New Chains....

Went to town to collect something that I’ve pre-ordered for the coming Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, on my way home, there was a strange noise coming from the rear part. So I made a stop at a motorbike shop that fixes big bikes and cruisers.

The mechanic said it was due to my sprocket and chain. And what can be done? Change! again….
There were a few choices to choose from….and finally after a few phone calls and consultations…. I choose one that is supposed to be made in Japan….the higher end of the middle range. The brand is EK Chain. The chain and the front sprocket cost RM360. But the feeling on way the home, satisfied and priceless. Haha…It really made a difference….

Found the manufacturer’s website after I reach home. Looks like it’s true. And I’ve seen this brand somewhere in the US bike magazines.
www.ekchains.com

The History....

2004:- This was my 1st bike - Limited Edition Yamaha TZM Millenium



2006:- My 2nd - Honda Wave 125

2008:- The 3rd - Kawasaki Ninja ZXR 250

My Racing Boots....

Four years ago, i bought a pair of SIDI VERTIGO. It was my 1st pair of racing boots. The design was very nice and it was very comfortable to wear. The outlook was like the shoes of mr. ROBOCOP but i liked it very much.

I wore it to my 1st SIC (Sepang International Circuit) open track day with my small cc TZM. Unfortunately, 4 years later, the boots were used no more than ten times. Therefore i decided to sell it off. A Ducati guy was the new owner.

Currently i'm wearing a pair of PUMA motorcycle shoes. It was purposely made for bikers. Genuine leather. And it was a gift from my sisters.

The pic of my previous racing boots....SIDI Vertigo.....

Original from Japan

From the land of the rising sun.....

Cool....

The Specification

Below will be the specification for ZXR 250 from KAWASAKI.
Extracted from the manual.

General Specifications

Dimensions:
Overall length.....................2000mm
Overall width......................685mm
Overall height....................1090mm
Wheelbase..........................1360mm
Road clearance...................130mm
Seat height.........................735mm
Dry weight.........................141kg
Fuel capacity.....................15L

Performance:
Min turning radius...........2.9m

Engine:
Type................................4 stroke, DOHC, 4-cylinder
Cooling system................Liquid-cooled
Bore and stroke..............49.0 x 33.1mm
Displacement..................249cc
Compression ratio..........12.2
Max HP..........................33.08 kW (45PS) @ 16000rpm
Max torque.....................25.49 N-m (2.5kg-m) @ 11500rpm
Carb system....................KEIHIN CVK D30 x 4
Timing advance..............Electrically advanced
Engine oil capacity.........2.6L

Drive Train:
Type..............................Gear
Reduction ratio.............3.291 (79/24)
Clutch type....................Wet multi disc
Transmission type.........6-speed, constant mesh, return shift
Gear ratio:
1st…...............................2.600
2nd….............................1.789
3rd…..............................1.409
4th…..............................1.160
5th…..............................1.000
6th…..............................0.892
Final drive system:
Type.............................Chain drive
Reduction ratio.............3.428 (48/14)
Overall drive ratio.........10.076 @Top gear

Frame:
Caster (rake angle)........23.50
Trail.............................84mm
Front tire.....................110/70-R17 54H Tubeless
Rear tire......................140/60-R18 64H Tubeless
Front suspension.........Telescopic fork
Wheel travel................120mm
Rear suspension..........Swingarm (uni-trak)
Wheel travel................113mm
Brake type:
Front............................Dual discs
Rear.............................Single disc

Electrical Equipment:
Battery.......................12 V 6 Ah
Headlight...................Semi-sealed beam 12V 60/35W x2
Tail light....................12V 5/21W x2
Alternator..................Three-phrase AC
Rated output..............22A/14V @ 8500 rpm

Overhaul : Part 7 The Finale.

Finally, the long awaited time has come. I called and the mech confirmed with me that my bike was ready. Went there straight after work and picking up my BB.

Reached there and saw my bike parked outside the garage. It was cover with dust and waterstains. Got the keys and started it up with just one press. On the e-starter button. The engine fired up and sounded nice. Idling at +/- 1000rpm....everything seems fine....tested all the signal lights and found out that the front left was not functioning. He immediately adjusted and it blinked.

So it's time for a test ride next. Got on and there i go...smooth...it's totally different compared to my 2-stroke TZM. The sound, the roar and the feeling...The mech told me that the sprockets and chain will need to be changed soon. ok....Went into the air-conditioned showroom to check and settle the bill. As expected, the amount was....went into the office to have a talk with boss. As much wasted saliva, he gave a 5% discount for the spareparts. Excluding the labour fee. 5% is better than nothing. Paid with my BB's CC to collect more points.

The next thing is to get food! as both us were as hungry as wolves because it was already 8.30pm when we settled everything with the shop. We left the car at the shop as we rode to another town to find food. The feeling was good as we cruised on the higway. But my BB was a little bit uncomfortable due the the sitting position of the pillion rider. Poor BB...

Had Char Kueh Teow at a famous kopitiam for dinner besides a bowl of porridge. It's famous because the CKT was cooked using charcoal. Not normal cooking gas. Ended our day with BB driving and me riding back to our place.

Overhaul : Part 6 The Waiting continues.....

The mech called few days ago and told me that the water seal needs to be changed. So i said ok. But the thing is, they have to order the part and i still need to wait.

It's been a month now since i sent my bike to the shop. Can you imagine it's taking longer than my car to do the engine swap?Unbelievable....but hopefully he will get the job done nicely.

By the way, i brought a few bottles of 1.5l distilled water to the shop earlier for my radiator. It is said that normal mineral or tap water will make the cooling system to be corroded faster due to the mineral particles inside. I have requested for the usage of MOTUL coolant.

Overhaul: Part 5 The Rims

The reason i didn't bring my tyres to the shop yet is because i've asked the mechanic to skim and repaint my rims. I told him what i wanted and he said ok.

Finally after a one week, he called and told me the rims are done. So, i brought my new battlaxs to be installed right away. And to be balanced too.

Here's the pics of the my new look rims. Although not 100% of what i wanted, but 95% will do just fine.

Overhaul: Part 4 The Waiting....

Went to check out the progress of my bike again....

Disappointedly slow.....the mech said he got other bikes to fix, then what about mine???

He briefly explained to me about all the parts that needs to be changed....the list goes on and on...but looking things from the positive side, my bike will be almost brand new....

snapped a pic of my engine head....changed 8 new intake valves....

Overhaul : Part 3 The arrival....

The tyres are here! My bro and family drove all the way here to pick up the Saga and bring it back home. At the same time, they helped to bring up the things i need from home. Including the tyres.

It looked real NICE. Just nice and soft. Medium compound. Just can't wait to try them on. But the problem is my bike is still at the shop as there's only one mechanic and the spareparts needs time to arrive.

Pics of the Battlax BT-090.... (updated pics)

Overhaul : Part 2 The tyres...

Thinking of changing my tyres as the thread s are almost gone. The only brand and series that pop up in my mind was Bridgestone, the Battlax series. Why? Because i've tried one on my TZM and it really sticks.

Asked my mech to find me a pair of Battlax but he failed. And so did the other shops in the whole state. They were all out of stocks. I called up all the bike shops and only one said yes. But when i reached there, all he got was the Brigdestone Cyrox.

Last resort was to trouble my bro. Called up a famous sparepart shop in the land of sparepart shops and the boss confirmed he has the one i wanted. I used to be a loyal customer.
Bridgestone Battlax BT-090. Radial. Classed under the middle-sport.
110/70R17 front and 150/60R18 rear. A little oversized for the rear. Just nice.
My brother got them for me. A big thanks for him.


Quoted from http://mc.bridgestone.co.jp/en/products/category/onroad.html

Battlax BT-090 Radial & BT-090 Radial Pro

"Refined by using the latest technologies from Bridgestone, the BT-090 is perfect for aggressive riding on both circuit and street. The rigidity of the tyre induces better contact feel in corners, especially for slide control during races. The new compound and pattern offer improved grip and handling in both wet and dry conditions, with better high speed stability and anti-shimmy performance ensuring a smooth ride."

Overhaul : Part 1

Went to the shop again after the mech called me to view the dismantled engine. Told and showed me the damaged valves and other parts. It was a long list.

I requested for all original Kawasaki spareparts and he said ok. So i paid him a little deposit for the parts and left.

Pics of my bike in surgery....

The head and valves.....

The Top Overhaul.....

Sent my bike to a superbike shop in the nearby town. The mechanic was quite friendly. I heard that it's a bit pricey. But I believe they won't be doing anything funny to my bike as they are quite reputable and they only deal with superbikes. Not those ordinary bike shops. Besides, they are the authorised Kawasaki dealer.

At first the mech changed the timing tensioner. But then, the idling was still not smooth. He said he needed more time to check so i went to have lunch with BB.

Received a call from him and went to the shop again. He said the bike needs to be overhauled because the valves didn't sound right. Top overhaul to be exact. I said ok. Though in my mind i knew it's going to cost a bomb. Sigh...

I knew this bike needs to be overhaul. But didn't expect it to be this soon. What do to....i want the bike to be in tip top running condition. So, left my bike at the shop for top overhauling.

The 1st Ride....

Went to collect the bike and the owner will be there too. Chatted with him and he said everything is in good condition. What a liar.

Paid and signed together an agreement letter written by me. Just in case and to be careful. Too many fraud cases nowadays.

My 1st ride home was surely an unpleasant one. Not even 10 minutes from the shop, something went wrong. The engine suddenly went off. Called the mechanic and he told me to adjust the timing knob. Huh?

Finally made my way back home. Under 80km/h. Sigh....

The Debt....

Called up family to discuss as i only have 2/3 of the amount needed. And i needed some backup in case of emergency. They were kind and generous enough to lend me the rest.

I proposed a monthly installment plan as i'm working now. It's a debt that i shall pay. Not just a debt. Something that meant more than the amount to me. Thank you.

Finally....

The disappointment caused me to start from point zero. Everyday, i was checking the classified sites to monitor the market. Day after day....

Finally, there was an ad by a guy who is in the same state where i'm staying now. Called. He's a mechanic acting as a middle man as the owner doesn't has the time.

Went to test ride the bike at night with the help of a friend since i'm not familiar with the place. Everything went smoothly.

Pic taken when i went to pay the deposit....

The Disappointment......

After a few weeks..my Wave 125 had found a new owner. A young doctor. Lucky him as my bike was in tip top condition with low mileage. And it comes with an aftermarket thin seat. I even gave him the untouched original Wave seat.

The 2nd lucky guy was a chap from Perak. He will be using the TZM to travel between Perak and Kedah. Wow.... For 4 years, i have only travel 2000km with my TZM. Yes, that's how new it was. It's really hard for me to say goodbye as a lot of effort has been poured into it.

A new set of exhaust by YYPang.
Racing footrest.
Bubble windscreen.
And i even gave the new owner all the original parts of the Limited Edition Millenium TZM. Lucky him. He got himself a bargain.

Finally after i have gone through all the trouble to sell off my bikes, Mr.Y has sold off his bike to another colleague, after he promised to sell it to me....What a disappointment. He is not a man of his own words.

The Awakening....

Actually, the dream of a ZXR has long been kept in a hidden corner of my mind...until one day in my office...

i was surfing a bike forum during lunch time and looking at ads by ppl who wanna sell their bikes when my colleague who saw me said, "Aik, u r looking for this bike ar? Mr.Y has one ma. Ask him wanna sell or not la."

Felt excited. Went to ask Mr.Y who is also another colleague. He said he is looking for a buyer and he was asking for a price lower than the usual market price.

Went home to discuss with bb and we both found that it's best to 1st sell off my current TZM LE and my Wave125. Then we'll have enough cash to buy the ZXR. She has been very supportive to me, and i wanna thank her so much for her moral support.

My Precious Magazine....

I bought a lot of international and local mags on cars and bikes, and one of them is this!

I've been going through the pages of this mag for dunno how many hundreds or thousands of time.....hehe....WHY?

Because this mag was featuring the ZXR 250 when it was first introduced. I still remember the time when i was dreaming of riding one.... :p

The cover of the mag...RODA RODA August 1997 issue....

The original advertisement published when it was 1st launched...

The Power of Dreams...

Been watching Moto GP since the reign of Wayne Rainey and Max Biaggi. Fell for it since then.
Back dating to the year of 2002 when i knew the existance of the Kawasaki Ninja ZXR 250. 16valves. 249cc. High revving. Loved the design. Wanted to ride one so much.

It was a dream. And it came true.

It was 2004 when i got myself a Yamaha TZM because of the financial issue as the ZXR was acknowledged as a high maintenance machine due to its 16 valves. My TZM was a limited edition year 2000 Millenium model. Only around 400 limited edition units were produced by Yamaha. It was the 1st bike registered under my name. A gift from my dear mom.

Hello World!!! Here i come.....

Hmmm..... think i'll write about the "live" story of my ZXR.....

pls don't get me wrong, it's not life story but "live" story as in live* broadcast....haha

let's see....

* live (merriam-webster online)
Pronunciation: \ˈlīv\
Function: adverb
: at the actual time of occurrence : during, from, or at a live production