Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Forum banner

95 ZX6R wont change gears

744 views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  WolfyJ 
#1 ·
So i just recently got back on a bike for the first time in 10 years, this being my first sport bike. I found a 95 ZX6R in pretty rough shape for $500 to tinker with over the winter. Fortunately i was able to get it running with just a tank cleaning, fuel pump, and fresh fuel and got it riding around the yard with ease. i went to take a short ride a few days ago to try to get comfortable again and after about 2 miles, the bike started to feel like it was loosing power and eased itself to a stop where i stalled it. I went to try to move it off the road and found that the front brakes were stuck solid and i couldn't move the bike. After working with it a bit and discovering that the master cylinder was completely froze (i broke the handle trying to apply it) i finally got them freed enough to push the bike off the road. I attempted to get the bike in neutral so i could try to limp it back home and it didn't want to change gears. The clutches are moving, my linkage is fine, and i can move the pedal all the way up and down with my hand, but its like the fork is just floating around and not catching the gears at all. Im pretty clueless when it comes to a bike however i have worked on cars for years so i have some mechanical knowledge, this is just new territory lol. Just somewhere to start right now would be good. Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
1) your brake fluid has gone off in a horrible way. Rebuild the brakes, front and rear. New fluid, seals..... take everything apart and clean thoroughly. They locked up because they were dragging.... the friction heated the fluid up, which boiled the water trapped in it which turned to steam. That expanded, and locked the brake.

2) Hard to tell you where to begin.... change the oil, lubricate all of the pivots and linkages involved in shifting and using the clutch. Get the bike into neutral, so you can roll it around before spending time doing anything else.

Real good bet that your chain is toast, if the brake fluid is that bad. Battery is likely knackered, electrical contacts throughout are probably nasty shades of green and gray from corrosion.... microswitches for side stand, clutch, and neutral may be stuck. Carburetors and fuel system are going to need a thorough overhaul and cleaning.

:worthless
 
#3 ·
brakes........
Rebuild all the calipers and the master cylinders (front and rear)

as far as the shifting-
is the linkage arm actually tight on the shift shaft and rotating the shaft or is it spinning around the shaft?

ie is the bolt tight and the teeth engaged on that side of the engine (external so you can see them right in front of the footpeg)

Fuel system...........
flush the tank again- make sure there is no rust in there- if there is- you will need to address that!
back flush your new fuel pump
replace the inline fuel filter or install one!
remove, disassemble and fully clean the carburetors and be a very good idea to replace the consumable bits...... all the rubber o-rings that seal between the carbs, the bowl o-ring, the oring around the needle/seat assembly (or just buy new needle seat assemblies), the o-ring around the idle mixture screw etc........
 
  • Like
Reactions: RJ2112
#4 ·
Thanks for the info. I cleaned the carbs as soon as i got the bike and i just got the tank back from the vat yesterday so ill flush the lines and put new filters in hopefully this weekend. Im gonna look into upgrading the brakes and am open to suggestions as to what i should get. i dont plan on beating on the bike, its mostly be a cruiser for a while and i may do a little spirited pulls once im used to it, but i dont plan on ever doing anything really insane on it. That being said, my commute does include heavy stop and go traffic for a little bit. Ive researched some on upgrading to the 9r or 10r brakes and will look further into it myself, but as stated before, i am open to suggestions. As for the trans, the linkage is tight and the shaft is rotating, i just dont feel any kind of engagement moving it up or down. Ive tried rocking the bike pretty hard and even got a run and go down hill and dumped the clutch for a few seconds but it didnt make a difference. I have a feeling im gonna have to go into it. I appreciate the insight. Gonna try to hunt up a service manual soon and hopefully that will make life easier. And if you want any specific pictures, let me know and ill try to get them tonight.

Edit - I also put a new battery on it and went over the harness pretty good as it wouldn't run when i got it and i wanted to immediately rule out any electrical bugs.
 
#6 ·
#5 ·
Just run the oe set up brakes and make them function as new again!

Buy new seals for all the calipers, but a rebuild kit for both master cylinders and buy a couple pints or even a quart of good new Dot 4, and best to get all new crush washers for those lines you disconnect to make the job way easier on the bench

2 hours later all is golden again!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top