Winter 1991 T h e K a w a s a k i T e c h n i c a l M a g a z i n e Vol. 4 No. 4

ROUTE LIST: o SERVICE o PARTS o SALESP L E A S E R E T U R N T O S E R V I C E L I B R A R Y

Although their respec-tive hulls are unique,every discussion of thesenew watercraft begins withtheir engines. Both craftshare the same in-line,twin-cylinder, 743cc two-stroke engine. Eventhough the new 750 en-gine’s overall layout issimilar to the 650 series ofengines, it is completelynew from the ground up. Itboasts a 4mm larger bore(at 80mm) and a 6mmlonger stroke (76mm) thanthe 650 engine.

This new engine fea-tures an aluminum cylin-der with cast-iron linerswhich extend below thecylinder base to reducepiston slap. The pistonsare an aluminum siliconalloy with two steel ä

by Patrick KellyInstructional Designer/Instructor

With the introduction ofnot one but two new highperformance watercraft for1992, Kawasaki has givenhe competition a stagger-ing one-two punch! Andnot only will the competi-tion be amazed, but so willyou the first time you takea spin on either the JS750-A1 “750 SX,” or the JH750-A1 “750 SS.” Never beforehas there been such highperformance offered in apersonal watercraft, and ittook Kawasaki’s perform-ance and engineering ex-pertise to do it.

Start with theengines...

Inside!n Service tips & more!

1-2-3 PunchCONTlNUED FROM PAGE 1

piston rings. The rings–upper ring a keystone type,lower a rectangular type–are plated with “quickbreak-in” chrome plating,porous coating which re-tains oil for optimum lubri-cation and low friction.The 750’s intake system

consists of an intake si-lencer, Keihin CDK II40mm carburetor, and tworankcase-mounted eight-petal reed valves. Lubrica-on is handled by Super-lube automatic oil injection.

The 750’s exhaust gas-ses travel through a pre-

muffler, then an expansionchamber, water box muf-fler, exhaust silencer (afirst in Kawasaki water-craft history), and finallyan exhaust outlet in thestern.

The exhaust systems dovary slightly between thetwo craft, with the 750 SSfeaturing a “dry” type of ex-pansion chamber, similarto the one used on the650 TS and 650 SC. The“dry” exhaust increasesthe engine’s performanceby waiting until after theexpansion chamber to mixin the cooling water, allow-ing the expansion chamberto operate more efficiently.

Electronic ignition a firstThe biggest news aboutthis new powerplant is thedigital capacitive dis-charge ignition (CDI),used for the first time onany personal watercraft.Digital ignition uses a mi-croprocessor and a pre-determined timing datamap to control the ignitiontiming very accuratelythroughout the rpm range,for optimum performanceat all engine speeds. Forexample, the timing canbe ideal for easy startingand also for maximum top

end power. In addition, thedigital ignition’s rev limiteris much more accurate,controlling engine rpm to8000 ±100, while conven-tional analog ignitions areonly accurate to ±250rpm.

This new ignition worksin conjunction with a watertemperature sensor, lo-cated in the water bypassline, to limit engine rpm to3500 anytime the coolingwater temperature risesabove 194° F.- Patrick Kelly

Easy mainte-nance pump

The wonderful new 750engine is matched to anaII new jet pump. The new750 jet pump is an axialflow single-stage pumpsimilar in layout and sizeto the 650 series ofpumps, having an impellerthat is the same diameter,at 140mm. The impeller isaII new in design and fea-tures a varied pitch with aspecially contoured trailing-blade edge to help mini-mize cavitation erosion.

The scoop section of thepump is now part of thehull, making pump sealingeasier when removing andreplacing the pump. Thepump driveline also fea-tures a rubber damper toabsorb shock loads and re-duce driveline noise.

What do all these power-plant and jet pump fea-tures add up to? Well, howabout a whopping 63 hpand 551 Ibs of thrust onthe 750 SX and an evenmore incredible 69 hp and570 Ibs of thrust on the750 SS!

Impressive hullsThe hulls on these new

craft are as impressive astheir powerplants. The 750SX has been designedwith the aggressive riderin mind. Its hull features alarger dead-rise angle as

compared to our otherstand-up watercraft. Thiscombines excellentstraight-line stability at thehigh speeds the boat is ca-pable of with outstandingcornering ability. The 750SX also has the provenself-righting and self-cir-cling features as found onall of Kawasaki’s otherfine stand-up craft.

The 750 Super Sportalso has a unique newhull design. It too featuresa large dead-rise angle forexcellent straight-line sta-bility. Special attentionhas been given to theSS’s cornering ability aswell. It has been designedto keep its pump in thewater and corner very pre-dictably, without surprises.

The 750 SS can alsobrag about such key itemsas an LED fuel gauge, aswell as LED’s to warn oflow oil level and overheat-ing.

You can’t fully appreci-ate all the great featuresof these magnificent wa-tercraft by reading aboutthem or looking at a fewphotographs. Just as noth-ing can fully describe thethrill of riding a ZX-11,words alone can’t fully de-scribe the thrill of ridingeither of these new water-craft, except the feelingyou’ll have the momentyou push that throttle tothe stop, and hang on! o

2 l K-Tech News

New Parts Publications Specialist

Technical Services ispleased to announce theaddition of David Pyle asParts Publications Special-ist. His is the new voiceyou have heard if you’vecalled the Micro-K depart-ment recently.

David comes to us fromearn Green where he hasworked as a technician forthe last five years. His re-sponsibilities at Team

$100 reward!Here at Kawasaki Tech-nical Services, we havemade a New Year’s reso-lution to get more techtips from you “hands-on”people at the dealer-ships. To that end, begin-ning with the new year,we will send a $100check to any KawasakiTechnician who submitsa tip that we print in K-Tech News. Tips couldinclude such things ascreative diagnostic tech-niques, homemade spe-cial tools, time-savingideas, quick solutions tocommon problems, etc.

So send in your ideas.If we print it, we’ll sendyou a check for $100!Write to K-Tech News,c/o Tech Services Dept.,Kawasaki Motors Corp.,U.S.A. o

Green included prepara-tion of the KX500s which,ridden by Ted Hunnicuttand Larry Roeseler, havedominated the SCORE off-road racing series for thelast three years.

Before that, Davidworked for two years inthe West Region parts dis-tribution center. His techni-cal background and ener-getic attention to detail arewhat make David espe-cially qualified for this posi-tion.

In both of David’s pre-vious positions at KMC,he worked extensivelywith the Micro-K systemand had lots of contactwith dealership personnel.David says he enjoys thatcontact with the dealer-ship people and looks for-

ward to more of the samein his new job. He clearlyunderstands how impor-tant Micro-K is to the deal-ership and already hassome ideas about how toimprove the usefulnessand accuracy of this impor-tant tool.

Dave’s only request: Ifyou have any problemwith a Kawasaki Micro-Kproduct, please call him orsend in a Micro-K ReportCard. o

Micro K-TechGood news! No morehunting all over the shopfor a back issue of K-TechNews, knowing that a)someone has it at home;b) someone has lost it; orc) someone has hidden itfrom you.

All past issues of K-Techare now on microfiche.Starting with this issue,you will receive “Micro K-Tech” on a regular basiswith every Winter issue.This way you will alwayshave easy access to allthe information.

An index at the top listsarticles by subject ratherthan title so it’s easy tofind exactly what you’relooking for. We hope thatyou will find this new addi-tion to be a useful tool. o

by David PyleMicro-K Specialist

Here’s an idea to saveyour Parts Departmentand your customers timeand avoid mistakes.

How many times has acustomer come into yourstore to order parts andgiven your parts personthe wrong year or modelinformation for his or hervehicle?

For example: The cus-tomer has a KX500-E3(‘91); he bought it in De-cember 1990 and he re-members that year, notthe model year. So you or-der a rear disc for him,which of course has holes(‘90 version) instead ofslots (‘91).

Most dealerships have ex-perienced this kind of thing.

Parts department time saverSo how can you avoid

the cost in time involved inan RFC, not to mentionhaving a dissatisfied cus-tomer? My suggestion isto have business cardshandy with your store’sname, address and phonenumber printed on them—and space for your cus-tomer’s vehicle or hull I.D.number, engine number,and vehicle color. Fill outone of these cards every

time you sell a new orused vehicle and give it toyour customers. Whenthey see that card in theirwallet, they will rememberyour dealership.

Also, leave someblanks at the partscounter for new custom-ers. They will be less like-ly to remove this card fromtheir wallet because it hasimportant informationabout their own vehicle. o

The Technical Magazine l 3

G U E S T S P O T

Winter 1991Vol. 4 No. 4©1991 Kawasaki MotorsCorp., U.S.A. (KMC).All rights reserved.

K-Tech News Staff

PublisherKawasaki Tech Services

Publications ManagerDon Church

Executive EditorGary Herzog

Editor-in-ChiefGregg ThompsonPatrick Kelly

Regional Editors

North and EastFred DeHart

Central and SouthWalter Rainwater

Contributors

Dave Behlings, John Porno,Joe Nowocinski, David Pyle,Steve Rice, Mary Sola,Ray St. John, Bill Zito

Graphics/Production

Graphic ArtGregg Thompson

Copy EditorPat Shibata

ProductionNickless Communications

Published by Kawasaki. Allsuggestions become theproperty of KMC. Sending aservice suggestion givesKawasaki permission topublish and/or use it withoutfurther consideration.Specifications subject tochange without notice.

4 l K-Tech News

Kawasaki conquers Baja 1000—again!by David PyleFormer Team GreenTechnician

The final results can besummed up by using themotto of one of the mostrespected men in motorsports today, Roger Pen-ske: “Effort = Results.”

No statement could becloser to the truth whentalking about Kawasaki’srecent victory in the Baja1000. For sure, I can’tthink of another race inwhich Kawasaki competesthat requires so much pre-race preparation.

Testing for this prestig-ious off-road event contin-ues pretty much all yearround. Team Green usesboth national “hare andhounds” and local districtdesert races as testinggrounds for suspension,engines and pipes. A ra-dar gun and tach are usedto determine a bike’s po-tential with different pipes,cylinders and gearing.

Because the Baja 1000is laid out differently eachyear, final settings mustbe chosen that will bestmatch the course condi-tions. This year’s coursewas relatively fast; ourrace-winning KX500-E4was able to race acrossthe dry lake beds andpaved sections of thecourse at just under 120mph thanks to a 16/42 fi-nal drive.

In stock form the KX500is an extremely capablemachine, but to be com-petitive in an event as gru-eling as the Baja 1000some changes are calledfor. An adjustable steeringdamper is used to keepthe big KX “on the straight

and narrow” at extremeracing speeds. Dunlop695 Desert “A.T.” rear andK139 front tires, designedto withstand the incredibleheat and brutal impacts ofthe rocky Mexican desert,replace the OEM rubber.Water pump and ignitionguards are added to theframe (similar to those ona KDX250), as are a wel-ded-on skid pan and analuminum rear disc guard.

Even the handlebarsget some special atten-tion: First a Bar Snake™is installed in the center;then molten lead is pouredin the ends; and finally analuminum plug is weldedin the ends of the bar,drilled and tapped to

accept Ninja 750 bar endweights. The result?Greatly reduced vibrationand rider fatigue.

The ignition is adaptedfrom the Japanese ver-sion of the KDX250 “SR.”This ignition system pro-duces enough wattage topower two 10-inch drivinglights from just above idle,and can be varied from100 to 200 watts. Thelights are mounted in alightweight frame that isrubber mounted on the tri-ple clamps. Four quick-release pins hold the as-sembly in place so that atsunset the lights can beinstalled on the bike inless than 10 seconds.

CONTlNUED ON PAGE 11

New A&Pchecklists!When you assemble anew motorcycle (or otherKawasaki product) and pre-pare it for customer deliv-ery, you fill out the Assem-bly and Preparation (A&P)Checklist. This helps youremember those small butimportant items that canundermine a customer’sconfidence in your store,and is a permanent recordof your thoroughness.

There were two differentKawasaki A&P checklists,one for vehicles and one forwatercraft. Recently, how-ever, we decided to makefuture checklists moreproduct-specific, deletingmany of the items thatnow must be crossed offbecause they do not applyto all products.

A&P checklists are nowavailable that cover motor-cycles, ATVs and utility ve-hicles separately. Free toauthorized Kawasaki deal-ers, the checklists come25 to the package.

You just received a ser-vice bulletin (SP91-01)with an initial supply of thenew checklists for youruse. But here’s the impor-tant part: All back orderson the old Kawasaki Ve-hicle Dealer’s A&PChecklist (P/N 99995-590-07) are cancelled.

Order what you need ofthe new checklists fromyour Kawasaki Parts Distri-bution Center:

NEW A&P CHECKLIST PART NOS.

Product line Checklist P/NMotorcycle 99964-1053-01ATV 99964-1052-01Utility Vehicle 99964-1051-01

’91 service bulletin recapCheck this list against your service bulle-tin binder to see if you have everythingthe Service Training and Communica-tions Department sent out during calen-dar year 1991. The dates given are for thelatest revisions, if any.

If you’re missing any of these andwould like copies, give us a call at (714)770-0400, Extension 2472.

MotorcycleService BulletinsNumber Date Title/SubjectMC91-01 3/8/91 Motorcycle Chronology TableMC91-02 3/8/91 ATV Chronology TableMC91-03 4/19/91 KZ1000-P8/9/10 Transmission

Bearing RecallMC91-04 6/21/91 ZX600-D2/L Camshaft Knocking

Factory Authorized RepairMC91-05 8/16/91 Voyager Audio Repair Service

JET SKI® WatercraftService BulletinsNumber Date Title/SubjectJS91-01 3/8/91 Watercraft Chronology TableJS91-02 6/28/91 JL650-A1/JF650-B3 Cooling Sys-

tem Blockage, Factory DirectedModification

JS91-03 7/19/91 JF650-A6 Steering Shaft Break-age Recall

JS91-04 8/23/91 JL650-A1 OilTank BlockageFactory Directed Modification

JS91-05 10/8/91 JF650-B1/2 Fuel Filler andGasket Recall

Marine ProductService BulletinsNumber Date Title/SubjectMR91-01 8/30/91 All JET MATE Maximum Capa-

cities Label Replacement

Racing SupportService BulletinsNumber Date Title/SubjectRS91-01 1/18/91 KX80-R1/T1 Race TuningRS91-02 4/12/91 KX125-H2 Race TuningRS91-03 4/12/91 KX250-H2 Race Tuning

Special ToolService BulletinsNumber Date Title/SubjectSP91-01 2/8/91 MULE 500 New Special ToolsSP91-02 7/19/91 MULE 500 Special Tool Mis-

assembled

Technical TrainingService BulletinsNumber Date Title/SubjectTR91-01 10/25/91 Technical Training Video Tapes

AvailableTR91-02 10/25/91 Technical Training Manuals

AvailableTR91-03 10/25/91 Technical Training Posters

and Wall Charts AvailableTR91-04 10/25/91 Special Service Publications

Available

KX125/250J Service Manual corrections!Make the following corrections in yourcopies of the KX125/250J Service Man-ual (P/N 99924-1153-01):

Page 4-16, bottom. The last photo onthe page should show the rod being in-stalled with the slotted end outward. Thelast sentence on the page should read:“Install the main valve rod (A) in the cylin-der so that the slotted end (B) is on theoutside.” (See i//us., right. -Ed.)

Page 13-4, Specifications. The firstsparkplug listed for the KX125-J1 shouldbe NGK R6254K-105. The KX125-J1sparkplug for (A), (C), (E) should be NGKR6252K-105 (resistor type).

That’s it. Aren’t you glad you saw thislittle gem of an article? - Ray St. John

The Technical Magazine l 5

by Gregg Thompson

I f you’ve run intotrouble lately try-ing to supplyyour 1992KX125-J1 andKX250-J1 cus-tomers withspark plugs, thisarticle is for you.While research-

ing this article, I found sixfactory recommendedplugs in the standard heatrange for the 125 plus acouple more that can beused in a pinch.

The standard plug forthe US model KX125-J1 isthe NGK R6254K-105.The Canadian resistorplug (R6252K-105) is virtu-ally identical and can be in-terchanged. These areracing-type plugs with aspecial (short) groundelectrode that is very resis-tant to breakage.

The microfiche also liststhe R4630A-105 which isthe same as the R6254K-105, but with a platinumcenter electrode. This plug

costs a lot more and theonly real advantage it of-fers is increased wear re-sistance.

As another alternate forthe R6254K-105, theR6254E-105 can be used.The only difference here isit comes with a 0.6mmgap instead of 0.8mm. Be-cause of the short groundelectrode on these racingplugs, the gap is not con-sidered adjustable, but the0.6mm gap will work.

If you are looking forsomething a little morecommon, the microfichealso lists the B10EVX; the“X” at the end indicates aplatinum center electrode.The B10EV is the same(fine wire) plug, but with-out the platinum. Theseare not “racing” type plugsand should be changedmore often-the groundelectrode can fatigue andbreak off under extremeconditions or extended use.

Also listed on the micro-fiche are the ND W31ES-ZU and W31ESR-ZU, theNippon Denso equivalent

A plug (or two ) for the KX line ...of the standard NGKplugs.

The story is a little differ-ent with the KX250. Otherthan the standard NGKR6254E-9, the microfichelists only the resistor plug(R6252E-9) and the plati-num plug (R4630A-9).This doesn’t give you a lotof alternatives if you can’tget the standard plug forsome reason. The B9EVXis not listed because of atendency to fatigue in thisengine and lose its groundelectrode.

Because of this poten-tial problem, you shouldstick with the racing-styleplug whenever possible.But if you don’t have theracing plug (any port in astorm?), the B9EV orB9EVX will work. Justbear in mind that theground electrode is a littlefragile for this engine, sochange the plug often.

Most spark plugs canbe ordered from Kawasakiusing the spark plug num-ber (i.e. R6254K-105) asthe part number. o

Warm ‘em up firstby John PomoProduct Support Specialist

R emoving brake discs from any of our KXmodels can be a little difficult because ofthe locking agent used at the factory on themounting bolts. We have even heard of afew guys using a hammer and impact driverto get them loose -not a good idea! Thesmall mounting flanges on the hub whichthese boIts thread into can be easily bro-ken by using an impact driver.

To remove these bolts (and any bolt se-cured by a locking agent), use a propanetorch to heat the bolts first. Then, removethe bolts with a wrench while they are stillhot. o

6 l K-Tech News

KX250-J1piston newsThe 1992 KX250-J1 pis-ton has a hard ceramiccomposite coating aroundthe bottom of the skirt de-signed to increase pistondurability. Early productionunits have shown someunusual piston wear thathas been traced to thishard coating. On later pro-duction units and all spareparts pistons, the ceramiccoating has been modifiedand the bottom of the skirtis chamfered more. Themodified pistons do not ex-hibit the same rapid wear.

The wear that occurs onthe earlier piston may bemistaken for damage re-sulting from a seizure. Inextreme cases, it appearsaround the entire skirt andup the intake side of thepiston. Although the wearcan look pretty bad attimes, it typically does notresult in any performanceloss or engine failure.

You can reduce an earlypiston’s tendency to dothis by increasing thechamfer at the bottom ofthe piston from 0.5mm to2.0mm. The later pistonsalready have a 2.0mmchamfer.- Gregg Thompson

You don’t have to bleedHave you ever hadtrouble bleeding the frontbrake on a late-model KXbike? You bleed it andbleed it, and just can’t getthat firm lever you know itshould have?

The cause could be bub-bles of air hiding out in thehighest point of the hy-draulic line. As you pumpfluid through the system,you’re trying to force thesebubbles down that longhose toward the caliper.But some of the bubblesmay choose to obey otherlaws of physics and drift uphill, creating a three stepsforward, two steps backsituation.

Why not get allthe laws of physicson your side bybleeding thatair bubbleuphill.Take themastercylinder off the handlebar

and hold it up with the hy-draulic line straight andthe ball end of the leverpointing up. Now pushon the front caliper,forcing the piston allthe way into the cali-per body. This willforce a largevolume offluid uphillinto thereser-voir.While holding the

master cylinderhigh, pump the

caliper back up,wait about a minute

and then push the caliperin again. If the prob-lem was air trappedin the line, thisshould take care of it.

If this proceduredoesn’t solve theproblem, look for a

misaligned caliper mountor a bent or cupped disc.- David Pyle

A couple of quickies ...It’s a fairly common practice for dealer mechanics touse grease as an anti-seize compound on spark plugthreads. This is not a good idea because the grease actsas an insulator and can actually change the heat rangeof the plug. Anti-seize compounds specifically formu-lated for this application have metallic particles in themto improve their conductive properties.

n Have you ever had trouble getting a woodruff key to stay inplace while you put the flywheel on? Try putting a drop of superglue or evensome heavy ma-rine-type greaseon it to hold it. Tipthe leading edgeof the key downslightly so its lesslikely to catch theedge of the key-way in the fly-wheel when youslide it on. As youtighten the fly-wheel on the ta-per, the superglue will breakloose and allowthe key to seatproperly in thegroove.

- Steve Rice

Gasoline: What you see is not always what you get!I t’s an unfortunate fact oflife in the motorcycle fastlane that when your cus-tomers gas up their bikes,fuel is not always the onlything they’re putting intotheir tanks. Depending onthe type and condition ofthe underground storagetanks at the gas stations,they can also be adding avariety of contaminants in-cluding water, rust, anddirt along with the gas.

Kawasaki vehicles areequipped with a fine-meshscreen on the petcock tokeep these contaminantsout of the carburetors, buttiny particles and water

still get through and cancause trouble in the carbs.

Inspecting the carbs forthese “bad news intrud-ers” is a good procedureto include in a normal tuneand service. Just drain thefuel from each carb bowlinto a cup and inspect it. Ifit has anything in it, turnthe fuel valve on (“pri”)and allow some fuel to runthrough the bowl, flushingout any other debris that isin there.

This same procedurealso works well for flush-ing any contaminants outof the float valve. When acarburetor has a problem

overflowing fuel while theengine is running, it’s usu-ally caused by debriscaught in the valve.The debris doesn’tflow through thevalve becausethe valve onlyopens a tinybit to allowenough fuelflow to sup-ly the engine.When the floatbowl is drained,the float dropsto the bottomallowing the

valve to open wide. Thenwhen you turn on the fuel,it will usually rinse the cul-prit right out.- Dave Behlings

The Technical Magazine l 7

T I P S F R O M T H E S P E C I A L I S T S

Police bikes: Making the most of chains and sprocketsby Bill ZitoNational Police MotorcycleCoordinator

Part of the curriculum inour Police MotorcycleMaintenance course is adiscussion of proper drivechain maintenance andservice life expectancy.The Kawasaki Police1000 motorcycle comesequipped with a high qual-ity endless “O” ring chain.Even when the Police1000 motorcycle is sub-jected to rather severe en-forcement usage, theOEM drive chain andsprockets should have aminimum service life of15,000 to 20,000 miles—providing proper mainte-nance and adjustmentprocedures are observed.

Because the lubricantfor the pin and bushing issealed in with “O” rings,the chain needs only lightexterior lubrication. In fact,for long life it is just as im-portant that the chain bekept clean. Dirt is very abra-sive and will wear the chainand sprockets prematurely.

As part of routine main-tenance, the chain shouldbe cleaned and lubed aboutevery 200 miles. With thebike on its center stand,spin the rear wheel andspray a light coat of chainlube on both sides of therollers. Then, with a cleantowel, grasp the lowerchain run and turn the rearwheel backwards to wipeoff the dirt and excesslube. (Always turn thewheel backwards to avoidpulling your hand into therear sprocket; never usethe engine to rotate thechain while you clean it!)

If the chain has a heavydirt build up, it should beremoved from the motorcy-cle for proper cleaning. Af-ter taking it off, clean itusing a light lubricant likeKawasaki Multi-lube, WD-40, or Bel Rey 6-in-1. Donot use cleaning solventslike those found in partswashers (which attack the“O” rings) or high pressurepower washers. Use onlysoft bristle brushes (i.e.nylon or plastic), nevermetal wire type.

After the chain hasbeen cleaned, spray alight coat of chain lubeover the rollers (bothsides) and let it set whileyou clean the sprocketsand the area around theengine sprocket.

Another important partof chain maintenance isadjustment. This includes

providing the properamount of chain slack andmaking sure the rearwheel is aligned properly.If the chain is too tight, notonly will the chain andsprockets wear rapidly,but the transmission bear-ing on the output shaft be-hind the front sprocket willfail prematurely. The chain

Proper chain tension and wheel alignment are key.

TECHNICALITIES

When doing a Tune and Serviceon a KZ1000P (Police) model,don’t forget to check the mechani-cal timing advancer. It must belubed and operate freely. If this isoverlooked and it becomes dry, itcan stick and not operatesmoothly. Also the springs canrust or get weak. When these con-ditions occur, the advancemechanism malfunctions result-ing in poor throttle response andan unhappy motor officer. So helpkeep your customers happy byputting this little item on your Tuneand Service list. - John Pomo

8 l K-Tech News

KZ1000P (Police) tune and service tiprequires 1.2 to 1.6 inchesof slack measured at themiddle of the bottomchain run with the bike onthe center stand. Withless slack than this, thechain will be pulled tighterthan a bow string at somepoint in the suspensiontravel putting enormouspressures on the finaldrive components.

The specified chainslack may seem exces-sive to you, but it is cor-rect and very important forlong chain and sprocketlife. o

“Quick, Jack, quick jack!”Look-alike filtersMost Kawasaki spin-ontype oil filters look virtuallyidentical on the outside.They will physically inter-change from one model toanother. From time to timethe Hot Line gets calls fromdealers wondering if theycan stock just one of theseseemingly interchange-able filters and sell it for all

models it will fit. In a word:no! While they may lookthe same, all of these fil-ters are different internallyand have different flowrates. As a rule, it is not agood idea to interchangethese filters unless yourK-Share terminal or partsprice guide says to.- Gregg Thompson

200 mph repair manCongratulations onceagain to Hot Line staffmember Steve Rice forwinning his secondstraight Dragbike U.S.A.OHC Funny Bike champi-onship. Steve clinched thetitle by taking the overallwin at the last meet of theyear in Gainesville, Fla.

On his way to winningthe ’91 championship,Steve eclipsed the 181mph Funny bike record heset last year, nailing downa new record of 7.088 sec.at 192 mph!

Steve’s bike has a turbo-charged, fuel-injected, al-cohol-burning 1260ccKZ1000-P10 based en-gine housed in a hand-built frame with an 80 in.wheelbase and 10-inch-wide Goodyear Racingslick. It’s potential? Onother occasions during the

year, Steve was clockedat over 200 mph. . .

Steve says that one ofthe most enjoyable partsof going to races all overthe country (35,000 milesthis year) is meeting in-person some of theKawasaki mechanics hetalks to on the Hot Line.

What about setting allthese records and winningback-to-back champion-ships?

“I’m just a motorcycle re-pair man,” he says.“Please don’t tell mymom!”

Yeah, right Steve. Well,next year, be on the look-out for one quick motorcy-cle repair man at a dragstrip near you. o

Kawasaki’s 192mphHot Line staffer Riceon his “other line . ”

Have you ever found your-self looking for an easyway to jack up a four-wheeler or a bike withouta center stand to work onthe suspension or changea tire? Well, Kawasaki hasa great solution:

The heavy duty “DualScissor” jack is solid, sta-ble and easy to use. Youwon’t believe how popularthis tool will become inyour shop.

A set of short adapters(for low vehicles like the

VN1500 Vulcan) is avail-able under a separate partnumber. Order today!- Joe Nowocinski

Dual Scissor Jack: P/N 57001-1238Short Adapters: P/N 57001-1252

Double duty tool siphonsgas or waterRemember the article in dem Sport (TS). To savethe Summer ’91 issue of you the trouble of lookingK-Tech News entitled up part numbers, here“Coolant Pump Special they are again:Tool”? Well, the samehomemade tool also Primer Pump 49043-3702

works just swell for si- Hoses (qty. 2) 92190-3715

phoning water out of the - Joe Nowocinskibottom-of a JET SKl® wa-tercraft before working onit. And, siphoning is a loteasier than turning theboat over to drain it.

As Hot Line TechnicianKen Osberg explained,the primer pump andhoses come from the Tan-

The Technical Magazine l 9

High mileage mirrorsHigh mileage ZG1200Voyager VII’s can developa minor but irritating prob-lem with the mirrors. Themirror adjustment joint be-comes looser as it wearsand can get to where it willmove out of adjustmentfrom the wind at highspeeds or when the vehi-cle goes over a sharpbump.

The real problem occurswhen the customer findsout this joint cannot betightened and the mirrorsmust be replaced at a costof over $35.00 each.

If youh a v e acustomerwho reallyobjects tob u y i n gnew mir-rors, thereis a way tomodify hisso the pivotjoint can betightened.The mod-ificationchangesthe appear-ance of the

mirror slightly so let thecustomer decide whetherto do this or replace them.

To get at the joint, use ahole saw to drill a 1-inchhole in the back of the mir-ror body. This gives youaccess to the adjustingnut, which you can thenreach and tighten with a10mm swivel socket.

After the nut is tight,use a cap (Part Number11012-1751-62) to plugthe hole.- Bob Ellison

Sport Cruiser: thosedread decals!by Gregg ThompsonSenior Product SupportSpecialist

The Kawasaki Hot LineStaff has received severalcalls lately about decalsn JL650-A1’s peeling upround the edges. If yourun into one of these, tryto find the Fall 1990 issueof K-Tech News. On page8 is a long article about de-

cal R&R that should be ofsome help to you.That particular article

emphasizes trying to getmost of the adhesive offwith the decal. And for ourother watercraft, the meth-ods described work well.

Unfortunately, the de-als on the Sport Cruiserare another story: If thesedecals are exactly theright temperature, youmay get 50 percent orlore of the adhesive offwith the decal.

Note: The previous arti-cle emphasizes that pull-ing the decal straight up ata 90° angle to the surfaceis best for pulling up theadhesive with the decal.The “SC” decals seem totake more adhesive withthem when pulled backacross the surface.

If they are not exactlythe right temperature,nearly all the adhesive willstay on the boat. And evenif 50 percent of the adhe-sive comes off, removingthe other 50 percent canstill be a big job.

To remove the adhe-sive, soak some shop orpaper towels in 3M No.08984 adhesive cleanerand lay the wet towelsover the adhesive. Papertowels work well becausethey don’t absorb so muchof the cleaner but still do agood job of keeping theadhesive wet. Make surethe wet towel is makingcontact with the adhesivecompletely for 5-10 min-utes. Then, remove thetowels and scrape the ad-hesive with a plastic spat-ula while it is still wet.Most of the adhesiveshould scrape off. What isleft will clean off with theadhesive cleaner and acoarse terry cloth towelfairly easily. Adhesive re-movers such as the 3Mproduct referenced above(No. 08984) can be pur-chased at your local auto-motive paint store andalso many auto partsstores. o

10 l K-Tech News

Baja 1000CONTlNUED FROM PAGE 4

Other “high-tech sys-tems” include a NASCAR-style quick-fuel setup; anda modified swingarm withchamfered wheel spacersand brake pads to speedup rear wheel changes.

With an air wrench onthe axle and nine carefullyplaced, well-rehearsed pitcrew members, the end re-sult is a refuel, riderchange and rear wheelchange in under 20 sec-onds, from engine stop toengine start. This year’swinning bike made fourrear-wheel changes, all forfresh tires.

But even meticulouspreparation, the fastestbike, the best planningand the quickest pit crewscan’t guarantee race wins.Having riders like eight-time Baja 1000 winnerLarry Roeseler, four-timewinner Ted Hunnicutt Jr.,and motocross champMarty Smith helps yourchances considerably. Tal-ented, yes, but it was thistrio’s dedication to trainingand pre-running that reallyset them apart.

The 1991 Baja 1000boasted an incredible 42Kawasaki entries! That’sup 50 percent from 28 in’90. The riders did theirpart, the pit crews did theirjob, and the end resultwas First Overall Vehi-cle, plus 500cc, 125ccand Class 50 wins!

The Kawasaki crewputs forth a more intenseand dedicated effort thanthe rest of the competitorscombined. The results?Four consecutive Baja1000 overall wins!

I guess Roger Penskehas a point. o

Part 4:Did youknow. . ?

by Mary SolaConsumer ServicesAssistant Manager

Now that the summer isover and the pace is a lit-tle less hectic, we can re-sume our “how-to” serieson providing outstandingcustomer service. In pre-vious issues (see K-TechNews Vol. 3 No. 4 andVol 4. Nos. 1 and 2 -Ed.),we’ve talked about attitudeand have outlined somesteps you can take to keepcustomers coming back toyour store as well as point-ing out the types of behav-ior that drive them away.

So, you have the rightattitude and really want tomake your store known forits excellent customerservice. What now? Workon your communication!

Good communicationwith your customers is amust. First, become awareof how you are communi-cating. Did you know thatover 80 percent of what

CONTlNUED FROM PAGE 12The biggest news out

here in the west region,though, is our newly refur-bished and re-equippedtraining shop. We havespent some needed timeand money on updatingour tools and equipmentto make your training ex-perience more rewarding.

So, if you haven’t visitedus in a while, come onback and see us. If youhave never visited us, you

we communicate is non-verbal? It’s how you saywhat you say that’s mostimportant. Pay particularattention to your body lan-guage and the tone ofyour voice when talking tocustomers, both in personand over the phone.

Secondly, really listen to

n“Over 80 per-cent of whatwe communi-cate is non-

verbal”n

what your customers aretelling you, don’t just waitfor your turn to talk. Activelistening is probably thecornerstone of good com-munication as it shows re-spect and interest. Few ofus can resist feeling goodabout someone who’s in-

have no more excuses. I’lllook forward to seeing youreal soon. o

CONTlNUED FROM PAGE 12and some new techniqueswe can’t wait to pass alongto you. Come take a classor three in this new year!

Meanwhile, to all com-petitors, promoters, deal-ers, race fans and heavilyaddicted Xmas shoppers: Ihope your new year will beenjoyable and successful! o

terested in what we haveto say and who treats uswith respect.

Some other tips:1. Non-verbal contact.

Nod, make eye contact.Have your posture showinterest. Don’t try to dotwo things at once when acustomer is talking to you,particularly an angry one.

2. Make noises–“yes,”“I see,” etc. Most of usthink the other person isn’tlistening if we don’t getsome feedback.

3. Ask open-endedquestions. Asking ques-tions that give customersa chance to explain alsogives them a chance to fin-ish with their anger andget ready to move to re-solving the problem.

4. Restate. Rephrasingwhat customers say inyour own words showsthat you understand whattheir concerns are andthat you sympathize withthe feelings they’ve ex-pressed. o

CONTlNUED FROM PAGE 12Grand Rapids, January 29and 30, 1992, at the re-gional offices. This will bethe only Team Green classscheduled during the 1991-1992 training season. JeffChambers of Team Greenwill do his usual thoroughjob of updating your techni-cians on the 1992 product.Don’t miss this opportunity!

Have a great new yearas we start the next 25years with Kawasaki. o

The Technical Magazine l 11

R E G I O N A L N E W S

New and muchimprovedby Patrick Kelly9950 Jeronimo RoadIrvine, CA 92718(714) 770-0400

WEST SOUTH & CENTRAL NORTH & EAST

Hey, it’s time for a West Re-gion update already? Well,out here in Irvine, Calif.,we (the Service Trainingand Communications de-partment) have been verybusy working on variousprojects (including K-TechNews, of course!) to keepyou informed, up to date,and on the right track.

For example, the newparts department videohas been wrapped up andwork has begun on theworkbook which will beused in conjunction withthe video. The Flat Ratemicrofiche is being up-dated to include the ’92models and eliminate dis-crepancies among similarmodels. We have also beenbusy revising the ElectricalTroubleshooting Guide,Police Motorcycle Mainte-nance Manual and theTeam Green student text.CONTlNUED ON PAGE 11

12 l K-Tech News

Happy new(leap) year!by Walter Rainwater6110 Boat Rock Blvd. S.W.Atlanta, GA 30378(404) 349-2000

It’s hard to believe it but anew (leap) year is upon usalready. There are manytell-tale signs-hordes ofberserk shoppers swarm-ing the malls here in At-lanta in search of after-Christmas bargains toname just one!

We in the motorcycle in-dustry have seen the tell-tale signs as well. Sadly,all the major motorcycleracing series-off-road,motocross, supercross,hare scrambles, drag androad racing, and all therest of them- are over.(Happily, Daytona is justone month away as I writethis!)

What the coming of anew year means to ushere in this office, of course,is another round of train-ing classes. We’re work-ing flat out to stay on topof all the model changesCONTlNUED ON PAGE 11

Before youreach “critical”by Fred DeHart201 Circle Drive N., #107Piscataway, NJ 08854(201) 469-1221

Lately all my phone con-versations have beenproblems that have esca-lated to “critical mass” cri-sis time.

If your dealership has atechnical problem, partsproblem, or just a ques-tion, please call beforefrustration sets in!

The Product SupportHot Line is a toll-free num-ber. Use it! And feel free tocall the regional off ice any-time; I will gladly try to ans-wer your questions, com-plicated or otherwise.

No one has all the an-swers, of course, but wecan’t solve a problem if wedon’t hear about it. And ifwe don’t have the answer,chances are we can directyou to someone who does.

North Region dealersplease note: There will bea Team Green RacePreparation class held inCONTlNUED ON PAGE 11

TrainingSchedule

East Region

February4-6 JET SKI® Watercraft10-12 Engines13-14 Fuel Systems19-20 Servicing the MULE 1000/200021 Servicing the MULE 50025-27 Troubleshooting Elec. Systems28 Service Department Operations

(K-BOSS)

North Region

FebruaryNo classes scheduled

Central Region

FebruaryNo classes scheduled

South Region

February3 MULE Dealer Orientation4-5 Servicing the MULE 1000/20006 Servicing the MULE 50010-11 ATV Service12 Service Department Operations

(K-BOSS)18-20 Troubleshooting Elec. Systems24-26 JET SKI® Watercrafl

West Region

February10-12 Police Motorcycle Maintenance13 Service Dept. Operations

(K-BOSS)19-21 Troubleshooting Elec. Systems24-26 JET SKI® Watercraft27 750 JET SKI® Update