KZ650 Carb and Exhaust Relationship.

I'm riding a 77' kz650b-I love it, but I want to strip it down a little. The guy before me dropped it, so I wouldn't mind losing some of the ugly parts: stock exhaust, turn signals, and what not. I want to give it that naked/cafe racer look, without breaking the bank, or being to ridiculous. I'm looking at mini turn signals, the 4-1 exhaust, and drag bars. I'd like to take the finder off, and stick the plate/light underneath. I'm sure a lot of you have done this.

My biggest question is: will I absolutely have to rejet my carbs if I'm getting this new exhaust? My carbs aren't in the cleanest condition as they are, so should I consider putting in something bigger?

Also- My wheels are spoke wheels, and aren't as true as they should be for me to be happy. I had them worked on twice. I'd like to get the mag wheels- is that a simple swap?

So this was a lot of rambling- anyone eager to help steer me in the right direction?

I' love it if you'd email me at ztm@udel.edu


Zach

Stock exhaust ugly? Them's almost fightin' words! :laugh: Unless of course it really is ugly as in rusted or discolored or all beat up.

Indeed exhaust modifications will probably require a bit of rejetting but probably not as much as changing any part of the intake tract. Here is a recent thread that touched on the subject:

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...ew&catid=3&id=271526

BTW, welcome aboard and give us a few pics as well.

Thanks for the welcome!
Also, thanks for the direction on this.

My stock exhaust is indeed not beautiful-sure it was years ago, but the previous owner dropped it, and it has some nasty scrapes that eventually rusted. Near the collector, are some small holes, which are certainly leaking. I'd love to just swap that out real quick, and not worry about the carb adjustment. I'm pretty sure my bike is running rich with fuel as it is. You're saying I can just tune them, til they sound right at an idle? To be honest, this mod is just for looks/sound. I'm leaning towards MAC's 4-1; The black one. Any suggestions?

What can you recommend for handlebars? I love the straight bar look. Is that a pain to install?

I'm not saying that you can go by sound, the only way to know is to do a plug check. Much has been written about interpreting the color and texture of the sparkplugs as they are the only window into the combustion chamber. Another key term is "plug chop" or "throttle chop" to know what the different carburetor circuits are doing at various engine RPM.

I've no experience with MAC pipes. Sorry.

Bars shouldn't be too much of a problem unless they are quite short in which case room for mounting the front brake master cylinder may be problematic.

Spend a couple of evenings or more searching this site and its archives. You'll find plenty of ideas.

I'm going to hold off on the pipes for now.

I'm debating whether to go for a drag bar or a clubman bar. I'd LOVE that cafe look. I just don't want to be sooo sore after a long ride. What do you recommend? I do realize it's all up to me how i want my bike to look, but based off of what you've seen done, what would you say is the best bet for the cafe look?

I think I'm leaning towards the drag bar look to be honest.

take a look in the 650 gallery and get your self some good ideas and by the way welcome aboard.

Thanks!

I mean the pics all look sick. I dig them both. Will a clubman bar really handle differently? Will it be difficult to maneuver while walking it? Will it hit the gas tank on turns? I just want to make the right decision---give the bike a meaner look, but still have it ride nicely.

Hi KZach650, as far as exhaust go i swapped my stocke pipes on my 77 650 in favor of a 4 into 1 vance and hines pipe but i didnt rejet, although i kept the stock airbox, the plugs were perfectly tan. Since then i have upgraded the carbs to ones off of a 74 Z1 900 and put the pods on it, the bike runs perfect. As far as the clubman bars, they sit low and can be quite uncomfortable after along ride. Im 61 so that is why it was uncomfortable for me............but i still kept them on because i loved the look of them.

I'm looking for a heavy cruiser in a few months for those longer rides. I'm only 5'10, but I do have long arms for a shorty.

The pipes will come soon. I'm going to order the bar/end mirrors in the morning. Easy to put on, right?

Yup. Do your handle bar grips hace the ends punched out of them? If so just slide them into the end of the bars and tighten the bolt. A handlebar you might want to consider is a set of super bike bars, the sit up a bit higher than the drag bars but give it a low profile look.

i ordered new grips. 8 bucks i think. If they don't have punch outs, i'll cut them out.

before I order my clubman, can anyone do me a favor: let me know what the minimum 'center' measurement of a 1977 kz650B handlebar is. the bar I want has a center of 4.8". My bike isn't with me at the moment, and I don't want to goof up, and order a wrong size.

Thanks!