KZ650 Cam chain question

Hi,

I have not been here for a while - I have a KZ650B It starts ok when warm (a bit of a bugger when cold) and runs fine on the road - however it does not idle well and I hear a clik clak now and then - it is coming up on 30,000 miles and I think the PO rode it hard with a full fairing - I have gone through the usual things such as air leaks etc and was wondering:

1. would incorrect shim gap cause this (not done since I have had the bike and not sure when it was last done)
2. Is there any way that even with the cam chain tightener that at this milage the cam chain could be worn?





Above is link to me starting and running it if that is any help.

Thank you

Lee

i have the same bike and its klanky and nosiey on low idle. if i remember right i think they all do it below 1500 rpms or so! you could try to adjust the auto-tesioner to if you think your chain has a little slack in it!

The majority of clacking problems on KZ650 is from the carbs being out of sync, or any air vacuum leaks such as the intake manifold rubbers. Being a chain primary drive the 650 is much more sensitive to carb sync than a KZ1000 with it's gear drive. I doubt the camchain or tensioner is your problem. I like your bike and video there.

While the majority of clacking coming from any bikes may be the carbs out of sync, the majority of problems with most any bike are due to lack of maintenance. Buy a shop manual and go through the tune up steps... cam chain, valve clearances, ignition timing, sync carbs and adjust mixture. Check brake pads and lube/inspect the cables and the drive chain/sprockets. It ain't all that bad to hear noises... its when they stop that you have problems or at least will wear out some shoe leather.

My 79 kz650 was running bad after a complete restoration.
I thought it was the carbs. but I was totally wrong, I had the wrong shim for the valves. It too would clatter at idle and quiet down on higher rpms. I would deffintely check your cam clearance.

Your bike sounds great to me from the video. I also have a 79 kz650 with around 30k on it. My clacking idle is coming from the cam chain tensioner not doing its proper job. I am in the process of getting an APE manual tensioner which I'm sure will solve the idle problem. Ride it and have fun

Britcheflee; Nice bike! I'm putting my money on sync'ing the carburetors and if that doesn't smooth it out, drop the float bowls and have a look at your pilot jets. It's possible that one or more is clogged. Is there any rust/debris in the gas tank? Couple of thoughts for you, ride safe, Steve