Multiple Motor Issues

I"m inexperienced with bike motors so please be patient.  KZ1000J is in my small race car.  I had it out on the track last Friday and it just quit.  I rolled to a stop and the motor would not restart.  Towed in ,the problem was that the front drive sprocket came off, I later found the bolt and a beat up washer in the sprocket cover.  Then, secondly, the starter motor quit turning the motor over...I can turn the motor over thru the front nut on the ignition.  The motor is pulled out and on hoist as you can't get to the sprocket when in car due to frame tubing.  Car originally designed for auto motor the converted to Suzuki water buffalo, finally to KZ1000J, so obviously the car is not designed for easy motor access.   I am ordering new sprockets from Sprocket Specialists in Utah.. It currently has an aftermarket drive sprocket and does not have the lock washer setup that was original.  How is the sprocket held on?  Just torque and some Locktite?

I'm try trying to take off alternator cover to look for damage to starter gear, but it doesn't want to come off.  It is like magnetism is holding it on,  It comes off  about 1/4" this just sucked back.  Is this normal? 

I can put the motor in my motor stand.   Spark plugs and ignition are removed. Is there a way I can hook up a battery and test and observe the starter motor?  Is there a way I can get the gearbox back into neutral while on the stand?

With 10.5 pistons it normally starts very easily, but if it is bad is Ricks Electronics the best source?

Thanks for your help and patience.
 

With the starter removal, yes there is a large rotating magnet inside the left engine cover.  It is part of the alternator.  Simply pull the cover back evenly.

The sprocket is held on with a large nut and a locking washer.  You should be able to buy them through Partzilla.  

 

Kawasaki used a couple of methods to secure the drive sprocket. They are both pictured in the parts diagram here--
www.partzilla.com/catalog/kawasaki/motor...1000-j2/transmission

Do you have a factory service manual? There is a photocopy of it in the Filebase. There is a link near the top of this page.

You should be able to shift into first and neutral while the engine is not running.

I've looked at the partzilla picture. It appears that the stock sprocket is flat with a washer on both sides, my sprocket which was made by someone in USA with a part number of PBT 490 has about a 1/8" thick extra thickness for the spline.  I only found 1 washer that needs replaced, and the lock washers NLA  When I put it back in the car I'll first do it without the chain cover to make sure the sprockets are lined up properly as that is a concern also.  A car like this is a continual project and that is to be expected when you purchase it, probably 75% of this type of car called a D Sports racer/H Modified were either home built of very low production. The fellows who originally built this one built about 20 over a 10 year period.. Quasar and Legrand were other brands, and Bobsey built about 50 much more sophisticated larger displacement ones.
 
When I get into the stand I going to connect a battery to the cable to the solenoid and that should activate the starter. I'll get it into neutral first. 

Thanks for the help so far. .  



 

Prior to 1975 Z1's used a non O-ring chain.  In 1975 they switched to O-ring chain that was wider than earlier years.  If you use the sprocket from an earlier bike on the Z1B the chain will rub on the transmission cover.  To prevent this KHI added a shoulder on the inside of the sprocket.  If you are running a 630 O-ring chain you probably need the sprocket with a shoulder.  

Found another problem.  I removed the alternator cover the hooked a battery up to the starter with transmission in neutral.  The starter clutch gear, the large one rotates freely on the shaft and the motor does not turn over..  Looking at the factory service manual is that some kind of clutch between it and the alternator armature?  If I need to disassemble it they call for a special tool to pull the armature, is it necessary, or can I make a puller?

   Cover the exposed alternator magnet assy. with a plastic bag now.  Secure it until the very last thing before the dyno cover is installed.   The magnets will attract all manner of undesirable metal bits large & small.

  Not sure we understand the description of the starter mechanism behavior and the nomenclature used.  The only armature is within the starter motor.  The lage round magnet assy. on the end of the crank is the dyno rotor..  The large gear closest to the cases that freewheels on the crank should be the starter clutch gear.

   We have no specific experience with J-motor starter clutches. & gears.  They're likely very similar to those on Z1's.  What has been known to happen with the (likely similar) sprag-type Z1 starter clutches is, full-synthetic oil can cause the rollers within the starter clutch to slip on the polished OD of the lage starter clutch gear, resulting in the crank not being turned by the starter & clutch mechanism.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Might be the starter, might be the solenoid, might be the sprag/roller/pin and spring assy? Oil selection has no bearing/influence on this, synthetic or dino, no relevance. Depending on your circumstances, do you hear the solenoid clicking? Is the motor/starter turning? Too often persons buy those "roller" kits to renew the performance of the starting feature. You're wasting your money, those components rarely fail. It's the "RAMP" within the compartment where the BIG rollers gets bitten with repeated wear and no longer sinches down the BIG roller. Just FYI, if you're running an air-cooled engine tucked back in a compartment it's life expectancy is dramatically shortened. That's probably why they ran the GT750 Suzuki engine, watercooled.        

Yes wrong terminology I meant the rotor.  I've been using Mobil 10-40T so that ight be part of the problem.  I currently have the motor in a stand and hooked it up to a battery and the starter motor spun the starter gear freely so I'm assuming the starter clutch is bad.  Finally figured out how to pull the rotor off from posts here and looking at the manual(Clymer appears rather hopeless) and partzilla has starter clutches.  I'll cover the rotor and put the cover in a plastic bag also. Thank you

A second question.  I'm looking at getting a second motor,  do I have to get the J  motor.  I understand most of the later Police models use the same basic unit.  I can switch the carbs from one to the other, or complete head as I know cams are different, but have no idea about the ignition.  What would be the issues about "say" a 1990 police motor?.  

From 1982 onward, the police bikes used the J engine. other models like the LTD and CSR got the J engine in 1981.You may be getting tripped up on the nomenclature. The J engine was used in a bunch of different models.  Among them were the
KZ1000M CSR
KZ1000K LTD
KZ1000J standard
KZ1000P police bikes
KZ1100s
GPz fuel injected 
Et cetera. 
Yes, it is a little confusing. 
Carburetor spacing was the same on all of them, but there are two distinct cylinder heads that are not easily interchangeable.

Here is a very basic rundown.  www.aperaceparts.com/tech/techkz1000.html
 

Asphalt-  the starter is running and spinning the  "ring gear" for lack of a better term, but the crankshaft isn't turning.  So to me the starter clutch appears bad, I thought that maybe I tried to start it when it was in gear and broke something as when the chain sprocket came off I had no idea what was going on and tried to restart it because the motor died at the time.  Yes I'm having cooling problems as a PO had set up a weird and miss engineered cooling fan arrangement.  I have an oil cooler capabe of cooling a 350hp motor and still running oil temps in the case in excess of 250f.   I'm working on a forced air cooling solution.  I bought the car knowing I had a development project   The cost was a small  fraction of what well developed cars of the period cost..  For example a Lotus 23 from the 1960's is about $125k and a motor rebuild when required a minimum of $25K.

Texas- thanks for the clarification as with all the electronic and FI changes in the period I need some knowing help.  I well understand the head/cam situation.   

Think You figured it out, part represented earlier. Also check, while apart, the wear area, on "ring gear", it's one assembly. Note while those ring gears look similar from the Z1's thru end of J engine production. The J used a different/bigger OD at crank end so subsequent changes were made to ring/caged needle bearing/(2) thrust spacers and thrust rubber. That Lotus, Esprit in my case, is one i've always wanted!! I do the carbs for my Friends Lancia's, good for a change of pace, ha. Good Luck with Your Project!!