Time for a change (Dutchy's ZX7R )

Sooooooo, A recent run in with some of the local wildlife has forced my hand and now its time for a bit of a change.

My once beautiful ZX7R has been horrifically disfigured to the point it more accurately reflects it's owner's appearance. This doesn't suit because I need the bike to make me look good and at the moment she's busted up to hell.



I'm going to streetfighter it.




There's a few reasons....

........Like I said before, I've wanted to change her up for a little while now. I've had something like this on my mind for a while and I'll get to lift the bars and straighten my back a bit. Also this bike may be looking a little more temporary now. We are looking to sell a house we own in good ole Maryborough town and the wife is already bowing to the fact that if we sell up, a motorcycle update is certainly on the cards.

The plan is to obviously ditch the front fairings, swap the clip-ons for risers and bars, add a set of dual lights and screen as well as swap the stock speedo for a smaller Acewell one. Buy some cheap chinese levers to replace the busted stockies (don't hate me Jonno). I'm also taking the time to remove the exhaust headers and give them a bit of loving attention. Replace the zorst thats been busted up.

I'll post updates as they come but at the moment I'm just researching, planning and budgeting the cost (i'm keeping everything cheap). Soon i'll start buying all the bits I need and when the time comes and i'm stocked up on everything I need i'm going to plan to spend a few solid day's in the shed with a mate, maybe one or two of my brothers, some drinkies and the bike.

Here's a couple of pics of the bike stripped down, ready to cop whatever is coming to it.








If you like train wrecks watch this spot

ready to cop whatever is coming to it.

No pun intended?????

Can't wait to see he when she's finished

......this'll be interesting.
good onya

It already looks like it's been sitting in the shed for far too long
Today I have had the pleasure/displeasure of going to Maryborough and picking up my brothers ZXR750 to keep me on the road until mine is up and running. It has a few moans and groans that will have to be investigated tomorrow but thats a differant story. In the last few days I have ordered a heap of parts for my bike. Waiting for all the parts to come will be torture

While i'm waiting for the bits to arrive i've been doing some work to the exhaust just to clean it up a bit. I attacked it with some wire brush's. Both the hand held and the drill driven kind to clean off some of the crap thats gathered over the years. Then attacked with some rust disolver, then again with the wire brushes, then again with some rust dissolver, and then with some hefty cleaning.

They have come up a bit healthier looking already but obviously they're full of little dings that come from flying rocks and kangaroos. They've been primed in preperation for some high heat paint that might get some final coats tomorrow, all going well. This is mainly just an attempt to keep them in half decent condition more than for appearances because the plan is to cover them in exhaust wrap.

Pics when they're done. (might be a week or two depending on when I get the supplies )

Had a little poke today, did some minor stuff to the bike as well. Put some of the final black coat on the exhaust. It's a flat "potbelly stove" sort of black that it doesn't matter much because it'll get covered.

Today I had a look at the electrical loom. It used to run down the left hand outside of the frame but was hidden under the fairing. Now the fairing's gone I obviously want to hide it to clean up the outside a bit. I have managed to thread up the inside of the frame and then cross it over to the right side near the headstem so that it comes out of a hole in the frame that was only used for wiring connected to the ignition. It'll be hidden pretty well by the lights and screen once they're in. (I hope )

The loom is pretty snug in amongst everything in there but I don't think it'll interfere with anything. My only worry is how close it is to the engine. I'm going to have a heap of exhaust wrap left over and i'm thinking about using it to insulate the electrical loom from the engine.

Does anyone know if this would work, or can you think of a reason I shouldn't do it?

Get rid of that front tyre dude, it looks like a tractor tyre
I got some Z1000 07-08 radiator covers in fibreglass you can have for nuttin if that helps. Indicators in abundance.
Gotta a ZX10r/ 6r front guard with a little damage, you may be able to get to fit with some bracket experiment. Garage cleanout, yours if you want 'em.
Let me know.

Had a little poke today, did some minor stuff to the bike as well. Put some of the final black coat on the exhaust. It's a flat "potbelly stove" sort of black that it doesn't matter much because it'll get covered.

Today I had a look at the electrical loom. It used to run down the left hand outside of the frame but was hidden under the fairing. Now the fairing's gone I obviously want to hide it to clean up the outside a bit. I have managed to thread up the inside of the frame and then cross it over to the right side near the headstem so that it comes out of a hole in the frame that was only used for wiring connected to the ignition. It'll be hidden pretty well by the lights and screen once they're in. (I hope )

The loom is pretty snug in amongst everything in there but I don't think it'll interfere with anything. My only worry is how close it is to the engine. I'm going to have a heap of exhaust wrap left over and i'm thinking about using it to insulate the electrical loom from the engine.

Does anyone know if this would work, or can you think of a reason I shouldn't do it?

I had to move all the wiring the same way - Mine just runs through that black conduit. It's been like that for 2 years now and haven't had a problem with the engine heat.

Also, here is some pics of my headers. As you can see they were pretty rusty. Had them sandblasted then painted them myself.




By zxrjed at 2011-04-17


By zxrjed at 2011-04-17

New Acewell speedo arrived today. It'll take some poking but i'm sure that between the factory schematics, speedo instructions, and a little trial and error i'll figure out how to wire it all up when the time comes.

It'll be wired slightly differant to accomodate the change from the single indicator dash lamp to dual ones. Also it uses a sensor magnet to gauge the speed instead of the mechanical one. The only thing that the old instrument cluster had over this one is the water temp gauge, but i've got one of them on the way.

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Hey Dutchy you can hook up the fuel gauge on the acewell to the temp sender in the thermostat housing so that cold is empty and hot will show full

Hey Dutchy you can hook up the fuel gauge on the acewell to the temp sender in the thermostat housing so that cold is empty and hot will show full

Are you serious?? That will actually work?

Thanks, I might have to try that since i'm not planning on using the fuel gauge.

It works on mine just fine

So.....

As discussed earlier I treated the pipes a bit with some rust dissolver and then primed and painted. See pic.

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And then added the first of "some of the cheapest shit I could find". It's an Ixil pipe with removable baffle (now removed). It bolted straight on to the stock tri-bolt flange, after some minor adjustments involving a drill. The holes didn't quite marry up so a quick little bit of drilling/filing was required. All good now.

Here's the finished exhaust. No idea how it sounds yet as I haven't re-connected all the magic electrical wires. Hopefully that'll come over the next few days. If it doesn't happen over the next few days then i'll be spending all day Saturday drinking bourbon and working on it, but not in that order.

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Keep up the good work mate.

Just out of interest..

Have you had any thoughts on where the radiator overflow bottle will go as of yet?

Just out of interest..

Have you had any thoughts on where the radiator overflow bottle will go as of yet?

The thought so far is to replace it with an alloy drink bottle and attach it to the side somewhere. I've seen people using everything from soft drink cans to home made cylinders with sprockets welded to both ends

It'll be attached down the side there somewhere. Worst part about that will be that the mounts for the original overflow will probably stick out like dogs balls on the side of the engine........meh.