KZ750 ignition option

Aloha guys,

To make the long story short, I'm looking for ignition option for my KZ project. What I have is 82 KZ/GPz750, but due to many years of neglect, my original case was beyond repair. So instead, I got myself a different case, which happened to be from 81 KZ750. Yeah, I should've done the homework first. Anyway, the ignition pickup I have from original won't work. Screw holes don't line up.

So, I was looking for other option, but I would like to have ignition advance as well. Been looking through ebay but in my case, I need pickup as well as igniter. According to the manual, that era KZ (which have tach drive from exhaust cam) is different from mine (electrical tach).

Anybody have any idea what can I use? If I can't find anything, I was looking at Dyna 2000 system. Bit pricey, but I'm getting ready (just not ready yet) to bite the bullet.

Just a quick glance at images online...others with more experience will join in...but it seems you may be able to rotate the pickup plate till it matches your original case in orientation.
While holding the plate in that position on the new case, mark where the mounts are below with a sharpie and drill new holes on the plate. You may have to slot the holes to allow for some adjustment.
Just a hunch though
Lou should be able to help you out.

Go with the Dyna for a few reasons. Chose this route 20 years ago. 1) modified the bike with a 91 ZR motor. 2) Dyna has everything needed in the kit to set it up. 3) the electronics are not cooked and old. 4) Tunable for your output needs. I'm kinda bummed the pictures on my build thread are gone. I'll have to post some new as I revive Lazerus. Looking now it's nice some parts are available to cross back and forth between model, but it's getting harder as the years fly by. Just bite the bullet and go after market on this front.

Can you post photos of the ignition area? The 550's use the same ignition systems as the 650's and 750's, and the later Zx style ignitions can be retrofitted onto the earlier Kz550 cases. You just have to cut out a bit of the old plate mounting boss.

This shows what has to be cut on the 550. The 750 should be similar, but the main difference is that I think you have the oil pressure switch at the bottom.

Path of least resistance is a Dyna S w/mechanical advance. loudhvx's approach is awesome, but would require a little more involvement.

Thanks for al the input guys.

loudhvx, the plate itself fits in the ignition area without any modification.. I can even rotate the plate, but my problem is one of the screw hole don't line up. I have both triangular shaped one like on your post, which is the original pickup I have, and the rounder one I got from evilbay hoping that'll have a right screw hole. Both don't line up. Both are aluminum plate with dual pickup.

If I line it up with top center hole, one of the bottom two holes won't line up, and if I line up two bottom holes, the top one is off by about 2-3 mm. Since the case is from 81 750, I was thinking of getting the whole pickup system with igniter, but that's kinda expensive for old used unit, specially for igniter that I don't even know if it'll work. Hence the Dyna system. I know Dyna is overkill, so looking for cheaper or better alternative.

In any case, as soon as I can get to the engine, I'll upload ignition area.

In order to use a Dyna S he would have to go back to using a mechanical advancer. I would try to use a Zx750 ignition since it's more modern and presumably the igniter is still working.

(The Dyna 2000 is electronic-advance, so wouldn't need the advancer.)

It's strange that the holes don't line up. I've installed a Kz550 pickup plate and mechanical advancer on my buddy's Zx750 and everything lined up from what I remember. (He had a dead igniter and I had a bunch of 550 spares on hand.) But that was 20 years ago. Maybe we had to file one of the holes a few mm to elongate the hole.

OK. here we go.

Ignition area. I haven't touch anything here, meaning no cutting, grinding or what so ever. As is stock.

With triangular stock plate I have from my original motor. Don't mind the bolts. I know it's not the right ones. I just put it there to line up and take pictures. If you look at the top screw hole, it's way off.

With rounder plate I got from evilbay. Same result as the above one.

Any thoughts?

Great photos, thanks.
It appears close enough to me that you could just make a second hole next to the top one. It would be so close that the bit would want to travel into the existing hole, so you make a bit-guide using a throw-away steel bolt.

I haven't done this, but this is how I would do it:

I would find a hex-head bolt that fits into the hole, but does not extend out of it (cut off a longer one if need be). Then grind a flat edge along the bolt, including grinding the head. The bolt shaft cross-section will then be D-shaped instead of round. The amount of material to grind off will be determined by where the final hole needs to be. I would use a hex-head so I can grab the bolt and rotate it slightly to guide the bit if in case it's going off course. I also always drill a small pilot hole all the way through, usually coming from each end to meet in the middle. This way I control the path of the bigger, final bit. But you have to be very careful when making the pilot hole. If the two holes don't line up perfectly (they never do) the bit will want to grab when it breaks through to the existing pilot (which was drilled half-way from the other end). You have to go very gently when the pilot bit is about to break through.

Because the guide-bolt is steel, the bit will want to cut into the aluminum. But it may walk a bit so you can rotate the guide bolt to direct the bit where it's needed.

If you don't have a lot of experience with a drill press, you might want to find someone who does.


Now the real question is whether or not the two lower mounting points are the same as on the Zx case. If not, then the timing will be off. Can you look at your old Zx cases to see if the mounting posts are in the same position?

Thanks for your advise. I'll definitely try once I check everything are in place. What I mean is that since the screw hole didn't line up, I never install the rotor to check if it's in middle of everything. For now, I'll tighten down two bottom hole and see if the rotor is in center of everything. If looks OK, I'll proceed with modification you mentioned.

Wish me luck.................

complete ing from my 81 kz750H 4cyl

Make sure to get the magnet polarity correct and get the brass screws in the right place.

s3.amazonaws.com/gpzweb/Ignition/PickupA.../PickupAndRotor.html