Back in the day, some may remember these hateful little devices. Security was all the rage and some insurers demanded they be fitted to everything.
While the bike is stripped, I’ve taken the opportunity to remove the old immobiliser eliminating any chance of it failing and returning it back to it’s factory condition. This had an old 90’s GT immobiliser which featured the little button tab coin transponder that you press to the metal plate. The gubbins are housed in a big heavy metal box!
The wiring was also quite messy and unsightly.
This gave me the opportunity to clear up all the wiring…first off, exposing the connections;
Tracing all the immobiliser wires back…note battery positive is disconnected to prevent any accidental electrical system damage.
Below, the immobiliser wiring is removed and the factory wiring has been re-taped and neatened up, I have used velcro securing straps instead of zip ties so they don’t scuff the sub frame.
That’s much better!!
Out with the old!! I’ve managed to source a new OE carbon effect side panel to replace this one which has had the immobiliser receiver drilled into it!
I feel so much better with this all taken out, the bike is now returned to it’s factory condition 🙂
After 7 years of faithful service with me and on it’s 12th Birthday (18th April), it’s time to treat the Capo to some upgraded calipers.
On fitting the new tyres last year I took the opportunity to check the brake pads and give the calipers a clean. I had never really paid too much attention to them, it was when working on them that it came back to me how much I dislike the design of sliding calipers.
To be fair, they have always done their job, offered good brake feel and although its a heavy beast I can’t say I’ve recalled the sensation of them not being able to stop me ever, however they have always felt somewhat duller than most of my other bikes.
A chap called Ziskar was offering a group buy on custom caliper brackets on the AF1 forum, these were based on a previous design initiated by the AOTR club, which would allow the use of radial calipers in lieu of the axial stock ones. This opens up the choices to all sorts of lovely radial offerings.
I have to offer a huge thanks out to Ziskar who did an amazing job of organising, informing, updating and driving this effort. A couple of months later these lovely brackets arrived, made from T6 7075 aluminium in black anodised finish. The original mounting bolts for the axial calipers use an M10x1.5mm pitch bolt, this has been replicated on this bracket so that it can be bolted to the forks using the original caliper mounting bolts with the same thread for the caliper mounting points. I managed to locate some M10 x 1.5mm pitch bolts from work, they are 8.8 strength BZP finish so should not give any issues with bi-metallic corrosion. The bolts pictured below are 50mm.
It became apparent on looking for bolts, that most Radial calipers use a 1.25mm pitch. This would have been better as not only would there have been a greater bolt offering but also the finer pitch would be stronger and more resistant to self loosening. It also transpires that the top caliper bolt would need to be shortened as there is less material on the bracket therefore it has not been drilled as deep. The upshot is that a 50mm bolt is fine for the lower fitting which will be under more stress anyway, which would have 11mm of engagement. The upper bolt needed trimming to just under 46.5mm offering just under 7.5mm of engagement. To get this also required me to run a tap down the thread as the original machining did not go all the way.
When it comes to caliper choice, there are many Brembo offerings. There are however a couple of considerations to take into account before purchasing a suitable caliper. Bolt centres on the radial caliper need to be 100mm for this kit. It is a common size so fortunately there are many to choose from. Piston size, pad cost, swept area, body width etc all play a factor in choosing the right caliper.
I looked at the master cylinder to piston ratios. The stock ratio is 26.7:1 . The Capo uses a 12mm master cylinder and the stock 2 piston sliding calliper runs one 32mm and one 30mm piston. The shortlist of calipers for me were;
Brembo P4.32 (32mmx piston) 28.44:1 ratio.
Brembo M50 (30mmx4 piston) 25:1 ratio.
The latter is a fancy mono block offering. The M50 in particular was the preferred choice but I worry that it may be too much for the Capo. The lower ratio would mean a sharper more powerful brake feel. The P4 would offer a slightly softer feel. Both ratio options were the same difference apart in ratio from the stock setup, 1.7 (M50) vs 1.74 only one jumps one way (sharper) and one the other (softer) from stock.
The M50 is an expensive caliper, and I did not have the body dimensions to compare. The mono block rigidity would also probably add further feel to the braking. All of these calipers are wider than the skinny sliding calipers fitted as standard. I opted in the end to go with a caliper that I new would offer decent spoke clearance and also match the stock look of the rear caliper and indeed the original ones. It would be a subtle upgrade and look very much factory. That would be the P4.32 as fitted to many Ducati’s including the Hypermotard which is what mine came from. Ebay turned up a nice example of 3,500 mile old calipers.
Upon arrival, the first thing I did was offer them to the brackets to see how the 50mm bolts would fare. As can be seen below, there is a gap on the top bolt of each bracket near the bleeder. This required the tap being run in deeper but also some length taken off the bolt. To tighten down correctly I had to take approx 2-2.5 threads off the bolt leaving me with a 46.5mm bolt.
I then set about deep cleaning them. re-greasing the pistons, cleaning up the pads and retaining pins ready for service.
The pistons were extended using an air compressor blow line, they were in great order commensurate with the mileage so just needed a wipe clean.
The pads were sandpapered with 600 wet and dry and cleaned with some water/detergent spray and then a final wipe with some break cleaner.
The pistons were re-greased with some red rubber grease so that they would coat/protect the seals.
Then the pistons were reset, ready to take the freshly cleaned up pads.
The back of the brake pads, perimeter and retaining pins were cleaned and lightly coated with some ceramic grease.
All ready for bolting up…
The caliper bolts will have some molybdenum disulphide grease applied to them and torqued to 38Nm. The brackets will be torqued to a slightly lower 44Nm with the same grease (50Nm and oil in manual seems a bit high for this aluminium bracket). Banjo torque 20Nm, Bleed nipple 9Nm.
On to the second caliper. This is how the calipers arrived as they came off the bike, a little bit dirty but with a little time spent cleaning they come up as new.
First off the pads…
Next up, the body and pistons. The body is cleaned using some diesel and a toothbrush and wiped off with blue roll, finished off with compressed air to blow out all the hard to reach areas.
It’s very satisfying to see these come back like new with a relatively small amount of TLC…
Original Brembo pads are installed with plenty of life left. Part number below for future reference.
Both calipers are now cleaned and ready to bolt on to the bike once the new copper crush washers arrive for the banjos.
Fitting the brackets to the bike. The good news is it all bolts up and it appears that it will serve its function. There are some issues however. The caliper should clear the disc by a minimum of 2mm according to Brembo.
This 2mm drill bit shows that the minimum clearance has been achieved. This is at the base of the caliper, the clearance is higher at the top pf the caliper. This variance should not be more than 0.4mm however it is 4mm more, less the 0.4 allowance makes the variance 3.6mm out of tolerance.
Above shows a 6mm drill bit inserted to demonstrate the 6mm of clearance. If the bracket hole where drilled in a slightly different position as shown below, this potentially could have been corrected and the variance equalised;
Measured using a feeler gauge, spoke clearance with these calipers at its tightest point is 2.8mm which is acceptable to me.
Finally the original brake hose angle is at quite a tight angle. I may consider replacing these in due course with a 30 degree angled head hose but for now these will stop. In the meantime, here is the finished article 🙂
The new Goodrich braided hose arrives and looks great. It should be a simple mornings work to fit and bleed this up…
First snag! The rear hugger bolts that carry the bracket for the rear brake hose, one of them has seized through bi-metallic corrosion. After using a number of different methods, hammering in an oversized torx bit, when this failed, it did loosen it a bit enough to enable me to get some pliers onto it. One slip and that beautiful swingarm finish would be ruined. Fortunately there were no further issues and the bolt came out.
With the bolt out, the hose is released and replaced with the new one. However I made the error of releasing all the fluid to prevent the possibility of any spillage. As such, pump as I may I’m unable to build up pressure. I’ve tried all techniques. I decide to remove the rear caliper, and check the pistons all work correctly. I should have done this anyway.
After 24 years with at least 20 of those spent standing, it looks a bit corroded. The pistons are fine, nothing more than a clean and regrease, the pin and anti rattle plate however represent a good opportunity to try out the Ultrasonic cleaner.
With no further prep other than 15 minutes in the tank, these is how they come out…
Finally the pistons are shown some light attention and all is as new;
Pads are also cleaned up and it’s time to bolt it back up.
The pedal still cannot build sufficient pressure. After hours spent pumping, I put it down to the master seal. The rebuild parts do not seem to be separately available, fortunately at ÂŁ62 it’s not unaffordable and the old one had the reservoir seal drying up in any case…
New master cylinder arrives…
Fortunately, this pumps up perfectly and the rear brake pedal is now rock hard and ready to roll!!
So now that it’s home safe and sound, it is time to address any issues…
First up, this is what the decal was hiding beneath it. The good news is, it obviously didn’t go down too hard. I track the Lady owner down from all the paperwork in the file. She confirms it was a sub 20mph drop and that she was on tippy toes. It was her first bike after passing her test and her baby.
A part of the same tumble seemingly resulted in a new fairing panel however the decal is of dubious quality since the OEM ones have been unavailable for some time. This sticker simply won’t do, it’s not even close to the original in size, details or anything and has been poorly applied. The remainder of this poor quality decal kit is with the parts that came with the bike, along with the rear cowl to replace the pillion seat for that racier look.
The Chesterfield decals are notorious for UV fading. There’s a little of this in evidence around the rest of the bike. Most of the owners group swear by ‘image works’ for their RS250 decal kit as the oe ones are no longer available. A call to Graham there and a new decal kit is on it’s way.
A lovely image works replica decal kit…
It’s not the easiest of decals to apply, the side fairing one which is one piece on the original, is in three pieces as separate decals.
I carefully measure off from the original side to ensure that the spacings are all correct and symmetrical , and lo and behold a few hours later…
I’m very pleased with the result! The rear fairing needs attention also and will be next for some treatment…I manage to source a NOS one on Ebay to replace the grazed original;
The image works decals are duly applied to the new rear fairing.
I’m in two minds whether to replace the decals on the good side, I like the fact they are the originals, however they have some light scuffing on the red Chesterfield ‘C’ no doubt from being kickstarted and the yellow is a little faded so it’s likely that I’ll replace this side also in due course.
The tyres are the originals from 1996!! These will be requiring replacement before it’s used in anger however surprisingly they still feel soft and have no cracking evident.
I look over the rest of the bike and discover that the rear brake hose has an old piece of black gaffer tape covering a part of it. I peel it off to discover a nick in the rubber brake hose.
I called the supplying dealer up who MOT’d the bike and mentioned that they MOT’d the bike and this should be an MOT failure and I felt that it would only be correct on principle for them to at least cover the cost of a Goodrich rear hose which I would gladly fit. They apologised and kindly ordered one up straight away for me. A shiny new Goodridge hose duly arrives to match the braided front lines which will be the next job on the list…
Back in those rose tinted days of the ultimate 2 stroke 250cc GP racer replicas, Aprilia dominated the 1990’s and the ’00’s. A road going Aprilia race replica was every young riders dream bike. I worked holidays from the age of 13 so I could save enough for an Aprilia 50cc AF1 Reggiani replica, which was replaced by an Extrema 125 RS. The next step would have been the RS250, however life (University) intervened and it was not to be, but the desire to one day own one never diminished. I sold my RS175 (yes it seized and was replaced with a Malossi 175cc engine kit) in 1996, the same year as the ‘green pin stripe’ Chesterfield was released.
The 1996 Aprilia RS250 Chesterfield Mk1 was the racing replica tribute to the 250GP Aprilia racer that took Max Biaggi to three consecutive World Championships from 1994-1996.
Fast forward 24 years (and many RS250 enquiries over that time), it’s fitting that finally, a 1996 Mk1 RS250 Chesterfield becomes available with a mere 2,647 miles, this dealer pre registered +1 lady owner example is meant to be.
It’s for sale at a motorcycle dealer advertising on Ebay. I call, and by the end of the day the deed is done. When I go to collect two days later, I am shown a long list of prospective buyers who have left their numbers should the sale fall through. A scrutineering walk around the bike reveals that at some point in it’s low mileage life it has been down on its left side, this is evidence by a randomly placed sticker on the tail fairing and a non genuine decal on the front side fairing which by the looks of it must have received a new panel back in the day for which I’m grateful. Otherwise, the running gear looks as new, brakes, callipers, suspension look to have been nurtured and the right hand side of the bike is unmarked. The ultra low mileage engine should still be good for some time still along with all the running components.
Goodrich hoses another bonus when the bike was recommissioned and MOT’d by the previous owner in 2007 after sitting in the garage unused for a few years…where it subsequently went back to being unused.Hello! What’s this hiding?
I have to wait until I get home to find out what that sticker may be hiding…
A full history with no gaps is always wonderful to find. The original sales brochure a bonus!
I can’t wait to check over the rest of the bike and enjoy taking her for a trip down memory lane. The current Covid 19 lockdown means that for now she remains on SORN. Meanwhile the 3 month warranty that came with the bike is slowly counting down to nothing!!!
The February 2020 edition of Practical Sportsbikes has landed. Alas, the ZXR didn’t make the front cover picture, but it is mentioned on the front cover at least!! (Bottom right hand corner!)
Better yet though, “My blood runs cold, my memory has just been sold, my Angel is the Centrefold, Angel is the Centrefold!!”
You’ll have to buy the magazine to read it in full so I don’t get lynched for reprinting without permission!
The issue comes out exactly three years after first clapping eyes on her. In fact, here we are on the 4th of Feb 2017…resplendent with a sold tag on the handlebar!
Jim Moore kindly followed up the article with some Hi-res photos, taken by photographer Stuart Collins. Some of these didn’t feature in the article so I’m thrilled to have some proper hi res pics and also some behind the scenes shots.
Jim hamming it up for the camera… Nice screensaver!Getting ready to ‘gas it up’Just gassing…The conversation didn’t stop all day! I think Jim gave up with the pad and pen!
An extract of Jim’s concluding words;
“We all know how ZXR’s howl at high rpm like creatures of the night, and their road presence is every bit as aggressive and seductive as it ever was….Despite its vintage, the ZXR has lost none if its class. Getting to sample exactly how Kawasaki intended it to feel is a real privilege.”
Still teeming with excitement from the new purchase, there were a couple of bits I’d noticed prior to purchase that I wanted to sort out. First off, the paintwork was rough, like it had been poorly lacquered, when I mentioned to the seller that I wouldn’t have been happy with that finish, he looked taken aback, then he felt the surface, “ahh”, he said, “it’s just overspray where I’ve been spraying in the garage”. His recent RG125F project had been painted in the background and fine dust had settled all over the bike. A good clay barring later and it was as smooth as the proverbial with a perfect paint finish 🙂
The rear cotton reels that came with the bike didn’t fit correctly on one side as the ZXR has a recess on one side. Fortunately I had a spare R&G kit from my other ZXR and managed to combine the parts to get these installed.
His paddock stand was an under swingarm version, this conversion meant that I could use my Harris rear paddock stand which I’ve modified using brick tie debonding sleeves to prevent any scratches to the swingarm. Fortunately, having the under yoke stand already from my M1 ZXR meant I had everything needed to get the wheels off the ground!
The bike had after market hand grips fitted, the throttle side grip was a bit baggy so thankfully I was able to still source these parts new.
Aah, so much better!!
Freshens the controls up nicely 🙂
The bike came with a replica nose cone decal as the original is now unobtanium. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy decal to apply, so I messed it up. The previous owner hadn’t fitted it as it didn’t line up properly anyway. So with a ruined decal anyway, I ordered some replica decals from RDdecals in the USA. They cost a small fortune, £120 landed with taxes paid for the nosecone and the rear tail number flanks.
I think the nosecone decal completes the look and ties the bike in nicely with its homologation sibling. It wasn’t easy to apply and the quality isn’t quite up to oem standards (it’s not matt finish or as thick/durable) but it’s probably the best of the repro decals on the market and it does the job nicely.
The battery appears to be well past its best, I’ve put it on the tender but it seems to deplete very quickly, I expect it’ll need a new one next season and tempted to go with the much lighter Shido lithium one. A Noco charge lead has been fitted in preparation;
The previous owner had fitted a new chain and sprockets, but due to not having a chain rivet tool had only fitted the clip on type master link. Fortunately he gave me the rivet link also. The clip type link has now made way for the rivet link.
With the chain now cleaned and re-oiled ready for its maiden voyage with me…
The shiny new Hagon rear shock, front forks were also refreshed with Hagon fork springs;
In other news, the spare engine has been strapped to a chair for a few weeks;
This has since been remedied with this new Sealey MES02 engine stand. I’m thinking maybe I should have used a traditional engine stand with motorbike adaptors which would grip the engine from one side only because while this stand holds the engine well, when I come to remove the heads I have nowhere else to bolt the front of the engine to!!
I’ve decided to get organised with some of these “really useful boxes”. They stack perfectly onto one another. I also have the bigger versions for larger items for each bike that are stored in the loft!
The bike is now insured but currently SORN’d. In the highly unlikely event that the weather looks good and the roads are clean at the beginning of Jan I might tax it because I’m itching to take it out now!!
So to the lovely new purchase. Poring over the 400 odd photos on the USB stick gives a good insight into what a lovely project this turned out to be, the amount of effort, time and general dedication invested by the previous owner is just fantastic. Having done my fair share of spannering, I can well appreciate and empathise with the work put in. I did a similar full nut and bolt restoration on an old Suzuki TS50X when I was 16, which was my first proper foray into the world of bike mechanics.
So this restoration came to be, when the gentleman I purchased from was on the hunt for a project. Somewhere in St.Helens, there was a ZXR looking a bit sorry for itself sitting in a lean to. The story goes, the chap in St Helens had bought this off a mate with a gearbox problem. He sourced a spare engine, put it in, couldn’t get it to run right, removed it, whereupon the project stalled and eventually the bike was offered for sale in bits and with 2 engines, neither of which apparently worked properly. The bike as it was bought.
Looking a bit sorry for itself…
So the new owner set about trying to get her running again. Using the spare engine that the previous owner couldn’t get to run right (misfire) it turned out to be an easy fix. The plug caps were corroded, hence the misfiring. Cleaning those up cured the misfire, the project could have stopped there and then, a fully running ZXR bought for a song, looked decent, ran well.
Rob however had bigger dreams, he didn’t like green and he bought this as a project, a project it was to be!! And so the project was on!!
The inspiration was the Itoham Suzuka 8hr Endurance winning racer from 1993…
The bike was stripped and the bare frame, sub frames, forks, swingarm etc despatched off to the body shop for spray painting…
In the meantime, Rob wanted to keep the bike original, so he looked into the gearbox fault on the original engine (literally)…
A selector rod retaining bolt had come loose resulting in the selector gears not selecting second and third. A gearset was previously sourced from ebay, although as it transpired, the original set still looks ok to me, nevertheless the lower mileage gear kit was fitted. This engine was subsequently re-fitted to the bike, along with the carbs from the replacement engine since they were previously tuned with a Factory Pro Ti needle and carb set along with a 4 degree ignition advancer.
With the frame back and the wheels now painted white, the rebuild commences in earnest…
The bodywork was also sent away for paintwork…
The build culminates in a Practical Sportsbikes Magazine feature…
In addition to everything covered by the magazine article, the bike was subsequently fitted with the 4 degree ignition advancer, the spare engine carb set as referred above, new front EBC discs and a Hagon rear shock…
What’s in store for her next?…stay tuned, hopefully she’ll get to see a race track!!
By now you’ll know I’m an avid ZXR fan! With a lovely M1 750R in the garage already, it’s not that one isn’t enough, rather; I’d love to have a go at track days and I can’t think of a better bike for me, the R is too special and valuable to chance on track for a bike track day novice…but a lower value version of what is essentially the same bike, with familiarity and a transferable skill set as well as an inherent passion for it in the first place, will surely make lavishing time and money on it so much easier…. thus began the hunt for a suitable track steed.
Good old ebay turned up a 1995 L3 ZXR750. These were the last of the ZXR’s although this one is a little different; The colour scheme was not a factory offered colour however it should have been since these were the colours of the Suzuka FIM 8 hour Endurance race winner of the Team Muzzy Itoham sponsored bike from 1993 ridden by Scott Russell and Aaron Slight, a vintage year for Kawasaki given Scott Russell’s efforts in the FIM Superbike championship.
This particular one had also been featured in Practical Sportsbikes’ March 2017 issue and had been subject to a total restoration to its current condition by the seller, who happens to be an engineer by trade.
The advert listed many new parts including; new front discs and pads all around, Goodrich brake hoses all around, new Dunlop Qualifier tyres, fresh paint to bodywork and frame, full exhaust, chain etc, there was also a new Hagon rear shock and fork springs.
It was on sale with a 28 day advert and was also being sold with a spare engine. While putting this on watch, I ordered the issue of the magazine where it appeared, unfortunately I bought one from Northern Ireland so it was going to take some time to come as it transpired.
I worried that someone else might snap this up so contacted the owner after a few days who kindly sent me photos of the magazine issue. In the intervening time, someone was after the spare motor and so this was going to be excluded from the sale, but given its intended use, I was keen for this to come with it, he kindly agreed to let me have first refusal of the motor, all the MOT history online checked out and so I quickly arranged to view it at the weekend, enlisting the help of a friend who conveniently also owns a van and is a fellow motorcycle enthusiast.
2 cups of tea and a few hours later…the bike is in the van and we’re homebound!!
I’m really pleased with this purchase, I have a huge folder of invoices and history and over 400 images on a USB as well as 2 issues of the bike mag, a spare engine complete with carbs and gearbox, a spare gear set and many other spare parts, including the original exhaust system. The seller was clearly a competent engineer, he had another couple of bike projects on the go and these were clearly a labour of love as opposed to money spinners. The reason for the sale was that the riding position exacerbated a hip injury when ridden any distance. I’m surprised this didn’t sell quicker, with it having been rebuilt it probably put some people off as the standard of any restoration can be questionable. Being a fellow owner who works on my own bikes, I had confidence that if the owner checked out, the bike would be a good one. I’m pleased to say, my faith was rewarded and I’m a proud owner of this individual ZXR 750 🙂
Finally, safely home and tucked up next to its homologation sibling…
Following a couple of email exchanges with Practical Sportsbike editor Chris Newbigging, who was searching for a ZXR for an upcoming feature, it transpires he was after a regular ZXR and not a homologation. His interest is piqued however with the idea that this is a NOS bike and a plan hatches to cover what it’s like to be running a NOS bike after so many years dormant. This bike had effectively covered 24 miles in 24 years, now 26 years old, what horrors (or not) may await!
He informs me a month or so later, that he would like to send motorcycle journalist Jim Moore down to cover the bike who he assures me is a”safe pair of hands”.
After a phonecall with fellow Katana owner Jim, a date is therefore set for a visit, accompanying Jim is photographer Stuart. We’ve also managed to arrange with Lydden Hill to borrow their circuit as a backdrop for some photos to which they very generously agreed.
After a morning in the garage, where my beautifully clean R  enjoys being papped by a professional, Jim and myself go through much of the ownership experience and how it came to be. It’s raining outside so we decide to scope out Lydden and see if it will be suitable. It is. Fortunately on our return the rain has stopped and Jim rides my bike to the circuit. Stuart snaps away and banks some decent shots for the feature. The ZXR is in its home environment here, an apt setting for this race homologation special.
Moving on from Lydden, we take an extended ride to seek out some corners for some road shots. Jim covers 50 miles on the ZXR and we’ll have to await the publish of the magazine to read his thoughts…in the meantime…a couple more unprofessional cameraphone photos of the day…
It’s the first time Jim has ridden a homologation ZXR so it will be intriguing to learn how he feels and what memories he has of it once he’s had a chance to gather his thoughts after a day that involved many hours of a round trip as well as what was nearly 7 hours worth of talking and riding that seemed to pass far too quickly!!
It’s always a pleasure to chat away with fellow bike owners and the day was made all the better by some genuinely great company!
