This Kwak came in for a straightforward service – as we started going through it we realised there was going to be a bit more to this bike than met the eye, even if it looked clean and tidy. The owner had just fitted some aftermarket brake discs (and pads) which were binding badly; we had a close look at all the calipers, but on a test ride could feel that one disc was warped.
Obviously he’s had the front wheel out himself to do the work and had incorrectly refitted the speedo drive, the dogs of which had then launched themselves.
The misfire the engine featured we traced to the plug caps breaking down. When we service a bike we always pull the caps off and put grease in – this stops water and moisture getting which, in time, can lead to problems. As this bike is used in all weathers the caps had simply aged and couldn’t carry the current when wet.
As this ZZR is only six years old it’s worth keeping an eye on some of these details if your bike is somewhere near this age. It looked great on the surface, but underneath there were issues, all avoidable.