Kawi 636 issues

[Dr. Joe Siphek]

I picked up a 03 ZX6R back in october. I've now been riding now that my back is 100%...things i've come to find out i don't like about the bike. I don't know if this is usual for Kawi or if it's just my bike.

#1. The bike idles like crap...it starts fine, and idles fine...until i start riding it...when i am coming down from speed to a stop i down shift w/ a blip of the throttle (my gixxer loved it when i did this), the bike doesn't seem to want to blip, and when i do come to a stop, i put it in Neutral and it will be idling at 3-400 rpm...i give it a little gas and then she will idle @ 1k which is fine w/ me. If it's a long light, she will fluxuate(sp). WTF...this morning she died. Started right back up.

#2. It is nearly impossible to find neutral...it usually take 3-4 times going from 1st to 2nd to find it. Is this normal? What a pain in the ass.

#3. At times when i hit the front brakes at 60 or above i get a light shutter in the handle bars...very short shutter, but i feel it. Am i just being too picky? or should i sell this POS and get the suzuki's like i love?

I can deal w/ #3, but #1 and 2 are driving me nuts. Anyone? Anyone?

I do love the power that this bike brings, and she handles very nicely...

Oh yeah...i haven't done any mods, except for a slip on exhaust. I need to put a K&N or the like, -1 front sprocket, and i've even run different octane gas in it to see if that makes any diff...nope.

thanks...i'd rather not have to take it to a shop for $$$ sake.

[Nick_Ninja]

How many miles do you have on it? How long has it sat this past winter?

[Dr. Joe Siphek]

It had 8xxx miles when i bought it. I've started it up weekly over the winter in my heated shed.

[Nick_Ninja]

8K miles it prolly needs a tune and service. Plugs and an injector cleaning might be needed and the idle adjusted. As far as the brakes they might not be seated (I suspect the the pads are glazed from not being seated properly) -- change them out with some EBC Double H Sintered Streetbike Pads and the problem will prolly disappear.

[Dr. Joe Siphek]

Thanks Jeff! I'm planning on doing the brakes and putting SS lines on the fronts anyways. I can do the plugs myself, but don't know how to clean the injectors...is that something i can add to the fuel? I doubt it, just asking.

[Nick_Ninja]

BG 44K -- but don't get it from Lafayette Car Quest

[ebazyl]

#3. At times when i hit the front brakes at 60 or above i get a light shutter in the handle bars...very short shutter, but i feel it. Am i just being too picky? or should i sell this POS and get the suzuki's like i love?

From what I hear that is a comon problem on them, I believe Kawasaki even issued a recall on the fork lowers, which tend to get loose. Last year one of the MRA experts had their fork fail on the hot pit lane, I think he got jaked up. I would call a Kawasaki dealer and ask them about it. Also Bart from TK is a big Kawi guy.

[Stuart Little]

As far as neutral goes, that's weird that you can't find it since it's not exactly being broken in anymore, I thought most kawi's have the posi-neutral finder making it that much easier...

Also, try downshifting without blipping the throttle, just wait til you're in your lower rpm's and see if that helps.

[BHeth]

Difficulty finding neutral usually indicates a dying clutch. The shudder sounds like it could be warped disks. If you think that's possible, you can pull them off and lay them against a plane of glass to see if they're straight.

[Player 2]

BG 44K -- but don't get it from Lafayette Car Quest

No, PM Curtis and get in on the group buy