86 kawi 454LTD

[rebeltaz83]

Went and picked up my cousin's new to her, 86 Kawasaki 454LTD. It's rough, she paid $500. It runs, needs a little work but should be a good beginner bike. It's low seat height, it's a side by side twin, liquid cooled. Very basic. Needs carb work, runs on one cylinder, I think float is stuck dumping gas. She said they got it about 16 miles on a gallon of gas. It's leaking gas from the cross over tube that connects the left and right banks. Oil is over full, I'm guessing it's gas, and it washed the cylinder. Hopefully it didn't scorch. Front tire, dry rot, and fork seals, and dust wipers. Upon first inspection. Some small minor things, but nothing to do with rideability. My dad had a similar bike but it was a 305 air cooled, also my learner bike when I was 13. Besides bigger cc and liquid cooled splitting image. Anyways, just looking for some input on this bike. I was only 3 when it was built, lol. So far parts seem cheap. $8 for pair of fork seals. $60 for both carb kits, and $54 for a front tire. I'm gonna change the oil and filter as well. PO drained the carbs before winter, Sat for months dry, that didn't help any. I'm sure all the rubber dried, and cracked. Looking for the dust wipers, not much left of the one.

 

[Fire-medic]

All the majors made something similar, but I think Kawasaki was ahead of the game by having a water-cooled engine.

I've had both a Kawasaki 440 Standard (Not a cruiser) and a 305 Kawi twin. I bought them both for not much $, as a matter of fact, I don't think I paid $200 together, though I bought them at separate times. Neither one was running, and both had been sitting, when I saw each, I made the owners offers to get them out of the way, and was there with a ramp and a pickup. I took them home.

I'd never pay what she did for something like that, even if it ran. Too-needy in the "safely return it to the road" category. I wouldn't have any trouble in leaving, if someone tried to interest me in a barely-operable bike, needing that-much work. She's got it now, and it sounds like she's got some free labor, I hope you get a few meals out of it, and a supply of your favorite beverage while you supply the gratis labor. I once got a Suzuki GS500F twin, basket-case for a case of beer. I parted it out, snagged some of the most saleable parts, like the regulator/rectifier, the seat, and the carbs, for later sales.

The 454 twin is a very reliable bike, easy for a new rider to use, and capable of being on the expressway without feeling like you're gonna die because you took that turn at the on-ramp. Assuming you get it running again, the way it's supposed to run, I suggest frequent oil changes, using whatever oil it calls-for, as that bike will be buzzing, though short-stroke engines are designed to turn high rev's.

Do her a favor, change the pads in the front brake after you repair the forks, and are sure they aren't leaking. Use brakleener solvent on the disc, and rough-up the surface with a piece of wet-or-dry sandpaper. The fork's probably been pouring oil onto the disc, and it's baked-into the metal. You might as-well check the rear brakes while you're at it, I assume it's a drum/shoe? Verify the condition of the brake drum, and you can de-glaze it, too, and replace the brake shoes. See how the wheel bearings are since you have the wheels off. Change the front brake fluid, completely.

Lube and adjust the throttle cable and the rear brake cable, make sure the rear light illuminates using the rear brake pedal. You may need to adjust the angle of the pedal to suit her foot position on the peg.

Putting a better bulb in the headlamp, and verifying that all the bulbs work is important to her visibility. If the turn signals are inoperable or broken, make them work, and impress on her the need to use them all the time. One of those taillight strobe modules is a good idea for making a probably slow-moving new rider more-visible to overtaking traffic.

If she already took the MSF beginning rider course, she should sign up for the experienced rider course. She will learn about motorcycle dynamics, and one of the most-important things they teach is how to effectively-use both brakes! And that would be at the same time!

Get her to keep a spreadsheet of the expenses, what's been done, and impress on her the importance of a pre-ride check for tire pressures/condition, lights function, and brakes function. If she develops good rider habits, she is more-likely to safely enjoy her ride, and being aware of good riding habits, and keeping-track of what's been done to the bike is a good sales tool if she decides she likes riding, and decides to sell for a better bike.

 

[Buster Hymen]

Went and picked up my cousin's new to her, 86 Kawasaki 454LTD. It's rough, she paid $500. It runs, needs a little work but should be a good beginner bike. It's low seat height, it's a side by side twin, liquid cooled. Very basic. Needs carb work, runs on one cylinder, I think float is stuck dumping gas. She said they got it about 16 miles on a gallon of gas. It's leaking gas from the cross over tube that connects the left and right banks. Oil is over full, I'm guessing it's gas, and it washed the cylinder. Hopefully it didn't scorch. Front tire, dry rot, and fork seals, and dust wipers. Upon first inspection. Some small minor things, but nothing to do with rideability. My dad had a similar bike but it was a 305 air cooled, also my learner bike when I was 13. Besides bigger cc and liquid cooled splitting image. Anyways, just looking for some input on this bike. I was only 3 when it was built, lol. So far parts seem cheap. $8 for pair of fork seals. $60 for both carb kits, and $54 for a front tire. I'm gonna change the oil and filter as well. PO drained the carbs before winter, Sat for months dry, that didn't help any. I'm sure all the rubber dried, and cracked. Looking for the dust wipers, not much left of the one.

Is that bike a belt drive? I think I had one of those as my first street bike.

 

[rebeltaz83]

Thanks fire-medic. I priced carb kits, fork seals, and front tire about $130 for all of it, on bike bandit. It's rough, but should be a good beginner bike once it's ridable.
It is belt drive buster.

 

[Fire-medic]

Well, you could put the cousin to-work cleaning things, and get her involved in the physical tasks of repairing and maintaining a motorcycle. It's not like it was in say the 1960's, or earlier, where you had to be capable of doing some simple basics in repairs to own a motorcycle. Otherwise you might-not make it home, when something happened.

 

[rebeltaz83]

Well, you could put the cousin to-work cleaning things, and get her involved in the physical tasks of repairing and maintaining a motorcycle. It's not like it was in say the 1960's, or earlier, where you had to be capable of doing some simple basics in repairs to own a motorcycle. Otherwise you might-not make it home, when something happened.

She does want to do the fork seals her self. She pretty much does everything her self, she's used to getting her hands dirty, she just wanted somebody with a little more knowledge on motorcycles to rebuild the carbs for cheaper than a starting price of $200.......... Plus hidden costs once your in the door.

 

[rebeltaz83]

Didn't want to start another thread. Got the carbs rebuilt. Starts and runs great, until you hit 4500 rpms in any gear it starts miss firing, and sputtering. Even at full throttle. Let off and it clears up runs strong........... Cdi going bad?? It'll Rev like no other in neutral, but it won't go over 4500 under load. Starts up fairly quick, idles smooth, no popping back threw the carbs, new wires, new plugs, new air filters, no vacuum leaks, plenty of fuel flow, gravity feed, good sync, adjusted mixture screws by idle. Has the air box, no leaks there. Something electrical. 20,xxx miles. Even downhill it miss fires lol. New battery, 12.5 volts. Figured a bike this old the cdi is on its way out....... Thoughts??

 

[MadBlackGen1]

Do you have a way to adjust your slide needles to make it leaner in the midrange? If not, try taking off the airbox and see if that improves. A rich condition is what you're describing, I think.

 

[Killjoy]

Could be bad coils?

 

[rebeltaz83]

Could be bad coils?

Coils tested good. Stator tested good, and it's charging 14.6.

 

[rebeltaz83]

Do you have a way to adjust your slide needles to make it leaner in the midrange? If not, try taking off the airbox and see if that improves. A rich condition is what you're describing, I think.

Air box removal required pulling carbs on this particular kawi, so I pulled the air filter covers, made it worse. Wouldn't even stay running with the slightest movement of the throttle. Which led me to believe it's lean, so I reinstalled the covers, and plugged one off, both carbs share the same tissue box air filter housing. Will Rev up through the entire rpm range with one filter blocked off. So I'm gonna Fiddle with the a/f screws again and see if they helps. Yeah I should be on a kawai forum but it's not my bike and I'm not joining a forum for a one time post. All cv carbs work the same on every bike regardless of manufacture. Thanks for your help fellas!!! unk:

 

[Fire-medic]

I had a KZ440 standard (not a LTD) & it had an issue running without the airbox. Your 454 is liquid-cooled, close in displacement but a different design power plant. I would check the shop manual to see if the carbs are set-up stock for jetting & needles. A good sonic bath cleaning may clear-out the passages once the carbs are disassembled. Then I'd check the compression, and if something is low, the valve clearances, and the squirt of oil in the spark plug hole to see if it boosts the compression psi by temporarily sealing the piston rings better.