KR250.ORG : 2008 Diary

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January 2008

OK, I've been talking about it for long enough, I need to arrange a KR Day this year. Who's up for it ? We should be able to get 6 working bikes together fairly easily, maybe a few more if we include dead ones and projects etc. Paul Wilshaw asked me about it so choosing his pub as a venue seems the obvious thing to do, especially given the success of his Two-Stroke Sundays. So, Doug, Gary, Darin, Andy, Mark, Mick et al - get your bikes polished up and we'll sort something out for the summer !

Meanwhile, another KR top fairing appeared on Ebay so I had a bid and won it. It's undamaged apart from a couple of scratches and it came complete with the screen and a pair of indicators. And whilst at the local autojumble I spotted a pair of KR footpegs - actually they're probably off a GPZ or something but they're the same part.

February 2008

Another bike show, another KR. The Bristol Classic Show this time, at the Bath & West Showground near Shepton Mallet. Long way away for me, but almost on Darin's doorstep so Diff'rent Strokers booked a stand and we put his KR on it along with some other cool bikes. A couple of familiar faces dropped by to say hello and some new ones were spotted peering curiously at the KR engine and wondering why it was so complicated.

Also this month, the VJMC's 'Tansha' club magazine features an article written by me about my trip to Japan for the KROG Meet back in 2005. They'd been running short of features for publication and asked the club members to submit some - mine was one of those chosen and Dennis (the Editor) made a smart job of choosing photos off my site and laying the article out over 4 full pages. On the back of that, I've already been contacted by a new KR owner and I've had a chat with someone else about spending some time with a works KR250 racer...

March 2008

Not much chance of me ever finding a 'S' head to go with my recently-acquired barrels is there ? That's what I thought anyway, until I spotted one being sold on Yahoo Auctions Japan with a few other bits and pieces. A quick bid, and a couple of days later it was mine for only 900 Yen ! Of course, all the additional charges push the cost way up and I also splashed out on a pair of sidepanels and some original owners handbooks (as new, in the Kawasaki bag !) too, but I'm pretty happy with that. The balance pipe is there too so I'm only missing the control unit now. Although I don't know if the exhausts are the same ?

Also this month, Andy Bolas' mint red/white KR got a 5-page feature to itself in Classic Mechanics Magazine and they plugged this site a couple of times too. Shame they didn't get my name right though...

April 2008

Not much to report this month, though I did pop along to the Stafford Classic Bike Show to meet Kork. He was there as guest of honour and I bet he's sick of signing copies of his new book by now ! Chris Wilson's KR500 provided the backdrop, although sadly didn't take part in the outdoor part of the show where they fired some old race bikes up.

May 2008

Plenty of bike-related stuff going on but not with the KR's sadly. You can read about my Suzuki's and Yamaha (and my wife's Honda's) elsewhere.

June 2008

A tax-disc renewal letter for the KR reminds me that the MOT is due too. Checking the previous certificate reveals that it's covered just 6kms since the last one. And I think the last time it ran was when I fired up so that Fred could hear it at the Uttoxeter show last July. Disgraceful.

So I booked it in for a MOT. There should be no reason for it fail though should there ? Well, I checked it over the night before and obviously the tyres were flat again, especially the front one. The rear brake was sticking causing the lever to stay down and the front brakes were very spongey with the lever was coming back to the bars. And obviously it's still leaking gearbox oil - it looks worse than it is though 'cos the level is still right in the middle of the sight glass. I pumped up the tyres, freed off the rear brake and bled the front ones, although they remained a bit lifeless. All the lights, winkers, horn etc. still worked OK - the battery is topped up regularly with an Optimate charger that takes turns on all 6 bikes in the garage. And I splashed a bit of fresh fuel in too.

Despite the lack of use, I was confident it would start and run OK the next morning, and sure enough it burst into life with only a few kicks. I took the long-ish route to the bike shop and all was well, apart from a non-functioning fuel gauge. I was half-expecting it to fail on soggy brakes but it passed OK and I took the same route home too to give it a bit of a run. It's not the fastest or best-handling bike I own but it's probably the one that puts the biggest smile on my face and I'm feeling guilty for neglecting it so much.

The clutch started dragging towards the end of my ride making gear-selection tricky but I should be able to adjust that out. The exhausts are still blowing (those new gaskets have sat on a shelf for 3 years now waiting to be fitted...) but oddly the bike always started first kick even when warm. I still need to check those crank dampers though, for research as much as anything else. And I think I'll fit that set of new brake hoses I ordered a couple of years ago - I didn't like the look of them at the time but the original ones look very tatty now and new bleed nipples, banjo's and washers should hopefully put the power back in the brakes. I also need a pair of new master-cylinder bolts as the originals are pretty mangled now. And now it's taxed again I need to keep putting a few miles on it now and again.

July 2008

I saw a couple of KR parts for sale on Ebay and contacted the seller. He was breaking a complete bike and sent me some pictures. Kinda purple innit ? Some of the desirable parts had already gone (cheers Mick !) but we struck a deal for the carbs (complete with throttle and choke cables and the inlet stubs) and the crank dampers. Also the kickstart lever, though I shall have to get the paintstripper out for that ! There's still some parts left I think - find his ads on Ebay or ask me and I'll put you in touch.

August 2008

How many KR250's is too many ?...