LOOKING AT BUYING A KZ1300

I have to chance to buy an 81 kz1300 with 65,000 miles on it.

It hasn't run "in a while" and the kid who owns it dosen't know when. He bought it from someone else.

He claims the compression is around 105 on 5 cylinders and 95 on one. The bike is complete, all there and dosen't look bad. The gas tank is rusty and the carbs need to be cleaned I am sure.

The engine scares me though, since the parts are non-exisitent for these. Anyone wan tot wiegh in on what it takes to overhaul a 1300? Any info would be a help.

I think this is a job for Otto (AKA Otakar)...I believe he has torn into his 1300...

If you have no experience with the thirteen, I would be weary of a "non running" one. You have no idea what could be wrong, and if you are just buying a parts bike. I would check the oil to see if there is coolant in it or not and put jumper cables to it to see if it even turns over and if it is smooth. If it makes ANY internal noises, consider it a "parts bike". They are "Fantastic" bikes when they run, but they are about 4x to repair over any KZ air cooled four. If the guy gives it to you for a song, take it if for nothing els than parts and experimentation. But if he wants any real money, pass.

We are talking in the 750 to 1000 dollar range. He fogged the cylinders and it does turn over. The bike is from down south and there is an auxilury fan installed behind the radiator. The coolant seemed clean, oil was old, the bike smelled like old gas.

It would be a really cool project but is it realistic to even fix these bikes anymore?

I mean suppose it needs a simple valve job, timing chain and new rings, can that be done?

I work on them all the time. There are some parts which might be tough to find but engine wise they're not bad. The only parts that you would have to watch out fore are the con-rods and the crank shaft, internally and cases and case covers externally. There you will run into problems. If you need head work, which a bike with that many miles will, I have done three heads in the last year, and even have spare heads. You also have to watch out for the plastic water pump gear, they are a common problem. Ignition coils have a tendency to burn up on these bikes also. The three two barrel carbs also require a bit of experience. I have had thirteens since they came out in 1979, and burned up my first crank in 1980. Oh I did forget. They sound like nothing else on the road with a 6-1 pipe, but systems are getting hard to find today.

The bottom end isn't as strong on the sixes then?

The bottom end is very strong. The problem can be the oil delivery system. My crank burned up when I lost oil supply to #5&6 big end bearings and I burned out those rods and crank.

Hmmm, how about ignition? Did these run points in '81. How about the shaft, any common issues with that at high milage?

I though it would be a nice machine for the girlfriend and I to take to take to the lake a few weekends a year. I am a pretty good mechanic and a bit of a machinist, I overhauled my 650 last year, down to the last screw. I know nothing about the 1300's other than what I have read in books.

The shaft has no major problems. It might have to have the seals replaced but that is about it. The ignition is a CDI system common only to the 1979-1984 bikes. It is a 3 ohm system that used 1.2 ohm coils with 1.8 ohm ballast resistor. I can almost guarantee you that the coils are shot if they have not been replaced. The stock coils lasted about 30K miles.

Looks like I can run generic coils as long as I use the resistors. It that the fix for bad coils? Anything else you reccomend checking out, I may look at it again this weekend, I need ot make my mind up if I want to tackle this project.

I replaced my coils with "Nology" PFC-30D coils removing the ballast resistor, recommended for this application. You have to be very careful about the coils because you can blow the ignition module. The modules were only used by 79-84 KZ1300 and are next to impossible to find. I also make a replacement module if one is required. Sometime you can find an original for about $800 The later 85 and up bikes used a completely different system. You can use Dyna 3 ohm coils but you will have to place them under the seat and rub extra long ignition wires.

i did forget to mention is that. the oil filter is the common one used by the KZ900/1000. the front master cylinder rebuild kits and engine gasket sets are commonly available. However if the rear master brake cylinder is bad, you are out of luck unless you manage to adapt some other model. The master cylinder is integrated into the right footpeg mount.