1980 kz1000b4 ltd

I just installed emgo pods and vance and hines megaphone 4-1 pipe. It has 28mm VM mikunis with acc. pump. I also just did the W.G. coil mod. I am running #20 pilot jets and #120 main jets. The bike runs good and very,very strong but my plugs are also very white on the inner porcelian. I didnt do anything with the needle jets as far as moving the clips, probably in stock position. Do I need to jet higher. or could it just be the needle position. Thanks

Are your plugs B8ES?

I would raise the needles. Roy

Yes they are B8ES. How hard is it to raise the needles and is that going to screw up my syncronization of carbs? Arent the needles under the synchro. adjusters on the vm28mm carbs?

insanelane wrote:

Yes they are B8ES. How hard is it to raise the needles and is that going to screw up my syncronization of carbs? Arent the needles under the synchro. adjusters on the vm28mm carbs?

i would 4th clip the needle...that might have you going back down in main jet to 117.5 or 115....you are gonna have to pull carb tops and pull throttle shaft and pull slides out...once you get em out, look down inside slides you removed and you will see 3 small screws....CAREFULLY unscrew those and everything will be clear....you will have to bench sync...4th clip is four down from top out of the 5 grooves...good luck......

thanks ill give it a try

insanelane wrote:

thanks ill give it a try

i forgot to mention to pull the two rubber plugs, one on each side of the outboard carbs....good luck and let us know how ya make out....keith

insanelane wrote:

I didnt do anything with the needle jets as far as moving the clips, probably in stock position. Do I need to jet higher. or could it just be the needle position. Thanks

I have the same bike and carbs and, my needles aren't adjustable as far a moving the clips. There is only one groove.

Maybe, you have an aftermarket needle if it has more grooves.

Sonny

If you have non-adjustable needles, just place a washer of a thickness you think would be needed to raise needle under the clip on there now. Lots of guys have got around that issue this way.

I also have an 80 kz1000b4ltd. Ive thought about installing air filter pods but I heard that they can cause some negative performance issues and to stick with the stock airbox assembly. Has anyone experienced any problems using the open element air filters and what was done to rememdy the issues?

racer54 wrote:

If you have non-adjustable needles, just place a washer of a thickness you think would be needed to raise needle under the clip on there now. Lots of guys have got around that issue this way.

That's so simple, I would have NEVER thought of it!

Thanks,
Sonny

The stock needles should be 5CN-29 and they have a pretty lean O-1 needle jet in those carbs. Stock main jet was a 102.5.

There's absolutely no way a 102.5 main jet will work with the airbox gone. Go straight to at least 115....more like 120 and work from there.

All through the KZ years, Kawasaki kept leaning out the midrange from year to year....model to model..

You can shim the needle up as suggested. You could also try a 5DL-31 Needle.

If it's not surging any when cruising at a steady throttle opening and the plug insulators show no sign of blistering then you really are not in any danger of an over lean condition.

Look at the flat base ring of the plug where the threads end. The ring the ground strap is welded to. That's where you want to read your jetting. If there's no color there, it wants some more fuel.

If the bike runs strong, shows no indication of a dangerous lean condition and you don't want to disturb the carb synch, go to B9ES plugs and see how they look...

Back in 80, when those bikes were brand new, the plugs would normally show a white inslulator, even with the stock air box.

Mines a 1980 B4 also, with Emgo pods and a Mac Header. Took me a couple tries to get her dialed in, but I finally did.
I forget what my primaries are but I went with 117 mains. Never touched the needles.
Runs just a tad rich, but I tend to think my motor might last a little longer that way.