A very classy motorcycle

A very classy motorcycle

Motogadget Classic speedo and Stack tacho: not exactly the cheap options

Motogadget Classic speedo and Stack tacho: not exactly the cheap options

 

Peter’s Kawasaki Z900 special

Peter didn’t build this amazing bike, but he has nevertheless found out all about it, and applied a forensic level of attention to getting it running just right. You might remember seeing it in Practical Sportsbikes magazine a couple of years ago. It’s inspired by the Japanese tuning shop Sanctuary, and it’s beautifully done: braced frame, Öhlins suspension, tuned motor, Japanese swing arm, trick wheels and brakes, and some lovely bodywork.

It arrived with an unconventional loom, built to a high standard. Peter reported that after the bike had run well for 500 miles it had started to go off song. Cylinder 2 was fouling its plug, and the engine often limped along on three, which suggested a carb issue. But it wasn’t that. After a few tests and experiments it proved to be the coil that provides sparks to cylinder 2 and 3.  Replacing it turned the motor from a stroppy annoyance to a purring pussycat. An unusual problem.

While the bike was in we mapped the loom to do a wiring diagram, and tidied up a few details to improve the fit of the battery insulators.

Motogadget's M Unit V2 drives most of the electrics

Motogadget’s M Unit V2 drives most of the electrics, which were built by the bike’s original owner

Reg rec wired direct to the battery

Reg rec wired direct to the lithium battery

Rubber boots added to ignition switch and menu buttons

Rubber boots added to ignition switch and menu buttons for better rain resistance