Hello from NH!

Hello! My name is Ryan. I am currently living in NH. I have a 1978 KZ400B that I bought about 12 years ago. I rode it for a while and then moved to Arizona. I came back to NH a few years after that to pick up a car and drive it back to AZ. I completely disassembled the KZ and loaded it into the car. I just started reassembling it and I know I'm going to need some advice. I will look around the forums but if someone can let me know the best parts suppliers that would be great. I had been band-aiding the diaphragms in the carburetor with black RTV silicone when I was riding it so I know I will need some carb kits and a pair of diaphragms. I was a member of KZ400.com back then but that site doesn't seem to be loading now. Hopefully i can find what I'm looking for here. Looking forward to getting to know everyone!

Welcome aboard.

Here are a couple of good parts sources -

www.z1enterprises.com/

www.partzilla.com/catalog/kawasaki/motorcycle

I think there is only one source for diaphragms, and I do not recall its name.

Ever ride your KZ up Mt. Washington?

The Kawasaki KZ400 website still works fine for me although is has not been updated for quite a few years since the death of Odd Ivar Bekkelund. Give it another try (link below). Ed

www.kz400.com

TexasKZ wrote: Welcome aboard.

Here are a couple of good parts sources -

www.z1enterprises.com/

www.partzilla.com/catalog/kawasaki/motorcycle

I think there is only one source for diaphragms, and I do not recall its name.

Ever ride your KZ up Mt. Washington?

Thank you. Haven't ridden up Mt. Washington but I did ride from the southern part of the state (not far from Mass border) to the Northern most part, very close to the Canadian border. It was a very fun ride!

Ive been up there on my turbo . Every year at bike week they have one day for bikes only on the auto road . It used to be on a thursday .

I bet that is a hoot.

I have been looking for diaphragms for those carbs for a while. So far no luck. You can find them for later 400's and 440's, but not the 77/78.

JBM Industries has them. They're on the way. $47 for a pair, shipped.

That's interesting.

I looked on JBM quite a bit last year and couldn't find the 72mm diaphragms. I only see the keyed 71mm diaphragms for the 440 and later 400.

Do you have a link?

Mine takes the 71mm keyed set. They do have (2) parts that fit a 72mm.

jbmindustries.com/Dimensions.html

Ah, yes, I see. Thank you.
The 78 B1 uses the later 400 carbs. I forgot 78 was split year. (The 78 A2 still used the older carbs.)

JBM's 72mm diaphragms have the center too big. The early Kz400 diaphragms need a 23-ish center.

I tried some 72mm / 23mm boots from a Honda. They fit the carbs, but didn't allow enough motion. The "dish" was too shallow.
Honda on the left. Kz400 on the right.



Good luck with the install!