| Archive for KAWASAKI KH & S SERIES FORUM The only forum in the world dedicated to the KH & S Series Kawasaki triples |
| Marc |
Old to Kawi, New to trippleHey Guys,Just joined and have a few questions for you all. First of all, I have an f7 (175) and a KE250 both enduro bikes from the 70's. I am looking to get a 2-stroke street bike to do some trips and want to stick with Kawasaki. I found an s1. the guy says it is a 72 but it is blue so i think it is a 75. It needs the carbs cleaned and then it should run he said. just some new tires and a good scrubbing. My real question is are those 250's fast enough? could i keep up with bigger bikes and ride it comfortably and reliably on longer trips (100+miles) also, what would you pay for a pretty good looking s1 with a dent in the top of the tank and 9000 mi? Thanks everyone -Marc |
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| 650hardtail |
welcome..the price on the triples can be cheap to rediculious depending on seller and condition....i got lucky and got an s2 and s2a for $100..the s2a was siezed but complete..the s2 i got running but it was butchered of most lights and spray painted black..its undergping a full resto...work out your deal..these bikes are fun to wrench on.the easiest performance mod on the 250 is to bolt on a 350 top end and carbs.. | ||||
| ståle |
Where are you, Marc ? Prices are not universal. | ||||
| Marc |
Hey guys,
I am in Massachusetts. he says it will run with cleaned carbs, needs to be polished, and there is a dent in the tank that i might be able to have popped out. More importantly though, I am worried about it being quick enough to ride with harleys and other bikes that are bigger. My buddy has an rd 350 and i was amazed by the speed when i rode it but will the 250 be enough? thanks, Marc |
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| kas750 |
If your mate has an Rd 350 you will definitely need a 350 top end fitted.The original owner of my s2 also owned an rd350b from new.He said that although the rd was faster top end he said that the s2 was far faster accelerating and also a better handling bike.He did 60,000 miles on each of these bikes so was pretty well qualified to comment :D | ||||
| 180kid |
welcome Marc,...
like chalk to cheese ! thats the difference between the 250's and 350's.... :shock: |
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| Marc |
Yeah i expect there would be a difference between 28 hp and 38.... but for normal street riding around small towns would i be alright on a 250. I am used to riding my 250 single cylinder dirtbike and it has been OK at keeping up but only wants to go 66mph... I do not ride highway often but would like a bike that can cruise at 66 rather than top out. also, i hear that t 3-cylinder will be far faster of the line than the single...
any thoughts? |
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| ståle |
Have one of each. You're in the states, for gods sake :D You can probably find 5 bikes for 1000 bucks. | ||||
| BIG AL |
+1 |
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| BIG AL |
seriously though You would probally get a 250, and a 400 for $1000 bucks, they would be a bit rough but runners :D the 400 is a good all rounder |
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| The Wolfman |
A 250 would be fine for a starter and providing your friends don't have much bigger bikes, but as Al says, the 400 is about the best all round bet.
Having said that you can tour a 250 very comfortably, I know. Oh and Welcome by the way. :thumright: |
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| Marc |
Hey Guys,
Looked at the bike today. It is a 1974 s1 in pretty nice shape. The tank has a few dents but all and all the bike is nice. I know you guys say they are cheep here but in my part of the country they are hard to come by. Anyway, I bought the 74 s1 with less than 9000mi for $750 and it looks as if all it will need is to rinse the tank, put in a fuel filter, and clean the carbs. I am traveling for the weekend but when I get back I am going to tear it down and post some pictures. Thanks for all the input. I look foreword to maintaining communication with all of you and becoming a part of the triple world. Thanks, Marc |
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| kas750 |
This is my '74 s1b
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| 650hardtail |
marc..doesnt sound too bad of deal..any pix??? | ||||
| Marc |
Hey Guys,
Today I got home and took the carbs apart. The float needles were stuck but after soaking in carb cleaner they started to move again. Everything looked to be in pretty nice shape with minimal fuel varnish. I had to order a new bowl gasket and a petcock rebuild kit and as soon as they come in, I will try to fire up the bike. My plan for the oil is to run pre-mix for now and make sure that the oil pump is functioning properly. I am thinking about holding the oil pump wide open at idle and watching the tubes to see if the oil is being delivered. Are there any flaws to my ideas? Does anyone use inline fuel filters? What do you use for gear lube? will 10w30 work or is an 80w90 better? Should i be expecting an electrical problem? is that comon? In taking the bike apart I can see that it is very clean. the tank is the worst part of the bike and a seam has been patched with jb weld. After i touch up the paint it will look mint from 5 feet away so I am not worried. Everything else will look nice. When i get the carbs back on I will clean the bike up and get some pictures up here for all of you. Thanks for the help, Marc |
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| The Wolfman |
Your ideas sound fine. some do, most don't. 10w30 or 10w40 should be fine, 80w90 sounds like sewing machine oil.. NO! Yest they are common and usually easily sorted, mostly mucky/fusty connectors. |
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| ja-moo |
This seems to be coming up a lot lately. Motor oils these days have a lot of friction modifiers, so the clutches usually slip. Specific 2 stroke tranny oils are rated differently and are NOT the thick "goo" people think, they are around 30wt. converted, but have long chain molacules for better wear resistance in sheer strength for the sheering forces in a tranmission. |
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| Marc |
Is there an oil you recommend? where can I get it? | ||||
| ja-moo |
All the specific 2 stroke tranny oils are good. Any bike shop should have it. |
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| Marc |
Thank you. I think since i already have regular 10w30 I will run it when i first start the bike. After an hour or two of run time i will drain it and fill it with 2-stroke specific oil. would flushing the system from the 15 year old oil like that be a good idea? | ||||
| 180kid |
whoa up !!,...you dont put 2 stroke oil in the tranny or
gearbox oil in the 2T injection system,... thinks thats how i read your last ?,. :? then re-read it and you mean specific clutch oil /gearbox oil for 2 strokes,..semi sythetic if using basic gearbox oil, or auto transmission fluid, or yes correct wet clutch oils, for 2 stokes,...phew, :lol: |
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| Marc |
Hello,
Still working on the 74 s1. I need to get a new battery for it. Does anyone know the part number for that. Is it 6v or 12v and how big? A part number would be great if anyone has it. |
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| BIG AL |
marc
12V but you can get this type of battery anywhere 12N5.5-4A http://www.batterymart.com/c-kawa...s1-series-motorcycle-battery.html cheers Al |
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| The Wolfman |
As above and most local bike shops should have one. |
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| Marc |
Thanks..
I ordered one and when it comes in i will check for spark. I am pretty sure that there is a short in the ignition wire running from the battery to the key switch but that is easy to check for. All this will just make me enjoy riding it more. Nothing like hearing it run for the first time. Marc |
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| Marc |
So Now I am ready to replace the fork seals. Is this a difficult process? i found a few sites with instructions but I am wondering if these s1's are particularly easy or hard to change the seals on.
Would it help to get a repair manual? Is there any oil that is best? Thanks, Marc |
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| BIG AL |
Marc heres the glenns manual, for reference cheers Al http://www.3cyl.com/~mraxl/manuals/glenns/section6.htm http://www.3cyl.com/~mraxl/manuals/glenns/section6.htm#140 |
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| Marc |
Hello Everyone,
Today I finally got the bike back together and got it to run. It sounds SWEEEET. a little too loud because i still have to install one exhaust baffle. The only thing I am having trouble with is affectively adjusting the idle speed. it seems that when i get it where i want it, the throttle response is terrible until it passes 3000-3500rpm. I think with a bit more tinkering I can get it going nicely. Just ordered the tires and battery so i dont have to jump it to my truck. I cant wait to take it for my first rip. |
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| scouse |
strip the carbs again, it sounds like you have blocked pilot jets
Gary T |
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| Marc |
Hey everyone.
I need tires for my S1 3.25x18 and 3.5x18. what do you think I should use? |
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| BIG AL |
Marc
Are you looking for a modern or classic style type of tyre. Cheers Al |
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| Marc |
Im pretty open about that. Would a modern tire handle any better? I am not concerned with the look of the tire but I would like something safe and comfortable.
Marc |
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| ja-moo |
BT-45's 90 front 100 rear | ||||
| Marc |
I am not familiar with 90 and 100 sizes does that mean a front tire is 90/90 and a rear is 100/90? | ||||
| simonh |
yeh, but i'd go 110/90 or 110/80 rear :D | ||||
| Marc |
Hello,
My s1 is finally running great on 3 cylinders. I have ridden it and it has great power for a 250. I ordered new tires and i will install them and replace the fork seals on monday. My one question is how do I get the cylinders to fire at similar temperatures? I dont know if it is important but i would guess they should be close. The left cylinder is the coolest, the middle is the hottest, and the right is in the middle. I understand that the middle will naturally run a bit hot because it has fewer sides exposed to fresh air but what should i do? |
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| The Wolfman |
Is that temperature difference when standing idling or after a run?
there should be very little temp difference on the centre one after a run. Idling:- then adjust the throttle stops to even up the tickover. After a run:- clean and set up the carbs as per the manuals (not Haynes tho). Can't harm to confirm the timing is spot on too. |
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| Marc |
I know that the air screws should be 1.25 to 1.5 turns out but what about the throttle stop screws in the top of the carb? when set evenly, the bike will either idle too high or not fire on 3 cylinders. What is the best way to set those?
also, the temperature difference is both at idle and after a ride. I will try to check the timing on monday also just to be sure. Thanks, Marc |
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| The Wolfman |
Hi Marc, when what 'is set evenly'? the adjusters will almost certainly be at different heights once set up properly.
there could be any number of small problems in any combination that cause uneven running. Cleaning the carbs is always a good start, making sure that the float valves work properly and the float heights are somewhere close. I set tickover by slackening the cable adjusters until the cables can be lifted slightly on top of the carbs without pulling the slides, then using the old hand over the exhaust pipes I set the throttle stops until the three cylinders are all popping pretty evenly at just below 2000rpm, I can never get them to feel perfect. Once I am happy with that, I turn her off and using three tywraps in the carb mouths and under the slide, I adjust the adjusters so that all the slides lift off at the same instant and leave the tywraps in place until after the adjusters are locked. Using tywraps, spoons, whatever, amplifies the movement of the slides, its so sensitive you can even allow for tightening of the cables bends.. Other people recommend setting the adjusters first and the lift off second, I asked a while back but no one explained why. |
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| Marc |
Hello Everyone,
Do you know what kind of fuel milage an s1 should get stock? I am only getting 20 miles per gallon..... Is that normal? -Marc |
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| ja-moo |
That's pretty close to what they get. With only around 20 hp the motor is just working hard. |
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| husson73 |
Marc, can you post a picture of your KE 250, this bike was never sold in Europe and I've even not a good picture of it. | ||||
| Marc |
Hey sorry for the delay.
I'll try to get a good picture to post |
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| ErlingW |
Hi Marc!
Picture, please... 
ErlingW |
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| MindWebs |
Hmm? i'm don't think it's a KE250.. Never heard of it in USA.
i think someone may be a touch confused.. i believe he said it was a 1974 250, that would make it a S1B i own a 75 S1C. and know models fairly well... and yeah, 20's for MPG is about right... i found a mechanic that messed up my carb and droped it to 12.. boy did that suck... i could pass anything BUT a gas station. Webs |
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