Finally Home From College!! Project timeee

[M-Oorb]

So with my fairings off I noticed that my coolant level was a little low...just a the L line. This is probably the kawi dealers fault because the first day I had it, it had fallen over in my garage due to the dealership installing the kickstand wrong!! So im thinking some coolant came out on the fall and when I took it back they never filled it back up(haven't been back to THAT dealership since). So is it ok to mix different brands of coolant...cause I know with some fluids you cant. Thanks!

[Alex]

If it is reading low when the bike is sitting level, you can add some distilled water to bring it up between the H & L lines.

[M-Oorb]

So I dont need to add a mixture? Just distilled water is fine? Any added benefit to adding the coolant mixture?

[Alex]

It's already a mixture of distilled water and coolant. You don't add straight coolant into any cooling system (unless it has been pre-diluted, and some places are selling it this way now as they realize they can make a profit on that 50 cents worth of distilled water). For such a tiny amount as you're talking about (to bring something a little below the L line in the overflow reservoir up a little bit), you're not changing the ratio of coolant to distilled water in the least.

[M-Oorb]

Thanks for the help...I'll head out now to pick some up...I wont be done shimming till the end of the day at the rate this is going

[kkim]

Shim it now... you can always add the distilled water later.

[M-Oorb]

So finished shimming. All the hard work is done...and my luck is I lose something . Dropped one of the clamps that holds one of the smaller lines in place. Looked in every nook and crany and all around the bike...its run away. So now on my way to home depot to pick up another and get this tank back on to test it out. Biggest pain in the whole process(minus the missing clamp) was getting those needles out without touching the diaphram...good thing I was so good at operation as a kid
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[kkim]

for the little clamps that you lost, you can use small tie wraps. you'll need to cut the wraps every time you want to take the hose off, though.

those clamps are easy to lose and easily fall off the end of the hose... I try to remember to push it way up the hose, once I take the hose off, so I don't lose them.

start the bike up... does it warm up easier?

[M-Oorb]

SCORE!! Bike all done...well kinda...plastics are still off. Added one washer under each needle(Kkim I know you told me to do 2...we'll get to that soon) That whole process wasn't hard at all and I'm very proud of myself for accomplishing it as this is really the first time I screwed around with the engine of anything...except for my little Goped . Went to home depot and Advanced Auto Parts...neither had the clamp I had lost but what I did buy was those screw clamps you use for stainless steel lines...got one small enough and works great. Started the bike right up...idle was great from the get go. Rev'ed the throttle hard...as this is where my problem was(Would kinda stick at 2500 and feel like it was gunna bog out). Rev'ed all the way up!!!. Slight hesitation though...so 2 washers was probably the right way to go...Kkim was right. Though because I was 20 that I knew everything...guess not though . Took the bike out around the block...didnt wanna take it out on the street cause all the plastics were still off...and boy did those washers help. Bike runs great and that idle problem...pshhh what idle problem. Thanks to everyone for helpin me out

While I was shimming today also did some other stuff. Sprayed my "carbon fiber" turn signals gloss black(3 coats) plus 2 coats of clear to protect.(P.S. Kkim...I think I remember you saying I can spray the bulbs silver so the whole lens would look clear but they would still light up amber...am I correct?) While I had all the plastic off sprayed down all the metal on my bike with anti-corrosive spray to protect it from the salty south florida air. Didn't get a chance to get that distilled water because Kkim practically yelled at me to finish my shimming . And that was about it for the day. Tomorrow I'll put that second washer back on, install the new turn signals and then pick up some distilled water to top off my coolant. Overall a very good day.


Again thanks to everyone who helped me out

[kkim]

lol... didn't yell at ya... just was emphasizing that shimming was so much more important at this point than topping off the coolant. If you still have the plastics off, you may want to consider putting the second washer in there, then test ride.

It's not about being right about the number of washers as each bike differs. I was just offering a starting point on how many to use.

FWIW, you can still ride the bike w/o the bottom fairings on. Your turn signals won't work, but you can use hand signals to substitute. I always test run my bike before I go through putting the plastics back on.


Yep, that was me about spraying the bulbs silver... good memory.

[M-Oorb]

Im def gunna put the 2nd washer on tomorrow...just wanted to relax by the pool today with a beer and soak up some sun

[M-Oorb]

Just realized I never posted any pics of my bike before break and where I am at now...So without further to do I present El Toro Verde!!

Got the name cause my bike is green and my bull sticker on the gas tank. Got the sticker in Spain when I visited this summer and everyyoneee there had one on their bike or scooter...so I decided to import it over .

Mods so far are limited to a fender removal, shimmed, snorkal removal, bull sticker, brake modulator, and seat cowl cover. By the end of the break I wanna polish my rims and add my black sorta flush turn signals.

[kkim]

so, did you put in the second washer?