HP estimate 1015 kit

Muddy wrote:

Not to be a jerk, but I think you'll have a hard time outgunning any modern sportbike that is at least 600cc. You're just starting with something to heavy and to far removed from current to do it. A modern 600 is probably 100 lbs less or more and already around 110-115 at the rear wheel. And thats stock. Most squids will add a pipe and pc which will give at least another 3-5 hp.

That said at least you won;t look like every squid in the world when you pull up on something classic.

No offence taken!
Just to keep it all in the family: My stock '78 KZ1000A2 is listed at 240kg dry and 86 ponies. A 2007 ZX6-RR is 118 ponies and about 170kg dry. Its also $12000 (in Canada) So yep, any rich squid can boast better specs. I can guarantee they won't look as cool, or have as much fun, as you on your ugly pice of shit. Unless of course your wife sells it to me!

A quick search on crank hp vs rear wheel hp has most info looking like a 15 percent difference although there is some contention on that number. A decent read from the Factory Pro site (was copied from another bike site):

zvmax.com/TrueHorsepower.htm

Guess we all need a reminder once in a while to search the archives. Like most subjects, this has been covered.

kzrider.com/archive/viewthread.php?tid=12586#pid107792

Check out Mark's numbers for his (obviously not stock) KZ650. Considering the big-bore and other mods, it doesn't surprise me to see how close it is to what Motorcyclist magazine had gotten from a 2000-something ZR7 (basically an updated version of the old KZ750 engine, yes?)

Making your bike into a 10-second bike won't be that hard to do. Of course, a lot is in the hands of the rider. You can have a ZX14 and if you don't have experience, you can have trouble getting in the 10's. My Godson has a ZX12 with a dyno'd 189 HP and it took him a long time to get into the 10's. The guy who did the work on the bike claims it's a low nine second bike if he could ride it! My lowly KZ was beating him to half track....the rider makes a huge difference. I bet Sandy's bike would make it. Lots of guys with a 1075 kit, 29's, and a header are running mid-11's already. Add some .410 cams or so and some head work and you are probably knocking on the door if you haven't stepped through already. The important thing is the head. Buy a big-bore kit, header, carbs, better tire...whatever, but without a good head, you will have a low rpm puller. That's good on the street. The head on a KZ is the bottleneck with these bikes. Fix that part and it really wakes up. Spend the money on a good head and the rest of you parts will work the way they are supposed to. Just remember, it's not the one single part but the whole combination that matters. The parts must work with each other. Get the right parts and a KZ can run in the nines, but of coourse by then, it's not much for the street, but it depends on what you want. It's a street bike to a point, then it becomes a track bike ridden on the street. You need to decide how fast you want to go and what sacrifices you are willing to make to get there in performance and streetability. Talk to people like APE adn tell them what you are trying to do...they can give you different options on how to get there. If they won't help, go somewhere else....the knowledge is out there, use it. Just support those that help you out!

Well, when I say "outgun" im not talking about racing it through the twisties and riding it like a sport bike. The KZ is a total sled compared to sport bikes and will just never be able to compete with them in that capacity. I was of course referering to it outgunning the sport bike in straight line acceleration till the KZ hits its top end( which will undoubtedly be considerably less than the sportbike) and in the qtr mile. Muddy wrote:

Not to be a jerk, but I think you'll have a hard time outgunning any modern sportbike that is at least 600cc. You're just starting with something to heavy and to far removed from current to do it. A modern 600 is probably 100 lbs less or more and already around 110-115 at the rear wheel. And thats stock. Most squids will add a pipe and pc which will give at least another 3-5 hp.

That said at least you won;t look like every squid in the world when you pull up on something classic.

Your Z will be quicker out of the hole. Most modern bikes are geared very high-that's one reason they get all that mph. You can build or tune the motor for high rpm/high power but it won't be as streetable but have a better top-end by using gearing and cam selection and or timing. Lighten the bike up wherever you can too. I've beaten 600cc bikes in a dragrace on more than one occasion...barely, but that's where the rider came in though. All you can do is build the biggest cc motor you can or want to live with and mate the right parts to it. If you can't beat them, you will surely scare them. I've beaten quite a few bike/riders who think my Z is a dinosaur and wasn't a good race and it isn't that much in the motor. They will definitely have more top-end...nothing you can do about that. Build it and they will lose! Just pick your race!

Even if they beat a 30 yr old bike they won't be so proud anyway . On a 550 you can keep their mirrors full in the twisties .

Muddy wrote:

Not to be a jerk, but I think you'll have a hard time outgunning any modern sportbike that is at least 600cc. You're just starting with something to heavy and to far removed from current to do it. A modern 600 is probably 100 lbs less or more and already around 110-115 at the rear wheel. And thats stock. Most squids will add a pipe and pc which will give at least another 3-5 hp.

That said at least you won;t look like every squid in the world when you pull up on something classic.

Finally somebody gets it. A new 600 will kill these old pigs.......built or not. Technology and engineering...to hard to beat. Enjoy these bikes for what they were. Even if you update the suspension and drive train.....your still riding a 30 year old sow. Sure you can make straight line speed..........but, most of the roads I ride have curves.

wiredgeorge wrote:

I believe my 79 KZ1000E1 is listed by Kaw at 93 HP which is about 20-30 horsepower more than this bike actually makes at the rear wheel. I don't put much stock in factory horsepower claims.

If you are only getting 63rwhp out of a KZ1000 then something is wrong or it is just badly tuned. When I dug my 1000 out of storage after sitting for 15 years I got it running good and it dynoed at 75rwhp. It did have a Kerker 4-1 and pods buts thats it. Yes I have the dyno sheet to prove it. If you can only pull 64hp out of a KZ1000 then I would seriously think about letting someone else work on your bike and get it running right.

I put a 1015cc kit in my 900, gouged the head for a month's time till the pile of aluminum was bigger than the head.. found some norris .407 cams 280 at .030, put them in set centers at 109-111. I drilled the jets to like 155, on the 28's, I picked up a decent set, it used to have 26's so I just transferred the whole needle jet and main jet to the 28's because I soldered the mains to the needle jets after drilling my own blank jets made from the shank of a brass screw. After the 1015 kit I've had to run the timing set back a ways from the fire mark or the engine fights itself early. Using regular gas seems to work the best. The bike has points ignition and 30yr old coils. It has steel wheels. The heavy stock 630 chain, and my 255lb weight in combination with no charging and 10 volts at the battery if im lucky. Course the batt. has a dead cell. This is the way it was set up. And the day I raced a cbr600 the timing was a tad advanced not to my liking but the band of crotchees weren't going to wait. There were 5 bikes all together and each one different, but it was the 600 guy that stepped up aside me at 40 or so in sec. gear. That honda was not old and the rider could not have done a better job. I was waiting with the clutch in and hit it when we were even. We locked for a sec, then he walked away from me till he was 50ft to 60ft ahead and then the bikes locked out and i walked him down and passed him at 100 at a pretty good rate. I slowed down to 90 and we tried it again, my bike pulled away quickly and easily so I just let off shortly. He shook his head and gave me the thumbs up at the same time, truley impressed. I'm sure he had no idea what kind of bike mine was, the labels were not on it and neither was the points cover and most of the seat's cover and no side covers, giving view to a tiny batt. bouncing around looking ugly and whimpy. That guy looked to be 170 to 195. Hope I live that long. If all I have to do is beat 600's it's looking good. I have another story about racing with a 2005zx10 and zx6. We just couldn't seem to find the 600 and the guys practically begged me to race him again. I happened to be out of gas from all the money spent on the charging system, guess i'll have to drink on nights that pitchers are 5 bucks instead of 6.50. I didn't have the cams in at that time and a bad second gear hit the rev limiter which my wrist and they took off and left me, the z10 was way up so i caught up and hit it on at 80 side by side. He walked away to well over 100yds and finally i locked with him and stayed there from 3rd to 5th gear then backed off. They asked me what bike I had later and I could have swore I just told them back at the depot, which is probably a good place to work since they could afford those bikes. Yeah the 600 couldn't catch up, took me a week to figure that out, cuz I do admit I recanted the race in my mind a time or 3000. I happened to know the motor in my bike REALLY wakes up when the volts are up and with electronic ignition and coils and a light rider.... cuz everyone knows a 636 is quicker than the other 600's. I think I got it covered. I not even a guess, It's a given. Have you ever had 2 cases of maybe I am an alcohlic beer and it wasnt't mine it was my old military friend/ cash wise had a deal going on, on the back of your bike? Even that weight alone takes alot of zip out of the bike. Just hope i'm not in a situation where I consider throwing the pass. off to catch a race, specially if shes your girlfriend and not mine. But hey, all in all when you "got it" it feels good. Iv'e lightened the bike some since then and and will do what I can to continue that motion. When the need arises, the time comes, I'll call my buddy. That's my 120.

If I had three wishes: 1. 120lbs 2. 38deg air temp 3. your girlfriend is back with you and riding on the back of your zx10 when when I unleash the monster. One 120lb little tiny guy, with the biggest smile you ever seen. If something stirrs in the riders mind it may be visions of nitrous but it's not, it's just plain fact,that I can't afford that stuff.

go as big as you can on a stock block, you cant ride a bigblock like ya mean it on the street, 1170 or 1200 is the way to go if your out for blood, you'll get more miles out of a 1170 than a 1200 due to the sleeve thickness.

if your going to spend big money on pistons you may as well buy some sleeves and go big.