Welded crank

Ive just been reading some blather on facebook. Somebody asking about welding the  crank on his Z1000J as hes boring it out. Someone pointed out that the crank(twisting) was a common problem on certain year/model J engines and later models came with welded cranks as standard.
 Ive never heard of this myself. Is it a thing or just more facebook bollocks? Anybody got the skinny on it? If true,what year was the switch made?

I can’t  comment on the welded OEM crank, but common sense would be, we would have heard about it at some point in the last 40 years. But when it comes to Facebook I’m astounded at the idiots that give advice. Most are captain obvious, “my door won’t open” answer, “you need to turn the knob” . Others are in a completely different world and the suggestion they give aren’t worth the time it took to type them. 

LOL, you know what they say, dont beleave everything you read on the internet. I have twisted a lot of welded cranks in my time but Kawasaki never had a welded one 

it was a big problem on GPZ1100 I replaced a few under warranty back in the day, Talked most customers into having them welded before replacement was installed.

My buddy twisted the crankshaft on an early 80s CSR that was subjected to a lot of Drag Strip launches, not even a slick, an aired down street tire. I think there were enough problems with the early J motors that the manufacturing process was improved, (IIRC)  but to my knowledge there was never a OEM welded crankshaft. Even the crankshafts in the Z1R Turbos were not originally welded, they were removed and welded when the Turbo Kits were installed. They were uncrating bikes and installing  the kits at a distribution warehouse that was close to the Kawasaki Factory in Lincoln, I took them a crankshaft and had it welded. The J models pretty much died off other than the Police Bike motors with the introduction of the GPZ900 Ninja in 1984 with it's liquid cooling and one piece crankshaft.
The knowledge you can gain on F.B. is Amazing!
Mike

The story of the factory welded crank sounds a lot like the Suzuki GS of < 1982 VS > 1983

Thanks for the replies. I suspected as much.

wrote:

The story of the factory welded crank sounds a lot like the Suzuki GS of < 1982 VS > 1983

Suzuki made a running change for the 1100E cranks at some point during the 1982 model year.  From what I hear it made a noticeable difference in durability.

Ok, now that this subject is resolved I think it would be funny to post some of the Facebook “blather” 

Heres a reply to a Z1 that started blowing the main 20 amp fuse without any know reason.

 

My dear old Uncle Stan told me about the "smoke test" 50 years ago,  although I don't remember him actually doing it!  

He also talked about lighting farts,  but I don't remember seeing that attempted either.

Mike

wrote:

Ok, now that this subject is resolved I think it would be funny to post some of the Facebook “blather” 

Heres a reply to a Z1 that started blowing the main 20 amp fuse without any know reason.

 

 

Back in the mid '70's I had a few friends that worked at a Buick dealership service department. I would go there and have coffee with them before I would have to go to work. I remember one time one of them was trying to find a short in a brand new Deuce and a Quarter ( Electra 225) He had spent a few hours on it and still could not find the cause of the short. Finally he finally gathered a few other mechanics around parts of the car, bypassed the fuse, turned on the power, and they sat back and waited till there was a cloud of smoke coming from a certain part of the car. FOUND IT!!!!! He than replaced the melted wires, and sent the car on it way!!!!

Can't speak to the 'J' models but it was not uncommon to weld the cranks of 900/1000's if they were drag raced.  Never heard of factory welded cranks though.