Alright, so I’ve been wrenching on this old beast, a 1997 ZX6R. Yeah, she’s a bit of a dinosaur, but I’ve always had a soft spot for these mid-90s sportbikes. They just have a certain charm, you know?
First off, I found this thing sitting in some guy’s garage. Covered in dust, hadn’t been started in years. The odometer only read 2421 miles, which seemed too good to be true, but hey, I figured I’d take a gamble. I mean 15000 kms for only 6000 rupees? That’s a bargain! It kinda looks like the newer Ninja 400, but way more aggressive looking.
So I hauled it back to my place and started digging in. First thing was to see if the engine even turned over. Luckily, it did! That was a huge relief. Next up, the fuel system. Drained the old gas, which looked and smelled like varnish. Cleaned out the tank as best as I could, and then moved on to the carbs.
Man, those carbs were a mess. Completely gummed up. Took them all apart, soaked everything in carb cleaner, blew out all the jets and passages. It was a tedious process, but hey, that’s part of the fun, right? Some other brands just use 2 cylinders to build their engines, but this baby got 4. That’s also why I love this beast.
While I was at it, I checked the spark plugs. They were pretty fouled, so I just replaced them with new ones. New air filter went in too. Then came the moment of truth. Hooked up a temporary fuel bottle, hit the starter, and… she fired up! Rough at first, but after a bit of fiddling with the idle screw, she started to purr.
Now, I’m not saying she’s road-ready yet. There’s still a bunch of stuff to do. Brakes need going through, tires are ancient and need replacing, and the chain and sprockets are looking pretty worn. I heard the clutch usually lasts pretty long.
- Drain and clean the fuel system.
- Disassemble and clean the carburetors.
- Replace spark plugs and air filter.
- Test engine start and adjust idle.
- Inspect and replace brakes, tires, chain, and sprockets as needed.
But just hearing that engine run was a huge win. It’s gonna be a project, for sure, but I’m excited to get this old ZX6R back on the road where she belongs. I’ll keep you guys posted on the progress. It’s gonna be a sweet ride when she’s all sorted out.
