Thread: Thinking of restoring a Motorbike

good buy on the zzr, thought i'll share my story. bought a zzr600 a few years ago, 94 model. Rode the bike for a couple of months then something went wrong, thought it was a coil. It was dying under load. So I couldn't work it out, thought it could have also been the carbys/fuel pump starving it of juice . Took it to local shop in Ballarat, they tried for weeks, they also couldn't work it out. They then sent it to Geelong to get the electronics guru to have a look at it. He sent it back and said there was nothing wrong. So the mechanics stuffed around with it for a few more weeks and couldn't work it out. So they sent it back to Geelong again. He did a compression test (I thought the mechanics would have done that first thing!), its low on compression and needs a rebuild. So then the mechanics strip it down and find a cracked frame. So I took it to Melbourne and got it repaired. Now the bike is back at the shop waiting to be rebuilt. They are waiting on pistons that have been on back order for three months from kawasaki (if anyone knows where to get aftermarket pistons please let me know). So my bike has now been in for repairs for 18months and been transported nearly as many km's as I got to ride it. They said it wasn't worth the cost to rebuild, but I have bad luck with veichles, so I thought rather than buying another one that will stuff up, i'll rebuild this one. That and the fact it already cost me $3500 when I bought it, and they are telling me to scrap it and buy another one, I don't think so, not with my luck. I have had about five different bikes and all of them spent more time off the road than on, even though I always maintained them.

Originally Posted by sim76

good buy on the zzr, thought i'll share my story. bought a zzr600 a few years ago, 94 model. Rode the bike for a couple of months then something went wrong, thought it was a coil. It was dying under load. So I couldn't work it out, thought it could have also been the carbys/fuel pump starving it of juice . Took it to local shop in Ballarat, they tried for weeks, they also couldn't work it out. They then sent it to Geelong to get the electronics guru to have a look at it. He sent it back and said there was nothing wrong. So the mechanics stuffed around with it for a few more weeks and couldn't work it out. So they sent it back to Geelong again. He did a compression test (I thought the mechanics would have done that first thing!), its low on compression and needs a rebuild. So then the mechanics strip it down and find a cracked frame. So I took it to Melbourne and got it repaired. Now the bike is back at the shop waiting to be rebuilt. They are waiting on pistons that have been on back order for three months from kawasaki (if anyone knows where to get aftermarket pistons please let me know). So my bike has now been in for repairs for 18months and been transported nearly as many km's as I got to ride it. They said it wasn't worth the cost to rebuild, but I have bad luck with veichles, so I thought rather than buying another one that will stuff up, i'll rebuild this one. That and the fact it already cost me $3500 when I bought it, and they are telling me to scrap it and buy another one, I don't think so, not with my luck. I have had about five different bikes and all of them spent more time off the road than on, even though I always maintained them.

Have you thought of looking on the Fowles website and getting a wreck for the motor.

The advantage of buying a wreck over a 2nd hand vehicle is it was probably going alright before it hit the tree/whatever stopped it.

Cheers

For parts google on US websites.

Mates have sourced Jap parts much cheaper and quicker there than here, but with our dollar going down the tube ....