It runs... ..warm and a few carb tweaks.. Now for a full carb set up rejet/balance and make some use of the exhaust gas analyser..hoping to have this complete before the plastic returns the week after next..
I've got one spare..and want a zxr250..if you weren't in AUS!!!!! Seriously thinking about one but nothing ever crops up with the zxr over here ..tis the best looking of the 250's by a country mile..dare I say it that's high praise from a Suzuki nut!!!! Just about to sign off and hit the garage to sort out these carbs m8..bank holiday means we get an extra day off this week..must put it to good use..see yus on here soon boss, cheers si
That's the first and only compliment you'll get from me until ive got one lol!! You got me in creases m8
full carb session and its clean from tickover to the red line..this one sounds right from go..me thinks a good one!!! http://youtu.be/BogZ_W3H3gk Phil i'll keep you updated and hopefully touch base net weekend as mega busy in work with it being a four day week over here..gsxr's rule!!!!!
Well to be honest mate I've never considered myself that great with electronics! I've certainly never attempted something this big before, but really it wasn't that hard once I had the harness completely stripped out and just went one circuit at a time. I've now tidied up the wiring for the dash, put a single inline fuse for the main power feed circuit and got the neutral and oil lights working again. Only problem now is the starter motor just spins and doesn't crank the engine over. It doesn't appear this bike has a separate starter solenoid and it was working fine during the last test I did and not much has changed since then. so I'm more inclined to believe it's not an electrical problem. I will will have to pull the LHS engine cover off and see what's going on. Fork seals arrived today and the job is done on the RGV forks, but the replacement seals I got from Pyramid Parts were a very poor fit and I'm really disappointed that I ordered 2 sets as I will have to send the other one back. Firstly they just pushed straight in, no need for a seal driver so the OD is obviously a bit small. Secondly the upper side of the seal has a stepped edge rather than being flat on top, so the clip that holds the seal in place sits about 2mm higher than the seal, which meant it was sliding back and forth with the action of the fork. I managed to cut the top out of the old seal and use it as a spacer above the new seal to hold it in place but its far from ideal and I won't be surprised if they leak around the outside of the seal. To top it off the dust seals don't fit properly either so I had to clean up as best I could and reuse the originals. I am very disappointed with Pyramid Parts, I've read of problems with their kits before but thought I would give them a chance when I saw this site would get a a kickback if I ordered thru here, but now I'm kicking myself I didn't just go OEM.
You must be unlucky Boydie. Everyone I have got from them has fitted ok. Are you sure they sent the right part number?
Actually I may have jumped the gun there... just checked my invoice, I thought I ordered seals specific to the RGV VJ21 but it was actually the GJ73A. So I looks like I will have to strip the GJ73A forks sooner rather than later to see if they will be OK. Simon to answer some of your questions; and good ones they are too! I have considered removing the alternator and starter and going total loss but for stage 1 I plan on keeping it all in place. As I'll only be racing the 250 for fun I don't want it to cause too many hassles on race day when I need to switch to the 600 or vice versa. Charging batteries and using a roller starter would probably take up too much time. Also my local circuit has a fairly steep hill and removing the flywheel may cause it to loose torque off the corner preceding it, but won't know if this will be a problem until I get out there. But if I ever get serious enough with it to take to the Island Classic I'll probably look at doing all the mods to wring every last bit of speed out of it! Its hard to say what sort of weight it will shed, but I think 20kgs is not out of the question. I have a ZXR750 that I have removed about 40kgs from and its still street legal so a lot is possible! The fairings and headlights weigh a ton and I ditched the entire rear seat section so there's a good start. Oh yes and a good piece of news, I test fitted tire warmer on the rear and it fits fine, guess the actual rolling diameter of a 190/55 17 is about the same which is surprising to me. Thanks so much for the service manual, I have just donated to get access to the manuals and will grab the copy kiffsta is compiling
Cheers for that Si you're a star. i will give simon in Scotland a ring about the fairing lower. I've got hold of a OE rear disc which arrived yesterday and is as everyone says the same as a RGV/GSXR 400 . funny as i contacted EBC who do a rear disc for the 72a but the person i spoke to said that it definitely wouldn't fit a 73a!!!! still there loss and the OE part was cheaper. Definitely up for a meet sometime, I'm hoping to get mine back on the road in the next few weeks. All the parts to get it roadworthy are coming together. the paint work i will sort out later in the year. Did you source the paint from RS Bike Paint? been in touch with them and they seem to be pretty knowledgeable. Just a couple of other things, have you managed to get hold of the original decals for the tank,fairing? if so where from? struggling to find an air filter is it the same as RGV/Gixxer 400? and what plugs are you running? Andy
Well, today I found why the starter wasn't turning the motor over. I'd only gone and hooked the battery up the wrong way, so the motor was turning in reverse! Geez I felt like a tool, guess thats what happens tho when you are in a rush and working in a dimly lit workshop lol But turns out I have bigger problems, removing the alternator cover has revealed the magnets on the flywheel are braking up. 2 rather large chunks have come loose and at least one more is cracked. Looks like I might have to run total loss after all, its either that or try gluing them back on and see how it goes. I called a mate who runs total loss on his VFR400 and he said he had nothing but improvements in acceleration and engine braking (less) after ditching the flywheel, so maybe its the way to go. I will have to do a bit more research on it I think...
How do matey..ebc lol..aye I got pretty much the same response a few years ago..doesn't seem like much has changed with their cross referencing!! A ride sounds good..hoping this one's done in the next month or so..fairings halfway there..paint (well the pearl white bits) this week then the blue(s) next..just hope it all comes together and has that newish look lol..loving it but its hammered the wallet a bit grrrr!!! Plugs I'm running in this one are CR9E (std)..though up or down a grade to fine tune after a run and a plug check if you deem necessary..a few of them have liked the CR8E's..go with your instinct!!! Air filters impossible to find when I first started looking back in the day but similar to the guys at ebc that's just because they don't cross ref the part no's..part number you need is Suzuki japan only read horrendously expensive..or go with the uk equivalent sgp 13780-05A00..its the same thing..or the K and N equivalent part number SU 5589..still not cheap but ebay should have them on..when ever I get time i'll eventually put all this stuff on here for the service items as the more people in the know should keep more of these on the road!!! Fairing paint..i looked into RS Bike Paint but they didn't quote for the 250 only the 400..much cross referencing (seems all I ever do lol) off the fairing paint codes and the use of the Suzuki paint code chart and I got it sorted..our bodyshop in work has a guy who can match pretty much anything..a few paint codes later..and I shall tell you if his colour match is as good as I expect..think the job will be limited by the idiot who puts it on..but here's hoping my spraying skills haven't totally deserted me..still the use of the oven's a big plus..three stage pearl white..i shall dust cross my fingers..and spray lol!!!! The decals are not too hard to find ebays got a few but the best ones by far seem to be those made for the gsxr 750j sp..full set for 70£ with just the 250 gsxr tailpiece ones to get..me thinks the decal manufacturers up the road will be somewhat cheaper than the genuine items!!! Good hearing from you boss and keep in touch..hopefully a link below to the colour chart should you need it when you get around to doing the plastic!!!!! Cheers si
but ..Boydie I was only asking about the total loss route lol..didn't realise you were halfway there already..doing pretty similar research this side about it..hoping to meet up with a guy from our local bike shop next week who's meant to be an expert on the subject..its just on the boundry of what I feel confident tackling..might be one of those decisions you just make after a few tinnies on a Saturday night..got a spare engine and enough bits to make another left over I reckon so I think I might take the plunge into the ocean after yus!! On a serious note though gluing the magnets back on..im watching this thread whilst asleep with one eye open!!! All make mistakes ref the battery boss..had the engine up running re jetted balanced the carbs and then it just died on me yesterday..made an even more stupid mistake..forgot to connect the earth strap to the cases properly..engine totally cut out..ignition everything..traced it back to the earth mentioned..refitted..still nothing..all fuses ok near the front brake behind the fairing..and totally forgot about the main one under the seat next to the starter solenoid..wasted two hours just trying to figure out what was going on..and then thought..what about the main fuse lol!!!! Moments of genius follow moments of madness so I started rebuilding the calipers..and discovered an ideal colour match with outboard engine enamel which matches the standard finish ..roll on weekend so I can finish them off!! Keep the posts coming buddy.. Cheers si
A bit more progress made over the weekend. Got the front end assembled with the RGV clipons and hooray I have set of brake lines that now fit! Both sets of calipers are still filthy, I wiped the worst of it off but these things need a serious clean, not especially looking forward to it but gotta take the fun jobs with the bad I suppose. What's great about the RGV clipons is the bar is separate from the clamp so I will be able to install a brand new set of lightweight race bars I have spare. Only problem is one of the threads is stripped so will have to get a helicoil put in there. Also my Litetek carb kit came in so I rebuilt those and refitted to the engine. It took a fair bit of cranking to fire up again but once warm the engine ran smooth and seemed to rev more freely than before. The JB weld seems to be holding the broken flywheel magnets fine. I am still only getting 13.56v max from the alternator but this is enough to charge the small lithium battery so all good I hope. The wiring seems all OK and most of the harness is taped up now. It was great to hear it run again and give it a bit of a rev, she is a real little screamer alright but has a deeper note compared to the higher pitched CBR250 I recon. I'll have to pull the carbs back off though as I want to try and soften up the rubber intakes somehow as they are a bit stiff and I don't want them cracking. Other jobs on my radar will be to get the front brake system refurbished and back together and maybe start organising a battery box and tray to accommodate the remaining electrics. The broken magnets, repaired with JB weld Carbs all stripped, cleaned and ready for new seals RGV VJ21 complete front end and fairing stay bolts straight on, original GJ73A gauge cluster fits perfectly
Ok mate, good to here from you. Thanks for the info (plugs and air filter on order) hoping to get mine sorted for an MOT this week. I know what you mean about cross referencing stuff, I seem to spend days trawling the internet good to know someone like you who's all ready done the hard work!! I spoke to a bloke called phil at RS paints, he asked for some photos as a reference and he came back with all the colours and codes (he even phoned me) so I reckon I will give them a go. How's your new paint going? Keep us posted. I'll try to get some photos of mine uploaded some time soon, which should be fun as I'm not very good at navigating round these forum sites..lol. I know what you mean about burning up the cash. I thought it was a cheap buy when I bought it but I seem to be throwing money at it like there's no tomorrow. Still I hope the end result will be worth it. Later mate Andy
Progress update: After a lot of scrubbing the calipers are now clean. Before After I spend a lot of time cleaning the pistons and working rubber grease into them, all but two were very tight so it took a lot of pumping them in and out with air pressure and applying grease. They are a lot better now, I want to avoid having to rebuild the caliper seals as funds are tight at the moment so hopefully they will work OK with no sticking. These calipers are from the GSXR, the RGV calipers are worse and definitely need rebuilding so this will happen at some point and I will swap them over. The bad news is after test fitting them with the lines and master cylinder reveal that with the forks fully extended, the brake line I hoped to use is about 1cm too short. Also the forks are leaking oil past the seals already so they will definitely have to be done again Better news though, after taking the carb rubbers off they were actually still nice and soft with no cracks, so I just cleaned them up and put them back on. I also turned my attention to the under seat area and tried a piece of high density foam to house the battery, starter relay and igniter. This could probably be made to work but I decided it was a bit too flimsy and would be difficult to make brackets to mount it properly, will be easier to make a fibreglass tray. So I made this pattern piece out of cardboard I will coat it in tinfoil to make a mould, it doesn't have to be pretty so should work out OK hopefully. Progress may be a little slow over the next week or so though, need to turn my attention to the CBR600RR, it needs a few upgrades before the next race round in 2 weeks time...
Just nosing about, checking in and the like....and POOF!...there goes your competitive advantage . I SEE WHAT YOUR DOING THERE BOYD
Top notch work m8..just looking at the high density foam battery tray..wondering if I could pillage the idea?! Not only neat weightless..but I've good loads of the stuff lying round..and an acid eaten battery tray to sort or remanufacture..this thread turning out as priceless bud..still have the front calipers to sort on my rebuild too but hoping for the best as they still worked when last used..fingers crossed the squirt of maintenance spray on disassembly will mean after a good strip clean reassembly they should be as new..well functional if that's the right word!! Fairings coming on well boss..the pearl white's on..flatted..the fairings now attached to a spare frame to get the lines in the paintwork married up..and now masked up ready for tomorrow and some blue! Keep the posts coming m8 and good luck at bthe track, Cheers si
LOL Mustard! I think you already have the competitive advantage starting with a Honda but seriously if you want any of the high density foam I have lots of it! I think to compete with the faster bikes in our class I am gunna have to get the GSXR finely tuned and the chassis really dialled in to carry maximum corner speed. All the tests I've read have put the engine back a peg slightly compared to the other 4cl bikes. Yes I am definitely still a Honda man, but the little GSXR has really grown on me and I always like having a bike thats a bit different from everything else. Its been sitting there teasing me in the corner of the workshop all week, can't spend any time on it though, still have heaps to do on my 600 to get it race ready, valve clearances need changing and I noticed today the forks are leaking...