My journey to get a 1980 KZ 440 back on the road!

Hey fellas,

I'm going to try and post a video summarizing how much I get done every day I work on this old girl. Warning- there may be some venting of frustration here and there!

This was day 1. I got ahold of a KZ 440 for 350 bucks. Guy thought engine was seized or there was starter issue. Engine def not seized, appears to be the starter. Now I must find over-torqued bolts and stripped JIS screw heads to get that thing out!

The gear in your video is the starter clutch; the large metal piece is the flywheel and alternator rotor.

The best tip for removing those stubborn JIS fasteners is using an impact driver (the whack-it-with-a-hammer type). You should be able to get them out even using a Philips bit. I have 10mm hex-head screws in my bike for the starter; if you're not super worried about originality, that's a good plan.

KZ440s didn't come with kickstarters at all (despite what the casting on the clutch cover says), so at least you know the previous owner didn't remove it. Would've been nice of Kawi to leave it IMO, but I can understand the thought. 12V bike electrical systems were getting really common and reliable, so they didn't need to have the backup in case of failure. They just didn't necessarily bank on these bikes lasting 40 years, lol.

Good luck with your build!