Caveat emptor!

This is in reference to the "Is this a Rickman" thread were I snipped a '78 KZ650 SR on eBay about 2 weeks ago.
I mainly wanted it just for the fairing and the Kerker exhaust. But after getting it home, I though that it could be a good candidate for Rose's first project bike...I couldn't have been more wrong!

KZJohn came over yesterday for a b-b-q and to help me tear into it a little to see what I had (or didn't have:S) to work with.
I knew the points cover was smashed beyond use (I have a spare cover) and that the cases on that side were slightly damaged, but that's an easy fix with some JB-Weld.
But what we found after re-connecting some disconnected wires and putting power to it to see if the engine would spin so we could check compression, is that the the crankshaft is bent.
Heck, that ignition advancer has more wobble to it than a wino after a bottle of cheap ripple! :pinch:
I don't know what the collectability on the SR models compared to the B or C models is, but it's really a shame that this bike is so trashed since it has such a low production VIN (000359).

Rose knows that we can eventually score a useable complete engine either on CL or eBay for a fair price so she can still have her first project bike. But the amount of surface rust on everything metal and "performance" mods that look to have been done in neanderthalic fashion, lead me to believe this would be a very costly, and ultimately futile attempt at bringing this bike back from the dead. :pinch:

Even though it was ME that bought the bike, I did give it to her for HER project bike. So right now I'm trying to convince her that it's beyond salvaging and to just part it out to try and re-coup what I spent on it, then we can find a much better project candidate later on for her.
So hopefully by next weekend I'll start removing and deciding what parts are still in good shape, after which I'll be posting them here first before listing them for sale on eBay.
Sorry, but I'm DEFINATELY keeping the fairing and Kerker, which is originally why I jumped at buying this bike in the first place.

That's a bummer, I have a good crank around here I think? That is a low number.
Mark

Thanks for the offer Mark.

I don't know if the '77 and '78 are the same, but I have a spare crank from that '77 KZ650C that I parted out a few years ago which is still sitting in a milk crate under my workbench. So that option is there.

But after doing a quick examine of what else will need to be fixed or replaced on this bike just to get it in a safe and running condition is staggering!

New speedo, tach, clutch and throttle cables.
Both tires, as well as all rubber dampers and bushings.
Chain and sprockets.
Both h-bar controls have succumbed to the elements - the OFF/RUN/OFF switch on the right control is stuck solid, the HAZARD lights button and HIGH/LOW headlight knob are broken.
Intake manifolds.
Clean and rebuild carbs (if even possible).
Repair/replace a good portion of the jacked up main wiring harness.
Rebuild (if they're not completely shot) both master cylinders -they're both bone-dry.
Front and rear brakes.
Fork oil and dust seals.
The rear frame looks like it might be bent, which is likely since the bike appears to have gone down on both sides one or more times.
New turn signals, since it has none on there right now.

All of this is just after a quick 5 min examination, so who knows just how much more I'll find that is trashed/worn/missing with a more detailed look. :S

I do know that the dash lights, ignition switch, starter (either the solenoid or starter button are dead though, because I had to jump solenoid terminals to crank it over), as well as headlight and tail light work.
So I guess I could consider those things as possitives. :pinch:
:laugh:

Chris,are You SURE it's the crank?:ohmy:
Did You try turning the engine over WITHOUT the advancer in place?

Sandy wrote:

Chris,are You SURE it's the crank?:ohmy:
Did You try turning the engine over WITHOUT the advancer in place?

Not yet I haven't.
But the diameter (almost 1 inch!) of the oblonged circle that the end of the advancer is turning in, it's really hard to believe that the crank itself isn't bent. :dry:

Just for sh!ts and giggles though, I think I'll go yank the advancer off right now to see if the crank just might be ok and post back what I find.....stay tuned! :woohoo: :silly: :laugh:

Thanks for that idea Sandy!

Wow! :ohmy:
Being exposed to the elements for who knows how long and all the accumalted rust on them, both the center bolt and advancer popped off without any probs!

I might just have lucked out here.
The last time I had the advancer off of my '78 650B was when I swapped to a DYNA ignition about 3 years ago, and I totally forgot that the end of the crankshaft only protrudes out of the engine cases about 1/8".
No clue as to why I thought it stuck out further than that. :huh:

Anyway.
The crank seal isn't leaking, and after turning the engine over a few times the crank does appear to be straight.
But with only such a small portion of it being visible, and without checking the actual "run out" on it, there's no real way to be sure if it's actually OK or not.

It would be really cool if I could save this bike.
But with all the other things it's going to need (brief listing in post above), I still need to figure out if the cost is going to negate that.

I almost forgot!
It also has a set of Martek coils and a crudely wired in King Cobra alarm! The alarm isn't useable, since I can't locate any type of key switch (if it even uses a key) or a "disarm" switch.

I'm sort of in the same situation with a 750 LTD I bought last year off Ebay. I won the bike with a high bid of $140 but then the guy sent me an email saying I think we have a problem some guy looked at the bike and said the crank is bent. I could see from the pics that the cases weren't busted so I figured there was no way the crank could be bent sonce it only sticks out maybe an eighth of an inch. So the guy lowered the price to $100 and I went and picked it up. I had another 750 LTD laying around here so I swapped the advancer and pulser coil plate over and the advancer wobbled enough to make it hit the pickups. After looking at the end of the crank I can see it is sort of mushroomed and the advancer will not sit flat against the crank. I've been sort of scratching my head trying to figure out the best way to fix this. I think I can make it work by using an ignition setup off an 83 thru 85 GPZ 750 since it doesn't use the same type of advancer setup. It is that or pull the motor and throw the 750 GPZ motor I have in it. I think that is going to be my next major project but I'm still a bit undecided.:S

The cranks on the old bikes are very strong. The only time they need a little help is if you are putting tons of power down and need to weld the ends. Bending a crank is a hard job with a 650 motor. I think the motor would sieze before the crank ever bent. I guess there is always a chance though. Our bikes are very easy to work on. To get it running you just need spark, air and fuel. Yes you need the correct amount of each but it is easy to do. Clean up the ignition, jump the battery to you car (not running), spray some starter fluid and give it a go. The damn thing may just fire up for you. I have never had a bike that I have not been able to get started, and I have gone thru about 60 of them in the last 3 years. Sure they all didn't run perfect but they all ran. Don't give up yet. You have lots of help here. Get it runing and then decide what you should do with it.

I've still got the original points plate assy and advancer from my 650B that I can use on this bike.
So if I'm able to free-up and clean the stuck carbs (and of course temporarily seal the severely cracked intake manifolds), I think I'll just toss in the battery from my B model and give 'er a go!

Glad I could help,Chris.

Pretty hot there,eh?...maybe throw some ice-cubes under Yer cap.:laugh: