She's Been Sittin' fer 8 Years!

Hi everybody - new guy here. '87 KZ1000 P7. After many long battles (and beers), got 'er to fire. Once warm, she idles pretty good for an old gal. All fluids flushed/changed, new batt, carbs removed cleaned,basically all the usual stuff. However, she dies instantly when "clackin'" 'er into gear. Did the clutch release adjustment @ sidecover. What's next? Thanks for any help you can give. This is my first post but have been reading you guys for some time and know this is the place to be!

Does it try to surge when you clank it in to gear like a clutch adjustment. Or is it like an electrical thing where she just dies from no power?

Ooh, that's a good question. She pretty much dies immediately (no reckocnizable surge). I'm a little afraid to give 'er the juice before I go into gear 'cause she's been sitting so long I don't really trust 'er again yet - don't wanna crash into my truck, lol!

Sidestand switch? Sounds electrical

first off...Welcome.....do you have a manual? if your bike is similar to the older kz's, its a multiple step method to clutch adjustment.....you have to close mid adjuster all the way in and bar adj all the way in....do your side cover adjustment(which you did), then take out the slack at the mid-adjuster, then adjust at the lever.....

i would say a sidestand switch. My GSXR 1000 has the same thing, i have looked like an idiot more than a few times when i go to take off and the bike dies.......lol

Thanks you guys. Sidestand switch seems to be disabled. I see two greasy ol' leads (with no wires) coming off the front of what looks like a switch at front of stand. Never messed with that all the time I was riding. One thing, the rear tire used to spin on center stand at idle and doesn't now.

She just started in gear!?! "bout rocked 'er off the center stand. Still won't go from nuetral to first.

I'd be looking for the wires for the sidestand switch and make sure they are jumped together. Might be someone jumped the wires at some previous time and just twisted them together and they have since come untwisted. Just a thought...

If it lurches at all, the clutch plates could be fused... It happened to my 650 when I let it sit just 2 years. Rev it up pull the clutch lever and kick it into gear to knock them free. I needed to do it a few times to get them to let go.

Now yer talkin'! Thanks hardrock - probably just what the old gal needs! I been at this for a while today. Time for a shower. I'll get back to it tomorrow. Thanks to everybody for your help!!!

If the clutch plates seem glued together you should be able to free them like this: If you can, start her in 1st gear on the center stand; then give her some gas so she's spinning the rear wheel at a fair clip; while feeding her gas pull in the clutch and apply the rear brake. This will result in the engine applying force to the clutch hub while the brakes are applying opposite force to the clutch housing (or vice versa). With the clutch pulled in the 2 opposing forces should break the bond between the clutch friction plates and steel plates. You may want to have a second person hold the front of the bike solidly on the ground while you're doing this; you wouldn't want to lean back too far and have the rear wheel touch down while spinning or you might clobber the truck. Ed