1994 Kawasaki Zx6 R

[Medical Grade]

It is really getting to be nice outside, and i am really getting an itch for a motorcycle.

i found a local sale for a 1994 ZX6 R or E im not sure which one it is.. but it needs a new ignition system because someone tried to steal it at one point and jacked up the part where u put the key in, and the carbs have been taken off and rebuilt, but the bike has been sitting for 7 years. its got low miles.. 9k.. body work looks good.

for 600$ i am interested in picking this up but it would be my first bike and dont have alot of experience.. any other bike enthusiasts out there have an opinion on this deal?

 

[Benassi]

You want your first bike to be a heavy, hard to meneuver crotch rocket? That's been sitting so long the gas probably solidified?
What do you want on your tombstone, I'll call your folks

 

[Dizzle Frost]

Make sure the frame is not bent....and check the carbs have no varnish on them....the price seems good but shit gets expensive when you gota replace it on a sportbike.

things id check out persoanly

frame and subframe are not out of shape
forks ( make sure there straight and seals are good)
transmission shifts proper into all gears
brake rotors are not scratched up or marred and calipers work proper
electrical all works

these are the things that are gonna kill yur wallet the most...the rest of the shit is just normal wear and tear...(brake pads, plugs and wires etc)

hopefully its the R model...they had better suspension and were a lil quicker

good luck!

 

[Dizzle Frost]

You want your first bike to be a heavy, hard to meneuver crotch rocket? That's been sitting so long the gas probably solidified?
What do you want on your tombstone, I'll call your folks

its a 420# bike lol....a 600 is about the easiest thing to ride. Bad fuel is an easy fix..and he did say the carbs were rebuilt...but id check em anyways to make sure the slides open and close easy

 

[Medical Grade]

thanks for the reply dizzle, how can i check the electrical if the ignition system is busted? i am kinda taking a gamble for 600$ to get a starter bike, not sure if its going to be a lemon or not. i will probably buy the bike and tow it to a shop to get the repairs done.. i am interested in putting upto 1,600 into it. but thats about it.. i've seen some running models for 2k.

 

[incognegro999]

I would not reccomend a 17 year old bike for your first, a harley maybe but a burner no way. Another thing to think about is while the mileage sounds low, just about every mile on a bike is a rough mile. take it to a shop give em like $75 bucks look it over real good.

 

[Medical Grade]

well if you want a cruiser then maybe a harley would be good, but im not spending money on style of bike i dont want to ride.. i fully plan on taking the bike to a shop and have them do all the repairs.

 

[Dizzle Frost]

thanks for the reply dizzle, how can i check the electrical if the ignition system is busted? i am kinda taking a gamble for 600$ to get a starter bike, not sure if its going to be a lemon or not. i will probably buy the bike and tow it to a shop to get the repairs done.. i am interested in putting upto 1,600 into it. but thats about it.. i've seen some running models for 2k.

Well 600 is good if you dont have to spend much....id ask the dude to bypass the ignition to see if the lights, signals and shit work...i had a GSX-R i bought for 450 cuz it was in parts...the electrical was so fucked i had to get a whole new harness (wasnt cheap). You should be able to buy a decent ride for 2gs or less....wont be a show queen but it will go fast and be fun still. Starter motors and staters (anything elec) will kick yur ass.

Is the bike complete? does it look like it was crashed? id hate to see you get hosed....Kawi had shitty trannys to back then so make sure it shifts right.

To be honest i wouldnt give him any more than 500 due to the fact you cant hear it run, yur prolly better off spending 1500 on a running machine..it sucks when yur buddies are riding and yur wrenching

Look for older Yamaha YZF 600r to..they are great bikes and cheap as fuck now....they had a nicer street ride than the ninja did , well the R mosed..the E model ninja was pretty comfy but not as sporty.

 

[Medical Grade]

right on, yea i will ask the guy if he can bypass the ignition and stuff.. i plan on taking a look at it today. it is described as being in good condition no scratchs dents or dings, just the fairings are currently off of it, to do the carb work and he never got around to finishing it.

 

[Medical Grade]

someone else mentioned that i would probably need to invest in atleast new tires, an oil change, and checking of all the "seals" , and "flushing"?

 

[Medical Grade]

oh, radiator flush.

 

[r1tony]

I have ridden for 10+ years and own a 05 R1 now. I started on Ninja 250 then got a Katana 600, then a Ninja 600r. If I knew then what I know now, replace the tires if they are older and a harder compound. You don't need racing tires but you need a tire that's not going to last 3000 miles. A dual compound tire is a good tire, harder in middle softer near edges, I run Michelin tires exclusively as they never have let me down no how hard I push them at track and street.

Drive defensively as other cars will not see or look out for you. I have had cars just pull in front of me thinking that "Ah it's just a bike and if he hits me I will be ok" what the fuck.. but that's the mentality of non-riders.

I would have to say of all the things in my life that I have done, sport bike riding is probably the one thing that is the best get away and feeling like you are doing something not everyone can do or care too. It's risky on public roads no doubt, cars, people, road hazards, dirt, stones, bugs grass leaves etc. Always wear your gear, no flip flops, shorts and tank tops. Road rash is not fun, and it hurts like hell while healing. Spend good money on a helmet, mine cost 600+ no including quick strap and other visors. I ride only with Arai but had an accident with a Suomy helmet and had no head injuries dumping a bike doing a standup wheelie at 80mph when a pot hole said you shouldn't be doing this on my road. People spend 80 bucks on a helmet, those people die of head injuries if they do get in a crash that involves head trauma.

One last thing.. it's not if your are going to wipe it or crash, its a matter of when. Never met anyone that has NOT took a dump on their bikes, some worse some stupid.. it just *will* happen eventually if you make riding a part of your life.

First thing I do to all my new bikes, replace chain and sprocket to my liking, buy my brand of tires, change brake lines to stainless steel lines and brake pads. Put a steering dampner on if it doesn't have one, tank slappers are no fun and if you get in one you wont be getting out probably. Maybe not required for this 600 but newer 600s and up definately as the power lifts the front weight and will cause tank slappers if the conditions are right.

There is so many more things you will learn and discover but for sure do not ever ride fearless no matter how good your are or think you are if your not riding a little scared you are riding above your ability and will wreck sooner then later. respect the road respect the bike and you will be fine.

If you don't know what a tank slapper is check this out not from hard acceleration but can happen anytime the front wheel gets light:

[video=google;1428325235202920383]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1428325235202920383#[/video]

 

[incognegro999]

good call on the damper R1, I wouldnt ride without one. yah most likely new tires unless they were already pretty new and he had it on stands. When you go to look at it if the bike isnt on stands you can gurantee to have to buy tires. Shoei makes decent helmets as well. good luck

 

[TruenoAE86coupe]

It doesn't matter if the carbs were rebuild if its sat for 7 years, i would say its probably between a 70-90% chance that every seal in that motor has dried out and will leak. Therefore will require a complete rebuild just to be able to ride it, so a full rebuild plus what you are going to have to assume is a full rewire, you are going to have $2500 into fixing it. I would keep looking.
Also it is my opinion that EVERYONE who wants to get a street bike should really really learn how to ride on the dirt, then when you get on the street you truly understand how to ride and you can worry more about the other drivers than how to shift gears.

 

[tip top toker]

Looks like a bit of a rocket for a first bike, although the price is rather tempting also I have toa gree in the closing point of the vid, odn't be a fool, get some good leathers etc, was driving to the shops earlier following a dirt bike and a sporty road bike, both being ridden with guys in shorts and t-shirts...

 

[TruenoAE86coupe]

Looks like a bit of a rocket for a first bike, although the price is rather tempting also I have toa gree in the closing point of the vid, odn't be a fool, get some good leathers etc, was driving to the shops earlier following a dirt bike and a sporty road bike, both being ridden with guys in shorts and t-shirts...

My 70's goldwing would wipe the floor with that thing.

 

[tip top toker]

My 70's goldwing would wipe the floor with that thing.

and the point is?

 

[Saerimmner]

whilst a lot of ppl have been helpful in pointing out WHAT to fix, if this is your first big bike and your not 110% comfortable doing the work DONT buy it, spend the money on something a bit more decent, unless you know what your doing chances are something will get forgotten or not tightened up properly and it will spit you down the road, and I, as well as everyone else in here will tell you just how unpleasant that can be

 

[TruenoAE86coupe]

and the point is?

You said that this was a bit of a rocket for a first bike, just saying it really isn't that powerful.
Saerimmner is really spot on here, a quality bike is more important than a bike. Not saying you need to spend a fortune, but most of us would say that if you are not capable of the repairs yourself its best to stay away from. A "ignition" issue is a great way to sell a POS bike that needs a lot of electrical work, you will never know till you've repaired the ignition, then you find out it needs completely rewired.
Motorcycles may seem simple but call a shop and just tell them what you are looking at and get their advice, any shop worth anything will tell you that you are looking at more money than the bike is worth. If you plan to spend $1,600 on a bike, get a running one for that price, not one you have to put back together, it gets expensive quick.
And NEVER buy anything you can't hear run!!!! You might as well take your $600 buy a big bag of weed and smoke it all to your head, then at least you will have gotten something for your money rather than a headache.

 

[Medical Grade]

well, i plan on taking it over to a bike shop and have them give it a once over, and see if it is road worthy.