KARIZMA: 50,000km long term report

superavi · 19th December 2007, 13:04

Cool write up. It's a great bike for touring. I agree with the seat being a little too soft, but now it's boxer shorts for long distance touring for me, saves the back side from elastic imprints!

I like my bike - it's a 05 Zma and I have clocked about 19500 kms on it (a 20k report coming up!), including a couple of Mumbai - Bangalore rides, lots of trips down south and now it's my regular office steed with weekend Badlapur - Pune rides (about 120 kms).

Quick question - how do i know the Cam shaft chain tensioner has gone bad? My bike is a little harsh lately in the top gear at about 60-75 kmph, and i normally upshift to top gear at about 40-45 with gradual acceleration.

superavi

ScarySkulls · 19th December 2007, 16:32

If the tensioner is worn that means on cold engine, your cam chain isnt tightened up.
That will lead to clatter from the headgear. Do you hear it? Especially when you blip throttle(while the revs are coming down?)

Technocrat · 19th December 2007, 17:13

ZMA normally has some vibrations in the 65-70 kph band in 5th gear, you referring to this or any extra harshness which you have started feeling recently ??

superavi · 19th December 2007, 18:52

Scary Skulls - there is no vibration or clatter on a cold start.

Techno - it's getting extra harsh - or atleast that's how i feel. Any chances of checking my bike out, i work at Hinjewadi.

Bunny - sorry for hijacking your thread!

PatienceWins · 19th December 2007, 21:30

Excellent pictures and good write up. The bike looks good.

rider60 · 19th December 2007, 23:14

well what can i say, i am impressed! the write up made me go bananas, especially the 1600+ kms in 31 hours, and all the trips you mentioned!

i was awestruck for a moment there!

congrats, and feels really nice to see a guy with this kind of passion for touring!

i was just wondering if a unicorn can with stands such touring if ridden at say, 60-80kmph on the highways?, for i am planning a trip from here to chennai or bangalore!

Technocrat · 20th December 2007, 11:58

@rider60: All the modern day bikes are pretty tough & can take lot of abuse its just that the slower(less powered) the bike is the more you will get fatigued & hence lesser distance. 70-80 should be fine with sufficient breaks for a Unicorn

@superavi: I would love to help out if I can, let me know when can we meet I stay near Hinjewadi but my Office is in DP road in city.

Lets not hijack this thread more & switch to PMs :-)

ScarySkulls · 21st December 2007, 12:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by superavi

Scary Skulls - there is no vibration or clatter on a cold start.

Then maybe I'm not being able to comprehend what you mean when you say harshness. I hope some existing ZMA rider from the forums checks it out and lets us know.

As far as I can speak by my personal experience, clatter from headgear on cold engine = slack chain = worn out tensioner.
If that isnt happening, then good.

rider60 · 21st December 2007, 13:52

@ technocrat

thanks for the info.

BunnyPunia · 21st December 2007, 16:15

yo
thanks all

me shifted to Pune and the bike has been lying idle for a while (blame it on the p220 and the RTR Fi!)

as for seat : i got it done in Delhi. they cut some of the original foam, put in new one, made the seat a little thicker too (to distribute the butt weight evenly). Seat feel quite soft now

unicorn touring : its a good bike for long trips and holding it at 85-90 all day wont be an issue for the machine at all.

tensioner : when the bike is cold, the engine will make a unique song which may go away once warm

rider60 · 25th December 2007, 23:14

all right the touring suggestions go for the stock bike not a modded one i suppose?

well i will be done with modding my bike by next week, i making the camshaft lobes 1mm thicker all round the diameter, that welding is going to last me like 20000 kms at most, and the tappets will be set like wise, well with this kind of mod is the touring still suggested?

19th December 2007, 13:04	#16
superavi BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: London Posts: 286 Thanked: 29 Times	Cool write up. It's a great bike for touring. I agree with the seat being a little too soft, but now it's boxer shorts for long distance touring for me, saves the back side from elastic imprints! I like my bike - it's a 05 Zma and I have clocked about 19500 kms on it (a 20k report coming up!), including a couple of Mumbai - Bangalore rides, lots of trips down south and now it's my regular office steed with weekend Badlapur - Pune rides (about 120 kms). Quick question - how do i know the Cam shaft chain tensioner has gone bad? My bike is a little harsh lately in the top gear at about 60-75 kmph, and i normally upshift to top gear at about 40-45 with gradual acceleration. superavi
	() Thanks

19th December 2007, 16:32	#17
ScarySkulls BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Halifax, N.S. Posts: 623 Thanked: 36 Times	If the tensioner is worn that means on cold engine, your cam chain isnt tightened up. That will lead to clatter from the headgear. Do you hear it? Especially when you blip throttle(while the revs are coming down?)
	() Thanks

19th December 2007, 17:13	#18
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,765 Thanked: 2,705 Times	ZMA normally has some vibrations in the 65-70 kph band in 5th gear, you referring to this or any extra harshness which you have started feeling recently ??
	() Thanks

19th December 2007, 18:52	#19
superavi BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: London Posts: 286 Thanked: 29 Times	Scary Skulls - there is no vibration or clatter on a cold start. Techno - it's getting extra harsh - or atleast that's how i feel. Any chances of checking my bike out, i work at Hinjewadi. Bunny - sorry for hijacking your thread!
	() Thanks

19th December 2007, 21:30	#20
PatienceWins Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,466 Thanked: 987 Times View My Garage	Excellent pictures and good write up. The bike looks good.
	() Thanks

19th December 2007, 23:14	#21
rider60 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bhagyanagaram. (A.K.A. Hyderabad) Posts: 1,619 Thanked: 56 Times View My Garage	well what can i say, i am impressed! the write up made me go bananas, especially the 1600+ kms in 31 hours, and all the trips you mentioned! i was awestruck for a moment there! congrats, and feels really nice to see a guy with this kind of passion for touring! i was just wondering if a unicorn can with stands such touring if ridden at say, 60-80kmph on the highways?, for i am planning a trip from here to chennai or bangalore!
	() Thanks

20th December 2007, 11:58	#22
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,765 Thanked: 2,705 Times	@rider60: All the modern day bikes are pretty tough & can take lot of abuse its just that the slower(less powered) the bike is the more you will get fatigued & hence lesser distance. 70-80 should be fine with sufficient breaks for a Unicorn @superavi: I would love to help out if I can, let me know when can we meet I stay near Hinjewadi but my Office is in DP road in city. Lets not hijack this thread more & switch to PMs :-) Last edited by Technocrat : 20th December 2007 at 12:01.
	() Thanks

21st December 2007, 13:52	#24
rider60 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bhagyanagaram. (A.K.A. Hyderabad) Posts: 1,619 Thanked: 56 Times View My Garage	@ technocrat thanks for the info.
	() Thanks

21st December 2007, 16:15	#25
BunnyPunia BANNED Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 904 Thanked: 1,511 Times View My Garage	yo thanks all me shifted to Pune and the bike has been lying idle for a while (blame it on the p220 and the RTR Fi!) as for seat : i got it done in Delhi. they cut some of the original foam, put in new one, made the seat a little thicker too (to distribute the butt weight evenly). Seat feel quite soft now unicorn touring : its a good bike for long trips and holding it at 85-90 all day wont be an issue for the machine at all. tensioner : when the bike is cold, the engine will make a unique song which may go away once warm
	() Thanks

25th December 2007, 23:14	#26
rider60 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bhagyanagaram. (A.K.A. Hyderabad) Posts: 1,619 Thanked: 56 Times View My Garage	all right the touring suggestions go for the stock bike not a modded one i suppose? well i will be done with modding my bike by next week, i making the camshaft lobes 1mm thicker all round the diameter, that welding is going to last me like 20000 kms at most, and the tappets will be set like wise, well with this kind of mod is the touring still suggested?
	() Thanks