TOPIC:

I have a 1978 KZ650B that's kinda been neglected for years. No professional care, just wash/wax/change oil, and a few years ago I sent the carbs to Wired George. Fantastic service, by the way, can't recommend him strongly enough.

So, what should I look into doing to it? I have service manual and a Clymer book, but it looks so overwhelming, I really don't know here to start.

I rode it about 10 miles last night, gently, because that was the first time I started it since December. Runs ok, but it's always had this problem where it won't go until it's warmed up. If you twist the throttle at idle, even if you take it real easy, it will stall. Once it's had 5-6 minutes at idle, it runs good.

What should I start with?

Thanks.

Obvious answer is to open the service manual to the maintenance schedule page and start going down the list. Valve adjustment, brake system clean out. service the air filter, etc. The valves in particular should be checked before they burn due to neglect. Check charging system voltage too, since corrosion in the harness often causes problems with this subsystem.

One thing at a time and no short cuts.

Good luck.

It sounds like you might have some vacuum leaks around the carb holder boots. Let the bike heat up until it can idle on its own and then spray some carb cleaner at the boots. If the bike stalls or the idle changes, the boots are leaking

With regard to vacuum leaks around the carb holder boots I tried spraying cleaner a few years ago, and there was no change in idle. But it's been a long time and maybe I should try it again.

By "Valve adjustment" do you mean checking the clearances and changing the shims if needed? That sounds a little scary and I was thinking of finding someone I could pay to do it. I don't have the tool for changing the shims either. Taking the carbs off and tearing them down and rebuilding them was less scary sounding-- I did that a few times before sending them to Wired George. I ran the bike for a couple of years after doing the carbs myself, I just wasn't happy with the improvement I got when I did it myself, so I shipped them out.

As Nessism suggested, take a look at the Kawasaki Service Manual. It has a table near the front that describes the maintenance that should be performed, and further in the manual it describes how to do all the maintenance. You didn't say how many miles are on the bike. The odds are that the valve clearances are fine, but as part of the normal maintenance you should check them. If you let the bike sit for months without running and with gas in the carbs you probably need to clean the carbs. Neglect is not good for these or any other bikes - they need to be run. Ed

The bike has only 31k on it.

I replaced the speedo some years ago, and chucked up the cable in a drill to try to turn it to the same milage as the original. When that looked like it was going to take weeks to do, I spun it to the original miles minus 10,000.0. She now reads 21,400 or so, so the real miles on it are 31,400.

Pix ?

Pix-- to come soon. Sorry, don't have any decent ones now.

1). Drain & clean the fuel tank.
2). Check &/or rebuild the fuel tank petcock to make sure it is working right.
.... (possible reason for gasoline fumes in garage when defective).
3). Install new fuel line & an in-line mc fuel filter. New air filter.
4). Drain & clean the carbs. Simple method by just removing the float bowls & jets, then spraying carb cleaner thru the orifices to make sure they are not plugged. Use your eyeballs & common sense. If they look nice n clean, then a cursory cleaning may be sufficient, but verify that the orifices are not blocked (important). I did the complete teardown - never done it before, but it seemed easy to me. I didn't bother using the manual - it would be maddening to go back n forth to it for every little detail. Eyeballs & common sense. Everything pretty much comes apart & goes back together only one way, so it's hard to mess up.
5). Install new carb o-rings & gaskets. Replace any other rubber parts that you can easily remove.
6). Make sure the carb holders & airbox ducts are not hard &/or cracked. If so, replace them.
7). Install new spark plugs & check the spark plug wires. Check for spark.
8). Clean & lubricate the timing advancer. You'll need a right side engine cover gasket. Also, an impact wrench is handy to keep from buggering the screws. I use a hand type that you whack w a hammer.
9). Check the compression. easy. A handy time to do it is when the carbs are off the bike.
10). Valve clearance check. Checking the clearance is easy. Changing shims is harder but should be doable, especially with all of the internet forums & youtube video help.
11). Get a new battery & keep it properly charged. And properly service it if applicable.
I have a Ctek US 0.8 charger which seems like a good one.
A digital multimeter is also handy to have (VC97 = good/inexpensive).

Martin:

Thanks very much for this nice list of things to check. Valve clearance still scares me, but I should be able to check them, even if changing the shims seems like more than I want to try.

I wonder what you think of my storage procedure at the end of the riding season: I use Sta-Bil in the gas for the last tank full or last two. I top off the tank right to the top. When I get it stored on planks, so the tires are off the concrete, I crack the carb bowl drain bolts on each carb and drain them using a piece of copper pipe with a bevel cut in the end.

So I've been running gas with stabilizer through the engine for a while before putting it away, but the carbs are basically empty. The tank is full, so it shouldn't rust. The bike is stored in an attached garage, where it's never quite as cold as the outside, unless the overhead door is left open.

Storing that way helps, but IMO the best way is not to let it hibernate at all. During the Winter I start mine up once per week and let it run for 15 minutes or so. This keeps goo from forming in the carbs, keeps the battery charged, and keeps oil on the cylinder walls, cams, etc. In fact, if we get a warmish day during the Winter I'll ride it around the block. When Spring comes it's ready to ride and starting it up is not an issue because it hasn't been sitting idle for an extended period. Ed