[MisterTFM]

2009, ZX-6R, I’m trying to remove the left side plastic to repair a crack. There’s a Phillips screw about an inch away from the headlight housing near the nose that I can’t reach. I’m stuck. I’ve got the left side lower cowling off and the black chin guard around radiator off. Working my way around to the right side. Looks like the left, right and nose plastic are all attached together.

Does the headlight housing need removed? If so, where do I start?

TIA.

 

[RJ2112]

It’s easier by far, to remove the entire nose clip as one piece and the take off that panel.

Remove the mirrors, the inner cheek pieces, and the lowers. Everything else will come off as one piece when you remove the furthest back screws, and unplug the bayonets that hold the sides to the frame…. Just two bolts at the top outside edges of the headlight assembly.

you have to undo the electrical connectors for the headlights, turn signals, marker lights and the R/R as well.

Once you’re there, that whole assembly will wiggle off the air snorkel and instrument cluster. Headlights, windshield, cowl, and uppers altogether.

 

[MisterTFM]

It’s easier by far, to remove the entire nose clip as one piece and the take off that panel.

Remove the mirrors, the inner cheek pieces, and the lowers. Everything else will come off as one piece when you remove the furthest back screws, and unplug the bayonets that hold the sides to the frame…. Just two bolts at the top outside edges of the headlight assembly.

you have to undo the electrical connectors for the headlights, turn signals, marker lights and the R/R as well.

Once you’re there, that whole assembly will wiggle off the air snorkel and instrument cluster. Headlights, windshield, cowl, and uppers altogether.

Does the headlamp assembly come off with the nose piece after the top 2 bolts at the top outside edges are removed?

 

[RJ2112]

Yes. Snorkel stays in place

 

[RJ2112]

I went through this a few years ago….

 

[MisterTFM]

Yes. Snorkel stays in place

Success !!!

 

[RJ2112]

It gets easier, every time you do it…. Time involved goes down by almost half, with each removal.

 

[burke]

What RJ2112 said... but faster and faster. all models are a pain..however these fairings have rock solid engineering reasons they work this way..do not fight them...

 

[RJ2112]

Picking your way through all of the tabs and slots, and various kinds of screws used to hold the panels together once you get the nose clip off the bike and want to get to a single panel is a little challenging; but the same thing applies, patience! It all comes apart and goes together with an amazing degree of precision once you understand that you cannot force anything and you engage each interconnecting point the way Kawasaki designed it. Panel gaps are consistent, and tiny.

I ended up replacing a number of the rubber well nuts as I went along, they degrade over time and it was better to have new parts that weren't fighting me than any other option. Bought knock off well nuts from some Chinese outfit for pennies on the dollar compared to list price for Kawasaki parts.

The plastic rivets I have had to replace as they break with age and use, I have also used mainly Chinese parts; and overall I regret that. Can't justify the additional cost of the Kawasaki parts, but the Kawasaki ones are easier to remove through design. As the plastic rivets had died, I just keep shuffling the remaining Kawasaki parts to the places I need to have easy access to.

One additional thing with the fairing lowers that you may find useful: when you hang the lower off the side panel on the three tabs/slots, insert the plastic rivet in the triangular radiator shroud before you bother trying to get any of 4 the screws per side started. That rivet has enough leverage on the panel to keep all the screw holes aligned.

 

[MisterTFM]

Picking your way through all of the tabs and slots, and various kinds of screws used to hold the panels together once you get the nose clip off the bike and want to get to a single panel is a little challenging; but the same thing applies, patience! It all comes apart and goes together with an amazing degree of precision once you understand that you cannot force anything and you engage each interconnecting point the way Kawasaki designed it. Panel gaps are consistent, and tiny.

I took off way more than I needed to before you explained how the nose came off in one piece.

So now I’m attempting to re-install the pieces back onto the nose so it can go back together in one piece.

The black shroud directly under the headlamp assembly, as shown in my picture.

Can I put that back on now?

As you can see, I have the whole assembly hanging by the ram air snout.

 

[RJ2112]

Pretty sure I went down the same path, before someone here told me about the clip coming off as one piece. I think you can; those slots and tabs at the tip of the cowl are quite fiddly to get them all to engage. My OCD got a workout on that more than once. I believe there is enough flex in the assembly to let you ease everything into place. You get quite a bit of room by flexing the sides away from the cowl. Just take your time and don’t force it. Parts are more flexible warm, so letting them soak up some sunshine helps.

I’ve replaced the nose cowl after having fixed the damage to the main side panels and that meant taking every single panel apart, again.

It’s helpful to be sober……

 

[MisterTFM]

I’ve replaced the nose cowl after having fixed the damage to the main side panels and that meant taking every single panel apart, again.

It’s helpful to be sober……

Making progress with all those tabs and plastic rivets.

 

[RJ2112]

The system Kawasaki uses is complicated, but it does work well….