NEW OWNER!!!! 1989 Ninja 600R ?'s

[cjaymiller]

Hello all! I just purchased a 1989 600R with 11k miles on it. I knew going in that the starter was bad and after several tries the bike did crank and run. It has been sitting for close to two years so I know that it is going to need some TLC to get going. I plan on getting the manual and doing what I can do myself. I have never worked on a bike before, so where do I start? I imagine the liquids should be changed and the carbs cleaned. What kind of time and money am I looking at? Where do I look to find a new starter? Any help that I get will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!!

[MFolks]

A good set of metric tools(sockets,wrenches, metric allen wrenches) 1/4" and 3/8" drive ratchets and extensions, place to work on your bike,a comfortable place to sit as bending over is hard on the back and a well lit area at night are just some basic things to look for.

A oil change collection pan, some blue Loctite 242 for fasteners that want to vibrate loose, a good multi-meter for electrical troubleshooting, and some electrical contact cleaner(Not WD-40! don't ask me how I know)

Shop manuals can be purchased through dealerships so give BTK a try first. If no luck try at Repair Manual Catalog Online - RepairManual.com or at onlinefreebooks.net

A good fuel additive can be purchased at Wal-Mart for under $9 it's called seafoam Sea Foam for info.

Rebuilt starters might be available at www.ricksmotorsportselectrics.com [1], www.rmststor.com, eWorldWideWeb, Inc. Exclusive Domains. Your domain name search starts here. or Custom Rewind -- High Quility Remanufactured Motorsports Electronics, Rotors, Stators, Ignition Systems

[VinS]

Congrats on the "new" bike. I have a 1985 Ninja 600R, good bike for what I paid for it.

MFolks has some great suggestions but do not forget ebay. I have found just about all of what I need to fix mine up for reasonable amount of $$$. I am on a tight budget so every dollar counts.

Good luck and happy riding!

[jay 600r]

its not your starter so dont waste your time or money its the gear inside the case u have 2 drop the motor and split the case 2 fix it ive already done it it will cost about 300 and ive already got the starter rebiult it cost me 80 dollars 4 nothing

[bheiser]

post up some pics!

[CKRider]

Don't forget to check other obvious things...like air filter,brake fluid, chain & tension of the chain, tires & air pressure, clutch & tension/slack, throttle & proper functionality/tension/adjustment, fuses, and all lights. I'll think of more stuff later.

[McGrude]

Some of the first work I did on my ZX600C was to simply clean the 5 pounds of dirt and grime off of it. Helped to identify any potential oil leaks.

I replaced the air filter for about $20 ( Air Filters at BikeBandit.com ) I bought the UNI. Don't throw away the plastic cage for your current filter.

I've changed the oil three times in two months for the cost of three quarts each time. I've been doing it that frequently to hopefully flush any gunk out from poor oil maintenance in the past.

I bought the Haynes service manual for about $30.

I replaced front pads for about $50 for the set of pads. I also took the time to rebuild the front brake calipers. It cost about $30 in o-rings, $15 in DOT3 brake fluid and a few hours of time. I also had to buy some parts cleaner and some high temp grease to re-lube the sliders in the caliper assembly. The rubber bits where good but soaked them in soapy water and then scrubbed the grime off with a green scrubby sponge.

I flushed the rear brake lines with new DOT3 and have pads ready to install when I replace the rear tire.

I replaced the front tire for about $150 with a Perelli Sport Demon ( Pirelli Street Motorcycle Tires for 1991 Kawasaki NINJA 600RCA at Bikebandit.com | Rim Size - 16" / Front / Rear - Front / Tire Size - 110/90-16 ) 110/90-V16.

I got new fork seals for about $20 and had to have them installed for $135 (after I removed the front forks off the bike). My left fork was hemorrhaging fork oil. Also the fork oil cost about $15.

I've replaced various fairing fasteners with washers and metric allen bolts that I picked up from Orchard Supply Hardware. I've probably spent $20 on washers and fasteners.

I picked up a can of high heat barbecue gloss black spray paint and painted the left and right plastic side covers.

I replaced a faulty turn signal relay. That cost about $20.

Adjusted my rear axle and chain tension.

My next projects are to track down a faulty ground in the electrical system and then to replace the rear tire, brake pads, and clean and lube the rear swing arm and suspension linkages. I may have to remove the rear swing arm to be satisfied. Oh and I intend to get exhaust seals, remove my pipes, address some minor rust areas, and them put a fresh coat of high heat gloss black paint on them before reinstalling.

As far as tools, definitely a good set of metric sockets and maybe spanners and you will certainly need a torque wrench. I picked up mine at Sears for about $30. ( I wasn't about to put my front forks back together without getting the triple clamp bolts tightened to spec).

[rx7josh]

I've been down this starter road I got a 88 left to me by a room mate after he got married. It's starter quit on day so I pulled it out tested it worked put it back in worked fine. I just started really getting the bike running about a month ago. The starter wouldn't engage but I could jump across the relay replaced relay no starter. checked puch button switch checked good. finally traced it to the connector under the tank after unpluging all them to get to the spark plugs. Long story short on a bike this age thats been sitting check all your electrical connection for good contact And any oxidizing just unpluging them and repluging them can do a world of good and some dielectric grease wouldn't hurt either.