Sugilite's Winter Project - 1989 ZXR750H1 face lift

**sugilite:Me** · 29th August 2011, 10:26

Earlier this year, I went to pick up a 2nd hand motor with a snapped cam chain to salvage the gearbox for my bike, and ended up getting another ZXR750 as well for $750.

After not having a bike to ride for over 1.5 years, something needed to be done. So I decided to give the "new" bike a face lift and get it on the road. Note I say face lift, not restoration as I'm not a mechanics arsehole.

I had to do it all to a micro budget, but luckily for me, a box of spare parts came with the bike and I pretty much had everything I needed to complete the project. I decided to paint it myself and use spray bombs, I know it won't last, but could not afford to have it done properly, more on that later. Anyways, I started with the bike below....

Right, I've got the only tools I'm qualified to use below, time to get started!

Now the bike is in the sugilite man cave, it's time to start the strip down

OK, got the skateboards under the motor to catch it!

Turns out I just needed one skateboard, I used it to wheel the motor out to the car to take it to my friend who is going to build the motor for project number two, the post classic racebike. More on that later.

More to come.....

**ellipsis** · 29th August 2011, 10:30

...i hope they are a metric set of hammers you are using....

**ducatilover** · 29th August 2011, 11:53

I shall watch this

rather like the ol' 750.

**gijoe1313** · 29th August 2011, 12:10

So, no mr blocky?

Mr Mallet and Mr Blocky always needs to be paired together! Good to see you putting something keen together!

**Owl** · 29th August 2011, 12:22

Love the hammers, but are you qualified to use skateboards?

**Mental Trousers** · 29th August 2011, 12:48

Originally Posted by CAMSec

...i hope they are a metric set of hammers you are using....

A left handed metric set.

Good to see you playing with bikes again mate

**HenryDorsetCase** · 29th August 2011, 12:58

we used to have curtains the same as that in our old house.

very impressed you are allowed to use what looks like a spare bedroom for the rebuild.

was it easy to get the old beast in there?

**Deano** · 29th August 2011, 13:20

Originally Posted by HenryDorsetCase

we used to have curtains the same as that in our old house.

very impressed you are allowed to use what looks like a spare bedroom for the rebuild.

Haha - my wife was looking over my shoulder and asked if the bike was in a bedroom.

Good to see things coming along mate !!

**Mental Trousers** · 29th August 2011, 14:32

Originally Posted by Deano

Originally Posted by HenryDorsetCase

we used to have curtains the same as that in our old house.

very impressed you are allowed to use what looks like a spare bedroom for the rebuild.

Haha - my wife was looking over my shoulder and asked if the bike was in a bedroom.

Good to see things coming along mate !!

It's only a small bedroom, not large enough to stick kids in!!! He was also being thoughtful and put a tarp on the floor BEFORE moving anything in there.

**5150** · 29th August 2011, 15:28

err, what weight are those skateboards certified for?

OSH would have a frickin ball if they got hold of these pics

**sugilite:Me** · 29th August 2011, 18:21

I just got back from my 1st ride in 1.5 years and I'm sky high on adrenaline!

I did not want to start this thread till I knew I could complete the project for sure. I really enjoy reading other peoples project threads and get disappointed when they suddenly stop never to be seen again!

Originally Posted by CAMSec

...i hope they are a metric set of hammers you are using....

After reading this, I raced down to the hardware store to score me some metric hammers, the guy told me they were right beside the long weights, I went round and round and could not find these "long waits" or the metric hammers

Originally Posted by Owl

Love the hammers, but are you qualified to use skateboards?

Ex nz champ maaaaany moons ago, one of those skateboards is mine.

Engine weighs 68 kg's, less than me, so all good there hehe.

Originally Posted by HenryDorsetCase

we used to have curtains the same as that in our old house.

very impressed you are allowed to use what looks like a spare bedroom for the rebuild.

was it easy to get the old beast in there?

We have two houses opposite each other (very rural), work in one and live in the other. It is a really tight squeeze getting the bike in there, but I've had lots of practice!

Thanks for the support peoples!

Right, I'll post some more pics now....

**Hitcher** · 29th August 2011, 18:27

At last. Somebody who may be able to answer THAT question for me.

The ZXR250 has them too, but what do those vacuum cleaner hoses do? Vent fumes or pressurise the fuel tank's contents when the bike is moving forward?

**sugilite:Me** · 29th August 2011, 18:38

OK, she is starting to look a bit bare now, I've suspended the bike from the ceiling ready to remove the swingarm and front end. Mmmmmm Hammer!

Just down to the frame now, which I'm going to polish. I read lots of how to articles on the net, as ever there were plenty of opinions on the best way to do this, for the record I stated with 100 grit, then down to 400, then autosol, I was not going for the "ultimate" polish job, I just wanted it to look better than the beaten up scratched painted original.

Oh yeah, I took lots and lots of photos like this to help with reassembly. Helps for numpties like me to get the thing back together...in theory!

Tanks off, and prepping for paint.

Check out sugilites custom paint shop

There are quite a few discs because I'm doing project twos (racebike) The ones going on the roadbike are already polished, so I'm not keen to paint those. The discs shown below are going on the race bike. Wet and Dry wheels. They are in slightly better condition than the ones I'm using on the road bike.

More to come....

**sugilite:Me** · 29th August 2011, 18:43

Originally Posted by Hitcher

At last. Somebody who may be able to answer THAT question for me.

The ZXR250 has them too, but what do those vacuum cleaner hoses do? Vent fumes or pressurise the fuel tank's contents when the bike is moving forward?

Their only purpose is to direct "cooling" air to the top of the cam cover/head. It was not until later models Kawasaki worked out they would be better served for ram air purposes. The H models air boxes draw air from the sides, so none of this cooling air makes it that far. I have always left the "hoover" hoses off as I used to consider them quite ugly, however they have now grown on me and I will actually fit them to the bike this time.

**5150** · 29th August 2011, 18:49

Originally Posted by sugilite

Their only purpose is to direct "cooling" air to the top of the cam cover/head. It was not until later models Kawasaki worked out they would be better served for ram air purposes. The H models air boxes draw air from the sides, so none of this cooling air makes it that far. I have always left the "hoover" hoses off as I used to consider them quite ugly, however they have now grown on me and I will actually fit them to the bike this time.

They also came in handy to hide your stash from mr plod.... ahem..