Henry Lubong's Journal » kawasaki

Kawasaki 636 Project Is Done!

Henry Lubong — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:21:16 +0000

…well, almost. I still need to paint the tank black and install a new rear set and maybe a slip-on. I really like how the fairings turned out and they followed my design exactly as I wanted. Although, these chinese molded ABS plastics do not have the same quality as the OEM ones. The material is a little bit thinner and a third class paint was also used. It looks like they only applied two layers of paint. I noticed a few paint bubbles. For $600 and free shipping, it’s a good price for a set of fairing, free windscreen, free frame sliders and free tank protector. The freebies alone are already worth $180 at least. Not to mention, it only took them 3 weeks to complete a custom fairing and another 3 days to ship it from Hong Kong. That’s an awesome service if you ask me. These guys are known on Ebay as “motofansclub.” They’re also the best fairing seller on 600rr.net. Everyone seems happy about their products and prompt service. Overall, I am happy with this purchase and I would highly recommend it to my riding buddies. Other than the fairings, here are the list of things that I replaced and upgraded:

OEM parts replaced:

ECU
font brake reservoir
upper fairing bracket
air duct
subframe
front wheel/rim
headlight
brake and clutch levers
mirrors
left rear set

Upgrades:

Galfer Stainless Steel Brake Lines
EBC Double HH Brake Pads
Bridgestone Battlax BT002 Race/Street Tires

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

BEFORE:
This is how it looked when I first picked up the bike

AFTER:

FUTURE:
How it’s gonna look like after the tank is painted

Fairing Set For My Ninja 636 Has Arrived

Henry Lubong — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:58:58 +0000

Thank you Mr. Postman for the prompt delivery! This fairing set is a custom painted ABS Plastic Fairing from Hong Kong. The process took about three weeks and the delivery took an impressive three days coming from overseas. The color scheme is lamborghini orange/black. I was gonna had it all done in black but I was inspired with the new KTM RC8, I went with that theme instead. I just took some teaser pictures for now. I’ve ordered a set of fairing screws that is specific for my bike. I should have everything installed next week. Now I have to get my blue tank painted.

Trackday At Infineon Raceway

Henry Lubong — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:58:04 +0000

I’m too lazy to write something so I hope this video speaks for me. My friend has the onboard camera and I’m the one in front. Enjoy.

She’s Alive!

Henry Lubong — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:10:59 +0000

My ZX-6R 636 that is. Stupid me, found out what’s causing the engine to cut off. It was the down sensor. I took the tank bracket off and forgot that the sensor is attach to it. Ooops, my bad. So she starts fine now. Wohooo! With only 8K miles on the engine, it sounds like a $6000 dollar machine. Craigslist anyone?

No More Blowing Of Fuses

Henry Lubong — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:38:25 +0000

The ECU arrived today. Plugged it in and blowing of fuses is no more, yehey! But a new problem arose… argh. The bike would start and engine turns over but it won’t hold idle. Maybe because the engine is still cold so I tried holding the throttle and giving it gas but the fuel is getting cut off. It will only run for 3 to 5 seconds and then it will die instantly; not choking but a sudden shut off. Looks like some relay or sensor is bad or maybe a vacuum leak somewhere. Here the things that could cause this trouble:

vacuum leak
bad sensor and/or relay
inlet air pressure sensor
fuel pump
loose connectors

Oh well, it’s time to research and troubleshoot again.

Found The Culprit

Henry Lubong — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 02:19:33 +0000

Worked on my 2006 ZX-6R again today and now I am armed with a service manual I downloaded online. I love the internet! This PDF manual is pretty cool because the wiring diagrams are detailed. So I retraced the wire all the way down to the ECU. Using my ohmmeter, I toned out the red wire coming from the kill switch against the frame (ground) and there is the problem. It is shorted! I did more test and turned out that I only get continuity when the smaller connector of the ECU is plugged in. I disconnected all loads and only left the ECU and tachometer, which is a pretty good isolation. Fuse still blows up with the ECU connected. So at that point, I concluded that the ECU has a short inside. I already ordered an ECU on Ebay just a few minutes ago.

Tracing Electrical Problems On My 636

Henry Lubong — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:07:40 +0000

Yesterday, I started cleaning up the bike a little bit and assessed the actual damage. It wasn’t that bad. I replaced the battery and turn the ignition key to On for the first time. The meter lit up and initiliazed. I confirmed the actual mileage to be exactly 8001 miles. I was gonna try to fire her up but when I turned on the kill switch or the start/stop engine switch, the ignition and ECU fuses blew. My inital thought was something is probably shorted somewhere. I checked the kill switch first to make sure theres no open wire rubbing onto something – it’s clean. I then checked the wire harness to look for any possible open wire. Nothing, all seems to be ok. I then disconnected the fuel pump because this is one of the components that is being checked when turning the kill switch on. I tried the start sequence again and the fuses keep blowing. This is where my headache starts. What could it possibly be? This is the time when a wiring diagram is very useful. Well, it’s Thursday and my wife had to go to work and I have to baby sit. So this troubleshooting will have to continue tomorrow

Initial Inspection On My 2006 636 ZX-6R

Henry Lubong — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:47:03 +0000

I got up early this morning to check up on my newly acquired bike. I unmounted the unfixable broken fairings and toss them away. The only front fairings usable are the left lower fairing and the right upper fairing. The front fairing has crack all over but I think it’s fixable with duct tape. I don’t care much about the fairings as it will be replaced with race fairings anyway. Here is the list of stuff that needed fixing or replacement:

Battery (completely dead)
Front brake reservoir
Upper front fairing bracket
Ram air duct assembly
Headlight (if converting to street)
Left foot peg
Blown ignition fuse and ECU fuse
Miscellaneous bolts and dampers
Complete fairings and tank cover

I’m guessing, I would need to spend at least under a grand for all the parts I needed. I still have room to spend if I ever wanted to resell it after everything has been fixed. I could make at least $2K to $1500 on this bike.

Newest Addition To My Stable

Henry Lubong — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:49:55 +0000

I was browsing through Craigslist today time when I saw a fresh post about a 2006 Kawasaki 636 ZX-6R. It’s only been posted for an hour. The seller listed the bike for $2500 with 8000 miles but it’s been crashed. With my retail expertise (ehem), I know I can get this bike for lesser than that. The bike looks good on picture that’s why it’s worth checking this bike out in person. In reality, $2500 for a low sided bike with a low mileage and clean title is already an excellent deal assuming that the frame is straight and engine is good. I called the seller and asked more information about the bike. He gave me some interesting facts about the bike so I scheduled to check out the bike this evening. It’s a 45-mile drive but i think it’s a good investment.

I drove up to South San Francisco to personally inspect the bike. So this bike was low-sided at the track but never reported to insurance, thus the clean title. The side and front fairings are all destroyed. The frame looks straight (no dent at all) and the engine is clean. The forks are also straight and the rest of the components are intact. The only problem is the bike does not start. The seller said the ignition fuse keeps blowing up when started. I figured this is just a simple fix. To make the long story short, I used my bargaining skills and purchased the bike for $500 less than his asking price. What a steal!

Got Ohlins Steering Damper?

Henry Lubong — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:49:06 +0000

Wohooo! I finally got my Ohlins Steering Damper for my kawi and installed it tonight. This is one of the most important upgrade on a bike if it doesn’t have one. Even if it does, you would want to upgrade it to Ohlins. They are the leader in motorcycle suspension technology and a respectable brand in the racing world. Their linear (piston-style) steering damper is the highest quality damper available. It has 16 adjustable settings (clicks) for maximum tune-ability and control. The oil inside the damper is always kept under pressure to avoid free play. Two years ago, I had a bad tank slapper while riding my bike on the freeway. I hit a series of bumps causing my front wheel to go airborne. This is one of the reason why a steering damper is necessary. The damper helps stabilize the steering on a sport bike. A lot of riders ask if they will really benefit on a steering damper or is it just another bling on their bike. It is a defensive mechanism. It’s just like your leather jacket. If you think leather jacket can save your skin from a crash, a steering damper can save your life. At least, from now on, I can ride my bike with more confidence because I no longer have to worry about violent wobbles on my steering.

Got My Suspension Dialed In

Henry Lubong — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:53:54 +0000

As part of my preparation for the track day event on October, I had my suspension dialed in today. Well, not for the track but for the street. But I also got the settings for the track so I can do it myself later. I had it done at Evolution Suspension in San Jose. Rob, the shop owner is a knowledgeable person when it comes to motorcycle. He is a nice British guy too. He gives you free advises while he fixes your bike. So anyway, I’m pretty happy with the setting right now. He adjusted the front and rear preloads, rebounds and compressions. This is done base on my weight and the type of riding that I do. Normally, the adjustments done for suspension are just the starting point and should not be considered as the ultimate setting unless you are satisfied with how the bike rides. Actually, the tires, the condition of the suspension components, the place where you ride, the layout of the track, the rider’s skill play a big part in finding the optimum suspension setting. When setting up suspension, make sure that you are familiar with how the preload, compression and rebound works. A poorly setup suspension will not only feel horrid but can also put you in danger. If you are not comfortable doing it, just take it to a qualified bike mechanic to get it done.

So here are the suggested settings on my bike:

Bike: 2003 Kawasaki ZX-6R 636

Street:

	Front	Rear
Pre-load	4 1/2 rings	36mm sag
Rebound	minimum	5 1/2 turns
Compression	10 clicks out	5 turns

Track:

	Front	Rear
Pre-load	3 rings	36mm sag
Rebound	7 clicks out	4 1/2 turns
compression	7 clicks out	4 turns