New Piston Rings

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationLooking for feedback regarding the practical use and quality of aftermarket piston rings vs. going with OEM Genuine Kawasaki.
Always a fan of the Genuine stuff, but maybe there is little difference when it comes to piston rings.
OEM Kawasaki STD Size 13008-1037 rings were installed in 2015 for my top-end project, and the bike was put to bed this winter consuming a quart of oil in 3-4 hundred miles or so.

I put about 18-20K miles on those rings, and wonder if that is average to expect when riding without babying a J-engine fitted with a bathtub head and ZX1100 cams.
Maybe I'm aggressive with the throttle-maybe a touch more than I ought to be. Oh well, just love the sensation of smooth speed and power, within reason you know. I must have been born that way-just can't help it. Not too much though...just a little.

The aftermarket rings I'm considering using with a spare set of stock-bore jugs:

How old are the valve guide seals?
They are a main issue when the oil consuming goes higher than normal.

Those rings would most likely be fine. They look to be made in Japan. Unless they are a lot cheaper than OEM I'd stay with the Kawasaki parts though since they are proven.

Before ordering I'd do some serious measuring on your cylinders and pistons. A bore gauge and micrometer is need so you can measure everything: I like to see no more than .0010", taper and out of round in the bores and .0040" max piston to bore clearance. If you can maintain those numbers there is no reason you can't hone and install new rings.

This may not apply in your case, Kawasaki had a recall on their steel valve guides on the early KZ 1000 engines. They were replaced with bronze guides. In one report, it was suggested they thought high oil burning was acceptable at the time so they did nothing until forced to do so. Steel or not I would check there and install Viton seals.
Steve

Viton seals were installed in Spring of 2015 on the low mile head with just 8800 miles. It now has 27K or so on it.
I tend to run the rpms 7000-8000 regularly, and just figure that itself would contribute to greater cylinder wear compared with an engine that gets topped out where I start. So maybe the amount of miles is irrelevant considering how I love to make high-end harmonics.

:evil:

:lol:

My kz650 would drink oil, despite a rebore, oversize pistons and new rings.
Disappeared when I put in a fresher crank and bearing shells.
I 've heard these engines need regular oil changes.