1975 KZ900? new to me

Patton wrote:

Mikaw wrote:

Kidkawie wrote: Those 900's are pretty rare. If the engine and frame numbers are around 200 or so off, it's considered matching numbers. Great candidate for restoration.

Don't want to hijack this thread so if I'm in the wrong, sorry. My question might help us understand the "numbers matching". I have a 76 KZ900 A4. From what I can decipher from the vin is its a US made bike VIn is Z1F 5027XX. My real question is with a motor vin of Z1E 0941XX

Zedder shows the range of vins and engine numbers for many motorcycle models.

These steps will produce the link shown below.
Go to www.zedder.com
> Bike Info
>Kwasaki Model Information
>900 cc arranged by year
>1976 KZ900-A4

The above steps should produce this link:
www.zedder.com/Info/76%20KZ900-A4.htm

The information shown in the link includes the following:
Year & Model '76 KZ900-A4
Color(s) (1) Dia Dark Green

(2) Dia Brown
Frame No. Range Japan MFR Z1F-085701 - 117060

USA MFR Z1F-500001 - 510340
Engine No. Range Z1E086001 - 138846

Patton, I actually learned about Zedder from you in a different post and that's how i decoded the 900 A4 I own. Look at the last two lines in your quote. Those numbers represent my situation, A US frame and in the 500K to 510K range and a motor in the 86K to 138K there is no way my bike can have a frame and motor number within a couple hundred.

Mikaw wrote: there is no way my bike can have a frame and motor number within a couple hundred.

That only applies to JAPAN bikes, not USA.

There's several user data bases for the Japanese 900's to create a "rule of thumb" for matching engines. Basically an Engine S/N 200+/- from the frame VIN is accepted as matching. There are proven exceptions to every rule.
If this holds true for the US 900's, your frame was the 27xx produced. The engines started with 086001, so the engine S/N should be +27xx, or 0887xx. Adding the 200+/- would give an expected engine S/N of 0885xx to 0889xx.
Having said that, none of the above may apply to the US models. Kawasaki could have had 10,000 engines sitting in a warehouse waiting for frames When the production started, they used whatever engine was closest to the front of the warehouse. Any records where lost long ago.
The bottom line is no one can prove or disprove your bike has the original engine... but who cares? Numbers only becomes a factor in 100% original collector bike pricing. Matching numbers go far beyond just the frame/engine in that market. Unfortunately collectors aren't getting in bidding wars (yet) for original KZ900's anyway. Enjoy your bike for what it is. You've got a nice KZ900. Ride when ever you can with a grin from ear to ear. That's the real value of any bike IMO.

O.K. thanks for the help guys. I have only bought one thing brand new and I just realized I have never looked at the headstock sticker! anyways the PO had it listed on craigslist as a 1975 and he kept referring to it as that even though I was trying to tell him it was a 1976. He said the local Kawi dealer told him it was a 1975 when they gave him the inspection sticker and realized it was registered as a 1978. ?! I'm not sure what knucklehead was working at the Kawi dealership that day! I thought I was missing something.....

MDZ1rider wrote: There's several user data bases for the Japanese 900's to create a "rule of thumb" for matching engines. Basically an Engine S/N 200+/- from the frame VIN is accepted as matching. There are proven exceptions to every rule.
If this holds true for the US 900's, your frame was the 27xx produced. The engines started with 086001, so the engine S/N should be +27xx, or 0887xx. Adding the 200+/- would give an expected engine S/N of 0885xx to 0889xx.
Having said that, none of the above may apply to the US models. Kawasaki could have had 10,000 engines sitting in a warehouse waiting for frames When the production started, they used whatever engine was closest to the front of the warehouse. Any records where lost long ago.
The bottom line is no one can prove or disprove your bike has the original engine... but who cares? Numbers only becomes a factor in 100% original collector bike pricing. Matching numbers go far beyond just the frame/engine in that market. Unfortunately collectors aren't getting in bidding wars (yet) for original KZ900's anyway. Enjoy your bike for what it is. You've got a nice KZ900. Ride when ever you can with a grin from ear to ear. That's the real value of any bike IMO.

Thank you, I wasn't trying to prove or disprove originality of my bike. I was trying to understand the correlation between the significantly larger frame numbers on a US bike verses the Japanese frame numbers and their relation to engine numbers. I thought I may have been missing something. I will take enjoyment in riding my bike knowing that it was the origin of today's super bikes. Every time i start it the sound takes me back to high school and cruising on Friday nights looking for a hot-rod to put in their place!!!