where to find older ninja performance parts?

[88ninja]

I'm new to the sportbike world and have no idea were to find performance parts for older bikes. are there any certain mainstay manufactures the the kawasaki owners tend use. i have a 1988 zx600r ninja and need more power.

[87gsxrnut]

Muzzy.

Good luck trying to find ANYTHING for that bike. There wasn't much available back in the 80s for those. Go to eBay, that should get you somewhere.

- Nut

[Tab B.]

I was going to jump in here too, along the same lines. I think that motor had it's roots in the air cooled GPZ550. The bottom end may be similar, with the liquid cooled upper end{16V} being the big difference. By 88, that design was a bit long in the tooth. That being said, I don't think there would be any cost effective way to get power upgrades into that motor that would compare with just about any of the modern 600s,,,, without it turning into a grenade.
If you want more power, sell it and buy something with more poop built in at the factory. If you don't sell it, give it a good old fashioned tune up, and enjoy it until you are ready for a newer bike.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Tab B.

If you want more power, sell it and buy something with more poop built in at the factory. If you don't sell it, give it a good old fashioned tune up, and enjoy it until you are ready for a newer bike.

And "Being new to the sportbike world" AND thinking "you need more power" already is very often NOT a good combination.

[87gsxrnut]

I used to set those up for guys. That motor isn't going to make a "whole lot of power" compared to new 600s. Your best bet would be to hunt down an original Fox or Ohlins shock, revalve the front end, get new tires, and learn how to ride that thing. It is a competent steed when setup correctly. 16" front wheel gives quick steering, which is nice once you get used to it.

- Nut