83 GPZ1100

Reviving my 83 GPZ1100 and need some insight. The bike will be sport tour/commuter, no racing. Torque over rpm. The original engine has a bad exhaust guide(actual hole in head enlarged!) What issues putting a KZ1000/1100 head on instead? KZ combustion chamber is larger and definitely will lower C.R.(using stock GPZ pistons). I have a good 92 KZ1000P engine also, how difficult to swap this in? Can I use the DFI or go with rejetted carbs? What are mandatory electrical system changes? I have three exhaust systems to choose from, Bassani(4-1), Kerker(4-1) and stock 4-2. Thanks

I would keep the orig head and send it to larry cavanaugh they offer an oversize guide to repair this problem, also I would keep the DFI.

Have you looked into what it would take to repair the exhaust guide hole? Ed

+.027" guides are available for that head. You don't want to downgrade it to a regular J head...that's for darn sure. It might only need a +.004 to fix it. You can't tell till you take it apart. It might need more than one. You can tell pretty quickly by how easy the old guides come out.

If you do your own work and you need the +.027", you'll need the ream and tappet bore ream guide.

APE has guides available. Here are the part numbers.

99101-4 Kawasaki Z1 / KZ1000 / GPZ1100 .004" oversize. 9.54 ea
99101-25 Kawasaki Z1/KZ1000/GPZ1100 .027" oversize repair guide (.502 dia) 12.83 ea


PM DFIGPZ...ask him about the setup he's got. It's making plenty of torque from 2500RPM on up

Agree on keeping the DFI. If you can afford it, send the throttle bodies to Pogue Machine for a taper bore, new throttle plates and adjustable pressure regulator. About the same price as a rack of performance carburetors but better IMO.