I am researching the suzuki z400 as my first atv. I came across the cylinder coating they put on their engines. Has anyone heard anything bad about this stuff?
I know everyone loves their z but i want to know what i will be getting myself into when i need to put a new top end in the bike a few years later. Will i have to replace the jug or can the jug be bored out as is?

I know it is a geek question but if you know anything about it please chim in.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

It's called Nicasil(spell?) and yes it can be bored and nicasiled(?) again.......

 

A nikasil cyl is designed to not be bored. The coating is very strong and is used in the finer bikes out there.
"IF" you screw up and ruin the coating,yes it can be bored and re-nikasiled,,but you shouldn't need to. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]
You literally have to have a piston break,or an extreme amount of piston slap to do damage.Damage is rare!
Have fun!

 

Don't forget the Z is not a 2-stroke. You should not have to rebuild the top end every year or two as you do with the 2 strokes. Throw on 10 or 20 thousand miles and then think about a rebuild. Thats unless you overheat her and cause all kinds of ugly damage, and then you deserve to pay the price. Watch your fluids, rejet if you upgrade, and keep your eye on the red light, and your Z should run for many years.

Man, you did some deep digging for your first quad to come up with that question. Ussually you hear stuff like...."I'm looking at buying a Z, will it waste my friends Raptor" or "I'm looking to buy either a Z400 or KFX400, which one is faster" or "I want to get a new pipe for my Z I'm buying next summer...what is the best one"

Ouh yeh....have fun the Z rocks!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

the Z should never need a top end rebuild unless you do something dumb to it as stated above.

I know nothing about the coating, but my friend has a 1987 250x its on the orginal piston and rings, sitll puts out very good compression!

so take care of her~!