S P R I N G 1 9 9 9 T H E K AWA S A K I T E C H N I C A L M A G A Z I N E V O L . 1 2 , N O . 1

DIESEL MULE™ 2510DIESEL MULE™ 2510

INSIDEFeature Diesel Mule™ 2510 . . . . . . . . 2Regional Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4News K-Tech News Collections. . . . . . 3

Customer Service Tips . . . . . . . 3Parts Grid on KX Microfiche . . . 3Special Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Tech Tips Electrical Accessories . . . . . . . . 6KX Jetting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Watercraft Test Tank . . . . . . . 7Ultra 150 Oil Pump . . . . . . . . 8Ultra 150 Assembly . . . . . . . . 8Ultra 150 Tidbits . . . . . . . . . . 9Salt Water Protection . . . . . . 10Motorcycle Engine Oil . . . . . . 10Drifter Fuel Injection . . . . . . . 10Read About It. . . . . . . . . . . . 11Drifter Accessory Load. . . . . . 11Drifter Throttle Sensor. . . . . . 11

ROUTE LIST ❑ SERVICE ❑ PARTS ❑ SALESP L E A S E R E T U R N T O S E R V I C E L I B R A R Y

by Don ChurchManager, Service Trainingand Communications

Hey Kawasaki Dealers,there’s a new Mule™kickin’ in its stall and it’s awhole different breed.We’re not ready to throwopen the gate just yet, sosome of the followingdetails could change, butthere are so many excitingnew features, you justgotta listen up.

The new Diesel Mule2510 utility vehicle(KAF950-A1) features aproven three-cylinderfour-stroke diesel enginewith a gear-drivencamshaft and overheadvalves. With a bore andstroke of 72 x 78mm, itdisplaces 952cc and pro-duces 24.5 horsepower at3600rpm with a maxi-mum torque of 34.4 ft-lbat 2600rpm.

The rest of the machineis based on the Mule 25104X4 with the sameHI/LOW range transmis-sion and two or four-wheel drive employing alimited-slip front differen-tial. It uses the same belt-driven continuously vari-able transmission.

New Features • New coil springs over

the rear shocks helpincrease the cargo bedload capacity from 803lb to 1100 lb. Larger 23-inch tires help carry theload.

•A new Donaldson highcapacity cyclone-type aircleaner has an air filterrestriction indicator tomonitor the air filtercondition and indicatewhen cleaning isneeded.

• Two radiators cool thenew engine. The secondradiator is located underthe seat along with afuel priming pump thathas an integrated fuel fil-ter and water drain.

• A separate, belt-driven,40-amp alternatorcharges a heavy duty 52amp/hour battery withpower to spare for acces-sories.

Why a Diesel Mule?• Economy—Diesel fuel is

generally less expensivethan gasoline and offersbetter fuel economy.Agricultural and indus-trial users can refuelfrom the same tank theyuse for other machinery.

• Durability and Reliabil-ity—There is no ignitionsystem.

• Torque—This unit pro-duces lots of torque overa wide speed range; justperfect for a vehiclemade to work from sunup to sun down.

Diesel TechnologyThe basic engine from

the pistons down to theoil pan is standard auto-motive technology, butextra sturdy for its dieselapplication. From the

head gasket up, things arequite different from gaso-line engines. It still uses acamshaft, rocker arms,and valves, but combus-tion is totally different.Why?

The answer lies in thebasic principles of dieseltechnology. In the gaso-line engine, the mixture ofair and fuel is suppliedinto the cylinder thenignited by a spark plugand burned at a con-trolled rate. In a dieselengine, air alone is sup-plied into the cylinderwhere it is compressed toa very high pressure andtemperature (500 to 700degrees Celsius). An injec-tor then sprays fuel intothe combustion chambernear the end of the com-pression stroke and fuelparticles ignite by them-selves. Thus, combustionoccurs almost simultane-ously at many pointswithin the combustionchamber, producing thediesel engine’s character-istic knocking noise.

The compression ratioof the Diesel Mule 2510 is24.8:1 with 483 psi of com-pression at 300 rpm. Thestandard Mule 2510 has acompression ratio of10.3:1 with 206 psi of com-pression at 490 rpm.

SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

Cover Story

2

Cont’d on page 12

Diesel Mule™ 2510Diesel Mule™ 2510

Where’s the combustion chamber? (Answer: With acompression ratio of 24.8 to 1, there isn’t one) Seri-ously, the removable plug in the head is part of theswirl-type auxiliary combustion chamber where fuel isinjected and first ignited. Combustion exits the “batwing” hole in the plug into the pocket in the piston andthe main combustion chamber.

by Dave CoreyWriter/Producer

This year, along withthe usual updates to theK-Tech News compilations,we decided it was time toadd a street motorcyclevolume. For the first time,you can have access toevery article related toKawasaki street motorcy-cles ever published in K-Tech News. Included are

articles from the very firstissue right up to Volume10, Number 4.

There are now six K-Tech News compilationsavailable, including Street

Motorcycles, Off-RoadMotorcycles, Water-

craft, Utility Vehi-cles, ATVs,

and Genera-tors. You can

purchase anyof these handy

reference man-uals fromKawasaki’s

Technical ServicesDepartment for only

$6.50 each.You will find these and

many other useful publi-cations listed for sale onpage 18 of the KawasakiTechnical Services Depart-ment, Catalog of ResourceMaterials.

To order, contact Tech-nical Publications at (949)770-0400 ext. 2472 or faxus at (949) 460-5629.�

3SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

News

K-TECH NewsVol. 12, No. 1Spring 1999

K-TECH News Staff

PublisherKawasaki Tech Services

Publications ManagerDon Church

Executive EditorGary Herzog

Editor-in-ChiefGregg Thompson

Communications EditorJohn Griffin

Regional EditorsPiscataway/Grand Rapids

Fred DeHart

Atlanta/TulsaWalter Rainwater

Irvine/TacomaRobert Taylor

ContributorsDavid Behlings, Dave Corey,

Roger Davis, Carole Langford, Kenny Osberg, Steve Rice,

Charles Yim

Graphics/Production

Graphic ArtGregg Thompson

PhotographyDon Church, Dave Corey, Randy Davis, John Griffin

ProductionHolland Marketing Services

©1999 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.All rights reserved.

Published by Kawasaki

All suggestions become the property ofKMC. Sending a service suggestion givesKawasaki permission to publish and/or

use it without further consideration.Specifications subject to change without notice.

K-Tech NewsCollections

Share YourCustomer

Service TipsThe importance of customer

service can never be overstated.You may fix it right, on time,and at the right price, but it maynot be enough. If an employeehad a bad attitude; the productwas returned dirty; the customerhad to wait forever for help, orjust did not perceive any value inyour service, they may not beback.

Dealers come up with inge-nious ways to take care of cus-tomers. A dealer close to amovie theater, bowling alley,restaurant, or deli, could give outfree passes or meal tickets (theypurchased at a discount) to cus-tomers waiting for extendedrepairs, tune-ups, or new vehicleassembly. These customersreceive a special benefit and areno longer looking over the tech-nician’s shoulder. Customers wait-ing for shorter periods areencouraged to walk around yourstore to add potential sales.

K-Tech News would like toinvite Kawasaki dealers to shareyour customer service ideas withus. We will put the best tipsalong with your dealership nameand location, in future issues ofK-Tech News. Send your tips to:

Attention: John GriffinKawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

9950 Jeronimo Rd.Irvine, CA 92618-2084�

by David BehlingsParts Data Coordinator

Kawasaki has added anew microfiche grid calledOptional Parts which showsthe top-end rebuild kit with allincluded parts and quantities.You can find this grid at theend of the Chassis section onthe microfiche, dated March1999, for the KX60-B15,KX80-W1/W2, KX125-L1and KX250-L1. This information will appear on the next edition ofKIC, Volume 3, 1999, which is due to dealers the end of May.�

New Optional Parts Grid on KX Microfiche

IN SEARCH OF THE ELUSIVE 22MM ALLEN

Several dealershipshave called to ask wherethey can get a 22mmAllen to remove the frontaxle and swingarm boltson the new ZX-7R, ZX-9R,and ZRX1100. Unfortu-nately, none of the stan-dard tool companies carrythis tool.

Here are a few ways tosolve the 22mm Allenproblem:• The tool kit with these models

includes a spark plug wrench with a22mm Allen on the opposite end.This can be used in a pinch but is notyour everyday shop tool.

• A 9/16-inch American bolt fromyour local hardware store will have a

nominal 22mm (7/8-inch) head.This can be welded or brazed into anappropriate socket to make a betterwrench than the one in the tool kit.Note—If you plan to use this Allenwith an air impact wrench, use onlyan air impact socket.

• The impeller removal tool (P/N57001-1228) also has a 22mmhead and could be brazed or weldedto a socket.

• For a first class shop tool, use 7/8-inch cold rolled steel hexagonal barstock and a half-inch drive 22mmimpact socket. You will need to drawfile .004 inches from each flat of the7/8-inch bar stock as it is slightlylarger than 22mm. Fit the stock to a22mm impact socket and either roll-pin or braze in place. Round off allsharp edges with a fine file and thenwire brush to smooth all the corners.

• If you can’t find 7/8-inch hex barstock locally, you can order somefrom Blue Ridge Machinery, 2905Putnam Avenue, Hurricane, WV25526, at (304) 562-3538. Theysell materials to the hobby industryand have six- and twelve-inch lengthsof bar stock available for about$5.00 plus postage. A 6-inch lengthmakes at least two wrenches andyou can make four wrenches from a12-inch length.

Take the time now tomake one of these 22mmwrenches. You will needone for setup and service,and the busy season isfast approaching!

Fred DeHart201 Circle Drive N. #107

Piscataway, NJ 08854(732) 469-1221

AN EASY WAY TO GET MORE PRMThat’s not a typo—

PRM is Public RelationsMileage, and if you arenear an AMA Supercross,Motocross, Road Race,Drag Race, or Off-Roadevent, one of the bestways to boost your PRMis to host an Open Housefeaturing Team Kawasaki.Call Kawasaki’s publicrelations firm, FreemanMcCue at (714) 557-3663,to request an autographsession.

Millennium Kawasakiin Lilburn, Ga., nearAtlanta, has held an eventwith the AMA Supercrosstwo years running. Co-owners Ken Shiver andChris McDonald cite sev-eral benefits. "It’s good PRbecause it shows yourcustomers you careenough to bring in theirheroes," says Shiver. It’sautomatically an excitingevent. Add a few touchesto make it festive and funand it becomes somethingpeople will remember andassociate with your shop.

The highlight is the rid-ers and their autographsession, but don’t stopthere. Make the whole

evening an event. That’s abig task, but there is a lotof help available if youask. "We had great sup-port from motocross ven-dors," Chris McDonaldsays. "Many of them(including your KMCAccessories rep) willdonate items you can giveaway at the event. Giveeveryone a ticket at thedoor and draw prizes allnight. That brings thecrowd in early and keepsthem interested. We evenmanaged to feed thecrowd, since Subway is aSupercross sponsor andthey kindly donated sand-wiches. "

A lot can be done if it’sa storewide event. Shiverand McDonald creditParts Manager KeithDavis for a lot of the suc-cess. "He made sure wehad plenty of the rightgear and Kawasaki acces-sories, worked up saleprices for everything andmade sure it was dis-played attractively. Withhis help, we turned astock KX into a TeamSplitfire replica. It didn’tsell that night, but it will."Davis has a tip to share:"If it can be autographed,you can sell it! Haveplenty of Kawasaki T-shirts and ball caps onhand."

Hosting TeamKawasaki adds credibilityto your store, saysMcDonald. "Serious dirtriders want a serious

PISCATAWAY/GRAND RAPIDS

4SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

Regional

ATLANTA/TULSA

by Rob TaylorSupervisor, CurriculumDevelopment

New special tools for the

Ultra 150

See the Irvine/Tacoma regionalarticle (this page) for special precau-tions for using these tools. There arefour new tools required for theJH1200-A1: Flywheel Puller (P/N57001-1426), Rotor Holder (P/N57001-1428), Coupler Holder (P/N57001-1423), and Impeller ShaftHolder (P/N 57001-1425). To checkthe throttle position sensor use Har-ness Adapter (P/N 57001-1400)which is also used on the ’98-99 ZX-9R, ’99 KX125 and KX250, ’99ZRX1100, and the 1998-’99 Vulcan™1500 Classic and Nomad™ cruisermodels.

Vulcan™ 1500 Drifter™ spe-

cial tools now available

There is one new tool for theDrifter, which is a Fuel Pressure GaugeAdapter (P/N 57001-1417). This isused with the existing Pressure Gauge(P/N 57001-164) to perform a fuelpressure check on the fuel injectionsystem. Install the adapter betweenthe main fuel filter and fuel supplyblock. Refer to the service manual fortesting procedures.�

shop; they want to knowyou’re into it. Bringing inthe pros sends that mes-sage." Millennium esti-mates a crowd of 350 to450 at this year’s OpenHouse, but, says Shiver,"don’t judge the successjust by the day’s receipts.Have a good event, spendtime with the crowd, andyou’ll see these peopleagain over the next weeksand months."

Walter Rainwater6110 Boat Rock Blvd. S.W.

Atlanta, GA 30378(404) 349-2000

ULTRA 150 FEATURES

The all-new Ultra 150Jet Ski® watercraft hasmany new features. Somecan be a technician’snightmare if a little pre-caution is not used. Asstated in Tool Corner (thispage), there are four newspecial tools required toservice the JH1200-A1. Toremove the flywheelmounting bolt, hold the

balancer drivegear, not the fly-wheel, withRotor Holder(P/N 57001-1428). Do not usethe Band Fly-wheel Holder(P/N 57001-1313) or anyother holder on the fly-wheel because it is thinand can easily be dam-aged. Use the FlywheelPuller (P/N 57001-1426)which screws onto the fly-wheel hub to remove theflywheel. Once again, donot hammer or pry on theflywheel.

Use Coupler Holder(P/N 57001-1423) toremove the new couplers.Be sure to apply a smallamount of silicone sealanton the coupler’s threadsbefore torquing. The newmixed flow pump uses adifferent impeller andimpeller shaft whichrequire the use of ImpellerHolder (P/N 57001-1425)to hold the shaft duringimpeller removal. TheJH1100/JT1100 ImpellerWrench (P/N 57001-1228)is also used on this model.

If the impeller or bear-ings are removed, makesure they are installedproperly. After torquingthe impeller, the impellerand shaft should rotatewith 26 in.-lb of force orless. If not, check the con-dition of the pump hous-ing bearings and make

sure they are seated prop-erly in the pump.

In the electrical depart-ment, the Ultra 150 uses apeak voltage adaptermade by KOWA SEIKI(P/N KEK-54-9-B) thatadapts to the Kawasakianalog multimeter (P/N5700-1394). The adapter isrequired to check the pri-mary voltage on theigniter and pick-up coilassembly.

The ULTRA uses twoelectrical boxes. The for-ward box contains theigniter and coils, and therear contains the regula-tor/rectifier and starterrelay. Be careful whenremoving the clips hold-ing the top covers on theboxes because theyappear to be hinged, butare not. They will proba-bly fall into the hull. Theelectrical system is all-new on this boat so besure to attend the Jet SkiElectrical Troubleshootingclass this autumn.�

Rob Taylor9950 Jeronimo Road

Irvine, CA 92618(949) 770-0400

5SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

News

IRVINE/TACOMA

Regional News -cont’d

CornerToolHold the balancer gear, NOT the flywheel

News

6SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

by John GriffinInstructionalDesigner/Instructor

“How many accessories can I add?Can I hook up an electric vest? CanI add grip or glove warmers? Whatabout adding a radio, CB, or cellphone? What if I just turn them onwhen going fast? Will my batterygo dead or will it be ok?”

Adding electrical acces-sories to most motorcyclescan create problems, butsome customers demandthem. What should youdo? Conduct a "break-

even test" on their unit todetermine if the electricaloutput is sufficient topower that accessory. Usethe ammeter function ofthe Kawasaki multimeter(P/N 57001-1394). Thisfunction is included onmost multimeters.

To conduct this test:turn the key off, switch themeter dial to 20A (or theequivalent on your meter),plug the red lead into theDC20A outlet and attach itto the negative (-) batterypost - not the cable. Plugthe black lead into thecommon (-) outlet on yourmeter and connect it to thebattery end of the groundcable. Before you push thestart button, hold the bat-tery ground cable to itsbattery post, then hit thestart button. If you forgetto do this you will damage

your meter or blow itsfuse. Once the unit is run-ning, pull the batteryground cable away fromthe post. The multimeternow functions as yourground connection andreads the flow of amper-age to or from the battery.

If the needle moves tothe left, you have a nega-tive flow of amperage.

This means the batteryis actually discharging. Asthe engine rpm increases,the charging outputshould increase from anegative flow, to thebreak-even point which isthe rpm at which the bat-tery is neither chargingnor discharging. In otherwords, when the chargingsystem output is justenough to power all theelectrical equipment inuse. Write down thebreak-even rpm. Abovethis rpm positive (orcharging) current willbegin to flow. The positiveflow of amperage will con-tinue to increase with rpmuntil the voltage regulatorkicks in. If you increasethe electrical load by acti-vating the high beam,

horn, or turn signals, orthe cooling fan comes on,the engine will have to revhigher for the chargingsystem to reach the break-even point. Likewise, themore electrical accessoriesyou power, the higher therpm needed to achieve thebreak-even point. Ask thecustomer what type of rid-ing they do, such as in-town or highway or somecombination of both. Tryto determine at what rpmthey typically ride. OnVulcan™ motorcycles, youmay need to use a digitaltachometer to get someidea what rpm that is,since the customer willonly know the speed andgear.

If a unit never reachesthe break-even point, orreaches it at too high anrpm, there are a coupleoptions. The customer canchoose to remove some ofthe accessories, or you canwire accessories with aseparate ON/OFF switchso the user can activatethem only when ridingabove the determinedbreak-even rpm or thecustomer can.�

Adding ElectricalAccessories

Before you push the start button, hold the batteryground cable to its battery post. If you forget to do thisyou will destroy your meter or blow its fuse.

Once running,pull the battery

ground cableaway from thenegative post.

This bike ischarging the

battery with 6-7amps at idle.

PersonalWatercraftTest Tankby Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

A few years ago, weran an article encouragingwatercraft dealers to pur-chase a test tank. In thatarticle we also recom-mended a supplier, BreseeManufacturing, who wefelt offered a good qualitytank at a reasonable price.Since then Bresee Manu-facturing has improvedtheir tank significantly.

The improved designdoes a much better job ofmanaging the water flowof today’s high perfor-mance, large displacementpersonal watercraft. Atwide-open throttle, thesebig personal watercraft

move a tremendousamount of water. Design-ing a compact tank thatwill handle this waterflow, continuously deliv-ering smooth non-aeratedwater to the jet pump,without draining the test

tank onto the ground ordrenching the operator, isno easy task.

We recently had anopportunity to try out thisredesigned test tank andwere very impressed withthe results. It handled aJT1100 at wide open throt-tle with barely a splashgetting out of the tank andno pump cavitation at all.We’ve seen much largercustom-made tanks thatcouldn’t do that. If youneed a test tank, we sug-gest you consider this one.

For more information,call:

Bresee Manufacturing14302 Plantana Drive La Mirada, CA 90638

(562) 944-7339.�

7SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

Tech Tips

Here are Team Green’s latest recommendations for jetting on the 1999 KX models. These specs are for Sea Level (up to 2500ft) and moderate

weather conditions. You may remember we published some jetting recommendations for the KX125 and 250 in a previous issue (Fall ’98), but these are

different from those. The Team Green™ technicians continued to experiment with different jetting and found calibrations that worked even better. We

suggest you use these specs as a starting point when fine tuning carburetors.—Ed. �

1999 KX Jetting Recommendations

KX JETTING KX60-B15 KX80-W2 KX125-L1 KX250-L1

Stock T.G. Stock T.G. Stock T.G. Stock T.G.

MAIN JET 200 --- 125 --- 158 --- 158 155KMC P/N 92063-022 92063-1334 92063-1367 92063-1367 92063-1366NEEDLE & CLIP 5114-3 --- N5HF-3 --- N7PW-3 N7NW-3 N3YK-4 N3YK-3KMC P/N 16009-1220 16009-1960 16187-1089 16187-1084 16187-1074 16187-1074NEEDLE JET N-8 N-6 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/AKMC P/N 16017-1215 16017-1259POWER JET N/A N/A N/A N/A 52 --- 55 60KMC P/N 16159-1055 16159-1054 16159-1057PILOT JET 30 --- 58 55 45 48 45 ---KMC P/N 92064-1030 92064-1146 92064-1145 92064-1142 92064-1143 92064-1142SLIDE 2.0 --- 3.0 --- 6.0 --- 7.0 ---KMC P/N 16025-1107 16025-1162 16025-1215 16025-1216AIR SCREW N/A N/A 1-1/2 --- 1-1/2 1-1/2 1-1/2 1-1 3/4TURNS OUT

by Don ChurchManager, Service Trainingand Communications

How closely did youread the A&P Supple-ment (P/N 99931-1344-51) for the Ultra 150?

If you didn't read it,we'd like to point outsomething you haven'tseen before on a Jet Ski®watercraft. Open to page4, and at the bottom ofthe second column you

will see the instruction totorque the three rearmounting plate nuts. Besure to torque them tothe new torque spec aslisted here, and againafter the first 10 hours ofriding. NOTE: The torque spec forthese nuts has been reducedto 19.6 N-m (2.0 kg-m, 14.5ft-lb).

The studs go throughthe hull to the deckensuring that they are

precisely aligned andrigidly bonded (espe-cially important for anew boat when the fiber-glass and bonding glueare in the final stages ofcuring).

Another item we wantto point out is that thecarburetor cable and oilpump cable must beadjusted at the same time- first the carbure-tor, then the oilpump. See theprocedure onpages 7 and 8.Although it seemsconfusing, if youfollow the stepsyou will get itright. But here'sanother way tothink of it.

First make surethe carburetorcable has slackwith the throttlereleased (in the

idle position). Adjust thecarburetor cable if neces-sary. Then apply thethrottle fully (wide-openthrottle) and make surethere is a gap betweenthe stopper pin on the oilpump and the pulley.(See drawing) Adjust theoil pump cable if neces-sary. That gap should beapprox. 0.5mm.�

8SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

Tech Tips

Ultra 150 Assembly and Preparation

OilPump

Gap at FullThrottle

JH1200-A1 Ultra 150 Oil Pump Secrets

by Kenny OsbergProduct Support Specialist

Since some of your Ultra 150 customers will be buying them for racing, it won’t take long before you get your first inquiry froma customer about removing the oil pump and running premixed fuel. You’ve been doing that for years, right? However, this time-honored and well known race secret is not a good idea on the new JH1200 engine. The problem is this; the oil pump doesn’tjust deliver oil to the carburetors, but it also maintains the proper oil level in the two balancer chambers.

Oil that goes to the front and rear balancer chambers passes from the balancer chamber through a check valve into the frontand rear crankcases. The oil pump delivers less oil to the outer two carburetors to compensate for the oil coming from the bal-ancer chambers.

Removing the oil pump will eventually result in low oil level in the balancer chambers (especially the rear one, which has avery small capacity) and cause damage to the balancer bearings. You might decide to leave the oil pump on with the balanceroil lines connected, and route the carburetor oil lines back to the oil tank. This would ensure proper lubrication to the balancersbut would result in excessive oil to the front and rear cylinders since premixing delivers the same amount of oil to all three carbure-tors.

The bottom line is this: If you decide to experiment with applying that old race modification to this new product, remember thatyou are indeed experimenting and at your own risk! And remember that all 1999 watercraft are controlled by Federal emissionsregulations. Modifications to the lubrication and fuel systems should only be done for use in closed-course racing.�

9SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

Tech Tips

by Charles YimProduct Quality Engineer

We recently visitedKawasaki Heavy Indus-tries, Ltd. (KHI) in Japanto learn more about ournew flagship PWC, theUltra 150. We learned anumber of technical tidbitsthat I thought might inter-est you.

Oil PumpThe oil pump has five

outlet fittings. It is impor-tant to connect each oilline to the correct fittingsince oil output volume isnot the same on all ofthem. As there are nomarkings on the oil pumpto identify them, refer tothe drawing in the servicemanual to assure you

attach the lines correctly. If the oil pump cable

breaks or becomes discon-nected from the oil pumppulley, the variable orificeinside the pump becomeswide open and oil flowgoes to the maximum (forthe engine rpm) similar toour older style non-vari-able pumps. The enginewill not be damaged butthe unit will begin tosmoke and use oil at afaster rate.

Balancer ChambersAfter a JH1200 engine

bottom end is assembled,the balancer chambersmust be filled with two-stroke oil (the same asused in the injection tank).The rear chamber takes20cc of oil and the frontchamber, which also con-tains the starter gears andmagneto, takes 200cc.

CylindersThere are two cylinder

part numbers listed on themicrofiche and KIC. Onepart number is listed forearly engines up to num-ber 00999 and the otherpart number is for enginenumber 01000 and later.They are not listed asinterchangeable but theonly difference is thelower exhaust manifoldstud hole. On the earlycylinder (P/N 11005-3745)that stud hole extends allthe way into the waterjacket. It requires a 66mmstud with a locking agenton the threads to preventleakage. The later cylinder(P/N 11005-3737) uses a56mm stud and doesn’trequire a locking agent.The earlier cylinder (P/N11005-3745) has a "5"punched on the outer topsurface of the exhaust portfor easy identification.

Overheat SensorThe engine overheat

sensor is threaded into asmall cavity located in thetop of the expansionchamber. This cavity isfilled with 10W30 engine

oil. This cavity only holds0.8cc of fluid, but it mustbe filled with oil for thesensor to function prop-erly. Don’t loosen this sen-sor unless you have toreplace it because it’s notthat easy to refill the cav-ity due to its orientation.

HullThere are grooves

(seven on each side) at thebottom rear corners of theUltra 150 hull. Thesegrooves are about 260mmlong and about 2 mmwide and are designed toreduce any tendency ofthe hull to bounce at highspeeds on smooth water.

MetersWhen the ignition is

turned on, all eight LCDsegments of the fuel gaugelight up for two secondsas part of the self-checkfeature. After that, onlyseven of the eight seg-ments will light even withthe fuel tank completelyfull. The eighth (top) seg-ment does not light duringnormal operation.�

Ultra 150Tidbits

Front Balancer

Front Carb

Rear Balancer

Center Carb

Rear Carb

Punch Mark “5”

Exhaust Stud Hole

10SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

Tech Tips

by Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

Engine Idle SpeedDo not adjust the

engine idle speed on aVulcan™ 1500 Drifter™cruiser with a

cold engine. The idlespeed is affected signifi-cantly by the ISC (IdleSpeed Control) valvesuntil the coolant tempera-ture reaches about 100degrees F. By the time theengine is warm, the ISCvalves will no longer beoperating and proper idlespeed adjustments can bemade.

Throttle Body Dowel PinsThere are two

brass dowel pinsbetween the Fuel

Injection Throttle Bodyand the Intake Manifold.They don’t fit very tight ineither part. Whenever you

separate those two parts,be careful not to drop thedowel pins into theengine.

Coolant Temperature SensorThe engine tempera-

ture Sensor is mounted inthe bottom of the thermo-stat housing under thespeedometer. Unlike ourprevious fuel injectionsystems, which sensedcylinder head tempera-ture, this one sensescoolant temperature. Itwill not function properlyif the coolant level is low.If the coolant level is low,you might notice the ISCvalves working overtime

or the vehicle might runrich when warm.

Vehicle Down SensorIf a Drifter tips over

while running, the fuelinjection and fuel pumpwill shut off (after aboutfive seconds). When thishappens, the unit will notrestart until the ignitionswitch has been cycled offand back on. However,the starter motor willwork, so someone who isnot aware of this couldrun the battery down try-ing to restart it. Make sureyour dealership personneland Drifter customersknow about this. �

Drifter™

Fuel-Injection Tips

KawaChem 100% Synthetic Motorcycle Engine Oil

Kawasaki has just released our new 100% Synthetic Engine oil in theUSA. This is our top of the line, premium high performance engine oil. It isblended by MOTUL® and primarily designed for engines used in severeapplications such as all-out sport bike riding or slow speed, high tempera-ture stop-and-go traffic. The oil has a balanced lubrication package thatallows the wet clutch to operate efficiently and helps to extend plate life.The oil has an extremely high resistance to thermal viscosity breakdownwith the ability to handle running temperatures up to 330 degrees Fahren-heit and a maximum temperature of 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Because ofthe high-quality synthetic base oils, when the oil is super heated in criticalareas such as valves and ring grooves, almost no coking deposits are left.This oil uses both PAO and ester synthetic base oils. The oil is polar, so itsticks to iron and steel. This means your engine never starts metal to metal.It has up to three times more film strength than petroleum oils and up totwo times that of blends. It utilizes a strong anti-foam additive to keep oil

pressure high and heat trans-fer at a maximum level.

Available in one-quarteasy-pour bottles. ExceedsAPI SG/SF/CD and CCMC G-5standards.�—by RogerDavis, Senior ProductSpecialist

Salt Water Protection for your PWCWhen a watercraft is used in salt water and not

protected, salt deposits form throughout the cool-ing system and jet drive. These deposits produce

rapid corrosion of metal parts. The salt deposits and corrosion in the coolingsystem can reduce the effectiveness of heat transfer, causing the engine torun hotter and eventually (in extreme cases) engine damage. Deposits andcorrosion in the jet pump can cause abnormal wear and premature failures.

Salt Eliminator is a salt "deactivator". It can be used to flush cooling sys-tems or as a spray on watercraft exteriors and jet pumps to remove saltdeposits and protect against corrosion after the vehicle was used in saltwater. Once applied, a protective coating stays on the surface until the nextuse. Always rinse the craft and flush the cooling system with fresh waterbefore applying Salt Eliminator.

When used to flush the cooling system, concentrated Salt Eliminator isplaced in a mixer device (which comes with the quart size container), andconnected between the flush hose and the watercraft. The mixer automati-cally provides the proper mix to fight salt-induced corrosion in the coolingsystem. It is also available in a pre-mixed spray to use on finished surfacesand jet pumps.�—by Roger Davis, Senior Product SpecialistSalt Eliminator:Quart with mixer device ..........K61080-109 Dlr.: $14.97 Ret.: $29.95

Gallon refill ................................K61080-108 Dlr.: $17.47 Ret.: $34.95

Oz. spray ..................................K61080-110 Dlr.: $4.48 Ret: $8.95

Dowel Pins

by Steve RiceProduct Support Specialist

Ever had a customer come into your store waving a stack of computer printouts, allInternet postings, all from different Internet users, and all about the same problem on thesame model motorcycle? Of course the customer wielding the Internet postings owns the

same model motorcycle. If you’ve had this happen, you’re not alone; if you haven’t, you probably will.Ah, the Internet, the Information Age, the Age of Enlightenment. Or is it the Misinformation Age, the Age of Confusion? The

customer with the computer printouts will probably fall into one of two categories.First, this customer may have been complaining about the same symptoms on his motorcycle as described in the Internet

stories. In this case, the Internet may serve a useful purpose, especially if the customer’s complaint has never been verified orif your repair attempts have been unsuccessful. In this case, the information the customer discovered on the Internet could serveto legitimize his complaint or even provide your service department with some clues as to the solution. This is good... the Ageof Enlightenment.

The second category includes two possible scenarios. Either the customer has never complained of this problem before butnow he says he has had the problem all along, or he doesn’t claim to have experienced the problem but is sure he will andwants his bike fixed before he does. This is not so good...the Age of Confusion (or Fear).

These situations (the good scenarios as well as the bad) are often made much more difficult by the fact that these Internetpostings are frequently riddled with incorrect or misleading information. After all, there are no minimum requirements for intel-ligence, education, experience, communication skills or honesty that someone must meet before posting a story on the Inter-net. And there is no way to know for sure what motivated a person to post a story. This is important for your dealership toremember when dealing with one of these customers. Anyone can post anything they want for any reason. This is why all Inter-net postings should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism. If you have any doubts about your customer’s claims or sto-ries on the Internet, call our Technical Hotline and discuss the situation.

Also be aware that millions of people (worldwide) read the Internet, and that your dealership is vulnerable to that sameinformation/misinformation potential. A very happy customer or a very unhappy customer could decide to air his opinion pub-licly on his computer. Whether he’s speaking the truth or not, what your customer writes about you will be read (and believed)by lots and lots of potential customers. As always, word-of-mouth advertising is a powerful thing, but now the stakes are muchhigher. And as always, an unhappy customer is much more likely to voice (or post) his opinion than a happy customer. So pro-viding good customer service—treating your customers with fairness and honesty, may have more effect on your future suc-cess than ever before.�

11SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

Tech Tips

“...I Read About It on the Internet”Drifter™ ThrottleSensor

by David BehlingsParts Data Coordinator

As you all know bynow, the Vulcan™ 1500Drifter™ is our newestfuel-injected model.Some of you may haveworked on our olderfuel-injected models likethe ZX1100-A1 GPZ1000 back in 1983. Thethrottle position sensoron that model wasadjustable with a specialtool. The Drifter’s throt-tle sensor is incrediblysensitive and plays alarge part in fuel deliv-ery. It should not beadjusted and is not soldseparately from thethrottle body. Pleasetake special care so youdon’t bump or damagethe Drifter throttle sen-sor.�

Drifter ™ Accessory Loadby Gregg ThompsonProduct Support Supervisor

Please be aware and inform your customers that the Kawasaki VN1500 Drifter™ motorcycle has a

maximum electrical accessory load capacity of 70 watts. Adding too many electrical accessories can

cause the battery to discharge over time. This, of course, will depend to a great extent on how the

motorcycle is ridden. The more time spent on the highway, the more electrical load it can handle. The

more time spent in town and in traffic (where the engine is turning slower plus the demand from turn

signals, brake light and the cooling fan is much higher) the less accessory load it can handle.�

Cover

12SPRING 1999 K-TECH NEWS

The diesel combustionchamber design is criticalsince it must control themixing of the injected fuelwith air, and the uniformcombustion of the mix-ture. The Diesel Muleengine uses a sphericalauxiliary combustionchamber. Air compressedby the piston enters theswirl chamber where thefuel is injected. High tur-bulence in the swirl cham-ber helps most of the fuelto burn before it enters themain combustion cham-ber through a small trans-fer passage.

Fuel Injection PumpThe Nippon Denso-

made, Bosch VE-type

injection pump deliverspressurized fuel to theinjectors. It is gear drivenand timed to the crank-shaft to deliver fuel toeach cylinder on the com-pression stroke. Accuratetiming is critical. Fortu-nately, once timing is set,it doesn’t need to be read-justed.

The injection pump hasa mechanical advancer foroptimum injection timingat different engine speeds.It controls engine powerand speed by varying fuelvolume to the injectorswith its built-in governorconnected by cable to thevehicle’s throttle pedal.

Even the injectors arecompletely mechanical,with pin-type nozzles. As

fuel from the pump risesin pressure, it overcomesthe spring force andpushes the needle off itsseat in the nozzle bodyand fuel sprays into theswirl chamber. Extra fuelflows through the injec-tors to cool them and thenreturns to the fuel tank.The fuel injection nozzlescan be tested using a com-monly available nozzletester and disassembledand cleaned if necessary.The opening pressure canbe adjusted by altering thespring tension with differ-ent thickness shims.

RequirementsClean fuel is a must for

diesel fuel pumps andinjectors to function prop-

erly. The fuel pump issensitive because it func-tions as a distributor andthrottle since there are nospark plugs or throttlebutterfly plates, for thoseof you new to diesel tech-nology. Contaminantsand water can causeexpensive damage, so afuel filter, water separator,and priming pump ismounted under the seat.The filter element isreplaceable and there isan outlet on the bottom toallow the draining ofwater from the system.

Kawasaki will bereleasing more informa-tion on this exciting newmodel as we get closer toits scheduled September1999 release.�

Diesel Mule™ 2510 -Cont’d

Diesel Mule™ Tourby Carole LangfordMedia and Public

Relations Coordinator

The Diesel Mule™ Tour officially began with

a stop in Central California, January 13, 1999.

Since then they have made 43 stops, visiting

dealers and customers in Nevada, Oklahoma,

Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. By

the time you read this, the tour will have contin-

ued on through Georgia and Florida.

The tour has had an enthusiastic response. So

far, 475 people have driven the Mule and

Kawasaki has given away 620 hats! The dealers

have received the tour in a variety of ways. Some

demonstrated to their staff only, while others

invited customers and had a catered breakfast

and/or barbecue. The only problem so far has

been telling the dealers and customers they must

wait a short while before they can get their own.

The DM950D three-cylinder diesel engine in the Diesel Mule™ 2510 uses a geardriven Bosch VE-type injection pump made by Nippon Denso. Fuel delivery is con-trolled mechanically. The throttle controls the amount of fuel delivered to threeinjectors via the carefully designed, equal-length fuel pipes. The injection pumpincorporates a governor and timing advancer, also mechanical. The correct timingmust be set using a dial indicator to measure plunger stroke at TDC of the numberone piston.