TOPIC:

Very nice work! That is a thing of beauty! "Art" to look and stare at! I have to ask? Are you going to sand the fins to bare aluminum?
I have a gloss black engine also, nothing stock or original. I powder coated all the engine covers and am using polished SS hardware.
I better finish this thing, before I kick the bucket. And my kids sell it all at an estate sale for $100 for all the motorcycle junk!

Kawasaki stopped producing that gasket kit in that green package sometime around 1981 or so. Do yourself a favor, and make sure the gaskets in that kit are not hard and brittle. Those gaskets are like 35 odd years old already. Most likely they must be like house bricks by now.

I worked in Kawasaki dealerships back then, and I remember when they closed out those gasket kits in the early 80's!!!!

z1kzonly wrote: Very nice work! That is a thing of beauty! "Art" to look and stare at! I have to ask? Are you going to sand the fins to bare aluminum?
I have a gloss black engine also, nothing stock or original. I powder coated all the engine covers and am using polished SS hardware.
I better finish this thing, before I kick the bucket. And my kids sell it all at an estate sale for $100 for all the motorcycle junk!


Yes, I do plan on sanding the fins.

Does anyone know what the resistors in the lighting circuit are for?
Is Kawasaki trying to reduce the voltage to the lamps?
From 12 V at the battery, I have 9 V at the headlight and tail light.
I have measured all the switches in the system and non of them have a high resistance.
I have tried bypassing the Reserve Lighting System and end up with the same voltage drop.
Am I trouble shooting a non issue?

neighbourdave wrote: Does anyone know what the resistors in the lighting circuit are for?

I believe the resistors are not used unless you have a blown filament in the headlight or taillight bulb. I also think it has to be the low-beam or running-light filament that has failed. In this case, the lighting reserve box automatically switches over to the "brighter" filament, but dims the filament by switching the resistor in series. This allows the taillight, for example, so have bright and dim modes with a single filament.

From 12 V at the battery, I have 9 V at the headlight and tail light. ... I have tried bypassing the Reserve Lighting System and end up with the same voltage drop.

A 60W bulb pulls 5A at 12V. Losing 3V at 5A requires a total of only 0.6 ohms from battery to bulb. Given the number of connectors, skinny wires, and switches along that path, a total resistance of 0.6 ohms doesn't seem surprising. Although that would mean you're dissipating 15W in the harness...

I don't have mine handy, but I believe the service manual describes the function of the lighting reserve in detail. Oh, and here is the wiring diagram just in case: kzrider.com/jdownloads/Fours/KZ1000/KZ10...lectrical/1000D1.pdf

Well, it is 90% complete. I am just waiting on my side cover emblems to come back from my painter and have yet to decide on what to do about a pipe.

Looks great! I think a black kerker would be killer

Very nice.
Steve

DoctoRot wrote: Looks great! I think a black kerker would be killer

Agreed! You MUST get one.

Beautiful bike !

Have you taken it around the block yet ? I bet it rides as great as it looks.

JR wrote: Beautiful bike !

Have you taken it around the block yet ? I bet it rides as great as it looks.

Thanks guys. Sorry, not much of a build thread.
I still haven't had it out (kids soccer, yard work, blah blah blah) but the mechanic that did the safety on it says it rides like it is brand new!
Hopefully tomorrow.
So what about this Kerker?

my z1r with black kerker for your viewing pleasure


leon