z1 swingarm bearings

Hi all,just signed up to forum and i am looking for some help.I have a 1975 z1b.It has mag wheels and disc brakes front and back.I got a swingarm bearing kit to fit a z1/kz900 but it is too small.The needle roller bearings i got have an outside diameter of 28mm but my swingarm inside diameter is 33mm.The fact it is a disc brake swingarm i know it must be from a different model.I have seen a pic of a kz900LTD and the wheels look the same but i dont know if it had a rear disc. Can anyone help?

A photo of the swing arm might be helpful at this point:) Or you might contact Jeff at www.z1enterprises.com for insight into larger bearing applications.

Iam still new to all this, i will try to get a picture up asap

pcron wrote:

Hi all,just signed up to forum and i am looking for some help.I have a 1975 z1b.It has mag wheels and disc brakes front and back.I got a swingarm bearing kit to fit a z1/kz900 but it is too small.The needle roller bearings i got have an outside diameter of 28mm but my swingarm inside diameter is 33mm.The fact it is a disc brake swingarm i know it must be from a different model.I have seen a pic of a kz900LTD and the wheels look the same but i dont know if it had a rear disc. Can anyone help?

Hello, pcron, and WELCOME to KZR! We're glad you're here!

Thinking not a KZ900-B1(LTD) rear disc equipped swingarm with exposed master cylinder. Later year rear disc model KZ1000 has rear master cylinder hidden underneath the right side cover.

Sorry, don't know KZ models using 33mm swingarms, or if other 33mm internals (such as sleeve, etc.) are different or would have required more fitment adaptations to 1975 Z1. But other members certainly will know. Do recall that bushings were sometimes "updated" by owners who replaced them with needle bearings.

Good Luck!

sorry so slow coming back with pic had to wait for my son to show me how to upload pics. This is the swinging arm as I said the inside diameter of bearing housing is 33mm. Any idea what bike it might be from?

Sory here is pic

looks like 1000 ltd arm ;)did the swingarm have single or double needle bearing cages on each side?single would put it at 77 i believe double would be 78 or newer

Looking at the Kawasaki parts lists, it looks like all 1000LTDs used 4 needle bearings, and all the 900s used bushings. The needle bearings were the same as used on KZ650s, KZ550s, 440s. Virtually all same era Kawasakis that used needle bearings used the same bearing. So If you bought these very common needle bearings and they are not right then it's going to be a bit of a job to get the correct ones.

www.goallballs.com carries a lot of replacement bearings for wheels and swingarms. Or try at www.z1enterprises.com as they are very knowledgeable about older Japanese bikes.

PLUMMEN wrote:

looks like 1000 ltd arm ;)did the swingarm have single or double needle bearing cages on each side?single would put it at 77 i believe double would be 78 or newer

Good call -- FSM covering '77-'79 KZ1000's has diagram showing two needle bearings on each side, with notation (One on each side of '77 model).

Z1E lists the oem bushing
bushing
and also lists a needle bearing kit (presumably an upgrade item)-- note four bearings -- needle bearing

Kawasaki.com's diagram for each year KZ1000 (77/78/79) shows one needle bearing on each side, but does indeed call for four in the parts listing for the '77 as well as 78/79. :huh: And the same swingarm sleeve #33034-025 for 77/78/79. :S

Good Luck!

I would want to be aware of the pivot bolt diameter you are using when not knowing the bikes history and doing a bearing/bushing fit? There were larger ones sold (piviot bolts) aftermarket at one time.

Patton wrote:

PLUMMEN wrote:

looks like 1000 ltd arm ;)did the swingarm have single or double needle bearing cages on each side?single would put it at 77 i believe double would be 78 or newer

Good call -- FSM covering '77-'79 KZ1000's has diagram showing two needle bearings on each side, with notation (One on each side of '77 model).

Z1E lists the oem bushing
bushing
and also lists a needle bearing kit (presumably an upgrade item)-- note four bearings -- needle bearing

Kawasaki.com's diagram for each year KZ1000 (77/78/79) shows one needle bearing on each side, but does indeed call for four in the parts listing for the '77 as well as 78/79. :huh: And the same swingarm sleeve #33034-025 for 77/78/79. :S

Good Luck!

learned that little trick back in late 70s.had a couple late 900 arms with bushings and a 77 kz1000 arm with single bearings sent to machinist for line bore to have double bearings installed,then went to have 78 a2 arm done and realized it already had double bearings in it.cant remember what i had for lunch today,but i remembered that from 30 years ago when i started messing with these bikes.scary!:blink: :woohoo: