alrighttttyyy then.......
I thought it would take until the New Year, but I got the best phone call EVER yesterday morning.... the audio in the background had a sweet sounding 599cc engine RUNNING in the background!! "Yeah mate, that's your girl.... sweeter than ever!! Just balancing the carb's now....."
the conclusion: seems I will pay my mechanic about the price of a decent service (and he did the WORKS on the new engine: shims, clearances, oil, coolant, plugs, etc. etc.... most of which sorta HAS to be done anyway, eh?! but...)... still doesn't have the 100% tally on the $$$$, but I also got him a bottle of his fav. wine and a case of his fav. beer!!!
anyway, she is still getting her clothes put back on (today) and we had to get a new front sprocket nut (as he had to grind it off the old engine to get my sprocket off!) a few hic-ups along the way..... and of course I go into work today, so i can't actually get in to pick her up until MONDAY!!!! no biggy, had plans jam packed this weekend anyway......
but, she is DONE!! thank christ, i was going totally nuts! Thank you all who offered to loan bikes and all... fantastic group when one is in need. May still take some of you up on some loaner bike rides one day, eh?!!!!
Anyway, Kawasaki verdict..... yeah, the facts are stacked agaisnt the big Green in my book. Over 100,000 MILES on Hondas... NEVER left high and dry for more than an hour (dead battery once and also the gas line from tank came off once, on "used" bikes... older than 10 years at the time)... the kwak, just got to 50,000 KILOMETERS (31,250 MILES roughly, and not 6 years old yet) and the sucker needs a new engine

but damn, it is TOTALLY the best bike ever, ahem, when running.
the TOTAL CONCLUSION: unfortunately, after I make sure the new engine is 100% and all that (into the new year a bit).... the zx6r is going to get transformed into something else..... hard to earn back trust, i don't think it is possible.... (gawd, giving inanimate objects human characteristics, what was that called again Neil?!)
OH, the topper!!! had to ride my push bike into Midtown's yesterday (as I have on countless times now) to pick up the sprocket nut... this young parts/sales DH (some new guy who really puts the "clown" in "MidClowns")said, "Oi, mate, this is a MOTORbike shop, not a PUSHbike shop.. haha chortle *i'm so funny* hahaha"....... "uh, yep
mate, and I'd be riding my MOTORcycle in here, and not this PUSHbike like I have for the past month, if it wasn't a Kawasaki"..... that shut him up, but it also pissed off the Parts Manager (Bob)... "hey, hey now, come on... kawasaki's are fine machines...." yeah, okay bob, how much was it you were going to charge me for..... *listed all the parts I've needed from him over the years*.....
sorry kawasaki.... but green may be my birthstone and favorite color, but that is just a coincidence that it is also your color. I shall stop dreaming of one day having a green zx10.....

(melodramatic huh?!) seriously, kwak didn't even acknowledge ANY of my e-mails, phone calls, questions, queries, concerns.... that wasn't fun being left high and dry. Thank goodness, for some bizarre reason, all the ppl who like kwaks are the opposite of the ppl who make/deal with them..... okay, i'll stop there, this is getting long....
I'll see the usual suspects out on rides again, for a little bit on a kwak. We can catch up on the details..... funny thing, the other night I did "you've lost that loving feeling" (song) at kareoke (sp?).... that's what it feels like with this whole ordeal now..... just doesn't feel the same anymore....
GOD WHAT HORSESHIT!!!!