New owner, old bike - 1979 KZ1000

greetings!

i just picked up my first bike, a 1979 kz1000 st. while it does start, run, shift and stop, there are a few kinks that need ironing out before she is 100%. first, though, a few things about the bike:

i got it from a guy who was given it by his uncle, who owns a motorcycle shop, as payment for 2 months of work. the bike seems mostly stock aside from a few additions. it's got clip-on bars, new levers and cables, new rear springs, new tires, new brake pads and pod filters. also, the speedometer/tachometer/odometer was removed. he claimed that it had just short of 23k on the odometer when he removed it 4 months ago and that he's hardly ridden the bike since then. he seemed like a pretty honest guy, but obviously i'll take that with a grain of salt and conservatively estimate the bike has somewhere in the neighborhood of 30k on the clock. its currently parked in my garage at work, so pictures will have to come later. now to the good stuff...

the first issue i've noticed is that while the kickstart works, the electric starter is pretty shotty. if the bike has been running for a while, the electric starter works fine. when it's cold, the starter makes a sort of grinding noise and when i release the button, the noise continues, but quickly decreases and stops (sounds like its "winding down", for lack of a bette rexplanation). second, it's definitely running a bit lean. he said that in march his uncle gave the bike a tune up, changed the plugs and, most importantly, re-jetted the carbs to accomodate the new pod filters. he did mention, though, that he had planned on replacing the plug wires, but hadn't gotten around to it, so that's first on my list. what kind of plug wires to you guys recommend and where should i order them from?

what would you guys recommend i start on? i'm good with my hands and have plenty of tools at my disposal. i grew up wrenching in my family's automotive shop, so understand most of what's going on in this motor. i ordered the factory service manual from ebay, so i've got a good resource for anything i don't quite understand.

i realize this has been a bit long, so if you're still reading, you're the man. let me know what y'all think. i'm looking to get her running as reliably as possible. thanks in advance for your help. i'm stoked to get to know you guys and your bikes!

tldr: new/old bike, running a bit lean, electric starter doesn't like the cold, very psyched to have another forum to procrastinate on

Welcome. Pics of the plugs and how old is the battery. Terminals clean? If he took off the Tach and speedo, I'd be leary of what else he has done. Valve adjustment first. That can give you a indication of the wear on the engine.
Steve

I got an 82 1000 here that did the same exact thing until I put in a new battery, you should have it checked.

I would start by first reading everything in the service manual on the electrical system and tune up. Then like sweet said, do the valves first. Also, like Barry said, a new battery can do wonders. Others may also have a lot to say about those pods. They can make tuning the carbs difficult. Good luck and enjoy your new bike.
Jerry

thanks for the advice y'all. i'm out of town right now, but as soon as i get back i'll start with this.

the starter motor just "spinning" and not engaging the starter clutch is pretty common with older bikes. Combination of old oil and battery not fresh enough for the starter motor to engage the sprag clutch. Change the oil and filter and ride it is the best advice. They will act like yours when not ridden enough to get the oil flowing *(splashing) on the Sprag Clutch parts. They tend to freeze up when they sit. Ride it!

The starter clutch is pretty tough on the big fours. Does sound like it's gummed up somehow. Who knows what the PO did to it. Opening it up and inspecting it is the only way to know for sure.
Steve