold (4 coats of lacquher so far!): http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo032.jpg Thats it so far - more pictures when i (eventually) get my bodywork back, the good news is my brother started in it at the weekend - brakes, bodywork, MOT - easy!

Not heard that one before....will have to give it a go

I'm a big fan too - got all my service and rebuild bits for the zed from there

I will be doing the swingarm the same colour Daz mate, but for the sake of getting the bike on the road i'll get one from a scrappy and take my time painting it over the summer and fit it next winter (assuming i keep it that long!). Just discovered that there was only 1 seal per pot in the rear caliper instead of 2....and they are full of shite! Currently soaking all the parts.......

Cheers WF - i've got a similar installation planned when i get all my painting done. Whilst i'm waiting for bodywork and caliper work (hurry UP Ewan!), i've been tackling some frame bits. When i first started the zed project i began stripping the scabby painted frame parts; first a couple of coats of NitroMors and then a wash down. After that i used successively finer grade wet and dry to sand the metal down - one side: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo016.jpg The other side is much the same! Added 8 coats of primer (from a can) and then left for 48hrs and then smoothed down with 1200 grit, this is during the primer process: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo019.jpg I wanted a dark grey metallic finish, so i'm using Ford Mercury Grey Metallic. I've built up 6 coats so far (almost the whole can!) but i might do a couple more. This was done yesterday morning so its has 24hrs to dry....i'll check it later on and see if its worth throwing on another couple of coats - after 3 coats: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo025.jpg I've taken the rear caliper apart - all the bits came from Wemoto yesterday to sort it out, its in the most god awful condition: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo024.jpg Was going to tackle it last night but my sister and brother in law landed round so i'll get round to it tonight. I was going to paint the front calipers and changed my mind....till i saw the nick of the finish on the rear - a nice gold should look nice?! Thats it just now

Just a quick update: Caliper fronts are away with my brother just now to have the mounting holes enlarged and the rear halves that i've still got have been rebuilt with new seals. Spent yesterday afternoon (in a freezing cold garage!) taking the old carbs off and putting the new ones on - had to disassemble the throttle set up to get some slack in the cables but got there in the end. New ones were popped in place and airbox put back on and thats where i left it 'cos it was getting dark and i wanted my tea! This morning: New plugs fitted and cables (ignition coils etc) tidied up, fuel and breather pipes connected to tank and fresh fuel lobbed into tank as well, freshly charged new battery fitted - hey presto and the old girl is living and breathing again after being sat for almost 3 years!!!!!!!! Am well chuffed (and ahead of schedule too) Will get some of the scabby frame and chassis parts cleaned up later and maybe treat the old bus to an oil change too. Also have plans to install a heated grip and accessory circuit as well - watch this space! Big thankyou to WalneyFrankie and Colin and everyone else who reponded to my other questions - cheers!

If you have a ZZR 600 you'll have 4 pot Tockico's fitted as standard (as mine were) and they are utter garbage, soft, spongy and a pain in the a**e to bleed. There is a popular brake mod amongst owners that you can find here: http://www.zzr-international.co.uk/foru ... =13&t=1142 It involves fitting 4 pot Nissin's from either a Honda Fireblade or CBR 600RR - the mounting holes are the same distance apart. I'm in the process of doing it just now...... it WILL be worth the wait! HTH

Cheers chaps

Whilst rebuilding the new calipers i've managed to shove a couple of the pistons right flush into the caliper body. I take it if i put them together minus pads and connect up to the lines and m/c i can just pump them back out?

Ok folks, its only fair that since i've been posting a wee bit in here recently that you should see how things are going with my old bus. This poor old thing has been kicking around for years generally being neglected, so this winter i've been trying to sort out a few bits and bobs with her - i only hope the pictures upload ok. The general state of things just now (also got a new garage to play in as well! ) http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo007.jpg Some scabby paint http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo008.jpg Newly painted subframe http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo0041.jpg Got some new bodywork - my brother has been painting it up for me and has finished the belly pan (not best picture though) http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo002.jpg The carbs are totally gummed up (most likely) so i bought some off evilbay and set about stripping and cleaning them, once the old ones are off and the new ones fitted i'll clean the old ones and flog 'em Before http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo001.jpg After http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo004.jpg A popular mod amongst ZZR owners is to junk the rotten o/e calipers and replace them with Honda Nissins; I got a set from a 1995 Fireblade (RRS) and got the master cylinder and assorted gubbins too - they require a wee bit of modification, if anyone is interested i can post a link to the forum where i got the gen from. All the gubbins http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo005.jpg Checking the holes line up (btw, i'm geting the M8 Honda holes drilled out and re-tapped at M10 to fit the o/e mounting bolts) http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo006.jpg My little helper http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo0038-1.jpg Thats it for the moment, in rebuilding the calipers just now; have split them and left them soaking overnight to de-grease them but i think i'll give them a coat of matt black high temperature paint before i rebuild them with new seals etc.

Is there anything i should/shouldn't use to hold the edges of the carb diaphram down before i pop the vacuum covers back on. I had to "peel" them out of the groove to get them out, but aside from the small tab on them they are a bit reluctant to stay in the groove long enough to put the vacuum cover back on. Ta.

Does anyone know if the brake lever is the same on a CBR 900 RRS and RRV? (1995 and 1997 respectively)? Or could you point me in the direction of an online parts catalogue?

ZZR-600 fitted with the cr*p Tokico calipers.....upgrading to Nissin's from a Fireblade, its a popular mod amongst owners as the mounting holes are the same distance apart as the stock Kwak's. The holes need rethreading from M8 to M10 to use the original bolts but my engineer brother has a tap and die set.... Lucky for me the Nissin's came with all the hoses, master cylinder, lever and mounts that i'm going to replace the entire front brake setup

I've bought some replacement calipers from evilbay and intend to give them a good clean up; i was looking at buying a seal kit to replace the old ones.....does anyone have any tips about splitting the caliper and getting the pistons out? or just general caliper clean up tips would be appreciated. Ta muchy