hey all i have had a 93 cbr 900rr with 19k miles on it for a few months and now that the weather is getting bearable enough out to ride in the northwest i have a few questions about the bike.

-what are the 3 positions for the switch below the fuel tank? i know they are main, reserve, and off obviously i just don't know what position is which.

-i took off the fuel tank and then took off the black plastic cover of what i think is the airbox to find 2 blue foam filters, are these the air filters and if they are would upgrading to a k&n or any other aftermarket version of them increase the performance?

-when i start up the bike from cold steel i cannot do it without the choke pulled out. it requires about a 10 minute warm-up to idle normal, is this a problem that i need to get looked at or is this normal for a 13 year old bike?

-since these are high performance engines does that mean i need to putting the highest octane fuel in it as well?

I have not been riding that long (almost 6 months now) and have been learning about riding technique and bike maintenance as I go along. i would appreciate any help and i feel good knowing that there is a cbr site that people can come together on and share info, later.

 

I had a '93 RR (actually 2 of them), absolutely loved it[sm=drlove.gif]

Yes, you stumbled into the air box. Not sure what brand of filters are in there, but if you don't go with OEM, I'd strongly encourage the use of BMC over K&N (or OEM). K&N seem to have a harder time getting it 'right' with sportbikes than they do with autos... often actually losing power over OEM.

Because this bike is carbed, you do need to use the choke on cold mornings/evenings - but only for just a very brief time. I usually allowed it to idle whilst I donned my helmet/earplugs/gloves. Then snick it into gear and roll away... within a few hundred yards I'd close the choke. If you ride around for long periods with the choke on you'll use more fuel than needed, and foul the plugs. Check your plugs (read: replace), that you have the proper heat range. I gather from your comment regarding the weather that you must live on the westside of the Cascades, thus your climate is moderate (rarely way-hot/way-cold), so run the stock heat range.[sm=smiley34.gif]

Typically your octane rating ought to be the lowest numerical number that you can run w/o pinging. I'd never use ARCO gas, even on a dare 'cuz I personnally think it's crap. Use a national brand from a station that sells a tonne of petrol - it's fresher. The latter point probably being more critical than the actual brand (sans ARCO).[sm=chairshot.gif] Your maileage may vary, as they say.

This is a fun bike; you may need to bring it up to snuff, such as tuning it - including carb re-build, new tires, chain/sprockets (always replace both @ same time), filters (oil/air/fuel), spark plug wires, etc. These bikes are very reliable.

If I were gonna spend 'Big Money' on it it would be in the suspension dept., and swapping out the 16" front wheel for a 17" wheel (600 CBR/VFR 750) because of tire choices and handling issues.

Cheers