Got my bike on the road today!

Hi Guys

I got my 78 KZ1000 A2 on the road today. I put on 60 km's. I was testing and tuning. The battery that came with the bike was no good so I bought a new one. The charging system seams weak as it is putting out 13volts at 3000 rpm at the battery. I have the service guide so I will troubleshoot that some.

There is a backfire when I pour on the throttle that happens about mid range and 3/4 throttle. Not sure on that one as I just cleaned the carbs and it has a Dyna ignition on it, new plugs, old coils and wires, new plug caps. stock air box.

I had a KZ900 when I was 18 and I loved it. now 40 years later I have another bike like it. I am amazed how this bike handles and feels. Truly effortless. Turns and drives with a thought like my 900 did. smoooth tooo.

here's a couple of pix to enjoy,

cheers,
Ron.

Sweet ride!

I pulled a plug and it is running too rich, all black. I will pull the carbs to see the main jet size and take it from there. Maybe the po had headers on it and put the stock pipes back on leaving the jets inside. If so I will put stock main jets in and see if that reduces the richness.

My stator tested good today so I am going to replace my regulator and rectifier with a modern reg/rec combo unit from Z1E. It's on it way from Florida ! That should fix my charging issue.

cheers,
Ron.

Very nice bike! It's always nice to see one back on the road.

Congrats on getting a nice looking bike on the road. Here's to bugs in your teeth.

Nice bike, that is what a motorcycle is supposed to look like. You wrote "I pulled a plug". Have you pulled all of them and do they look similar? (black and sooty) Once things are cleaned up in the carbs and you verify the jet size, I'd check your fuel bowl levels before reinstalling. If some of the plugs are clean and some are blackened, tell us which positions (1,2,3,4) are sooty and which are clean.

status update:

I pulled all 4 plugs and they are the same, black and rich.

Pulled the carbs to check the jets and adjust the bowls and clean.

Here is a pic of the jets..., stock is 15, these are 10.5 I think.

also a pic of a plug.

I do live in AIrdrie Alberta Canada and our elevation is 3500 feet above sea level. Maybe the 10.5 jets are for the altitude?

I am going to put the carbs back on and test it out. A little leery on the jets but at least they are not going in the other direction to rich.

cheers,
Ron.

Would be the model and size I'd get if I had it to do over again...... header and low bars and I'd be set........ those are 105 main jets your looking at not sure what they are stock..... maybe need 107.5s but will let some others that know school you on that..... the plugs look a little rich but pretty close to me. Dirty pilots, advancer needing lube, valve lash checked..... like Hawk says fuel level check maybe.... sounds like your close.

102.5 mains, 15 pilots, jet needle 5cn7-3 needle jet 0-3, pilot screw around 1 and 1/4 turns out + or - 1/4 turn, this is for a emissions fitted bike. if not 105 main, jet needle 5dl31-3, needle jet 0-5, this is providing you are running stock air filter and exhaust, if running with after market exhaust with baffling you can stick to these, also it is of upmost importance that the float levels are correct, which is 26mm inverted, or if you are doing it with the correct tool 4mm below carb joint, but before all of this is done every thing else needs doing, valve clearances, point adjustments, ignition timing, cam chain tension, plug gaps.

Nice bike Ronnie! What year was your 900? That means you had one in 1978 when you were possibly still in high school? That would have been a dream for me.

KZJOE900 wrote: Nice bike Ronnie! What year was your 900? That means you had one in 1978 when you were possibly still in high school? That would have been a dream for me.

I bought a KZ900 in 1976. I was 18 years old and weighed 125 pounds, still in high school. I flew like a bat out of hell on that 900, I had to hang on. I came off a 72 Kawasaki S2 350 triple. I was going to buy the 75 H2 750 at the dealer but I spotted the 900 and the rest is history...lol. Now 40 years later I have one that is similar. I have owned other bikes but the look and feel of a Z1 or KZ is fantastic.

cheers.
Ron.

kevski wrote: 102.5 mains, 15 pilots, jet needle 5cn7-3 needle jet 0-3, pilot screw around 1 and 1/4 turns out + or - 1/4 turn, this is for a emissions fitted bike. if not 105 main, jet needle 5dl31-3, needle jet 0-5, this is providing you are running stock air filter and exhaust, if running with after market exhaust with baffling you can stick to these, also it is of upmost importance that the float levels are correct, which is 26mm inverted, or if you are doing it with the correct tool 4mm below carb joint, but before all of this is done every thing else needs doing, valve clearances, point adjustments, ignition timing, cam chain tension, plug gaps.

thanks for the specs and info kevski.
I cleaned the carbs again and set the floats the inverted way. They should be ball park good.
I adjusted the cam chain.
I checked the timing.
New plugs and gapped.
I have Dyna ignition with stock coils. I found a set of Dyna coils on kijiji yesterday and scooped them up real fast. I think stock coil 2-3 is going south. Also the wires are 40 years old!
I am replacing the rectifier and regulator with a new combo unit. As I also have a charging issue.
With all this done the bike should run sweet.
I will adjust the valves next.

cheers,
Ron.