I lowered mine, cos I only have a 28 inch inside leg. It's easy to manage now. ZZR600 would appear to be a great choice, I really rate them and don't doubt that LN will have a good time with one. The best thing about the ZZR600 engine is it fits straight into the ZXR400 chassis, so if she manages to destroy the chassis she can still make use of the motor -- Lozzo Versys 650 Inter-Continental Hyperbolistic Missile , CBR600F-W racebike in the making, TS250C, RD400F (somewhere) BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite they churn out)
<waves> Not that the plastic Bosch Rotak would survive if a boxer engine decide to have a rest on it. Save scratching the cylinder heads, mind.
Well, exactly. Garages are for bikes and tools and assorted mechanical hardware. I've got the little petrol mower in the greenhouse, which is where the gardening tools live, when I can get to them past the tomatoes. The big petrol mower is parked in the timber store in the garden, the nasty little electric mower is under all sorts of crap in the little shed. Proper sheds are for things like woodworking gear, mind. and bags of Blue Circle (half used, solidified but an adequate seat) old PPs (half used, solidified, but an adequate weapon in an emergency) and empty BA bottles.
Nope, but I measured in detail two engines side by side in the breaking bay where I used to work. It looks like they share the same crankcase castings plus the 600 engine is no taller and also shares the same exhaust port dimensions in relation to the rest of the 400 motor. In short, you can chuck a ZZR600 lump straight in the ZXR chassis and use the 400 header pipes. Kawasaki did build a ZZR400 using the 600 chassis which, IIRC, uses the same engine as the ZXR400s, so retro-fitting a 600 engine into a ZXR400 should be easily possible. If I could find a blown up but otherwise decent condition ZXR400L8 or 9 I'd be tempted to give it a go cos I know where there are two complete ZZR600 engines - one from a D, the other from an E. I just know it can be done. -- Lozzo Versys 650 Inter-Continental Hyperbolistic Missile , CBR600F-W racebike in the making, TS250C, RD400F (somewhere) BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite they churn out)
Cor. <Boggle> That would be a fantasic bike. As long as the carbs fit in the chassis as well.... If the bore centres are the same - which I doubt, but they mght be - then the stock airbox could be used, too.
It looks like the carbs should fit. The head appears to be the same casting, in the same way the Bandit 600 engine can be straight swopped for an early GSXR750 or GSX750F engine because they share the same castings. -- Lozzo Versys 650 Inter-Continental Hyperbolistic Missile , CBR600F-W racebike in the making, TS250C, RD400F (somewhere) BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite they churn out)
I always wanteda Yamaha FZ600, because it was my sort of special: a 600cc engine (albeit not a particularly powerful nor modern one) shoehorned into a 400's chassis. <Thinks> Fancy making a joint project of it?
15 years or so ago, in Maidstone, I saw a special that was, iirc, made from a Fireblade engine in an FZR400 frame with a VFR400 swingarm and a custom under-seat exhaust that was remarkably prescient of the later MV Augusta. It was rather special. But pointless - when a Fireblade didn't weigh that much more than a 400 to start with, and most of the difference was the engine.
No, the older one. Come to BOSM and I'll see what yours is like. Good to know, I will add a divvy to the list when I go sit on things. That's what broke my leg. It came up too quick and kept going. It certainly looks a possibility. Doesn't have any fairing, a bit weighty at 202kg but nice idea actually. Just makes me want a Ducati (it looks like a monster) and I'm not allowed those until I can look after them properly.
So get a Raptor 650 then. Looks like a Monster but with an SV engine & electrics, & feels much lighter than an SV to manhandle around.
OK, if I make it there next year... just too many things going on this year and I found out about it too late. Ah, my flatmate is considering a Monster at the moment... he wants to 'upgrade' from his ZRX1200 (if that is the correct term?) to an 1100. He keeps on offering me a go on it but I wouldn't trust myself on a bike that heavy at the moment. I might just take him up on the offer if and when he gets the Monster... at least it'll be a lot lighter than his current bike, I think it's 230Kg dry or something stupid like that!
TOG@Toil wrote: A coiuple of my mates owned them and I would often borrow either for a good thrashing round the back lanes where I was dragged up. Fantastic bikes and I annihilated my timed record from Cranfield to Wootton[1] on one, then broke it again a year later on my VF400 by 30 seconds. Time amd money say no. I have enough on my plate right now. [1] About 6 miles of the twistiest roads around here, with virtually no view through any of the corners. -- Lozzo Versys 650 Inter-Continental Hyperbolistic Missile , CBR600F-W racebike in the making, TS250C, RD400F (somewhere) BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite they churn out)
hmmm. Does that mean: a.) you keep it nice and shiny clean? b.) You change the oil regularly? c.) You take it over the ton and scrape pegs every time you ride it?
