engine serial number

Anyone of you ever saw a z1 up to z1000A engine block where the serial number was not stamped on the flat area behind the cilinder, on top of the clutch compartment?
Well, I did, needed spares and bought the engine but did not find/ locate (yet) the serial number however the stamping on the barrels (bottom, front side right) show 1015L so a z1000A1/A2
There is simply no flat area on the spot I mentioned above. Will try and mae a picture.

Not positive, but thinking that Kawasaki motorcycle frames and crank cases obtained from KHI as replacement parts might not have had numbers.

Good Fortune!

Patton wrote:

Not positive, but thinking that Kawasaki motorcycle frames and crank cases obtained from KHI as replacement parts might not have had numbers.

Good Fortune!

So ZedTed, there was not even a raised 'platform' area with a blank field? This area is cast into cases, even blank ones. As for cases w/no numbers, they come from Kawasaki that way in warranty issues (I speak from a position of strength). In the past, if you had blank cases, motor VIN's were reassigned by each state's DMV.

No, correct, not even a raised flattened (casted) platform.
Let me make a picture and you'll see
rtegards,
Ted

It's called a file! Someone filed down the original numbers!
Over the years, people have switched engines, sold engines, stole, insurance jobs, and traded them back and forth.
I have been there 12 or so different times!
Z1F, Z1E, KZT00A

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Just like the 1st year of Z1, there was no lip on the engine
# then they realized that anyone could file down the # block and stamp any other # into it.
Next, ther factory put that little lip around the engine #'s. Making it haed to stamp new #'s into the case!
The factory used standard 1/4" stamps !
ISO before ISO was invented! Standard size #'s.
WTF???

Managed to get a picture uploaded (not my hobby), showing it would have needed a lot of filing! Did not find any traces of that job, so either it was a pro or, what I read from others, is that it could have been a factory spare case - obviously without tag too?

Now that is interesting...I have never seen a Z1/Z900/Z1000 case without the precast VIN platform. There doesn't appear to be a grinding marks for removing it...and why would you go to all that trouble (although it is possible to do as the platform is a solid casting and would grind completely off without opening into the case)?. Well, KZ1000 A/B cases have the oil capacity embossed on top of the cases next to the oil opening. Z1 cases do not...that case does not have the embossed oil capacity, so I'm guessing a Z1 case that someone has altered. :S

Can you take some more pictures of the cases - the front, etc. Does it have the words kick starter cast into the cases over the kick starter area?

I am very curious about these. One of our customers and a tremendous Z1 enthusiast has a collection of early Z1's - including some of the prototype V1 bikes. ALL of those engines have engine numbers.

Kawasaki did product replacement cases. I owned a set a few years ago - but they had the raised area where the number would be stamped.

Could these possibly be for training purposes in tech schools, or something of that nature? In school we had several Honda motorcycles and engines that had NO numbers at all. The serial number area was plainly stamped "FOR TRAINING ONLY". When we disposed of them, every piece had to be destroyed beyond use. We had to cut every spoke and every wire. It was hard cutting up 2 CBXs with less than 3 miles on them. We cut up a Turbo 650 (the one built on the CX500 engine platform) and a spare drive train for the turbo bike. I think there were 20 of the CM400 HondaMatics. It was a rough week at school.