My? Kawasaki Zephyr550 “2024” Modified Parts (OEM, Aftermarket, Custom) All at Once Part ①

When you get a new toy, you naturally want to show off some personality, right?
That’s a classic among motorcycle riders.

Since the Zephyr 550 isn’t a current model, finding parts might take a bit of effort.
However, if you look into compatibility with the Zephyr 400 and so on, you’ll find that parts are surprisingly available.
Make good use of Google search and other tools to find those beautiful parts you haven’t seen yet.

Here’s my 2024 Zephyr 550 modified parts all revealed at once.

The finish is understated. I actually like the stock look.

You can have fun customizing deeply in various ways, but given my line of work, I’m somewhat used to it and bored with certain aspects.
Conversely, making it look stock and uncustomized is surprisingly difficult and interesting—that’s how I enjoy it.

The overall look is like this: pretty understated in appearance.

The muffler is “Zephyr X exhaust pipe + Zephyr 750 drag cyclone.”

I’m using the exhaust pipe for the Zephyr X.
The cylinder pitch and flange pitch are the same, so “the exhaust pipe can be installed as-is.”
However, the muffler support position on the tail side is different, so if you want to use the tail as well, you’ll need to modify it or it won’t fit.
I happened to get a Zephyr 750 drag cyclone in good condition, so I used it.
I’m not using the 7 50 because I see any particular meaning in it. It was just a coincidence.

I’ve also installed a PE wideband A/F sensor on the tail pipe.
Basically, I can check the air-fuel ratio as well.
I pushed the silencer section in as far as possible to keep things clean.

The entire muffler is gun-coated.
I sourced several used Yoshimura emblems and attached the one in the best condition.
Although not shown in the image, I’ve also replaced the split flange with aluminum.

This muffler has quietly consumed quite a bit of time and money.

The brakes are “Sunstar neo-classic + AP Racing CP2195.”

I didn’t have any particular complaints about the brakes.
Even with the stock stamped calipers, if you use modern sintered metal pads, you can enjoy plenty of braking in city riding.
The reason for the change was “I just wanted to.”
The looks become cooler—that’s all there is to it.

Sunstar neo-classic LVA201W (left and right) 320mm holes 5mm
AP Racing CP 2195
Speed Shop Itoh caliper support 320mm

The front brake hose is made from Goodrich and fitted to the frame for a clean look.
The rear caliper was simply overhauled.

In the future, I plan to use a stock rear caliper and upgrade the rear disc to a Works Expand.
I have the parts ready, but I haven’t had time to proceed.

The handlebar post is “Ant Lion” and the preload adjuster is “Active.”

The handlebar post mounting method differs by manufacturer.
The Zephyr uses two M8 bolts for mounting, so the selection is somewhat limited.
“Ant Lion 03025-SL ”
I wanted to raise the handlebar not too much and pull it back slightly, so it ended up in just the right position.
Regarding the riding position, the Zephyr 550 is quite cramped, so I feel improvement is necessary. *Compared to our standard

The Zephyr 400 and 550 have a front fork diameter of 39mm, which is quite an obscure dimension.
Honestly, I hadn’t heard of that number either.
So I had quite a hard time finding a preload adjuster.

■ Preload adjuster black
Kawasaki W800 ’11 ~ ’16
Kawasaki W650 ’99 ~ ’08
Kawasaki W400 ’06 ~ ’08
Part number: 22671101

The preload adjuster for the W400/650/800 can be used as-is.
The fork cap dimensions—thread diameter and pitch—are “M34-P1.00.”
The O-ring part number is common: Kawasaki 92055-1050.
That’s very fortunate.

The nice thing about this preload adjuster is the visible part’s dimensions don’t change.
With normal ones, “the protruding part moves inside.” That’s the typical structure, right?
This one works by rotating the outside, which moves only the internal threads—a very interesting design.

Visual beauty is important, but the ease of applying preload is excellent.
Also, since the length of the protruding part doesn’t change, there’s no contact with the handlebar at all.
It’s a really nice product. *With a stock handlebar and stock handlebar post, it will probably make contact.

The front fork spring is Speed Shop Itoh’s 0.8kg/mm.
Small-displacement bikes generally have very low spring rates.
To put it bluntly, the stock setup isn’t enjoyable to ride, so I increased the spring rate to firm things up.



This is getting long, so to be continued.