1980 KZ 550 C Bratstyle conversion

OK- first project posting here. I currently have 3 going- a 1978 KZ650 D cafe racer build, a 1978 KZ 650 B bobber conversion and this 550 project. I also have a crapped out 1983 GPZ 750 sitting in the bone yard that will need a complete re-build to bring her back to life, but that's for another day.

I recently got the KZ550, in running order, and a clear title for $400- a good price here in the Reno, NV area.

Anyway- the KZ550 was leaking fuel out of the float bowls over flows, so i'm thinking the floats are sticking (first question for you all- any thoughts on that?) so i loosened the carb clamps all the way, removed or disconnected all the lines and hoses, tugged on the carbs and nothing. flat out stuck- they will wiggle back and forth, but they will not come off... and the PO had them off within the last 30 days, so they shouldn't be stuck. I dont want to start prying with anything, but i dont know what else might work. any ideas or suggestions?

also- the pic of the forks is looking straight on, with the handle bars and triple tree exactly perpendicular to the backbone of the frame. you can see that the tire is offset a good 10-15 degrees, which i'm assuming means one of the fork down tubes is bent, correct?

feedback is greatly appreciated, and here's some pics for you...

thanks,

Farnie

Here are some of the inspiration bikes Im working from on this build...

Farnie

nevermind my mistake

Nice score. Keep us updated on your progress!

i like all your inspiration bikes.

keep us posted,
leon

farnie wrote: ...KZ550 was leaking fuel out of the float bowls over flows, so i'm thinking the floats are sticking...tire is offset a good 10-15 degrees, which i'm assuming means one of the fork down tubes is bent....

Overflow. Imo, possible leaking float valve would be the primary suspect. And would also consider possibility of cracked or loose overflow tube.

Front wheel alignment. Could loosen -- not remove -- fork tube clamp bolts, and front axle clamps;
straddle the front wheel, and hold it with knees. facing the bike;
grasp handlebar grips and twist wheel to align with handlebars;
when aligned with wheel pointing straight forward, tighten the bolts and clamps.

Be sure the axle clamps are oriented correctly so that when tightened there's no gap in the front and a slight gap in the rear.

Good Fortune!

A fast way to check for fork straightness is:
Put bike up on center stand.
Loosen the triple-tree clamps for one fork only.
Then spin the fork leg in the clamp.
If it spins smoothly all the way around, it's probably straight.
If it binds in some positions, but turns ok in ohters, then it's likely bent.

Very gradual bends can be very carefully straightened in a press of some sort (with the fork tube completely dissassembled, of course).

As Martin mentioned, check my signature for some KZ550 manuals and other info.

farnie wrote: Here are some of the inspiration bikes Im working from on this build...

Farnie

The first 3 are actually pretty cool

Cool bike. I picked one up identical to that one a month ago. Same dealio with the front forks. We loosened up the triples and did like Patton suggested for now. We'll look at it a bit deeper when we pull the tubes for new seals.


Some good tips being posted here. Lou(loudvhx) has a ton of info as does a lot of guys on here.
I went through my carbs and they run great, but still have a bit of a drip out the over flows. Float valves had a slight bit of wear on them. I'm gonna polish on them next time I have them out.
To get the carbs out, take the screws all the way out of the clamps, and carefully use a prybar to get them out. Take it easy and you can get 'em out without any troubles.

These bikes run great with the stock air box. If you go with pods you will need to drill your stock pilot jets out. These things are LEAN from the factory. We just did a 250 miler on ours and got over 62mpg :woohoo:


Yup nice bikes you picked out. This one has always been a favorite of mine, maybe not the direction you're going though.

Those side covers inspire me...