OzVMX Forum

Clubroom => Bike Talk => Topic started by: jimson on June 21, 2010, 10:43:28 pm

Title: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: jimson on June 21, 2010, 10:43:28 pm

G'day viewers just wondering if anyone has pic's of the kawasaki 400 road bike turned into a moto cross bike at CD7 it was a very cool beast  8) with so much going on I forgot to get some photo's of it.jimson

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: Stan S on June 21, 2010, 11:57:00 pm

Quote from: jimson on June 21, 2010, 10:43:28 pm

G'day viewers just wondering if anyone has pic's of the kawasaki 400 road bike turned into a moto cross bike at CD7 it was a very cool beast  8) with so much going on I forgot to get some photo's of it.jimson

Hi jimson, sorry about the quality of the photo. I too thought this was a very cool beast and it also sounded great. The guy riding it was no slouch either.

Regards Stan

(http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/gf079/Gregs%20pictures/Kawa400twin.jpg)

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: Marc.com on June 22, 2010, 06:45:32 am

nice there are a lot of Japanese twins that make crash hot MXers.... SL350 perhaps. Thanks for the photo

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: vandy010 on June 22, 2010, 08:35:05 am

the owner told me a while back the motor weighs less than a TT500 donk.
at least i think thats what he said.

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: EML on June 22, 2010, 08:37:16 am

Check out Jackies VMXShotz, there is sure to be a photo of it in there.

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: IT400C on June 22, 2010, 12:40:12 pm

That bike is in the periphery of these foto' from Nudgee VMX 4 weeks ago.  Hellishly fast in straight line, but not the best around the corners...  ;D

(http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo184/IT400C/Nudgee/CopyofNudgee2.jpg)

(http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo184/IT400C/Nudgee/CopyofNudgee6.jpg)

(http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo184/IT400C/Nudgee/CopyofNudgee7.jpg)

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: firko on June 22, 2010, 12:55:17 pm

I had a good squiz at that bike at the Nats and again at CD7 and I reckon it's a bloody good thing. It's another example that you can build something cool and out of left field for little money. These Kawasaki 400 twins and the Suzuki equivalent are really good engines that would be good engine swap fodder into suitable MX frames or do what this bloke did and use a bit of hacksaw artistry and fit decent MX suspension to the stocker. I love thinking outside the circle.
And didn't it sound great?

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: EML on June 22, 2010, 01:24:03 pm

could be a good bucket class as long as they didn't get carried away.

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: jimson on June 22, 2010, 09:03:39 pm

Thanks for the pic's That bike is so cooool   8) I love it   :o  Its a oldschool way back in the day when factories didn't pump out  what everybody wanted some people would just go ahead and build what they wanted and thats what this bloke has done and a great job.  ;D jimson

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: Graham on June 23, 2010, 11:52:55 am

Sorry I have none from CD7, the misses was to busy riding, was hoping someone got her clearing drunks.
It is a hoot to ride not as bad as you might think, I still have a issue with the suspension, rear springs are to heavy. It likes to steer from the rear, the front is soo planted with all the weight.
She flys well to no problems once airborne, ahh except coming back over drunks on the right hand side of the jump got caught by the kicker which saw her nose diving and me panic reving to save us both. :o




(http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy57/grahamdr370/KZ%20400/sideways.jpg)
(http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy57/grahamdr370/KZ%20400/TwinatKeery.jpg)
(http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy57/grahamdr370/KZ%20400/KZTT.jpg)
(http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy57/grahamdr370/KZ%20400/kz2.jpg)
(http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy57/grahamdr370/KZ%20400/kz.jpg)

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: vandy010 on June 23, 2010, 12:00:47 pm

c'mon Graham, give the punters a bit of bike info.
looks like a Yammie front end?

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: Graham on June 23, 2010, 12:27:26 pm

OK,made from  2x 1977 KZ400 dunggers I picked up from the wreckers for $400. Modes are: KZ 440 barrels,3 inches added to frame cradle to help the centre of gravity, IT175 front forks,xt250 rear wheel.

Motor tuned by George Mckenzie, runs total loss, points powered by a gel cell battery, so no magneto on the end of the crank, counter balancers all gone but weights added to the crank to balance it. Head flowed, still on std bore, cam reprofiled, runs on two XT 250 pumper carbs, two into one exhaust.

Std claimed power out put 40hp, we belive its mid50's now, total weight wet 132kgs total price $2400, bet I never see that money again, but hey challenge all others to do the same come and join the crazies club ;D

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: Stan S on June 23, 2010, 01:01:59 pm

Quote from: Graham on June 23, 2010, 12:27:26 pm

OK,made from  2x 1977 KZ400 dunggers I picked up from the wreckers for $400. Modes are: KZ 440 barrels,3 inches added to frame cradle to help the centre of gravity, IT175 front forks,xt250 rear wheel.

Motor tuned by George Mckenzie, runs total loss, points powered by a gel cell battery, so no magneto on the end of the crank, counter balancers all gone but weights added to the crank to balance it. Head flowed, still on std bore, cam reprofiled, runs on two XT 250 pumper carbs, two into one exhaust.

Std claimed power out put 40hp, we belive its mid50's now, total weight wet 132kgs total price $2400, bet I never see that money again, but hey challenge all others to do the same come and join the crazies club ;D

Well done Graham, what a great project. Should be more people having a go at building something different like that. Sounded great at CD7 and the suspension didn't seem to slow you down much either.

Regards Stan.

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: EML on June 23, 2010, 01:18:10 pm

That's it, I'll take to the Wasp tonight to get rid of the chair and see you on the start at Double the Dirt! or maybe chop up the bloody EML-it's not worth anything and since Popeye is getting his shoulder repaired today it will be a while before I need him.

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: monaro308 on June 23, 2010, 01:53:33 pm

Graham i reckon that is fantastic...well done and i like seeing something different,now you have got my brain churning. ;)
A mate of mine has an old GSX400 sitting in his shed he offered to me ages ago....thinking,thinking,
Anyway,your bike looks great.
cheers...mario

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: EML on June 23, 2010, 01:57:50 pm

carefull monaro, those bugers have the TSCC heads so they'll really honk.

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: IT400C on June 23, 2010, 02:00:23 pm

hahaha - yeah, it sounded great every time you passed me on the main straight at Nudgee too...   :D    Every lap, I'd work my arse off to pass you then we'd get to the main straight and I'd hear you coming up from behind and.......................  :'(

 ;D

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: monaro308 on June 23, 2010, 02:08:43 pm

Quote from: EML on June 23, 2010, 01:57:50 pm

carefull monaro, those bugers have the TSCC heads so they'll really honk.

Lol.....and pretty shite electrics from memory,or maybe that was the GSX250?
Its only a thought at the moment EML and i have plenty to do as it is,but you never know.
I get bored easily after every project going from car to bike to car to bike...at the moment its car and bike (RM175 and HQ Monaro coupe)
The GSX will always be there if i want it.
Back to Grahams bike....sorry Graham :)

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: firko on June 23, 2010, 02:53:18 pm

As a lover of all things different, this Kwaka ticks all of my boxes. I wonder how compact the engine is and whether it shares any engine parts from the bigger 4 cylinder models. If so there should be a good variety of pistons of varying compressions available. Rather than cutting and shutting the original road bike frame, I wonder how close the engine would come to fitting into a motocross/enduro frame.....something with a big cradle like an L model IT or YZ Yamaha or maybe an old KLX frame?
 
 

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: bazza on June 23, 2010, 04:35:25 pm

good to se something different ,here in unzud we had an IT yam with a 3 cylinder suzuki motor,not much but the best sounding bike i ever heard coming down a long straight,you thought it was a rotor

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: Graham on June 23, 2010, 07:40:08 pm

Firko, they share nothing with the bigger kawaks, the next step is to put the latest GS 500 suzi twin pistons in, not sure I need more power though :o, and yes they do fit the KLX250 frames with some work.

And if anyone has some parts for a KZ400 or 440 please let me know as its real hard to find parts, cos they were so slow and ugly as a road bike most went to the tip.

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: jimson on June 25, 2010, 09:53:32 pm

Graham with the 400 did you make the swing arm longer and does the two into one  pipes get a beating from being hung under the frame.Also do you know how much the engine weighs on its own.jimson

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: Graham on June 27, 2010, 06:59:32 pm

Jimson, the swingarm is the original road bike one,theres no prob's with it.

The pipe is fine on a MX track, but have Vinduroed it and put a dent in the right header on a river crossing,like not bad enough to worry about.

No never weighed the motor, its lost a lot of its original weigh, counter balancer gone,magnto gone,starter motor gone. I did have a XT500 here once and to pick them up there didnt feel to much in it

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: jimson on June 29, 2010, 10:34:08 pm

Thanks for the reply Graham I'm having a go at building a road dirt bike I would be real happy if my bike turns out as good as yours mate  ;)  jimson

Title: Re: CD7 PIC'S OF A KAWASAKI 400
Post by: MX? on June 30, 2010, 05:59:21 pm

Wonder how much heavier a KZ750 twin donk would be. ;D