What problems should I look for on an '03 Z400? I'm not worried about brake pads, tires and the like, I want to know mechanical issues that they are notorious for.

Thanks,

Kev

 

there are only 2 thing that i can come up with . the engine valves could be made of better stuff and the wheel bearing front and back have no seals on the inside of the hub which causes premature bearing failure , if there was away to put more grease into the hubs no seals would be a good idea, it like some one had a great idea and never fallowed it through . the valve are mostly a high performance thing ,if people did not ride like they stole it they would last longer.
all and all the ltz is just about bulletproof

 

The 03's had issues with the frame if they were ridden really hard. A gusset kit will fix the problem, but look around the shock mounts on the frame for cracking.

 

frame was the biggest issue ,but they fixed it for 04 model

 

So I need to look for frame cracks, especially around the shock mounts. What is the problem with the valves? Does the head pop off or do they just warp?

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: cataway

the wheel bearing front and back have no seals on the inside of the hub which causes premature bearing failure , if there was away to put more grease into the hubs no seals would be a good idea, it like some one had a great idea and never fallowed it through .</end quote></div>

Are there no grease fittings to pump more grease in? If there is a spot to drill and tap for them it would be an easy fix.

 

and the 05and 06 had issues with corrosion on the water pump cover ,

 

The valves tighten up. They also can warp, if they get too hot..like from running too lean.

 

yeah there was some talk about the 2003 frame being to weak.......but while on the suject does anybody know of any problems on the z from 2006 2007 2008 if so have they fixed it?

 

A friend of mine has an '03 that I'm thinking about buying. He has had it for almost 3 years and has only rode it a few times. I don't know about the original owner though, it could have been gang-raped while he had it. I'd like to get into some GNCC style racing, thats why I'm doing some research on it. I can handle losing if I am outridden but mechanical failure pisses me off. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

He is asking $2300 but I bet that $2k cash would buy it. It looks very good and clean, no leaks and no damage, so it should be fairly easy to spot a crack if it exists.