Summer 1992 T h e Kawasaki T e c h n i c a l M a g a z i n e Vol. 5 No. 2

ZR1100by Patrick KellyInstructional Designer/Instructor

Maybe you caught aglimpse of this fine ma-chine at the dealer meet-ing in San Antonio lastyear, or maybe you read alittle about it in the Marchissue of Cycle World. Butnowhere did you get ananswer to this question,“When do we get it?” Well,you need not wait anylonger because theZR1100 is here!

CONTlNUED ON PAGE 2

ROUTE LIST: o SERVICE o PARTS o SALESP L E A S E R E T U R N T O S E R V I C E L I B R A R Y

KX125 & 250by Ray St. JohnSupervisor,Technical Writing

The changes to the ’93KX125-J2 and KX250-J2might seem pretty subtleuntil you get a look atthem. We’re talking aboutmore power throughoutthe rev range, better han-dling and braking, andmore durability! After all,the ’92 models were realwinners and you don’twant to mess too muchwith that kind of success!

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Inside!n Service tips & more!

ZR1100CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The biggest ZR joins its750cc brother in ’93 tocomplete the ZR line-up.The ZR1100 brings back

the days of the big andpowerful “standard” motor-cycle. Like those big stand-ards of yesteryear, thenewest ZR is big, powerfuland comfortable. And, likethose bikes, it is also very

versatile-equally at homecommuting to work everyday or playing on your fa-vorite canyon road on theweekends.

But that is where thesimilarities end, because

The ZR1100’s air-cooled four is all-new, but there’s no mistaking its heritage.

ZR1100 video available!The introductory video on the new ZR1100 is nowavailable. If you belong to the Tech Training Video Club,you will be receiving your copy soon. This 16-minutetape covers the ZR1100’s most interesting features,from its all-new engine to its distinctive “retro-bike” styl-ing. The tape is aimed at the trained technician, but isgeneral enough to play for interested customers as asales tool.

Order “Introduction to the ZR1100” by callingKawasaki’s Service Training and Communications De-partment at (714) 770-0400, ext. 2472. We’ll put yourcopy in the mail and bill you just $35.95, plus shipping,handling and applicable sales taxes, if any.

If you’d like to get this tape for 30 percent off, call thenumber listed and join our Tech Training Video Club.There’s no membership fee and no dues; just savingson every video tape we offer. You’ll receive up to fournew videos a year at the reduced price of $25.00. Someare even less! (We’ll only send videos covering yourproduct mix. You won’t get anything you can’t use.)- Ray St. John

2 l K-Tech News

everything those bikesdid, the ZR1100 doeseven better.

The engine ...Let’s explore the fea-

tures of the ZR1100 en-gine, all new but with alayout that is very similarto the proven ZG1200 en-gine. It’s an air-cooled, in-line, four-cylinder displa-cing 1062cc’s from a boreof 73.5mm and a stroke of62.6mm. Peak horse-power, 93ps, is reached ata low 8000 rpm. Peaktorque, 65 ft/lbs, is reachedat just 7000 rpm.

This modern air-cooledengine features specialducts to direct extra cool-ing air to the number twoand three cylinders. A cen-

tral cam chain drives thedual overhead camshaftswhich open one 39mm in-take valve and one 34mmexhaust valve per cylinder.

The valve train is the fa-miliar and ultra-reliableshim-under-bucket de-sign. In fact, the bucketsand shims are the sameas those used in virtuallyevery shim-under-bucketair-cooled engine we’veever made including theKZ550, KZ650, KZ750and the GPz1100. Thecombustion chambers, asemi-spherical design formaximum thermal effi-ciency, combine with flat-topped pistons to providea 9.1:1 compression ratio.

Because this engine isair cooled and has such alarge bore, two sparkplugs per cylinder areused. Using two plugs re-duces the distance theflame front must travel,thus minimizing any ten-dency to detonate. A sideeffect of using two plugs isthat the ignition timingneeds much less ad-vance, with just 2.5° be-fore top dead center at1000 rpm. The ignition tim-ing is controlled by a so-phisticated digital ignitionwith automatic load sens-ing (see sidebar nextpage).

The ZR1100 engineuses a forged one-piececrankshaft which rides infive plain main bearings.The crankshaft drives theclutch directly through theprimary drive gear locatedon the left crankweb ofnumber four cylinder. Theprimary drive gear alsodrives a single counterbal-ancer at twice crankshaftspeed to help smooth outthe engine’s vibes.

The drivetrain ...The hydraulically actu-

ated clutch features aback-torque limiter to re-duce tire slippage undersevere engine braking.The basic construction issimilar to the one used onthe ZX7. Nine drivingplates utilizing a paper-based friction compoundand radial oil grooves com-bine with eight knurledsteel plates to transfer the1100’s massive torquesmoothly without deforma-tion from heat. In addition,the clutch basket is drilledto reduce the adhesion ofoil to the steel plates whenthe engine is cold. Thedrilled clutch basket, thepaper-based friction plateswith radial oil grooves,and the knurled steelplates help the transmis-sion to slip into gearsmoothly when the engineis cold.

The ZR1100’s widepower band means thatthe transmission needsonly five speeds. Secondthrough fifth gears havespecially finished gearteeth for reduced mechani-cal losses and less gearnoise. The dogs of thirdthrough fifth are also un-dercut slightly for positivegear shifts.

Final drive to the rearwheel is through a No.530 X-ring chain, similarto the chain used on theZX11 and ZX7. TheK-ring chain seals dirt outand lubrication in betterthan an O-ring chain, forsuperior durability.

The lubrication systemfeatures the largest oilcooler ever fitted to aKawasaki, with a capacityof 5400 Kcal/hr (50 per-cent larger than the one

on the ZX11). Like manyof our other four-cylinderengines-those found inthe ZX7 and ZX6 to nametwo-the ZR1100 enginefeatures two oil pumps.One oil pump supplies oil

to the vital engine partswhile the other suppliesthe oil cooler. The oil filteris the internal type, and isthe familiar P/N 16099-003 used on many otherKawasaki models.

The frame ...

The ZR1100 frame is aconventional one-piecedouble-cradle design con-structed of high tensilesteel thin-wall tubing. ää

Electronic wizardry: Dual plugs, dual coils, digital igniter and a load sensor.

Keeping up with demand: Firing the ZR1100The ZR1100 has a new approach to light-ing the fire in its massive combustionchambers. To ensure the flame frontrages across the 75mm diameter com-bustion chamber without detonation, twospark plugs per cylinder are installed.Dual plugs ignite a pair of flame frontswhich speed up combustion for rapidstarts, with less chance of detonation andlower emissions.

One plug from each cylinder pair isfired by one of four dual-output ignitioncoils. The plug wire arrangement is simi-lar to other four-cylinder Kawasakis; thereare just twice as many wires. From theigniter to the spark plugs there are twocomplete and separate ignition systemsfor each cylinder, making the systemeven more reliable and easy to trou-bleshoot.

The digital igniter has a single, right-side-mounted pulse coil and four sepa-rate triggering transistors for each of thefour ignition coils, improving reliability.

A key feature of the ZR1100’s ignitionis the load sensor. As you know, twistingthe throttle open when a bike is underload translates into decreased vacuum atthe intake manifold and increased possi-bility of detonation. Limiting that possibil-ity in this system is a vacuum-transducer,located under the tank. Signaled by thetransducer, the igniter selects a differentspark-advance data map for the load thenselects the optimum spark timing for thecurrent engine rpm. Five data maps arestored in the igniter to provide the perfectprofile of spark timing to match the rider’sdemand for power.- Jerry Heil

The Technical Magazine l 3

KX125 & 250CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The engine: 125The power increase in

the KX125 is traceable toa number of changes. In-creased port and reedvalve area help pump upmid-range and top-endpower. An aluminum coveron the crank web in-creases crankcase com-pression for better low-and mid-range torque aswell as improved throttleresponse. The cylinderhead is changed to in-crease squish area. Thisincreases turbulence inthe combustion chamberto help control detonationunder severe conditions.The piston crown is ma-chined smooth to helpwith this also. The com-pression height of the pis-ton is reduced 0.2mm bythe machining but the com-pression ratios are un-changed—9.1:1 at low

ZR1100CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3As a convenient servicingfeature, the right down-tube unbolts for easy en-gine access. The ZR1100chassis has a rake of 27°and trail of 110mm com-bined with a relatively shortwheelbase of 59 inches.This gives the ZR1100 nim-ble handling characteris-tics well suited to moder-ate sport riding as well aseasy handling around town.

The engine mounts tothe frame at six points:there are two front rubbermounts and four rear solidmounts.

Topping off the stoutframe is an excellent sus-

4 l K-Tech News

speeds and 8.1:1 at highspeeds.

The cylinder’s main ex-haust and scavengingports are redesigned andthe KIPS sub-exhaustports, main valve and pas-sages are wider. The

KIPS now cuts in at 8,800rpm—up 400 rpm fromlast year-to complementthe other engine changes.The expansion chamber isalso new, along with anew ignition timing curveto help all the otherchanges work together.The flywheel effect of therotating parts is decreasedfor quicker acceleration.

Detail changes insidethe carburetor are good

pension package. Thefront suspension consistsof conventional forks withan inner tube diameter of43mm. The fork springsare buffed smooth on theirouter surface to reducethe amount of break-in re-quired. In addition, thefork bushings and pistonsare chamfered to assuresmooth action at the begin-ning of the suspensionstroke. The rear suspen-sion features piggybackstyle reservoir shocks,similar to the ones on theZR750 and ZR550. Theseshocks feature four-waycompression and rebounddamping, as well as five-way spring pre-load adjust-ment. The rear suspen-

for the lower half of therev range. The primarychoke height has been in-creased to 7.45mm from6.35mm last year, and itnow has a slit in it for im-proved atomization. Thewell around the primary

choke is larger in diame-ter: 5.0mm, up from3.6mm. Finally, the pilotoutlet is closer to the mainoutlet by 9.3mm to smooththe transition from pilot tomain system.

The piston skirt fits thecylinder wall a little closerto cut mechanical noise,and the cylinder extendsdown into the crankcase5mm farther to reduce pis-ton slap. The stronger con-

sion package is completedby a massive aluminumswingarm with eccentricchain adjusters.

And more ...This outstanding chas-

sis is completed by excel-lent brakes. The frontbrakes are four-piston cali-pers gripping huge 310mmfront discs. These excel-lent brakes are very simi-lar to the ones used tohaul the ZX11 down fromspeed. The rear brake is atwo-piston caliper whichemploys pistons of differ-ent sizes on the sameside of the caliper to grip a240mm disc. Togetherthese brakes give state-of-the-art braking power. Ad-

necting rod introduced lastyear is installed from thebeginning of ’93 produc-tion. The clutch is rein-forced with more ribs toextend its service life.

The engine: 250The big news on the ’93

KX250 is the new guillo-tine-type KIPS valve inthe J2 model’s top end.The new valve is verysimilar to the one in theKX125, and allows themain exhaust port to be alot wider at the top. Thenew valve also controlsthe port much more accu-rately and fits the pistonbetter for less gas leakagein the low speed position.Result? Much more topend and more low-endand mid-range power, too!

The inlet and Boyesenports are larger this year,and in combination with in-creased crankcase com-pression, this pumps upthe lower half of the powerband considerably.

ditional items which makethe biggest ZR more com-petent and convenient? Acomfortable yet sporty up-right riding position, fuelgauge, lockable helmethooks, retractable luggagestrap hooks, four-way ad-justable brake and clutchlevers, passenger grabrail, and a centerstand.The ZR also features amaintenance-free battery,natural rubber grips andlarge rubber-mountedhandlebar end-weights todampen vibrations.

The ZR1100 hasstepped development ofthe standard motorcycleup to a new level. Stand-ards are back and betterthan ever! o

The expansion chamberis designed to enhancethe mid-range, and the si-lencer has been lightened;the end plates are now0.8mm thick instead of1.0mm, and the bafflepipes are 1.0mm wall thick-ness, down from 1.2mm.

The piston no longerhas the NCC coating onthe skirt. Vertical ribs inthe intake port have elimi-nated the need for thisspecial, expensive coatingby stopping the pistonfrom rocking in the bore.As on the 125, the top ofthe piston is machinedsmooth to cut down carb-on deposits and detona-tion. The machininglowers the piston’s com-pression height by 0.2mm.The combustion chambershape has more squisharea to increase turbu-lence and detonation resis-tance. Both the high andlow speed compression ra-tios drop slightly, the lowspeed ratio to 10.2:1 andthe high speed ratio to8.7:1.

Quicker throttle responseon the ’93 KX250 comesfrom reduced flywheel ef-fect. The weights of boththe flywheel and the crank-shaft are reduced.

The ignition timingcurve is reprogrammedwith more top end ad-vance, to take advantageof the drop in high speedcompression ratio.

The KX250’s carburetorspecs are similar to thoseon the new KX125. A newmain nozzle has a higherprimary choke (7.45mm,up from 6.35mm), with aslit in it for better atomiza-tion. The well around themain nozzle increasesfrom 3.6mm in diameter to5.0mm. The pilot outlet is

’93 KX125 and 250 detail close-ups (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): Largerdiameter front axle is lighter and stronger; new floating disc has six rivets; flushrear axle is clean and light; carb refinements improve low-end power delivery.

only 12.5mm from themain nozzle to smooth thetransition from pilot tomain system. The intakereeds are still carbon fibertype, but the material ischanged for increased du-rability.

The chassis ...The frame shared by

both of these bikes is allnew. To reduce frameweight, wall thickness isdown on the headpipe(2.3mm to 1.8mm) and therear center frame bracket(2.0mm to 1.6mm). Theswingarm wall thickness isreduced and the rear axlebracket is now an alumi-num extrusion instead of acasting. The front axle’souter diameter is up 3mmto 20mm, allowing the wallthickness to be reducedalong with the weight, with-out loss of rigidity.

The front forks pushrods are now aluminum in-stead of steel for evenmore weight reduction.Spring wire diameters aresmaller on both endsthough the spring ratesare the same. The Uni-Trak rods are slimmer andthe number of rivets in thefull-floating discs is downfrom eight to six to, again,save weight.

Additional weight reduc-tion comes from a thinner-wall fuel tank and anarrow front fender.

A small weight saving isrealized from the thinnerfork outer tubes, but thereal advantage here isfrom balanced rigidity be-tween the inner and outertubes. Matching the rigid-ity of the tubes will cutdown on tube damage inhard landings at racespeeds and allow better

fork action under these su-per-stressful conditions.An elongated oil-lockpiece starts the hydrauliccushioning effect sooneron the compressionstroke to soften thosefront-first landings. Therear shocks fade resis-tance is improved by in-creasing the cylinderdiameter from 44mm to46mm for more capacity.

And more ...Front brake feel on both

of these bikes is betterthanks to a changed frontmaster cylinder lever ratio.

The new KX125-J2 andKX250-J2 are lighter thanlast year’s 125 and 250models, have fatter powercurves, handle better andstop better.

At least the color hasn’tchanged! o

The Technical Magazine l 5

Summer 1992Vol. 5 No. 2©1992 Kawasaki MotorsCorp., U.S.A. (KMC).All rights reserved.

K-Tech News Staff

PublisherKawasaki Tech Services

Publications ManagerDon Church

Executive EditorGary Herzog

Editor-in-ChiefGregg Thompson

Communications EditorPatrick Kelly

Regional Editors

North and EastFred DeHart

Central and SouthWalter Rainwater

Contributors

Jerry Heil, Tevis Moffett,Joe Nowocinski, Ken Os-berg, Keith Pestotnik,John Porno, David Pyle,Steve Rice, Ray St. John

Graphics/Production

Graphic ArtGregg Thompson

Copy EditorPat Shibata

ProductionNickless Communications

Published by Kawasaki.All suggestions becomethe property of KMC.Sending a service sugges-tion gives Kawasaki per-mission to publish and/oruse it without further con-sideration.

6 l K-Tech News

How are they produced?by Pat ShibataMaterials Distribution Mgr.

Have you ever found your-self wondering how allthose technical publica-tions are produced?Well, our ServiceTraining & Commu-nications Depart-ment has its owncomputerized desk-top publishing sys-tem. Having ourown system makescreating publica-tions faster andgives us more con-trol over the looks ofthe final product.

While printedbooks (like serviceand-owner’s manu-als) are produced inJapan, most of ourother publications(like service and parts bulle-tins) are produced right herein Irvine, Calif.

Our technical writers dothe research and createthe text using WordPer-fect. Any line art to be

used in the publication isscanned into the systemusing DocuMaster andmodified for the particularpublication using Publish-er’s Paintbrush.

After all the pieces ofthe document are ready,they are brought togetherusing Ventura Software’sVentura Publisher page-layout program whichmerges text and graphics

right on our computerscreen. Paste-up is athing of the past.

Thanks to Kawasaki’sown in-house printing de-partment, an important

piece of informa-tion such as anFDM bulletin canbe written, type-set, printed andsent out to deal-ers all in thesame week.

Having ourown systemmakes updatingpublicationsfaster and easieras well. For in-stance, we canupdate our train-ing course materi-als more frequen-tly so students inour classes re-

ceive the latest informa-tion available.

We are continually striv-ing to improve our effi-ciency. Our goal? Topresent you the best publi-cations possible! o

Micro- : A low price microfiche reader!Attention, service manag-ers! This new small utilityreader is the perfect addi-tion to your service depart-ment. Don’t let its low$150 price tag fool you—this reader was made withdurability and perform-ance in mind.

It comes with many fea-tures you would expectfrom much more expen-sive readers: Gear-drivenfocus control, snap-outlens module for easycleaning, fanless coolingfor quiet operation, blue

non-glare screen, built-incarrying handle and a 12-month warranty (exceptlamps and glass) are allstandard.

All of this is packagedinto a unit that weighs un-der 10 Ibs. and fits into a13 1/2" x 15 5/8" x 15 1/4"box. Top all this off with asavings of $69 over theEyecom 1000, and youhave an unbeatable combi-nation. Order via K-Shareor from your DistributionCenter:

MR1 Reader:P/N M150081 ($150.00*)Replacement Lamp:P/N M260115 ($14.50*)

*Equipment shipped from clos-

est KMC Dist. Center.

Kawasaki watercraft general mainte-nance and storage tips videoThe “Kawasaki WatercraftGeneral Maintenance andStorage Tips” video is nowavailable directly fromyour Kawasaki Parts Distri-bution Center as PartNumber 99969-3014. Thisinteresting and informativevideo tape is attractively

packaged (and priced) forretail sale.

purchase of a new water-craft.

The video carries a suggested retail of $19.95,but your 100 percent profitmargin as a Kawasakidealer allows you to dis-count this tape heavily oreven include it free with

The program is 24 min-utes long and is aimed atthe novice mechanic or in-terested owner. Main top-ics covered are: pre-ridechecklist, after-ride mainte-nance, preparation for stor-age, removal fromstorage, and special proce-dures.

Of all of these, perhapsthe most valuable for anew owner is the pre-ridechecklist: It will help himremember the little things,like putting oil in the oiltank and charging the bat-tery before he leaves forthe beach.

The after-ride mainte-nance information will helpincrease customer satis-faction: Many new ownersdon’t think about washingthe hull, flushing the cool-ing system, drying thebilge, and all those otherlittle jobs experienced own-ers take for granted.

From your point of viewas a Kawasaki dealer, thebest part of this tape is theunderstanding your cus-tomers will gain of thecomplexities of JET SKI®

watercraft maintenanceand the level of expertiseneeded to do it right.- Ray St. John

NOTE: You canstill get this tape bycalling Kawasaki’sService Trainingand Communica-tions Department at(714) 770-0400,ext. 2472.

Recalls andrepairsRecalls are the subject ofnew legislation enacted byCongress amending theNational Traffic and MotorVehicle Safety Act of1966. The new law statesthat all recalled vehiclesnot yet sold must be re-paired before retail sale.

The bottom line here isthe penalty for non-compli-ance: a fine of up to$1,000 per unit sold with-out repair!

Under the new law, deal-ers must repair unsold eli-gible units before retailsale. This applies to allstreet-legal vehicles whichhave been recalled for asafety defect.

As in the past, federallaw requires manufactur-ers to maintain accuratefollow-up records on re-pairs performed on eligibleunits. Dealers must submita Warranty Claim form foreach repair and/or inspec-tion-the best way KMChas of verifying that deal-ers did make the repairand thus complied withthe law.

If you fail to submit aWarranty Claim form for aunit that is subsequentlysold and registered, thenew owner will receive arecall letter requesting thereturn of the unit to you forrepair. Of course, youwant to avoid the cus-tomer getting a letterabout a repair you alreadyperformed so please sub-nit those Claim forms in atimely manner. o

The Technical Magazine l 7

AVR testing made easyby Patrick KellyInstructional Designer/Instructor

The Automatic VoltageRegulator, or AVR, on gen-erators can be difficult todiagnose. The usual pro-cedure is to check allother components and ifeverything else is okay,then try replacing the AVR.There is, however, a bet-ter way. A handful of 9-voltbatteries and a single testlamp can be used tobench test the AVR anddetermine if it is workingor not. The procedure isquick, simple and quite ac-curate if done properly.You will need to gather upthe following materials:

1-A fully charged 12-volt battery;

2-A 12-volt lamp andsocket (an old turn signal orrunning light works well);

3-Three 9-volt dry-cellbatteries with leads.

Now continue using thefollowing troubleshootingprocedures:Ê Remove the AVR fromthe generator. For ease oftesting, it is also helpful toremove the connector(s)from the leads.

Ë Hook the 12-volt bat-tery up to the sub coil in-put leads on the AVR(yellow/red and black/redon older models or lightgreen/red and green onnewer models).Ì Hook the test lamp upto the brush output leadsfrom the AVR (blue/whiteand green on older mod-els or light green/whiteand light green/black onnewer models). The lightbulb should light if the cor-rect connections havebeen made. If the bulbdoes not light, then theAVR is bad. If the bulbdoes light, reverse the po-larity of the 12-volt batteryhook-up and make surethe bulb still lights. Thebulb must light with polar-ity of the 12 volt batteryeither way. If the bulb stilllights, proceed with thetesting.Í Connect all three 9-voltbatteries in series (for atotal of 27 volts) and con-nect them to the AVR pick-up circuit leads (lightgreen and blue on all mod-els). The test lamp shouldgo out. Reverse the polar-ity of this last connectionand, again, the lamp

Newer models,

Older models

should go out. The lamplust go out with the polar-ity of the 27 volts eitherray. Now hook up justone of the 9-volt batteriesto the AVR pick-up circuitleads. The bulb should re-main lit.

If the AVR passes all of

these tests, it is probablyokay.

Remember, it is a goodidea to check the AVReven when replacing othercomponents just to besure that the AVR did notcause the failure of any-thing else. o

KLF400 Bayou™ valve noise vs. customer satisfactionWe have had some com-plaints about loud valvetrain noise in the new KLF-400-B1 Bayou™. Althoughthe valve noise should notresult in any abnormalwear or failure, customerperception sometimes isthat “this noise is notgood!”

To help improve cus-tomer satisfaction, Kawa-saki is recommending

8 l K-Tech News

closer valve clearance tol-erances. The new (cold)valve clearances:

Intake:0.12mm-0.17mm

Exhaust:0.20mm-0.23mm

To ensure the lowestpossible valve noise with-out sacrificing perform-ance, adjust the exhaustvalve clearance right at0.20mm. o

Older model JS550piston ring wearby Keith Pestotnik,Rocky Mountain Kawasaki

The ’86 JS550-A5through ’90 JS550-B1 JETSKI® watercraft have atendency to wear pistonrings more quickly than al-most any other Kawasakimodel. This wear pro-duces symptoms that in-clude hard starting andwhat may seem like inter-mittent carburetion prob-lems—bogging or incon-sistent air/fuel mixturerequirements at idle.

Boats getting regularusage may need freshrings annually to giveconsistent and trouble-free performance.

Although a more dura-ble ring has not beenmade available for the Aand B models, theJS550-C1/C2 features adifferent style piston util-izing two steel rings.These dual rings wearmuch longer than theolder single ring design. Ifan out-of-warranty 550-Aor B model comes intoyour shop needing newrings and pistons, youmight suggest the cus-tomer go with the laterstyle parts.

To make this change

(.0065 in.), we recommendno less than .180mm(.007 in.). For slightlymodified engines (and forstock boats that will be rid-den hard), you should pro-bably start with .190mm(.0075 in.) clearance.

A neat thing here is thatthe C-model piston startsout about .1mm bigger soin many cases just honing

it will be necessary to usethe older model (’86-’90)clearance specs and drilltwo oil holes in the ex-haust skirt of the pistons.Use the old piston as yourguide when drilling oilholes in the newer modelpiston.

Although the minimumspec in the service man-ual for piston/cylinderclearance is .165mm

to the new size will cleanthe bore (depending onthe extent of cylinderwear, of course). You don'tend up “wasting” an over-bore.

Get your gasket partnumbers from A- or B-model fiche, then findP/Ns for pistons, rings,pins, clips and top bear-ings on the JS550-C1/2fiche. o

Quick generatortroubleshootingby Fred DehartTech. Services Instructor

Here is a quick, step-by-step troubleshooting pro-cedure for all Kawasakigenerators with brushes(GD700 through GE4500)that have no AC output:

Ê First make sure all cir-cuit breakers and fuses (ifany) are good and func-tioning properly.Ë Leave all wiring con-nected except to the volt-age regulator. All voltageregulator wires should bedisconnected.Ì Be sure that thebrushes themselves are ingood condition and aremaking contact with thecopper slip rings on the ro-tor. Corrosion or dirt onthe slip rings will cause aloss of AC output.Í Start the generator andconnect a fully charged 12-volt battery directly to thebrushes. Be sure to main-tain the correct polarity.Then plug an electric drillinto the AC outlet and seeif it operates. If it runs atall, then you know the con-trol panel, main coil (in thestator) and field coil (in therotor) are good. The 12-volt battery does not cre-ate enough of a magneticfield in the rotor to pro-duce 120 volts but it willproduce enough to powerthe drill.Î If the generator runsthe drill during the abovetest, there are only twocomponents that could bethe problem: One is thevoltage regulator and theother is the sub coil, whichis part of the stator.NOTE: There is also a

chance that the generatorhas been fixed by jumping12 volts to the brushes.The rotor can sometimeslose its residual magnet-ism preventing AC output;applying 12 volts to thebrushes restores this re-sidual magnetism. Besure to check for propergenerator operation be-fore proceeding with fur-ther troubleshooting.Ï To verify the conditionof the sub coil, check itsAC output. Hook a mul-timeter (on the lowest ACvoltage range) to the twoleads from the sub coil(usually yellow/red andblack/red on older models,and light green/red andgreen on newer models).Start the generator. De-pending on the size of thegenerator, the sub coil willput out about 1/2 to 3 voltsAC if it’s good. If the subcoil does not produce ACvoltage then the stator willhave to be replaced be-cause the sub coil is inter-nally wound with the stator.Ð If the sub coil checksout okay then the voltageregulator is bad. Replace it.(Also see “AVR testingmade easy” on Page 8.)

NOTE: This trouble-shooting procedure is fast(it only takes about 15mins.) and it locates theproblem component mostof the time. But if steps 3and 4 don’t result in anyAC output (i.e. it still won’trun the drill), then the sta-tor, rotor or panel assem-bly may be causing theproblem and further trou-bleshooting with the shopmanual and multimeterwill be required. o

The Technical Magazine l 9

A better air filter for the KLF300 Bayou™by Gregg ThompsonSr. Product Support Specialist

There just happens to be tures a foam outer with pa-one available from Kawa- per inner filter. With thesaki if you know what P/N foam outer filter oiled prop-to order. The KAF300-A1 erly, this is an extremely ef-(MULE® 500) air filter (P/N fective filtration system. It11029-1004) fits the still requires cleaning, butKLF300 Bayou™ and fea- because of the paper ele-

Some KLF300-B/C mod-els are being used in ex-tremely dusty conditions,and in those conditionsthe air cleaner mayneed servicing as fre-quently as every couple ofdays.

Unfortunately, most us-ers don’t give their aircleaners anywhere nearthat much attention. Whenthe air cleaner elementgets choked off with dirt,the air finds other ways ofgetting into the engine.When it does, it takes thedust with it (see the “Fight-ing Dirt, Fighting Dirty” arti-cle in the Winter 1990issue of K-Tech News orGrid F-4 of the K-Tech mi-crofiche. -Ed.).

One way to reduce thedamage done to the en-gine when a KLF300 isused in these extremeconditions is to start with abetter air filter element.

ment, it is much more for-giving if maintenance isnot as frequent as itshould be.

There are drawbacks tousing this filter, so it’sprobably not for everyone.

Since the paper ele-ment can’t be cleaned,it does have to be re-placed every so oftenand it is quite a bitmore expensive thanthe stock part.

NOTE: On the MULE500, this filter uses arubber gasket to helpseal the joint betweenthe filter and the airbox. That gasket can-not be used in the 300Bayou™, so use heavygrease to seal this joint.Be sure to fill the gap atthe pinch bolt with grease.

The 300 Bayou™OEM filter assembly isdesigned the same inthis area and needs tobe greased before in-stallation as well. o

Bayou™ air filter pre-delivery prep: oil's well that ends well!Depending on how longthe vehicle has been inthe crate between thedate it was manufacturedand when your dealershipfinally prepares it for deliv-ery, the foam air filter in aKLF300 or KLF220 Bayou™could be completely dry ofoil.

ways be checked duringthe pre-delivery service. Ifyou service a vehicle andthen it sits for a while be-fore being sold, youshould recheck it beforedelivering the vehicle.

extremely important step age to the engine from dirt.in preventing severe dam- - Gregg Thompson

The air filter is oiled atthe factory on assembly,but the oil slowly drainsout during storage. Sincea single-stage foam filterdepends on the oil that’sin it to function properly,these air filters should al-

10 l K-Tech News

Remember, when servic-ing one of these filters, al-ways grease the joint be-tween the air filter holderand the air box with heavygrease. That joint will leakdirt into the engine if it isnot greased properly.

Also, grease both endsof the element at each airfilter servicing. This is an

High altitude jetting for ATVs and MULES®

by Gregg Thompson, Sr. Product Support Specialist jet changes for all our ATVs and Utility vehicles at alti-tudes all the way up to 15,000 feet.

A couple of times in past issues we have published The following chart details those recommendedsmall articles with some suggested high-altitude jetting main jet specifications. As you use this chart, bear inchanges for some ATV or Utility products. These sugges- mind that these specs are calculated and not the resulttions came from Rocky Mountain Kawasaki (RMK), our of testing as was the case with the specs given in pre-distributor in the Rocky Mountain states, and were the re- vious issues.sults of testing done at those altitudes. Use this table only as a starting point for jetting and

Now Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI), our parent as a source of part numbers for the optional main jetscompany in Japan, has sent us some suggested main that are available. o

ALTITUDEMODEL

SEA LEVEL 2,000 - 5,000 - 8,000 - 11,500-(STD) 5,000 FT 8,000 FT 11,500 FT 15,000 FT

KAF300A #105 #102.5 #100 #97.5 #9592063-2218 92063-2236 92063-2173 92063-2163 92063-2167

KAF45OB LH #102 #100 #98 #95 #9292063-1115 92063-1008 92063-1005 92063-1001 92063-1004

KAF450B RH #105 #102 #100 #98 #9592063-1009 92063-1115 92063-100592063-1008 92063-1001

KAF540 #122.5 #120 #117.5 #112.5 #110C,D,E 92063-1389 92063-2203 92063-2117 92063-2010 92063-2237

KLF220A #115 #112.5 #110 #107.5 #102.592063-076 92063-075 92063-1038 92063-073 92063-1028

KSF250A #132 #130 #125 #122 #12092063-1076 92063-1075 92063-1069 92063-1073 92063-1072

KLF300B #135 #132 #128 #125 #12292063-1014 92063-1076 92063-1074 92063-1069 92063-1073

KLF300C #125 #122 #120 #115 #11292063-1069 92063-1073 92063-1072 92063-1118 92063-1117

KLF400B #120 #118 #115 #112 #11092063-1072 92063-1071 92063-1118 92063-1117 92063-1114

No spark KLF220s? Look closely at the stator assemblyRecently the Hot Line hasreceived a few calls re-garding intermittent spark(or no spark) on KLF220sthat turned out to be failedstator assemblies. In atleast a couple of thesecases, the problem wasfound to be an exciter coilwire that had rubbedagainst the wiring harnessbracket on the stator untilit wore through the insula-tion. The bracket is groun-ded, so as soon as thewire made contact with it,

the ignition went out.Unfortunately, when

everything is at rest, thewire doesn’t actually touchthe bracket so a continuitytest on the stator doesn’tshow the short. So, if yourun across a KLF220 withan ignition problem likethis and everything elsechecks out okay, have aclose look at the wirescoming out of the statorwhere they wrap aroundthe bracket.- Tevis Moffett

CHECK WIREAT BRACKET

The Technical Magazine l 11

Water pump leaksby Steve RiceProduct Support Specialist

On the EN500 andVN750 if you have fluidsleaking from the waterpump drain hole, the prob-lem may be more than justa seal. On both of thesemodels we have seen sev-eral failures where theleak was caused by some-thing considerably moreserious. If the techniciandoesn’t think to check forother problems, he’ll endup doing the job twice.

On the EN500 (this in-cludes all 454cc and498cc engines in this fam-ily), oil leaking from thewater pump drain could becaused by a worn bal-ancer shaft bearing. If theright-hand bearing on thebalancer shaft becomesworn excessively, theshaft could begin to wob-ble around and the sealbegin to leak. The leakingoil exits through the waterpump drain hole. (Formore information on thisproblem see the “EN450,EX500 Oil Pressure ” atti-c/e in the Summer 1990 is-sue of K-Tech News orgrid E-5 of the K-Tech mi-crofiche -Ed.).

$100 reward!We're looking for hot tipsto share—and there's$100 in it for you if weend up printing yours!Write K-Tech News c/othe Tech Services Dept.,Kawasaki Motors Corp.

On the VN750, oil orcoolant leaking from thewater pump drain mightbe caused by the locating

damaging itself and the

circlip on the water pumpshaft coming out of it’sgroove. When this hap-pens, excessive end playin the shaft can result in aleak from either the oilseal or the mechanicalseal. Also, the water pumpimpeller will grind away atthe water pump cover(right hand engine cover)

cover.

To check for this prob-lem, just check for endplay in the water pumpshaft. If the circlip is inplace, the impeller will beheld tightly against the me-chanical seal. Any freeplay in the shaft with theimpeller installed indicatesa problem.

If the circlip has comeout of the groove, thecases must be split to re-place it. Do not put the oldcirclip back in the groove;order a new one! o

Tip from the field: Removingstubborn bearing racesWhen was the last time acustomer brought you abike needing new wheelbearings, and when youtook out the axle, the innerrace and balls just fell outleaving you no way todrive out what was left ofthe outer race?

If your shop is anythinglike Willow’s Kawasaki inCheshire, Conn., you prob-ably run into this problemfairly often. It’s especiallycommon among off-roadriders who aren’t realmaintenance oriented.

Getting that thin outerrace out of the wheel canbe both frustrating andtime consuming, and itoften leaves the inside ofthe wheel somewhat theworse for wear (read:dinged up).

Willow’s Vince Stas-kiewicz has a quick andeasy solution to this prob-

lem. He takes a piece ofheavy steel strap (flatstock) that will fit throughthe race (he says somefound in motorcycle cratesworks well) and tack-welds it to the race.The strap and race canthen be driven out as onepiece.

It’s a simple techniqueand it should save you lotsof time as well as leavingthe wheel undamaged bythe ordeal.

Great tip! Thanks,Vince—your $100 is on itsway. - Ed.

DATA

Update your records: new Clarion phone numbersIn Aug. ’91, Kawasaki is- “latest” information for very Until recently, the phone CLARION FACTORYsued a service bulletin with long. Shortly after that bul- company would tell you SERVICE CENTERthe latest information re- letin was published, a new the new number if you di- From inside Californiagarding Clarion's repair telephone area code was aled the old one. On June

(310) 327-9100service for the Voyager created for the area where 1 they stopped doing that,audio system compo- Clarion is located, so the so we figured we had bet- From outside California:nents. Unfortunately, that company had to change its ter give you the new num- (800) 347-8667information was not the phone numbers. bers:

12 l K-Tech News

JS/JH750 spark plug capdouble-checkIf you have a JS750 orJH750 that you thinkmight have intermittentspark, check the sparkplug cap engagement intothe coil lead. You mightjust save yourself sometime.

Here is a tip that willhelp you ensure the sparkplug cap is making goodcontact:Ê Unscrew the cap fromthe lead.Ë Trim the lead insulationback to expose 1/8" of wire.Ì Fan the wire out over

the end of the insulationand trim any wire thatsticks out past the insula-tion.Í Apply dielectric greaseto the wire to prevent cor-rosion in the future.Î Re-install by screwingon clockwise until tight.Ï Install a zip-tie (P/N92037-1173) to help sealout moisture.Ð Apply a small amountof dielectric compound tothe spark plug terminal nutThat’s all there is to it!- David Pyle

Generators: answers tonoise and fuel questionsWe occasionally get callson the Hot Line from deal-ers asking for the noiselevels and fuel consump-tion rates of our portablegenerators. In response tothose requests, Kawasakiprinted and distributed aSales Information Bulletinin Nov. 1991. Our guesshere, though, is that somepersonnel in some dealer-ships don’t get to see

“Sales” Bulletins. Sohere’s the information thatwas in there in case youcan use it but never saw it.

Incidentally, that particu-lar Bulletin also had apractical application charton the back giving exam-ples of tools and equip-ment that can be run offeach of our generators.- Ed.

CONSUMPTION

(1 M)GA550A 70.0GD700A 70.0

GD700AS 70.0NINJA®

GA 1000A 78.5GA1400A 80.0GA1800A 81.5GA2300A 82.5

GA3200A,AS 85.0GE4000AS NAGE4500AS NA

MODELNOISE LEVEL (dB)

AT 3.3 FT AT 23 FT.

FUEL

1 TANK OF GAS:

(7M) (APPROX.)

54.5 3.8 hours54.5 3.8 hours54.5 3.8 hours

63.0 5.0 hours64.5 4.0 hours66.5 8.0 hours67.5 7.0 hours70.0 7.5 hours69.5 8.5 hours70.5 8.0 hours

TECHNICALITIES

A gripping situation on the new 750 watercraftHandlebar grips are an accessory item that your custom- This new design has some good news and some baders often purchase to customize the look of their personal news associated with it. The good news is that the gripswatercraft. Well, on the new Kawasaki 750s (JH750-A1 cannot loosen with use and slip off or spin around on theand JS750-A1), it’s not going to be as easy as it used to bar. The bad news is that the grips are not replace-be. On these models, a large washer is welded to each able-they come only as an assembly with the bar.end of the handlebar. The grips are molded onto the bars Aftermarket grips are going to be very difficult to install.over these washers. - Joe Nowocinski

The Technical Magazine l 13

Everyone’sFavorite job ...I t’s never been much funto scrape gaskets, espe-cially in older engines. Un-fortunately, new laws pre-venting the use of asbes-tos in gaskets haven’thelped matters any: Thesenew asbestos-free gasketsare proving to be evenlarder to remove when theengine has some time on itthan the old type were.

What saves me time istaking the parts to the sol-vent tank and scraping thegaskets at the same time Iclean the parts. I take aconventional scraper withme and also a knife-sharp-ening stone. The stonecan be used to removethe remainder of the gas-ket and clean up the sur-face once the bulk of thegasket has been removedwith the scraper.

I actually keep a largeand a small stone in mytool box for clean up oflarge or small gasket sur-faces. Using a stone alsomakes it easy to spot anynicks or surface irregulari-ties in the part that mightcause a leak later.

If you find yourself redin the face struggling withgaskets, give this methoda try and see if the jobdoesn’t go a little quickerand more easily. - Kenny Osberg

Fuel injection woes?Hot Line ECUs to the rescue!by John PomoProduct Support Specialist

D iagnosing a runningproblem on a fuel-injectedmodel can be very timeconsuming. Once youhave verified the conditionof the engine (with a com-pression and/or leakdowntest), performed all thefuel injection system testsin the service manual, andcarefully checked all the

wiring and connectors inthe system, you might stillhave that big “?” hangingover your head. Every-thing checks out good.Well, everything exceptthe ECU (the Brain, theBlack Box, the Magic Box... that thing) which youcan’t test except to try anew one.

It’s not likely you are go-ing to have another fuel-in-jected bike just like this

We have an assortmentof ECUs here just for thatpurpose. If you have done“everything” (read the firstparagraph of this articleagain) before you call us,we can send out an ECUfor you to try. After youhave tried it, you send itback to us and order anew one if you need it.

When you call, makesure you have the modelnumber, frame number

Lookingfor away toease thatgasket-scrapingpain? Trya knife-sharpen-ing stone!

one in your shop at thesame time that you canswap ECUs with. Buyingone on the off-chance itwill fix the bike and puttingit on the shelf if it doesn’tis not real popular withshop owners.

So what can you do?Call the Hot Line!

and Part Number of theECU you need so we canmake sure we send youthe right one.

And again: Don’t call foran ECU until after youhave done everythingelse. o

14 l K-Tech News

Is compression really “justfine?”On the Hot Line, we fre-quently get calls fromdealership technicianshaving trouble solvingproblems such as hardstarting, poor or erraticidling, or poor throttle re-sponse. One of the firstquestions we will ask is,“How is the compres-sion?” Quite often the re-sponse is, “Compressionis fine, real good ... noproblem there,” but whenwe pursue it further, itturns out compression isnot as goodas thetechni-c ian thought.The compressionwas within thespec given in themanual (some-where in themiddle, let's say)so the technicianassumed it wasOK. But, for anengine to run likenew, the can-pressionbe very near thetop end of the

“Usable Range”in all cylinders.

If compres-sion dropsmore thanabout 15 per-

cent belowthe top ofthe range(i.e. to 165

psi when thetop of the rangeis 200 psi),there will prob-ably be somedeterioration in

the running con-dition of the en-

gine. The symp-toms will be more or

less severe depending onwhere the compression isgetting away (intakevalves, rings, etc.)

The symptoms of lowcompression are hardstarting, rough idle andpoor throttle response. Ifany of these symptoms ex-ist, make sure compres-sion really is good.- Gregg Thompson

Eat some aluminum:save a cylinderby Kenny OsbergProduct Support Specialist

I t has come to our attention that some of you out thereare throwing away perfectly good KX cylinders. Don’t dothat!

The material used to coat the cylinder wall in theelectrofusion process is extremely hard and often it sur-vives a seizure without serious damage. Many times theonly damage to the cylinder is some aluminum from thepiston sticking to the wall. The piston, of course, is toast,but the cylinder may be in much better shape than itseems.

To find out, you must first remove the aluminumfrom the cylinder. Get a small container of muriatic acidfrom a local pool supply store and a small artist’s brushfrom your favorite art supply store. Dab some acid onthe aluminum in the cylinder, taking care not to get it onany other exposed aluminum (it will etch any aluminum itlands on; it doesn’t care). The acid will bubble andsmoke as it dissolves the aluminum. When it stops bub-bling, wipe it off with a damp towel. Repeat this processif necessary until all the transferred aluminum is re-moved.

Now pass a ball (bottle brush) hone through thebore a few times and have a look. A few light scratchesin the cylinder won’t significantly affect performance, es-pecially in the larger engines.

You do need to look carefully for any cracks in thebridges between ports. When a piston seizes it createslots of pressure. If the cylinder is cracked anywhere, itcannot be used. -Kenny Osberg

TECHNICALITES

JS550 compression reminderFor some reason, service manuals for the 1983-1990JS550s say cylinder compression should be 78-112 psi.Those of you who are familiar with our 550s know thatthis is not true. A good-running 550 engine shoulddevelop 115-130 psi. Below 115 psi, they will definitelybegin to develop starting and idling problems.

Write the correct numbers (115-130 psi) in your serv-ice manual (or have them tattooed inside your eyelids)right now.

Also, be aware that the JS550-C model (with thealuminum cylinder) has much higher compression thanthe older engines—about 200 psi!

-Ed.

The Technical Magazine l 15

R E G I O N A L N E W S

WEST

Abuzz withactivity!by Patrick Kelly9950 Jeronimo RoadIrvine, CA 92718(714) 770-0400

The corporate officeshere in the West regionare abuzz with people pre-paring for the many activi-ties that come withsummer and fall in the mo-torcycle industry. The mostexciting of these things isthe introduction of newmodels for the comingyear, some of which arefeatured in this issue.

Preparation for thedealer meeting in the fallis also well underway. Thetechnical staff manningthe Tech Hot Line is extrabusy too with the manycalls they receive eachday during the summerseason.

I will be busy doing mypart to support these activi-ties. I will be updating allof the District Managerson the latest technical fea-tures and benefits of thenew 1993 models so theycan inform you and keep

16 l K-Tech News

you up to date. I will alsobe helping out on the HotLine from time to time.

And, of course, wenever forget around herethat another new trainingseason is just around thecorner, so we will also bebusy planning newclasses and writing downthe new information weplan to include next year.

Take care! I’ll look for-ward to seeing all of youin the fall. o

SOUTH & CENTRAL

Making plansfor summerby Walter Rainwater6110 Boat Rock Blvd. S.W.Atlanta, GA 30378(404) 349-2000

With the completion ofthe training season, I havebegun making plans forsummer.

In June, I, along withseveral others fromKawasaki, participated asjudges in the Vocational In-dustrial Clubs of AmericaUnited States Skill Olym-pics held in Louisville, Ky.The Skill Olympics pits stu-dents in many vocations,

including motorcycle me-chanics, from all over theU.S. against each other todetermine who is the mostcompetent. It is always in-teresting to see how skill-ful the students are.

Also during the summermonths I am working onthe Hot Line answeringdealer service calls. I al-ways enjoy having the op-portunity to talk withdealers and help themwith their problems.

In between all of this, Iwill be completing plansfor an exciting newKawasaki service contest.It is a contest, but the con-testants do not compete di-rectly against each other.The number of prizes tobe given away will dependon the number of winners.That is enough of a pre-view for now; keep an eyeon future issues of K-TechNews for contest details. o

TrainingScheduleEast RegionNorth RegionCentral RegionSouth RegionWest Region

KMC instructors are work-ing now on the 1993 Train-ing Program schedule.Classes will begin again inOctober. All dealers will re-ceive a copy of the winterclass schedule, but don’tforget to watch this spacein the Fall and Winter is-sues of K-Tech News.

NORTH & EAST

It's summersales time nowby Fred DeHart201 Circle Drive N., #107Piscataway, NJ 08854(201) 469-1221

Training classes were offi-cially over for the seasonas of the end of May. Thesummer sales season is fi-nally here, and it’s time toput all that information youlearned in class to gooduse!

Service training classeswill begin again in the fall,of course. Be sure towatch your mail for the falltraining schedule.

In the meantime, keepreading K-Tech News andif you have any serviceproblems or questions,please give me a call. Iwill be available at theEast region office, (908)469-1221, or on theKawasaki Technical HotLine, (800) 854-3800.

Keep in touch—weneed and value your in-put!—and please have agreat summer season. o