Ok guys, i was changing the oil and getting the bike ready for the weekend jamboree... well i noticed that under the cam chain tensioner was a little wet looking... so i decided to take the tensioner out and make sure the gasket is clean... look what i found....




Sooooo.... should i wait til after the northeast ride? Everytime its in the shop it takes at least 4 weeks... so if i take it to the shop i might not get it back in time for the ride.... but if i just wait til after the ride, it wouldnt matter unless something happened on the ride... since i bought the warranty it will be covered...so im not that worried if the motor fails... opinions..... should i wait til after the ride?

 

Where's the missing chunk? [:-] You have the damnest luck, man.

 

thats the kicker...... im guessing its in the right side of the motor somewhere......

why did i get the lemon bike??? [:@] [:'(]

 

i would talk to them to see if they can have it back in time. a lot of it depends on what type of customer you've been. you could just buy it yourself at bike bandit. how much is it? it might be worth it for your piece of mind.

 

also the tensioner was fully extended too... so im thinking i need a new chain...

 

That can't be good, let us know what the dealer says, I'd say the extra warranty is looking pretty good. I'm glad I bought 4 extra years. Piece of mind baby!!

 

As of right now I have 2 more years, hope I haven't buggered that up by doing my own valves and other maint.

 

When you say fully extended, did you remove the center bolt first? Because if not, it would fully extend as you removed it. My main concern would be where that missing piece. Certainly it's within the right side cover somewhere but you wouldn't want that to get wedged or jammed in between some moving parts like the cam chain and sprocket, clutch, and so forth. What might be an hour job if you get it taken care of right now could turn into a big mess later if you let it go.

As for your dealer, if you don't feel comfortable doing the work yourself, call around. I'd be willing to drive up to two or three hours to get to a good dealer, one that you can trust, and can work you in without it taking a week.

 

+1 What Brian said. I sure would be worried about that metal floating around in the motor.

 

Eric, I would definately have that replaced and have the chunk fished out. Murphys law will be in effect and you'll be 10 miles out on the trail, and the motor will lock up. I would put pressure on the dealer to do it asap since it is warranty work. Also, I may be paranoid, but someone from kawasaki could check out the forums and see the thread, and deny responsibility after the motor grenades on the group ride. I would do what no brakes said and call around to dealers till one you trust will commit to speedy service. Good luck Jeremy