1983 440 LTD

Hello all.

Bought my KZ-440 LTD (belt drive) a year ago for $200.00 on Craigs list. Hadn't run in 20 years etc, same story that I'm sure has been told a million times here.

Got it running relatively quickly. Changed out plugs, oil, air filter media, battery, etc. Cleaned the carburetors thoroughly. No oil leaks, etc. evident, and though I haven't measured it, compression feels good on a 'roll test', so I didn't have to get into any of the hard work. Overall it's a complete bike in very good cosmetic condition (also has a faring on the front, and hard box + sissy bar in the back). Sorry, no photos, the only camera I've got at the moment is on my cell phone, and the pictures are pretty grainy.

Anyway, it sat for 20 years.... The front brake master cylinder had seized up (and drained). I bought kits for both the master cylinder and the caliper and cleaned them up. The front caliper is clean, but the master cylinder had quite a bit of corrosion (the cylinder wall is pitted). The front brakes work currently, but even with new internals, there is brake fluid leaking from the master cylinder,and the fluid in the reservoir turns pretty quickly. Needless to say, I need to make a change before the caliper has corrosion too.

At this point, any kind of added repair to the master cylinder is probably out. I've been searching off and on for a couple months for a replacement master cylinder. Most sites want me to search by year/make/model, and of course don't have a master cylinder assembly associated with my Y/M/M. I see used on ebay from time to time (usually doesn't look that great to me), as well as aftermarket supplied by the user 'usa-motorcycles-inc'. Has anyone bought from this user before?

Also, the brake-light switch on the aftermarket master cylinder (mentioned above) on ebay doesn't look like what's on my master cylinder. Am I going to be able to hook up the brake-light switch without getting out the soldering iron and/or electrical tape?

Any other sources anyone can point me to for what seems like should be a widely available after-market item?

Thanks in advance!

You might want to check the Kawasaki website. There is a parts diagram for your bike on there that can be cross-referenced to find all the other Kawasakis that have your master cylinder. That will help increase your available options.

I'm pretty sure that someone, Patton maybe, did a thread on this site on exactly how to do the parts search.

Good luck

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Hello, Eric, and WELCOME to KZr!

Info on kawasaki.com includes parts diagrams, part numbers, models sharing same part, availability, etc. Here's a link for help with navigating the site and finding information.

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...w&catid=13&id=376734

Good Fortune!

Thanks for the notes!
The 'compatible bikes' info is great to have! No surprises there, but as I've learned with my dirt bike (1986 Husqvarna, if you think older Kawasaki parts are hard to find, buy an older Husky) buying incompatible parts based on 'best guess compatibility' can lead to a lot of money spent on expensive and unique paperweights.

As far as the soldering on the connectors for the A/M master cylinder brake switch, I'm sure that there is a crimp-on out there that I could use to connect to the switch (even if there isn't, I'll just use the good old fashioned soldering iron, I'm not sure I trust paste).

Also appreciate the note on changing out handlebars. It would be silly to spend more on a master cylinder than I did on the bike, and then replace it again in 6 months if I wanted to swap out the bars. As it turns out, I'm perfectly happy to keep the bike more or less 'stock'. This may sound silly, but I bought the bike as a project, more something to work on, less something to ride (after years riding dirt I have trouble feeling comfortable on the road around all of the 'cagers'). Still appreciate the note though. If I were swapping out the bars, you may have saved me several hundred $ with that one!

Perhaps a banjo bolt switch ---

www.z1enterprises.com/SearchResult.aspx?...anjo%20bolt%20switch

Good Fortune!