I was told by a local shop that I should be able to hone my cylinder after seizing my bike but there is chipping of the plating at the top of the cylinder above the highest point of where the ring travels so it wouldn't be rubbed.
here's a picture: http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/view/full/121632_4dllz
No, it doesn't need to be replated, but I couldn't tell you what caused the damage. That problem needs to be diagnosed and corrected before it gets bad enough to actually affect anything. It's possible the errosion is detonation related.
The bike had been running lean after I put a factory fatty on, but I changed back to stock jetting to richen it up and it was fine. I don't think this was something that happened gradually, I'm pretty sure it happened during the seize because the bike was appart a month earlier and everything looked fine. There was a bunch of carbon packed into the head that was cleaned off also.
Not sure what you mean by lined, but this is definately a plated cylinder. Anyway I got it honed for $5 today and it looks fine, there's a scratch in the plating below where the ring would travel that I can still feel with my nail but I'm not gonna worry about it. If it blows again it's goin' for parts and I'm getting a 250. Thanks for the replies.
i agree with solid state, there does apear to be a sleeve in the cylinder. did you buy the bike used or new. if used the previous owner may have already redone the top end, hence the sleeve
I am gonna go out on a limb,again,some of Kawasaki's platings are the worst in the industry! It looked fine and you can get liners plated also! Now,where is my carbon fiber cylinder,with plating? If that cylinder was set up for o rings I would be worried. A full head gasket should be fine.
I've heard the same comments before. It's also been said that the plating is so weak that it's a bad idea to hone. And if you do hone, do so lightly with an undersized hone (like a Flex-Hone) and use a softer abrasive. Still looks like a sleeve from the picture - maybe it's my monitor.
It's definitely plated, not sleeved. It's the lighting on the o-ring groove that makes it look like a sleeve. I agree with a quick hone and run it till it dies. You're looking for an excuse to move up to a 250 anyway!