Kawasaki Zxr Engine

[Superdunc]

I've been offered a Kawasaki zxr engine, this is how it's been described to me and is all the owner knows about it. It's currently fitted to a race car, and the owner has no interest in the engine as he want s to put a car engine back in.

I'm going to look at tomorrow as it's likely to be very cheap, and has a few interesting bits on it, possibly FCRs.

So how do I tell what model the engine is. I'm assuming it's a zxr 750 hjklm, but it could be a zx 7r, zx9r

Over to you, green fingered forum members.

[ZXRRDave]

Kawasaki don't change the engine number prefix of the motor if the crankcases remain from the same 'generation' of motor. As such, the H model engine will have a prefix of 'ZX750FE' (the F was the GPX which supplied the base motor for the new zxr in 89).

All J/K/L/M motors were subsequently 'J' generation crankcases - the engine number prefix will be 'ZX750JE' and as such absolute identification of the engine is really down to looking at the internal components. J models are the easiest to identify in this respect as the cams and pistons are lower lift/compression items giving the J it's lower peak (about 98hp) but much stronger midrange and driveability.

The K had higher lift cams and higher compression pistons, which subsequently found their way into the base model L as well as the homologation model M. Flatslides would usually indicate a K or M motor, but the only actual difference mechanically between the K, L and M motors themselves was the (very much sought after) close ratio gearbox. If its a K or M with that box in it it is very much worth a punt and as it is the flatslides are (as long as they arent too worn) very saleable.

Either that or you can buy the thing and build a kickass thunderbike race bike

[ZXRRDave]

Oh, a 7R/7RR will be a ZX750PE and a 9 will be a ZX900BE or ZX900CE.

[Superdunc]

Thank you Dave, that's exactly the info I was after.

I'm not sure if I should be in awe of, or pity your knowledge of all things Kawasaki.

[willbloke]

A mate used to have a ZX12R engined kit car , could be a 12 ?

[ZXRRDave]

If you've had to find as many replacement engines for blown up ones as I have, you get to know the score.

[EvilSpike]

I'm not sure if I should be in awe of, or pity your knowledge of all things Kawasaki.

Awe Dunc, definitely awe.

[lorenzo]

As in "awe, that's a shame..."

Geek squad: wouldn't there be a sort of cut off point where the numbers up to zx750jeXXXX-xxx50 equate to one model, then zx750jeXXXX-xxx51 equate to the subsequent one? They'd have made them chronologically, why not number them sequentially too?

[Wildbill]

Like this (taken from the Haynes big book of fairy stories);

H1 ZX750H-000001
H2 ZX750H-015001
J1 ZX750J-000001
J2 ZX750J-013901
L1 ZX750L-000001
L2 ZX750L-020001
L3 ZX750L-030001
K1 ZX750K-000001
M1 ZX750M-000001
M2 ZX750M-020001

[Barry]

They are the chassis numbers Bill, not engine numbers.

They never done that prefixing with the engine numbers