Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

hey guys i just got this bike and i need clearing up on some stuff, im a new rider and very much a noob so please bear with me

1. what's the purpose of the little hose coming out of the bottom of the bike? im guessing something to do with the gas tank but cant quite put it together my self


2. should i put the fuel tap to "off" position when i park the bike or leave it alone for a day or two? please explain if yes

3.i hear people say i shouldn't open the throttle at all when im trying to start it and just choke it. what' s the reason for this? but in the manual it says if the engine is hot i should open the throttle half way and start it instead of choke

4. i get the feeling my chain is too close to my swing arm, can someone confirm whether this is normal or not?

i think i over lubed the chain too, didnt i ?

thank you

boz wrote:1. what's the purpose of the little hose coming out of the bottom of the bike? im guessing something to do with the gas tank but cant quite put it together my self

There are probably a couple of overflow/breather hoses on your bike, most likely they are fuel related, don't worry too much about them.

boz wrote:2. should i put the fuel tap to "off" position when i park the bike or leave it alone for a day or two? please explain if yes

I don't reckon you should bother, there's not much gravity feeding in bikes these days you're unlikely to cause any flooding or damage over a couple of days.

boz wrote:3.i hear people say i shouldn't open the throttle at all when im trying to start it and just choke it. what' s the reason for this? but in the manual it says if the engine is hot i should open the throttle half way and start it instead of choke

If it starts with just choke then don't worry about the throttle .

thanks for the clarifications so far, i forgot to ask this

my clutch's engaging point is all the way at the top and there is very little slipping at the middle of the clutch travel. is there a way to adjust this so it engages a bit sooner?

Your chain should be sitting on the chain guide perfectly normal...... & keep up the good work with the lube, better to be over lubed than under
& welcome to KSRC

the switch runs on a vacuum so when the engine is off it wont let any fuel thought!! chains fine and the hose does look like a breather
welcome to the site

Yep bit hard to work out at first with the photo on an angle, agreed that is a breather hose & is meant to be in that position

how much free play is in you clutch mate? i.e how far will you lever move till it starts to pull clutch basket apart (you will feel the resistance)
cheers Tim
oh n welcome to KSRC

Not sure if there have been exact answers to everything yet, so I'll just answer anyway

boz wrote:hey guys i just got this bike and i need clearing up on some stuff, im a new rider and very much a noob so please bear with me
1. what's the purpose of the little hose coming out of the bottom of the bike? im guessing something to do with the gas tank but cant quite put it together my self

I think you'll find it's the overflow for your tank. If you open the tank cap you'll see a little hole on the rim (ie not the big hole you put fuel in) - that leads to that hose.

boz wrote:2. should i put the fuel tap to "off" position when i park the bike or leave it alone for a day or two? please explain if yes

As I think others have said, don't bother. If you ride other bikes too and do it by habit (or need to learn to do it by habit for those other bikes) then go ahead. But it's not necessary.

boz wrote:3.i hear people say i shouldn't open the throttle at all when im trying to start it and just choke it. what' s the reason for this? but in the manual it says if the engine is hot i should open the throttle half way and start it instead of choke

Probably already answered I think - but I always tried without the throttle first, then if that didn't work use a bit of throttle. Half way throttle sounds a bit steep though.

boz wrote:4. i get the feeling my chain is too close to my swing arm, can someone confirm whether this is normal or not? i think i over lubed the chain too, didnt i ?

I think Rob answered this already - should rest as it is, and the only downside of overlubing your chain is the mess it might make flinging off. Probably considered norty by some, but the way I lubed the chain on the gpx was to put it on the centre-stand, start it up, put it in gear and let the clutch out - then spray the lube over the chain as the rear wheel turns for 4-5 seconds. You should get reasonable coverage doing that - just keep all appendages clear of the chain for obvious reasons.
To check if the chain's too loose, see how far up+down the bottom stretch of chain moves at the centre-point between the sprockets. It should be around 20-30mm.

boz wrote:my clutch's engaging point is all the way at the top and there is very little slipping at the middle of the clutch travel. is there a way to adjust this so it engages a bit sooner?

I think some adjustment is necessary here - though exactly where the friction point should be is a bit subjective.
The gpx doesn't have an adjuster on the lever, but it has a thread adjustment at the other end of the clutch cable - on the right side of the engine near the bottom (on the clutch cover). You could play with that and see how you go, or get a knowledgable mate to help.
It could be that you need a new clutch cable too - it may be stretched and at the end of its adjustment range.

hth
ty

thank you for all your replies and warm welcomes.

download the workshop manual for it it's very helpful and pretty much shows you everything.....i have only found the supplement manual which did me but someone esle might know where to get the proper manual