Winter 1994 The Kawasaki Technical Magazine Vol. 7 No. 4

THEORY

What is horsepower?Nearly every technical

article ever written aboutmotorcycles and watercraftmentions horsepower. Infact, horsepower is oftenthe most talked-aboutitem: How much horse-power does it have? Howdid the engineers get thatmuch horsepower out ofthe engine? How does itshorsepower make theproduct perform?-thoseare all familiar questions.

But, just what is “horse-power,” and what is its

relationship to another oft-mentioned unit of mea-sure, ‘torque”?

Before we can definehorsepower, we mustdefine torque. Torque issimply “rotational force.” Itcan be measured in manydifferent units, but the onemost of us are familiarwith is ft/lbs. If we apply10lbs of force at a dis-tance of 1ft from the axisof rotation, that is 10 ft/lbsof torque. If we apply 1lbof rotational force at a

axis of rotation, that is alsodistance 10ft from the

10 ft/lbs of torque.But remember that

torque can be appliedwithout actual movement,so torque alone tells usnothing about how muchreal work is being done.“Work” in this instance isthe product of a force andthe distance through whichit acts. If there is nomovement, then there isno work.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

ROUTE LIST: o SERVlCE 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

With all the hoopla sur-rounding the introduction ofKawasaki’s exciting newwatercraft and motorcycles,the KEF300-A1’s debutmight be easy to miss. Butit deserves its own momentin the spotlight.

The Lakota is Kawasaki’sfirst entry into the burgeon-ing sporting utility class ofATV. The Lakota offers theconsumer a single ATV onwhich to perform work orleisure activities. Its long-travel suspension andexcellent power deliveryare well suited to sportinguse, while its front and rearracks (rack capacity 44lbs.front; 66lbs. rear), optionaltrailer hitch (towing capa-city 650lbs.) and automaticclutches are perfect for thosemore utilitarian needs.

ChassisThe chassis of the ’95

Lakota is based on thepopular, sport-orientedMojave 250. The frame isnearly identical, except foradditional bracketry for theracks and a battery box—the Lakota is electric start.The suspension (doublewishbone up front and asolid axle with a swingarmand Uni-Trak out back) isidentical to the KSF250’s,right down to spring anddamping rates.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Inside!n Service tips & more!

LakotaCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The main chassis differ-ence between the twomodels is the swingarm:The Lakota’s swingarm islonger than the Mojave’s tolengthen the wheelbase by0.6in. The longer wheel-base makes the Lakota’shandling characteristicsmore suited to its role as asporting utility machine.

The new KEF300’sbrakes (hydraulic frontdisc for each front wheeland a single disc on therear axle) are also thesame as the KSF’s brakesand provide plenty ofstopping power.

(ABOVE) Engine is adapted from Bayou 300 but has adifferent cam. (BELOW) Chain final drive is lighter thanshaft and works well with Lakota’s long-travel suspension.

The chassis rolls onlarger tires than theMojave’s. Although theLakota’s steel wheels arethe same diameter as onthe KSF model, the fronttires are one inch larger indiameter and one inchwider; the rears are thesame overall diameter andone inch wider. The largertires are better suited to thedemands of utility usage.

EngineThe Lakota’s engine is

adapted from the Bayou300. It is a single cylinder,air-cooled engine with asingle overhead camshaft.Its single intake valve andsingle exhaust valve are

operated by rocker armswith screw and locknut lashadjusters.

Adaptations to theengine include a new cam-shaft to change theengine’s power character-istics. Duration goes up 12°on both the intake andexhaust cam lobes for atotal of 272°. Lift for bothvalves also goes up 0.3mm,to 8.3mm. These changesto the camshaft profileincrease the engine’spower output and move thepower further up the rpmrange, making the powerdelivery more sporting, yetstill useful for utility use.Peak horsepower goesfrom the Bayou’s 19.5 hp at

(ABOVE) Frame design on the electric-start Lakota isborrowed from the sporting Mojave 250. (BELOW) Doublewishbone front suspension is also identical to KSF250.

6500 rpm to the Lakota’s21.5 hp at 7000 rpm.

The other major changeto the engine is to accom-modate the Lakota’s chainfinal drive, used in place ofthe Bayou’s shaft finaldrive. Chain drive is lighterand works better with theLakota’s long-travelsuspension than shaft finaldrive would. Chain finaldrive is also more efficientthan shaft, so more of theengine’s power ends up atthe rear wheels.

The Lakota: able to workduring the week and playon the weekend. It’s aversatile and exciting ATVthat is sure to generate alittle hoopla all its own. q

2 l K-Tech News

New phone system for toll-free numbersWe call it “Computer

Telephone Integration.” Ifyou have called the HotLine in the last few weeks,you might have noticed afew minor changes in howthe phones work.

For instance, if you callfrom your dealership, thetechnician who answers

the phone here on the HotLine already knows whereyou are calling from. Youalso have the option to putin a log number at yourphone and, when the tech-nician answers, he will havethat log report in front of him.

These changes andothers are the result of a

new system that routesevery Hot Line call througha mainframe computer.This identifies the callingphone number and dealerthe same way the computerat the other end of “9-1-1”knows who is calling. (Ifyou are not calling from thephone at your shop, you’ll

have to enter your dealernumber first to get in.)

This new phone systemgives us the ability to analyzemany aspects of the HotLine that, until now, were“invisible.” Result? We’ll beable to make the Hot Lineservice faster and moreefficient than it is today. r

COVER FEATURE

HorsepowerCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Horsepower (hp) is acalculation of the rate atwhich work is being done.

The unit of measurecalled horsepower hasbeen around a long time. Itwas originated by JamesWatt, an early pioneer inthe development of thesteam engine. He neededa way to compare anengine’s efficiency with theamount of work a horsecould do (the former de-signed to replace the latterin many work situations.)

Watt determined that ahorse, working at a steadyrate, could perform about550ft/lbs per second ofwork. This means theaverage horse could lift550lbs to a height of 1ft inone second. That is theequivalent of lifting 33,000pounds to a height of onefoot in one minute. So,one horsepower is equalto 550 ft/lbs per second or33,000 ft/lbs per minute.

Now we can see thathorsepower is a measureof torque applied in agiven amount of time. Themathematical formula forhorsepower further clari-

fies this. By looking at thisformula, we can see thatan increase in either torqueor rpm will increase hp:

HP=Torque x rpm

5252

The speed, measuredin rpm, at which an enginereaches peak hp is alwaysat, or in most cases above,the rpm at which theengine reaches peaktorque. Horsepower risesas torque and rpm rise,

to allow hp to continue torise as rpm increases.

The engine reaches itshorsepower peak whenthe torque output falls fastenough to overcome anyfurther increase in rpm.

If two engines havesimilar torque outputs, theone that makes its torqueat a higher rpm will alsomake the most horse-power. For example, boththe ZX1100-D engine andthe new JH900-A engine

but even after the engine’s produce 81ft/lbs of torque.torque has peaked, hp usu- The ZX-11 engine makesally continues to rise. This 81ft/lbs of torque at 8500is because when torque rpm while the JH900-Afirst begins to drop off, it engine makes its 81ft/lbsdoes so gradually enough of torque at just 6000rpm.

The ZX-11 engine pro-duces a peak hp of 147 at10,500rpm while theJH900 produces 100hp at6750rpm.

The more hp an engineproduces, the faster it canperform work. For a streetbike, that means quickeracceleration and fasterquarter-mile times. But, theamount of horsepower isnot always the mostimportant thing. For exam-ple, on a MULE™ utilityvehicle, plenty of low-rpmtorque is required forhauling heavy loads froma standing start. MULEengines, therefore, aredesigned to operate mostefficiently and developpeak torque at low rpm,and this results in a smalleramount of peak hp.

Horsepower advantageor no, your average, big-hp motorcycle enginewould have a hard timedealing with a fully loadedMULE and trailer!

Remember, work is theproduct of a force and thedistance through which itacts; horsepower is ameasure of the rate atwhich work is done.

—Patrick Kelly

The Technical Magazine l 3

Vol. 7 No. 4 l Winter 1994©1994 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

WestJerry Heil

Contributors

Dave Behlings, Ken Osberg,David Pyle, Ray St. John

Graphics/Production

Graphic ArtGregg Thompson

PhotographyDave Corey

Copy EditorPat Shibata

ProductionNickless Communications

Published by Kawasaki.

All suggestions 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

Congrats, Service Contest No. 1 Winners!The results of the first

’94-’95 Kawasaki ServiceContest are in: A total of 40technicians passed the testsee the list of winners onPage 6) and qualified for thetop award, a cordless

butane-powered solderingiron from Snap-On.

In order to maximize thenumber of people whoqualified for the award, thepassing level was loweredto 80 percent from the

Contest No. 2Part 2 of the Kawasaki

Service contest, found inthe middle of this issue ofK-Tech News, coversMULEs and generators.(Next issue: the third andfinal quiz, covering JET SKI®

watercraft.)

lDeadline for this secondpart of the contest isFebruary 17.

lThe contest is open toany Kawasaki dealershippersonnel.

l Contestant may use anymaterials and informationavailable to answer thetest questions.

lSend completed tests to:Service Contest No. 2,Kawasaki Motors Corp.,U.S.A., 9950 JeronimoRd., Irvine, CA 92718. q

gas-powered soldering tool from Snap-On Tools.Service Contest No. 1 prize: a cordless, refillable, butane

previously announced 85percent. The remainingtests in this series will alsohave passing levels of 80percent.

Even if you didn’t quite“pass” this one, don’t giveup! The grand prize winnerwill be determined from thecumulative score from allthree tests in the series.

The test in this issuecovers the MULE™ andgenerator product lines.And while the test is opento all of our dealers, if youare a MULE- or generator-only dealer, now is the timeto show your stuff.

Good luck! r

Growing pains (cont.)CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

ATVs. Those sales weregood but even better wasall the customers who werestill coming in weeks laterwanting and getting gooddeals, after hearing aboutthe promotion.

Second growing pain:hiring enough employees.Kawasaki of Hendersonopened with just threeemployees; now there areseven. Bill worked hard tofind competent people justto keep up with theincrease in business.

Third growing pain:finding ways to satisfy theircustomers. Customersatisfaction, of course, wasnot a new concept foreither Dannheiser orHodge.

As an example, theytake all their new Jet Ski®

watercraft customers to the

lake to familiarize themwith the proper operationand controls of their newboat. The customer isassured of getting properinstruction and a good-running machine at thesame time.

While they initiallywanted to sell only ATVs,both John and Bill arepleasantly surprised bytheir success with otherKawasaki products: Theirsales numbers formotorcycles, watercraftand, yes, ATVs, are nearthe top in their area.

What may seem like apain, Hodge turns into astepping stone of oppor-tunity.

A wise man once said:“A little pain never hurt any-body”; it might even begood. Just ask John Dann-heiser and Bill Hodge. q

In search of ... old parts kits

If this happens to you,don’t panic until you havelooked a little further intothe bulletin. Then panic ...

Just kidding! In mostcases, the individual partsfor the kit are still availableseparately. A good exampleis the steering shaft kitlisted on bulletin JS 91-03for the 1991 X-2 watercraft.On the first page of thebulIetin, under “WarrantyInformation,” a single partnumber is listed for the“steering shaft assy.” That

We get quite a few callson the Hot Line fromdealers who want to ordera parts kit from an oldservice bulletin but find thatit’s no longer available.

part number is no longeravailable. But this“assembly” is really a kitwhich contains the shaft,an o-ring and a washer.These three part numbersare listed separately onPage 3 of the bulletin under“Parts Information” and arestill available.

The only catch is thatusually the individual partsare more expensive thanthe kit was. For variousreasons, kit prices areoften kept artificially low.

In the case of a repairorder or a warranty claim,be sure you list and pricethe parts individually ifthat’s how you had to orderthem.—Dave Behlings

TroubleCode Qty

01

WARRANTY INFORMATION

Part Number Description Claim Type: 3

13310-3701 Shaft Job Code: 22037Assembly

Time: 0.6 hr.Failure Date: Sameas Repair Date

This is the information shown on Page 1 of the oldJS 91-03 Service Bulletin ...

Parts Information

Description Old P/N New P/N

Shaft Assembly N/A 13310-3701

Steering Shaft 13107-3722 13107-3728

Washer 92022-3757 92200-3722

O-Ring 670B2016 670B2020

... and this is the still-valid Part Number informationlisted on Page 3.

Micro-K: Index updatesby Dave PyleParts Publications Specialist

In the last few months, youmay have noticed a changein the Micro-K Index. Wenow have so many micro-fiche that the Index will notfit on a standard piece ofpaper, so we went up tolegal size paper. This givesus room to make the printlarger and easier to read,and to include some newinformation.

At the end of the Indexis a handy listing of Micro-KDeck types and currentprices, as well as a list ofreplacement lamps for

microfiche readers.Have you misplaced

your Micro-K Index? TheK-FAX System now includesthe Micro-K index as one ofit’s many documents. Justdial (714)-458-5663, followthe instructions, requestdocument no. 2010, andthe K-FAX system will senda sharp copy of the Micro-Kindex direct to your faxmachine.

Please remember that ifyour fax number is new orhas changed, you shouldcall your Vehicle OrderDesk representative andgive him/her the updatedinformation. q

Consumer information SheetsYou remember those

pesky Consumer Informa-tion Sheets: They’re theones with all the brakingdistances for street-legalmotorcycles.

Of course, all this data isalso in the Owners Manualfor each model, but federallaw says you need to haveinformation on all the bikesyou sell available for anyprospective customer totake out of the store withhim or her.

Here are part numbersfor the most recent sheetsso you can order some(free of charge of course):

l1995 P/N 99968-0095l1994 P/N 99968-0094l1993 P/N 99968-0093

READERS NOTE: Service ContestNo. 2 answer sheets are dueFebruary 17! (See Page 4.)

(The ’95 sheets are notout yet, but will be soon.)

There’s an easier waynow, however: K-FAX. Youcan use your telephone tocall the K-FAX number and

order these forms forimmediate delivery at yourstore via your friendly faxmachine.

What’s the procedure?1) Dial (714) 458-5663;2) Follow the easy voice

prompts, entering the num-bers on your touch-tonephone;

3) Select documentnumber 3801 for the 1993information or 3802 for the’94 stuff. The ’95 info willbe available soon as docu-ment number 3803;

4) Hang up and wait aminute ...

The fax that will soon beemerging from yourmachine is the ConsumerInformation Sheet yourequested. It’s easier thanstocking them yourself andthey don’t get dusty or dog-eared on the shelf.

-Ray St. John

The Technical Magazine l 5

Service Contest No. 1 Winners

Rick ReedMartin BlaisJames Brantley Jr.Daniel HarringtonJohn Donal Jr.Paol KoleJose RiveraEmmanuel SubidaJose VallejoTom WebberKen GayCurtis HillmanSean KentAndy ReevesJim StuhrJoseph StowellDoug EngieColin HillmanJason ClymerLarry ClymerMike GregoryDoug FarnenDavid MyersRon SainatoMark CarlDavid KerschinskeDamien ToyMichael HansenPanagiotis VassilatosRayburn SumnerGreg BeckerJames WhiteDavid BjorkJim TribouStacey CreggerGreg DeskinsTravis JonesTodd LyttonTerry WolfordDennis Burgess

Beaumont KawasakiMid Cities KawasakiRegency KawasakiKawasaki of OcalaIllinois Kawasaki of AuroraChampion Cycle CenterChampion Cycle CenterChampion Cycle CenterChampion Cycle CenterLeer’s KawasakiShawnee KawasakiShawnee KawasakiShawnee KawasakiShawnee KawasakiShawnee KawasakiJoe Brooks KawasakiNorthern KawasakiNorthern KawasakiJackson CycleJackson CycleJackson CydeDoug’s Cycle ShopSpringfield KawasakiSpringfield KawasakiSteven’s Motor Sports Inc.Steven’s Motor Sports Inc.Steven’s Motor Sports Inc.Kawasaki of Las VegasCampus Cycle & Marine KawasakiForsyth KawasakiBig 4 KawasakiRehmert Cycle SalesCapitol KawasakiWayne’s Cycle KawasakiMark IV KawasakiMark IV KawasakiMark IV KawasakiMark IV KawasakiMark IV KawasakiMac’s Cycle

Cloquet, Minn.Jackson, Minn.

Marietta, OhioVersailles, OhioColumbia, S.C.Waynesboro, Va.Wytheville, Va.Wytheville, Va.Wytheville, Va.Wytheville, Va.Wytheville, Va.Clarkston, Wash.

Jackson, Minn.Jackson, Minn.Salisbury, Mo.Springfleld, Mo.Springfield, Mo.Omaha, Neb.Omaha, Neb.Omaha, Neb.Las Vegas, Nev.Centereach, N.Y.

Beaumont, Calif.Paramount, Calif.Jacksonville, Fla.Ocala, Fla.Aurora, Ill.Chicago, Ill.Chicago, Ill.Chicago, Ill.Chicago, Ill.Waterloo, IowaShawnee, Kan.Shawnee, Kan.Shawnee, Kan.Shawnee, Kan.Shawnee, Kan.lonia, Mich.Cloquet, Minn.

Winston-Salem, N.C.

by Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

The new ZXi watercraft(750 and 900) have electri-cal systems that are signifi-cantly different from thesystems in our previouswatercraft models. Wethink its worth spending afew minutes familiarizingyourself with the differencesbefore the first time you getto work on one.

Possibly the mostobvious difference is thatboth the new ZXi’s havekeyed ignition switches.

Exploring the ZXi’s new electrical system

The vehicles won’t startand run without the ignitionswitch being in the ONposition. The switch uses amagnetic key that shouldbe turned to the ON posi-tion and then removed andstowed while riding to pre-vent losing it. You need tobe aware of this feature andeducate your customersbecause if they forget tostow their key while riding,there is a very good chancethey will lose it.

The lanyard and emer-gency stop switch functionthe same as on previousmodels.

Another obvious differ-ence is that the ZXi’s have

electric speedometers (see On all other models withthe “Speedometer” article electric gauges and electricelsewhere in this issue). trim, these systems areThis system consists of a switched on by an A/Csending unit (or sensor) signal from the alternator.mounted at the bottom rear Power and ground areedge of the hull next to the connected to them all thepump, and a large gauge in time (engine running orthe instrument cluster. not).

Both the gauge andsending unit receive powerfrom the ignition switchthrough a joint connector,and are grounded to theelectrical case throughanother joint connector.There is a single, green/redsignal wire from the sensorto the gauge.

On the ZXi’s, power isswitched to all electricalsystems by the ignitionswitch. There is no A/Csignal to any of thesecomponents or systems. Ifthe engine is turned offusing the lanyard or emer-gency stop switch and theignition switch is left on, the

Positive Joint Connector

gauges will stay on. Thegauges draw significantpower-almost 250 mA onthe 900—which will run thebattery down in a day ortwo. More customer educa-tion: “Don’t forget to turnyour ignition switch OFF.”

There are two joint con-nectors (mentioned before)in the system. One of theselarge “gang plugs” connectsa red/white power leadfrom the ignition switch toseven switched electricalcomponents plus theengine start button. Theother one connects ablack/white ground lead(from the electrical case) tomostly the same electricalcomponents.

When the ignition switchis turned to the OFF posi-tion, it turns the engine offby grounding the igniterthrough this same jointconnector. r

Negative Joint Connector

The Technical Magazinel7

A ll 750 Jet Ski® water-craft models except thenew JH750-C1 ZXi have thesame basic jet pump design.This features a largerubber gasket between thefront of the pump housingand the hull.

The rubber gasket mustseal well for the pump tofunction properly—especially while acceleratingat low vehicle speeds. Butthe mounting bolts hold thepump up against the top ofthe pump cavity, not at thefront, so very little clampingforce is applied to thegasket.

Because of this lightpressure on the gasket, itcan sometimes get sucked

8 l K-Tech News

ZXi speedometer tips: Sensor height and fuzz cropsby Kenny OsbergProduct Support Specialist

Kawasaki’s two new ZXiJet Ski® watercraft—theJH750-C1 and JH900-A1—are the first Kawasakiwatercraft to come equippedwith speedometers. I’vespent a few weeks preparingand servicing some pre-production units here atKMC and, while working onthem, I picked up a fewservice tips on the newspeedometer system that I

can pass on to you.One of the things we

discovered about thesespeedometers is that theyare very sensitive to properspeed sensor alignment.The bottom surface of thesensor body must be evenwith the bottom surface ofthe hull. We found that ifthe bottom of the sensorwas lower than (i.e. below)the bottom of the hull, thespeedo would not registerspeed above a certainpoint, usually around30mph.

A speedo with thisproblem would appear towork normally up to about30mph, and then suddenlydrop to zero as the vehiclecontinued to accelerate totop speed. As the vehiclespeed dropped below30mph, the speedometer

would suddenly come backto life. If you run into thisproblem, know this: thetransition from the hull tothe sensor must be verysmooth and flat.

We also discovered thatthe little paddle wheel inthe sensor can get fouledwith debris and dirt. Thewheel should spin freely onits pin when you flick it withyour finger. Each of the

paddles in the wheel has amagnet inside it, and theywill collect iron particlesfrom the water and theshore. Although this littlecrop of fuzz probably won’taffect the operation of thespeedo, its a good idea toclean it off if you’re downthere inspecting thesensor. r

Beating the rubber gasket blues on 750 pump installationout from between the pumpand hull, resulting in massive

cavitation whenaccelerating.

For easierassembly, the factoryapplies grease to thisgasket which, unfortu-nately, can alsocontribute to the gasketslipping out of place.

Here’s a procedure

for installing these pumpsthat should prevent anysubsequent problems withthe gasket. Try it the nexttime you are working on

one ofthese.

First, if you are reusingthe old gasket, make sureyou clean all the factorygrease off it beforeinstalling it. Even a newgasket should probably bewiped with lacquer thinneror some other oil-freesolvent.

Next, glue the gasket tothe pump housing withcrazy glue (cyanoacrylate).Now spray some verysoapy water on the gasketand in the pump cavity ofthe hull. The soap willmake it slippery for easyassembly but won’t affect itlater in use.

—Kenny Osbeg

ZXi carb tuning x 3by Kenny OsbergProduct Support Specialist

Kawasaki’s new flag-ship, three-cylinder, 900ccwater heater—the 900 ZXi—will surely trigger somefond (or maybe not sofond?) memories in someof you older Kawasakimechanics.

When you pull the 900’sflame arrester off for thefirst time and stare at thosethree separate carburetorsfeeding three separate two-stroke cylinders, you’ll getwhat I mean.

Those of you who werearound in the KawasakiTriples’ heydays willremember that to achieve asmooth, even idle andgood, crisp throttleresponse, you had to getthe carburetors nicelysynchronized. This newwater-cooled triple is a lotmore civilized than thoseold air-cooled units, but it’sstill a lot happier when allthree throttles are on thesame plane.

The happier that engine

is, of course, the happieryour customers will be.

So how do you synchro-nize all those carbs? Thisis when the guy in yourshop who’s been wrenchingon Kawasakis for twodecades is going to comein handy. You’ll want torummage through thebottom drawer of his toolbox for a handy little toolcalled a “Uni-Syn.” Thissimple tool measures theair flow through a carburetor.There’s no need for anyvacuum fittings: Just placethe Uni-Syn flat on the bellmouth of each carburetorand compare the readings.

Since this tool measuresair flow instead of vacuum,opening the throttle raisesthe reading on the gaugeand closing it lowers thereading. Increasing the idlespeed will raise the readingon all the carburetors.

If no one in your shophas a Uni-Syn tool, wehave tracked down themanufacturer and ordereda supply. The KawasakiP/N is W56019-1120. r

KLF300 knocking noiseTwice in past issues we

have printed an article enti-tled “KLF300: Don’t knockthese solutions” whichdiscussed a couple of hard-to-find causes of enginenoises in KLF300-B and -Cmodels. The article wasprobably a little too longand possibly the title was alittle too clever; either way,it seems the article hasgone unnoticed by quite afew of you.

So here’s the quick anddirty version of the story:KLF300’s will sometimeshave a distinct knockingnoise from the enginecaused by a defective ICigniter or a defective regu-lator/rectifier.

That’s right: IC igniter orregulator/rectifier!

The knocking noise isheard most clearly on theright-hand side and sounds

like it’s a bearing in thebottom end.

Typically, mechanicsinspect the clutch andprimary drive first and thensplit the cases looking for arod or main bearingproblem. Nobody goesright to the regulator/recti-fier the first time they runinto one of these (unlessthey’ve read one of theK-Tech News articles).

Lets face it, this is not acommon solution to anengine knock! If you canremember this, though, itcan save you a lot of timesomeday.

—Gregg Thompson

A digital ignition tidbitAll of Kawasaki’s motor-

cycles with Digital IgnitionSystems have a gray wiregoing from the ignitionswitch to the igniter. Thiswire carries reduced volt-age to the igniter-a volt-

age signal thatis essentialto the ignitionfunctioning:

If the volt-age on

thiswire

is

high or too low, the igni-tion will not fire.

If you run into a “no-spark” situation on one ofour d ig i ta l ign i ter -equipped motorcycles,check this gray wire. Itshould have approxi-mately 5-9 volts with theignition switch ON. If ithas significantly higher orlower voltage, the ignitionswitch is probably bad.

—Gregg Thompson

GRAY WIRE

The Technical Magazine l 9

A transmission oil tip for the new KDX200-H1by Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

The Service and Ownersmanuals for the newKDX200-H1 give a differentprocedure for changing thetransmission oil than theKDX200-E1 manuals did.The procedure is differentbecause the transmission/clutch oil system has beenchanged, and we think it’sworth knowing a little moreabout it. So read on andwe’ll tell you about it.

go off the smooth road ontosome rougher terrain for ashort distance to splashsome oil around in thetransmission. The fix in theshop was simply to addsome more oil (overfill thetransmission slightly).

In past KDX200’s, thetransmission gears havehad a tendency to get dryand squeal if the bike wasrun on a smooth road (oron the bench) for an extend-ed period of time. Thetransmission shafts didn’tactually run in the oil, andwithout the bouncing andjostling that normally accom-panies off-road riding, nooil would get splashed uponto the gears and shafts.

But there were two prob-lems that resulted from overfilling the transmission. Themost obvious was that moreoil would come out of thecrankcase breather whenriding at high speeds. Thecrankcases are ventedthrough the clutch cavityand out behind the kick-starter gear. The higher theoil level in the clutch cavity,the more likely it was to spitsome out.

designed to maintain aslightly higher oil level inthe transmission and alower level in the clutchcavity while the engine isrunning. There is only onesmall hole in the cases thatallows oil to run back fromthe transmission into theclutch cavity so the oil levelcan be checked. But thereare two large holes up highthat catch oil slung up bythe clutch and drain it intothe transmission. The resultis that most of the oil fromthe clutch cavity getspumped into the transmis-sion while the engine isrunning. Just enough tricklesback to keep the clutch andprimary gears wet.

The transmission drainhole is designed to removethe oil from both chamberswith one drain bolt. Whenchanging the oil in aKDX200-H1, always putthe correct, specifiedamount of oil back into it.After adding oil, the level

will appear too high in thesight glass until the enginehas been run for at least afew minutes. This pumpsthe oil into the transmissionchamber. Then, after theengine is shut off, the oillevel will be low (in thesight glass) until it isallowed to sit for a minuteor two and dribble back intothe clutch cavity.

The less obvious problemthat resulted from overfillingthe transmission was theloss of power. It takes a lotof power to turn the clutchthrough a pool of oil. Thedeeper the pool, the morepower it robs.

Don’t attempt to makeadjustments in the oil levelif the vehicle hasn’t firstbeen run and then set for awhile. If you need to lowerthe oil level, do not drain itfrom the drain plug. Use asyringe and suction it outfrom the clutch areathrough the filler hole. Thiswill leave the oil at thecorrect level in the transwhile you make theadjustment. r

The fix on the run was to The new KDX200-H1 is

ENGINE STOPPED ENGINE RUNNING

10 l K-Tech News

ZX1000, 1100 balancer timingby Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

We have recentlybecome aware of a littleerror in the ZX1000 andZX1100 Service Manualsregarding engine balancertiming. All the manuals forthat engine family, from theZX900-A to the currentZX1100-D, describeassembling the balancerwith this note:

“Fit the balancer weightinto the gear so that theweight is opposite the markon the gear.”

That worked fine andwas necessary for the 900’s,which had three drivevanes inside the gear andthree driven vanes on theweight. With this design, ifthe weight was installed ineither of the other two pos-sible positions, the balancer

would end up timed to thecrankshaft incorrectly by afraction of a tooth. Therewould be no way to time itexactly right.

All the ZX1000’s andZX1100’s have a balancerwith four drive vanes insidethe gear and, of course,four driven vanes on theweight. This newer designresults in two other differ-ences from the old design:First, it is impossible toinstall the weight exactlyopposite the mark in thegear like the manuals tellyou to do. (There is nosuch position.) And, second,it doesn’t matter which wayyou put it together. Thebalancer can still be timedto the crankshaft properly(with no difference inprocedure) regardless ofwhich way you fit theweight to the gear. q

New valve springs for the KAF620 MULE™We’ve had some cases

reported of a valve (usuallyan intake valve) beginningto stick in the guide of aKAF620 MULE” cylinderhead. The usual symptomis the push rod for thatvalve falls out of place andthe cylinder quits running;the cylinder can’t function ifone of its valves is notoperating.

With thecylinder notworking,thetechni-cianusuallyfinds the out-of-place pushrod easily. But he or she

doesn’t always make theconnection between theloose push rod and asticking valve. If the valveisn’t removed and cleaned,the failure will repeatalmost immediately.

Valves stickbecause ofa very

light depositthat some-

times forms onthe valve stem, often

with very low hours onthe engine. To prevent

the valve from stickingwhen this deposit forms,Kawasaki has begun using

a different valve spring inthis engine that is slightlystronger than the original

one.If yourunacross

one ofthese

MULES withthis problem,

order new valvesprings for it. The new partnumber is 49078-2071 butthe old number substitutesto the new one, so youdon’t need to worry aboutgetting the wrong part.

Also be sure to cleanthe valve stems before youreassemble the head.

-Gregg Thompson

Keepingyoursby Mary SolaAssistant Manager,Consumer Services

Consumer gurus saythat it takes about ninetimes as much money andeffort to win a new cus-tomer as it does to keep acurrent one. One of themost important ways com-panies keep customers isby being interested in them.

The winter months,when extra time is a littleeasier to come by, can bethe season to do some-thing about retaining thecustomers you alreadyhave. Send holidaygreetings, or plan a simpleevent at your store whichwill bring people in andsend out notices about it toall your customers.

Mail out flyers orreminder notes suggestingthat your customers getservice done during the“off-season.” And take thetime to update your cus-tomer files so you can keepin touch easily with thosewho come in regularly orwho have just bought aproduct recently.

Kawasaki’s new warran-ty registration/inventorysystem (coming to a K-SHARE terminal near youin 1995) should be a bighelp in setting up andmaintaining customermailing lists. So take sometime to remind folks you’restill there for them. q

The Technical Magazine l 11

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

WEST

New models,new fun!by Jerry Heil9950 Jeronimo RoadIrvine, CA 92718(714) 770-0400

I hope you all had awonderful holiday. Here atKMC West, we were prepar-ing for the second half ofthe service training season.New product training mate-rials are done and readyfor training action at alltraining centers.

Our Jet Ski@ watercraftservice class has a newJH900 engine for tear-down and inspection,while the Engines classwill get new ZX600F andVN800 units. With all thenew models out now, it’san exciting time to be in aservice training class.

This time of year is alsoan exciting time for changein your service department.It’s a good time to think upprojects that would im-prove the looks and orga-nization of your servicearea. Happy New Year! r

12 l K-Tech News

SOUTH & CENTRAL

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

Owner John Dannheiserand manager Bill Hodgeopened Kawasaki of Hend-erson in 1993 planning tosell only ATVs. But districtmanager Clay Stuckeyassured them they wouldbenefit more as a full linedealer. They were notfamiliar with other Kawasakiproducts when they opened:Dannheiser’s backgroundincluded owning a tractordealership; Hodge’s fieldwas advertising.

The first growing painwas establishing a cus-tomer base. This was notreally a problem givenHodge’s background inadvertising. They came upwith several promotions;one an ATV promo theycalled ‘The 24 Hour Blow-out.” They were open 24hours straight and sold 20

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

NORTH & EAST

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

Team Green has sched-uled one race preparationclass for each region thisseason. The Team Greenclass for the East Regionwill be held on Feb. 9-10.One will also be held inthe North Region in March;the date has not yet beenfinalized.

Be sure to sign up forthe Team Green classwhen you see it scheduledas there will not be anotherone this season!

MULE™ utility classeswill be scheduled in Marchfor both North and EastRegion facilities. Again, besure to sign up when youreceive the March sched-ule of classes.

Be sure to enter theService Contest as youhave a great chance towin some new tools andlearn at the same time! r

TrainingScheduleEast RegionJanuary24-26 ... JET SKI® Watercraft

February7...... Generators8...........’95 Product Update9-10 .....Team Green Race Preparation14-16 ...Troubleshooting Electrical Systems21-23 ... JET SKI® Watercraft28...... Service Department Operations

North RegionJanuary16-18 ...JET SKI® Watercraft19.........Parts Department Operations20.........’95 Product Update

Central RegionJanuary24-25 ...ATV Service26-27 ...Troubleshooting Electrical Systems30-Feb 1 JET SKI® Watercraft

February2........ MULE 500

South RegionJanuary17-18 ...Troubleshooting Electrical Systems19-20 ...ATV Service

February6...........Modern Engine Theory7-9 .......Engines13-14 ...MULE Service15.........Precision Measurement and

Diagnostic Tool Usage16-17 ...Team Green Race Preparation21-23 ... JET SKI® Watercraft24.........Service Department Operations27-26 ...Troubleshooting Electrical Systems

March1-2 .......ATV Service

West RegionJanuary30.........Precision Measurement and

Diagnostic Tool Usage31-Feb 1 Team Green Race Preparation

February2...........ATV Service7-9 ...... JET SKI® Watercraft10......... ’95 Product Update14.........Service Department Operations15.........Tune and Service16.........Precision Measurement and

Diagnostic Tool Usage21.........Generators22.........Fuel Systems23-24 ...Engines