KZ1000 Exhaust mounting question

I'm switching out my old OEM exhaust for a better OEM set today. The Exhaust gaskets (11009-1906) have a flat side and a beveled side. Does the flat side go toward the head? Also, any trick to removing the old ones, or just pry them out with a small slotted screwdriver?
Thanks. Scott

The beveled side with the seam goes toward the head. Your removal method sounds like mine.

Mike

A dental hook did the removing job for me. It´s your choice witch side you put in first. The gasket will be crunched and seal any ways. Clean all sealing surfacese from carbon and use some grease to "glue" the gaskets during the header installation. It will save your day and multiple attemps.  

Thanks guys. You're the best!

Went on well and works great with no leaks! Seems like a decent performance boost and quite a bit quieter. Not easy to find OEM for '77-'78, as that was the only year for these.

Looks great. I’ve always likes that exhaust design. I’d love to find a nice set.

Back in the late '70s, early '80s, it wasn't uncommon to see brand new sets hanging from the rafters in shops. People didn't want them. You could buy them for $100-$150. They swapped them out for 4 into 1 sets for the performance gains. My bike before this one was a '72 CB750 with a Hooker header with no baffle. I've always loved the "silent" 4 into 2 on this bike. 

They are still a common bike.  I'm surprised someone in Japan hasn't started making reproduction units.

Back in the day I had a Kerker on my Z1B for two reasons.  First...it was half the price of OEM.  And second, it sounded nasty!

I think that the problem is that this setup was only used for 1977 & 78. There were links here a year or so ago for an Italian repop that looked good, but British owners seemed to have mixed results, with some very happy with the product and some not happy at all. 

You are correct BCScott!  There were a lot of complaints about that system and many, if I recall properly, came from how they were packaged and shipped.  Without looking via a search I seem to recall they were made in Italy and at least one person, perhaps more, complained that they "blued" quite easily.  I keep pondering going to one of the 4 into 4 systems for my '77 KZ-1000A1.  I REALLY like the looks of them, but they and the shipping charges are pretty steep and yes I know it's not original to the bike, but they look way cool.  I think there are a couple of manufacturers making 4 into 4 systems, but I don't know which one is best.  My stock exhaust looks pretty good for now, but who knows what the future holds.

Rick H.

I'm always keeping an eye on eBay for a set, knowing how hard they are to find. That's how I found this set a couple of years ago. I was fortunate that they were fairly local to me, in Calgary at The Old Motorcycle Shop. They needed a good cleaning, but were priced accordingly ($250 IIRC) and cleaned up much nicer than I expected. The only problem is that they have a very prominent 1.5 inch dent on the left side flair, near the back. That's going to take some getting used to! For now, all of my pictures will be from the right side,