ZX12 help please | GTAMotorcycle.com

ZX12 help please

silverbullet132

Well-known member
[video=youtube;L4psRvNOgDM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4psRvNOgDM[/video]

Any idea what is causing that sound? (about halfway through I am lowering the idle, was way too high)
 
do you have oil in the engine?

im not very good at diagnosing via sound, but it sounds like metal on metal
 
That sounds ****ing awful

Do you have a loose or missing spark plug? Yes, I'm being serious
 
I thought it might have been misfiring, but everything sounds strong, aside from the horrible grinding noise.

Reason why I asked is that on my laptop, I heard what sounded like a low-pitched whistling noise. I was thinking not misfiring, but air being pushed out the spark plug opening. I listened to it again on another computer with much better sound... the bike still sounds awful. Sounds like a valvetrain speed noise. Since the bike is already pretty opened up*, I would pop the valve cover to take a quick look. If that racket is coming from there you will be able to spot the mess pretty quick.

But checking that the spark plugs are at least finger tight will take you another couple seconds.

*Edit: Scratch that, for some reason I thought you had the tank & airbox off when you clearly don't.
 
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Sounds like cam chain or guides or rods.

Or a massive vaccume leak.


What year zx12 is it?

Have you drained the oil ?
 
Reason why I asked is that on my laptop, I heard what sounded like a low-pitched whistling noise. I was thinking not misfiring, but air being pushed out the spark plug opening. I listened to it again on another computer with much better sound... the bike still sounds awful. Sounds like a valvetrain speed noise. Since the bike is already pretty opened up*, I would pop the valve cover to take a quick look. If that racket is coming from there you will be able to spot the mess pretty quick.

But checking that the spark plugs are at least finger tight will take you another couple seconds.

*Edit: Scratch that, for some reason I thought you had the tank & airbox off when you clearly don't.

Tank and airbox would not assist in getting to the valve cover, what you see above the valve cover is the frame. It is extremely annoying to work on this thing.

Plug #4 is probably a bit loose but I cannot get it tighter no matter what I do. It seems the little rubber bit from my socket got stuck on the plug and refuses to allow any socket down far enough.

Sounds like cam chain or guides or rods.

Or a massive vaccume leak.


What year zx12 is it?

Have you drained the oil ?

It is a 2000, might be a bit low on oil but I don't think by much. It is right at the bottom of the window, don't have stands and the ground isn't level so can't be sure. Pm'd you.
 
Tank and airbox would not assist in getting to the valve cover, what you see above the valve cover is the frame. It is extremely annoying to work on this thing.

Plug #4 is probably a bit loose but I cannot get it tighter no matter what I do. It seems the little rubber bit from my socket got stuck on the plug and refuses to allow any socket down far enough.



It is a 2000, might be a bit low on oil but I don't think by much. It is right at the bottom of the window, don't have stands and the ground isn't level so can't be sure. Pm'd you.

Replied.

Let me know what I can do to help.
 
Had a buddy with a zx-10 that sounded like that. All the rocker arms had worn badly as well as the cam lobes and was causing the rattle sound. He found out the previous owner had used Castrol 10w30 car oil in the bike. He switched to synthetic and it never got any worse just sounded like hell. Not sure if Kawi still uses that setup or not but sounds like its in the top end. Have you checked the valve clearances? Definitely sounds like pulling the valve cover to have a look is in order.
 
Had a buddy with a zx-10 that sounded like that. All the rocker arms had worn badly as well as the cam lobes and was causing the rattle sound. He found out the previous owner had used Castrol 10w30 car oil in the bike. He switched to synthetic and it never got any worse just sounded like hell. Not sure if Kawi still uses that setup or not but sounds like its in the top end. Have you checked the valve clearances? Definitely sounds like pulling the valve cover to have a look is in order.

Have to pull the engine to do that, but hopefully that is all that is wrong. I was really worried that it would be the rods or something in the bottom end. Thanks!
 
Have to pull the engine to do that, but hopefully that is all that is wrong. I was really worried that it would be the rods or something in the bottom end. Thanks!

Hopefully it isn't either!
 
Had a buddy with a zx-10 that sounded like that. All the rocker arms had worn badly as well as the cam lobes and was causing the rattle sound. He found out the previous owner had used Castrol 10w30 car oil in the bike. He switched to synthetic and it never got any worse just sounded like hell. Not sure if Kawi still uses that setup or not but sounds like its in the top end. Have you checked the valve clearances? Definitely sounds like pulling the valve cover to have a look is in order.

Not trying to shoot you down but that is way too loud to be a valve clearance issue. If it wasn't shim under bucket my first thought would be that maybe it had spit out a shim
 
that really has a valve train rattle to it, hard to tell when your not standing beside it but my first look would be a trip to the valve cover.
 
DSC_0964_zps9nkwo2eu.jpg


Here is the best picture I could get of the plug with the rubber boot stuck on it. Hopefully its of some use.
 
That picture doesn't tell us much, sorry
 
Got it out, had to heat a socket with a Blowtorch to melt the plastic enough to let it grip.

Messenger_5860943397696905765_13973577970838721_zpswfeqvoql.jpg


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