FZRSupport: the FZROnline Archive

Hi guys I just picked up a 93 FZR600 for a song and am trying to get it right. Previous owner parked it for three years. Bad battery gummed carbs = Sweet Deal. I replaced the battery and pulled the carbs, stipped and dipped with new O-rings and gaskets. Seems to to run great now except for two problems that I would love some input on:

First off my tach is indicating at least double the actual RPMs. I haven't hook up a different tach yet, but what to my ears it ~1000-RPM is reading 3-4000 RPM. It red-lines at just over a quarter throttle. Now I am no psychic, but I KNOW the bike is not at 12k RPMs, it doesn't even begin pulling (hitting the powerband) until its reading 10 or 11K and by ear it is only starting to really rev. I don't want to seem like a know-it-all, but I've ridden ~100 miles and at first I thought the bike was a dud, then I convinced myself to let it rev. If you ignore the tach it really runs like it should. I've ridden a lot of bikes and can pretty much tell when you're in the power band and when you need to shift and on this bike this all happens after the tach has pegged. I'm convinced that its not over-reving, just that the tach is grossly inaccurate and was hoping the experts here had some advice on what might be the issue.

Front brakes have no "pedal" and don't move the calipers at all. I pulled the calipers apart and freed up the pistons still nothing. With the banjo bolt at the MC out squeezing the handle will give you a squirt of brake fluid so I assume the MC is OK. I've bled and bled but it doesn't seem to help .What do I try next? More bleeding?

I look forward to hearing the advice of the FZR experts and appreciate all your help! I'll try posting a pic as well, but first time on this board so bear with me!

Welcome aboard, I am not sure on the tach issue but the front brakes can take a while to bleed, I say keep trying to bleed and see if it gets any better. Or R6 master cyl and caliper swap, BIG difference

MaParkerColo wrote:I look forward to hearing the advice of the FZR experts and appreciate all your help! I'll try posting a pic as well, but first time on this board so bear with me!

Woah hold on there are experts here?!! ha ha welcome aboard guy. good luck with the bike. the tach is run electronicly so other than a broken/loose wire or a flukey ECU module im not sure there.

Bleeding brakes on these bikes can be frustrating. Do a search as this topic has been covered many a time. There might even be some tips in the Wiki tab. Other techniques to consider are via a Mity Vac or a Phoenix Injector, The Mity Vac draws a vaccum to pull the fluid to the caliper from the MC and the Pheonix Injector uses a reverse flow technique from the calipers to the MC.

Looks like somebody has had the polishing wheel out on the engine covers, calipers, heal guards and hoops. And other bits may have had a chrome bath. Maybe its just he light. Either way it looks like you have solid base to start from, Welcome.

Get a voltmeter across your battery sometime quite soon. Charging voltage a bit above idle should be no more than 14.4Vdc.

One of the early indicators of a failing voltage regulator (VR) is spastic tach syndrome. If left untreated it can take out various other electricals...like the nicely expensive TCI (ignition ignitor).

Thanks for all the input...It really is a nice bike to start with. The wheels are indeed chromed. I really got lucky with the find and the fact the PO didn't have the knowledge or initiative to do a few hours worth of work so that he could have charged way way more!

I'll check the voltage too, great tip as I am all too familiar with a similar failing from riding older Suzuki GS's. The R/R wasn't big enough/well enough designed, it fried allowing the stator to cook and pretty soon you have an expensive nightmare! Quick fix there was using and R/R from a Honda. What's the standard fix/upgrade for the FZR VR? I'll search too don't worry!

I spent a couple hours bleeding the front last night and finally got some pressure. I ended up having to replace the little O-rings between the caliper halves. They were so crushed/dried out that they didn't seal. After that it was simply a matter of pumping the lever to try and fill the calipers and get the air out. What a PITA but at least I have some front brake now! I'll probably need to bleed it some more, but I'll test ride it first and then decide.

Thanks for the help!

Search:

VR upgrade

or:

R6 VR

and you will find plenty of info on reg/rectifier swaps.

If yours has a four wire VR, it is the early model. Late model units used five wires (dedicated ground is the additional wire-instead of relying on the VR's own chassis to ground). The late model (FZR) and R6 VRs are much better.

Thanks everyone, I'll start into electrical next....joy.