It's Here!

[TheStapler]

Hey guys... after a 4 1/2 hour ride home, and nearly 2 years without riding a bike, my 91' ZX7J is home!

Let me start off by saying that it was a long drive when my ass is not used to it... and my right wrist? well... lets just say that the carpel tunnel isn't helping :S

So I drove my car down to where the bike was, and left if there (my friend later came by and picked it up to bring it back to me in a few days). I saw the bike for the first time in person, and let me tell ya, i was impressed for the age of it, how well the stock paint looked! unless the guy who repainted it was a magician, it looked to be stock. There were a few things that bothered me, one of which was the cam chain noise. not bad, but should be addressed some time soon.

So after some hemming and hawing, i got him down another $200, and put the plates on and headed for home!

1/2 way home, i pull over for some gas, and check the bike out again (drove it around the block a few times before i bought it and checked it after and all seemed good). At first glance, it looked like the right front disc was REALLY dirty... so i touched it... GREASE?! WTF?! i was shitting... because it looks like my bearing on the right side could be leaking, and now i need to replace it. So here i am... 2 hours from anyone... do i go back to the guy i bought it from? do i continue on? or do i sit and cry... and think about calling a buddy with a pickup? i said screw it, filled the tank, and paid for the gas. as I was walking back to the bike, i noticed an oil spot near the front tire... at first thought... it's a gas station, there are oil spots everywhere... but since i just got it... i figured why not check to make sure... felt around the caliper, the bottom of the banjo bolt... bottom of the forks... nothing... PHEW i thought... then i thought to check the forks (which is hidden behind the plastic fender)... OMFG! it is soaked in fork oil... DAMMIT! i thought well? it can't get any worse... so press start, and drove back onto the highway like a bat outa hell (hey... i had too ;)), then back down to cruising speed (120km/h).

So i made it home... and here it sits... going to brave it 1 more time to take it to the kawi dealer in town to see what else is wrong, and cal; the guy i bought it from to say 'hey.... you owe me $xxx or i am going to the MTO' and having the guy who safetied it in trouble (if he says no). He is a dealer, so I am shocked that these 2 things slipped by... because i am fairly certain that it is not a coincidence that these went not even 200km from his dealership...

So that is my story of the drive home... now that it's home, i looked at it much more thoroughly, and i looked at the muffler... and i hemmed and hawed... so i called my buddy to come take a look at my purchase...

he agrees... it has a really nice stainless header on it... and some douche bag has welded an after market Honda Civic(style) coffee can resonator/muffler on to the end where it should be bolted... I am baffled... WHY? why spend the money on the header, and then weld a POS coffee can on the end? ID 10 T.

I will post pics of it in the morning... it's dark now... and I am tired...

at least it's here, and i am still here as well...

Stapler.

[Swoosh]

Glad to hear that everything worked out... just curious where you had to go to buy it?

Sounds like it is pretty close to my neck of the woods... or maybe Oshawa. Shoulda told me and I could have gone to take a look for you before you went all that way. LOL

In any event, I don't know what you picked it up for, but sounds like you may have made out alright anyway... looking forward to the pics.

[TheStapler]

Ok, no pics... need new camera now :( (don't ask)

I took it into the dealer today, and he said it is gunna need new fork seals on both sides, but he doesn't think the wheel bearing is bad (i want to replace anyway), and new pads because they are contaminated badly.

Total Bill: $480 +taxes.

I told the guy i bought it from, and i think it is his responsibility to pony up the money for it, as it was sold to be safetied. He said he has a receipt showing that they were done recently... I said that that's fine, but they were done incorrectly, and the bike must not have been ridden since, because i only have 450km on it since i bought it yesterday. they need to be done again, and properly. The wheel bearing should have been caught (i can hear it when coasting with the engine off) i think, and the brake pads... well... they are contaminated as I said, with the fork oil, and why risk it.

I am not sure what he's gunna say, but i think that it's his responsibility, if he sold it to me safetied... it should be safe not only from the time i leave his building, but for quite a while. Squeaking by a safety, is not safe (at least not in my eyes), if it is questionable, then it should be replaced.

The Stapler.

[ChrisB]

$480 sounds pretty high for just some fork seals and brake pads (the pads will be off while doing the seals right?) Good luck getting the guy ya bought it from to pay for anything. Im not sure what this safety thing is you mentioned but if you have some kind of written guarantee that it was checked out and ok you might get lucky. If he has a receipt for having the seals done Id ask him to call whoever did them and talk to them about warranting their work. Usually when ya buy something used its bought as is and any problems that occur, even in the first mile, is your responsibility. Hopefully ya got a good deal on the bike that if ya have to invest a few $$ itll still be worthwhile. Good luck with it.

[ridn92zx-7]

Congratulations and welcome the the zx7 club.

[NINJARDR91750]

The first place that put the fork seals in should replace them. i would think who ever you purchased the bike from would have a warranty from the first shop!

[TheStapler]

Originally Posted by ChrisB

$480 sounds pretty high for just some fork seals and brake pads (the pads will be off while doing the seals right?)

complete front wheel bearings, both sides for pads, the seals on both sides, and fork oil. plus labour and cleaning the discs/rim and everything else

Originally Posted by ChrisB

Im not sure what this safety thing is you mentioned but if you have some kind of written guarantee that it was checked out and ok you might get lucky.

The saftey is a check from a licenced mechanic, who checks the bike over for all safety components to be working and safe to ride. basically, he tells you what you need to replace to be safe to ride.

Originally Posted by ChrisB

If he has a receipt for having the seals done Id ask him to call whoever did them and talk to them about warranting their work.

He has the receipt, but that does nothing for me... the guy that did it is a 4 1/2 hour ride away... it is not worth my time to ride back there, and get it done, and ride back... if he can't do it right the first time, should i trust him again?

Originally Posted by ChrisB

Hopefully ya got a good deal on the bike that if ya have to invest a few $$ itll still be worthwhile. Good luck with it.

I paid pretty much what the kelly bluebook says it was worth. it also has the 'second skin' tank bra, and seat covers, as well as the complete stock exhaust.


I dont think it is bad price though, over all... i just dont want to put more money into a bike that was supposedly 'safe for the road', and leaky fork seals are not safe..


The Stapler

[ChrisB]

well good luck with whatever ya do. Id check around and get several estimates on doing that work.

[Chief]

Well Bro sorry to hear about all the issues you are having. I agree with checking around for prices, $480 is extremely high for the work that needs to be done. I just had my bike in the shop and had Front & Rear tires, Rear brakes and fork seals replaced for $510 (including tax). Also changing Brakes is easy to do if you have a little mechanic skill. Good Luck