ZZR 1200 Carb settings

[Rapier]

I'm sure it has been discussed a thousand times here but I need to know the generally recommended needle height and pilot jet back off settings. I had an 02 which I put an Ivan's kit on but just bought an 04 and at this time don't want to kit it, just adjust. It currently has a Muzzy system which I am going to replace with a stock one so need the stock setup. I suspect it was never jetted after the Muzzy install and of course the low speed running is horrendous. Runs nice 80 and above however. Anywho thanks in advance for any input.

See my thread in buy sell trade for heads up on a Muzzy system I want to trade for stock.

Bob

[eastbloc]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

I'm sure it has been discussed a thousand times here but I need to know the generally recommended needle height and pilot jet back off settings. I had an 02 which I put an Ivan's kit on but just bought an 04 and at this time don't want to kit it, just adjust. It currently has a Muzzy system which I am going to replace with a stock one so need the stock setup. I suspect it was never jetted after the Muzzy install and of course the low speed running is horrendous. Runs nice 80 and above however. Anywho thanks in advance for any input.

See my thread in buy sell trade for heads up on a Muzzy system I want to trade for stock.

Bob

I saw your post in the other thread and I surmise you've got a bike that's been sitting for a while. Your pilot jets are almost certainly clogged. I just picked up a cherry '05 with 2700 miles (and also a full Muzzy) and it is similarly afflicted. I haven't had a chance to pull the carbs on it yet or even get a tank of Seafoam through it, but that's my plan.

This bike is a terrifying ride with the pilot jets clogged, since it has about 0 HP until the main jets kick in at 4000RPM and snatch you away very un-smoothly.

[Rapier]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

I'm sure it has been discussed a thousand times here but I need to know the generally recommended needle height and pilot jet back off settings. I had an 02 which I put an Ivan's kit on but just bought an 04 and at this time don't want to kit it, just adjust. It currently has a Muzzy system which I am going to replace with a stock one so need the stock setup. I suspect it was never jetted after the Muzzy install and of course the low speed running is horrendous. Runs nice 80 and above however. Anywho thanks in advance for any input.

See my thread in buy sell trade for heads up on a Muzzy system I want to trade for stock.

Bob

I saw your post in the other thread and I surmise you've got a bike that's been sitting for a while. Your pilot jets are almost certainly clogged. I just picked up a cherry '05 with 2700 miles (and also a full Muzzy) and it is similarly afflicted. I haven't had a chance to pull the carbs on it yet or even get a tank of Seafoam through it, but that's my plan.

This bike is a terrifying ride with the pilot jets clogged, since it has about 0 HP until the main jets kick in at 4000RPM and snatch you away very un-smoothly.

I am pulling the carbs for cleaning. I still need the pilot jet setting, ie. turns out and the preferred needle height, which slot/position of shims.

[Rapier]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

Nobody can give me the needle and pilot jet setting numbers?

I have the carbs off. How can I be sure the pilot jet circuit is clean? The needles themselves looked pretty clean. There was a very thin black line of crud on them about half way up which wiped off. I sprayed some carb junk through their port and is spurted right through into the bowl. I blew them out with compressed air. Any other tips?

[Greentween]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

My 03 ZZR stock needles aren't adjustable by a clip. Maybe this 04 actually has a kit in it? Mine runs great with 1 (.020" thick) washer under the needles. The mixture screws are 2 out. I have slip on cans now, but had same setup with oem cans.

[Greentween]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

If you unscrewed the needles out, watch out for the tiny o-ring in there. You should pull them out and check for it. With the needles out, spray carb cleaner in there, You should fashion a rubber cork about the same O.D. size as the needle cavity and put a hole thru it to match the straw from the carb cleaner. Use this "rubber cork" and spray into the needle cavity, so the carb cleaner gets injected into the pilot jet and throttle bore to clean them out good from the pressure in the spary can.

Spraying into the needle cavity, you should see it come out into fuel bowl area, plug that with your finger, then you should see it come out a small hole in throttle bore, engine side.

Pull the pilot jets, spray them and run a strand of wire thru it (like 1 strand from lamp cord wire or speaker wire).

[Cooter]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

My 03 ZZR stock needles aren't adjustable by a clip. Maybe this 04 actually has a kit in it? Mine runs great with 1 (.020" thick) washer under the needles. The mixture screws are 2 out. I have slip on cans now, but had same setup with oem cans.

I have an '02 set up like this and at 2.5 turns out on the screws. It runs great and gets 38-40 in town and 49 at a steady 70mph (I did this once for a mileage check).

[ramblin66]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

My 03 ZZR stock needles aren't adjustable by a clip. Maybe this 04 actually has a kit in it? Mine runs great with 1 (.020" thick) washer under the needles. The mixture screws are 2 out. I have slip on cans now, but had same setup with oem cans.

I have an '02 set up like this and at 2.5 turns out on the screws. It runs great and gets 38-40 in town and 49 at a steady 70mph (I did this once for a mileage check).

Same here...
2.5 turns out on the screws, one 0.020 washer on each needle and 47 MPG highway.
The needles are not height adjustable in the stock configuration. If you can adjust your needles without shims, it's not stock.

[KJ]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

Even if the all jets look good dip them in pine-sol overnight. Then take some wire and push it thru the holes gently. Spray them down with some carb cleaner and reassemble. Check your floats, clean the needles, sync the carbs. Put her all back together except gas tank. Get some seafoam and pour it into the gas line. Put gas tank back on and fire it up.. She will complain until all the seafoam is gone. Don't be afraid to wot it a few times to clear the sea foam but don't keep it wot! I had to do this last summer and she purrs like a kitten now. Just did my annual 3-State Rip Tour in PA, NJ, NY this week and averaged 47.5 mpg with avg speed of 75. I now need knew tires as the rear was showing cords about 120 miles from home.

[Cooter]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

Even if the all jets look good dip them in pine-sol overnight. Then take some wire and push it thru the holes gently. Spray them down with some carb cleaner and reassemble. Check your floats, clean the needles, sync the carbs. Put her all back together except gas tank. Get some seafoam and pour it into the gas line. Put gas tank back on and fire it up.. She will complain until all the seafoam is gone. Don't be afraid to wot it a few times to clear the sea foam but don't keep it wot! I had to do this last summer and she purrs like a kitten now. Just did my annual 3-State Rip Tour in PA, NJ, NY this week and averaged 47.5 mpg with avg speed of 75. I now need knew tires as the rear was showing cords about 120 miles from home.

To be totally nitpicking, fine wires can actually enlarge the jets, as can tools like torch tip cleaners. I just soak them in carburetor cleaner (Hydro-Sol) or spray them with spray carb or brake cleaner (not on the rubber or paint though). A good blast of compressed air in a fine nozzle seems to clear them out. On my KZ's I used to disassemble the carbs 100% and put them in the Hydro-Sol basket and let them soak overnight. They came out in great shape and only 4 hours to reassemble them.

[KJ]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

Even if the all jets look good dip them in pine-sol overnight. Then take some wire and push it thru the holes gently. Spray them down with some carb cleaner and reassemble. Check your floats, clean the needles, sync the carbs. Put her all back together except gas tank. Get some seafoam and pour it into the gas line. Put gas tank back on and fire it up.. She will complain until all the seafoam is gone. Don't be afraid to wot it a few times to clear the sea foam but don't keep it wot! I had to do this last summer and she purrs like a kitten now. Just did my annual 3-State Rip Tour in PA, NJ, NY this week and averaged 47.5 mpg with avg speed of 75. I now need knew tires as the rear was showing cords about 120 miles from home.

To be totally nitpicking, fine wires can actually enlarge the jets, as can tools like torch tip cleaners. I just soak them in carburetor cleaner (Hydro-Sol) or spray them with spray carb or brake cleaner (not on the rubber or paint though). A good blast of compressed air in a fine nozzle seems to clear them out. On my KZ's I used to disassemble the carbs 100% and put them in the Hydro-Sol basket and let them soak overnight. They came out in great shape and only 4 hours to reassemble them.

Yes I agree about the fine wire but I did state gently. What works for me may not for you or anyone else. I know my bike has never ran better after performing this procedure. I previously tried just taking all jets out and spraying with cleaner and air compressor. Didn't do squat.

[Cooter]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

Noted: Pine-Sol, I've added it to my book of tricks for fixing carbs.

[Rapier]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

So anyway I used carb cleaner and compressed air, 2.5 turns on the screw and 1 Radio Shack shim under the needle and it runs great.

I did have an odd problem in that I could not get the slide diaphragms seated properly in the carb bodies, or really enough to even get 2 lids on. The tell tale sign of course being the ones I thought I had assembled well snapped shut too fast. I never had this problem with my old Gpz or my other ZZR 1200 but they were not so old. It seems for whatever reason and you may recall this is an 04 that had 1900 miles on it before last Saturday, the diaphragms swelled up a bit. So I resorted to a tiny bit of silicone sealant in the carb body groove and then they went right together.

I'm sure the carbs or OK but need a few thousand miles on her to declare the rest of the bike fine after so little activity for 8 years. All seems fine in the 100 miles I put on it today.

This one is quite a bit faster than my 02 but that was an oddity which my old old posts detail. It was serial #3 and not really a full production model. Still it went 60K trouble free miles.

[JayEll]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

Sorry for "waking up" this old thread but I don't want to make a new one because this has pretty much all the answers I'm looking for.. Except the location of the mixture screw.
Could someone please tell me the location from my picture below?

Just bought this bike and I'm in deep love with it.. I previously owned a ZX12R but I think ZZR is way better.. Engine that has a personality :P
Only concern at this point is that between 3000-4000rpm it has some problems, like it doesn't want to go, and then 4000rpm --> pure rage

Thanks for your answers! And greetings from Finland!

[Moise]

Re: ZZR 1200 Carb settings

You should get together with the other Finn here!

OK, the pilot screws are accessible from underneath the carbs. You will need to remove the carbs, but leave the cables connected. Then drain the float bowls using the angled screws at the bottom and turn the carb assembly through 90°.

Very simple to make a Zed run better and go faster:

• Fit aftermarket exhaust. 4-1 is best but any decent slipons will do as the factory headers and collector are fine.
• Fit K&N-type air filter
• Block off Kleen air system inlets on valve cover
• Fit 2 shims under carb needles - 0.030" thickness is about right.
• Set pilot screws to 2.25 turns out.
• Fit 160 main jets.
• Disconnect the throttle position sensor cable if the above hasn't done it for you.

Enjoy!