Turning 100

Sat Oct 7 08:08:34 PDT 2017

I totally agree, Bill. What a bike. I've owned mine for 20 years now, 
and next year I'll have to add the digit '2' in front of the others 
(kilometres, of course). Just 4 days ago I returned home from this 
year's longest trip - 2900 kilometres (1800 miles) in 5 countries over 
10 days, and not one single kilometre on motorways!

http://www.pedmail.dk/efteraarstur.jpg

I had a meeting in Belgium on Tuesday and Wednesday last week and a 
motorcycle event in Austria Friday to Monday, and since I had the time 
to do it, I decided to go the whole way without riding the 'Autobahn'. 
All of the countries are very nice outside of the motorways, but 
especially the trip from Leuven (Belgium) across the northern part of 
the Ardennes, across the northern part of Luxembourg, across the Eifel 
area, over the Mosel and the Rhein was a wonderful ride. Not to mention 
the Austrian Alps, of course. Now it doesn't matter so much any more 
that winter is approaching, and the GPZ will spend some months in the 
garage.

There is a segment missing on the map - the segment from Vienna to 
Hamburg. I cheated and took the Autozug (Auto train) instead. A good 
choice, because the day the home trip started was the day that Autumn 
came to Europe. Generous amounts of rain and storm on the way to Vienna, 
and the same from Hamburg and the rest of the way the day after. Other 
than that I had dry and warm late summer weather throughout the trip.

I did notice on this trip though, that it tended to run a little bit 
warmer than usual. Every time the traffic slowed down the temperature 
meter would go up, and the fan would kick in and run for much longer 
than usual. This is normal during summertime, but it doesn't normally do 
that in autumn temperatures. It also smelled hot a little bit. At normal 
speed there were no problems, and the temperature meter stayed where 
it's supposed to. I checked the coolant level, which is okay. The 
radiator doesn't seem to be clogged either. This weekend I will inspect 
the thermostat and hope to find that that's the culprit. If it turns out 
to open normally at the right temperature, any ideas as to where I 
should look next?

Ped
'96 "Black Stealth" GPZ
Denmark

Den 07-10-2017 kl. 16:07 skrev William P. Zeller:
> A week or so ago, my ZX 
> <https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=912181732177275&set=a.181762335219222.46473.100001563719117&type=3>clock 
> <https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1540136146048494&set=a.181762335219222.46473.100001563719117&type=3>turned 
> past 100K miles (160K km). (photo 
> <https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=912181732177275&set=a.181762335219222.46473.100001563719117&type=3> 
> from '15)
>
> One of the disappointing things (!) is that Kawasaki neglected to 
> include the sixth digit so now my bike appears to be nearly new, with 
> only 430 miles (692km) on it.  I suppose at some point I'll be 
> compelled to open up the speedo case and paint a numeral "1" on the face.
>
> It so happened I was able to visit MCC Motorcycle Center in Villa 
> Park, IL yesterday on my errands.  It's a very large Ducati-Triumph 
> dealership that's been around forever but just built up this new 
> location.  There were so many Bonnevilles on the floor I could hardly 
> count them all, and the rows of Ducatis were downright intimidating.
>
> In conversation with the salesman, I had the opportunity to recall my  
> ZX's service history over the sixteen years I've owned it. (For 
> reference, it was a "crate bike" sold new in March, 2000 to a guy in 
> Downers Grove, IL, from whom I bought it in August, 2001 with 2230 
> miles (3600km) on it- he couldn't stand the ergonomics, specifically 
> the ridiculous handlebars.  The price was $4400).
>
> Basically, I've changed the battery twice, the OEM having gone some 
> nine years at least, and the chain once, at 48,000 miles (77,250km).  
> It's still, heaven help me, on the second chain.
>
> I replaced the okay-condition rear shock with one off a crash bike 
> obtained from a lister here in order to get a shock with 20,000 fewer 
> miles.  I am on the third headlight bulb and replaced on taillight 
> bulb, although all have been since replaced with LED types.
>
> The steering head bearings have been replaced twice, most recently 
> about two years ago when the bike was rescued from a post-divorce 
> storage situation that was none too favorable.
>
> That's it for service.  I know I've never owned another bike so 
> reliable and trouble-free.  Even my GL1800, which has a few more 
> thousand miles on the clock owing to its considerable service in 
> two-up travels, has been a little more demanding.
>
> Back in August '00, I was thinking the ZX was a holding bike til I got 
> replacement for my traded-off Concours, but such turned out not to be 
> the case.
>
> Nowadays I have to confess to thinking about getting another bike for 
> the ZX's uses, because, after all, it can't last forever, and besides, 
> there have been one or two technological advances in the last 21 years 
> (modern suspension, anyone?) and I have to confess to giving thought 
> to the Honda DCT automatic transmission as the arthritis of my many 
> years of being a carpenter makes clutching sometimes unpleasant.
>
> But still... nothing seems as comfortable or as suited to as many 
> purposes as this thing and it still goes along pretty well.  Given the 
> mods making it more to my liking, full Givis, Heli handlebars, and 
> dozens of little touches, how could a new bike really replace it?
>
> And, cost so little over time?
>
> What a bike.
>
> Bill Zeller
> Lemont, IL
>
> P.S.- I still have the valve shim kit here, although Art Johnson 
> requested a half-dozen.  The kit is low on 2.30 and 2.40 but otherwise 
> intact.
>
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