Beginner Rider w/ Black 82' KZ1100

I'm a beginner rider that road dirt bikes when I was younger. I just inherited a KZ1100 from my Father in Law after he passed. I'm thinking the 1100 is going to be way too much bike for me. Is there anyone that would think about a trade for a KZ650?

Let me know if you have any questions. It's in good shape but it's been sitting for a couple of years. I'm going to clean the carburetor and tank.

Welcome. I am sure there are people who will trade bikes with you. If the bike was your father in law's however you should try to give it a go. I inherited a z1 900 from my mother and had never ridden a motorcycle at all. I am 225 miles into and think I would be very upset going to anything smaller at this point.

Keep it!

If you want to get into riding that is. They are excellent bikes. I am currently putting the final tune on one for the summer.

If you are worriedabout it being too big go onto your local Craigslist or classifieds and buy any running street bike 500 cc up to 750 cc you can afford. Then sell that when you feel confident.

Welcome btw,

POST PICS!

The KZ650 is a really nice bike; I’ve owned mine since it was new (40 years). The KZ1100 is also a really nice bike. It is about 80 lbs. heavier than the KZ650 and it is about 1.0 – 1.5 seconds faster in the ¼ mile (11.7 vs 13.0 seconds) depending on who is riding it.

Both bikes are quite quick for the uninitiated, and either bike can get a new rider into trouble very quickly if he/she is not careful and/or isn’t well versed in street riding. With that in mind, if you have concerns about your safety you may want to follow GPzMOD750’s advice and get a bit of practice on something a bit lighter and less quick. If you can find a friend with an older bike in the 250cc – 500cc range it might be worthwhile riding that for a few weeks before riding the KZ1100. Ed

I started riding a KZ1100 with NO previous riding experience two years ago. You've been listening too much from people saying it's really really fast. Believe me I went through the same thing with people raising their eyebrows at me. You have to keep in mind that yes, 30 years ago a kz1100 was one of the fastest bikes on the road. Today it's more comparable to a typical Harley or a mild 600 bike. You'll have no issues with tackling an onramp, but it's nowhere near any liter bike of this century. If you're just going by the numbers, yeah there's 100 hp.....then subtract 30 years of horsepower loss, and add the extra 150 pounds of weight compared to modern bikes, It's a pretty middle-of-the-road when it comes to today's power figures.

The one downside is the 600 pound weight, that'll probably give you a little trouble if you tip it over, and I do strongly suggest learning how to properly pick up a motorcycle (you should have no problems if you do). Keep it away from redline, keep the engine happy, and you'll be fine.

SmokyOwl wrote: I started riding a KZ1100 with NO previous riding experience two years ago. You've been listening too much from people saying it's really really fast...

...Keep it away from redline, keep the engine happy, and you'll be fine.

Sorry, but...SmokeyOwl must be speaking from his own experience, of course.
SWest always says to "Ride the Piss out of IT!"

These Kawasaki engines were not designed/built to be babied...but you don't want to beat them either. You will find the comfort-zone rides somewhere in between. They just need to be tuned well to handle it.

Here's some pics. It's still a little dirty but I just realized it's actually a RTD1000 (european version of the KZ1000).

Can you tell me if its ok to these carburetors in a dip basket overnight to clean?

daveo wrote:

SmokyOwl wrote: I started riding a KZ1100 with NO previous riding experience two years ago. You've been listening too much from people saying it's really really fast...

...Keep it away from redline, keep the engine happy, and you'll be fine.

Sorry, but...SmokeyOwl must be speaking from his own experience, of course.
SWest always says to "Ride the Piss out of IT!"

These Kawasaki engines were not designed/built to be babied...but you don't want to beat them either. You will find the comfort-zone rides somewhere in between. They just need to be tuned well to handle it.

Can you tell me what the shift pattern is for the KZ1100?

byRogan81 wrote:
Can you tell me what the shift pattern is for the KZ1100?

1 down, neutral, 4 up. Should be on the sprocket cover next to the lever.

That's been standard for all road bikes since the early 70s.

Looks like a U.S. market LTD1000 to me.

Yes you can soak those carbs in carb cleaner, but be sure they are completely disassembled first. You need to keep all the parts segregated by carb, that is, keep all the parts with the carb body they came off of, don't mix them up. There are some pretty good carb cleaning tutorials on this site. I think they are under the Articles tab.

Help please!!

How do drain the fuel tank on a kz1000? Do I need a vacuum pump?

I've pulled the fuel line and put the petcock on reserve but the fuel won't drain. I'm new and trying to figure this out.

Thanks