KZ 650 Wont't Run

I just thought that I would post a picture of my KZ 650 while I was waiting for the bike shop to pick it up. After waiting for more than an hour, he didn't show up.

Bummer.

Last time I had a shop pic up one of my bikes (many years ago), it dissapeared for several months of excuses and delays.

I vowed to never let it happen again, and havn't.

Thanks for the reply. I tried to upload a picture from my digital camera, but this site stated that it was too large. Since the "mechanic" didn't show up, I'll just keep plugging away at it in my free time. I still have a couple of areas left on the bike to check out. What kind of rates do motorcycle shops in your area charge? In north-west Iowa an independently own shop will charge a summer rate of $50 dollars an hour, while the Kawasaki shop charges $100 dollars an hour.

AnthonyKiser1977 wrote:

...the "mechanic" didn't show up....

Might be a Blessing in Disguise.

Give us an idea of what the problems are, and maybe we can help out.

Edit --- just reviewed your other two threads where many suggestions have already been offered.

If going to farm it out, would only rely on an accomplished and experienced KZ tech.
And get references from a trusted source.
Perhaps one of our members could recommend a shop or tech in NW Iowa.

Good Fortune!

Thanks for the reply. I still have to check the ignition time with the dyna conversion, valve clearances. After that I will probably be stumped. I live in Sioux City, IA.

I saw in your earlier posts, about 1 year ago, where you swapped a 1978 engine into your 1977 KZ650. You then had to deal with the differences between the two electrical systems and had to buy a different regulator/rectifier. You then noted a problem that appeared to be coil related and you mentioned replacing one 3 ohm coil and later a Dyna conversion. You then mention a suspected carb problem and may have done some float adjustments or other work on the carbs. I may be wrong, but it appears from your questions that you do not own a Kawasaki factory service manual.

If a shop it going to charge $50 - $100 per hour you may find the charges will very quickly exceed the value of the bike. While it is possible that the shop will immediately discover and fix the problem, it seems more likely that diagnosing the problem may take a while. Keep in mind, that the shop will be faced with many “unknowns” that may consume a lot of time. Diagnosing problems with a totally stock bike can be challenging and time consuming enough. Diagnosing problems with a bike that had been heavily modified (such as a different year engine) may take much longer. The electrical system and possibly other systems will be suspect, but the mechanic, who probably will not be familiar with all the nuances of the different year KZ650s, will have to do considerable research to determine how things should be configured. This challenge may be beyond what the shop will accept, as many shops won’t touch old bikes and especially old bikes that have been modified.

I respectfully suggest you obtain a Kawasaki factory service manual that covers the ’77 and ’78 KZ650 and read them carefully to become intimately familiar with the various systems, and especially the differences between the various systems, on each model. This should give you a foundation from which to begin diagnosing the problem(s) with your bike. Folks on this site will be able to provide considerable insight and guidance once you start digging into the problem areas. In the long run, doing the work yourself will be less costly even after buying tools, and will be more rewarding as you will gain a better understanding of how your bike works. (Whew, I guess that was 3 cents worth.) Ed

Two places for factory manuals:

1. www.repairmanual.com (they sometimes sell used manuals)
2. www.manualsnmore.com

Thanks Ed and Mfolks. As Ed noted this turned out to be quite an extensive project for me, much more than I ever anticipated. I didn't think that there would be that much difference in the motors in two years. As far as a service manual is concerned I do own a Clymer service manual, but have been going by my own basic mechanical experience. So far I have finished the bulk of the work since everything is bolted in. Since starting this project I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge concerning motorcycles.