Spring 1992 T h e Kawasaki T e c h n i c a l M a g a z i n e Vol. 5 No. 1

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

by Patrick KellyInstructional Designer/Instructor

Biggest! Strongest! Mighti-est! All these are wordsthat describe Kawasaki’snewest ATV, the KLF400Bayou™ 4x4. The Bayou400 is the largest, mostpowerful utility ATV on themarket with an engine thatgenerates 25 ps at a low6000 rpm (25 percentmore than the KLF300-C)and 24 ft/lbs of torque at5000 rpm (38 percentmore than the KLF300-C).It can pull an 1100 lb trailerwith a tongue weight of 88Ibs. It can carry 88 Ibs onits front rack and 154 Ibson its rear rack. And it cando all of this over theroughest and wettest ofterrain thanks to its full-time, four-wheel drive.

The engine ...The KLF400’s remark-

able all-new engine is re-sponsible for much of theKLF’s distinction. It is a liq-uid-cooled four stroke withfour valves and a crank-shaft-driven counterbal-ancer. The valves, two30mm intake valves andtwo 27mm exhaust valves,are driven by a single over-head camshaft which in-corporates an automaticcompression release foreasier starting. Valve ad-justments are simple be-cause of forked rockerarms with screw andlocknut valve adjusters.

The 400’s 81mm boreand 76mm stroke give it ää

Inside!n Service tips & more!

Biggest!Strongest!CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

an actual displacement of391cc. A pentroof combus-tion chamber combineswith a dome piston to pro-duce a 9:1 compressionratio. The piston rides inan open top deck cylinderliner, similar to the typeused in the ZX600-D andZX750-J/K engines. Thistype of liner provides thehottest part of the cylinder,the top, with the most cool-ing. The liquid-cooled cyl-inder also allows thepiston-to-cylinder clear-ance to be held to a mini-

mum for reduced pistonslap and increased enginelife.

The cooling system fea-tures a large double-coreradiator to help the enginekeep its cool. This extralarge radiator is protectedfrom damage by a wiremesh stone guard and theplastic front grille. Thecooling system overflowtank is convenientlymounted in front of thehandlebars for easy ac-cess.

The piston rides on achrome-moly connectingrod with a roller-type bigend bearing. The pressed-together crankshaft rideson ball-type main bearings.

For the first time, DC-CDIDirect Current Capacitor and uses a converterDischarge Ignition, or “DC- which contains an oscilla-CDl,” is being used for the tor and transformer to con-first time on a Kawasaki vert the 12 volt DC currentATV. This new system has to approximately 225 voltsmany advantages over AC. The rest of the system

more conventional mag-neto CDI systems. DC-CDI operates similarly to aconventional CDI but ispowered by the vehicle’sbattery instead of a sepa-rate magneto coil. If thevehicle’s battery goesdead, the system is de-signed to use batterycharging current to oper-ate. The system takes bat-tery (or charging) current

operates the same as aconventional CDI. Sincebattery current is stable re-gardless of engine rpm,the DC-CDI produces thesame strong spark at lowengine speeds as it doesat high engine speeds.The result is easy startingand strong low-end per-formance.- Patrick Kelly

(TOP) Crankcase showing balancer, crankshaft andtransmission; (ABOVE) Four valves close-up.

Topping the list of en-gine features is the allnew DC-CD ignition sys-em. This system offersmany advantages whencompared with a magnetoCDI system (see sidebar -Ed.).

Air from aboveThe engine is fed by an

equally impressive induc-ion system. A Keihin CVK32mm carburetor providesa good balance of power,smooth throttle response,and good fuel economy. Adistinctive feature is thatthe carburetor linkage isfully enclosed by a plasticcover for protection fromdust and mud.

For easy starting in coldweather, the carburetorhas a priming pump lo-

cated on the left side ofthe carburetor body. Thepriming pump squirts fueldirectly into the carbthroat from a small nozzlein the inlet side. Air is sup-plied by an extra-large airbox which houses a large,foam-covered, paper-corefilter element. The air boxdraws fresh air from be-tween the seat and thefender, above the vehicle.Drawing air from above in-stead of below the fendermeans that the air goinginto the box is cleaner andthe air intake is better pro-tected from mud andwater.

Full-time 4wdThe engine’s hefty

power output reaches theground through full-time

2 l K-Tech News

The chassis ...

four-wheel drive and aride-ratio, 5-speed trans-mission with a super-lowfirst gear and automaticdual-clutch system. Theautomatic dual clutch sys-tem is like the one usedn the KLF300-C, but itscapacity has been in-creased by 20 percent. Un-like the KLF300-C, theKLF400 does not use ahigh/low range transmis-ion. A high/low range isnot necessary because ofthe engine’s superiortorque output.

The clutch and transmis-sion are coupled to a full-time four-wheel-drivesystem. A limited slip frontdifferential lets the 400steer easily while benefit-ting from four-wheelpower delivery (see side-bar).

Full-time 4wd makesthe KLF400 simple anduser friendly because iteliminates the hardwareneeded for shifting andalso eliminates the needto decide when to executethe shift.

The frame, similar to theKLF300-C’s, is extraheavy duty for the extraloads the larger displace-ment KLF is capable ofcarrying.

The front suspension isKawasaki’s durable andcompliant double wish-bone type, with upper andlower A-arms and pre-loadadjustable shock absorb-ers. The rear suspensionis our exclusive quad linktype, which uses two trail-ing arms extending fromthe frame to the outboardends of the axle, and twolocating links extendingfrom the middle of the trail-ing arms to the axle center

The result is a very rigidand stable chassis whichoffers excellent tractionand a high degree of ridercomfort.

Covering all of this is ex-tra large bodywork withwide, flexible mud guardsdesigned to give the riderexceptional protectionfrom mud and water.

Extra touchesAll of these items, plus

the little features like hy-draulic disc front brakes,twin 25 watt headlights,extra large fuel tank with amechanical fuel gauge,spin-on oil filter and elec-tric starter with an optionalkickstarter means theKLF400 stands alone atthe top of its class.

Just call it “King of theHill.” o

Limited slip differentialWhy do Kawasaki 4x4s sult? The vehicle can be-use a limited-slip front dif- come stuck easily.ferential? Well, if no differ- The limited slip front dif-ential was used to drive ferential combines thethe front wheels, the easy turning of a regularwheels would always turn differential and the supe-at the same speed. That rior traction of a solid axle.is fine as long as the vehi- How? The limited slip dif-cle is traveling in astraight ferential is constructedline. However, when a ve- similarly to a regular dif-

hicle turns a corner, theoutside wheels musttravel farther and there-fore must rotate fasterthan the inside wheels.With no differential, steer-ing the vehicle would re-quire a lot of effort.

So why not use a regu-lar differential? On solidground, regular differen-tials work great, but aproblem arises when thevehicle travels on slipperyground. If one wheel hasless traction than theother, it becomes easierto turn and the differentialsends more torque to thatwheel. This is a normalcharacteristic of a differ-ential, but is exactly theoppos i te o f wha t i sneeded to keep the vehi-cle moving forward. Re-

ferential, but it has smallspr ing- loaded c lutchplates inside. These keepthe differential locked to-gether as a solid unit untilthe torque required to turneach axle varies morethan a preset amount. Atthis point, the clutches be-gin to slip and each axlecan turn independently ofeach other for ease ofturning.

The clutches mean thatsome amount of torque isalways going to be deliv-ered to each axle. If onewheel loses traction com-pletely, some amount oftorque is still being deliv-ered to the other and thevehicle will continue tomove forward.- Patrick Kelly

The Technical Magazine l 3

G U E S T S P O T

Spring 1992Vol. 5 No. 1©1992 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 Thompson

Communications EditorPatrick Kelly

Regional Editors

North and EastFred DeHart

Central and SouthWalter Rainwater

Contributors

Rick Brinkman, Jerry Heil,Tevis Moffett, Ken Osberg,Keith Pestotnik, John Porno,David Pyle, Ray St. John

Graphics/Production

Graphic ArtGregg Thompson

Copy EditorPat Shibata

ProductionNickless Communications

Published by Kawasaki.All suggestions becomethe property of KMC.Sending a service sugges-tion gives Kawasaki per-mission to publish and/oruse it without further con-sideration.

Specifications subject tochange without notice.

4 l K-Tech News

Inspiring good customer serviceKawasaki’s Training De-partment invited Dr. RickBrinkman, an outstandingCareerTrack speaker, tothe San Antonio DealerMeeting to present a semi-nar on “How To Build ACustomer Driven Organi-zation.” In this month’s“Guest Spot” column, wewould like to share someof his ideas on how to in-spire good customer serv-ice within your store:

Start by assemblingyour staff to discuss yourcommon “vision” and “val-ues,” says Dr. Brinkman.Purpose? To make sureyou are all tracking thehighest priorities of yourorganization.

To-determine vision, askyour staff, “What’s the pur-pose of your job?”

Vision is purpose. It’s asimple statement that youuse to distinguish your or-ganization. It’s your over-riding goal.

ImprovementDedicationEfficiency

Example: “We are hereto make our customers’motorcyling experiencespleasant and safe.”

To determine values,ask your staff, “What doyou stand for?”

Values are principles.They form your codes ofconduct. An example?

ProfessionalismRespect

Now that everyone hashad a hand in develop-ment, make sure your vi-sion and values areclearly understood. Then,communicate them to yourcustomers. Put them onyour business cards orpost them in your store.Get the word out!

What does your staff then work with them toneed from you if you want help them meet thosethem to perform well? goals.They need clear guide- Develop a system forlines of authority. They measuring performance:can only make decisions remember that what getsusing their best judgment measured, gets improved.if they know the limits of Listen to employee sug-their authority. gestions and implement

Quite often in retail busi-nesses, employees whohave the most contactwith customers are theleast trained. Make sureyour employees get thenecessary training on howto work with customers.(See the article on Page11 about CareerTrack’svideo-based employeetraining program “How toGive Exceptional Cus-tomer Service” - Ed.) Eve-ryone can benefit nomatter what his or her po-sition. Good communica-tion skills are just asimportant as productknowledge for buildingcredibility and rapport withcustomers.

Remember that externalservice will only be asgood as internal service.Employees want apprecia-tion and recognition. Setgoals for your employees,

them. Get people to bespecific about problems.Encourage them to offersolutions.

Finally, flip your organi-zation chart upside downto put your customers ontop. The customer is themost important person inyour store. Build a strongrelationship with your cus-tomers. Remember, serv-ice is adding people to theproduct. People can goelsewhere for the product.Fourteen percent of cus-tomers who quit doingbusiness with a particularstore are dissatisfied withthe product; 68 percent goelsewhere because theywere treated with an atti-tude of indifference.

Make it as pleasant andconvenient as possible forthe customer to do busi-ness with you. o

If the Kawasaki portablegenerator in your shop isdesparately in need ofsome paint touch-up, thisis your lucky day! Fred De-Hart, Kawasaki’s Northand East Region Trainer,has found a paint that al-most perfectly matches

Publication collectiblesBy Ray St. John, Supervisor, Technical Writing

Older model motorcycles, depending on how interest-ing, rare, or unique they are, can become collectorsterns. And the collectors of these motorcycles are usu-ally interested in restoring them to new condition.

There’s one part of an old motorcycle however thatcan’t be refurbished or repainted: the Owner’s Manual.

So what does an enthusiastic owner of an olderbike do when he wants to put that finishing touch on hispride and joy? Well, sometimes he talks to his friends inhis motorcycle owners’ group. Sometimes he scours thefor sale” ads or puts “want-ads” in magazines. Andevery so often he talks to his Kawasaki dealer.

That’s where you come in. You’ve got the insiderack on authentic Kawasaki publications. Some of theowner’s manuals for older bikes are still available. Mod-els like the ’73 Z1 and the ’69 H1 are the biggest hitswith collectors, but recently other year models of thesame bikes are getting some interest. The H1’s littlebrothers, the 250cc S1, 350cc S2, and 400cc S3, are be-ginning to look good to collectors. The three-cylinder750cc H2 is in there, too. In the Z1 family, look for theZ1-A and -B, and the first LTD, the KZ900-B1.

Here’s a list of the owner’s manuals still in stockfrom model years 1972 through 1977 as of this writing:

In-stock owner’s manuals

’74 S1-B 99997-812 ’73 H1-D 99997-547’75 S1-C 99997-846 ’74 H1-E 99997-811’75 KH250-A5 99997-875-01 ’75 H1-F 99997-849

'74 H2-B 99997-810

4 0 0 c c 9 0 0 c c’74 S3 99997-812 ’74 Z1-A 99997-808’75 S3-A 99997-846 ’75 Z1-B 99997-832’76 KH400-A3 99997-878-01 ’76 KZ900-A4 99997-884-01’77 KH400-A4 99932-003-01

3 5 0 c c 7 5 0 c c’73 S2-A 99997-546 ’73 H2-A 99997-526

’76 KH500-A8 99997-882-01

Model Part Number Model Part Number

2 5 0 c c 5 0 0 c c’73 S1-A 99997-546 ’72 H1-B 99997-525

’76 KZ900-B1 99995-290-01

Generator paintthat found on Kawasakigenerators. The paintshould be available inmost good auto partsstores or from your localautomotive paint store.Ask for Duplicolor - DS-GM249 or 1976 MediumOrange GM Code 78. o

New parts and accessoriesvideo arriving soon!The selling season is 20-minute video. This willnearly here and to help help them become awareyour parts and accesso- of the important role partsries sales people get sales people play in theready, Kawasaki has pro- success of dealerships.duced “At the Parts Coun- Then have the parts sales

ter, You’re the Key,” a vid-eo training program. Thisvideo program will arriveat every Kawasaki dealer-ship in the near future.

The video programshows the responsibilitiesof parts sales people anddemonstrates ways foryour people to meet thoseresponsibilities. The guidethat accompanies everyvideo is filled with ideasand practice activities forupgrading your parts andaccessories sales effort.

Correctly completingand sending the quiz atthe end of the video guideto Kawasaki will qualifythe sales person for thetraining completion certifi-cate. The certificate andquiz results will be re-turned by mail.

When the video pack-age arrives, show every-one in the dealership the

people go through thevideo guide with yourparts manager a fewpages at a time over thenext several weeks. Thiswill help your parts and ac-cessories people beready, because at theparts counter, they’re thekey to a great ’92 partsand accessories salesyear! - Jerry Heil

We made a mistake inthe last issue! We listedthe part numbers of thenew A&P Checklists in-correctly.

Here’s what the partnumbers really are:

NEW A&P CHECKLIST P/NS

PRODUCT LINE CHECKLIST P/N

MotorcycleATV 99964-0053-01Utility Vehicle 99964-0051-01

The Technical Magazine l 5

Why use motorcycle oil?by Roger Davis& Gregg Thompson

Is your car’s engine capa-ble of turning more than10,000 rpm? Does itcruise down the highwayat 4,000 rpm? Does ithave an oil bath clutch orlubricate its transmissionwith the engine oil? Is itlikely to sit unused in yourgarage for days, weeks, oreven months at a time?

If your answer to evenone of these questions is“yes,” you should considerusing Kawasaki Motorcy-cle Oil in your car, not theother way around! Unlikeautomotive oils, Kawasaki4-Cycle oil is formulated toprotect and lubricate notonly engines but also wetclutches and transmis-

sions. Even automotiveracing oils don’t providethe same protection.

Remember that all theadditives used in our oilare available to any com-pany that blends oils. Thetypes and quantities of ad-ditives used are deter-mined by what the oil isintended to do and howmuch the buyer is willingto pay for it.

Oil in motorcycle en-gines typically runs 30° to50° F hotter than in auto-mobile engines. Heatcauses oxidation, butmore heat causes a lotmore oxidation. Kawasakioil contains more anti-oxi-dation additive to help itsurvive these higher tem-peratures. In addition,more detergents and dis-

Friction modifier additivesThere is something rela-tively new in the automo-tive oil business thatpeople in the motorcycleindustry need to knowabout. Oil companies

have recently started add-ing small quantities of“friction modifiers” tosome of their oils in orderto meet certification re-quirements for the “En-e rgy Conserv ing ” o r“Energy Conserving II”ratings (oils with the ECIIrating have more of the

friction modifiers). Frictionmodifiers are additivesthat make the oil more“slippery,” which results inslightly better fuel econ-omy. Friction modifiers donot improve the oil’s abilityto protect and lubricatethe moving parts in anyengine. The automobilemanufacturers are soongoing to specify that in or-der to maintain the vehiclewarranty, oils with this rat-ing must be used. Thishelps the manufacturersmeet government require-ments for fuel economy.As a result, most automo-tive oils will soon have it.

These friction modifierssound great, but they arenot good for wet clutches.For that reason alone, oilswith this rating should notbe used in motorcycles.- Gregg Thompson

persents are used to dealwith the nasty by-productsof oxidation and to preventdeposits from forming oncritical engine parts.

Because motorcyclesare likely to be used lessfrequently and sit unusedfor longer periods of time,our oil contains rust andcorrosion inhibitors notfound in many automotiveoils. Also, special acid in-hibitors are added to fightacid build-up that can re-sult from frequent shorttrips and storage.

Motorcycle transmis-sions create special prob-lems that simply don’texist in auto engines. The“multi-viscosity” charac-teristics of all multi-gradeoils are made possible byadditives called ViscosityIndex (VI) Improvers. Thepolymers in these VI Im-provers resist the thinningthat occurs in oil as itheats up. The result is anoil that is as thin as astraight 20W oil at 100° F,but when it is heated to250° F it is as thick as astraight 50W oil would be

at that temperature.As the oil goes through

the transmission, thegears continually chew upthese polymers, and thelubricating and load bear-ing qualities of the oil arediminished. The catchhere is that there are dif-ferent polymers availableand some are a lot moreexpensive than others.They all produce virtuallythe same results in labora-tory viscosity index tests,but the more expensivepolymers are also more re-sistant to damage fromshear loads created bytransmissions.

Kawasaki 4-Cycle Oilcontains more expensiveViscosity Index Improversto help it retain its excel-lent load-bearing and lubri-cating qualities longer asit lubricates the transmis-sion.

Then there’s the matterof the wet clutch. A specialfriction control material isblended into our oil to al-low proper functioning of

CONTlNUED ON NEXT PAGE

6 l K-Tech News

KLF300B transmission shifting bluesby Keith Pestotnik, Rocky Mountain Kawasaki

Ever heard of a B Model KLF300 (two-wheel-drive) witha reluctant (binding) shifter when the engine is hot? Ifso, chances are the shift mechanism under the right-hand side case is at fault. We have seen units where theshifter pawl arm rubs on the shift drum detent cam dueto a mismanufactured shift shaft.

To inspect for this condition, remove the sidecase,both clutches and the large washer and pins from theshift drum. Tighten the bolt back into the shift drum. Up-shift and hold the mechanism in the full upshift position,and push the shift shaft from the clutch side towards thecases (to the left). Now measure the clearance betweenthe pawl arm and the drum detent cam with a feelergauge. Repeat this inspection in the full downshift posi-tion and note the clearance difference between up anddown positions.

If either the upper or lower shift pawl hook is closeto or touching the detent cam, you may have just foundthe cause of the problem. To fix it, remove the shift shaftand clamp it securely in a vice between soft jaws. Bendand twist the pawl arm as required until it is exactly per-pendicular to the shift shaft. Check your progress usingmachinist’s square.

Final fit inspection is best made on the engine: thepawl arm must be centered in the space between the de-tent cam and drum washer in all positions with the shaftpushed solidly to the left. Once correct, be certain theshift drum washer is not bent and install it with the sharpedge towards you. Put a few drops of non-permanentlocking agent on the washer bolt, and don’t forget to use

Micro-by David PyleParts Publications Specialist

Recently, I have received several callsfrom dealers regarding decals. Someparts come with the decals on them andsome don’t. When you order body partsfor a vehicle, how do you know whetheryou need to order the decals or not? Theaccompanying chart should be helpful.

Warning labels are not supplied on anyreplacement parts. Please remember toorder applicable warning labels for partsthat are being replaced. o

*Swingarm assemblies do not include decals.

TYPE OF DECALS LABELSVEHICLEStreet and Decals Nodual- provided onpurpose all body parts*KX/KDX Decals No

provided onall body parts*

ATV No decals Noprovided

JET SKI® No decals NoWatercraft providedGenerators No decals No

providedUtility Vehicles No decals No

provided

torque wrench on the clutch nuts during re-assembly. o

M/C oilCONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

the oil bath clutch plates.Automotive oils, especiallyafter they’ve been usedover a period of time, maycause slippage and otherclutch problems.

The bottom line? Therereally is a difference be-tween automotive oils andspecialty motorcycle oils,and Kawasaki 4-Cycle Oilreally is worth a little extramoney to the customerwho wants the very bestfor his motorcycle. o

The Technical Magazine l 7

Needles in a hay stack, and a chart to find your wayBy Gregg Thompson to make it as under-Sr. Product Support Specialist standable as possible.

Well, it’s another KX mod-el year and, you guessedit, another new jet needlesize identification system!Are you confused ...again?

Actually, this same sys-tem was used in lastyear’s KX125H2, but thisyear more needles areavailable and more clarifi-cation is needed. Gettingthis clear in your mind canbe a bit tough especiallywhen you don’t have anyinformation about it, sowe’re going to give yousome information and try

On both the KX125-J1and KX250-J1, the thirdand fourth letters of theneedle I.D. mark are theonly ones that we’ll be con-cerned with. For the KX125,an “R” as the THIRD char-acter means that nee-dle is 1/2 clip posi-tion LEANER thana needle withan “S” in thes a m eplace.

(An “NORF”needle is 1/2

step leaner thanan “‘NOSE”) When the FIRST

KX rear brake blues(or “an ounce of preventionis worth a pound of caliper”)

Doing this each time youchange the brake padswill do the trick. Remem-ber, these pins seat into ataper like an automotivespark p lug . A sma l lamount of torque goes a

There are few worse feel-ings for a mechanic thanstripping the threads orrounding the head off apiece of hardware. Espe-cially when it’s a counter-sunk Allen bolt with noexposed shank or head. long way!The big KXs from ’89 on - Dave Pylehave used anA l l e n h e a dbrake pad pin onboth the frontand rear brakes.Over time, dirtand water, alongwith repeatedh e a t i n g a n dcooling cycles,make a bolt thatis very difficult toremove.

All it takes toavoid the prob-lem is a little bitof anti-seize onthe threads.

THREE letters arethe same, an “F”in the FOURTHspace is onefull clip posi--tion LEANER

than an“E.” (An

“NORF” is onefull step leaner

than an “NORE.“)If you understand that,

the same “‘formula” can beapplied to the KX250 nee-dles. Except on the 250needles, an “L” in the thirdspace is 1/2 step leanerthan a “P.” An “A” in thefourth space is one fullstep leaner than a “7” in

Since that explanationmakes it just about asclear as mud, here’s a ta-ble listing the needlesfrom richest to leanest foreach model. Each needlelisted in this table is 1/2clip position leaner thanthe one directly above it inthe table. Soon the micro-fiche will be updated to in-clude this informationalso. o

’92 KX needle I.D. chart

Needle KawasakiI.D. Mark P/N

KX125-J1

Richer

Standard

Leaner

NOSE 16009-1709NORE 16009-1704NOSF 16009-1710NORF 16009-1705NOSG 16009-1711NORG 16009-1706NOSH 16009-1712NORH 16009-1707NOSI 16009-1713NORI 16009-1708

KX250-J1

Richer NOPZ 16009-1699NOLZ 16009-1694NOPA 16009-1700NOLA 16009-1695NOPB 16009-1701

Standard NOLB 16009-1696NOPC 16009-1702NOLC 16009-1697NOPD 16009-1703

Leaner NOLD 16009-1698

the same space, a “B” isleaner than an “A” and soon.

8 l K-Tech News

Service tips from the field: K-Tech readers writeFor a motorcycle mech-anic, removing “rounded-out” Phillips head screwsis just about a daily occur-rence. John DiCiaula ofAction Kawasaki in Mis-sion Viejo, Calif., wrote inwith a tip that should help:John takes a large driftand flattens down theraised points on the screwhead. Then, with a ham-mer, he taps the Phillipshead socket from his im-pact driver into the headof the screw. Tapping onthe screw with the driftand the Phillips bit alsotends to loosen the screwin the case.

One sharp rap with theimpact driver and thescrew should be loose.

(Editor’s aside: Anotherthing you might try for re-moving these screws isputting a little lapping com-pound on the end of your

l Quite often whenstarting up a new vehiclefor the first time or startingone that has been storedfor a week or more, you’llhave to crank the startermotor for a long time be-fore it finally lights up. Itseems the carburetor justcan’t deliver quite enoughfuel to get the engine go-ing on that first start-up.Dana Dandeneau of Dan-deneau Automotive has aquick and easy solution tothis problem. Instead ofmelting the starter motorand battery down trying tostart one of these, Danasays just find the pink venthose from the carb(s) andgently blow into it whilecranking the engine over.This pressurizes the floatchamber(s) forcing extra

screwdriver blade. Thisadds some “grip” betweenthe blade and the strippedhead allowing you to ap-ply more torque to thescrew.)

gas into the venturi. Theengine should fire up im-mediately.

Be aware that on somemodels (such as our KXbikes), there is more thanone vent tube so you haveto temporarily plug one ofthem in order to pressur-ize the carb.

Blow gently! A little pres-sure goes a long way.

This tip also works onour watercraft, but thevent tube you want topressurize is the blackone from the gas tankcap; there is no vent tubeon the carburetor.

(Thanks for your greattip, Dana! - Ed.)

l Every now and then,you will come across astarter motor that hasbeen damaged by oil thatleaked in from the engine.You can order new brush-es and rebuild the startermotor, but the part thatcaused the problem in thefirst place (the seal) is notavailable. This can be frus-trating!

But Daryl D’Ambrosiofrom Cumberland Kawa-saki has a solution: He

says that many of ourstarters use a commonseal available right fromKawasaki. It is a 20x35x4.5 mm seal and it can beordered under P/N 92049-1176.

If this seal is not theone you need, you canmeasure the inner andouter diameters and thick-ness of the old seal, andyour local bearing housecan probably sell you onethat will replace it. o

KLF220 starting problemsWe’ve had a few reportson the Hot Line of newKLF220-A5s with strangeelectric starter problems.The symptoms are verysimilar to what would oc-cur with a low battery orweak starter motor. Inevery case, the symptomswere intermittent.

Before calling the HotLine, most of these deal-ers had already checkedthe battery, battery cablesfor tightness and startermotor, and then replacedthe starter and battery.When that didn’t help, acouple of dealers even didsome engine disassemblylooking for somethingbinding or seizing.

The problem turned outto be the connection be-tween the negative bat-tery cable and the engine.The 6mm mounting bolthad a locking agent on itwhich insulated it from thecases, and the enginewas painted, insulating itfrom the cable end. Theresult was a very poorpath for the high-amper-age starter current to fol-low.

The solution was toclean the locking agentfrom the bolt and the holein the cases and scrapethe paint off the enginearound the mountingpoint. - Kenny Osberg

The Technical Magazine l 9

KLF300: Don’t knock these solutionsby Gregg Thompson, Sr. Product Support Specialist Hey, if you think the IC igniter remedy is a strange

one, here’s an even more unlikely solution to the sameI f you have a 1990 or older KLF300B or C model with amysterious knocking noise at low engine rpm, the solu-tion could be easier than you think. If the noise sounds

problem: A couple of units with the same low-rpm knockalso had a problem with the engine suddenly stopping atlow speeds, bringing the vehicle to an abrupt halt. These

just like a rod knockand is louder whenthe engine is hot, butgoes away justabove idle, why nottry a new IC igniter?

“Oh, that makesperfect sense!” yousay.

“Not!”Well, strange as it

may seem, that wasthe solution in a fewcases where thesymptoms were justas described above.Apparently, the audi-ble “knock” was theresult of incorrect ig-nition timing at lowrpm due to a faulty ig-niter. The knockworsened as the en-gine warmed up,which does makesense if the noise isthe result of detona-tion.

units didn’t respondto replacing the igni-ters. After disassem-bling and inspectingthe clutches, trans-mission, and in onecase even the en-gine, the problemturned out to be afaulty regulator/rectifier!

That’s right: Theknocking noise andengine stalling at lowspeeds was causedby a faulty regulator.So, if a vehicleshows up in yourshop with thesesymptoms, checkthe battery for highvoltage with the en-gine running or justplug in another regu-lator/rectifier. o

Diagnosing repeat regulator failuresMany of our motorcycles since1984 have used field-excited alter-nators with the regulator and recti-fier mounted inside the alternatorcase. The ZX900 Ninja was thefirst to use this type of alternatorand many of the larger streetbikes since then have used thesame design.

In the past few years, a numberof cases have been reported to uswhere the customer experiencedrepeat regulator failures in a veryshort period of time. The problemturned out to be a short in the ro-tor. The short didn’t knock out therotor completely, but it did reducethe field enough that the regulator

10 l K-Tech News

had to pump current through therotor non-stop to keep up with thedemand.

Our feeling is that when thishappens, the new regulator sim-ply burns out over a short periodof time.

This type of failure (layer short)in the rotor usually cannot be de-tected with a multimeter resis-tance test. If you come across areplacement regulator in one ofthese alternators that has failedshortly after it was installed, youshould probably replace the rotoreven if it doesn’t test bad withyour multimeter.- Tevis Moffett

Carbs off?Well, just afew minutesextra worksaves...

E X T R A :“How-to”on video

Here’s something to re-member the next time youhave the pleasure of re-moving a set of carbure-tors from one of Kawa-saki’s multi-cylinder motorcycles: Once you have

that carb set removed, justa few minutes’ more workwill have the manifolds offin your hands too. (Note:This tip refers to theflanged, bolt-on type mani-folds -Ed.)

On high-mileage units,these manifolds can beginto leak between the flangeand the head, resulting inhard starting, poor idleand terrible throttle re-sponse off idle.

With just a little extrawork you can seal themanifolds to the head, pre-venting future problems.Use a high-quality heat-and gas-resistant sealantlike Kawasaki Bond (P/N56019-120) for this job.Never use a common RTV-type silicone sealant as itwill soon be softened bythe gas and cause ratherthen prevent a leak.- John Pomo

Learn the real reason be-hind most customer dissat-isfaction and what to doabout it ...

Learn how to deal withemotional customers andwhat to do when an angrycustomer verbally attacksyou ...

Learn how to build rap-port with customersthrough active listeningtechniques ...

Learn what customerservice really means andwhat tactics are beingused by organizationswho are winning.

Sound interesting? It is,and all of this informationcan be found in one place:“How to Give ExceptionalCustomer Service”, avideo-based training pro-gram available fromKawasaki’s Technical Serv-ices Department that youcan use to train everyonein your store.

Included with the fourvideo tapes in this trainingpackage are two StudentWorkbooks and a Discus-sion Leader’s Guide tohelp you get maximum re-sults. Each volume con-

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

new repair techniques, allour guests were interestedin the training techniquesand the materials we usein the Service Trainingand Communications De-partment. They will usethese materials and tech-niques to enhance techni-cal training efforts in theirown countries. o

tains over 80 minutes ofproven ideas, tips andstrategies-that’s over fivehours of instruction foronly $165.00 (plus applica-ble sales tax and ship-ping). Order directly fromKawasaki by calling(714)770-0400, ext. 2472,or write to:

Kawasaki Motors Corp.,U.S.A.

Technical Services Dept.P.O. Box 25252

Santa Ana, CA 92799

Volume I: How to BuildYour Service Image andCustomer Loyalty

Volume II: How to Sat-isfy Even the Most Diffi-cult Customers

Volume Ill: More Waysto Make Customer Con-tacts Positive and Profit-able

Volume IV: Making ItWork-Superior Servicein Action

CONTlNUED FROM PAGE 12

technicians will be able totalk with the customersabout their problems in acompetent manner. Also,they will have their diplo-mas to display for all tosee their qualifications.

Kawasaki technicaltraining will make yourtechnician an even morevaluable asset. Ask Tony! o

The Technical Magazine l 11

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

WEST

Internationalhorizonsby Patrick Kelly9950 Jeronimo RoadIrvine, CA 92718(714) 770-0400

The month of Januaryhad an internationaltheme in training this year.Three visitors from Euro-pean and South AmericanKawasaki distributors at-tended technical trainingclasses at the West Re-gional Training Center.

Ronald Kuijper, ProductSupport Assistant Man-ager for Kawasaki Jet SkiEurope, attended JETSKI® watercraft class andMULE™ Dealer Orienta-tion plus MULE 1000/2000and MULE 500 classes.

Javier Botero Gutier-rez, Service DepartmentManager for AutotecnicaColumbiana, and his assis-tant, Javier Arango Alvier-rez, traveled from Mede-lin, Columbia, to take En-gines, Fuel Systems, Elec-trical Troubleshooting andGenerators classes.

In addition to learningCONTlNUED ON PAGE 11

12 l K-Tech News

SOUTH & CENTRAL

A trainingtestimonialby Walter Rainwater6110 Boat Rock Blvd. S.W.Atlanta, GA 30378(404) 349-2000

Tony Coats is the ownerof Wheels for Fun in Louis-ville, Ky. Tony has been aKawasaki dealer for aboutfour years and has beenin the motorcycle industryabout 12 years. He real-izes that a well-trainedtechnician can really bene-fit his dealership, so he re-cently registered two ofhis technicians in Kawa-saki technical training fora total of 24 student days.His specific reasons weremany:

“I wanted these guys toattend training classesnow so they would be pre-pared for the busy sea-son,” Coats explains. Hewanted his technicians tobe able to make repairsquickly and correctly, andhe realizes that factorytraining means they willhave the latest, most up-to-date information. His

CONTlNUED ON PAGE 11

NORTH & EAST

JET SKI®

update classby Fred DeHart201 Circle Drive N., #107Piscataway, NJ 08854(201) 469-1221

With this Spring issue ofK-Tech News, it is timeagain to remind everyonethat business will be pick-ing up rapidly as the ridingseason for motorcyclesand JET SKI® watercraftnears. Plan on coming toclasses before things gettoo hectic.

A new 750 JET SKI Up-date class has beenadded to the trainingschedule. Starting inMarch, any JET SKI classheld in the North or EastRegions also includes anextra day for the 750 JETSKI Update class.

Even if you have alreadyattended regular JET SKItraining, you are welcometo attend the one-day 750JET SKI Update class.Please check the trainingschedules and sign upwhen you get a chance.

Hope to see you inclass soon! o

TrainingScheduleEast Region

April

6-8 JET SKl® Watercraft9 750 JET SKI® Update14-16 Troubleshooting Elec. Systems21-23 Engines24 High Performance Engines

May5-7 Engines12-14 JET SKl® Watercraft15 750 JET SKI® Update19-21 Troubleshooting Elec. Systems27-28 Fuel Systems

North Region

April

27-29 JET SKI® Watercraft30 750 JET SKI® Update

Central Region

MayNo classes scheduled

South Region

April

2 Service Department Operations(K-BOSS)

6-7 Servicing the MULE 1000/20008 Servicing the MULE 5009 Generator13 High Performance Engines14-16 Engines20-22 JET SKI® Watercraft23 750 JET SKI® Update27-28 ATV Service29-30 Fuel Systems

May4 High Performance Engines5-7 Engines11-13 JET SKl® Watercraft14 750 JET SKI® Update18-20 Troubleshooting Elec. Systems21 Generator26-27 ATV Service28-29 Fuel Systems

West Region

April

1 Generator6 MULE Dealer Orientation7-8 Servicing the MULE 1000/20009 Servicing the MULE 50014-16 Troubleshooting Elec. Systems20-22 JET SKI® Watercraft23 750 JET SKI® Update29-30 Engines

May11 Generator12-13 Fuel Systems18-20 JET SKI® Watercraft21 750 JET SKI® Update