75 KZ400 won't shift into 2nd

Hey guys, I am looking at buying a KZ400 from a local guy, the bike is in great shape, has been cafe'd out. Only problem I noticed is the bike will not always shift into 2nd. Like I can be pulling up very aggressively and it will not shift up. I managed to get it into 2nd twice while test riding the bike. So my question is, do I run away from this bike? It is well priced for the modifications it has done although I am worried about this gear issue. Is this a common problem? Any insight as to what I would need to do to fix it would be great. Thanks.

To Switch into the 2nd gear the out put shaft (front sprocket) had to rotate or the bike should be moving. It´s a special Kawasaki neutral gear finder Feature.

Scirocco wrote: To Switch into the 2nd gear the out put shaft (front sprocket) had to rotate or the bike should be moving. It´s a special Kawasaki neutral gear finder Feature.

I read this about the Kawasaki's , every time I tried to get into 2nd I was moving.

Maybe the shifter is loose and is not able to travel far enough? With it being a cafe, maybe some of was made to the shift lever and foot pegs?

That may be the case. If I ended up buying the bike, I know I would have to take off the cover to see if the problem is A. Gunk on the inside not allowing free movement B. Clutch push rod adjustment. C. Stripped Gear or D. Shifter adjustment/etc.

Just needing help deciding if t his bike is worth my time to try and fix or if I should just pass on it. I'm not a mechanic by no means but i'm not afraid to try to crack it open and see.

I know this is somewhat basic, but double check that the shifter isn't hitting the alternator cover. Also, look very carefully if the RPMs drop at all when you shift into first. If the clutch is dragging a bit, it could be very hard to get the bike into 2nd.