bike running lumpy and dropping to 2

hellbilly bass

hellbilly bass

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hi all, how is everyone. recently my zl1000 has been running rough intermittently it keeps dropping on to i think 2 at random times and running rough the rest of the time ie, low on power, popping , doesn't sound or feel right, you know what i mean . very occasionally it runs nice .idle is near impossible when started iffy when hot. so far i've sorted the wiring around the solenoid as that was perished and checked all wires are on/ connected properly as if it was running bad if i messed with them around solenoid it helped.
also while your there lol while going along at normal trafic speeds ie 30 40 mph the bike seems to boat from side to side quite bad and at really slow speeds its a nightmare, especially while filtering.

any help would be great and its probably silly things that im overlooking but its driving me mad. thanks in advance.
 
hellbilly bass,

is it hard to start i dont know what was done electrical wise but check your carbs out when was the last time your valves where adjusted? check them also as for it boating side to side could be bent rim/rims check swing arm for any play
 
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:hello: Not sure what is boating when it comes to bikes. So I think it's acting like a car with wore out tie rod ends A. Maybe a wheel bearing, swing arm bearing or steering stem bearings. Maybe a bad tire. To stiffen it up on the front end get a ZL-oa fork brace. It will track better on rough roads & when working it past a Cruiser's ability.
 
Check your tire pressure, are your steering stem bearings loose or maybe have a flat spot? make sure your plug wires are tight into the plug boots. Sometimes you can trim 1/4inch off the plug wire to get a better contact. There are also resisters and springs in the boots that I usually clean up when changing plugs, a flat blade screw driver unscrews where the plug clip is to get at those pieces.

There is an old thread about buying a used bike and what to look for that has a great checklist on looking at all the bearings.
 
hellbilly bass,

its hard to start occasionally, the valves were adjusted mid last year and carbs were cleaned numerous time last year as insurance company had a cowboy spray the tank and more ended up inside than out causing fuel issues. that was sorted though and the tank was cleaned and sealed. the wires that ive changed are the thinner ones off the battery leads to solenoid and some worn ones from ignition and ignighter.
 
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R. J.,
i call it boating when your trying to go straight but bike is swaying from side to side on the road and near impossible to hold straight ive got a feeling its the front wheel as its a spare i got with a tyre while i get a new tyre on my wheel. :thumbsup:
 
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87kawzl,

ive checked tyre pressures ind they seem ok also cant feel any play or flatspots in the bearings . but dont have very many tools to check properly so will get a mechanically minded friend to have a look i think to double check everything
also thanks for all your replys its greatly appreciated :headbang:
 
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With that different front end, I would be checking the steam bearings, and straightness of the forks. Also the rear wheel bearings and swing arm bearings.:goodluck:
And your random cylinder dropping, I would ohm out the pick up coils and also check the gap between them and the advancer. When was last time you cleand the spark plug caps, they have a small resistor in them also. NGK makes a replacement cap (sorry don't remember part##)
 
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I had simular idle symptoms last fall and it turned out to be low speed jets were restricted. All my instincts told me to check electrical. I replaced coils. Pickups and control module, to no avail. I finally pulled the carbs and the low speed jets were plugged. My jet files were all to large for the small Dia hole so I reamed them out with safety wire. I should have replaced with new but a night and day difference in how it ran. These carbs were serviced in the spring and clogged by fall.
 
mikemerriam

Was the bike stored for the winter? Did you add any kind of stabilizer to the fuel before storing it?
 
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madmanncr500,

the forks are straight they've been checked, ive got a feeling its tyre wear and probably the bearings. today ive changed the coils and trimmed ht leads to make fresh connections. ran out of light so didn't have time to clean caps.. not sure what ment by check distance between coil and advancer ? how do you do that and what am I looking for lol.

thanks for all the help guys . :thumbsup:
 
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http://www.zl-oa.com/down_loads/KAWASAKI GPZ900R.zip
down load this!
The pick up coils are on the left side (kick stand side) under the round cover on engine,this engine is up side down but you can see the pic up coils on each side of the advancer!
attachment.php
 
:hello: This is from the GPZ 900/1000 1984-87. Base manual electrical system Chapter 16 section 16-18, 19 & 22.
 

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havnt had chance to look yet but cheers for the help everyone i'll let you know how i get on:headbang:
 
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