New KZ650 Owner

Well hello everyone! Brand new to the forums, and just picked up my first bike. '77 KZ650. Or at least I think so? More on that later.

My name is Kolton. I have a small amount of riding experience playing with other people's bikes and growing up riding out in our local dunes as a kid here in San Luis Obispo on the central coast of California. I've been a mechanic in one way or another my entire adult life, and really looking forward to seeing what I can do with this bike. I plan on truly making it my own. I'm very much into motorsports (I do race car suspension for a living), though I don't know if I'll ever race this bike, I already have a car for that.

Teardown starts this week. Gotta figure out what carbs I have so I can get a rebuild kit. I'll go ask in the proper area. The plan is to build a Sport Brat. It's really going to be a mix of Cafe, Brat, and Tracker. Clipons, Rearsets, Flat seat, longer rear shocks.

Here's the bike.



Chassis code is KZ650B0002xx. One of the first of it's kind!

Then it gets confusing, I thought the early 650s had wire wheels and single disks?

Then it gets more interesting when I look at the engine code, KZ750EE033xxx
Looks like I have a '82 KZ750-E3 motor!!!

Bike also came with a Lockhart oil cooler.



And a Kerker Exhaust. Possibly a factory option?

Based on your bike’s VIN, your bike appears to be one that has been pieced together from more than one donor bike.

The frame’s KZ650B0002xx VIN is for a 1977 KZ650-B model bike. However, the KZ650-B models came with wire wheels, not cast wheels. Both of your cast wheels have a lip around the edge, so that narrows down what they may be from. Since the rear wheel has a drum brake on a cast wheel it may be from a 1983 KZ650-H3 (CSR). I don’t think there were other KZ650 models with a cast rear wheel /drum brake configuration. The front wheel could be from any of several later KZ650 models such as a C, D, or F model, but since the front brake rotors do not have holes drilled in them that wheel may be from a 1978 KZ650-C2 or 1978 KZ650-D1. If the rotors are not original to the wheel the wheel it might be from a later C, D, F, or H model.

Your front forks are also from a different model bike. The 1977 KZ650-B models had the ears for the brake rotor on the front edge of the forks and the ears for the fender stay on the rear edge. Your forks have both sets of ears on the rear, so the forks are either from a 1977 KZ650-C model or a later model KZ650. Your front brake master cylinder is from a 1977 model because it is round, but you should look under it to see if it is marked “5/8”. If not, it was not intended to be used with dual front disk brakes.

The exhaust was added later; it was never a KZ650 option, and of course the shocks and seat were replaced at some point.

To see if the engine cylinders are from a KZ650 take a look at the left side. The KZ650 cylinders are marked as shown below. Ed

Thanks a lot Ed.

I have the right brake master, but it needs a rebuild or replace anyways. Looking into my options there.

Looks like I definitely have a KZ750 engine in there. Says 0.738 l right on the side.

Unfortunately.... I have don't have Keihin 34 carbs, it has the Mikuni 26 on it from the 650. I'm not sure if these will be able to get jetted right to run properly, so it's time to search for the right carbs. Not what I was hoping to be spending my money on.

If they are 26's, they should work fine. KZ 900-1000's had them.
Steve

Did the PO use a GPz oil pan to attach the oil cooler or a 650 style fittings? Or something else? Any oil cooler is better than nothing.

SWest wrote: If they are 26's, they should work fine. KZ 900-1000's had them.
Steve

I just posted over in the carb section CLICK . I'm not sure what they are yet.

azman857 wrote: Did the PO use a GPz oil pan to attach the oil cooler or a 650 style fittings? Or something else? Any oil cooler is better than nothing.

I'll see if I can get some pictures of the hose routing tomorrow. I believe it's the 650 style, not the GPz. I'll be replacing the lines soon, so I'll also get fitting size measurements and all that for everyone to reference.

650ed wrote: Based on your bike’s VIN, your bike appears to be one that has been pieced together from more than one donor bike.

The frame’s KZ650B0002xx VIN is for a 1977 KZ650-B model bike. However, the KZ650-B models came with wire wheels, not cast wheels. Both of your cast wheels have a lip around the edge, so that narrows down what they may be from. Since the rear wheel has a drum brake on a cast wheel it may be from a 1983 KZ650-H3 (CSR). I don’t think there were other KZ650 models with a cast rear wheel /drum brake configuration. The front wheel could be from any of several later KZ650 models such as a C, D, or F model, but since the front brake rotors do not have holes drilled in them that wheel may be from a 1978 KZ650-C2 or 1978 KZ650-D1. If the rotors are not original to the wheel the wheel it might be from a later C, D, F, or H model.

Your front forks are also from a different model bike. The 1977 KZ650-B models had the ears for the brake rotor on the front edge of the forks and the ears for the fender stay on the rear edge. Your forks have both sets of ears on the rear, so the forks are either from a 1977 KZ650-C model or a later model KZ650. Your front brake master cylinder is from a 1977 model because it is round, but you should look under it to see if it is marked “5/8”. If not, it was not intended to be used with dual front disk brakes.

The exhaust was added later; it was never a KZ650 option, and of course the shocks and seat were replaced at some point.

To see if the engine cylinders are from a KZ650 take a look at the left side. The KZ650 cylinders are marked as shown below. Ed

Ed, youre amazing! a real treasure!!

The-Kolton wrote: .................., it has the Mikuni 26 on it from the 650..................

Those carbs are larger than the KZ650 carbs. The 1977 KZ650 models came with 24mm Mikuni VM24SS carbs. Ed