1978 KZ1000 Top Speed

This could be a blessing in disguise, not trying to be a smart a"" but riding a 32 yr old machine over 120mph could be hazardous to ones health, I heard the old timers claim these bikes had high speed wobbles, probably catch hell for this post but if i wanted to go over 120 mph it wouldnt be on a kz, without serious mods!

TerryK wrote:

keith1 wrote:

Mykuh wrote:

thanks for the input guys ! 1st off,the bike as far as I can tell is bone stock except the kerker 4-into-1, the free flow air for the carbs. I am not a mechanic but love to ride this thing and the guy I took it to is a motorcycle mechanic that "claims" he used to work on these bikes new.

He said I needed the high octane to help the bike run better.

The speedo and tach look stock to me, so not sure if both are reading correctly or not, except I did go through a traffic radar "box" that let you know your speed and said I was doing 23 and the speedo was at 25. Might get worse the faster the bike goes?


go one down in the front and i bet it will....

I am glad I found this place with such a vast knowledge base and maybe I can learn to get the bike where it needs to be and KNOW it is right.

Thanks Again !

just my .02, but that bike should easily rev to 9k....probably needs re-jetting......pods and a pipe require at least 2 up on the pilots and 3 on the mains if i remember correctly......then theres the baffle in the pipe...a lot of variables...if that thing wont pull cleanly to 9k, dont push it untill re-jetting...you are way lean and you will eventually grenade a piston....again, there are a lot of variables here....stock ignition/aftermarket, plugs good, carbs in a good state of tune, good battery,valves adjusted correctly, etc.......

I believe he's wanting it to rev to 9k in top gear, but many of these old bikes wont pull red line in top gear.

keith1 wrote:

TerryK wrote:

keith1 wrote:

Mykuh wrote:

thanks for the input guys ! 1st off,the bike as far as I can tell is bone stock except the kerker 4-into-1, the free flow air for the carbs. I am not a mechanic but love to ride this thing and the guy I took it to is a motorcycle mechanic that "claims" he used to work on these bikes new.

He said I needed the high octane to help the bike run better.

The speedo and tach look stock to me, so not sure if both are reading correctly or not, except I did go through a traffic radar "box" that let you know your speed and said I was doing 23 and the speedo was at 25. Might get worse the faster the bike goes?


go one down in the front and i bet it will....

I am glad I found this place with such a vast knowledge base and maybe I can learn to get the bike where it needs to be and KNOW it is right.

Thanks Again !

just my .02, but that bike should easily rev to 9k....probably needs re-jetting......pods and a pipe require at least 2 up on the pilots and 3 on the mains if i remember correctly......then theres the baffle in the pipe...a lot of variables...if that thing wont pull cleanly to 9k, dont push it untill re-jetting...you are way lean and you will eventually grenade a piston....again, there are a lot of variables here....stock ignition/aftermarket, plugs good, carbs in a good state of tune, good battery,valves adjusted correctly, etc.......

I believe he's wanting it to rev to 9k in top gear, but many of these old bikes wont pull red line in top gear.

post got flubbed......if the bike is in a good state of tune, go one down on the front sprocket, she'll go to redline......

+1 on Keith's idea. My stock 900 had a 4 into 1 and pods
fitted and dropped almost 6-7mph top speed, 120 mains got it back to 120 plus with 15/35 gearing, speedo error not accounted for! Still it pulled 8000rpm in top so quite ok for a stocker with minor mods. It's now in the process of getting the "LarryC head treatment", 1075, 29 smootbores, Z1 cam etc, so should get there a lot faster with same top speed at those revs!

Cheers from Oz,
Kt

Ktm181 wrote:

+1 on Keith's idea. My stock 900 had a 4 into 1 and pods
fitted and dropped almost 6-7mph top speed, 120 mains got it back to 120 plus with 15/35 gearing, speedo error not accounted for! Still it pulled 8000rpm in top so quite ok for a stocker with minor mods. It's now in the process of getting the "LarryC head treatment", 1075, 29 smootbores, Z1 cam etc, so should get there a lot faster with same top speed at those revs!

Cheers from Oz,
Kt

you will have a rocket when set up right.....pork it in first at 3k and let us know when it lands....:laugh:

hmmm.. the phrase I've heard is "That bike is a 120 mph engine in a 80mph frame" :lol:

pray for smooth roads!

TWIST IT FOR A 1/4 MILE THEN SHUT IT DOWN!
I AM TOO OLD TO DRIVE ONE ON THE HIGHWAY OVER 75 MPH

High speed wobbles at 120+ on a KZ is a pucker factor of 9.9 Ask me how I know

wobbles at any speed over 80 is a 9.9 pucker factor.Ask me how iknow.lol.bj

good input guys thanks ! as far as a wobble, the bike doesnt wobble when I max out at what ever speed it is running.She is very smooth.

lol, yup. I didn't want to scare the guy but yes, these old bikes WILL wobble. WAY too much frame, fork and swingarm flex stock. I gusseted my frame, adapted a GSXR swingarm and added a steering damper after a couple of "interesting" incidents, the worst of which involved myself and a couple of friends doing some spirited riding in some twisties. I was following one guy through an 80mph corner and his bike stated to weave to the point I could actually see the swingarm flexing! Seriously. The bike was rotating one way while the rear wheel was going the other.
Scariest shit I've ever seen! :ohmy:

hocbj23 wrote:

wobbles at any speed over 80 is a 9.9 pucker factor.Ask me how iknow.lol.bj

A wobble at 50 mph can get ya some extra plates and screw installed also.