kawasaki comes to bates -...

S P R I N G 1 9 9 8 T H E K AWA S A K I T E C H N I C A L M A G A Z I N E V O L . 1 1 , N O . 1

ROUTE LIST ❑ SERVICE ❑ PARTS ❑ 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

by Gestin Suttle

The News Tribune—Tacoma,Wash.

Bates Technical College has revved up its

motorcycle repair program and is now one

of six sites in the nation offering dealer tech-

nician training for Kawasaki Motors Corp.

Kawasaki dealers from around the

Northwest will send their technicians to the

school once a year during a four- to six-

week span in February and March. This

year’s program drew about 100 partici-

pants, Kawasaki instructor John Griffin

said.

Cont’d on page 2

INSIDEFeatures Bates Training School . . . 2Regional Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3News Voice of the Customer . . . 5Tech Tips Removing Decals . . . . . . 5

Closed Course Comp.. . . . 6Coolant Pressure. . . . . . . 6VN1500 Transmissions . . 7Swim Step Pad . . . . . . . . 8JS750-B/C Hoods . . . . . . 8Mule Wheel Bearings . . . 9KX125-K Cylinder. . . . . . 9Vulcan Timing. . . . . . . . 10CVT Drive Systems . . . . 11Hotline Worksheet . . . . 11Finding Manuals . . . . . . 12

KawasakiComes toBates:Technical College is One of

Six Sites in Nation for

Cycle Maker’s Dealers to

Train Technicians

The training program

enhances the Tacoma

school’s existing 20-month

program in marine, motorcy-

cle and outdoor power equip-

ment repair at its South

Campus on South 78th

Street.

Kawasaki officials learned

of Bates last year while in the

area for a seminar. They

tuned in to the school’s radio

station, KBTC 91.75 FM, and

heard an ad for Bates’ equip-

ment repair program, said

Don Church, Kawasaki’s

manager of service training

and communications depart-

ment.

He met with Chris

Manning, director of the col-

lege’s South Campus, and

immediately things started

rolling, Church said.

“They were just very open

to working with us,” he said.

The motorcycle company

was looking for a place in the

Northwest for dealer training

because the nearest training

site, at Kawasaki’s U.S. head-

quarters in Irvine, Calif., was

difficult for local dealers to

reach, Church said. The oth-

er Kawasaki training sites are

in Dallas; Atlanta; Grand

Rapids, Mich.; and

Piscataway, N.J.

“The (South Tacoma) com-

munity itself is perfect for

what we’re looking for” in the

Northwest, Church added.

The campus parallels

Interstate 5 and is near

motels and restaurants, he

said.

In exchange for providing

a place for Kawasaki to set up

a training site in the school’s

10,000-square-foot motorcy-

cle shop, the Japan-based

company has donated

$139,000 worth of equip-

ment, including six motorcy-

cles, four new watercraft, an

all-terrain vehicle and a small

all-purpose utility vehicle.

The equipment will stay on

site year-round and will be

upgraded as new equipment

comes along, said John Irish,

associate director of continu-

ing education and apprentice-

ship at the college.

Bates instructors will learn

to work on the Kawasakis

and will be able to pass their

knowledge along to Bates’ reg-

ular students, Irish said.

Currently, 36 students are

enrolled in the Bates equip-

ment repair program, he said.

Kawasaki provides its own

trainer for the dealers’ techni-

cians, but the Kawasaki

workers must pay their own

food, transportation and lodg-

ing, Griffin said.

The technicians taking

part in the workshops gener-

ally have training in motorcy-

cle repair, but need to learn

specifically how to repair

Kawasakis, Griffin said.

It’s important for the tech-

nicians to keep their skills up

to date because the technolo-

gy is always changing, Griffin

explained.

This year’s program is con-

sidered a success, Church

said.

“It’s the first year we’ve

been up here and we’ve had

full classes,” he said.

On Friday, Brent Eiffert of

Cover photo: Sean Phillips,left, and Brent Eiffert, techni-cians at Kawasaki Bellevue,work at Bates TechnicalCollege on a motorcycleengine as part of a three-dayrepair class.

SPRING 1998 K-TECH NEWS

Cover Story

TechnicalTraining ForNorthwest

Dealers

by John GriffinInstructionalDesigner/Instructor

In this issue, we are featur-

ing an article that ran in The

News Tribune, March 14, 1998.

It was a fitting end to

Kawasaki’s successful first sea-

son of technical training at

Bates Technical College in

Tacoma, Wash. Many classes

were full to capacity as dealers

took advantage of this training

opportunity. Nine different

classes were offered, including

training on Police motorcycles,

Jet Ski Watercraft, Mules, ATVs,

and motorcycles.

The Bates facility in Tacoma

is a permanent training facility

for Kawasaki, so Northwest

dealers should plan on sending

technicians yearly. Dealers can

also benefit from a new

resource of entry level techni-

cians with Kawasaki experi-

ence, trained year-round at

Bates. The Kawasaki products,

training aids, manuals, tools,

and equipment stay at Bates

and are utilized in Bates’

Marine, Motorcycle, and Power

Equipment Mechanic program.

To get more information on the

Bates program or graduates,

call Instructor John Irish at

(253) 596-1729.�

2

Cont’d on page 12

Bates Technical College- cont’d

3SPRING 1998 K-TECH NEWS

Regional

K-TECH News

Vol. 11, No. 1Spring 1998

K-TECH News Staff

PublisherKawasaki Tech Services

Publications ManagerDon Church

Executive EditorGary Herzog

Editor-in-ChiefGregg Thompson

Communications EditorJohn Griffin

Regional Editors

Piscataway/Grand RapidsFred DeHart

Atlanta/DallasWalter Rainwater

Irvine/TacomaRobert Taylor

ContributorsDave Behlings, Ginny Maatman,

Keith Pestotnik,Ray St. John, Charles Yim

Graphics/Production

Graphic ArtGregg Thompson

PhotographyDave Corey

ProductionHolland Marketing Services

©1998 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.All rights reserved.

Published by KawasakiAll suggestions become the property of KMC.Sending a service suggestion gives Kawasaki

permission to publish and/or use itwithout further consideration.

Specifications subject to change without notice.

Enough Torque

Has this ever happenedto you? You are going totorque the cam cover boltsand the spec is 1.0 kg-m or87 in. lb. You set your 0-100 ft-lb torque wrench tothe equivalent 7.2 ft-lb andbefore your wrenchdecides to click, you real-ize you are about to stripthe threads in the head orsnap the bolt! Time out!Now is the time to putthat torque wrench asideand get out a smaller one.

The first 20% of fullscale on click-type torquewrenches is notoriouslyinaccurate. Some manu-facturers only guaranteetheir wrench accuracy at20% of full scale and up.Get out a smaller wrench,that allows you to use thetop 80% of the scale. Withthe smaller wrench youwill probably find thosecam cap bolts torque tospec with no problem.

A good service depart-ment should have at leastthree sizes of torquewrenches on hand and

you may want to add afourth. Here are somegood sizes from what I’veseen in current tool cata-logs:

* 3/8 or 1/4 inch drive with arange of 30 - 200 in. lb

* 3/8 inch drive with a rangeof 20 - 100 ft-lb (2.2 - 14 kg-m)

* 1/2 inch drive with a rangeof 40 - 250 ft-lb (5 - 34 kg-m)

The two smaller torquewrenches should probablybe click-style wrenches forconvenience. The amountthey get used will justifythe expense. The largestone could be the lessexpensive beam type sinceit won’t be used so often.

With click-style torquewrenches, remember to dothe following:

* Use in the upper 80% ofthe scale for best accura-cy.

* Turn the handle clock-wise to adjust the torquesetting. Turning the han-dle counterclockwise toset it will be less accu-rate.

* Always bring the torquewrench back to its low-est setting when not inuse. Storing yourwrench at high torquesettings will cause it tolose accuracy.

* Take care of this expen-

sive and indispensabletool. Keep it clean anddon’t drop it.�

Fred DeHart201 Circle Drive N. #107

Piscataway, NJ 08854(908) 469-1221

Reflections of a “Rookie Season”

Millennium Kawasakiin Lilburn, Ga., has madea good start in its first 18months, and its ownershave found the learningcurve steep but reward-ing. Co-owner Ken Shivershares some insightsabout the shop’s rookieseason.

Sales: We were pleasedto make Ichiban in ourfirst year. We think salesultimately boils down to arelationship. If the cus-tomer feels good about theproduct, the salespersonand the shop, they willusually buy. Our focus ison friendly, knowledge-able staff and a low-pres-sure environment. Our

PISCATAWAY/GRAND RAPIDS

ATLANTA/DALLAS

Cont’d on page 4

goal is long-term cus-tomers and repeat busi-ness.

Service: We have foundthat a shop’s reputation ismade through the servicedepartment. It is impor-tant to do each job proper-ly, on time, and at a fairprice—the result has beennumerous referrals. Wealso try to introduce everynew customer to the ser-vice manager. This givesthem confidence from thebeginning. We even askthe technician to speakwith customers occasional-ly. This may cost a little inshort term productivity,but it is time invested infuture business.

Advertising: We willadvertise in fewer media,but more consistently. Wealso participate in the FallsAgency programs—they’ve provided a goodresponse.

Demo Ride: Liabilityconcerns make demo ridesrare for us. We have foundthat what customers reallywant when they ask toride the unit is confidence.We suggest that they buythe unit, and if it isn’t allthey expected, return it(within 25 miles or less)and we’ll take it back.Seeing the confidence wehave in the product usual-ly gives them confidence,too.

Promotions: Beinginvolved is a big key. Twoof our employees are rac-ers, so they bring in a lotof motocross and trail rid-ers. We had our first “FunRide” on a cold day inFebruary, and werepleased to have a bigturnout despite the weath-er. People want a shopthey can interact with, andwe want to become asgood at that as we can.�

Walter Rainwater6110 Boat Rock Blvd. S.W.

Atlanta, GA 30378(404) 349-2000

New Model Special Tools andSpecial Tool Catalog

The all-new ZX900-C1,ZX600-G1 and VN1500-E1/G1 models requiresome new special tools.The ZX-9R uses a new fly-wheel puller (P/N 57001-1405), fork cylinder holder(P/N 57001-1406), andthrottle sensor settingadapter (P/N 57001-1400).The ZX-6R requires a newthrottle sensor setting

adapter (P/N 57001-1408),different from the ZX-9R.And the VN1500-E1/G1uses a new drive-shaftholder (P/N 57001-1407)and flywheel holder (P/N57001-1410). The VN1500-E1, G1 use the same throt-tle sensor adapter as theZX900C1.

More good news on thetool front is the availabilityof the updated SpecialTool Catalog containingspecial tools up to 1998.Not only does the catalogcontain Kawasaki specialtools but also tools thatcan help a technician per-form a job more efficiently.These tools includemicrometers, T-gauges,small hole gauges,calipers, mercury vacuum

gauge, two-stroke pres-sure tester, timing lights,and much more. The newcatalog part number is99960-0065-03. Whatmakes this even better isthat the new catalog willbe sent to your dealershipautomatically at nocharge. We will be stock-ing copies just in case youneed more (at a nominalcharge). �

Rob Taylor9950 Jeronimo Road

Irvine, CA 92618(714) 770-0400


Regional

IRVINE/TACOMA

57001-1407(VN1500-E1/G1)

Drive ShaftHolder

57001-1408(ZX-6R)

57001-1400(ZX-9R, VN1500-E1, G1)

Throttle Sensor Setting Adapter

57001-1406(ZX-9R)

Fork CylinderHolder

57001-1405(ZX-9R)

Flywheel Puller

57001-1410(VN1500-E1/G1)Flywheel Holder

Regional News -cont’d


News

Voice

Last year Kawasaki’sTechnical ServicesDivision contracted withBI Research Systems tohelp us conduct a pro-gram for measuring andmonitoring motorcyclecustomer satisfaction. Theareas we were looking atspecifically were customerfeelings about the condi-tion of the product itselfand the after-sale serviceprovided by the Dealerand Kawasaki.

The results of inter-views with 500 ownersand 21 dealers were ana-lyzed to determine whichspecific issues have themost impact on overallcustomer satisfaction.

Here is the good news!

Kawasaki’s Technical

Services recorded an overall

CSI score of 81, indicating

solid performance in the

customer satisfaction arena.

Overall satisfaction with

motorcycle product quality

is very high (8.6 on the 10-

point scale). Furthermore,

product condition at time of

delivery is considered a defi-

nite strength! Customers

also rate service quality

from their dealer (7.7) quite

highly.

During a “Voice of the

Customer” workshop after

the results of the survey

were compiled, members of

Tech Services identified the

strongest factors affecting

customer satisfaction and

established priorities for

KMC and Kawasaki dealer

performance improvement.

As this article goes to press,

we are developing associated

action plans.

You will be hearingmore from us on improve-ments we will be makingand recommendations forsteps dealers can take toenhance customer satisfac-tion.

Here are the opportunities.

We can share with you

right away some important

findings. There seems to be a

gap between customer

expectations and the actual

terms of the warranty poli-

cies. Customers also indicat-

ed that they want more

instructions at the time of

new vehicle delivery such as

required maintenance and

recommended service inter-

vals.

What this means is this!

Even when you are very

busy, MAKE THE TIME to

explain in detail the warran-

ty policy as you give the cer-

tificate to the customer. Go

through the Owner’s

Manual and explain to your

customer the maintenance

requirements. Explain the

controls, and adjust them to

suit the customer.

Don’t forget, your cus-

tomer just spent their hard

earned cash. And the cus-

tomers we surveyed said

that all they wanted was a

little of your time. It will

make a difference in their

satisfaction. We all know

that satisfaction with the

product and dealer service

are what build customer loy-

alty.

Good selling (and ser-

vicing) this season!�

of the Customerby Don ChurchManager, Service Trainingand Communications

Discovering Issues that Impact Customer Satisfaction

Voice Vinyl Eraserfor RemovingDecals

As most of you know, remov-ing decals can be a messy andtime-consuming chore. This isespecially true of Jet Ski water-craft; the larger the decal the big-ger the mess. Just peeling thedecal off takes plenty of time, butthen it usually leaves a hugesheet of adhesive behind, which iseven harder to remove. There is aspecial tool called the "VinylEraser" offered by The EastwoodCompany of Frazer Pennsylvania.

This tool is designed toremove all kinds of vinyl graphicsfrom painted surfaces. It does anice job of removing a decal fairlyquickly while leaving the paintundamaged (not recommendedfor lacquer finishes). The erasershould be mounted in a high-speed drill or an air tool and spunat 3,500 to 4,000 rpm. The toolbecomes less effective below3,500 rpm and should not beused at speeds above 4,000.

The Eastwood Company alsosells an aerosol solvent called Pre,which does a good job of cleaningup after removing the decal. Bothproducts can be ordered by callingEastwood's toll-free number (800)345-1178.�—Ed.

In 1998, new emissionstandards affectCalifornia’s Off HighwayVehicle program. Off-roadmotorcycles and ATVsmeeting the standards areeligible for a “green stick-er” license and modelsthat don’t are classified as"closed course competitionunits." Currently all twostrokes and some manu-facturer’s four strokes fallinto this category. Vehicleswithout green stickers canonly be used on privateland and closed coursessuch as race tracks, or des-ignated off-road events.

Here are six commonquestions about this pro-

gram.1. Why are some cus-

tomers still receiving

green stickers with ’98

KX models? The DMVmade a "procedure"change, not a computerchange, meaning the sys-tem relies on DMVemployees to manuallycheck which VehicleIdentification Numbers(VIN) are ineligible.Whenever people areinvolved, errors occur.

2. Will people receiving

green stickers on ineli-

gible ’98 units be able

to renew them?

Apparently anyone receiv-ing a green sticker shouldbe able to renew it.

3. Will a title showing

ownership be issued? Atitle or "pink slip" is avail-able for a one-time $10.00fee. This is important forcustomers who are financ-ing their purchases.

4. Is there another type of

license available?

Orange transportation per-mits are available for a$3.00 one-time fee. Thesestickers have been requiredfor transporting competi-tion vehicles in Californiafor years. Most people nev-er use them because thelaw has been rarelyenforced. The permits arenot tied to a VIN or per-son’s name, so there is notracking or proof of owner-ship.

5. Are allowances made

for racers to practice for

off-road events on pub-

lic lands? There are plansto allow off-road racers dis-

playing a special competi-tion sticker to practice onsome public lands. Thissticker would be soldthrough race organizationslike the AMA. There arestill questions about whichlands are available andhow often you can prac-tice. It looks like racers willbe able to practice anytime, but riding areas nearlarge smog zones may belimited.

6. What about out-of-state

people who want to

ride on California pub-

lic lands? They must pur-chase a $20.00, one-yearlicense. This allows use onall public lands and is nottied to a VIN or name. Itcan be purchased by any-one at locations rangingfrom motorcycle shops toconvenience stores. Call(916) 324-4442 for moreinformation.�

Tech Tips


by John GriffinInstructionalDesigner/Instructor

California Closed Course Competition Units

In 1998, even riders from out of state need a license onCalifornia’s public land. This one year permit sells for $20.

by Keith PestotnikSenior Product QualityEngineer

You can use a standard

620 Mule radiator cap (P/N

49085-1068) as a special tool to make pressure testing one of our coolant

systems quick and easy. This cap seals against the upper lip of the filler

neck and has no spring-loaded seal to seat against the inner lip as pressure

caps do. Just install this cap on the filler neck and connect your pump/pres-

sure gauge to the overflow fitting at the side of the filler neck. You can now

pressurize the system through the overflow fitting. It couldn’t be easier!

Note: This cap can be used in the same way if you need to obtain a

sample of coolant while the engine is running.�

COOLANT PRESSURE TEST TOOL

In 1996, the VN1500-D1Classic came with a trans-mission that was differentfrom the previous VN1500models. The Classic hadtaller gearing in 2nd, 3rdand 4th (top) gears. Forthe most part, dealers andcustomers preferred thetaller gearing of theClassic to the early trans-mission in the A and Cmodels. The D1 transmis-sion was applied to theother models (A11 and

C4) in 1997. There were, however,

some complaints fromcustomers about hard ornoisy shifting into 2ndgear with that newer styletransmission. Most of thecomplaints we receivedwere from D1 Classicowners. We believe theshifting problems wererelated to less commonriding styles and shiftingtechniques since most cus-tomers had no problems.But there were some run-ning changes made in theD2 to change the shifting

characteristics and stillmaintain the taller gear-ing.

In the D1 transmission,2nd gear on the outputshaft had three slots thatwere engaged by 6 dogson the slider (3rd gear out-put). Very early in the1997 Classic (D2), theengagement dog configu-ration for 2nd gear waschanged to 5 dogs and 5slots. The 6 dogs and 3slot-style parts that camein the ’96 D1 and early ’97D2 Classics as well as the’97 A11 and C4 models areno longer available. Thenew style parts are notcompatible with the oldstyle, so both 2nd and 3rdgears on the output shaftmust be replaced as a set.

A parts bulletin (MC96-01) was distributed inJune ’96 regarding thischange. It listed a (newstyle 5 dog) gear set thatwas intended to preventdealers from ordering justone gear and receiving apart that was not compati-ble with the one still in thetransmission.

Unfortunately, the newmicrofiche for all theabove models show onlythe latest style (5 dog) 2ndand 3rd output gears.Remember the latest stylegears (the ones shown on

the fiche) are not compati-ble with what came inthese units. So here’s therule:FOR VN1500 - D1, *EAR-

LY D2, A11 AND C4’s,

ALWAYS ORDER BOTH

2ND AND 3RD OUTPUT

GEARS AS A SET.

In mid-production ofthe 1997 VN1500-D2,another change was madeto the transmission. Firstgear ratio was made taller(closer to 2nd gear). Firstgear on the output shaftwas changed from 40 teethto 39 teeth and the inputshaft was changed from 16teeth to 17 teeth.

This modification prob-ably did more to changethe 1st to 2nd shiftingcharacteristics than thedog configuration change.As with the 2nd gearparts, old style and newstyle 1st gear parts areonly interchangeable as aset, but in this case bothtypes are shown on thefiche. Unfortunately, thetaller 1st gear parts areshown as applying to allD2’s, when in fact thechange was made abouthalfway through the D2’sat Engine Number 41532.The change in the 1st gearratio was not applied toany other model.�


Tech Tips

Late Model VN1500 Transmissionsby Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

3rd Gear Output

D1, A11, C4 (6-DOG) GEAR SET(No Longer Available)

2nd Gear Output

2nd Gear Output

13260-1652

3rd Gear Output

13260-1653

D2 (5-DOG) GEAR SET(Order As a Set)


Tech Tips

by Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisorand Charles YimProduct Quality Engineer

We have receivedreports that some JS750 Band C model engine hoodlatches have become looseafter several hours of rid-ing. These loose latchescan actually pop open ifbounced hard enough.

In our investigation ofthese reports, we foundthat the hood can “settle”onto the gasket and thefour rubber dampers,especially when used inrough water conditions.This eventually takes thetension off the latch andallows it to pop openwhen the boat receives a

hard jolt. Our Quality Assurance

people have come up withtwo ways you can fix thisproblem if you run into it.The four rubber dampersglued to the under side ofthe hood (which the hood

rests on) are 5mm thick.You can get 4 more ofthese 5mm dampers (P/N92075-3757) and glue themonto the existing ones; oryou can call the KawasakiHotline and we will sendyou some 10mm thick

dampers to replace the5mm ones.

Whether you are dou-bling up on the stock 5mmdampers or installing10mm ones, the VALCOCincinnati HV-350 adhe-sive works very well.�

The foam rubber pad(P/N 39156-3798) for theswim step on the JT1100 -A/B (1100 STX) is nowavailable from the partsdepartment. A differentpart number is shown onthe ’98 model microfiche

but that part is not instock yet. Until now, thewhole $215 swim stephad to be ordered toreplace a damaged orworn pad. The pad byitself retails for about $5.

This replacement padis a tight fit on the swimstep tube but can beinstalled using soapywater as a lubricant andcompressed air. Blowingair into the pad whileslipping it over the tubewill make the job mucheasier.�

REPLACEMENTSWIM STEPPADby Gregg ThompsonProduct SupportSupervisor

Tightening Hatches: JS750-B/C LOOSE HOODS

92075-3757

Call Hotline

Replacement Pad39156-3798


Tech Tips

Certain KX125-K riders have had repeatedproblems over the last couple of years break-ing cylinder base studs. Various remedies havebeen tried with only limited success (if any).The factory has come up with what we hopewill be a final solution. New studs, which aremade of the same material as connecting rodbolts, have been made available under twonew part numbers.

To do one engine you will need:Qty. (3) 92004 - 1251 (8x35mm) Qty. (1) 92004 - 1252 (8x28.5mm) �

by Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

KX125-K MODELCYLINDER STUDS

We’ve heard of someKAF620 Mule (2500, 2510and 2520) customers whoexperienced repeat fail-ures of their front wheel(axle) bearings. Of course,there can be many possi-ble causes of wheel bear-ing failures but our inves-tigations have turned upsomething you might notthink of when replacing aset of wheel bearings.

We have found thatpaint can sometimes getinside the bearing bore of

the steering knuckles dur-ing the painting process.This paint can prevent thebearings from pressing allthe way into the bore dur-ing installation, leaving agap between the innerraces of the two bearingsand the spacer that goesbetween them. This gap isdeath to the bearings.When the axle nut is tight-ened, the bearings becomeside loaded and will fail

again in a very short time.If you have a KAF620

Mule with failed frontwheel bearings, check thebearing bores in the steer-ing knuckles for paint. Ifthere is paint present, usea chemical paint removeror scrape it out beforeinstalling the new bear-ings. Press the bearingsinto the knuckle using atool that contacts only theouter race of the bearing.

After installing the bear-ings there should be noside clearance betweenthem and the inner spacer.If the paint had anythingto do with the bearing fail-ure, the new set of bear-ings should outlast the oldones.

Note: On reassemblymake sure to use a torquewrench and tighten theaxle nut to the propertorque (145ft.-lb.)!�

KAF620MULE FRONTWHEELBEARINGSby Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

CLEANBEARINGBORES

Many dealershipmechanics have had trou-ble timing the cams in ourVulcan engines. Afterassembling the engine andverifying that thecamshaft marksline up perfectly,they are perplexedto find that theengine justdoesn’t runquite right.Most of the timethe mechanicdoesn’t check cam timingright away, and evenwhen he does, the marksstill line up perfectly! So,what’s wrong?

The problem is that thecam in each head is timedcorrectly to the crankshaft(thus the marks look cor-rect); but they are nottimed correct-ly to eachother. Therear camshaftis out of timewith the frontcamshaft!This happensbecause afterinstalling thefront cam the mechanichas turned the crankshaftfrom TDC on the frontcylinder in THE WRONG

DIRECTION (the shortway) to reach TDC on therear cylinder beforeinstalling the rear cam. YOU MUST ROTATETHE CRANKSHAFT THELONG WAY AROUND(COUNTERCLOCKWISE)FROM THE “T/F” MARKTO THE “T/R” MARKBEFORE INSTALLINGTHE REAR CAMSHAFT.

This means rotating thecrankshaft 305degrees beforeinstalling therear

camshaft. It requires only55 degrees of rotation toreach the mark by turningthe crankshaft clockwise,

but then the two cylindersfire only 55 degrees apart.That is, the front cylinderfires and 305 degrees laterthe rear cylinder comes toTDC on the exhauststroke, not the compres-sion stroke! It then goesanother 360 degrees, fireson the rear cylinder, andthen 55 degrees later fireson the front cylinder

again. If you add that up,it comes to 665 degrees ofcrankshaft rotationbetween the front cylinder

and the rear cylinder fir-ing, and then just 55degrees between the rearcylinder and the frontcylinder firing.

Even on the twin car-buretor models, whereeach cylinder breathesthrough its own carbure-tor, this causes the engineto run and sound odd. Butin the single carburetormodels, this problemresults in a significantpower loss as both cylin-ders try to breath throughthat one carburetor simul-taneously. So always fol-low these rules wheninstalling the cams in aVulcan engine:

* Turn the crankshaft tothe "T/F" mark and installthe Front Camshaft withthe marks lined up asshown in the service man-ual.

* Rotate the crankshaftCOUNTERCLOCKWISE305 degrees (as seen fromthe left side of the engine)to the "T/R" mark.

* Install the RearCamshaft with the markslined up as shown in theservice manual.

It sounds very simple(and is) but it’s also veryeasy to make the simplemistake of turning thecrankshaft the wrong way.If you make that mistake,the penalty (pulling theengine out again) is prettysevere.�


Tech Tips

V-ENGINECAM TIMINGby Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

ROTATE CRANKSHAFTCOUNTERCLOCKWISE

A few issues ago(Spring ’97) we ran an arti-cle suggesting that youinform all your employeesto instruct your 4WDMule customers not to usethe 4WD mode unless it isneeded. The Mule 2510(KAF 620-A model) canhave an obnoxious drive-train popping noise if the4WD mode is used in con-ditions where it is notneeded.

Well, here is some moreadvice you can pass on toyour customers, this timeto owners of Mule 2510sand Prairie 400s (KVF 400-A,B). These units all havethe torque converter style(CVT) drive system cou-pled with a manuallyselected high and lowrange subtransmission.

These CVT drive sys-tems respond to engineRPM and vehicle load toselect the proper “gearratio” for the conditions.But the CVT cannot prop-erly compensate for thevehicle being in highrange when it should be inlow range. And that iswhere a lot of customerscreate problems for them-selves.

Customers often keepthe transmission in "HI"range even when towingor hauling heavy loads orworking on steep hills.The vehicle gives theappearance of doing fineunder these circumstancesbecause the torque con-verters stay in the lowestgearing (they don’t up-shift), and the belt evenslips some when takingoff. The vehicle still hasdecent power, and sincethe customer isn’t expect-ing to attain high speedsunder these work condi-tions, he doesn’t noticeanything is wrong. Butsomething is wrong. Withthe belt staying in onesmall area on the inner-most part of the drive con-

verter and even slipping attimes, both the belt andthe drive converter experi-ence very rapid wear.Although less severe, thedriven converter also suf-fers abnormal wear just onthe outer edges of thesheaves.

You should take everyopportunity to educateyour 4x4 Mule and 400Prairie customers to selectthe low range when doingheavy low-speed work,riding on steep trails, orjust operating continuous-ly at slow speeds. In lowrange, the belt won’t slipand the torque converterswill be able to shift nor-mally and thereby avoidthis expensive abnormalwear condition.�


by Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

LOW RANGEFOR HIGHLOADS (CVT DRIVESYSTEMS)

Tech Tips

Hotline Worksheetby Ray St. JohnSupervisor, Technical Writing

You remember the Hotline Worksheet? It gives you a place to write

down important info when you go to call the Kawasaki Hotline. It also

lets you make a permanent paper record of what you talked about on

the call, who you talked to and the all-important final outcome: is the

warranty authorized or not.

Hotline worksheets are still available. The part number is 99969-

1256-01, and the dealer cost is two cents a sheet. The sheets come in

packs of twenty, so each pack will run you forty whole cents. Order them

like any other part number; just throw the number onto your next parts

order.�

Kirkland and Sean Phillips of

Seattle were finishing up a

three-day class on motorcycle

and all-terrain vehicle repair.

The two technicians work at

Bellevue Kawasaki.

“We wanted to come down

here to improve our knowl-

edge in the product,” said

Phillips, who also participated

in the program’s three-day

personal watercraft class.

The two were dismantling

a clean Kawasaki Vulcan 750

engine and then putting it

back together, a job that

would run about $810 for

labor alone, they said.

“This is a huge job,”

Phillips said.

Such hands-on experience

makes the program worth-

while, the two said. “You get to

learn as you’re doing," Eiffert

said. "(Instructors) don’t just

tell you how it works.”�

Reprinted with permission of The News

Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.

Cover Story


Bates TechnicalCollegeCont’d from page 2

FindingManuals inKIC

One common question about KIC is how to findmanuals for a specific model. As you know, thisinformation is always on Grid A-2 of the microfiche.But in KIC, here’s how to find them: click on ModelInquiry, then choose the model you want. Afterclicking on the model, the Model Options windowcomes up. Choose Look at Diagrams on this win-dow and the Diagrams window opens up. Fromthe Diagrams window, you can scroll down toPublications. Click on Publications and you get alist of part numbers for the Owner’s Manual, Assembly and Preparation Manual, Service Manual, Service Manual Supplement and Microfiche. (Not every mod-el has a publications window yet, so you may have to refer to the microfiche on occasion.)

From here you can double click on a manual and get the View Part Information window which will show you pricing, supersession/prior informationand other part attributes. From the Publications window you can also drag and drop the part number to a transaction (counter sale, K-Share order, or K-Sharewarranty claim).

Note: As with most computer software, there is more than one way to find what you’re looking for. Since all manual and microfiche part numbers startwith 999, you can go to Part Inquiry and use a combination of 999, the wild card “*” and model code to find manuals. Give it a try. Get familiar with usingthe wild card “*”—it’s a great tool. Basically, it substitutes for any letter, number or string of letters and numbers.�—David Behlings, Parts DataCoordinator, and Ginny Maatman, Senior Order Services Coordinator, Grand Rapids

The Marine, Motorcycle, and Power Equipment building atthe Bates Technical College South Campus houses a class-room, large work area, dyno room, and PWC test tank.

kawasaki comes to bates -...

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