Kawasaki W400

[Phang]

According to the specifications sheet of W400, the fuel tank capacity is 14L (inclusive of reserve). When my bike hit reserve and if I fill it up immediately up to the brim, the tank will swallows 10L. So I take it as 10L + 4L of reserve.

 

The last time I took my W400 back to my home town in Teluk Intan (Malaysia), I filled up the bike at Getang Patah, full tank to the brim and guess what, my bike hit reserve before the Melaka Overhead Bridge Restaurant. After a quick calculation, the fuel consumption dropped from the usual 22km/L to 18km/L when I rode on the PLUS highway. On the return trip, I was gentler with the throttle but the fuel consumption only improved merely at 20km/L. For reference, my PLUS highway cruising speed was 115km/h to 120km/h and the tachometer will show 4750rpm and 5000rpm respectively.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN4221.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN4226.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/malaysia-map.jpg

[apachezulu]

Wow ! Thanks for the SUPER information Phang! I remember reading at some Kawa web site the tank's 17 litres. Glad i checked with you or else might run out of fuel along some Ulu Highway!

 

Cheers and deeply appreciated!

[apachezulu]

Yo Phang! Another crazy idea came up...

 

Is it possible to use the piston and piston barrel from a W650 on a W400? Like a big bore kit?

 

I think the overhead cams and carbs are identical and besides re-jetting, there shouldn't be any problems no?

 

What's your thoughts on this?

 

;->

[Phang]

Brother… Unfortunately, Kawasaki reduced the stroke of the W650 engine to make a W400 engine. Unlike most “sleeve down” 400cc engines where manufacturers reduced the bore size to achieve this.

 

W400 has the identical bore size as the W650 but different con rod, crank shaft, all the 5 speed gear ratios also different and of course the final ratio.

 

I had the same crazy idea as yours earlier and after much consideration, swapping a W650 engine is the most cost effective way. In Japan, a low mileage, good condition (aesthetically) W650 engines are selling for around S$1K.

 

After further consideration, I dropped the idea, save the money and hassle and use the money to get another bike….. haha

[apachezulu]

Alamak ! That's crappy to know ! Well...back to the drawing board...

 

Heee !

 

Save up for the Thruxton then...and class 2 this November...or the other way around. waahaha!

 

Still having a big smile while you ride your W ?

[Phang]

Oh yes, big smile after every ride. The unique engine sound, the unique and relax feel and if you notice, this little fellow is very low in maintenance. My bike is 14,000km now and the original set of tyres still have 40% left for the front and 50% for the rear, chain not adjusted once till now even though I check the slack every 1,000km when I clean and lube it. Brake pad still have 50%, this bike just need to pump petro and ride…

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5155.jpg

[apachezulu]

Whoa Phang! From the look of the picture you've been keeping your baby in showroom condition! mine's got a few scratch and bumps already...sigh.....

[Phang]

Some areas of the bike are actually cleaner than showroom condition

 

can you see me?... haha

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN4875.jpg

[apachezulu]

Looks like you took the picture in some airbase ? It is that clear lor ! Let me guess....Paya Lebar Airbase ?? Heee !

 

You still have your W400 manual ? Boleh Pinjam Bang ? Waahahaha!!!

[Phang]

Removed the rear wheel of R1150R for a tyre change an hour ago, will change the badly worn rear brake rotor as well.

 

I bet this is less than 4.5mm

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5621.jpg

 

ABS wheel ring covered in brake dust

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5625.jpg

 

Wheel bolts, any suggestion on how to clean up these bolts?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5626.jpg

 

rear brake rotor bolts, traces of thread locker residue found on the thread

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5628.jpg

[apachezulu]

Ahhh... what's R1150R har??

[Phang]

Ahhh... what's R1150R har??

 

My commuting bike lah, bought this 2 months ago and the W400 is decommissioned as a weekend bike now.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5599.jpg

[Phang]

New tyre fitted, giving the wheel and the tyre a good wash in...... the bathtub

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5637.jpg

 

[3507] quite fresh considering my rear tyre is the odd size 170/60-17

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5646.jpg

 

This is the tedious part, cleaning the threadlocker residue, scraping with dental pick, soaking in acetone. And finally, clean threads on the wheel and bolts.

 

This is the old threadlocker on the wheel.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5644.jpg

 

Soaking in acetone to soften the old threadlocker

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5639.jpg

 

Clean bolts

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5653.jpg

 

Dry assembled in the living room, will coat the bolts with fresh threadlocker and torque them properly tomorrow

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5645.jpg

[apachezulu]

I'd like see your wife's expression if she sees your wheel in your bathtub ! My wife will have me sleeping at the corridors if i ever try a stunt like that !!

 

You dar man !

[Phang]

I noticed the friction material thicknesses of the BMW rear brake pads are different

 

Outboard pad has 7.0mm of friction material

Inboard pad has 5.5mm of friction material

 

I guess this is to compensate the uneven wearing characteristic of a floating caliper.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5658.jpg

[Phang]

Cleaned pistons before I push them in.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5661.jpg

 

Changed a new washer/shim between the wheel and the hub

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5667.jpg

 

Cleaned the caliper carrier, guide pins and rubber boots

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5663-1.jpg

 

Tried refitting the rubber boot dry and gave up after 5 minutes. Applied a dap of my trusty KY in the tool box and the rubber boot went in with a light push in half a second

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5664.jpg

 

New tyre, new dics, new pads, new bolts, new washers.

Turn on the key, ABS self diagnose passed. Rode around in the car park, pull away test also passed…. I am exhausted now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5669.jpg

[Phang]

Thanks bro apachezulu:thumb:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5686.jpg

[apachezulu]

Thank you !

[Phang]

I snapped the head of the two M5X14 hex bolts securing a cosmetic cover on the cylinder head when I removed the head to checked/adjusted the valve clearances in August 2007.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/screw1.1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/screw0.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/screw1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/screw2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/screw4.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/screw3.jpg

 

This is the new replacement bolts I bought from Kawasaki Japan. Pre-applied with thread locker generously.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/PDSCN5601.jpg

 

After trying with vice grip pliers wrestling, butane torch heating (I didn’t heat it up much worrying the heat may warp the cylinder head.) I gave up and rode the bike without the cover for a while.

 

I am return with a high speed (33,000rpm) Dremel tools this time, fitted with a tungsten carbide blur at the end of the tool.

 

An illustration showing the steps that I took.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/screw.jpg

 

I spent 8 hours on each bolt, hollowing the core of the bolt carefully and patiently leaving the thread of the bolt like a coil bonded by the thread locker to the cylinder head screw thread.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6007.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6003.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6002.jpg

 

Then I “borrow” my wife’s nail polish remover to soften/melt the thread locker as nail polish remover contains acetone. I picked the remaining bolt thread when the thread locker is soften by the acetone using a dental pick and it looks like this:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6028.jpg

 

 

I run a M5 die over the original bolts to remove the pre-applied thread locker.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6024.jpg

 

After sitting in my tool chest for a year, the alloy cover has developed some spotty oxidation under the clear coat.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6021.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6022.jpg

[Phang]

I stripped the clear coat using paint remover, removed the oxidation spots using #300 sand paper and went through the painful process of polishing it up with #400, #500, #600, #800, #1000 and #1200….

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6023.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6029.jpg

 

New nylon washers ordered from Kawasaki Japan, reinstall the shiny cover with a drop of my favorite Loctite242 on each bolt and finally my W400 is looking handsome again.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6030.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6035.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6033.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6032.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN6031.jpg

[Naz]

Very clinical work, Phang.

 

Absolute joy to read your thread in a Hands On thread.

 

One of the threads which is the real HANDS ON compared to a myriad of others EARS/EYES ON threads.

[apachezulu]

It's been a year of coming back to this thread and seeing no updates from Phang..... I'm happy again !!

 

This is craftsmanship at it's best!!

[Phang]

Thanks guys. No big deal actually, all you need is a little time and patience.

 

I still have a very long To-Do list for the other 2 bikes. Stay tuned, I will post more photos when I have the mood to pick up my wrench

[dragonforce]

wow that's some excellent stuff.. i always like to diy.. but the problem is there's no1 to guide me or manual i can refer to.. worse thing is, what if i know how to dismantle but cannot assemble? or assemble wrongly, esp impt parts like brakes, tyres.. i only got 1 and only bike! how am i going to go work!

[Terrible One]

 

Tried refitting the rubber boot dry and gave up after 5 minutes. Applied a dap of my trusty KY in the tool box and the rubber boot went in with a light push in half a second

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/Phang/DSCN5664.jpg

 

 

 

Awesome thread.. Very well organized, I'm always looking for tools when working on my bike.. I'm sure there are more uses for KY.. Haha.. Just kidding..