Just bought 92' FZR 600

[Lorenzai]

Hey guys. I just bought an fZR 600 last night. It has 8600 miles on it and it does run. It is in need of a carb sync and a battery. So I got it hlme and just realized that while the ignition is on and its not running, I can't seem to get it to shift out of neutral. I haven't tried it when its running because its so late and the battery is flat on it. Is this normal or did I just get ripped off?

So ill list what I know about her starting with the good,
Starts up and runs with ease, no smoke,
Brand new rotors and pads,
Brand new tires
Brand new rear sprocket and very low mile chain,
15 miles on oil change
New front forks
Bad stuff:
Previous owner painted the plastics and then proceeded to run them over with his car (wtf)
Carburetors need to be synchronized
Small oil drip from drain plug ( probably crush washer or something, the engine is clean enough to eat off

8697 miles.. Paid $800.

[4wred]

Looks nice for what you paid!
When mine isn't running I sometimes have to move the bike a little while going in or out of neutral but it does go into or out of gear without too much trouble.
Why new front forks with that mileage so low?? Maybe the bike was in a accident? I would really go over that bike really good and check for any hidden damage under the plastics.

[Lorenzai]

I know it sounds goofy with him replacing the forks but he gave me the other set of forks with it. There's nothing wrong with them, he just replaced them because they were cheaper than having the seals replaced.

[Lorenzai]

It went into gear after I moved it. How crazy. My old 86 Yamaha YMF80 does the same thing. Thank for the tip! It's been so long since I've ridden a clutched bike its like learning all over again. I stalled it .
I ended up pulling the plastics off of it because the one side was all busted up. I like it so far.

[Lorenzai]

So I have a question. Can the FZR run without a battery? If its bump started or jumped from a car should it continue to run minus a battery or with a very dead battery? The reason I ask is because I'm trying to figure out if I just have a bad battery or if I'm encountering a bad voltage regulator or stator. The bike will jump start and run well when connected to my car. When the leads come off it starts to break up and miss when you give it throttle until eventually it dies. I tested the battery and it tested only 7.4V so I'm sure it has 2 or 3 dead cells. What do you guys think? Just the battery?

[willandrip]

They won't run without the battery being fully charged.

Toss that battery away RIGHT NOW.

You are not only at great risk of damaging the R/R which is a weak unit but more importantly the TCI ignitor unit.

Use a multimeter to check voltage on the new battery once installed.
There are swathes of information on charging issues and upgrades on this forum.

On gear selection; the pinions will have been slightly out of mesh and when rotated even a fraction were then able to engage. Most transmissions work like this.

One small tip; If you run sans the bottom fairing either remove or use a small self tapper to restrain each of the two hard plastic covers that go over the headlight bulbs.
With no lowers, the airflow is swirling behind the nosecone and the caps will be rattled loose,sucked away and disappear
into some roadside verge.
(don't ask)

[Lorenzai]

In the trash it goes! Well, actually I'll use it for the core charge so I get 10 dollars off a new one. Thanks for clarifying that the low battery isn't just annoying but can actually cause damage. I will keep that knowledge in mind. I've been a car guy for a long time so I do have mechanical inclination but with more modern fuel injected vehicles. I know alternators and coil packs a lot better than I know stators and cdi systems. .

[Lorenzai]

Changed the battery today. Runs 100% better.I am very pleased with this bike so far. Still twitchy as heck at low rpm but its not bogging down, I guess these bikes are just like that? I put about 20 miles on it today practicing starts and stops and doing figure 8s and stuff, just trying to really get used to her. I learned a valuable lesson about putting a foot down too early and throwing my balance off. That is a great way to end up dumping your bike, although luckily I didn't. Also taught myself to hill start using the rear brake so I don't roll backwards. I'm going to end up taking the MSF eventually anyway, but I'm definitely learning fast. It'll probably be a shocker when I learn how many things I do incorrectly. Lol. I'm going to get more riding gear besides just a helmet soon. I was wondering about gloves though. I'm all for helmets and leather jackets and pants, but why gloves? I have always felt that the only gloves that would actually offer protection to your hands would be too cumbersome to use on a bike. In the same token any glove that is thin enough to be convenient for riding is probably near worthless when it comes to protecting your hands. I'll probably ride without them unless someone convinces me otherwise.

[willandrip]

You noticed how much better your bike ran when it had a functioning battery fitted.

Now use that equation as a comparison to the gloves/no gloves scenario.

You crash and the immediate and uncontrollable reaction of the rider is to put out their hands to protect/slow the impact.

Without gloves, hands,particularly palms are torn to ribbons but don't worry; the friction burns prevent bleeding to death.

With gloves the leather or other material takes a great deal of the tearing and burning that your skin would receive.

Gloves are also important to protect against weather conditions.

Modern styles are lightweight, breathable and have some rigid pieces externally.

No gloves can be made to protect against all injuries,...the intention is to minimise damage.

The cost is minimal for acceptable quality.

You only are supplied with one set of hands from the manufacturer.

Possibly you think this post is all "pussy" ?...no not that type.

*****Go find a very cheap pair of workmans' gloves.
Put one on your hand and then put your hand in a small fire for *5 seconds.
Were you burnt ?
No... that's good.
Do the same without the glove.
When your hand is healed from the burns sufficiently to use the keyboard ,report back.

*5 seconds is about how long your hands will be in contact with the asphalt if you crash.

***** DO NOT DO THIS.

I cannot impress on you how important safety wear is on a motorcycle....esp. one easily capable of 140mph figure speeds in the hands of a novice.

[AussieFZR]

Think how valuable yr hands are, without them u can't do much so its important to protect them. I recommend gloves with Palm sliders, which help reduce the risk of broken wrists. Imagine sliding on both palms n ripping yr skin off, someone else will have to wipe yr ass for u, I know cos it happed to a mate of mine who went down tore his palms to shreds, broke both wrists. It's not a vital organ but yr hands are everything.

[Lorenzai]

I've had my paws (hands) burnt up by fire quite badly in the past. 2nd degree. I was thinking more along the lines of gloves impeding your control of the bike, but maybe that is not so. I am fully aware that I am a beginner when it comes to these big bikes and I'm doing my best to give it the respect that it deserves. I didn't buy it with intention to do 'stuntin' or any of that stupid teenage stuff. I have a pretty healthy respect / fear of what could happen with this bike. Its actually a bit strange because some people call these beginner bikes and some don't. After owning one less than a week, despite being extremely careful, I'd have to say I'm on the 'not for beginners' side. I was originally lusting after the Ninja 500, but I went to a Kawasaki dealership and sat on one, took it off the stand and decided I really disliked the center of gravity. The fzr is so much better balanced.

[willandrip]

Maybe watch some motorcycle racing and see if the wearing of gloves prevents the riders being in total control of their machines.

What you have to remember on a motorcycle is you always come off second best when road conditions or other drivers cause an accident.

Things can go wrong very quickly until you learn to predict the above.

I think a lot of people nowadays do regard smaller bikes as beginners machines.

I regard the FZR range as being akin to a scalpel as opposed to an axe.

They are not so much big bikes ....but any sportsbike is always wanting to be run at speed.
They don't really come into their own lugging in high gears like a cruiser would.
The riding position does not suit it, nor does the engine.

They are old and cheap to buy now.......everyone wants the latest thing.

Just try a cheap set of gloves first......any gloves are better than none......I guarantee you will manage the controls
even if they feel alien at first.

Good luck.

[Lorenzai]

Thanks - and thanks for explaining reasoning behind your position. I found a pretty sweet looking set of gloves for about $33.00 USD so I'll add those to the cart when I get my jacket + pants. I'm buying a different helmet as well. The helmet I have is a motocross helmet that doesn't have a shield. It's DOT approved and all, but in my state you have to wear eye protection. So instead of fiddling with goggles or glasses I guess I'll just get a full face helmet. The hardest part of it all is going to be maintaining a color scheme / pattern for all my gear... .

[DonTZ125]

Between street and track I've got so much time wearing gloves that NOT wearing gloves is both unnerving and uncomfortable. Properly fitted race gloves allow significant dexterity, and are actually relatively thin across the upper palm and bottom of the fingers. Where the heavy sections are found is on the heel and edge of the hand, which are the areas most likely to experience the heaviest friction.

I actually found riding without gloves led to sore spots at the base of my index and middle fingers; my 'gloved' riding style encouraged a looser grip, that lead to some squirming of my hand against the throttle grip. Wearing gloves improved my grip and removed the irritation.

They're far and away the cheapest part of your riding gear, and do more to protect you than anything else short of your helmet.

Please. Wear 'em.

RACE Am#125 (ret'd), '94 TZ125

I regard the FZR range as being akin to a scalpel as opposed to an axe.

Heh - I remember the time some factory riders in the National Open Sportbike classes borrowed a few of the 125s in the paddock one practice Friday. The looks on their faces was hilarious when they came back in, and the word "scalpel" was used repeatedly, and with a fair degree of awe ...

[Lorenzai]

So I just realized that although the tires on my Fizzer are brand new, the rear tire is not the correct size. It's a 130/60/18, and Kenda brand. I've never heard of Kenda so I can only imagine it's cheaper than dirt off brand Taiwanese junk. Considering that I am learning on this bike, I am thinking about taking the new tires off of it and maybe selling them. I think the front tire is the correct size, but I've always been told to replace tires in pairs on cars and it seems like on a bike, since you only have two wheels to begin with, it would be even more imperative. So I am looking for a good set of tires. I don't want a set of full on race tires since I might drive it in wet conditions occasionally and I want to have as much grip in that situation as possible. I want 120MM wide front, and 150MM wide rear.