i just bought a 94 zx-6 for 100 bucks and the guy i bought it from said that there was a knocking comming from the engine. im completely new to bikes but i know a lot about cars. i bought it for a project bike to ride this summer and i was wondering if anybody has any suggestions on what it could be.

 

Yeah it's a joke... you need to start it up, and ask it "who's there" if you get it right then the knocking will stop... if not, get ready to spend some money...

 

oh yeah.... Congrats on joining the bike realm, and welcome to the forum. You can learn a TON from everyone on here... and on the bike. Kaw's are known for ticking rather loudly, if the oil isn't new. You can try changing it and crossing your fingers...

 

Welcome to the forums Ross!!

Have YOU actually heard the bike run?? If you're good with cars, you know what a rod knock or a writs pin knock is... Check the oil, make sure it's the right kind of oil, see if the knock changes with clutch engaged or with a load on her....

How many miles on her?? Is the bike in fairly good shape? Have you heard it run?

Enjoy your stay here!!

 

i just bought the bike less than an hour ago and the key is not going to be here until thursday. the bike has 16,490 miles on it.

 

it also smells like there is gas in the oil.

 

welcome to the forum.... congrats on the new bike.... post some picks when you have the chance....

 

Welcome to the family!

This is most def the place to get your answers.

 

you say you know about cars, if you dont know how to diagnos it or just dont want to id take it to a shop for an estimate or inspection, have them tell you what the problem is, buy the parts and a repair manual and fix it yourself. also what does the oil look like, and how long do you think it was in the engine, depending on how old the oil is that might account for the gas smell, but if not you probably got a bad ring somewhere. also i dont know how much of a budget you have but you might want to just go in and rebuild the engine with new rods, pistons, rings, and crank.

 

My first sport bike was a 92 zx6. It was a great bike. I bought it with 15k or so miles on it. I wanted to see if I liked the ride of a sport bike. I paid around 2k for mine. For 100 bones you can't go wrong. You could tear it down and rebuild it if needed and still be ahead. I liked mine so much that I upgraded to a 06 zx6r. The great thing about the older zx6's is they are 4 cylinders like the big bikes so you will have plenty of power. Some of the other guys recommend getting a smaller bike to start with for safety reasons. That's all well and good but you will be wanting a 4 cylinder as soon as your buddies start leaving you in the dust on theirs. If you haven't rode much just take it easy until you get more comfortable with the bike and it will be fine. I have been riding for 25+ years. I ride conservative and have never went down on any of my street bikes. (knock on wood)...... CONGRATS!!! Post some pics!!!!