Newbie

Ya thats for sure, I am always on the look out for fellow kz riders. I got to say ive met quite a few nice people just cuz of the kz.

Hey powerstroke! Could have been me, I didn't see any other bikes similar...there is a sweet bright Orange 650 in town with chrome header & pods, that wouldn't be you would it?...It was the next to last (Saturday) night for the fair...ya GOTTA love the free bike parking, right up front! Hey, if you're local, I could use some troubleshooting help from somebody with a little more bike wrench time than myself...Where you be at?

Iam about 15 mile on the other side of union city. I think It was a saturday evening when i was there. I wasnt on the bike tho, I was in the ladys yellow cobalt. maybe post up some of the symptoms of what its doing, And we can see what we can figure out.

UPDATE: After replacing the entire timing plate assembly (Thanks again to Rehmert's Kawasaki!), and replacing a brand new (bad) spark plug, (from O'Reilly's) we actually got her ambulatory! Took her out for a (VERY chilly) shake-down cruise Saturday night. After running out of gas a half block away & replenishing, I froze my lips to my teeth due to stupid grin on my face. With stock exhaust, these babies are quiet, cruising around town!Very smooth! Gonna have to invest in a timing light to get her dialed, but cautiously optimistic...I think this beast will live again! P.O. told me that it sounded like it had a knock...(rod or main) and that was why he left it to rot. When we first opened the points cover and started messing, the timing was off so far, that my buddy said it oughtta run backwards. That could account for a knock or two!I hear nothing, but those dulcet tones with which (I am sure) so many here are familiar...As I mentioned earlier, after sorting out bearings, bushings, fork seals, etc. I am going to go silver base Candy Blue, and I am going to dust off the airbrush and try my hand at laying some realistic "tonal" fire (shades of Blue, Purple, little Black, Little White)...topped with a repro decal kit and "LOTS" of clear...Good to have a plan, even better to have a running motorcycle! The tires kill me though...A decade old, but brand new...(chicken stripes still sticking out all over them.)I know, I know, they're on the list, too! Don't need to be worrying about a blow-out!This forum has been (And will likely continue to be)an invaluable resource...Thanx, all!

For the ignition timing; while you are waiting to get a timing light and dwell meter you may want to set the points using the following instructions. They should get your timing very close to spot on...

The manual has several pages of instructions, pictures, etc. on how to set the timing using the static method plus timing light, plus dwell meter. I can give you a fairly easy way that will get you in a pretty close ballpark without a timing light or dwell meter, but you will need a 0.35 mm feeler gauge and a multi-meter or other device to test continuity. To be very precise, the timing light and dwell meter will be needed.

Remove the points cover on the right side of engine. Under it you will see 2 sets of points. The set on the left fires cylinders 1 & 4; the set on the right fires 2 & 3. When replacing points observe carefully how the little bits and pieces are arranged where the wires attach. Some of those pieces are actually insulators and if you leave any of them out or put them back in the wrong place the points will be grounded and won’t work. Take a very close look at the contact surfaces of the points. If they are pitted you really should replace them. You can sand down pitted points, but they will quickly pit again. Replace one set of points at a time so you can look at the other set in case you get the little bits confused.

Use a 17 mm wrench to turn the nut NEAR the end of the crankshaft clockwise while looking in the hole above that nut. (Do NOT use a wrench on the smaller bolt on the very end of the crankshaft to turn the engine.) Inside that hole you will see a vertical pointer cast into the casing. As you turn the 17 mm nut you will see a 1 & 4 and F and T roll by and then you’ll see a 2 & 3 and F and T roll by. Each F and T has a line next to it.
Here’s the method I use for static timing. I turn OFF the ignition. I disconnect the green wire near one coil and the black wire near the other coil. (This is not in the book, but it makes checking continuity much easier for me.) After installing the new points or cleaning up the old ones, turn the 17 mm nut while watching the points. When points set 1&4 are at their widest gap adjust them (by loosening the 2 screws that hold the points to the backplate) so the gap equals 0.35 mm. Turn the 17 mm nut clockwise through a full revolution again and double check this gap. Then repeat this for points set 3&4. Now set your meter to test continuity and clip one wire to the leaf spring on points set 1&4 and clip the other wire to ground. Turn the 17 mm nut clockwise until the 1&4 “F” mark aligns with the pointer mentioned above. You want the continuity across point set 1&4 to just break when the F mark aligns with the pointer. The idea is that when the continuity just fails is when the points will fire their respective coil and cylinders. In order to adjust the point at which continuity fails you loosen the 3 screws that hold the backplate to the engine and slightly turn the backplate until the meter shows a break in continuity. Once you have the 1&4 set timed properly you can check the 2&3 set to make sure they break when the 2&3 F mark aligns with the pointer (they should or something is not right). Don’t forget to plug in the green and black coil wires when you are done, and put a little grease on the rubbing block felt. Assuming you are using new points of the correct type this should enable you to get the timing very close. Trying this with old points may give poor results, especially if the points are pitted and/or the rubbing blocks are worn.

After you have set the gap (which in effect sets the dwell) and the timing using the method above you can use a dwell meter and timing light to fine tune dwell and timing. If you have followed the above procedure carefully, very little if any fine tuning will be needed.
Sorry this is so long. It’s not as difficult as it sounds. Ed

Grumpy Ole Artist wrote: UPDATE: After replacing the entire timing plate assembly (Thanks again to Rehmert's Kawasaki!), and replacing a brand new (bad) spark plug, (from O'Reilly's) we actually got her ambulatory! Took her out for a (VERY chilly) shake-down cruise Saturday night. After running out of gas a half block away & replenishing, I froze my lips to my teeth due to stupid grin on my face. With stock exhaust, these babies are quiet, cruising around town!Very smooth! Gonna have to invest in a timing light to get her dialed, but cautiously optimistic...I think this beast will live again! P.O. told me that it sounded like it had a knock...(rod or main) and that was why he left it to rot. When we first opened the points cover and started messing, the timing was off so far, that my buddy said it oughtta run backwards. That could account for a knock or two!I hear nothing, but those dulcet tones with which (I am sure) so many here are familiar...As I mentioned earlier, after sorting out bearings, bushings, fork seals, etc. I am going to go silver base Candy Blue, and I am going to dust off the airbrush and try my hand at laying some realistic "tonal" fire (shades of Blue, Purple, little Black, Little White)...topped with a repro decal kit and "LOTS" of clear...Good to have a plan, even better to have a running motorcycle! The tires kill me though...A decade old, but brand new...(chicken stripes still sticking out all over them.)I know, I know, they're on the list, too! Don't need to be worrying about a blow-out!This forum has been (And will likely continue to be)an invaluable resource...Thanx, all!

Good to hear you got it running. Maybe this summer ill see you cruising around town, if i ever get mine back together lol. But seriously hopefully it will be back together in a couple weeks. Kinda thrown off by what you said about chicken strips. chicken strips are the wear patterns in your tires that tell how far you lean it into curves. maybe you mean the tits?

I thought the term "chicken strips" referred to the little "nubs" formed during the moulding process...Man, I am picking up info right and left around here! LOL! Good luck getting her back together, hope to see you around town!