Know this bike???

[lewises]

Hi all, just curious....found a pic on the "for sale" part of the board for a 96 YZF600R. Curiously enough, identical down to aftermarket exhaust. Wanting to find out more about previous ownership, does anyone know the bike??? Was from out West Auckland around beginning of year. Check Gallery for pic if interested. Appreciate any help

[wari]

No ... but I like the bike ... very nice.

[lewises]

Wari,

Looked at a CBR750 b4 buying this, sold a CBR1000F Hurricane to get something smaller and found this out Albany way for......$3500...What a steal.
Thanks for the comment.

[Hoon]

Yes I know that bike, previous owner and a bit of its history. 

Well maybe I do, depends on what you want to know. 

I was going to buy it for a F2 race bike (still kicking myself!).....was $2500 then but mates rates

 

[lewises]

HO-Hoon

Cheers for that.

Just curious to find out if my suspicions of a bent rear sub frame are correct or not and what parts were replaced, where sourced from etc.
I love the bike and it still rides damn nice and at $3500 for a 96 600cc sport bike I anint complaining.

Any details provided gratefully received.

[gpercivl]

I bought Dave Cole's ex Moller Yamaha F2 thundercat back in '98 and it was/is still a great bike. The race kitted motor still produces 96hp on the rear wheel but is not quite as good as the latest 600's at 110 to 115hp. The motor will bolt straight into the later model FZR400 frames (3TJ) which gives you light weight plus shorter wheel base than the new 600's. I reached 270.3kph down the back straight at Puke with a slight tail wind to the surprise of Jared Love on a new Suzuki 600...so they're a great motor.

If you do buy it and need any info I've done just about everything on this motor from new head to new crank etc... so have genuine Yamaha workshop manual plus heaps of spares (even some spare race kit parts) etc.

Visit http://www.nohair.co.nz for a lookey.

Cheers, Greg

[lewises]

Greg, thanks for that. I have bought the bike and am damn happy with it. I am a bit of a bunny when it comes to working on bikes but am interested to know if you know of anyone who can check frame alignment. How much of a mission is it to do the cam chain as the driveline is quite snatchy and rattly after it gets hot.
Any words of wisdom gratefully received.

Cheers.

[gpercivl]

Not sure if you checked out the website or not, but on there are some photos of when I smacked the Thundercat into the wall at Puke at ~190kph, you'll see it got extensively damaged and afterwards I put the engine in an '87 FZR400 frame. I also sent the frame down to Smythe & Yeates in Lake St. Cambridge 07-827-8333 contact John Yeates to be checked and straightened. Even though it looked a mess the only thing that was bent was the rear sub frame, which they straightened and re-sprayed for $300. It looks like new now and is sitting in my shed waiting for me to put it back on the road one day : )

See picky below.

The main fram section is super strong, so I'd be surprised if it's bent.

Cam chain is real easy, just get a new one either Yamaha or Yoshimura (better) and it comes with a link. Use a chain breaker on the old one then carefully feed the new chain thru while pulling out old one. Need to remove fairing, alternator cover, radiator, rocker cover, cam chain tensioner, and front cam chain guide first. Trick is to feed the new chain thru without moving the crank or both cam positions, otherwise you'll need to check cam timing afterwards (put crank in top dead centre position, there'll be marks on the cam LH ends which line up with marks on the cam caps). Once the new chain is in, use a chain riveter to join the new link, then put back in the chain guide, followed by chain tensioner (reset at minimum position first), then slowly turn the motor over by hand. You'll hear the chain tensioner clicking as it takes up the slack. If the engine fails to turn over completely, don't force it! Usually means the cam timing has got out of place and a valve is touching a piston. Check the cam timing to make sure all's well. If good whack on the rocker cover, radiator, sparkplugs, leads, etc. then try firing her up. And cross fingers...I can photocopy relevant sections of the manual if you need them, and have the chain breaker/riveter tool you can borrow too.

Let me know, cheers, Greg

[Coldkiwi]

when you say 'wall'... you're talking about that nasty example cresting the hill aren't you? How did you walk away from that one?

[lewises]

Greg

Thanks for that, yes I had a look at the web page, you were lucky to get away from that crash by the look of the bike. I may well look you up when time comes to do the cam chain.
I had quotes varying from $250-$400 from around town.

With the frame guys in cambridge, does the bike need to be stripped completely or will they do that too?

Cheers


Shane.

[gpercivl]

Originally posted by Coldkiwi
when you say 'wall'... you're talking about that nasty example cresting the hill aren't you? How did you walk away from that one?

I think I hopped away on one foot...but I'm not sure The bike hit the armco barrier just before the first plastic bottle bail, and I (apparently) hit the bail otherwise I'm sure I wouldn't still be here. I've been out packing bails for AMCC twice since then : )

My memory saids I was looking at the fence, then talking to Dad in the ambulance 25 mins later, so all the above is hearsay.

If your number's up, your number's up, so it wasn't my turn that day

[gpercivl]

Originally posted by lewises
Greg

Thanks for that, yes I had a look at the web page, you were lucky to get away from that crash by the look of the bike. I may well look you up when time comes to do the cam chain.
I had quotes varying from $250-$400 from around town.

With the frame guys in cambridge, does the bike need to be stripped completely or will they do that too?

Cheers


Shane.

Hi Shane as can be seen from the piccie I didn't need to do much more to strip the frame and take it down that was how it looked straight off the track afterwards.

I'd give the guy in Cambridge a ring, he was recommended to me by Haldane M/C's and he's used by a lot of the bike shops and has been doing this type of work for 20+ years. If you rode the bike down there I'm sure he could probably look at it/measure it etc.. and tell you if it needs work or not before you go to the trouble of pulling it apart. He has all the specs for what the rake & trail should be etc.. for most makes and models.

Let me know if you need anything else gpercivl@ihug.co.nz, cheers, Greg