"TheJWT" (thejwt)
10/15/2019 at 20:44 • Filed to: two wheels good, Yamaha, FZR 600
7
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"TheJWT" (thejwt)
10/15/2019 at 20:44 • Filed to: two wheels good, Yamaha, FZR 600 | 7
| 9 |
As any 28 year old track bike bought for a grand on craigslist is bound to be, my recently purchased 1991 FZR 600 is
rough
. It does run and drive fine, but my last experience on it a few weeks ago resulted in a $200 tow, and thus began the teardown. I told my girlfriend that I’d ride it by my birthday next year (March 15th), so I figure posting quasi-regular updates on here will be a decent way to shame me into working on it.
The battery hasn’t been charging when I ride it, and since I’ve replaced the Voltage regulator/rectifier, it’s likely due to some combination of bad wiring and faulty alternator. Even before I took the tank and airbox off I found 3 or 4 exposed wires that were probably shorting out and one partially melted electrical connector.
The plan as of right now it to go through the wiring harness and fix any stripped wires and bad connections I can find. That’s the main thing keeping me from riding; but I also plan on replacing most of the braking components, and the clutch and throttle cables. I have an OEM exhaust manifold sitting in my apartment that’s going on too, there’s tons of rust on the current one.
There’s sure to be other problems I’ll find along the way, and ultimately I’d love a new set of fairings and original stickers. This isn’t going to be quite a restoration- it’s more of just making sure nothing is going to fail when I’m riding it and that it looks and rides halfway decent for a bike its age.
My next job is draining the coolant and pulling the radiator so that I can get to every bit of wiring buried in the frame. Then it’ll be opening up the wiring harness, which I’m sort of dreading but needs to be done.
Waiting for said tow truck
I’m not exactly the most mechanically inclined and I’m learning about most of this stuff as I go along, but I’m actually really excited to fix it up over the winter! The few times I have been able to ride it have been great; it’s got nearly twice the power of my Hawk and I’m a sucker for 90's fully-faired
sportbikes.
themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> TheJWT
10/15/2019 at 23:07 |
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Oh hey, I too am part of the "my early 90s Yamaha let me down in an electrical way" club! Unfortunately it is parked outside with no garage so winter work will be limited. Hopefully I can diagnose things when it eventually stops raining but doesn't start snowing -_-
Chuckles
> TheJWT
10/15/2019 at 23:26 |
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That’s a great looking bike. My brother’s first motorcycle was an early 90s FZR 600 with yellow wheels. It looked a lot like this one:
Sadly I don't have any pictures of his bike, and if I did they'd be on film somewhere.
AdverseMartyr
> TheJWT
10/16/2019 at 05:21 |
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Small technical thing - I doubt it’s got an actual alternator, just a stator coil, isn’t it? Isn’t that why it has a regulator/rectifier?
Lovely looking bike by the way.
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TheJWT
> Chuckles
10/16/2019 at 07:40 |
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Never seen a yellow one, that does look awesome!
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TheJWT
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
10/16/2019 at 07:41 |
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Oh man, I missed that when it happened but it sounds like exactly the same thing that happened to me!
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TheJWT
> AdverseMartyr
10/16/2019 at 07:43 |
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You’re right, I think it is just a Stator.
And thank you!
Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> TheJWT
11/17/2019 at 23:44 |
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That thing is gorgeous. Those carbs look pretty easy to get to, too.
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TheJWT
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
11/18/2019 at 07:46 |
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Thanks! They are, after you drain and remove the tank...
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Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> TheJWT
11/18/2019 at 13:39 |
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Hondas of that era (e.g Hurricane) have a tank that will hinge up out of the way to get to the carbs, which you can have out (or back in) in under 15 minutes. Absolutely fantastic design for repair.