KZ 440 Basketcase - AKA The "Pig"

On my KZ440 the master cylinder didn't allow me enough clamping force so I grabbed a 1993 KLR650 1/2" master cylinder.
It allows me to lock up the fronts but you really have to bleed the air out of it or the lever will bottom out on the handle. The KLR master also allows you to find aftermarket adjustable levers. And it has the brake light switch built into the lever if I recall.

You may have to switch to a chain drive one day.. It's pretty easy but you will have to cut a belt guard mount.
You don't need many electrics on it so it should be easy to wire up.

For a cheap speedometer I use a Sigma bike computer. I actually bought it for the clock but it works as a speedo, trip and total odometer. You may need a lighted version though.I just glued a magnet inside one of the bolt heads for the front brake rotor for the computer's wheel sensor.
sigmasport.com/product/bc-5-0-wr/

I had a tach/hour meter on my bike for awhile but it was digital and slow to update. It good if you are holding a particular rpm for a bit. The sensor wire wraps around a spark plug cable.
www.hardlineproducts.com/product/hourtach-meter/

You may be able to get something from Koso to work.

kosonorthamerica.com/shop/?wpf=test_menu...age=1&wpf_cat=meters

Unfortunately, it's very easy to spend more than the bike is worth. I'm sure most of us will agree.

As a friend of mine likes to remind me - "if we were doing this for a living we'd never make any money !"   

Nerdy wrote:

I believe the front sprocket (pulley) cover on the left side of the engine is not the right one, and the adjustment in the middle (under the missing cover) is not being used. There appears to no clutch cable going to it, so I guess it was replaced for some reason.

 

Yes, that's strange.
Maybe a chain broke off and smashed through the sprocket cover, so it was replaced.

F64 wrote:

Unfortunately, it's very easy to spend more than the bike is worth. I'm sure most of us will agree.

Ain't that the truth 

Michi wrote:

Yes, that's strange.
Maybe a chain broke off and smashed through the sprocket cover, so it was replaced.

That was the first thing to come to mind, but this is a belt drive model. I don't know if a snapped belt would cause the same kind of damage as a thrown chain.

It's odd, though: Partzilla lists a sprocket/pulley cover without the adjustment cover and says it fits the '81 D3:

www.partzilla.com/catalog/kawasaki/motor...rs-81-83-d2-d3-d4-d5

The one with the clutch adjustment is part number 14026-1046 and the one without is 14026-1050. Maybe it was a mid-model-year change.
 

Good evening. Again, thank you for the comments. 

A quick update / question on the exhaust. The existing bolts holding the exhaust flange were very loose, not much more than hand tight. The header pipe is very loose in the head, is it supposed to have a lot of slop?  

The welded bolt appears solid for the moment despite the crack in the weld. I feel my options are to leave it alone as suggested above, or snap it off and try to install a Heli Coil or better yet a Time-Sert so a new 6mm stud can be installed. 

The existing flange is held in place with two small welds that I can grind off, but the sleeve (not sure what to call it) does not budge. There is a flair at the end of the header as you can see in the picture. 

Thoughts?

Thank you. 

Bruce

Bruce -
There should be 2 half circle collars that fit against the flare in the tube, and the flanges should be loose on the tubes not welded.  See the partzilla diagram for your bike.  The factory used the ribbed flanges but a lot of aftermarket pipes use the flat flange like yours has.  Both would use the split collars to keep the pipes tight to the head. And there are copper gaskets that go between the pipe and the head to keep a seal. 

^Exactly right.

Regarding what you should do with the welding on bolts, it's great you have the helicoil or timesert to fall back on, but what I would do in that situation is try and go with the welded on bolt, once I have the exhaust flange collars and steel collets (and copper/fibre gaskets) in hand. You never know - there might be enough exposed thread on the welded bolt to fit the exhaust properly without having to take on more work. Then again, if you encounter problems from what the previous owner did, then just cut off that bolt and helicoil/retap or whatever (in which you'll need a new exhaust bolt).

The little tab welded onto the exhaust header is silly - just grind that off. 

Here's how the exhaust attaches:

images.cmsnl.com/img/partslists/kawasaki...kar09689917_b2f7.gif

I am trying to route the chopped up harness, and the way the PO had it does not make sense. Everything is too tight. 

Does the main harness Travel on my finger or thumb side of the frame?  Thumb side and the airbox fits, finger side seems more natural but still not right. 

thank you!

 

I think I have it. 

The alternator, neutral and oil light lines have all been cut and badly spliced. Once unraveling the mess and removing the plastic corrugated POS tubing the layout makes sense. 

I wish I knew what the hell he was trying to do. 

thanks. 

all wires inside.
 

Thank you. 

Sorry for all the dumb questions.  The repair manual provides some guidance but having to undo what I can see is wrong without seeing the way it should be is proving difficult. 

I was able to reroute most of the harness so that it rides along the inside of the frame rails. The cut wires for the prior post need to be fixed before I move forward, so I hope the bullet connectors come in soon. 

As I go through the harness I keep finding little blue packets that have crimp connectors. They kinda line up with the wiring diagram so I assume that is factory?  The problem is where the loom has been unwrapped the blue tape is falling apart. 

Thank you.