New KZ owner - Questions Need Answers!

Hello All,

I have recently aquired a 1983 KZ 750. This is a 4 cylinder bike that has already been modded into a "cafe" kind of bike.

I have grown up riding dirtbikes and anything beyond that is beyond me at this point. I am mechanically inclined and can do anything to the bike that needs to be done but to be frank, I don't know where to start with this thing. I got it started by spraying gas into the carbs and bum starting it but it soon bogged down and died, but i know it runs.. kinda.

Here is a list of what I have determined with this bike so far:

- there is a little electrical thing under the seat that goes "click" when I press the start button and thats about all it does. The battery has a full charge so I assume this is either a starter problem or something between the battery and the starter.

- The floats seem to be stuck in the carbs (or at least one of them) because the bike dripped all of the gas out of the gas tank from the pod filter when sitting on the kickstand.

- none of the switches have labels on them anymore and I cannot figure out what the red switch next to the light switch does. it turns on the right blinker as far as i know which is weird.

If anyone has an answer to my mysterious "Click" I would love to know. I'll keep searching on the forum to see what I can find as well.

Cheers,
Jeremy

- Starter solenoid - same as in a car.
- Rap the offending carb with a wooden hammer handle. If the needle is stuck, this will free it up. If it still leaks, pull the carbs and clean then. No, on second thought, just pull the carbs and clean them.
- The Emergency Flasher. If only one light is working, you need to troubleshoot by replacing all the bulbs first, then tracing the wiring.

Get yourself a Factory Service Manual. There is a service interval chart in there. Do all those things listed, I'm sure they haven't been done in a while.

And this too:

Cleaning Motorcycle Electrics

Get some of the De-Oxit DN5 electrical contact cleaner and figure on spending a good day going from the front of the bike to the back. It’s a plastic safe cleaner/preservative. www.deoxit.com is their website, and can be purchased at most electronic supply stores.

On the older Kawasaki's, a majority of electrical connectors are inside the headlight housing requiring removal of the headlight, then the fun begins.

Do one set of electrical connectors at a time to avoid mixing up what connects to where. Usually disconnecting, spraying with De-Oxit DN5 and reconnecting is about all you'll need.

However, when encountering the green crud of corrosion, a brass wire brush may be needed on the pins you can reach. Some 400-600 grit wet and dry sandpaper strips rolled into a tube should reach the male and female pins in the more difficult to clean connectors.

Smoker’s pipe cleaners, cotton swabs and wooden toothpicks work as cleaning aids.

Really small electrical connectors may require the use of a welders tip cleaning tool assortment.

Most pins in the connectors are coated with a thin plating of tin, and others may be nothing more than copper or brass.

If moisture is added, the resulting corrosion lowers the voltage/current being carried causing dim lights, slow engine cranking, slow turn signal response and lower input voltage to the ignition coils resulting in weak spark.

The left and right handlebar switch pods will need attention too as they have circuit functions like turn, horn, run/stop, and start. If you discover the soldered connections at the switches are crumbling, I’ve got a repair procedure for this, just ask.

Usually a spritz or two with actuation of the switch is about all needed for these switches unless corrosion is detected and then careful disassembly is required.

The ignition switch may or may be not sealed to allow spraying the internal contacts. I urge caution if attempting to open this up as springs, and ball bearings may fly out never to be seen again!

If your bike has the older style glass tubed fuses, I suggest replacing them as vibration can cause internal failure. AGX is the type used, and most auto parts stores can get them for you.

Clean the fuse holder clips, looking for signs of overheating(discolored insulation, signs of melting). I use metal polish on a cotton swab, followed by spraying another clean swab with the De-Oxit DN5 and then rubbing the inside of the fuse clip.

All battery cables must be clean and tight for maximum current transfer. Check the cables going from the Negative(-) battery terminal/post to the engine mounting bolt

Also the one going from the Positive(+) terminal to the starter solenoid and from there to the starter motor.

If any battery cable feels ”Crunchy” when flexed, replace it as possible corrosion is inside the insulation.

Each "Bullet Connector" will have to be sprayed to ensure good connectivity, especially the ones going to the energizing coil of the starter solenoid.

The alternator output “Bullet Connectors” are usually behind the engine sprocket cover and will need inspecting and cleaning too.

The turn signal light sockets will benefit from a spritz from the contact cleaner along with the tail light/brake light socket.

Some brake light switches can be sprayed on the actuating rod, with the spray running down inside to the electrical contacts, others may be sealed requiring replacement if the switch is intermittent in operation.

Some people put the Di-Electric Grease on cleaned terminations/connectors, I don’t, as I’ve read/heard it can cause problems when it gets hot, actually insulating the connections, so the choice is yours to use or not.

I think I've covered about all of the electrical systems on the bike.........


“I spent a weekend going through every electrical connection and switch on the bike with a little scotchbrite pad and DeOxit - what a difference! Everything was brighter, gauge backlights, indicator lights, turn signals, I was getting a nicer spark, it fired up quicker, etc. Well worth my time. WELL worth it! “
From a forum member at www.kzrider.com


Re: Cleaning the many and various Motorcycle electrics.
I used the De-oxit D-5 spray on all the electrical connections of my 78 Kz1000 that had sat for twenty years .

When I parked the bike in 92 I was starting to have troubles with some of the electrical system, but after pulling everything apart and giving it a spray , reconnecting the connectors and working them back and forth a few times, then gave them another shot of spray to wash them off before the final reconnection.

Everything still works perfectly and has for over 7000 miles this year.

I am extremely happy with the results , a lot of the connectors were green when I started and after the cleaning they looked new ( shiny gold )

I found the Deoxit D-series, D-5 spray in a 4 oz can at a big electronics store called Frys in Illinois, don't get the small cans at Radio Shack , they are different and meant for computer type stuff.

store.caig.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.188/.f

Trust MFolks , the guy's a true rocket scientist and really knows what he's talking about.
JD

Kawasaki workshop Manual

mbsween.bike-night.com/kz750l3/manual.html

Today I was playing with the bike and I was trying to see where the starter was failing. The relay seems to be clicking and if i listen very carefully it sounds almost like wires arc-ing inside the left side of the engine. Im not sure if this is the starter spinning quietly or if this is actually some loose wire not allowing the starter to get power. Any ideas?

When you are using the electric start make sure you have the clutch lever pulled in as there is a safety mechanism to prevent starting in gear
Can you identify the starter solenoid ? it will behind the left side plastic cover and will have a wire coming directly from the + side of the battery to a post on a circular unit/thingy . Beside it will be a post with a heavy gauge wire going to the starter motor. This might be the relay you mentioned which is clicking ?

You can short across the posts using a screwdriver. turn on the ignition, pull in the clutch lever, short across the 2 posts using a screwdriver making sure you are holding the plastic screwdriver handle. The starter motor should turn the engine over. If this happens then look for a replacement solenoid. All depends on a fully charged and functional battery.
Good luck

Go to the garden tractor area of your local hardware store for a replacement solenoid. Around $15.

When i shorted the terminals of the solenoid, the starter still made the crackling noise within the bottom end of the engine. I guess the next step will be to open up the cover and check out the starter. Anybody have advice on taking the starter out? I'll be looking at the manual before i open it up.

Remove the 2 bolts and it slips right out. Of course, unbolt the wire from your solenoid. On your bench, remove the 2 bolts and the cap slips right off.