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-   -   Homecoming! 1990 Kawasaki KB100 RTZ (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/175557-homecoming-1990-kawasaki-kb100-rtz.html)

After nearly 13 years of layoff and rusting in the garage, specially the last one year when i poured through all the threads for the Delta, finally got my 1990 RTZ to Delhi so that i could start using it on weekends for stretching my legs. Its completely stock and needs servicing and spares but it still hums and belches out oodles of smoke like old times when the right grip is twisted...:uncontrol

The carburetor is over flowing regularly, the fuel tap has decided to supply petrol irrespective of its position and the front shockers have more oil outside than inside. The front brake shoes are non existent and there is a loud patter noise from the front on speeds beyond 45 right up to 80 kmph. Did not have the guts to go beyond that.

After more than a decade of it languishing in Varanasi I finally got my Delta to Delhi on 1st May 2016. Thankfully all electricals are working including the horn, indicators, tell tale lights and the meter lights. The headlight has a 35/35W 12V halogen but I am on the lookout for the original Stanley. RHS mirror is original King albeit slightly discoloured but still better than the after market replacement on the LHS. The paint on the sides is intact but the top of the petrol tank has faded due to outside parking in the sun when i was using it from 1994 to 2003. The power is still explosive beyond 4000 rpm when the bike is ready to rocket off and do a wheelie if the accelerator is twisted suddenly.

I rode it from New Delhi Railway Station to Faridabad on Sunday and I must say that inspite of reading all nostalgic comments about the RX and the KB in various threads it did feel dated compared to the crowd of Pulsars, FZ and even Splendours. Cruising at 40-45 was ok but to keep up with the normal traffic which was moving at 50-60 kmph on Mathura Road I had to open the accelerator and it was like a banshee scream with everyone staring at my smoking ride :eek:

I know pictures are due and would try to do that tomorrow morning.

One query though, what are the best tyres in terms of road grip, on curves and during braking for the Delta? At present am using 18" x 2.75" MRF in front and 18" x 3.00" Ceat at rear on stock rims.

Circa 3rd May, 2016- Let me try to add a few snaps of how the bike looks before launching into its history

All of 25 years old... and still smoking

History- It all started when we passed out of school and one of my class friend bought a wine red RTZ delta somewhere in 1988-89. I fell for it hook line and sinker. When I got through into engineering my parents promised me a bike but only if i pooled in some of my stipend money. Over an year managed to hoard Rs.5000/- and in September 1990 it was time to visit the Bajaj showroom. My elder brother and me with Rs. 22,000/- in a Gandhi type side bag went shopping for a bike. There were two shades of Deltas in the showroom that day- grey and wine red. since my mind was already made up and I had umpteen dreams of riding a wine red bike there was actually no decision required (it was all fixed). September 25th I got my dream bike and for the next couple of months every spare minute whenever i was home was spent on cleaning and polishing it. My young sis also not to be left behind started riding it while i was attending college but then one day as she was trying to negotiate the lanes of our locality a typical banarasi bhaiyya on a priya/bajaj scooter hit her from the RHS. The impact was such that the carb cover with the delta monogram was broken into pieces. Thankfully there was no injury to her but the impact twisted the steering joint so that even today there is an angle of almost 3-5 degrees between the plane of the bike to the rear of the steering and the front fork and tyres. It still rides ok but there is a tendency to pull to the left hand side and hard application of front brakes sees side slips.

Circa-come 1991 and while in my 3rd year I decided to lug my bike all the way to my college in Jamalpur/Bihar. However, there were no long trips there except the occasional rides to Monghyr and I brought it back when college ended. The period at Jamalpur was frustrating because the bike was having severe tuning issues and the nearest Bajaj service station was at Bhagalpur which was nearly 60 kms away.

Come 1994, when i got posted to Diesel Locomotive Works at Varanasi, it became my daily ride and for more than 8 years it did duty faithfully without a squeak. Once I moved to Delhi in 2003, it got neglected and was languishing in the garage under an old bedsheet till the day I decided to bring it to Delhi. However, trying to put it in working order has made me realise that the world has marched ahead and something which could smoke all he HH and Ind-Suzukis is crippled today because nobody has the spare parts for a 2 stroker now. It is almost the same way we incredulously looked at 20 and 30 year old jawas and yezdi's in the late nintees, people turn and stare at my RTZ. Most of the kids of today on RC and Dukes/Pulsars and Gixxers have never even heard that there was a bike born out of collaboration between Bajaj and Kawasaki. The 2 stroke motor leaves them puzzled because probably they have never heard one.

Present- As I sit back in my home at Faridabad and recapitulate about the bike I remember that I fell for it because of its sober, clean geometrical fuel tank and the tail fairing. The longest wheel base and widest tyres of 3.00 x 18 rear and 2.75x18 in front were class leading because the bike which everyone aimed to beat-the RX had skimpy 2.5 " in front and 2.75" at the back. The meter console had me hooked, and night driving was something i looked forward to with the yellow glow of the meters and the sharp bright headlight which could illuminate everything up to 150m without a fuss. I remember the test report of the KB100 in the Indian Auto Journal which mentions that the bike outshone every thing on two wheels and a lot of four wheelers also in the headlight beam department. The turn indicators were out of this world and the brake light was leagues ahead compared to the other Jap bikes.The drum brakes were again the largest and stopping power was reassuring. I believe the RX scored over the RTZ in engine and gear box but everything else in the RTZ stood head and shoulder above the RX. Original rear view mirrors were worth their weight in gold and the rectangular shape ensured adequate angle of view. The single ignition key which also doubled up as handle lock was convenient and quick.

On kick starting there was an auto rickshaw like drone which quickly changed to a high pitched screamed as the throttle grip was twisted. Have to give credit to Yamaha/Escorts that off the starting block the RX was always ahead in initial acceleration, but once you reached 40 the KB was in its elements with crisp handling. The suspension was adequate for the kind of potholes we used to have on the roads way back in the ninetees and the tyres provided a reassuring stability. It was the only bike which had everything stock down to the saree guard, leg guard and mud flaps and did not require any add ons. However it had its fair share of gremlins- the carb setting and tuning had to be spot on otherwise it made life hell with flat spots and its performance would dip to being akin on a TVS 50XL. With all the electricals there were problems of trying to keep everything in working order. Infact most of the time the front lever operated hand brake which had a brake light switch was a perpetual irritant, probably because of its design. The large boxy and portruding tail light was prone to breakage. But the biggest disadvantage on this bike I felt was the seat. You could hardly ride for a couple of hours before your backside would start giving indications of the torture it was being put through to.

But once on the move, it was probably closest to the Feel Like Good (F*L*G*) experience...

I believe the original Kawasaki machine on which this bike was based was a 125 cc 5 speed machine. However, the engine was reduced to just under 100cc for economic reasons. Mated to a 4 speed gear box it resulted in a substantial gap between the 1st and the second gear. The first could make the bike do wheelies at the simple twitch of the accelerator but shifting to second in crowded city conditions resulted in poor lugging. 2nd to 4th are well spaced out gears but then you start missing the 5th cog. In 4th, by the time time you touch 40kmph the engine is doing around 3600-3700rpm and by the time you cross 55kmph you are desperately praying for the extra gear. The bike is literally screaming beyond 5000rpm and unless you are a hard rock enthusiast few would like to be seen on the Delta at speeds upto the 11000rpm limit. The fastest that I have managed on it is an indicated 97-98 kmph on NH2 between Varanasi and Allahabad. Believe me, at those speeds the rear view mirrors are useless, not because of speed, but because of the amount of smoke belched out from the exhaust. For the same reason because of having 4 gears the cruising speeds with tolerable levels of dB, I would say 45-50 kmph is ideal for this bike since you get the best combo of speed v/s sound. Throughout the speed range beyond 4000rpm the bike has a tendency to respond flawlessly and is a willing road scorcher if you can handle the din from the air cooled single cylinder engine. As already pointed out earlier, the Delta scores oodles of brownie points on handling, stability and maneuverability. (Remember we are comparing this bike to the others available during its time viz. TVS Suzuki AX-100, the HH CD-100, and the RX-100 a quarter of a century ago) I am sure that bikes of the current generation would have much more improved ergonomics and would rate high in almost all parameters of riding ease. It had a good extended body design and I at 5'11" found it well spaced out even two up. The riding position was adequately erect for city rides or touring, and if Bajaj had done something to the seat to make it more rider friendly it would have removed the last glitch in this stallion's armoury.

Although the bike looks relatively ok in pictures but it needs mechanical inputs like carb tuning, front shocker repairs, brakepad replacement, fuel tap replacement, etc. which I plan to get done over the coming weekend. While I was riding my bike from New Delhi station on 1st May (Sunday) I realised that it is separated from the current gen ones by more than a generation. The average balancing speed of bikes nowdays seems to be around 55 kmph. For the KB and the RX I believe 40-45 is sedate where the engine is turning over without much effort, and anything over 50 kmph is a head turner with the 11 horses playing truant.











There's an addage- Man always learns..he is learning throughout is life. and for me it could'nt be truer than learning new aspects of my Delta.

Varanasi is a pretty old city, probably as old as mankind city. And with this comes the baggage of an old congested ill planned (the new developments and extensions only since I still find the old city to be quite planned for its time) city. Since the bike had primarily been ridden in Varanasi with a few spurts in BHU and DLW its normal running speeds were 30-35 occasionally touching 45-50. Only a few times it had been taken on the state highway/NH2. So what should one expect when it comes to driving in NCR. Read on...

Since the bike had landed here on 1st May itself I had decided to get some of the repairs on the coming weekend i.e. 7th & 8th May. Took it to TCS Bajaj service center in Faridabad on Saturday morning at 9am sharp. After a wait of nearly 45 minutesmy turn came and the service advisor evaluated the bike and asked me whether i wanted to get it serviced. I declined and asked for the front shock absorbers and front wheel brake shoes to be attended to. The carb was overflowing badly and the fuel cock was not helping things at all. He was pretty confident that their old hand Shakeel would be able to handle all the necessary work. Before leaving the bike I asked to meet Shakeel and once he came chatted with him generally to get an idea of what i was walking into. Finally left the bike and was asked to pick it up at 5pm. I was back at 3pm and the bike had been attended to. When I tested the bike the rpm was around 2500rpm on idle. Since the adjusting screw just above the carburetor casing does not work they took it back on the shop floor and readjusted the rpm i believe after opening the carburetor. I took the bike and left. The bike seemed to be responding much better. The front brakes had more bite but the front tyre (aound 8 years old but done barely 300 odd kms) was on the verge of skidding many times due to hardened rubber. The first thing i did was to buy a Michelin shoe size 2.75x18 for the front and the road holding behaviour of my Delta changed drastically after that. Combination braking at speeds of 40 to zero resulted into sure stops in straight line without any tendency to skid.

@Alok
As you suggested the gear oil has been changed. So too with the front fork oil and seals. The foam type air filter changed at 300kms since the bike landing at Faridabad. The front tyre has been changed to Michelins 2.75x3.00 and performing fantastically thank you Alok buddy.

Some more snaps of the original cheetah cheetah...bike...













Report after 300kms at Faridabad-

Since i dont get time in the day all my riding experience is limited to weekends or after dinners strolls...on my Delta.

Pros-
Crisp acceleration
top speed attained at night 80kmph (indicated)
top speed attained on sunday morning NH2 is 100kmph (indicated)
Using Osram halogen 35/35 12V the headlight is clean and effective-specially on dark unlit roads.
The bike burbles along at 40-45 kmph and begs to be revved up.
Meter console- still crazy about the display after more than 25 years of ownership
Stability and braking-specially the front wheel...Michelins doing great stuff there.

Cons-
Smoke smoke and smoke- lots of it over 4500rpm and its a fog at 80kmph
Behaves like a suvega below 4000rpm
Fuel consumption 25-26kmph more like a Ferrari
Clunking sound from the steering head or front shock absorbers

Hey there,

I too have/had a KB100 RTZ Delta. All of my adventures with it is described in this thread
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ecame-atv.html

Ask me if you need anything.

And without going into much detail about the tyre size, I suggest you to use the widest tyre you can fit into the forks. The brake drum itself is as big as a Pulsar's one and it has good stopping power. All it needs is some wider rubber to provide stopping power.

:thumbs up

Ha ha. Control man. Check the 2T pump setting, change the gear box oil, front fork oil etc first.

Instead of upsizing better to stick with manufacturer recommended size with Michelin tyres. Michelin is having good grip in 18 x 3.0 size itself.

Thanks @Alok. Will check out if Michelin is available in that tyre size in Faridabad. Although my rear tyre is relatively new- only about a 100 odd kms, but it has been there for more than 5-6 years and the rubber seems to be harder and less supple now. Want something stickier which helps in braking and cornering stupid:

Now let me come to the part where i was mentioning Varanasi. Throughout the bike has been sedately run at 40-45 kmph in Varanasi. So when the bike landed at NCR and issues of front brakes and suspension had been attended to I decided to take it on the open NH2 on Sunday morning. After riding nearly 40 kms my observations are
- The engine is rev friendly but sounds like an AK47 in full swing
- I tried to find a sweet spot when the bike is in its elements. Unfortunately that was somewhere at 42 kmph.
- I realised that the engine always seems to be under stress at 4000rpm onwards.
- At speeds of an indicated 80 kmph vibrations creep in to handle bar and foot pegs. pretty unnerving...
- power seems to be available on tap as you twist the accelerator

Great one, I always liked the styling of KB100 (and KB125) over the RX100 (and RXG/RX135). I think the rear seat rake / grab rails contribute a lot to the more sporty look of Kawasaki compared to the Yamaha. Yam with its rectangular seat was a real "goods carrier" in looks department although they did fix it with RXZ ...

I remember the Cheetah as advertisement mascot - was it KB or RX?

Thank you @GTO and team BHP for shifting the thread from the assembly line to the forum.

@Alpha1 it was the KB ad which compared it to the cheetah. If i remember correctly the bike would start moving, then transform into a cheetah and finally become a bike again on stopping :)

Wow, brought back memories of my KB in Black, numbered KA 05 8391 (I still recall). Had one from 91 to 2001-2, for over ten years. In fact when I wanted to dispose there were hardly any buyers around as Splendor was ruling the market.

But, though it was a very problematic bike I used to enjoy taking care of it. In fact I used to spend more time on it than at home. The electricals were probably the best you could find in bike those days, though engine wasn't that great (noisy and low mileage). The X Stroke stickering, 12 volt electricals, long & comfortable seat, KB badging, the 'resonator', engine kill switch, swell turn indicators & mirrors, awesome dashboard and path-breaking advertisements with the cheetah, placed it ahead of its times.

This thread and the pics brought back fond memories of my first bike ever. Mine was a 1990 make RTZ as well and in wine red colour. I was in class 12 when my father brought it home on the condition that I can use it only when I went to college. It was quite a wait then. Have had great experiences with the RTZ. I remember buying the bike for 20k INR on road in July 1990. Had to sell it 3 years later as too many problems cropped up and maintenance became an expensive affair. Sold the bike for 18K INR in 1993 and bought the Suzuki Samurai. Thanks mate for taking me on a journey down memory lane.

Those days the OE mirrors of the KB100 were targets for thieves as they were stylish and boasted of top notch quality. I have had mine flicked twice (once in college). The make of the OE mirror was Alpha Toyo and I recall buying one for 120 INR in 1991 at the Bajaj dealer. It was a lot of money then.

Fantastic...the bike seems to be in very good condition. One of the rare bikes that came with a centrifugal valve system instead of reed valve. The engine had loads of potential but thanks to its weak clutch you cannot harness/mod it fully.

This color was crisp back in its day along with the grey variant. Blue was very rarely seen and probably one of the first bike to come with loads of gadgets like the Tachometer/odometer/seat cowlings, fuel guage.

Do keep your thread regularly updated if you are using it on a daily basis.

Atul mate what a trip down the memory lane you triggered and I must say you've maintained a 25 year old bike in good condition.

I mentioned this on other threads too that I had an admiration for the underdog Kawasaki KB100 and KB125 amongst the more popular models like Yamaha RX100 RX135, Suzuki Shogun Shaolin, etc. I somehow liked the more boxy design of the KB's than its other counterparts. Also that maroon colour looked awesome during a bright sunny day. Among the sea of RX100's, RX135's, Shaolin's and Shogun's it is good to see an occasional Kawasaki KB100. I remember gunning for the KB100 and KB125 always during unofficial drag races outside our college campus. Those were the days when 2 strokes smoked all their 4 stroke counterparts in competitions. I always felt what if someone did performance mods on the KB100 and KB125 as we see on Yamaha's and Shogun's. How would it run?

Thank you @ku69rd. Even though it has done nearly 45000km and 25 years but condition seems ok is because it was lying covered in the garage for the last 13 years.

The paint work seems to have endured because I was daily waxing and buffing it using Formula One carnoba wax polish whereas the recommended frequency is about 3 months or so...:D

Occasionally when I would go to Varanasi I would try to revive it but since it would again be parked in the garage on my return it was a thankless and mindless effort (case of heart over mind perhaps). I somehow got hooked back because of the recent expectations leading to the launch of the Himalayan. However instead of committing nearly 175k moolah for a new bike my heart told me to get the Delta back to working order. I have spent around 5000/- on the bike over the last 4 weeks including the new front michelin tyre, front brake shoes, suspension servicing and carb tunning. Includes tank cleaning and silencer decarbonising.

No buddy, i cant use it for my daily ride since NCR is already having pollution issues...:uncontrol
I work in Delhi and my workplace is around 35 kms from my residence. Considering the kind of mindless traffic that we have in NCR nowdays i prefer travelling by metro. The Delta is used solely for weekends where every trip is welcome and late after dinner sorties on the cheetah are liberating...
Some issues do keep popping up. Like the sound from the front suspension or steering head (still have'nt been able to isolate it) for which i took it to the nukkad mechanic yesterday. He adjusted, loosened and tightened the steering assembly but to no avail. But then we noticed a pool of gear oil dripping from the bike. On opening the carb cover it seems that the engine seal on the clutch assy. beside the carb mounting has quit but since he did not have the replacement I asked him to close it up again. Will try and see if i can get it done at TCS Bajaj next week end.

@Sebring- I agree about it being a very problematic bike. Its a miracle if you can keep it 100% fit. something or the other, however small is bound to give way.

@rr_zen- You are right about the RVM's. They probably are still one of the best to have adorned an Indian made bike. My delta came with 'King' make mirrors. The LHS got damaged and I used the ones available i.e. fiem. But they are no match for the originals.

@navin_v8 Faithfully keeping a RTZ in your stable is probably one of the craziest thing that you can do- obviously second to having an old CI350 is a bigger sign of craziness. The Delta had its power stored in the upper revs around 5000 but by the time you reached that the other like the RX and AX would spring ahead of you. It was only later that the growling cheetah would catch up with the AX. Catching the RX- now that would be a feat even for the Delta. But biases aside, I believe the 4 jap bikes liberated and brought motorcycling to a whole new generation which otherwise would have stuck to the bajaj supers and chetaks...kids of now with their Yam's, RC's and hornets would never understand the grand feeling of riding a puny 100cc bike in the 80's and 90's...

Thanks Atul for sharing your memories. I am totally nostalgic picturing our own KB100(1988) Wine red color from the first lot. It had one of the best handling in its class with Munjal Showa suspension and the reliable sealed headlight assembly by Stanley. I remember the original headlight bulbs were costing rs. 180 that time. The instrument cluster was one of the most advanced with a unique parking light, engine kill switch and a RPM console. All this comfort made it a wonderful bike to ride may it be rough roads or cutting corners.

But i admit, once bajaj sourced its parts for KB100 from localized vendors all went kaput. We had one of the most stock KB100 in Pune which many friends and colleagues were dying to have. Eventually sold it off to a farmer who i hope is sill using it. A superb machine at its time but soon smoked by the legendary RX100 and the Suzuki Shogun.

Wow Exceptional reading there !!
Brought back my memories of my 1995 KB100 RTZ Delta which was in scrap condition since 2015 and I have recently restored to fully working condition just this Jan 2018.

I am searching for some place where I can source side panels (Wine Red) with KB100 or BAJAJ logo

- The engine is rev friendly but sounds like an AK47 in full swing
- I tried to find a sweet spot when the bike is in its elements. Unfortunately that was somewhere at 42 kmph.
- I realised that the engine always seems to be under stress at 4000rpm onwards.
- At speeds of an indicated 80 kmph vibrations creep in to handle bar and foot pegs. pretty unnerving...
- power seems to be available on tap as you twist the accelerator[/quote]

-Check your clutch plates if they have dried out or glazed due to age. Change the friction and pressure plates and check the rubber bushings within the clutch basket for any damage.
-Get all your foundation bolts re-torqued to the correct settings if you have a service manual available or online check the manual of the Kawasaki KH125 which was the original bike.
-Check compression of the cylinder and if possible remove the head and block to inspect the piston for wear. The RTZ had a side feed induction system (Rotary Valve) and because of that the right side of the piston always ran cooler than the rest as it was the induction/ intake side.
-De-carbonise the silencer and add some steel/ glass wool on the baffles at the end
- Re-tune the carburetor..keep it slightly rich and increase the oil flow from the pump slightly. These bikes back then ran on Leaded gasoline which acted as a lubricant so using Un-leaded gasoline would require a very slight increase of oil feed.
- Check your forks for alignment. Replace headstock bearings/ ball race and if possible change the fork oil. I think its about 120ml per fork.


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