New member from NW INdiana

New to Kawasaki and just purchased a Z1b!






Came with 26mm carbs but the engine and frame numbers are correct.

and this!



A beautiful Z1a tank. He also gave me an unused Kerker from the 70's

Looking forward to this winter project.

Hello, geobass, and WELCOME to KZrider!

Here's some reading to enjoy, as published by Dave Marsden.

THE 1975 Z1-B STARTING FRAME NO: Z1F-047500 - Z1F-085700

IN JUNE OF 1974, KAWASAKI BEGAN PRODUCTION OF THE 1975 MODEL Z1-B.
SALES OF THE Z1 MODEL WERE STILL INCREASING SO KAWASAKI WERE RELUCTANT TO MAKE ANY RADICAL CHANGES.
THE BIKE REMAINED BASICALLY THE SAME FOR 1975, HOWEVER MORE PROBLEMS THAT HAD COME TO LIGHT WERE ADDRESSED AND MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE.

BODYWORK: CANDY SUPER BLUE OR CANDY SUPER RED.

AFTER THE CONFUSION WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF THE 1974 MODELS, KAWASAKI RESORTED TO DESCRIBING THESE NEW COLOURS BY THEIR BASE COLOURS.
BOTH COLOUR OPTIONS WERE GIVEN THE SAME COLOUR OF STRIPES. THIS WAS A THICK GOLD STRIPE RUNNING ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK WITH A THINNER WHITE STRIPE ABOVE IT.
ABOVE THE TANK EMBLEMS WAS A THICK BLACK STRIPE EDGED WITH A THIN WHITE STRIPE ON EACH SIDE OF IT.
THE TAIL FAIRING HAD THE GOLD STRIPE AND THE THIN WHITE STRIPE REPEATED ON IT. UNLIKE THE 1974 Z1-A MODEL, THIS STRIPE CURVED UPWARDS TOWARDS THE CENTRE OF THE TAILPIECE. THE TRAY INSIDE THE TAILPIECE NOW CONTAINED A DIFFERENT DECAL. INSTEAD OF THE SILVER DECAL WITH THE WIRING DIAGRAM ON IT, THERE WAS NOW A WHITE DECAL SHOWING AN OUTLINE OF THE BIKE AND REMINDING THE OWNER OF THE DAILY SAFETY CHECKS THAT SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT.
THE SIDE PANELS, ONCE AGAIN, WERE PAINTED JUST IN THE MAIN BODY COLOUR.
THE SIDE PANEL EMBLEMS WERE CHANGED FOR THIS MODEL. THE '900' LEGEND ON THE BADGE WAS NOW MUCH LARGER THAN PREVIOUS MODELS. THE REST OF THE EMBLEM REMAINED THE SAME.
THE FUEL TAP WAS ALSO CHANGED TO A NATURAL SILVER FINISH INSTEAD OF THE BLACK DESIGN PREVIOUSLY USED.
NO TOUCH UP PAINT WAS OFFERED FOR ANY OF THESE NEW COLOURS.

NEW PART NUMBERS:
FUEL TANK 51001-096-2R RED
FUEL TANK 51001-096-2S BLUE
TAIL FAIRING 53043-004-2R RED
TAIL FAIRING 53043-004-2S BLUE
SIDE COVER LH 36001-036-2R RED
SIDE COVER RH 36007-030-2R RED
SIDE COVER LH 36001-036-2S BLUE
SIDE COVER RH 36007-030-2S BLUE
PANEL EMBLEM 56018-197 LH
PANEL EMBLEM 56018-198 RH
EMBLEM CLIPS 92018-005
FUEL TAP 51023-043

INSTRUMENTS:
ONLY THE SPEEDOMETER WAS CHANGED ON THE Z1-B. THE NUMERALS ON THE CLOCK FACE WERE NOW IN INCREMENTS OF 10MPH INSTEAD OF 20MPH.

NEW PART NUMBER:
SPEEDOMETER 25005-121

SWITCHGEAR:
BOTH SWITCHGEAR ON THE Z1-B WAS CHANGED.
THE RIGHT HAND SWITCH WAS COSMETICALLY CHANGED WHILE THE LEFT HAND SWITCH ASSEMBLY WAS FITTED WITH A COMBINED HORN AND HEADLAMP FLASHER ROCKER SWITCH. ON THE AMERICAN MODEL, THE FLASHER PART OF THE SWITCH WAS INOPERATIVE.
THE CITY LIGHT POSITION WAS ALSO REMOVED FROM THE AMERICAN RIGHT HAND SWITCH ASSEMBLY.
NEW PART NUMBERS:
LH SWITCHGEAR 46091-034
RH SWITCHGEAR 46132-024

HEADLAMP:
THE UK MODEL WAS NOW FITTED WITH A NON-ADJUSTABLE HEADLAMP UNIT. THIS NEW UNIT, MANUFACTURED BY THE STANLEY COMPANY, DID WITHOUT THE INNER RIM AND ADJUSTING SCREW FROM THE PREVIOUS MODELS.
THE AMERICAN MODELS CONTINUED WITH THE SEALED BEAM UNIT AS BEFORE.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO REDUCE VIBRATION WAS CARRIED OUT BY REPLACING THE HEADLAMP MOUNTING RUBBERS WITH SOFTER ITEMS. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE INDICATOR EARTHING COLLARS WERE ALSO MODIFIED.
NEW PART NUMBERS:
HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY 23004-066 (UK MODEL)
MOUNTING RUBBER 23066-015 INNER
MOUNTING RUBBER 23066-016 OUTER
EARTH COLLAR 23076-005

FRONT BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER:
THE MASTER CYLINDER USED ON THE Z1-B WAS MODIFIED FOR THE UK MARKET. IT NOW INCORPORATED A WHITE PLASTIC RESERVOIR TO ENABLE EASY CHECKING OF THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL.
NEW PART NUMBER:
CYLINDER 43015-035

REAR DRIVE CHAIN AND SPROCKETS:
DUE TO COMPLAINTS OF THE DIFFICULTIES IN USING THE AUTOMATIC CHAIN OILERS OF PREVIOUS MODELS, THE Z1-B WAS FITTED WITH AN O`RING CHAIN. ANOTHER FIRST FOR KAWASAKI. THE NON O`RING CHAIN WAS NOT REALLY UP THE JOB ANYWAY, SO THIS WAS A GOOD MOVE.
THE WHOLE OF THE CHAIN OILER SYSTEM WAS REMOVED.
THE CHAIN WAS ONCE AGAIN AN 'ENUMA' PRODUCT, AN EK630S-TO X 92 LINKS.
BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA THICKNESS OF THE CHAIN, CAUSED BY THE O`RINGS, MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE BIKE HAD TO BE MODIFIED. THE CHAIN WAS 0.11 OF AN INCH WIDER.
THE FRONT DRIVE SPROCKET HAD TO BE SPACED OUT FROM THE INNER TRANSMISSION COVER, SO A MODIFIED SPROCKET WITH A BOSS BUILT INTO THE BACK OF IT WAS PRODUCED. BECAUSE OF THIS, A THINNER LOCKING NUT WAS ALSO SUPPLIED.
THE REAR SPROCKET REMAINED THE SAME BUT A THIN SPACER WAS FITTED BETWEEN THE SPROCKET AND THE CARRIER TO SPACE IT OUT. BECAUSE OF THIS THE SIX SPROCKET RETAINING BOLTS NEEDED TO BE MADE LONGER.
THE PLASTIC CHAIN GUARD WAS ALSO MODIFIED TO A SLIGHTLY WIDER DESIGN AND THE CHAIN ADJUSTER PLATES WERE CHANGED ONCE AGAIN.
BOTH REAR ENGINE MOUNTING PLATES WERE MODIFIED, ALTHOUGH THEORETICALLY, ONLY THE LEFT HAND ONE NEEDED TO BE. ONE OF THE 8 X 40 MM BOLTS, HOLDING THE BRACKET TO THE FRAME, WAS SHORTENED TO 36MM.
ALSO SHORTENED WAS THE TWO EXHAUST MOUNTING BOLTS. THESE WERE NOW 104 MM LONG INSTEAD OF 108 MM. THE TWO 10MM LOCKING NUTS, AT THE REAR, WERE ALSO MADE THINNER. THIS ENSURED NOTHING TOUCHED THE DRIVE CHAIN.
KAWASAKI RECOMMENDED THAT THE NEW O`RING CHAIN SHOULD BE LUBRICATED EVERY 500 MILES.
NEW PART NUMBERS:
CHAIN 92057-096
FRONT SPROCKET 13144-062
REAR SPROCKET SPACER 92026-108
MOUNTING BOLTS 92003-087 (SPROCKET)
ENGINE PLATE 32030-046 LH
ENGINE PLATE 32030-047 RH
MOUNTING BOLT 110G0836 (ENGINE)
CHAIN GUARD 36014-061
CHAIN ADJUSTER 33040-066
ADJUSTER BOLT 92003-147
EXHAUST BOLTS 92003-180
LOCK NUTS 92019-021

FOOTREST:

THE Z1-B WAS FITTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE UK WITH THE FOLDING FOOTREST THAT THE AMERICAN MODEL HAD ALWAYS HAD.
THE FOOTREST RUBBERS WERE NOW BONDED ONTO A ZINC PLATED METAL STEM AND PINNED TO THE GLOSS BLACK METAL FOOTREST BRACKETS. THE FITTINGS TO THE FRAME WAS UNCHANGED.
LIKE THE REAR FOOTREST, THE FOLDING FRONT ITEMS USED A CLEVIS PIN, A LARGE FLAT ZINC PLATED WASHER AND A SMALL COTTER PIN TO SECURE IT TO THE BRACKET.
AMERICAN MODELS USED A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DESIGN OF MOUNTING BRACKETS. THEY WERE THINNER IN PLACES WITH A DIFFERENT BEND TO THEM AND THE CLEVIS PIN SAT FLUSH INTO THEM. THESE DIFFERENT BRACKETS CAUSED THE FOOTREST THEMSELVES TO BE SLIGHTLY MORE FORWARD. I AM NOT TO SURE WHY THIS WAS, PERHAPS TO GIVE THE AMERICAN RIDER A MORE UPRIGHT POSITION.
NEW PART NUMBERS:
FOOTREST BRACKET 34003-036 LH
FOOTREST BRACKET 34003-037 RH
FOOTREST BAR 34028-011 LH
FOOTREST BAR 34028-012 RH
CLEVIS PIN 92043-080
WASHER 92022-204
COTTER PIN 550D2515

HANDLEBARS:
FOR THE FIRST TIME KAWASAKI OFFERED FOR THE UK MODEL, A LOWER SET OF HANDLEBARS. THESE WERE DESCRIBED AS SEMI-LOW. THEY WERE FINISHED IN CHROME AND HAD A RISE OF ABOUT THREE INCHES.
VARIOUS OTHER PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IF THESE BARS WERE FITTED INCLUDING SHORTER CABLES AND THE TOP BRAKE HOSE.
NOT MANY PEOPLE WENT FOR THIS OPTION, PREFERRING THE SIT UP AND BEG ORIGINAL BARS.
NEW PART NUMBERS:
HANDLEBARS 46006-013 SEMI-LOW
CLUTCH CABLE 54011-070
THROTTLE CABLE 54012-112 OPEN
THROTTLE CABLE 54012-113 CLOSE
BRAKE HOSE 43059-017

FRONT BRAKE CALLIPER:
THE TWO ALLEN BOLTS ON WHICH THE INNER BRACKET SLID ON WERE CHANGED.
THESE WERE NOW A SMOOTH PLAIN FINISH UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS KNURLED DESIGN. THE PART NUMBER, HOWEVER, WAS UNCHANGED.

FRONT FORKS:
THE INNER PISTON DAMPER ASSEMBLY IN EACH FORK LEG WAS CHANGED ON THE Z1-B. PREVIOUSLY THE SMALL METAL BUSH ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DAMPER WAS NOT AVAILABLE SEPARATELY BUT NOW IT WAS. THIS NEW BUSH SAT INSIDE THE BOTTOM OF EACH OF THE FORK INNER TUBES AND WERE SECURED WITH A CIRCLIP. BECAUSE OF THIS A NEW FORK ASSEMBLY WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO CONTAIN ALL THE NEW PARTS. THE AMERICAN MODEL ALSO RECEIVED THE NEW FORKS BUT OF COURSE, THEY CAME SUPPLIED WITH ORANGE REFLECTORS ON THE FORK LOWERS INSTEAD OF THE CHROME CAPS.
NEW PARTS:
DAMPER ASSEMBLY 44022-021
BUSH 44048-009
CIRCLIP 44044-019
FORK ASSEMBLY 44001-137 (UK)

REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH:
THE DESIGN OF THE PLASTIC REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS CHANGED ON THE Z1-B. THE TWO ADJUSTING NUTS WERE NOW THICKER AND THE SWITCH BODY WAS THICKER AND MORE ROBUST.
NEW PART NUMBER: 27010-017

ENGINE CHANGES:

ONLY A FEW CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE ENGINE OF THE Z1-B, SUCH WAS ITS RELIABILITY.

CRANKCASES:
SLIGHT COSMETIC CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE CRANKCASES ON THE Z1-B.
THE PART NUMBER, HOWEVER, WAS NOT CHANGED.

CAMSHAFTS:
THE BOLTS HOLDING THE CAMSHAFT SPROCKETS TO THE CAMS WERE MODIFIED AND INSTEAD OF JUST PLAIN BOLTS, HIGH TENSILE FLANGED FASTENERS WERE USED INSTEAD. THESE BOLTS WERE NOW FITTED WITH A LOCKING AGENT DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH PREVIOUS BOLTS COMING LOOSE.
NEW PART NUMBER:
BOLT 92003-141

CYLINDER HEAD NUTS:
THE DESIGN OF THE TWELVE CYLINDER HEAD NUTS WAS CHANGED TO MORE OF A BELL SHAPED DOMED STYLE.
NEW PART NUMBER:
HEAD NUT 92015-076

LUBRICATION SYSTEM:

THERE HAD BEEN REPORTS ON EARLIER MODELS THAT THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT HAD BEEN STAYING ON UNDER SEVERE ACCELERATION. THIS WAS PUT DOWN TO A SLIGHT DECREASE IN OIL PRESSURE ON SOME ENGINES. IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH SHOULD BE REMOVED AND THE SMALL HOLE IN THE SWITCH SHOULD BE RE-DRILLED TO ALLOW AIR TO ESCAPE MORE QUICKLY. IT WOULD SEEM THAT AERATION OF THE OIL HAD BEEN OCCURRING BY THE SUDDEN MOVEMENT UNDER ACCELERATION. HOWEVER, ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE PROBLEM LAY IN THE OIL PUMP ITSELF. AIR WAS GETTING TRAPPED IN THE PUMP BODY AND KAWASAKI ADVISED DEALERS TO DRILL A SMALL DRAIN HOLE INTO THE PUMP TO ALLOW IT TO ESCAPE. THIS MODIFICATION WAS TO BE CARRIED OUT 'DISCREETLY' BY DEALERS BUT MANY WERE NOT TO IMPRESSED WITH THIS TIME CONSUMING SOLUTION. SPOILT BY THE LACK OF 'SPANNER' WORK THAT THE Z1 NORMALLY REQUIRED, DEALERS PRESSURISED THE FACTORY TO SORT THE PROBLEM OUT AT THEIR END.
KAWASAKI WERE NOT GOING TO LET THIS PROBLEM SPOIL THE 'BULLET PROOF' REPUTATION THAT THE Z1 MOTOR HAD EARNED ITSELF, SO THEY CHANGED THE OIL PUMP ON THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY LINE.
THE MODIFICATIONS INCLUDED A THICKER GASKET BETWEEN THE TWO PUMP HALVES AND A DIFFERENT OIL STRAINER. THE NEW STRAINER WAS NOW A PUSH IN FIT INSTEAD OF THE PREVIOUSLY SCREWED ON TYPE.
THE CHANGES ALSO REQUIRED A SLIGHTLY BIGGER SUMP PLATE TO BE FITTED.
NEW PART NUMBERS:
OIL PUMP 16082-059
SUMP PLATE 16110-003
STRAINER 16111-004
OIL PUMP GASKET 16145-002

CARBURETTORS:
THE Z1-B WAS NOW FITTED WITH THE MODIFIED CARBS FIRST USED ON LATER MODEL Z1-A`S. PART NUMBER 16001-217.

DURING 1975, OTHER MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE AND CARRIED OUT ON THE PRODUCTION LINE AT KAWASAKI.

BEFORE DEALERS RECEIVED SUPPLIES OF THE Z1-B, A BULLETIN WAS SENT OUT TO WARN DEALERS THAT THE FRONT BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, PART NUMBER 43065-001, ON BIKES BETWEEN FRAME NUMBERS Z1F-57790 AND Z1F-59280 WERE NOT TIGHTENED CORRECTLY. DEALERS WERE ADVISED TO CHECK ALL RELEVANT BIKES AND RE-TIGHTEN THE SWITCH TO 2.8KG-M OF TORQUE.

IN JANUARY OF 1975, DEALERS WERE ADVISED OF THE CHANGES TO THE CRANKCASES AND WARNED TO CHECK OIL LEVELS USING THE MARKS ON THE CLUTCH COVER, BECAUSE THE NEW CASES HELD SLIGHTLY LESS OIL.

IN ADDITION, IN JANUARY OF 1975, A BULLETIN WAS SENT OUT TO DEALERS ADVISING THAT A REPAIR KIT WAS AVAILABLE FOR THE LEFT HAND SWITCHGEAR. THE SMALL SWITCH FOR SELECTING HIGH OR LOW BEAM COULD EASILY BREAK OFF. NORMALLY YOU WOULD HAVE HAD TO BUY THE COMPLETE SWITCHGEAR TO REMEDY THIS BUT NOW A REPAIR KIT WAS OFFERED. THIS KIT FITTED MANY MODELS BECAUSE THIS TYPE OF SWITCH WAS ALSO USED ON THE TRIPLE RANGE AND THE Z400 AND Z750 TWINS. THE PART NUMBER FOR THIS KIT WAS 99930-530.

STILL IN JANUARY 1975 AND A SERVICE BULLETIN ADVISED THAT ANOTHER MODIFICATION HAD BEEN MADE TO THE AUTOMATIC TIMING ADVANCER.
PUNCH MARKS HAD BEEN ADDED TO THE FACE OF THE UNIT TO ASSIST IN SETTING THE TIMING WHEN FULLY ADVANCED. THE PART NUMBER FOR THIS NEW PART REMAIN UN-CHANGED. THE MODIFIED ADVANCER WAS FITTED TO ENGINE NUMBERS Z1E-058727 ONWARDS.

THE LAST SERVICE BULLETIN OF JANUARY 1975 WAS TO ADVISE OF THE MODIFICATION AND STRENGTHENING OF THE MAIN FRAME AROUND THE HEADSTOCK AREA. A REMINDER OF THE AVAILABILITY OF THE STRENGTHENING KIT, PART NUMBER 99990-532, WAS ALSO MADE.
THE MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE TO BIKES AT KAWASAKI FROM FRAME NUMBERS Z1F-065210 ONWARDS.

IN FEBRUARY OF 1975, A BULLETIN WAS SENT TO DEALERS TO ADVISE THAT YET ANOTHER ATTEMPT HAD BEEN MADE TO REDUCE VIBRATION TO THE HEADLAMP AREA. NEW MODIFIED HEADLAMP BRACKETS HAD BEEN PRODUCED AND FITTED TO ALL BIKES FROM FRAME NUMBERS Z1F-55500 ONWARDS.
DEALERS WERE ALSO ADVISED TO REMOVE THE HEADLAMP ADJUSTING BRACKET, FASTENED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HEADLAMP BOWL. KAWASAKI HAD ALREADY BEGUN TO LEAVE THIS BRACKET OFF PRODUCTION BIKES, AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE NEW HEADLAMP BRACKETS WERE FITTED.
THE NEW CHROME HEADLAMP BRACKETS NOW HAD AN EXTRA INNER PLATE ON THE INSIDE SECTION OF THE TRIANGULAR PIECE. THIS PLATE SANDWICHED THE PREVIOUSLY MODIFIED MOUNTING RUBBERS AND ALLOWED THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY SLIGHTLY MORE MOVEMENT THUS REDUCING VIBRATION.
BECAUSE OF THESE CHANGES A NEW FORK ASSEMBLY WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO INCLUDE ALL THE NEW PARTS. AS USUAL THE AMERICAN MODEL WAS THE SAME WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ORANGE REFLECTORS.
NEW PART NUMBERS:
BRACKET 44033-072 LH
BRACKET 44034-072 RH
FORK ASSEMBLY 44001-163 (UK)

IN SEPTEMBER OF 1975, A BULLETIN WAS SENT TO DEALERS TO ADVISE THEM THAT OWNERS HAD COMPLAINED OF EXHAUST GASES BLOWING AROUND THE SMALL REAR RUBBER PIPE CONNECTORS. TO COMBAT THIS, NEW RUBBER PIPES HAD BEEN PRODUCED ALONG WITH THE MODIFICATION OF THE TWO BOTTOM MUFFLERS. THIS ENSURED A BETTER SEAL BETWEEN THE TWO PAIRS OF SILENCERS.
THE NEW PART NUMBER FOR THE RUBBER PIPE WAS 92059-120 WHILE THE SILENCER PART NUMBER REMAINED UN-CHANGED.

OWNER'S HANDBOOK: PART NUMBER 99997-832

Good Fortune!

Welcome geobass, good looking project.

where in indiana?

Portage

allot of us hoosiers on here i recently transplanted across the river into ky welcome love the colors on the bike man used to wor with an A+ salesman last name was Bass lol keep the pics comin

Nice save geobass...looks like the previous owner tried to turn the Z1 into an LTD. If you are considering returning your Z1B to stock, you might join the following group: kawasaki-z-classik.com/index.php

welcome.

nice score,stick around and show us what you do with it.

leon

Welcome to kzr from eastern indiana. Cant wait to see the bike build in progress.

Welcome from Southern Indiana. Cool bike and you are gonna love it when you are done.
Mike

Hey dude
Get me a shout if you need anything. I'm just over in Lowell
cheerz
gregz


the trifecta

Welcome from Northeastern Indiana!! Great group of people here, it just doesn't get much better then here.