Ninja 600R Cafe Project

[Sirref]

Nice, I'm currently in the process of making my pregen 250 into a cafe styled street bike/track bike so seeing other people's progress on their own builds is great inspiration

[ZeroG]

Yeah, I have been planning on doing something about that. Right now, there is actually a mounting bracket there, so if I make a cover, it has to allow access to the bracket.

[ZeroG]

Well, everyone. I have some good news, and I have some bad news...

Lets start with the good, shall we? My buddies and I took an absolutely EPIC moto-camping trip around Washington (state) this past weekend. Our route took us over two passes in the Cascades, through an awesome canyon north of Ellensburg, and miles upon miles of absolutely perfect riding. Here are a few shots of the trip (sorry for crappy phone quality).









Now for the bad news.... I spent the last ~250 miles of the trip in 5th gear.... We were cruising along at 60mph oh a highway in eastern WA, not doing anything untoward, when suddenly I realize I can't shift any more. We pulled off at the next gas station, and checked everything we could think of. Clutch was fine, shift lever was fine, shift linkage was fine. Well, long story short, we ran into a motorcycle mechanic at another gas station who took a look, and he says I probably have a bent shift fork.

At this point, I'm not sure what I want to do about it. I can still get around in 5th gear, but that's no way to ride... I don't have the money to have it fixed professionally (and it probably wouldn't be worth the price, anyway), so I'm stuck either fixing it myself or selling it off and cutting my losses Trouble is that I'm moving in a few months, and I don't think I can get her running again before that... Needless to say, I'm heartbroken....

[EternalNewb]

Looks like an amazing trip! How'd you end up with a bent shift fork, though? That bike is really cool, and it seems like it would be heart-breaking to have to sell it. Maybe there's a member local to you who has the know-how to help?

[ZeroG]

My best guess is that I may have shifted lazily while passing (high speed/revs), but honestly I don't know when or how it could have happened.

As for the repairs, I have enough of the know-how - my problem is money and time... Cracking the engine/transmission open takes lots of time, and I'm bound to need seals, gaskets, new bearings, etc etc. Alternately, I could buy a new engine ($200-300 +shipping off ebay), but that's still not really in the budget...

[crazymadbastard]

I like your build. A few questions if you don't mind, what are the tire sizes you are running? how tall is the triple measurement? I am trying to figure out if front end and swinger fit the 250.

good luck fixing her.

[ds650rida]

First off I'd like to say nice build. I too know the unexplainable sense of pride you get when you create something thats essentially a work of art and have someone come up and compliment you on it.

While building my girlfriend's 250 I picked one of these bikes up with it. I used some parts from it and sold it. The person I sold it to said that these have notoriously weak transmissions. And I believe he said the 5th and 6th shift fork is what bends on them.

That being said. I recently replaced a set of shift forks in an 05 zx6r. All that was required was dropping the oil pan and getting behind the clutch basket to pull the rods out that hold the forks. If your bike is anything similar it shouldnt be too hard for you to swap the forks. In my case it didnt require any special tools. Although a clutch holding tool would have came in handy.

[ZeroG]

Originally Posted by crazymadbastard

I like your build. A few questions if you don't mind, what are the tire sizes you are running? how tall is the triple measurement? I am trying to figure out if front end and swinger fit the 250.

good luck fixing her.

I took a look this morning, and I'm running 120/80/16 in the front (a size over stock, I believe) and 130/90/16 in back. The head tube is 21cm long - is that the measurement you needed?

[ZeroG]

Originally Posted by ds650rida

That being said. I recently replaced a set of shift forks in an 05 zx6r. All that was required was dropping the oil pan and getting behind the clutch basket to pull the rods out that hold the forks. If your bike is anything similar it shouldnt be too hard for you to swap the forks. In my case it didnt require any special tools. Although a clutch holding tool would have came in handy.

Thanks for the tip! I took a look at a thread that explains this process over on the zx6r forums, and it looks promisingly similar to the anatomy of the 600R crank case. My buddy (u/SabreValkyrn) is going to take a look at his 600R project bike tonight because he already has the oil pan off. If the shift fork shaft can be slid out the side of the case like a zx6's, then the swap should be pretty straightforward.

[crazymadbastard]

Originally Posted by ZeroG

I took a look this morning, and I'm running 120/80/16 in the front (a size over stock, I believe) and 130/90/16 in back. The head tube is 21cm long - is that the measurement you needed?

thanks ,just what i needd I found a fork assembly with wheel locally and dual disc fronts. Looks like direct swap into a ex250 they use same stem bearings.

[ZeroG]

Awesome!

[KawiKid860]

AWESOME build! These old kawi 600s were really ugly IMO in stock form, however I respect a clean example of any classic sports bike. I've seen a lot of these chopped up and I really disliked them... but I'm in love with yours! It's kind of the tentative direction I'm leaning towards for my 500, which currently is all stock except the front fairings removed and it has a 7" headlight and a little speedometer thrown on. Modern triumphs and guzzis also inspire my "build" so to speak, I just love the bare bones cafe style bikes and having a self built one is even cooler. And my 500 has a little bit more oomph and weighs a fair bit less than the modern classic type bikes. But before I go into messing with the cosmetics any more, it needs a serious overhaul of the suspension and brakes as it's not even enjoyable to ride anymore. Especially compared to the powerful and refined, yet still naked and bare-bones 919 I picked up. Though it's more of a naked sportbike than standard/cafe type. Anyways, good luck sorting out your tranny issues, it's gotta suck to see all your handiwork be tainted by something so simple..

[ZeroG]

Thanks! I've really enjoyed doing something really original with this bike (I certainly haven't seen anything quite like it). A 500 would be a great one to work on as well. As for the suspension, I am actually already planning on updating my bike too. I want to do a front end swap and get a new swinger/monoshock. I had considered doing both this year, but the time and money just aren't there. For now, the stock suspension really isn't bad on the 600R. I really want to get modern 17" rims, though...

[ZeroG]

Update time!

So after doing a lot of research and tinkering around, I thought I could remove the (supposedly) bent shift fork(s) through the oil pan. I read a post that explained how to do it on a zx6r, and the engines seemed similar enough to make it plausible. My buddy came down this weekend, and after removing the headers, covers, clutch, oil pan, and oil pump, we realized that there was no way to get them out without splitting the case.

I briefly considered throwing in the towel at this point, but I was convinced otherwise. We pulled the engine out of the frame, cleaned it up, and started taking it apart. Here's how it looked once we got the engine out:





Next, we pulled the head cover, cam shafts, head, and cylinders off. At this point, we noticed that the pistons and valves were NASTY. I know it's normal, but we were still surprised at the level of gunk baked on in there. We went to town with brake cleaner and elbow grease and cleaned that crap out.

After two passes with brake cleaner:


After five passes with brake cleaner:


Here's where it gets good... So we're busily getting ready to crack the crank case open when my friend goes "Oh... What's this?" It turns out that the whole issue was caused by a small broken spring in the shift linkage assembly (part 92083 below)... This part costs all of $5, and getting to it is a quick 5 minute job. UGH. So we wasted a lot of time and effort for next to nothing...



But we were pretty happy with all the work we did, in the end. We found a couple of bad things that needed to be fixed (an engine mounting bolt falling out and the secondary shaft nut completely loose...) and did some other maintenance that's been on the list. During the process of pulling out the engine, I sort of took a saws-all to the gigantic air box that has been plaguing me for over a year, so I'll be replacing it with pod filters. I also took the opportunity to paint the head cover and some other odds and ends and clean the frame, swingarm, and engine.

I have a bunch of stuff in the mail to finish up the project with - a head cover bolt I sheared off, pod filters, rejet kit, painting supplies, and The Spring. Hopefully I'll have some more updates soon!

[EternalNewb]

YES! So glad to read this. Congrats, and good job. Even if you did a bunch of extra work, at least it's fixed and it didn't cost that much.

[Klondike1020]

Good job. Glad you sorted out the issue. better than wasting a perfectly good bike

My brother and I replaced a shifter shaft on a honda engine three times before we got one that worked. They all failed in the same spot and it was a tiny little defect that was barley observable to the naked eye. We were sourcing used parts as it was a 1982 3 wheeler lol

[crazymadbastard]

that is good news! No time wasted, your insides are nice and clean now.

[ds650rida]

Perfect opportunity to get the head shaved and clean all those hard to reach areas when the engine is in the chassis

[ZeroG]

She shifts again! Woo! Here's the culprit behind this whole affair...


Here is the new one installed in she shift linkage and ready to go:


I also got my pod filters and rejet kit installed today. Rejetting was super easy, but sadly the pod filters caused quite a bit of trouble. The boots were the right size for my carbs, but the base of the filters themselves were large enough to interfere with each other.


I ended up grinding a little bit off the sides and cocking the inner pods in a little. The outer pods are pretty straight now, so it looks fine on the bike.


I swear, all these pictures look the same... I promise I'm actually making progress!

Speaking of which, you may have noticed my fender is installed now. I'm not in love with it, but it will do the job for the time being. Here's a better picture:


The other part I've been working on this week is all the wiring. The tail light wiring was especially bad...


I'm pretty ashamed that I actually rode it like that, but what can I say? I was in a hurry... Anyway, I made amends:


Remaining work:

• Add breather hose and filter
• Replace faulty coolant sensor
• Extract and replace sheared head cover bolt
• Double check valve timing
• Paint and install tank
• Reupholster and mount seat

Stay tuned!

[Alex]

Originally Posted by ds650rida

Perfect opportunity to get the head shaved and clean all those hard to reach areas

[ZeroG]

Getting so close! I had a bit of extra time this week, so I got some good (if mostly unexciting) work done. I kicked it off by extracting a head cover bolt I'd sheared off accidentally. While I was in there, I adjusted my valve timing which was surprisingly off. I also filled her up with coolant and oil, and put the finishing touches on some of the miscellaneous bits I hadn't gotten to yet.

The most exciting part of this week's work was recovering the seat. As you may recall, the vinyl didn't turn out very well with the last seat, but I learned a lot doing it. This time, it turned out SO MUCH BETTER. I'm super happy with the results.

Before trimming:


After trimming:


Underside:


The other big progress I made was to change how the front of the tank mounts to the frame. Before, I had a bracket on the underside of the tank that bolted directly to the frame. That turned out to not be strong enough or be able to absorb the vibrations properly. I removed that bracket and replaced it with a bar higher up under the tank. I'm going to take one of those stiff rubber bungee cords and run it lengthwise over that bar and attach it to the front and back of the frame. I hope that makes sense - I neglected to take any pictures of this part. I'll be sure to upload some later.

Anyway, I'm hoping to get it out on the road for a test ride today! Wish me luck!

[ZeroG]

Quick update: I got the tank mounted up how I wanted and took some pictures to better explain what I'm doing.

Here is the bar I JB welded into the underside of the tank.


Here I have a rubber bungee cord bolted to the frame front and back.


The bar goes under the bungee about where my hand is in the second picture. This secures the front of the tank really well, and the back is still bolted onto the frame as well.

So I was super excited to finally get on the road again, since all of the major stuff is done.... And when I went to start her up, nothing happened. My starter switch has been kind of finicky ever since I got the bike, so my first thought was that it had finally failed. Well, I picked up a little momentary push-button switch from the store and wired it in as a temporary fix. That didn't work...

So, I checked the battery, fuses, wires, etc - no problems. The lights and dash backlight still come on. I tried bridging the solenoid, and the starter fired up, so that isn't the problem. The only thing left that I can think of is the solenoid itself. The shop manual has a solenoid check section, but it's for a different style than the one my bike has, so that's no good... As are most of the testing methods I found online. So I just ordered a new solenoid off of ebay for $10, and hopefully it'll be here soon.

I swear, this is the never-ending saga of stupid little crap breaking and ruining all my plans.

[ds650rida]

Originally Posted by ZeroG

Quick update: I got the tank mounted up how I wanted and took some pictures to better explain what I'm doing.

Here is the bar I JB welded into the underside of the tank.


Here I have a rubber bungee cord bolted to the frame front and back.


The bar goes under the bungee about where my hand is in the second picture. This secures the front of the tank really well, and the back is still bolted onto the frame as well.

So I was super excited to finally get on the road again, since all of the major stuff is done.... And when I went to start her up, nothing happened. My starter switch has been kind of finicky ever since I got the bike, so my first thought was that it had finally failed. Well, I picked up a little momentary push-button switch from the store and wired it in as a temporary fix. That didn't work...

So, I checked the battery, fuses, wires, etc - no problems. The lights and dash backlight still come on. I tried bridging the solenoid, and the starter fired up, so that isn't the problem. The only thing left that I can think of is the solenoid itself. The shop manual has a solenoid check section, but it's for a different style than the one my bike has, so that's no good... As are most of the testing methods I found online. So I just ordered a new solenoid off of ebay for $10, and hopefully it'll be here soon.

I swear, this is the never-ending saga of stupid little crap breaking and ruining all my plans.

That wouldnt be a deal breaker. Just a theft deterrent!
Carry a screwdriver around with you until the part comes in. I'd also remove the connector to the solenoid and be sure that a signal is getting to it when you press the starter button.

[ZeroG]

So it's been a long time since I updated this... Because I've been RIDING! WOO! Last time I posted, I was still dealing with the no-start problem, right? Well, I eventually traced the problem all the way back to the neutral switch. I'm still not sure what's wrong with it, but as long as I pull in the clutch when I'm starting her up, everything works fine.

Meanwhile, I figured I might as well get the tank repainted. Being of the military aircraft pilot persuasion, I decided I really wanted to paint it up like the old Flying Tigers P-40 Warhawks.


I know this has been done to bikes a million times, but I still love the look and the WW2 throwback feel. I thought it would be a simple sand off the cream color paint and spray on the green, but I forgot about the decal plates:


So I had to accept my fate and get out the bondo again... I was glad, though, because my first attempt at body work looked pretty terrible. This was my chance to redeem myself and show that I'd learned something. I started by stripping/sanding down to bare metal again and straightening up some of the old bondo.


Next, I added some bondo over the decal plates and filled some more around the old dents I hadn't properly filled before.


I bought some glazing putty this time around, so after sanding down the bondo, I filled some of the obvious pinholes. Then, I shot it with some primer and gave it a light sanding to pick up all the high and low spots. It was already looking a LOT better.


I applied some more bondo, more glazing putty, sanded that, primed it again, glazing putty, sanding, priming, ad nausium. I think there are three or four layers of body work on this thing by now, but it's looking SO MUCH better.

For the green, I used Krylon super-flat camo green spray paint. This stuff goes on CHUNKY it's so flat. I was a little surprised by the amount of texture, but I actually really like it. For the shark teeth, I decided to cheat and use decals. Due to the compound curve near the front of the tank, I wasn't able to get them 100% flat no matter how slow and careful I was (I took about 20 minutes per side). Wrinkles aside, it came out AWESOME.




Next, I sprayed over the whole thing with Eastwood 2k matte clear coat. That stuff was really cool - it's a 2 part clear in an aerosol. You pop the seal between the two sides, shake it up, and spray within 48 hours. It dries super fast, and most importantly, is gas resistant!!!! I was seriously impressed by this stuff. 10/10 would recommend.

So without further ado, here she is!!!





As per usual, I still have a long list of further upgrades and improvements to do, but I think I'm just going to ride for the rest of this summer. Here are some things I'm considering, though. Let me know if you have any tips for me!

• Front end swap
• Replace swingarm, shock, and rear wheel
• Shorty levers and SS brake lines
• Fabricate new subframe and cafe seat pan
• Replace mufflers
• Change foot peg position

[ForceofWill]

Very cool. I'm digging the new look.

[crazymadbastard]

fantastic!

[M42]

Ohhh maaaan, this thread has been an absolute treat to read. Awesome bike, awesome work.

[Ytse Frobozz]

That is one angry motorcycle!

[Ducati999]

Congrats on a well rebuilt bike enjoy!

[mabirec]

hi, quick question, how did you make it where you could run clip-ons? i have a 86 ninja 600r and i removed the fork link pipe and put some on but when i drove it, it started leaking from the holes, any help?

[ZeroG]

Originally Posted by mabirec

hi, quick question, how did you make it where you could run clip-ons? i have a 86 ninja 600r and i removed the fork link pipe and put some on but when i drove it, it started leaking from the holes, any help?

Fork link pipe? I don't have anything like that on my '93... For mine, I just took off the top triple clamp, slid the clip-ons down, and put the triple back on.

[Ninja Rob]

Very nice bike and great work.

[mabirec]

Originally Posted by ZeroG

Fork link pipe? I don't have anything like that on my '93... For mine, I just took off the top triple clamp, slid the clip-ons down, and put the triple back on.

oh, OK thanks anyways