1976 Kz 900 A4

Found some cases. Working on cost. Only they are older than the SB adding the pry points...

I think those cases are newer. S/N is greater than the change point for pry points. What it means is that KHI must have made another mod to the cases at some later date.

hardrockminer wrote: I think those cases are newer. S/N is greater than the change point for pry points. What it means is that KHI must have made another mod to the cases at some later date.

Thank you for the correction... Duh... yes newer!

Ok now we know they exist, now I need help determining what date the change was made. Would an 11/1975 built bike have the unmarked cases

Is there anything on this subject in the Kawasaki Z restoration manual on this subject? I would look save for the fact I don't have that manual.

Rick H.

Rick H. wrote: Is there anything on this subject in the Kawasaki Z restoration manual on this subject? I would look save for the fact I don't have that manual.

Rick H.

Nope...I checked. Original editions were Z1 and Z2 only. The latest one includes Z1A and B. John said he didn't plan to include KZ900 because it was too much work.

hardrockminer wrote:

Rick H. wrote: Is there anything on this subject in the Kawasaki Z restoration manual on this subject? I would look save for the fact I don't have that manual.

Rick H.

Nope...I checked. Original editions were Z1 and Z2 only. The latest one includes Z1A and B. John said he didn't plan to include KZ900 because it was too much work.

Excuse my ignorance, what is a Z2? I saw an engine case with the Z2blah,blah, vin number.

Z2 is a Japanese 750 cc version of the Z1. It was produced from 1973 to 1975. Looks just like a Z1, (or an A or and most parts are interchangeable, but the bore and stroke are different. They are very rare outside of Japan and highly valued.

Thanks HRM, Here is a photo I found.... Purdy!!!

Here is a website on the Z2. It's not maintained any longer. Belongs to John Brookes.

www.freewebs.com/750rs/

Mikaw wrote:

DOHC wrote: I had always assumed that the engines were all made on the same line in Japan, and shipped to the US for final assembly. That may be totally wrong, it's just a guess.DOHC i was under the same thought. So I dont know if the engines were kept in any order to be installed

But if that were the case, it could be that the serial numbers got mixed up a bit more in their travels.I agree

Anyone have any details about how the early US Kawasaki assembly worked? How much was actually made in US?

Maybe Krazee1 can tell us...

Sorry about the late response I had one typed out late last night and a storm interrupted my satellite internet, GGRRRR! Motorcycle engines were never assembled at the Lincoln factory. For a time ATV engines were built in the Marysville MO plant along with industrial small engines for lawn mowers and such. I don't know if there was any effort to install a certain serial number range of engines in the various models or not. The J.I.T., or just in time Production control system had not yet been implemented in 1975/76 so we could have had quite a few engines on hand at one time. We weren't doing mixed model production at the time either, but I don't know if they moved the stack of 900A engines out when the line switched over to the 900B. My one reference book says the 900B engine #s ranged from 108503-111000 , but that can't be correct because that is less than 2500 engines and over 5000 LTDs were made. The original plan was apparently limited production of 2000 units. The prypoint addition on the crankcase is mentioned in the book agreeing with the Service Bulletin, but it doesn't say anything about the oil capacity script. Maybe it makes sense that they modified the molds for both changes at the same time? The book also mentioned that with the addition of the pry points the part# for the crankcases didn't change. Somewhere it might be recorded what number engine the oil capacity script was added, but maybe not?

Mike

Krazee1, thanks... So then if I can ask one last question would you consider a November built bike as “early”? What were the months that stared and ended a new “next” year production?

The D. Marsden book says production of the 1976 KZ900A model began in June of 1975 and that 9200 units were produced that year. It seems like we usually changed model year production after we came back from our two week summer shutdown which was the end of June/beginning of July. The same book also says that in 1977 a few more 76 models came off the line called KZ900A5s, presumably assembled from remaining parts stock. I believe this statement to be incorrect! I do recall that we built some 1976 models after our summer shutdown in 1976, and they were assembled with some elements of the new KZ1000 frame. I think visually the triangular gussets on the front down pipes were longer? And you can ask as many questions as you would like! I just wish I had more documentation to support my somewhat cloudy memories!(I'm sure that situation IS NOT going to improve!)

Mike