| Author | Message | ||
     Interex2050 |
A neighbor a few houses down passed away about a year ago, only recently has the house been cleared out... And the son of the neighbor decided that since I am "into bikes" he would give me the bike that has been sitting out back for the past 12 years... Today it is in my hands... Its a 1985 GPZ600R... the poor thing has been abandoned:  But because it was covered it just needed a little TLC...    There is still some stuff to do... But this one is a keeper For some reason I have grown attached to it already Cannot wait to get this one out on the road The biggest problem that I will face as of now is getting a new key set made, as the originals have been lost... And paying $230 for the set from kawasaki seems a little steep Actually does anyone know if I could get a key made if I bring in the barrel from one of the key holes? | ||
| Diablobrian |
A good locksmith should be able to sort that out. Any idea why it was parked? | ||
| Bake |
Bet you can get one cut, can't cowasaki get you a key from the ignition/key #? Good score! | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Here is a trick I used for my friend's Honda: Take off the helmet lock and bring it to a locksmith. (two screws in my friend's case) My friend got new keys for his bike that way I think it was $30. Once the lock is out of the bike it is a snap for a locksmith to cut keys to fit. | ||
| Interex2050 |
Thanks for all the advice with regards to the key issue... I wonder if kawasaki would be willing to make me a key using the #s... But if their support is anything like honda's then they will either charge me 5 billion dollars or just say no. But the locksmith ideas does seem rather tempting... I will surely try that after assessing the situation with kawasaki. Diablobrian, I do not know for certain why it was parked for so long but I have a feeling that it has something to do with the fact that he was getting older, and there is some minor scuffing on the fairing suggesting he went down. So this may have turned him off the idea of riding... But then this is all speculation Surely the next steps are: changing out fork seals/fluids oil change coolant change new battery tires Then the next question is should I leave it as it is... I have this great urge to upgrade the front/rear disks/pads, change out the fork springs, rejet, rear shock, possibly replace fairings with fiberglass equivalents and take it to the track... This is too exciting especially because vacation is in two weeks! (Message edited by interex2050 on May 28, 2007) | ||
| Interex2050 |
I was also wondering... Does anyone know more about this specific model. I do know that its the first generation of the gpz600r, and one of the early full faired sportbikes... and kawasaki's second one (first was the 1983 gpz900r- the first ninja) Is this thing rare, something that I should preserve or are these suckers all over the place and not worth fussing about keeping it original? | ||
| Wile_ecoyote |
Nice little scooter. Good for you! | ||
| Beachbuell |
Thats a nice looking bike there. Looks to be in fairly decent shape for sitting around. Looks pretty darn original too. You got a little bit of work and elbow grease ahead of you, but she'll be well worth it in the long run. | ||
| Indy_bueller |
What a find! How many miles does it have on it? | ||
| Interex2050 |
Much thanks! I am quite delighted myself There are still plenty of spider nests and such left in there I cant wait to start pulling her apart It only has 15000miles Finding tires for it is proving to be a painful prospect in itself (well track happy tires) As they are 110/90-16 front and 130/90-16 rear any ideas would be greatly appreciated! (Message edited by interex2050 on May 29, 2007) | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Eeek! Look at the rust on the front rotors. Makes me wonder what else it waiting for you. | ||
| Crusty |
You'd better replace that chain, before it snaps and breaks a case. Or does something equally disastrous. | ||
| Blackbelt |
I had a 1985 GPZ600R myself. It was my first bike. I bought it in 4 boxes back in 1998 for $300. I found that at the time Kawasaki still had parts for it, but man were they pricy. she was a good bike, lots of power and pull in her. until my cap for my radiator broke on a ride and covered me in Antifreeze that was fun.. NOT!!! the fan on the radiator melted to the radiator, and the engine was never the same again. sold the beast for $1000.00 | ||
| Buellfighter |
Looks good!! Be sure and replace that rusty chain! | ||
| Tom_b |
Having brought back a few from the junk pile I think you have a gem there. Call a lock smith to have new keys made. Should be less than 100.00 or do as above and take the helmet lock to have a key made. the most expensive part of that bike is intact(the body work) the rest is grunt work. Chain, flush brakes,forks and engine, maybe clean the carbs and have a cool bike. check some online tire sources instead of the stealership, you will do better. | ||
| Scott_in_nh |
Bridgestone Battlax BT-45 I ran them on my 84 GPz-550 and found them to be good handling and long lasting! Nice find, you will be surprised how well the older sportbikes go-turn-stop with more modern rubber and brake pads! | ||
| Interex2050 |
Ah yes! The chain, almost forgot about that one... The sprockets will go with it as well. The rust on the rotors it not to bad I think. It appears to be surface rust, so to remove it I will just do some gentle stopping with the current pads and then replace them once the rust is gone. I was looking at the BT45, but does anyone know anything about the Maxxis V1? I really just want to dig in right now, but I must simply use my imagination at this point. Speaking of body work... Airtech makes a set So if I end up doing something stupid I still have the originals safely tucked away. | ||
| Blackbelt |
they are nice.. I wanted to get a set for mine when I had it. but you have to cut everything out.. and they are quite pricy at least they used to be. I am jealous that you have that bike. True that mine was a peice of crap, and was a death trap.. but it was my first bike and it had a ton of balls | ||
| Sshbsn |
I just bought a '91 FZR600 last month. These old bikes are very easy to get attached to, maybe because the technology level makes them friendly to own and work on. Speaking of the chain, most FZR boards I have found urge conversion to a 520 chain, I guess it saves weight/decreases lash/etc. There's a conversion kit for my bike, and probably is one for yours as well. TwoWheelForum might have used parts in the classifieds if you are looking; you might be able to find a key/lockset there. Keep us posted! (Message edited by sshbsn on May 29, 2007) | ||
| Interex2050 |
Well I just found out that Kawasaki will not make spare keys using any sort of VIN/codes... So to the locksmith it is... As for the search for tires... well I have only two tires which do not have the word touring in them: Dunlop GT501 Continental Conti-Ultra (TKV11/TKV12) I think I will stick with the continental as they seem to be the only ones that actually mentions that its "A true sports tyre for older machines" Although I did have a "mad scientist" idea for a moment when I saw the Pirelli Diablo scooter tires which would fit the bike, then I decided that it could prove to be a grave mistake... Sshbsn, Thanks for the advice, I will see what I can dig up with regards to the chain issue. | ||
| Diablobrian |
I doubt taking it to the track would pay off other than in fun factor on track days. The middleweight class (600cc) is one of the toughest places to race. It is known to as "the meat grinder" amongst racers for a reason. I used to own a couple of the old 86 and 87 gsxr 750s and it got to be nearly impossible to find a matched set of 18" SPORT tires to fit them. Before doing anything cosmetic, or putting tires, chain, brakes on it get the fluids out of it and new ones in. Then see if it will crank over. No point in wasting money if the motor is frozen or otherwise trashed. then check compression on each cylinder. Then you should rebuild carbs. Then it will be time for the stuff discussed to this point  I've been down this road once or twice  | ||
| Sshbsn |
I agree with Brian, best to check the major items first. But don't give up on it, if the engine's stuck, you can soak it down w/blaster through the sparkplug holes and let it sit, for instance. Good luck. (Message edited by sshbsn on May 30, 2007) | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
In my opinion, the only real "deal-breaker" here would be a blown tranny. My friend's old ZX10 died like that at only 20,000 miles. Main shaft snapped. It was running like a top in permanent neutral. | ||
| Mbsween |
Those Dunlops aren't bad, I have them on my 83 KZ750. What are the rim sizes? I thought radials we're in vogue by the mid 80s I rode a similar model back in 86 at Watkin's Glen in NY (Keith Code School). Punted it out of turn 1 near triple digits but managed not to drop it, so I can tell you it'll handle alright off the track too | ||
| Tom_b |
i also agree with brian, check engine and compression first. no sense in wasting money on junk | ||
| Interex2050 |
Excellent point! I tend to get carried away sometimes... One thing that I will have to do is to get the key made Because without it I cannot get to the battery... and that needs to go I ordered a Kawasaki key blank and removed the helmet lock so I will be running around looking for a good locksmith this weekend... Not to mention having the steering lock on is a major pain! Well the reason I would want to take it to the track is because I want to appreciate the modern suspension more, by riding something that is outdated. As well as it will force me to become a better rider (well I think)... Much thanks for all the advice and help! (Message edited by interex2050 on May 30, 2007) | ||
| Interex2050 |
I could not resist and I began tearing apart the bike... To begin with it was very eerie everything was just left abandoned... and everything is in perfect shape aside from the slight corrosion Two things really got my attention though 1) There was a little switch under the seat... so I flipped it The bike started beeping, like those vitals monitoring machines 2) When I finally got the tank off... there was the most obnoxious smell... It was there before but not as strong. And surely there was a dead rat curled up on top of the engine... | ||
| Interex2050 |
The mystery switch  Rats nest  The rat  The mystery switch ended up being part of some alarm system... (Message edited by interex2050 on May 31, 2007) | ||
| Rick_a |
I remember being awestruck by such bikes when I was too young to know better. They say the best things in life are free. Good luck getting her back on the road. | ||
| Interex2050 |
Thanks, I will be posting updates here if interested I also forgot to mention that I visited a locksmith yesterday, and well... there are good news and bad The bad news: The helmet lock is only a 3 pin configuration while the ignition is a 6 pin Good news: They can make a key for it if I bring in the ignition or they can make a "house-call" The problem is that it will cost $80 for making a key if I bring in the ignition $120 if they make a house-call But there may be a code on the ignition, then they can make a new key for $20 At this point since I got into the bike without needing the key, I will just hot wire it and see if she runs The indications so far is that she should run... I am beginning to doubt that this thing has really been sitting for 12 years, well at least not out side. -The antifreeze is still fresh, and does not look like a mineralized cave -The clutch and the inside of the cases around it are in pristine condition (cleaner then the Buells) -None of the wires/connectors/hoses are cracked, dried out or crumbling -The tank was almost full of gas, which is great because that should mean minimal rust and just a matter or draining the contents and putting in some fresh gas. -And most interesting, the battery had enough of a charge to make the alarm beep! |
