Hey, I read on a page somewhere about someone who had put an aftermarket pipe on his EX, rejetted and so forth suggested raising the jet needle height to smooth out the dead spot around 5k- 6k rpm. Has anyone around here tried that?

Here's the link......
http://www.factorypro.com/magazine/I...500,Rocky.html

Thanks!!!

 

Never heard of it. But if it works, go for it.

...and let us know what you think.

 

This guy with the aftermarket pipe and jet kit, (and the bike which will now die a premature death due to carbon buildup) has an aftermarket needle with a clip on it. You can set the clip at one of 5 grooves on the needle and this will affect the height of the needle and therefore the flow of fuel.

The stock needle can be shimmed up similarly with very small washers, which you can buy at any hardware store. I've experimented with this and it really doesn't make much of a difference, but it also doesn't ruin your fuel economy, so give it a try.

Funny thing... when one person complains about "a dead spot about 5-6k rpm" suddenly everyone imagines they have the same problem with their bike, and follow along. If you want a more powerful bike, why not buy a ZZR600, R6 or CBR600RR?
-Chris in C'bad

 

Ah, a very good question!!!! Well, the used bike that I bought- my first- seemed like a pretty good deal and much more affordable and practical for a newbie such as myself. Unfortunately, some of the work that was done on it seems to be done poorly and with little consideration for the bike itself so I've been trying to put my $3000 bike into proper working order with what I have without spending any more money than absolutely necessary. The next bike will most likely be a Daytona 675 but for now I'm paying other bills and getting acquainted with this one.

When I mean flat spot- I mean flat spot! This morning I woke up to beautiful weather and a day off and went to start my bike and it wouldn't start and then it was dead. Appeared to be a dead battery. I went to the local AutoZone and realized that a new one would be about $70 so I put it on a charger. The charger said that it was just fine. I put it back on my bike, tightened everything down right and not only did it start up but it ran better than ever!!! The cheapest and easiest tune-up I have done so far and *poof* my really flat spot was gone! Oh, but after a day of excellent riding I stop to chat with a friend for 1 1/2 hours, get back on the bike and it runs worse than ever. I limp it home. Crap!!! Tomorrow I troubleshoot and try again!

 

I've been dying to get my hands on a 675 also. The only reason I didn't buy one last year was due to the extremely high insurance.

 

Sorry to hear it, KV.
The last time I had something like this happen, it turned out to be a loose battery connection. At low rpm, the battery cable would simply rest on the lead, but at higher speed and rpm, the connector would start to bounce and when the connection was terminated, of course the engine would die for a split second until the connector fell back on the battery lead.
If your battery connectors are loose, get a little low- or medium-strength threadlock ($3 or $4 at any dealership) on the bolt and it will stay in place.

If I were in your shoes, I'd honestly do the following:
~call the seller/previous owner and ask him EVERY change he made to the bike, and if he has any of the original equipment left laying around in his garage (being careful not to sound accusatory.)
~get or borrow a copy of the factory service manual and supplement, (about $60, but it will certainly pay for itself over time.)
~restore the bike to completely stock settings and equipment as best you can.

These things run amazingly well when we don't screw with them. I suspect a lot of bikes are sold when these ham-fisted guys who don't know what they're doing, start making changes, they get in over their head, and decide:
a) I'm too embarassed to take it to the dealership and pay them return it to good, running condition.
b) I don't remember exactly what I did that caused the bike to run poorly like this.
c) I magically, suddenly realized that "I need a bike with more power."

The good news for us is that we get to buy these bikes at reduced prices with very little wear on them and the only downside is that we have to untangle their knots to get a solid, running bike.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Peace!
-Chris in Carlsbad, CA

 

i bought my bike used and it has an aftermarket/muzzy exhaust. needless to say i need to get a kn high flow air filter and a jet kit but have 0 clue as to how to install a j.k.

 

Did the seller include the stock pipe? You can always install that and the bike will run fine.
Peace!
-Chris in Carlsbad, CA

 

unfortunately no, so i'm basically stuck.

 

Well, after last night my bike is still running like crap. Today I took off the tank, cleaned the petcock, checked the spark and now I'm going over the entire ignition system first before I tear into the carbs again. It was such a sudden turnaround in performance that it would seem that something pretty major must be jammin' up the works. I talked to Kawasaki customer service a couple of times and one person said it sounds like maybe an obstructed jet or some such thing and another said it could be in the ignition system. Here I go on the process of elimination!!! (I look forward to a reliable bike that runs well- soon!)