New guy around here...

Hey everybody,

I am a brand new bike owner as well as bike rider. After sitting back and watching my older brothers and father obsess over their new found hobby/way of life, I have decided to jump in as well. I am taking my endorsement training later this week but couldn't wait til then to get my new bike. After spending time on Craigslist I have ended up with a 1980 KZ650 which the PO is going to ride over to my house later tomorrow (I still can't ride lol). The bike runs but he has suggested a few things for me to work on.

I plan on doing all the work myself on my kz not only to save money, but also to learn how the mechanical systems of a bike work. I feel as if this is going to be a great interest of mine. I have very limited experience and knowledge with motorcycles, but over the past week I have spent nearly 40 hours on the internet checking out forums, youtube, etc. so I feel confident I will be able to find my way.

Checking out the kz this weekend I was able to learn that it is running a little rich. The PO rode it only around town the last year a half and only put 1,000 miles on it (which seems VERY little to me) so I am guessing it has spent some time in the garage and needs some carb work done. I am planning on doing some treatment with Seafoam, as I hear that may hopefully be all it needs, to get the bike running well enough to make it to winter when I can do some extensive work on it.

Past this, the bike seems to be in decent shape. I am looking to do some cheap maintenance and cosmetic improvements with in the next couple weeks before I start planning some winter work. I will post pictures tomorrow when the bike arrives and I would love any and all advice on what some easy little jobs are that will improve my bike as well as my knowledge of my machine.

Thanks everyone.
Trevor

Welcome aboard! Assuming the bike has the stock air box and exhaust, don’t be too quick to think it is running rich or needs any engine work. The KZ650 has a very robust engine that can go many thousands of miles before needing serious work, and 100,000 miles is not unheard of. My KZ650 has about 55,000 miles and has never had any engine work at all done to it. Running some Seafoam through the fuel tank is not a bad idea, just be sure to use the correct amount per gallon as instructed on the container. Some folks have created temporary problems by dumping a whole can of Seafoam in the tank.

You state you wish to learn how the mechanical systems of a bike work, and that is an outstanding objective. The very best way to achieve that is to buy the Kawasaki Service Manual. (I’m not talking about a Clymer, Haynes, or other aftermarket item; get the genuine article.) The manual will be available on eBay, but you must first determine exactly which model KZ650 you have – this is easily done based on the VIN stamped in the steering neck. You will need to find the manual for your exact year / model bike as there are differences between models. The Kawasaki manual gives a full description of each of the various system on the bike, so you can use it to develop a thorough understanding of how each of the systems functions and how the components interact. Of course, it also provides all the info you will need to perform routine maintenance tasks, diagnose and correct problems, determine if the various component on the bike are within the service limits, as well as providing torque specifications (VERY IMPORTANT!) and other specs, performance curves, etc. The manual is worth its weight in gold. I highly recommend taking plenty of time to read it carefully, and after you have a sound grasp of the various system perform a full tune-up on your bike. Be sure to use the correct tools and adhere to the torque specs or you can cause more harm than good.

The link below provides some general information that you need to know before doing any work on your KZ650. I hope you find it helpful. Ed

kzrider.com/forum/10-new-members/589649-...r-savannah-ga#594587

Welcome Trevor.
Looking forward to pictures.
I find the Clymer manual useful too.
Do go over all items in the Maintenance Schedule.

Thanks for the replies fellas. Before I get into my post, I am going to make it clear that I am a college student without a big money supply. Between this beauty, riding gear, and getting it registered I am going to have to be smart about what projects I tackle at first and how I fix them. So I got my bike this evening and everything seems better than I remember.







After sitting down and getting a feel for all the controls on the bike I came upon my first couple problems: my horn and tachometer aren't working.








The horn seems like an easy fix as one of the sets of wire connections have been broken. The blue plastic seal that protects the connection between the wire and metal fastener seems to have fallen apart which left the wire open to wear and tear. I am hoping that I can simply take apart the fastener and reconnect it with the wire, then throw something on it to protect it (maybe just electric tape for now). If anyone has suggestions for these parts please let me know.

I haven't had a chance to look at the tachometer connection yet, that is my plan for tonight before I go to bed.

Tomorrow I plan on giving my kz a good cleaning. I am going to grab some Simple Green and go at it the best I can. If anyone has easy suggestions for cleaning I am all ears. There are a few rusty spots in areas, I plan on using some steel wool, is there anything to help this process? I also want to grab some wax for the painted parts, I am going to hold off on polish for another day.

One other issue I saw was on the circular part of the engine on the right side that says "Kawasaki". There seems to have been a crack at some point (maybe a heavy drop?) and some sort of sloppy filler to cover it up. Think I should be worried about it?

On another note, I am having trouble identifying my bike. Originally I though it was the KZ650-F1, but after looking at my VIN number it shows that it is KZ650E-000150. What does the "E" in this mean? I was expecting for it to be an "F".

This is giving me trouble figuring out what manual to get. I looked online to find the Kawasaki Manual that ed talked about and saw it will set me back $50...with my current state I think I am going to wait until this winter when I do some more technical work. In the mean time I think I will stick with the Haynes unless you guys have other suggestions.

Thanks for the maintenance list nick. I am going to run this over during this week along with a link my dad sent me www.gadgetjq.com/motorcylemaintenancelist.htm . They seem to cover a lot of stuff as well.

One quick question about the gas tank...when I received the bike the PO had ran the fuel level down to Reserve. The only readings on the petcock are RES, ON, and PRI. I am trying to get a better look at my bike and want to see what's below the fuel tank, can someone walk me through removing it? My only trouble is what to set the petcock at, disconnecting the fuel line, and is there gonna be some spillage of gasoline?

Thanks.
Trevor

After a little bit of further research...is the VIN number that I provided the actual VIN number? It was found on the front of the frame.

Forgive me for my newbie questions guys...its gonna be a process. Thanks.

Based on the VIN your bike is a very early (the 150th bike made) 1980 KZ650-E1 LTD. The link below will verify this.

models.kz650.info/index.htm

Regarding the cracked and repaired piece - that is your points cover. Behind that cover are the ignition contact points and condenser. The cover is not intended to hold oil in (it should be dry behind it), it is intended to keep water and dirt out, so that repair will not cause a leak. However, part of your routine maintenance is replacing the contact points and condenser, so at some point when you do a tuneup you'll need to remove the cover, but that bottom screw looked hosed up. I would recommend keeping an eye on eBay for a used points cover. Be sure to get one that matches the stator cover on the other side of the engine or your engine will look a little goofy (yours has horizontal stripes cast into it, but other years have different designs). When buying a cover, be sure not to get confused and buy the left side generator/stator cover instead. At first glance that cover looks similar, but it will not work as a points cover.

One other note - you need to continue watching eBay for a Kawasaki Service Manual. You should make sure the manual covers your specific model (there are important differences between the various models)- the back cover of the manual shows which models are covered - you need one that covers the 1980 KZ650-E1. Unfortunately, that is a pretty scarce manual, that's why I advise you to start looking now. The genuine Kawasaki manuals are considerably better than the Haynes or Clymer aftermarket manuals, but if you have a Haynes it will do until you can get the real manual. Ed

welcome to kzr and welcome to bike life lol.

Yes, looks like you have an E model, but the gas tank and side covers are off a B, C or F model.
No big deal, unless you wanted a completely stock bike.
As long as it works, have fun and ride safely.


Go through the maintenance schedule.
Do the things that cost little money, checking items as you go.
Make a list of things needed, and set priorities.


Gas tank removal:
forums.kz650.info/index.php?topic=7439.msg66984#msg66984

Fuel petcock has RES, ON, and PRI;
RES - reserve, used when you are low on fuel
ON - gas on.
PRI - Prime. To prime the carbs.

Fuel should not flow when the petcock is set to ON or RES.
The engine needs to be running, and supplying vacuum to the petcock through the vacuum hose.
This is where you want to set the petcock, ON or RES when removing the tank.

On PRIme, fuel will flow out freely.
Use this to prime the carbs when the bike has been sitting for a while, or to drain the gas tank.

Thanks for that info Nick, the tank and side panels were definitely what were throwing me off about my model.

I think I am off to a good start with my new bike. I'll be seeing you guys around the forum. Thanks again.

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationRecieved my manual in the mail to find that it is the "Assembly & Preparation Manual" ...terrible mistake and waste of $50 Hopefully it is useful at some point but we will see...I have found a real Servie Manual on ebay and wanted to get some feedback from the forum here about if this will actually help me and not set me back more money...

Just seeing this, and I think you already bought that last manual, as it's sold.
It says it's a reproduction.
I'm not familiar with them.
Let us know how it turns out.

There is a free download of the Service manual KZ650 H1, F2 and D4 1981, at the bottom of the files page here:

www.jarlef.no/Kawasaki/Series/Z/650/z650files.htm

Wrong year for you, but there would be some info relevant.