New KZ rider here! Introducing my 1983 KZ550 LTD

Hello, from WI!

I bought my friend's 1983 KZ550 LTD (shaft drive) for $500 this weekend. It ran fine when he bought it last summer, but has been sitting since July due to my friend getting injured in an auto accident. The bike has 18k miles and is complete. I imagine all it needs is a new battery and carb clean to get running again!



A friend and I are planning a 10 day motocamping trip to the Appalachian mountains this May. What can I do now to make this bike bulletproof for the upcoming trip? Are there any reliability issues common to these bikes?

Here is my to-do list:
> fresh oil and filter
> valve adjustment
> carburetor clean and sync
> new fuel filter
> new spark plugs
> new battery
> new fork oil (and maybe do the fork seals while I'm at it)
> fresh differential fluid
> new brake fluid
> lubricate (or replace) clutch and throttle cables

I'm used to riding a sportbike, so the handling and braking characteristics of this bike will take some getting used to! With my 215lb self sitting on it, I can already tell the suspension is very soft and cushy. I plan on adding heavier fork oil, and I haven't played with the adjustable rear suspension yet. Are there any common suspension upgrades owners make to these bikes? Also, are there any good front brake upgrades? I don't want to put a ton of money into the bike, but wouldn't mind investing in some upgrades to make the bike safer to ride!

What are good repair manual options for my shaft-driven KZ550? Where is a good source for OEM parts?

Lastly, is that nut and bolt the stock rear brake pedal height adjusters? The bottom of the bolt has poked a dent into the chrome exhaust cover underneath it.

Howdy. For a manual search eebaayy for KZ550 shaft manual. There are several listed right now at reasonable cost. KZR member loudhvx has a link to a 550 manual in his signature, but it's for the chain drive models.

Brake shoes. If you don't know the age of the rear brake shoes, replace them. The adhesive that binds the linings to the shoes can fail over time, so a lining can come off and get jammed between the shoe & drum, locking the rear wheel. It happened to me, so it does happen.
I installed Vesrah brake shoes (VB-412). Or get OEM. Yours are the same as mine.

Rear brake pedal. The KZ stop is kinda low tech. You might be able to go with a shorter bolt. On my 81 650 the bolt threads into a bracket at the frame, so the muffler cover won't get dented. On your 550 you might be able to move the bolt to the frame by rigging up a threaded frame bracket. From the photo I can't tell what type of bracket you have & I couldn't find one in the 550-M1 diagrams at Partzilla.

Front brake. Maybe the Fr Br from a 550 GPz. Or maybe from a 80-83 KZ750-4 chain drive (Ltd H or Standard E models). needed parts: forks, calipers, wheel & disks, mc. The 750-4 forks might be longer than the 550.

Brake lines. If the original lines are on the bike, maybe consider replacing them w/ ss braided --- there are quite a few options. If you go with a dual disk Fr Br, that would be a handy time for the upgrade.

Suspension. Z1Enterprises.com has Progressive fork springs & maybe Prog. shocks.
Hagon shocks are another option. With minor modifications HD Sportster shocks could be used --- sometimes vg condition can be found on eebbaayy at reasonable cost.

Hamaya wrote: Hello, from WI!

I bought my friend's 1983 KZ550 LTD (shaft drive) for $500 this weekend. It ran fine when he bought it last summer, but has been sitting since July due to my friend getting injured in an auto accident. The bike has 18k miles and is complete. I imagine all it needs is a new battery and carb clean to get running again!

A friend and I are planning a 10 day motocamping trip to the Appalachian mountains this May. What can I do now to make this bike bulletproof for the upcoming trip? Are there any reliability issues common to these bikes?

Here is my to-do list:
> fresh oil and filter
> valve adjustment
> carburetor clean and sync
> new fuel filter
> new spark plugs
> new battery
> new fork oil (and maybe do the fork seals while I'm at it)
> fresh differential fluid
> new brake fluid
> lubricate (or replace) clutch and throttle cables

I'm used to riding a sportbike, so the handling and braking characteristics of this bike will take some getting used to! With my 215lb self sitting on it, I can already tell the suspension is very soft and cushy. I plan on adding heavier fork oil, and I haven't played with the adjustable rear suspension yet. Are there any common suspension upgrades owners make to these bikes? Also, are there any good front brake upgrades? I don't want to put a ton of money into the bike, but wouldn't mind investing in some upgrades to make the bike safer to ride!

What are good repair manual options for my shaft-driven KZ550? Where is a good source for OEM parts?

Lastly, is that nut and bolt the stock rear brake pedal height adjusters? The bottom of the bolt has poked a dent into the chrome exhaust cover underneath it.

That's a stop. Cheesy one at that.
Steve