Loz's 900 Minja - updated 11/2009

[Loz]

Hi guys!

Just thought I'd join up ASF after a buddy binned my ZX9 on a recent roadtrip. I'm a fan of naked bikes but I dig the hard-ridin' chassis and suspension of sportsbikes, so instead of getting new plastics I though I might start a slow streetfighter project out of the wreck.

Foxy tells me these here parts are brimming with hard-earned wisdom and experience, as well as plenty of sexy naked biatches so I hope I've come to the right place!

I'm from inner Melbourne, I'm a regular at netrider (don't hold that against me), oztouring, B&S, bikeme, KSRC and occasionally ozstuntbikes. Fuck I must spend too much time in front of a PC. I'm into quick roadriding, very basic stunting, the odd trackday, commuting and touring so apart from dirtsquirting my riding bases are pretty wide. I'm not afraid of the spanners but I know dick-all about engines.

Right now the 9R (1997 B model - hereafter known as the Minja) is at stage zero - plastics are all off, bars, headlight etc are all standard, wires hanging everywhere and the indicators are held on by cable ties. It's fuelling like shit without the ram air system (one of the first things I wanna address) but it's already feeling like twice the bike it was before the crash 'coz I love my bikes naked.

I look forward to getting to know you guys as this project takes shape, and seeing what some of you creative fuckers have come up with.

:)
Loz

[BANDITROD]

welcome aboard mate do you have any pics

[Hillsy]

Welcome Loz - good to see another Kwaka fighter in the making ;)

There's a few of us with Kawa fighters in here......but most notably would be JUDGE by EXBEN.....

http://www.extremecreations.com.au/index.asp?View=news_4sale

Anyway, get us some pics so we can see what ya got

[Loz]

Yes well I've had a look at Judge - in person and in magazines, and frankly I was hoping to end up with something a little more presentable :P

Seriously, what a mental piece of work! Much respect, it deserves everything it's won.

The Minja's absolutely fugly at the moment, I'll take a picture or two but I'm sure you've all seen a naked stock 9R before!

[gibbo]

G'day Loz, a mate of Foxys and a kawasaki owner, doesn't look good for you sport[B)]
Every one deserves a second chance I suppose so wellcome, hope you like it here ;)

[Deano]

welcome

a turbo will solve your fueling problems.

[Gix11]

Welcome aboard mate. Don't want to break it to you but there's a photo of a ZXR in the kawasaki page of the gallery called Minja. The irish owner sent it in over 3 years ago. Never fear. Maybe yours should be called Minja II?

[Loz]

Haha I'm not precious, I'll share if he will! Maybe we can have a ming-off.

[zx12argh]

welcome aboard loz - good luck with your project. always good to have more kwakas around here.

[Foxy]

Hey Loz,

Shit we must both of been sober at Stewy's mate for us both to remember what I told you.

From memory I think I said the same as Deano at the time, whack a turbo on it.

I'm guessing you will be going for a more conventional seat rather than some checkerplate though.......I'll leave that one up to you to explain LMAOF

[WATEVR]

welcome aboard Loz good to have another kwaka onsite. so how did your mate bin Minja2

[Loz]

quote:Originally posted by WATEVR

welcome aboard Loz good to have another kwaka onsite. so how did your mate bin Minja2
Poor bugger simply ran out of talent on a right-hander. We were on a 2-week lark up to Brisbane and back, and after having a deeply religious experience on the Waterfall Way outside of Coffs Harbor, I offered him a bike swap - I'd take his VFR with his daughter on the back, he'd take the Kwaka and get out and have a bit of fun.

Have fun he did, for the first time all trip he was right up in my mirrors and giving it a proper belting. I dropped him off behind some cars, and then when we stopped to regroup, one of the other blokes came by first. Luckily, the last guy in the group was going easy enough to hear him yelling "HEEEELP!" from underneath the 9R in the bushes about 10m from the road.

I rode the fucker back into Coffs about 150km of twisties on a bent front rim, bent sprocket (clack clack clack!), shock with no oil, and an exhaust held on with an ocky strap, and a mate helped out fixing it up to rideable home from there using cheapy bits from wreckers.

Personally I'd prefer he took the wreck, sold it and made up the difference to my purchase price of around $5k... But once the machine swung into action and bits started getting ordered, I realised there was an opportunity here to get the ol' mama naked and make a real bike out of her. :)

[WATEVR]

it is definately one of the harder ones when a mate crashes your bike as to whether you go for the you fuck it you buy it senarios or if it was your idea do you just wear it?? depends on the mate i suppose!!

[TurboKat]

Foxy has mates... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA :D

[Loz]

quote:Originally posted by WATEVR

it is definately one of the harder ones when a mate crashes your bike as to whether you go for the you fuck it you buy it senarios or if it was your idea do you just wear it?? depends on the mate i suppose!!
Yeah, well he's effectively going to give me enough cash to get it back to stock, which hopefully will be enough for me to get a basic fighter up and running.

[Loz]

You asked for photos... Well, here she is in all her glory. Note the lovely original colour scheme (it's rare for a reason), highlighted by the fruity red front rim. The wreckers told me they had a bunch of front rims, what colour would I like? I said "whatever's the least lairy." Fuckers.

http://lh6.google.com/lozzobear/Rtt2zQvh-fI/AAAAAAAABT8/TcDT-jOYqiw/s800/IMG_1196.jpg

With a face only a mother could love:
http://lh4.google.com/lozzobear/Rtt20wvh-hI/AAAAAAAABUM/yvT_4u8l1sA/s800/IMG_1198.jpg

[Loz]

Hey all, better late than never, some mates came round and we finally changed over the lights and dash on the weekend. Too wet for my shitty 45-degree garage, so...

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs042.snc3/12961_186990075665_706340665_3511114_187471_n.jpg

Here it is as of today:

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs042.snc3/12961_186990145665_706340665_3511126_2139592_n.jpg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs042.snc3/12961_186990155665_706340665_3511127_3899439_n.jpg

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs042.snc3/12961_186990160665_706340665_3511128_4591862_n.jpg

Those side lights are bright as a motherfucker, which is handy b/c I do a bit of night time twisties riding. Oh, and I like to get out on tour a bit, so I found a spare rear seat on eBay, reinforced it with some steel, and stuck a topbox mount on it... So I can chuck the Givi seat on when I need to carry stuff, but otherwise people will have to find other reasons to call me a poof:

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs042.snc3/12961_186990185665_706340665_3511132_6723543_n.jpg

[Pab13]

good stuff mate

[rod185651]

Nice one mate, I've got the exact model.

[Loz]

quote:Originally posted by rod185651

Nice one mate, I've got the exact model.

Yeah, I've been following your progress. Looks sensational! I thought briefly about relocating the ignition like you did, but made up some little brackets to hold the dash out instead, 'coz I like my steering lock.

I've routed a bit of wiring back over the engine - I just noticed you said yours got fried. These old Kwakas do run pretty bloody hot, where was your wiring when it got cooked, and where did you move it to?

:)
Loz

[rod185651]

Cheers Loz, Basically the wiring was underneath the front of the air box . What I ended up doing was putting a sleave around the wiring to act like a heat shield. I checked it after the NFR to Cooma and it was all sweet.

[Loz]

Cheers mate I'll have a think about what I've got here. Let me know if you ever ride it down Melbourne way, I'd love a closer look at what you and Ben have done. :)

[timbo]

Hey Loz welcome and like some others said it good to have another Kawaka on tje site and in Melbourne as well. enjoy the build mate