Bucking KZ200

It sounds like you could have a issue with spark. Check the voltage from the battery, through the system step by step at each connector and fuse panel. The old glass fuses can look good but be bad, they loose contact at the "Cap" end. Verify near battery voltage at ignition coils. Check ignition points and condenser. Inspect ignition coils and spark plugs, the plugs could be fouled. Use at least a test light or ohm meter to verify ignition timing, later when running with a strobe timing light.
Lots of info in the service manual on how to check all the systems. When running again, check to see if you are getting charging voltage level across battery, around 13-14volts.

Well, finally got sometime time to spend with the bike today.

Pulled the carb apart and it is in excellent condition.
Cleaned the fuel tank and made sure all lines were flowing and petcock running well.

You may recall - it wouldn't start for me the last little while.
It tried cranking it a number of times...finally gave the ignition coil a tap and it started.
I then adjusted the air screw so it wouldn't stall. It seems to need to idle a bit high.

After it warmed I hit the road.
The bucking at first seemed to have disappeared. It ran longer then before but as I geared down to return home the engine died.
This went on several more times. The battery had nothing left each time.
Each time I kick started it would stay alive less and less.

Am I wrong to think that this is a ignition coil | dynamo problem?
Just grabbing a few minutes for coffee and to jot this down for your you then back into the garage to perform a voltage test as Ed and Motor Head suggest.

Will stay in touch.

v

I can't say for certain what is wrong without seeing it myself but the first thing I would do is check the output from the alternator and the output from the regulator/rectifier. If no problem there go and clean every connection in the harness (there aren't too very many).
Also check and clean the connection in the ignition switch.

On a separate note, my 200 did something similar to you issues and it was not electrical, but timing related. After so many miles the timing advance springs would stretch a bit letting the timing become too far advanced. This led to bucking popping and overheating and loss of power. The remedy is to either retard the timing, or better, replace with fresh springs and retime it.

Bust of luck to you.

PS. Condensers are cheap so try replacing it. So far as I know there is no sure way to test it but when they go bad it can act right when while cool and screw up when they get warm.

Thanks everyone.
And now for the closing chapter on the Bucking KZ200.

A voltage test was hard to perform as some of the tests the service manual suggests requires monitoring voltage at particular RPMs.
As you can see from my last post two weeks ago, it got to the point that I couldn't start the bike.

I did find that the spark was not performing as it should (thank you Motor Head). I replaced this new, yet defective plug and up it started.

This then enabled me to perform the tests required to suss out the problem electronically.
(The service manual and this forum has been extremely helpful.)

Late night two weeks ago I pinpointed what I thought was the trouble.
I ordered the part the next business day and three days later I was feeling the breeze that you veteran bikers love so much.
Turns out it was the regulator/rectifier.
My charging system was non existent and drained my battery in no time.
That coupled with a troublesome spark and I had no chance.

The only cloud over this success is the recent loss of my right side panel due to extreme wind or vandals. So much for my pristine, all-original bike.

Ah, but all is vanity and I'm just happy to be riding.

Minus a few bucks but free of bucking.

Cheers guys.

Excellent link. Can't thank you enough.

Patton,
I checked these out and all is well.
Good place to start.

There are some right side covers on eBay that may work as a replacement.....

shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=right+cover+%2...=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

I had the same issues with my 1978 kz200 a, and it turned out the the fuel line was to long creating suction issues and the floats had a pin hole that was filling one side with fuel. I