Help identify engine noise ?

Hi all. I am a newbe. I just bought a 79 KZ1000 LTD from the original one owner. The bike is stock except for a 4 to 1 header. The bike had been sitting in his basement for 20 years and has only 4K miles. I got the bike started and was able to ride it up and down the driveway, but there is a loud whine coming from the motor on the LHS. The whine speeds up and slows down with RPMS. I am not familiar with these bikes but it does not sound right to me. Is this normal for Kawasakis? Would the starter or clutch whine if something is wrong? Advise please if there is something I should check?

starter hanging up?

Welcome! Air cooled bikes tend to be on the noisy side. When you first own a bike that has an exposed engine, you will hear all sorts of things. The best thing would be to find a local KZRider member and get together and compare notes or more accurately, compare noises. Does the noise you hear vary in pitch with engine speed?

its a little tough to diagnose engine noises without hearing the noise.a shot in the dark would be loose cam chain or maybe some loose valves or it could just be normal noise.:S

Make sure there isnt a cat stuck somewheres in your bike.

Your bike sounds like a heck of a nice find. Pictures please.

kzmarvo wrote:

Make sure there isnt a cat stuck somewheres in your bike.

boy you suck 1 cat into a turbo and they never let ya live it down!:ohmy: :whistle:

Well I got to listen to another bike and it doe not have my sound. It's not a mechanical click like valves or cam chain. Would the dynamo howl if the battery was low? I was suspecting the starter not disengaging or the dynamo. It more closely sounds like a car altenator going bad. Suggestions on a plan of action?

(We did lose a family cat in the 60's when my dad started the car with it laying on the warm engine in the winter, no electric fans back then. Fur was flying out from under the hood but there was no whine.)

Could be the cam chain. A low mileage motor will have the cam chain whistle to them.

The dynamo (alternator) uses a large permanent magnet rotor that adds weight to the crankshaft. If it makes a noticeable noice there's a good chance the starter clutch is not disengaging. There are three polished steel rollers and three springs that control when it engages and disengages. Once the engine turns faster than the starter, the rollers disengage.

Maybe your starter is running on due to a problem with the solenoid or starter button? The clutches would disengage and it the engine would not drive the starter - this is how the starter clutch is designed.

Where are you located? I'm in Jax, FL

I'm in NW North Carolina. I guess I'll pull the case off and check the starter disengagement. I'm afraid if I run it I'll ruin an expensive part.

Before I would pull off the engine case, I would take out the starter and see if it shuts off. It's fairly easy to do:

1. disconnect the battery ground
2. remove gas tank
3. remove 2 bolts over the chromed starter cover, under the carbs on the left side.
4. remove the two bolts holding the starter in place
5. push the starter toward the right side of the engine and lift it up out of the starter bay

At this point you have about 30 minutes into the job and have two things you can do.

1. reconnect the battery and don't ground any of the big cable that goes to the starter... turn the key on and press the starter button and release. See if the starter stops turning. Be careful as this might cause the starter to flop around due to the torque and it could short out the big power cable. Starter must be touching the engine for a ground.

2. with the engine NOT RUNNING, you can stick your finger in the round hole where the starter drive goes. There should be a large gear, fairly thin, and you should be able to turn it one way but not the other. This is the starter reduction gear that engagesw the starter clutches. If you can turn it one way freely and not the other, then the starter clutch is OK.

Hope this helps... IM me if you want to talk over the weekend.