I restarted the project late last year, when my brother visited me late last year and noted it under the cover stipped down and said, 'you not got that going yet?'.
I was basicaly stuck on the carburettors, they wouldn't carburate and i was procrastinating. I repeatedly tried to clean them out, rebuild them, take them apart again to adjust the float bowl heights again but with no joy. It would turn over and had spark but no fuel was getting in. The fuel pump was knackered possibly though excessive back pressure of banging it's head against a wall. So I found and fitted a cheap pattern part from eBay but that burnt out quickly too, so got another from a local breaker. I realised that I had fuel going into the carbs but no further and fuel would leak from the pipes under pressure. So I admitted defeat and sent them away to Zen Motorcyles. They stripped them down, ultrasonically cleaned them up, and reassembled them using dynojet stage one kit. He then set them up as best he could on the workbench for a standard exhaust system.
Whilst they were away I reassembled the rest of the bike, just to make sure I had all of the parts. I'm probably missing a few fittings here and there but Cradley Heath Kawasaki will get an order for those parts soon enough. The brakes were re-assembled with new brake lines, pads awhile back but I put in new fluid and bled to my 'middle finger braking standard'. I also changed the fluid in the hydraulic clutch whilst I was in the bleeding mood.
I recieved the carbs back from Zen and reinstalled them mid-June. With fresh petrol in the 'reverse' mounted tank' on the sub-frame and a car battery (from my old 4200) I turned it over. It slowly fired into life but the engine sounded rough and tended to 'race' then stop. I checked all the fittings etc and phoned Zen Motorcycles who asked me if I fitted the airbox, i hadn't, so on it went and it ran a lot smoother. I adjusted the throttle cables so that there is no slack in the action, and that it 'snaps' back when released. I also did the 'MOT favourite' of moving the bars left to right to check that the revs didn't rise. I refitted the tank, but the engine wouldn't start unless I had full choke, it was later found that the new fuel pipes tend to collapse and kink rathter than bend nicely, I cautiously rerouted them and now it runs. I also changed them over so that the resevre IS the reserve and not just 'ON', new pipe clips fitted too. So with it now running well, I treated the engine to a engine oil flush. I had changed the oil when I first bought it, that first oil looked like a disappointing gravy served, all watery and lumpy. I gave it a good 15 mintues of idling with the odd blip as us men tend to do. I changed the oil hot and a more satifactory gravy came out.
One thing that I noted was that the clutch seemed to be seized! With the engine running, I'd snick it into gear but the rear wheel would turn even with the clucth level pulled in. This would be a pain if not a showstopper, so i noted the action of the clutch with the right hand engine cover off and all seemed to work but a friend told me that new oil and 'secret trick' might free it off. So a change of filter and in went some fresh Shell Advance 10w50. Almost four litres despite Haynes and Kawasaki saying 3.5 litres. I fitted a clamp to the clutch lever, got the engine up to temperature again with the new oil and checked that I had no leaks from the filter or sump plug (take note dealers!). I then left the bike overnight with paper underneath it and the clamp still on the lever. Oh, also beofre all of this, the sidestand switch would cut the engine, it's a safety feature but also an embarassment at bike meets that the engine will cut out if you have the sidestand down and the bike in gear, this was diagnosed as a sticking switch plunger, this too was left overnight to soak in lovely WD40 and Lithiun Grease.
So now to last Sunday, after watching the MotoGP and killing the lawn, I thought that I would have another bash at the bike. I refitted the sidestand switch and tested it. All good. I then thought about what next to tackle on this, dreading that the clutch was seized, I snicked it into gear and with the clutch in the rear wheel moved! So, there's nothing else to do but ride it! I tightend all the botls on the tank, refitted the side panels, moved the GT and Swift and took it for a spin. The front brakes seem to have seized on but nonetheless it moved under it's own power for the first time in possibly ten years. I did two laps of the close before a neighbour would object to a motorbike being ridden by a yoof with no helmet on and long hair. I've already had a complaint about the Maserati when I had short hair and was clean shaven. So I left it to idle in the garage whilst noting some oily smoke from exhaust headers and collector. I also noted that the fan doesn't seem to come on so I'll have to check that out.
So what's next? I've got some potion from the motorfactors to clean up the combustions chambers and valves internally. Flush out the cooling system with water before using some proper flushing fluid, then refill with new coolant. I'll check the front brakes to free them off and order those bits from Cradley Heath, fit the fairing and bits from Cradley Heath and then put it in for an MOT.
I think that I will need new tyres though, these are marked 2006! But are not cracked to be fair.