advice & what to expect

Mostly, I've been a lurker here, but I am getting toward crunch time, so expect to see a lot more questions from me... I know Suzuki's much better than the KZ, so I'm going to be depending on the expert advice I read here quite often now.

I am building an 82 gpz1100 which will be a street bike only, so I can't get too crazy. I am in process of a nut & bolt rebuild, so everything on the bike is being repaired, restored, replaced, & so forth. As of today, I have the bottom end back together & it is completely stock up to the pistons.

Here's what I got for the engine & need a little advice on a camshaft & what to expect as far as hp when I am done.

82 GPZ1100 with Wiseco 1166 BB kit (10.25:1 cr)
Head is clean and stock. Here is where most advice is needed. I have all the stock parts, plus a set of shim under buckets, retainers & springs, so I can go either way. How much will a stock head flow before there is no need to go to a larger cam? In other words, what's the biggest cam I should go with to keep the bike streetable? Does the stock head flow enough to run a 429 lift cam on the street??

I have a rack of just about any set of carbs I want, so with a cam and this setup, which would be my best in your opinion? True is though, my long term effort is to build a FI system using a micro squirt, so if you know I will have drivability problems running a big cam with FI on the street. Your advice is appriciated..

dardoonk wrote:

Mostly, I've been a lurker here, but I am getting toward crunch time, so expect to see a lot more questions from me... I know Suzuki's much better than the KZ, so I'm going to be depending on the expert advice I read here quite often now.

OK, then buy a Suzuki...

Mcdroid wrote: "... I know Suzuki's much better than the KZ," "OK, then buy a Suzuki"\

Mcdroid - I also misread his staement at first. He wasn't saying Suzuki is better than the KZ, he was saying he knows Sukukis better - as in he is more familiar with them than he is with KZs.

dardoonk - welcome aboard; I can't answer your questions cause I'm a KZ650 guy, but there are pleny of knowlegeable folks here that will help you. Ed

dardoonk wrote:

Mostly, I've been a lurker here, but I am getting toward crunch time, so expect to see a lot more questions from me... I know Suzuki's much better than the KZ, so I'm going to be depending on the expert advice I read here quite often now.

I am building an 82 gpz1100 which will be a street bike only, so I can't get too crazy. I am in process of a nut & bolt rebuild, so everything on the bike is being repaired, restored, replaced, & so forth. As of today, I have the bottom end back together & it is completely stock up to the pistons.

Here's what I got for the engine & need a little advice on a camshaft & what to expect as far as hp when I am done.

82 GPZ1100 with Wiseco 1166 BB kit (10.25:1 cr)
Head is clean and stock. Here is where most advice is needed. I have all the stock parts, plus a set of shim under buckets, retainers & springs, so I can go either way. How much will a stock head flow before there is no need to go to a larger cam? In other words, what's the biggest cam I should go with to keep the bike streetable? Does the stock head flow enough to run a 429 lift cam on the street??

I have a rack of just about any set of carbs I want, so with a cam and this setup, which would be my best in your opinion? True is though, my long term effort is to build a FI system using a micro squirt, so if you know I will have drivability problems running a big cam with FI on the street. Your advice is appriciated..

I am not expert on cam lifts, but my distant memory recalls the GPZ 1100 was the first all-stock bike to crack a quarter mile under 11 seconds in stock (as sold) condition. Somebody ripped a 10.88 with one which kind of set the world on it's ear way back in 1981 or 1982 if I have the year right. I seem to recall the stock HP was something like 120 accounting for it's muscle. If you bore one out and juice it up, obviously it is only going up from there.

Good luck, enjoy your cruise missile.....:laugh:

Interesting site with the specs on it.

www.bikez.com/motorcycles/kawasaki_gpz_1100_1982.php

.429 is a pretty big cam for the street and the early gpz heads were almost the same as far as flow numbers as the j head i'd probably want to do some port work to help those big cam's along the head will have to be modified quite a bit just to have enough clearance to run with out hitting anything anyway so while you have the head apart to do that you may as well port it. it will have to be converted to shim under with those lift numbers anyway.

Mcdroid wrote:

dardoonk wrote:

Mostly, I've been a lurker here, but I am getting toward crunch time, so expect to see a lot more questions from me... I know Suzuki's much better than the KZ, so I'm going to be depending on the expert advice I read here quite often now.

OK, then buy a Suzuki...

I have one, that's why I "know" or should I say "understand" them better than KZ's

timebomb, No problem to change the buckets, I've got both. From what I've read, I figured I'd have to clearance the head for these cams, but not sure how large a cam I can run without giving clearance. I can handle that myself, but have been leaning toward not doing any port work (since I can't do well enough myself), and hoping the head provided more than enough flow in stock form to allow a bit stronger street cam.

Mcdroid wrote:

dardoonk wrote:

Mostly, I've been a lurker here, but I am getting toward crunch time, so expect to see a lot more questions from me... I know Suzuki's much better than the KZ, so I'm going to be depending on the expert advice I read here quite often now.

OK, then buy a Suzuki...

HAHAHA :laugh: I thought the same thing when I read it. I did buy a Suzuki, and a Kawasaki and a Yamaha and well you get the point, I just love to ride. I will say this the Kaw is the weakspot in my heart, and the first one to receive attention when the needs arise

if this is going to be a street only bike id suggest staying down a lot closer to the 400 mark you start giving away a lot of bottem end in my experiance with the big cams and big carbs