saying hi

This is for general posts and questions concerning only the Voyager XII (1200cc, Four-cylinder) Years 1986 thru 2003.

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hickeybond
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saying hi

Post by hickeybond »

hello, i just bought a 2001 voyager. i had the same bike when i bought one new in 2001! i have a few questions, hopefully you guys can help me out. the bike looks like almost new condition. 35,000 miles on her. of course get the front wobble..need a super brace. i changed the oil and filter when i got the bike home. the shifting is like a loud notchy feel and sound. i dont remember kawasakis being that loud. two things that are bothering me is the crazy temp gage, it goes from way past red to all the way down again. plus it has and i dont remember kawasaki offering these, but they fit right between the lower chrome crash bars..they have a mangled set of wires..also the gas gage seems its stuck on full. hopefully you guys can hepl me out on this one..she is beautiful..thank you
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Nails
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Re: saying hi

Post by Nails »

Welcome.
hickeybond wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 10:39 pmof course get the front wobble..need a super brace.
You should research here. I suspect that there are better ideas than a superbrace -- but don't know because I never bought one. Searching "front end wobble" here will give you some reading material. These front ends are very sensitive and prone to wobbles, but they generally are cheap to fix. I suggest thinking of tightening the headset right, looking for a loose subframe bolts, and dumping any Dunlop 404 front tires as a start.
hickeybond wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 10:39 pmthe shifting is like a loud notchy feel and sound. i dont remember kawasakis being that loud.
First and foremost, change all fluids. I mean all of them. Consider running some Seafoam through both the fuel system and the crankcase.

This particular Kawa has a very agricultural transmission due to square-cut gears. I consider it tough. You might've forgotten how your last one sounded/felt.
hickeybond wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 10:39 pmthe crazy temp gage, it goes from way past red to all the way down again.
Yeppers, that doesn't sound right. You might want to check the fluid level. If recently changed, search on "burping" the coolant. There are other posts here about o-rings in the thermostat housing -- a known problem. At the very least, I'd recommend flushing the cooling system with Prestone radiator flush -- you might have to do this a couple times.

Some of us have had a problem with temp gage grounding. You'll want to stroll through the AVA resources like Dollar-4-dollar and another list of common problems/fixes (don't remember what it's called, but that's where I found the fix I needed).
hickeybond wrote: Mon Aug 10, 2020 10:39 pmi dont remember kawasaki offering these, but they fit right between the lower chrome crash bars
Not sure what you're talking about but sounds like aftermarket lights somebody added. You're probably on your own with this one.

Your bike is going on 20 years old. Many of them have original fluids (brakes, forks, shock, radiator, final drive, &etc), so you want to bring all of that up to date. These bikes also often have rotten rubber and plastic -- look for these that you might need to change. And like all old bikes, the electrical connections can become problematic. Goes with the territory.

You can find a manual on this site. I recommend re-doing all the maintenance items up to now -- more catching up. These efforts are worth the hassle, and the bike is worth the hassle.

As you wade into it, you'll be able to ask more specific questions -- not enough info to answer now. You'll find that this place is a great resource. Others likely will weigh in with other ideas to get you started.
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hickeybond
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Re: saying hi

Post by hickeybond »

thank you everybody for responding! it will take a while to go through her. but she looks like new! will post some pics of her when i join ava!
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ekap1200
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Re: saying hi

Post by ekap1200 »

hickeybond wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 9:56 pm thank you everybody for responding! it will take a while to go through her. but she looks like new! will post some pics of her when i join ava!
Hello and welcome to the AVA. before you spend money on a (SUPER-BRACE) check for the four insert/collars that are in the fender , under the oem brace.
"Its not bad if you don't know something, but when you don't know you don't know; That's when your in trouble". Joe Place 1912-2008 (my grandfather)
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