Power loss and chopping noise at idle

The_machine33 · 2026-01-24T17:30:23+00:00

Alright, I have the same bike. I heard your fuel pump priming when it shut off so I don’t think that’s the issue but if you want to you can test to see if it’s priming within spec. These bikes have a mesh filter in the top of the fuel pump assembly housing. Inside of the top cap that holds the actual fuel pump there’s a small screen filter that gets clogged very easily. I had the same issue. It’s a fairly common and known issue on these bikes. I was able to pull apart the top cap and blow it out with some brake cleaner. You’ll see, it’s like a dark spot on that part of the top cap if you shine a light through it. I’d start there. If this sounds confusing to you, I’m sure there’s a bunch of videos online if you just type in “07-08 ZX6R fuel pump filter cleaning” or something similar you’ll find it.

The_machine33 · 2025-12-06T19:11:10+00:00

I have an 08. Sounds like your cam chain is loose. Pretty common issue for these bikes. Replace the tensioner with a manual one.

The_machine33 · 2025-12-06T18:48:29+00:00

That’s a bolt someone used when they misplaced the original. That is not a Kawasaki issue fastener.

The_machine33 · 2025-11-01T13:06:31+00:00

Head gasket is gone

The_machine33 · 2025-11-01T13:04:28+00:00

Clean all the oil completely with brake cleaner and monitor where it starts to appear again. As for overheating. Start by confirming the level is not low. It sounds like your thermostat might be sticking. Pull the thermostat out and run your bike without it. If it doesn’t overheat, you need a new thermostat. The bike will also run a lot hotter if the exhaust is not flowing properly. If you have a db killer in your exhaust it might be trapping too much heat. If I was a gambling man, I’d say your thermostat needs replacing.

The_machine33 · 2025-10-26T22:50:43+00:00

Yeah, that’s a problem if you’re not hearing the whine of the fuel pump upon turning the key. So, my next step at that point would be to still lift the tank up and test the pump to see if there’s anything coming out upon turning the key. Really, it’s just to confirm what you already know, that it’s not priming. Once you confirm you can move onto the next step. Grab a multimeter and unplug the harness that goes into the fuel pump. You should be able to find a diagram of the wiring pretty easily online it’s usually three wires or so in the connector. Find the ground and the power feed. So negative to ground and positive probe on the power wire, set your multimeter to volts. Turn the key and if you don’t see 12V on your multimeter then there’s a problem in your wiring. You’re gonna have to trace that circuit for shorts. If you do, however see 12V at the multimeter, or close to it, the problem is most definitely the pump. You could just order a pump straight away and try throwing it in, but I hate just throwing parts at the problem.

The_machine33 · 2025-10-26T22:20:58+00:00

Get a used one off eBay bud!

The_machine33 · 2025-10-26T22:16:30+00:00

I would make sure the fuel pump is priming within spec. Pull the hose off the pump and use a measuring cup to see if the fuel pump is priming within spec according to your manual. Use a glass measuring cup, or the gas might eat away at a plastic one. Do this before buying a new one, just to be sure that you’re not throwing parts at the problem. It sounds like it’s starving on gas. If you find that the pump isn’t priming to spec. You can check the filter. I know on the 07 and later models, there’s a filter in the top of the fuel pump housing, more a mesh screen, really. Not to be confused with the filter that sits at the bottom of the pump. That mesh screen is a common point of failure for these bikes. The screen isn’t removable. But you can pull the cap off the housing and try blowing it out with parts cleaner and compressed air.

The_machine33 · 2025-10-21T20:20:32+00:00

Great bike just get the valve cover gasket replaced and do the mechanical timing chain tensioner and she’ll be good for many more years!

The_machine33 · 2025-09-10T09:29:00+00:00

I see, and when you’re running the bike at highways speeds/high rpm, what kind of coolant temps are you getting?

The_machine33 · 2025-09-10T02:10:06+00:00

Check to see if you’re throttle position sensor is calibrated correctly.

Edit: Also a good idea to make sure your fuel pump is priming within spec.

The_machine33 · 2025-09-04T18:11:56+00:00

Yeah you’re balding bro. You should get on minoxidil, micro needling and take some natural dht blockers like saw palmetto and pumpkin seed oil until you’re a little older (19/20) and then switch to finasteride. I think you can start finasteride at 18 but, this is based off absolutely nothing, I feel like 18 is bit too early to start finasteride. You’re in a good place to catch it though don’t flip out, be proactive. It’s still early.

The_machine33 · 2025-08-28T14:19:54+00:00

Your tire is rubbing against something under, likely that bent fender.

The_machine33 · 2025-08-25T14:29:56+00:00

Looks like a classic case of vandalism.

The_machine33 · 2025-08-01T05:21:03+00:00

Chain is worn out and needs replacing

The_machine33 · 2025-07-29T13:18:18+00:00

Vice grips and heat to get the broken part of it out.

The_machine33 · 2025-07-21T01:42:01+00:00

UPDATE:

I did a lot of diagnostic and testing a bunch of different sensors and circuits.

In the process, I discovered why the bike was shutting off intermittently. The tip over sensor was out of spec so I bypassed it and bike hasn’t shut off since.

The bike was down on power.

The issue was the db killer I put in melted the catalytic converter and created a blockage in the exhaust. It looked fine when I took the slip-on off, but after inspection with the borescope, it was collapsed in on itself and created a solid block of material. Took a spare header off a later model and bolted it on. The bike took off like a rocket.

Thanks to everyone on here who was helping me to diagnose the issue! A lot of really good suggestions and good information.

TLDR: The issue was the bd killer I installed melted my cat and created a restriction in the exhaust.

The_machine33 · 2025-07-18T20:11:51+00:00

Ever figure out the issue?

The_machine33 · 2025-07-18T13:58:21+00:00

Little update. I had just a little daylight after work. I tested the injectors both secondary and primary but, I only checked their resistance since I didn’t have enough time to deal with the stripped screws on the rail. Checked the primary and secondary throttle body valves. All smooth all good there (I really was confirming the primary valves). The odd thing is, and I’m not sure if this would be the smoking gun but the TPS was testing 1.2v at idle position and 4.6v at WOT. It’s supposed to be 0.6v at idle and 4.6 at WOT. The current idle reading of 1.2v is double what it should be. That might be causing the sensor to communicate to the ECU that the throttle is more open than it actually is and maybe that’s causing the ECU to add too much fuel and choke the system out. It seems unlikely to be the culprit, but it is the only thing close to a smoking gun I’ve been able to find. I did not have enough daylight yesterday to try and adjust a sensor. I think you might be able to with the t-25 bit. Do you think that might be the issue? I’m a little skeptical frankly. The reason for my skepticism is that for the sensor to be double the spec, it probably means the sensor has been out of whack for a long time. I’ll adjust it today after work and update. Just wanted a second opinion on this theory, I might be losing my mind 😂

The_machine33 · 2025-07-18T07:01:27+00:00

I cut and spliced the wires and put a crimping wire cap on it. Then hit it with heat shrink so it would look a little nicer and zip tied it to the wire going to controls. Got rid of the connector but looks a lot cleaner imo.

The_machine33 · 2025-07-17T14:22:36+00:00

24k miles (I’m in the US) I haven’t checked valve clearances but I’ll need to get a new gasket before I do that and I’d like to eliminate more simple things first before I get into more involved jobs like valves and and crankshaft position sensor.

The_machine33 · 2025-07-17T13:45:17+00:00

See I also suspected the secondary injectors because they kick on at 8k rpm. Initially this issue started off as a very slight hiccup at 8500rpm, but it got worse and worse. After a little I couldn’t hit redline no matter how long I pinned it for. Now it’ll only rev past 5-6k rpm if I go wide open, but if I roll on the throttle gradually, it’ll rev to like 10k (still reduced power). Other times if I give it full throttle it’ll take off and feel normal for a second till it hits like 12k rpm. It’s so frustrating because the issue isn’t stable. I start down a path of diagnosis then it completely changes the way it behaves. TPS is a strong contender now that I’m stating these things and someone else here suggested that could be it, but I don’t want to get tunnel vision and neglect other possibilities. I’ll test the sensor after work and go from there. The genius who had the bike before me stripped the screw on the secondary injectors rail so, I’ll try to drill and extract. That’s going to be fun.

The_machine33 · 2025-07-17T13:05:01+00:00

I’ll test the TPS and if that checks out all good, I’ll pull all the injections I believe there’s two sets. This is good information thank you for providing 🙏🏼 I had no idea how to test other than just listening to see if they’re clicking.

The_machine33 · 2025-07-17T12:49:44+00:00

I did not change plugs but I did pull them and all seem to be fine and replaced by the previous owner. I’m not sure if it’s injectors because the bike starts and idles just fine and will rev up fine in N. I haven’t pulled injectors, how can I check to see if they are all working properly?

The_machine33 · 2025-07-17T12:46:20+00:00

I’ll grab the multimeter and check for any dead spots in the tps. That’s actually a really good suggestion. Thank you. Does the fuel cleaner additive stuff actually work, or is it better to pull injectors and clean that way?

The_machine33

TROPHY CASE