Don't rev a 500r...

Desp · Dec 24, 2003

Don't rev a 500r to 6000 rpm and dump the clutch... it'll do a really, really high weelie.

spdrkt ZX7R · Dec 24, 2003

Does it make you feel better to know your not the only one to ever do that? A friend of mine did the exact same thing a few years ago with his brand new 500. It had less than a thousand miles on it. It popped up, bucked him off and landed on the right hand side. It bent the right foot controls, broke the clipon, and thrashed the plastics. The worst thing was when it came up it hit him in the chest bruising a few ribs and breaking his collar bone. It's something we joke about now (we call him Evil Knievel), but it wasn't funny when we were taking him to the hospital. Hope you came out better than he did.

Freakinout · Dec 24, 2003

yep, I coulda warned you about that one, I've done that twice, you quickly learn that lots of throttle and dropping the clutch is a very bad combo. Luckily I've kept the rubber side down both times.

Desp · Dec 25, 2003

I came out ok, bruised my hands, but as it went all the way up I just stepped off the back, it landed on the left side, shattered the front plastics, bent my kickstand up into the generator cover, and bled all of the oil into the parking lot. Also bent the left handle bar. If i can repair the plastic myself it'll only cost me $150 to fix everything though.

Freakinout · Dec 25, 2003

Desp said:
I came out ok, bruised my hands, but as it went all the way up I just stepped off the back, it landed on the left side, shattered the front plastics, bent my kickstand up into the generator cover, and bled all of the oil into the parking lot. Also bent the left handle bar. If i can repair the plastic myself it'll only cost me $150 to fix everything though.

Jbweld might be your best friend for fixing the plastics. I repaired mine that way.

spdrkt ZX7R · Dec 26, 2003

JB Weld is some good stuff, but I prefer the Frankenbike meathod. All you need is a drill and a few zip-ties. It's easier, but isn't quite as pretty.

Freakinout · Dec 26, 2003

I've seen many many people use zip ties as stitches for their bikes, works like a champ.

darkninja · Dec 26, 2003

I have to admit, that twist-tie method is very interesting. I may have to do something like that if I can't find a replacment fairing. Right now I have zip ties holding it on the bike and a sponge bob bandaid across a break in it.

Freakinout · Dec 27, 2003

I know you can get the fairing from kawasaki, you can also get one from airtech http://www.airtech-streamlining.com/

airtech should be cheaper than kawasaki.

Desp · Dec 27, 2003

I just looked on airtech, and it looks like their upper fairing is 200, and from kawasaki it's about 650.

spdrkt ZX7R · Dec 27, 2003

Don't forget about e-bay.

ZX Kawboy · Dec 27, 2003

2-part epoxy from Schucks worked great for me...and only took 15 minutes!

Try it out..works well.

ZX

Desp · Dec 28, 2003

What is Schucks and what type of epoxy is it?

oogie_boogie · Feb 10, 2004

Front end rising

Note to the newer riders. If you feel the front end coming up on you, remember where the clutch and rear brake are. even a 250 will come up, with a hard enough launch. Mine did it unexpectedly, so as soon as I felt it, I just grabbed the clutch, and she came right down. If you actually WANT to do wheelies, you should practice on a really small cheap bike, and make sure your health insurance is paid. Ride safe.

darkninja · Feb 10, 2004

Well, I finally got a replacment upper fairing, actually I got two. I bought one from a junk yard (just needs a paint job) and I went ahead and bought a new one from Airtech for $200 (cheaper). Now I have to decide which none to install. They both need paint, but the new one needs all the mounting holes drilled and it is missing the holes for the blinker assembly. How difficult is it to drill out the blinker holes to the exact shape and size? Anybody?

MaineKawi · Feb 10, 2004

Do you have the original blinker assembly?

michiganarft11 · Feb 12, 2004

A dremel might make things easier for getting the right size and shape holes.

zach01 · Feb 13, 2004

oh, wheelies......if you know how to balance your weight, controll your throttle and braking right, you can pull off some insane-looking wheelies. ive kept my 125 up for quite a long ways, but like youve heard, its hard, and dangerous. its not so much the size of the bike, but how your situated on it, how and when you dump the clutch and how and when you pop down and pull up on the bars. but. if youve rode, you know what im talking about. the worst thing about wheelies are the unexpected ones, i was riding my 250, its a bit older, but a little faster too, on an open dirt field, i was in the throttle hard, throwing dirt straight up when the nobby got caught on a rock, a big one just under the surface of the dirt, the bike reared up and i bailed, landing on my knees an the bike went right side down, broke the clutch cover one another rock nearby and i got to push the bike 3 miles home, i was not happy........the point is, anything will come up into a wheelie, you gotta be carefull with that.

darkninja · Feb 19, 2004

Do you have the original blinker assembly?

Yes I have the blinker assembly intact. they are the ones where the rubber is fed through the fairing and popped into a notch in the rubber. I was worried that tring to cut out the hole would possibly be dangerous and cause a crack to spread further than the blinker area.

sdrider · Mar 24, 2004

New Fairing from Airtech

I took a quick look at Airtech's website and they showed two models of fairing. One exactly like Kawasaki's and another one without the holes for the headlight and the blinkers.
Is the one with holes "a lot more expensive"?
I think it might be worth it...

Don't rev a 500r...

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