Hi from NorCal

You are too far into this to back out now! Shocks will make a big difference. I don't recall if you are rebuilding the forks but a good idea if not yet done. Now, hoping you get the charging system sorted. Great progress and should be ready to roll by spring!

I appreciate all the advice, as it is helping me sort through a lot of stuff.
I did rebuild the forks, all they needed were seals and some oil.
I added some more bright green brake line, so it is bright green all the way from the reservoir to the caliper. Got the brakes back on the bike. I was going to fill it up with fluid, but I gave up searching for some clear vinyl hose as it was getting late last night. Grabbed some taps, so I can chase threads on the suspension, then this KZ should be back on the ground, and I can test the chargin system with a new rectifier, and just threw a new gasket on the stator housing.

I had polished up the ignition advance cam, cause it was rusty, and broke the advance/retard arms loose. the point gap is maintaining better. The bike was running good for a solid 15 minutes maybe, and got out of the work shop right about when it quit again. Then I go to start it back up, not enough juice. Put the battery back on the charger, and it jumps back up to 4 ampers. Got a new rectifier/regulator on there too. Although this battery is only 6 months old and should be fine. I can confirm the voltage while running, but last I check it was just shy of 14 volts, maybe 13.5, so I would think that it would be charging. . .

14 volts is optimum fully charged for a bike battery. 13.5 volts is very normal on start up. Looks like it is holding its charge. Good luck with the further trouble shooting. If you have not put a new set of points & condenser in then you should. I had the original 1977 points & condenser in my KZ when I bought it in 2009. It ran but when I inspected, the contact points were brittle. I replace with a Dyna solid state ignition. You could simply try new points & condenser if not done so as yet.

I had done something goofy with the fuel lines, :ohmy: so rerouted them, new filter, and the bike is running good now, but with the choke closed. A friend of mine actually made a point about how well this bike is built, and I am taking that seriously now that I have seen inside the carbs, and had to replace nothing inside them yet.

As I open the choke, the throttle goes for the moon, or continually increases, so I am thinking that it is rich, because with the added air, it just takes off. I will try and set the float bowl level again, maybe its too high. I have no idea where the Idle Adjustment (Idle Screw) is at, seems like I can just turn and turn :blush: If I desire to balance the carbs, then do I remove the screw that next to the black Idle circuit screw, for vacuum?
I almost got it figured out. Just a little more tuning.
Thanks.
Randy

It's possible that I am misunderstanding your statement: "the bike is running good now, but with the choke closed"

When you engage the choke you are enriching the air/fuel mixture and the engine will rev higher - that is normal. This is usually required when starting a cold engine. When you turn off the choke, especially with the engine warmed up, the engine should run at normal rpm. If that is what you are experiencing your engine is working just as it should. Ed

Ed,
You are correct sir! I was having a dyslexic moment. The bike is running very well, and I feel a lot better getting into this now that I understand how it all works much better than when I started.
Still needs little things here and there, but I believe everything major has been sorted out. :woohoo:
I will see what I can do about some glamor shots and videos.
Thanks.

I am really digging where you have taken this bike Randy. Nice pics btw. AND, Enjoy the ride.

Finally getting out to ride.

Check out the dirt track bars. Totally changed the way the bike looks and feels. So stoked. :evil:

Looking for a sleeker flat style seat. I have no intention of having passengers anytime soon. If anyone knows of seats and pans that will fit this frame, let me know please.




Thanks

This bike is such a blast! It certainly runs good enough to get around the neighborhood.
Here is an update with some issues, if anyone can help out.
The bike starts right up with some choke, close the choke idles fine between 1k-2k depending on where I go the idle screw at. Once it gets warmed up, I give it some throttle, maybe rev up to 4k, and let of the throttle, it doesn't snap back closed, but kinda stutters down and dies. Same thing if I am riding and I pull in the clutch to shift up or down, and I don't make that shift fast enough to let the clutch out before the revs drop to zero. A buddy of mine says everything is pointing to an air leak or clogged idle circuit. I am confident my rubber intake boots are brand spanking new and sealed to the head. Carbs have been blown out twice, float bowl level is good. Maybe third times a charm? :laugh: Today, I can check the advance retard springs, I know I broke them loose but maybe they need lube, or I read about folks hacking a coil off. I will also check the ignition timing. Pretty much the whole ignition system is new parts, although the cam lobe on the advance retard housing that drives the contact points has a tendancy to wear down the phenolic. Another point, the idle is surging, or hunting from 1k-3k, with the vacuum hooked up to the petcock, with vacuum lines block off seems to have a more stable idle.
I'm a newb, so I will take any suggestions comments. Gotta learn somehow.
Thanks,
RR

The bike came with only half the air box and no filter. I have read a lot about how the air box for a ltd is impossible to find. Current bid on one on ebay is $86 :blink: I just need to grab the tape measure and melt some plastic together. In this schematic it is Part Number 2.


I have been running the bike with no air filter, and perhaps that is why my idle circuit is gunky. Anyhow, what I do have is the part that sits in front of the battery. I would have to fabricate the part that would house the filter above the battery, hopefully to the same volumetric efficiency. It would be nice to make it accept an off the shelf filter as well. Maybe just an adapter to fit one of these is all that's needed, because that triangle filter doesn't seem to be available either.