spring 1994 the kawasaki technical magazine vol. 7 no. 1...of the engine’s potential for...

Spring 1994 The Kawasaki Technical Magazine Vol. 7 No. 1

ROUTE LIST: o SERVICE o PARTS o SALESP L E A S E R E T U R N T O S E R V I C E L I B R A R Y

by Patrick KellyInstructional Designer/Instructor

If you followed personalwatercraft racing this pastseason, you couldn’t havemissed it. The competitionprobably wishes they hadnever seen it.

“It” was the KawasakiSuper Sport Xi modifiedby Performance Jet Skiand ridden to the IJSBAWorld and National ProRunabout championshipsby John Stevens.

Now, a version of thismachine is available to theserious JET SKI® water-craft enthusiast. Intro-ducing the JH750-D1 or,simply, the XiR.

The hullThe XiR is based on

our Super Sport Xi, with afew important differences.One of the biggest differ-ences is the hull: The XiRhull is virtually identical tothe one used on JohnStevens’ championship-winning boat. It differsfrom the Xi hull from thebond line down. There isnow an extra strake oneach side of the hullbottom. This extra strakehelps improve the XiR’scornering as well as itsstraight line abilities. Alsofor improved corneringand stability, there arelonger sponsons on theXiR hull. These additionsare especially effective inthe rough water conditionsfound in competition.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Inside!n Service tips & more!

S H O P T A L K / T E C H N I C A L

The XiRCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The engine and pumplocation in this hull is alsonew. The engine andpump have been movedrearward as far as poss-ible. Their new locationmoves both the center ofmass and the pump inletrearward, helping to keepthe pump hooked up inchoppy waters.

The hull is constructedof carbon fiber-reinforcedRTM, while the deck—identical to the standardSuper Sport-is made ofSMC. The RTM bottom isgel coated inside and outand then painted on theoutside to match the deck.

Also new is the seat.To help the rider hang onunder severe cornering,the XiR seat is thickerthan the Xi seat and has anon-slip cover.

The engine in the XiRis basically identical to theone used in the Xi. Theexhaust system is, how-ever, completely new,from the exhaust manifoldto the exhaust outlet. Theexhaust system now goesaround the front of theengine, makes a 90-degreeturn and then enters therear portion of the hull.

Inside the hull is awaterbox muffler. Theexhaust exits the top ofthe waterbox muffler andcomes up through the hull.

A rubber hose connects itto the other side of the hullwhere it goes back downinto the hull to the exhaustoutlet. The outlet is loca-ted in the jet pump tunnel,facing the jet pump at a 90-degree angle. This loca-tion keeps exhaust noiseto a minimum.

To maximize theeffectiveness of the newexhaust, the carburetorjetting has been recalibra-ted. The new exhaustsystem boosts horsepoweroutput to 84 at 6750 rpm.

Another change to theengine package is adifferent igniter than theother 750 watercraft. Ithas a higher rev limitpotential to take advantage

of the engine’s potentialfor modification.

Also, for added simpli-city and flexibility, theSuperlube oil injectionsystem has been removed.The engine is now lubrica-ted by pre-mix at a ratio of50:1.

The jet pump in the XiRis a standard 750-style jetpump with a few changes.The biggest is a new three-blade, stainless steelimpeller. This is a varied-pitch impeller for maxi-mum acceleration withminimum cavitation. Thepitch varies from 9° to 17°.

The pump exit nozzle isalso new. Since the XiRdoes not utilize a trimadjustment system, the

XiR wonders (CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE, LEFT): 743cc engine boasts a new igniter, modified waterbox and highperformance pipe; nozzle and pump are from the 750SX; sponsons add considerably to cornering capabilities; addi-tional strakes molded into the new RTM/carbon fiber hull improve straight line stability in rough racing conditions.

2 l K-Tech News

S H O P T A L K / T E C H N I C A L

exit nozzle does not needmounting bosses for thenozzle trim pivot points.Because of this, the exitnozzle from the JS750SXis used. A quick-turnsteering nozzle incorpor-ating a vertical vane formore responsive corner-ing completes the XiRpump. The XiR generates

In spite of the XiR’sperformance nature, itdoes retain some conve-nience features. There isstill a fuel gauge located infront of the seat. The temp-erature warning systemfound on our other 750watercraft is retained,along with the tempera-

675 pounds of thrust. ture warning light which islocated next to the fuelgauge. The XiR has thesame ample storage asthe Super Sport andSuper Sport Xi, withcompartments in the bowand also in the stern. Ahull drain makes cleaningand flushing the enginecompartment a breeze.

The XiR reinforcesKawasaki’s leadershipposition in the watercraftindustry, and will firmlyestablish Kawasaki as theleader on the race courseas well. o

There are even stainlesssteel eye hooks at thestern and the bow to maketrailering easier.

A graphic comparisonbetween the Xi (TOP) andnew XiR (BOTTOM) hulls.

The Technical Magazine l 3

G U E S T S P O T

Spring 1994Vol. 7 No. 1©1994 Kawasaki MotorsCorp., U.S.A. (KMC).All rights reserved.

K-Tech News Staff

PublisherKawasaki Tech Services

Publications ManagerDon Church

Executive EditorGary Herzog

Editor-in-ChiefGregg Thompson

Communications EditorPatrick Kelly

Regional Editors

North and EastFred DeHart

Central and SouthWalter Rainwater

Contributors

Dave Behlings, Jerry Heil,Kenny Osberg, John Porno,David Pyle, Steve Rice,Mary Sola, Ray St. John

Graphics/Production

Graphic ArtGregg Thompson

PhotographyDave Corey

Copy EditorPat Shibata

ProductionNickless Communications

Published by Kawasaki.All suggestions become theproperty of KMC. Sending aservice suggestion givesKawasaki permission to publishand/or use it without further con-sideration.

Specifications subject to changewithout notice.

by Steve NicklessK-Tech News Prod. Asst.

As was mentioned in thelast issue of K-TechNews, Kawasaki’s TeamGreen racing division didthe impossible once againby claiming an unprece-dented sixth consecutiveoverall victory in lastNovember’s Baja 1000.

Not to be overlooked inall the post-race hoopla,however, was anothersimilarly impressive achieve-ment by Team Green inthe same event: the third-place finish by its still-newcompetition KLX650.

Pushed to its limits byBaja veterans Paul Krause,Garth Sweetland and TedHunicutt Jr., the big four-stroke machine surprisedeveryone (except, perhaps,stock KLX650 customers!)in finishing so far up thefield despite a time-limitedtest program.

Indeed, Team Greenwas forced to squeezework in on this particularKawasaki model aroundone of its most ambitious-and successful--sum-mers of racing ever. Busyon the desert and in theamateur motocross ranks,the green team’s man-power was spread thin.Obviously, the stock KLXwas a fine platform fromwhich to begin . . .

The time element wasonly one of the challengesTeam Green boss MarkJohnson and his techni-cians accepted inundertaking the KLX650Baja bike project. Anotherwas the formidable speedand reliability baselinealready established by the

The KLX650’s stunning Baja successteam’s awesome, two-stroke KX5OOs.

Turning a productionenduro motorcycle--evenone as sturdy as the newKLX—into a race bikecapable of taking Baja-style punishment for nearly16 hours is no easy feat.Team Green approachedthis one as they do all newmachines: by looking atevery component and sub-system in light of the com-petition rule book and Kawa-saki’s overall objectives.

In desert racing, relia-bility is “job one.” In thegrueling 1,000 miles ofBaja, it’s a big job nomatter what bike you arepreparing. But engineeringfor reliability is mademuch more complicatedby the need for speed.

It wasn’t enough just tofinish the race. For TeamGreen, the objective wasto finish high in the stand-ings. The team couldn’tjust dive in and start beef-ing up stock components.In some areas they had tostart from scratch with new(and costly) processes ormaterials to save weightrather than add it.

There’s no catalog toturn to, either: TeamGreen was forced tohand-fabricate (or farmout to specialists the fab-rication of) many compo-nents including shockabsorbers, exhaust pipeand a unique, heavilygusseted swingarm.

Many of the changesmade to the stock machineare invisible. One that’squite obvious is the lightingsystem, developed overthe last several years onthe all-conquering 500’s.

Designed in coopera-tion with lighting producerPIAA, the 650’s massivespotlights live in a spiderweb of steel tubing andconnecting links.

Lights that turn with thehandlebars are only thebeginning. The vibrationthat accompanies the in-credible speeds reachedin the Baja event is an-other problem. Then thereare the weight concerns—every ounce high and upfront can be harmful tohandling. The beamsthemselves must be pro-tected from flying rocks.And the bulbs must beeasy to change.

These are not simple,garden variety challenges.Coming up with solutionsto the lighting problemalone took several thousandhours . . . and dollars.

But make no mistakeabout it, this amazing thirdplace finish is a testimonyto the outstandingcapabilities of this durablenew machine. Takingnothing away from theexpert preparation doneby the Team Green staff,the eye-opening successof its first Baja 1000appearance could neverhave been achieved withanything less than a greatproduction vehicle.

Team Green’s Johnsonadds, “Contrary to thecomments of some maga-zine editors,” says TeamGreen’s Johnson, “theKLX650 did not overheatin any one of its maidenoutings.”

And by the end of theyear, Mark notes, it wasmaking more power thanthe two-stroke 500 . . . o

4 l K-Tech News

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

TECHNICALITIESMicro-Kby David PyleParts PublicationsSpecialist

In the last few months Ihave received quite a fewquestions regarding the‘circled letters” that areshown on some partsgrids. The purpose ofthese letters is to make iteasier to find a part andhe point where it attacheson a vehicle.

Many times there is notenough room on theillustration to spread outaII the parts in the properlocation. By showing thecircled letter next to thepart and next to itslocation on the frame,identifying the correctparts is made easier.

In the samplelustration of the KX250-K1 Frame Fittings grid,here are circled letters Athru E. These letters showhe correct location of A,he top motor mount bolt;I, the front motor mountbolt; C, the bottom motor

mount bolt; and D and E,the top and bottom chainrollers and bolts. It wouldbe far too confusing to tryand connect the lines withthe parts and the frame.

Just remember: Whenyou see a part with a letterin a circle next to it, therewill be another letter in acircle somewhere else onthe page showing itsproper location.

l I have also receivedsome calls regardingdecals on street bikes.

What decals come onpainted body parts? Alldecals come on paintedbody parts. Most plasticemblems have to beordered separately. ZX-1100-D tank emblems arenot supposed to come onreplacement parts; lastyear, however, some weresupplied by mistake.

A chart in K-Tech NewVol. 5 No. 1 shows vehicletype and whether its partscome with decals or not. o

Missing numbersSome of you may havenoticed in the latest RetailPrice Guide that there aresome numbers missing.To be more precise, anypart number that hasbeen canceled for 10 ormore years is no longershown in the guide.

This causes someproblems when looking upparts on the older micro-fiche. We don’t changethe part numbers on themicrofiche every timethere is a part numberchange, of course. (If wedid, your inventory couldhave stock with no refer-ence to it, and we wouldbe sending out so manymicrofiche that you wouldneed a second mail box!)

So, what would I do?Well, for starters, I wouldkeep a few old price guidesaround for reference. But,if it’s too late and you’vealready recycled your oldones, here are a few tips:

Model ApplicationGuide: Using the M.A.G.will help you find the latestsubstitute numbers for oldparts you have in stock sothat you can go back tothe price guide for pricinginfo.

K-Share: Run an “ItemStatus Inquiry” on K-Share.If you enter any numberon K-Share, it will showthe latest substitutenumber even if it is notshown in the retail priceguide. —Dave Pyle

TECHNICALITIES

XiR assembly and prep.Believe it or not, there is with the boat!already an Assembly and This is a limited-produc-Preparation sheet for the tion model, so we did notnew XiR. To make sure do a general mailing of thethat everyone who needed A&P the way we would forthe A&P sheet got one, we a high-production quantitypacked them in the crate model. —Ray St. John

SALES TOOLS

How We Stack Up ’94Recently you received asupply of How We StackUp 1994 booklets. Wehope you have already putthem to use training yoursales staff in the featuresand benefits of the ’94Kawasakis. The booklet isdesigned to be carried in asales person’s pocket atall times to help out inanswering customers’questions.

If you need morecopies, call your DistictManager, your Regional

Sales Manager, or theTechnical Services Divi-sion of Kawasaki MotorsCorp., U.S.A., (714) 770-0400, x2472.

—Ray St. John


T I P S F R O M T H E S P E C I A L I S T S

TECHNICALITIESCharcoal canister foulingby Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

You dealer technicianswho are not real familiarwith the California Evap-orative Emissions systemcould be fooled into someunnecessary diagnosticwork if the customerdoesn’t read (and follow)he instructions in hisowners manual. So here’sI little briefing:

The owners manual forany of our street legalour-stroke bikes tells the

Once that happens, thesystem doesn’t vent prop-erly and you can get allthe symptoms that goalong with a plugged ventin the fuel system-likehard starting, throttlehesitations, or apparentlyrunning out of fuel while asustained highwayspeeds.

If a California modelcomes into your shop withthese symptoms, discon-nect the (blue) fuel tankvent line from the back ofthe tank and the (yellow)

Bearing Insert

PUBLICATIONS

customer (the one who

That’s good advice forthe customer, and some-

takes the time to read it)

thing you need to beaware of too.

not to fill the gas tank so

If the fuel tank is over-filled (that is, filled to the

full that the fuel rises into

bottom of the filler neck orhigher), so much fuel will

the filler neck.

be forced out of the fueltank vent (into the bluetube) and down the (red)return tube that the char-coal canister will becomefouled with liquid fuel.

carb vent line from thecharcoal canister, and ridethe bike. If the symptoms

You can dry the canisterout by setting it out in thewarm sun for a couple

are gone, the problem is a

days. Or you can fix it in afew hours by connecting a

fouled canister.

low-pressure air supply(such as an aquariumpump) to the (blue) ventline inlet on the canisterand letting the pump blowair through it. o

ZX1100-D rod bearingsThere are numerouserrors in the rod bearingselection charts in theZX1100-D servicemanual. There are errorsin the chart on the speci-fications pages (pg. 8-5)of the crankshaft/trans-mission chapter, as wellas the chart in the text(pg. 8-13) of that chapter.

Not only are the twocharts full of errors, butthey are different fromeach other as well!

Mostly what you haveto be careful of is the partnumbers for the bearings.

They are all incorrect onboth charts. However, youshould also note that thechart on the specificationspage has a “none” on thetop line under the “Crank-pin Diameter Marking”heading. It should have an“O” in that space.

In your ZX1100-DService Manual, theConnecting Rod Big EndBearing selection chartsshould look like the chartbelow. Make the appro-priate corrections in yourservice manuals.

—Gregg Thompson

Con-Rod Big EndBore Diameter

Marking

¡

None

¡¡

None

CrankpinDiameterMarking

¡

None

None

¡

Size Color

Blue

White

Black

Part Number

92028-1680

92028-1681

92028-1679

Connecting rod big end bearing insert selection chart.

Watercraft generalassembly and prep. manualI f you’re a Kawasaki JETSKI@ watercraft dealer,you recently received yourfree copy of the “KawasakiWatercraft General Assem-bly and Preparation”manual. This book isdesigned to be used withsupplementary A&Psheets covering thoseparts of the preparation ofeach model which areunique to it.

Earlier this year, yougot the A&P sheet for the1994 model Super SportXi. You were instructed touse it with the A&P man-ual for the ’93 model Xi.

Well, now you can useit the way it was meant tobe used: with the Kawa-saki Watercraft GeneralA&P Manual.

—Ray St. John

6 l K-Tech News


ZX-9R service tips to save you a little fumblingby David BehlingsProduct Support Specialist

Tank removalHere’s a tip that mightsave you a little fumbling.Most of us figure we canremove a fuel tank withoutreading the service manual,right? It’s simple: If it’s gotfront mounting bolts, re-move those and then getthe seat off. Loosen theback of the tank (probablya couple bolts) and lift theback of the tank enough toreach in and disconnectthe fuel line(s) and fuelsensor. Now, brace your-self (some tanks weighmore than 40 Ibs. whenfull of gas) and yank thatdude off there.

Well, that sounds aboutright for most of our bikes.But the ZX-9R has some-

thing else to remember: afuel knob that is right inthe middle of the main LHframe member (the pet-cock is inside the frame;the knob is on the outside).

Before you lift the tankoff the bike, you shouldremove the fuel knob fromthe petcock (there’s asmall Phillips screw in thecenter of it). That way you

carbs are different than inthe #2 and #3 carbs.There are no identifyingnumbers on the main jetholders so you have tolook at the hole patterns inthe emulsifier tubes to tellthe difference.

Now, since neither theparts microfiche nor theservice manual give youany info about this, we will.

The main jet holderslook like those in thedrawing at left. The jetneedles you find in thebikes should be N67T forthe #1 and #4 carbs andN67U for the #2 and #3carbs. At the time of thiswriting, the microficheshows two different needlenumbers (N74H and N74J);this information is wrong.We should have a correc-ted fiche out soon. o

don’t take a chance onbreaking it off when youlift the tank up.

Carburetor partsWhile working on someproduction ZX-9R’s here,we noticed some interes-ting things about the inter-nal carburetor parts. Thejet needles and main jetholders in the #1 and #4

TIP

The old brake system pre-bleed trickshake the caliper toloosen any air bubblesthat might be trapped inthere. Top it off with fluid

well for this. Be careful notto push any air into thecaliper while you do this.

Now you are going to

I have found a trick thathelps save time bleedinga brake system whenrebuilding or replacing abrake caliper. I have hadexcellent luck with thismethod on KX brakes,and I am sure it will workon any hydraulic system.

The trick is to assemblethe system with an alreadyfull caliper. Start with thenew (or rebuilt) caliper inyour hand. Have the pis-ton(s) almost fully exten-ded in the caliper. Thisleaves the largest possiblespace for fluid in the cali-per. Pouring brake fluid inthrough the banjo bolt hole,fill the caliper all the wayto the top of the threads.

Now, with your thumbover the hole, turn and

cylinder reservoir, takingany trapped air bubbleswith it.

It also helps to crackthe banjo bolt loose andsqueeze the brake leverforcing a little fluid out ateach connecting point inthe system. Sometimes asmall air bubble trapped inone of these fittings canbe a little stubborn. Makethis the last thing you doafter the whole systemhas been assembled andbled.

See “When the brakesdo the bleeding, but youhave all the pain” article inthe Fall ’93 (Vol. 6 No. 3)issue of K-Tech News formore information on thissame subject.

—David Pyle


a g a i nand at-tach theb a n j obolt andline us-ing newc r u s hwashers(we neverr e - u s ethe oldo n e s ,right?).

If thebrake line

give thewholesystem apowerflushfrom thebottomup byrapidlypushingthe pis-ton(s) allthe wayinto thecaliper

is empty, you should forcesome fluid up into it throughthe bleeder fitting on thecaliper. A syringe works

This pushes all the fluid(with considerable force)from the caliper up throughthe line and into the master


California emissions motorcycles explorationsby Steve RiceProduct Support Specialist

the canister through theyellow hose. (See the noteat the end of this article.)

More and more thesedays we are getting con-cerned calls from dealersin the Eastern half of thecountry wanting to knowwhat they can do about aCalifornia bike that acciden-tally got shipped to them.Our answer is always thesame: “Sell it and be happy.”

Most of the time, theCalifornia models areexactly like their 49-stateequivalents, but with aclosed fuel tank andcarburetor vent system toprevent fuel vapors fromescaping into the air. This“evaporative emissionssystem” simply capturesvented fumes and storesthem in a charcoalcanister when the engineisn’t running. When theengine is running, allfumes-including those

where in the United States;the 49-state bikes cannotbe sold in California. There-fore we build more Califor-nia bikes than we thinkwe’ll need for that year toprevent running out inCalifornia. Bikes not neededin California are soldwherever they are needed.

The dealers and custo-mers are usually con-cerned that their California

This evaporative emis-sions system is virtuallythe same on all ourmodels and consists of aseparator pump, charcoalcanister and some hoses.

The canister is ventedto atmosphere to allowproper venting of the fueltank and carbs, but theactivated charcoal insidethe canister preventsthose nasty fumes fromescaping into the air. It’s agood system because itworks without any perfor-mance penalty.

Federal law does notallow you to tamper with

bike won’t performlike the 49-state bikesthat they are used toseeing. They’re surethis “emissions-choked”bike won’t be able toreach the amazingperformance levelsthe one tested by theirfavorite magazine did.

Well, I have spent alot of time preparingthe bikes tested by themagazines-thosethat you read about.The truth is, most ofthose amazing perfor-mance figures arebeing recorded usingbox-stock, California-spec motorcycles! Afterall, we are here insunny California. Justabout the only time weuse non-California bikes iswhen it is a very early teston a new model andproduction units are notavailable yet.

To prepare one of theproduction bikes, we do apartial tear down, carefulinspection and reassem-bly of engine, chassis,brakes and so on. Wedon’t modify them and wedon’t remove or disablethe California emissionsequipment.

8 l K-Tech News

stored in the canister—aresucked into the airbox andinto the engine.

In some cases, thereare slight differences inthe carburetor jetting orignition specs, but thesedifferences have neverresulted in any perfor-mance loss. The Califor-nia bike is one poundheavier and more expen-sive to produce. That’sabout it.

Bikes built to Californiaspecs can be sold any-

The fuel tank is modifiedto allow connection of thehoses. Fuel vapors fromthe fuel tank go throughthe blue hose to theseparator pump. Thisvacuum-operated pumpseparates the liquid fromthe vapors and pumps theliquid fuel back into thetank through the red hose.Vapors continue throughanother blue hose fromthe separator to the char-coal canister. The carbur-etors are also vented to

any emissions equip-ment that come asstandard equipmenton a motorcycle. Thisapplies to the Califor-nia evaporative emis-sions equipment eventhough it’s not actu-ally required in yourstate. In other words:If it came on the bike,it stays on the bike. Itis illegal for you todisable it in any way(kind of like thosesmoke detectors inthe airplane toilets).

NOTE: Modelsequipped with ram airinduction systemshave a vacuum-operated valve in theyellow vent line

between the carbs and thecharcoal canister. Thisvalve switches the carbvent from the canister tothe ram air vent tubeswhen the engine is running.This is done because theintake tract is pressurizedat high speeds. The carbvent must also be pres-surized or no fuel will flowfrom the float bowl upthrough the jets. (See the“Float Chamber Ram Air’article in the Summer ’93issue of K-Tech News.) o


Ninja™ rod bolt torquing procedures not in the bookby Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

Some of you may be con-fused about the torquingprocedures for connectingrod bolts in our late modelhigh performance (Ninja™)engines. And understand-ably so. In some cases,the service manual seemsto contradict itself and, inall cases, the torquingmethod can be a littlemystifying.

The text in the crank-shaft/transmission chapterof the ZX1100-C andZX1100-D service manualscalls for 11ft./lb. of torqueplus 120 degrees ofrotation on the rod boltnuts. However, on theexploded view page ofthat chapter, these nutshave two callouts. The “O”calls for oil to be appliedto the nuts on assembly.The “4” refers to a foot-note that says “See con-necting rod installation.”This means look in thetext for the torque speci-fication.

Unfortunately, it’s realeasy to mistake that “4”for a “T4” and simply usethe 13ft./lb. spec that goeswith it listed at the bottomof the page. Don’t dothat! The proper torquespec as listed in thechapter text is 11ft./lb.plus 120° of rotation.

Why the low torquespec plus 120° of rota-tion? This method, called“Angle-Controlled Tight-ening,” is specified in allour latest four-cylinderliquid-cooled engines.(Some manuals even give abolt “stretch” specification.)

Why do they all call foroil to be applied to the

nuts before assembly?And why do all the modelswith this torquing methodsay never to reuse an oldrod bolt?

The answer to thesequestions is in the termclamping force (the actualpressure applied to thetwo parts being boltedtogether). The purpose ofall the above describedprocedures is to consis-tently achieve the properclamping force. Becauseof many variables that canaffect any given situation,the more conventionaltorquing method andhardware can result inwidely varying clampingforces. In fact one boltcould actually be applyingalmost twice as muchclamping force as theother bolt in the same rodwith the same torque! The

high tech “stretch” boltsused in our very high perfor-mance modern Ninjaengines, combined withproper assembly proce-dures can greatly narrowthe range of clampingforce produced by apply-ing the specified torque. Inother words this method ismuch more precise thanconventional torquing withconventional hardware.

The friction createdbetween the threads ofthe nut and the threads ofthe bolt, and between thethrust surface of the nutand the rod will affect theclamping force producedat a given torque setting.The more friction, the lessclamping force. That’swhy the service manualscall for oil to be applied tothe nut on assembly. Ifyou don’t apply oil to the

nut, even though you usethe correct torquingprocedure, the clampingforce will be reduced. Ifyou use an old bolt, notonly will the clampingforce be reduced, but thebolt will be more likely tofail in use.

NOTE: When rebuildinga bottom end in one ofthese engines, check(plastigauge) the bearingclearances using the oldrod bolts. Then use yournew bolts for the finalassembly. This will allowyou to torque the newbolts just the one time.

Also, don’t forget to putmolybdenum disulfidegrease on the back side ofthe upper bearing shell onfinal assembly. This helpsabsorb the shock to thebearing during combus-tion. o



by Kenny OsbergProduct Support Specialist

Manifold gasketsSeveral recent calls to theHot Line concerning water-craft “poor performance”problems that were eatingup technicians’ lunch hoursbig time turned out to becaused by a very simpleproblem. The JH750-A1and -A2 SuperSports hadan exhaust manifold with around exit hole for the ex-haust gasses. The JH750-BXi exhaust manifold, mean-while, has a larger ovalexit hole. (JH750-A3’s andJT750-A1’s also have thisoval part.) The trick is thatall the parts, round hole oroval, have the same boltpattern.

problems. Rubber parts orseals inside the couplercan leak if the exhausthas overheated (notenough water flow) orsimply worn out normally(after lots of hours).

If you have to take oneof these couplers apart forsome reason (like poorhigh speed performance),

The performance prob-lems come from using thewrong gasket at that con-nection. If the oval gasketis used with the roundmanifold, water from thecooling system leaks intothe exhaust stream. (And,since the exhaust is sup-posed to stay dry all theway to the water box, un-welcome water at the mani-fold really detunes the pipe.)

ZX600-D rear sprocket damper

If the round gasket isused with the oval mani-fold, the gasket protrudesinto the exhaust stream, dis-rupting the flow of gasses.

Either way, perfor-mance (especially topend) suffers significantly.

Technicians beware.

We’ve had a few callsrecently from dealers whowere confused by achange that has beenmade in the rear sprocketdamper for the ZX600-D’s.The original damper forthis model was a one-piece unit with small drivecushions and larger decel-eration cushions. Thatdamper was relativelysmooth and flat on bothsides (see the accom-panying illustration).

Pipe coupler But it has been replacedWater entering the ex- by a new part which is

haust stream at the coup- significantly different—dif-ler between the exhaust ferent enough that somepipe and the expansion dealers were sure theychamber in all sit-down received the wrong part.750 watercraft models will If you order one ofalso cause performance these, the part (or kit) that

750 JET SKI® watercraft exhaust do’s and don’tspay very close attentionon disassembly andreassembly: There are lotsof parts in those things.

And, when reassem-bling it, don’t use anysea/ant on the gaskets.This can ooze into thewater passages when youtighten the bolts, and evena partial blockage can

result in other problems.Reduced water flow will

almost certainly result inoverheating damagesomewhere—most likely,at the waterbox, down-stream of the blockage—but damage can alsooccur at the engine or inother parts of the exhaustsystem. o

you will receive is actuallythree separate parts. Allthree parts are identical toeach other and areinstalled in the wheel tomake up the completedamper.

To install them, dropthe dampers into thewheel with the funny

looking two-story bumpspointing outward, towardthe sprocket (as indicatedin the illustration).

The damper is a tightfit, so you might want toput a little oil or grease onit before pushing thesprocket carrier into it.

—Gregg Thompson

P/N 92160-5001 P/N 92160-1229 or -1246

10 l K-Tech News

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

TECHNICALITIES

Authorizationor log number?Almost every day we getcalls from dealers whocan’t figure out why theyjust had a claim rejectedfor “no authorization”when they had clearlyfilled out the authorizationspace on the claim withthe number they had beengiven over the Hot Line. Weask the dealer for hisauthorization number, andwe look it up in the com-puter, but we already knowwhat’s wrong. Nearlyevery time we get one ofthese calls, it turns out thedealer had called on theproblem previously andwas given a log number. Alog number is just a file.number that allows us tofind the record of thisphone call the next timethe dealer calls regardingthe same problem.

When we do authorizethat claim, the log number(plus the Hot Line techni-cian’s initials) becomesthe authorization number.However, we usually don’tcomplete the authorizationuntil the work is completed;many times things changebetween the first time thedealer calls about theproblem and when thework is finally done.

When we give the auth-orization number and ini-tials, we are authorizingsubmitting a claim for workyou’ve already completed.

Remember, any claimover $150, any claim for acosmetic failure, and/orany repeat claim (similarfailure, same vehicle) willneed authorization.

—John Pomo

Working on those first impressionsby Mary SolaAssistant Manager,Consumer Affairs

There’s an old saying thatyou never get a secondchance to make a firstimpression, and in today’sretail market, that’s par-ticularly true. Where domost of your customersget their first impression ofyour store? For themajority of people, that all-important first contactcomes over the telephone.Let’s face it: Most poten-tial customers let theirfingers do the walkingbefore they decide to buyand will call to find outinformation such as yourlocation, if you have aspecific item or product,pricing, hours, before theymake a trip.

cost next to nothing butwhich can yield large re-wards when used effec-tively and consistently.

1. Pick up the phone.People won’t come in ifthey think you’re not open,and most people will hangup after five or six rings,so make it a rule to havethe phone picked up aftertwo, or at the most three,rings.

2. Give the name ofthe store and ask howyou may help. Customersmay hang up withoutsaying anything if theythink they got the wrongnumber. Answering thephone with a “yeah” mightwork at home, but for abusiness, it shows a lackof professionalism whichcan really hurt.

Your store may lookgreat, have the mostmerchandise at the bestprices around, but ifpeople won’t come inbecause they got a badfirst impression over thetelephone, you’re nodifferent than the guy upthe street with the hole-in-the-wall store which hasthree parts for an ’89EL250 on the shelves attwice retail.

3. Don’t leave peopleon hold for longer than30 seconds. Make anexperiment: Withoutlooking at a clock orcounting but with a phonein your hand, try to judgehow long a minute is. Afterabout 10 seconds, you’llprobably think it’s timesomeone picked up.

During my time in Con-sumer Services, I’ve hadto call lots of dealers, andI’ve had lots of time tothink about good phonemanners while waiting onterminal hold. So here aresome suggestions I cameup with that are easy and

Everyone has horrorstories about being left onhold for what seems likecenturies; don’t let thestories be about yourdealership. Come backimmediately if the depart-ment or person the call isfor doesn’t answer rightaway. Take a messagerather than keep a personon hold unless they ask to

stay there, and keepchecking back.

Remember, the morepeople you leave on hold,the fewer incoming callsyou can take and that canmean less businesscoming in the store.

4. Return calls. Overthe years, I’ve left hun-dreds of messages forpeople who never gotback to me, and everytime it happened, myopinion of the dealershipdropped a little.

It’s just good mannersto return calls, if possiblewithin 10-20 minutes.Good manners can onlywin you friends.

5. Always be polite. Itdoesn’t take that mucheffort, even when you’rebusiest or the customer isthe worst. Getting angry atan angry or impolitecustomer doesn’t meanyou win, it means youlose. Most people areaware, at least on somelevel, that they are notbeing reasonable and thefact that you are politeanyway can win many ofthem over in the long run.

6. Always say “Thankyou.” End every conver-sation with a “thank youfor calling” if it’s at allappropriate. Even if youdon’t end up with thecustomer this time, youmight the next-especiallyif the other guy doesn’tremember the rules ofgood first impressions! o


R E G I O N A L N E W S

WEST

A new faceto followby Patrick Kelly9950 Jeronimo RoadIrvine, CA 92718(714) 770-0400

SOUTH & CENTRAL

NORTH & EASTThe next issue of K-TechNews will feature a newface gracing the top of thiscolumn. That’s becausethere will be a new personhandling the trainingduties out here. Let me bethe first to officiallywelcome Jerry Heil to theWest Region classroom.

As for me? I’ll bearound, researching andwriting training videos, aswell as coordinating newmodel technical

Jerry is certainly notnew to Kawasaki training,as he has worked in thetraining department forover seven years and hasbeen instructing theelectrical troubleshootingclass for some time. Hehas spent the rest of histime researching andwriting training manuals,so he brings a wealth ofKawasaki knowledge tothe classroom.

12 l K-Tech News

information. I’ll get back tothe classroom occasion-ally, too, instructingproduct update classes.

I’ll look forward toseeing you then! o

Summeractivity starts

by Walter Rainwater6110 Boat Rock Blvd. S.W.Atlanta, GA 30378(404) 349-2000

I’ll also be working atsome touring events thissummer. Maybe I’ll seeyou there. Revised servicetraining classes will begin

At the end of April,training classes will beover for the season. Mysummer plans includebeing a judge at theVocational Industrial Clubsof America (VICA) SkillOlympics; this year’sevent will take place inKansas City. KawasakiMotors Corp. alwaysparticipates in the motor-cycle troubleshootingsection of the Skill Olym-pics by providing motor-cycles and personnel.

in the fall-look for theschedule in the mail.

A new K-Tech ServiceContest will also begin inthe fall. It will have fewerquestions per test, makingit easier for you to earnone of the prizes! o

Too muchsnowby Fred DeHart201 Circle Drive N. #107Piscataway, NJ 08854(201) 469-1221

The North and EastRegions have had morethan enough snow andrain this winter. Whenspring arrives, your cus-tomers will be more thanready! Take advantage ofthe service training classesleft this season, before thespring rush begins. Trainyour personnel now!

After the trainingseason is past, I will bebusy assisting the HotLine with their dealer callsand attending some of therider rallies with TeamTour. I look forward totalking with you, either onthe phone or in person! o

TrainingSchedule

East RegionApril5-6 Fuel Systems7 Generator12 Service Department Operations13 Pads Department Operations19-21 JET SKI® watercratt26-28 Troubleshooting Elec. Systems

North RegionMarch26-29 MULE™ Service30-31 Team Green Race Preparation

AprilNo classes scheduled.

Central RegionMarch28-30 JET SKI® Watercraft31 Tune and Service

April19-21 JET SKI® Watercraft22 MULE™ 50025 Tune and Service26-28 Engines

South RegionApril4 Service Department Operations5 Tune and Service6-7 Troubleshooting Elec. Systems11-13 JET SKI® watercraft14 Generator

West RegionMarch29 Service Department Operations30-31 Engines

April5-7 JET SKI® watercraft8 Precision Measurement and

Diagnostic Tool Usage12-14 Troubleshooting Elec. Systems26-27 Team Green Race Preparation28 Fuel Systems29 Tune and Service

spring 1994 the kawasaki technical magazine vol. 7 no. 1...of the engine’s potential for...

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