Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

A fat, fat rear tire and shaft drive are important components in Kawasaki's vision of the ideal street cruiser. Is this the look of 19857 mostat, electric fan. coolant reservoir and water pump. Like the Ninja's, the Eliminator's water pump is driven by th.e same shaft that drives the oil pump. Water enters the cylinder block at the front, flows up and back through the head, to the radiator, and back to the pump. The thermostat actuates at 160° F, while the fan actuates at 207° F. The coolant reservoir is located under the seat, next to the battery. The' new exhaust system features four chrome pipes which empty into a single chamber underneath the engine. The chamber empties into two bolt-on chrome mufflers. The large chamber and muJ[)ers combine to produce a distinctive exhaust note. With the same space-efficient features as the Ninja - including an air-cooled alternator mounted behind the cylinders and chain-driven off ttie right end of the crank - the Eliminator engine is very compact - measuring just 17.76 inches from cover to cover along the crank centerline. Modifications to the Eliminator drivetrain include strengthening of clutch and gearbox, shaft drive replacing chain final drive, and a new final ratio. . The primary drive is unchanged, with the straight-cut primary gear driving a similar gear .on the clutch housing. Because Eliminator riders are expected to make heavy demands on the clutch and gearbox, both units have been modified to ensure durability. The former gets a new diaphragm spring damper system in addition to the original coil spring dampers to ease shock loads, while the latter's countershaft is machined with steps to hel absorb thrust loads. Internal gear ratios are identical to the Ninja's. The clutch has the same hydraulic actuator as the Ninja, while the sixspeed gearbox lets riders launch the bike off the line and cruise easily at speed. The gearbox features Kawasaki's positive neutral finder. Undercut dogs are engaged in fifth and sixth gears. The shaft-drive system is an improved version of the proven system used on the LTDlloo. The shaft/ swi-ng-drm is significantly longer more than 20 inches from pivot center to axle center - one major reason the Eliminator's shaft drive is so smooth. The front bevel gears are supported by a dual-row-caged ball and needle bearings instead of tapered rollers to reduce mechanical loss. The final reduction ratio has been changed to 2.994 (16/19 x 32/9) from the Ninja's 2.941. The Eliminator's overall reduction ratio has been changed to 5.371 from the Ninja' 5.276. The all-new double-cradle Eliminator frame is made of tubular hightensile steel. This is the same highstrength alloy Kawasaki uses to build motocross frames. The frame is low and long. The vertical distance from steering head bottom-center to swingarm pivot center is just 14.6 in. (2.8 in. less than the new 700cc Vulcan) while the horizontal distance from steering head bottom-center to swingarm pivot center is 30.9 in. (2.5 in. longer than the Vulcan). Wheelbase is 62.8 in., ground clearance is 5.7 in., lean angles are 40° left and right, and seat height is 29.3 in. The entire frame is welded except for the rightdowntube. which unbolts for ea y engine access. The ~teering head is the same diameter as that of a Iooocc-class bike at 48.6mm. and features tapered roller bearings top and bottom. Rake and trail are 29° and 4.0 in. (I02mm). The swingarm pivot is a new. highly-rigid design. Essentially a separate sub-frame. the pivot structure is made of two side plates joined by crosstubes. The swingarm. about 0.5 inches wider tban usual due to the large rear tire, is supported' inside the pivot structure by tapered roller bearings. The engine has six rubber mounts in the standard positions. The front mount are a new design to reduce frame vibrdtion; the engine bolts directly to each mount bracket at a single point, while each bracket is isolated from the frame at two points. The radiator mounts to the front downtubes at four points through rubber mounts. The top section of the cast aluminum rear grab handle can be unbolted and replaced by an optional backrest Kawasaki will offer in the near future. There is no centerstand. All bodywork pieces except the seat are made of ABS plastic or steel. The headlight shell is painted ABS plastic supported by steel bracket. The three-gallon steel fuel tank has a vacuum fuel tapon the lower left side with positions for prime, on, and reserve. The front fender is painted teel; the rear fender is un-painted black plastic. The removable passenger seat i bolted to the back of the main seat section, and the main seat section is connected to the frame by a hi·nge at its front. To check coolant or battery fluid levels, the seat can be unlocked, tilted up, and held in place by a support rod under the seat. Fork stanchion tube diameter is unchanged at 38mm. The fork is airadjustable. with caps located on the top of each fork leg. and front wheel travel is 5.9 in. The dual rear shocks are air-adjustable with four rebound damping adjustment settings. The shocks are 13.4 in. long and shock stroke is 3.3 in. Rear wheel travel is 4.3 in. Except for the di·s~ drill pattern, the Eliminator's hydraulic disc brakes are the same as the Ninja's. As on other Kawasakis, the dual front discs and single rear disc feature single-piston calipers. The calipers are fitted with sintered metal pads. The Eliminator also features Kawasa)

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