Carb help?

I need some advice please. I have a 79 kz1000e bottom end is stock (new rings). I have kerker pipe and k&n filter. While the bike was apart (valve guide came almost completely out of head.) I re-ringed it and had the head ported and polished. The guy who did the port job says my stock carbs are to small. He has a set from a ninja 1000 and that they would really wake this bike up. Problem is they won't fit my air box. So are the carbs worth the tuning issues u get with pods or should i just get a dynojet kit for the stock carbs?

Can you tell us which carbs you have now? Can you post a picture of them?

I've never heard of anyone putting Ninja carbs on a KZ. I might be wrong, but I thought Ninja carbs were designed to mount at a different angle than the KZ carbs.

If you've got VM26 carbs, you can get a set of VM28s that will bolt right on. You could also pick up a set of 29mm smoothbores that will bolt right on (if you've got some $$$ to spend). You could also go with BS24 carbs, with some modifications to the intake manifolds and throttle linkage.

I can get pics of the stock carbs and the "ninja" carbs. All i known now is the stocks are vm's can't remember if they r 26's or 28's. The ninja carbs are huge compared to the stock 1's(they also say keihin cvm on them).

Pictures would certainly help us determine what you've got.

I'm sure we'll get some other comments from other posters who are much more expert with carbs than I am, but I seriously doubt that throwing Ninja carbs on that engine (even if possible) is going to be the best solution for you. You mentioned that the Ninja carbs are "huge". Bigger is NOT always better. It's all about matching the proper size carbs with the proper size jets to the proper size intake ports to maintain optimal airflow and air/fuel mixture. Bigger carbs without the matching ports/cams/valves/exhaust can kill airflow (and performance).

How does the engine run with the current carbs? Perhaps some minor jetting changes are all you need.

First of all I doubt that the Ninja carbs would work at all since they are totally different spacing and they are a partial down draft and are not designed to sit horizontally. The carbs you have are most likely the old stile Mikuni VM28SS, which is what the bike came with. Those are not bad carbs and unless the head had larger valves put into it are big enough. Unless you want to spend a lot of money for a set of aftermarket snoothbores, you can get a set of Mikuni BS34s on eBay. which would work very well on that bike. make sure that they come from a Kawasaki 1000 or 1100 otherwise the needle jets and the jet needles will not work with your application, and it will cost you a lot more money in the long run. If you want to keep your stock airbox than the stock carbs you have are about the only thing you can use unless you can find a set of Mikuni 29mm smoothbores and they will cost you about six bills or more. You can remove your airbox and install individual pod filters and your stock carbs will flow a lot more. But I would like to warn you to stay away from the Ninja 1000 carbs. The guy just wants to dump a set of used carbs. Ask him if he put larger valves in the bike and if he did so where are the old valves he took out. But I doubt he did because he would have charged you a buck and aquarter for the set of new intake valves. Besides it sounds like you are still running stock cams. If so than what ever port job he did will increase your flow but the head will not warrant new carbs. Just get rid of the air box, install pod filters, and re-jet. This is all you will require. I have a suspicion that what he called parting and polishing, just entailed the removal of the casting roughness and smoothing everything out.

tlewis wrote:

I need some advice please. I have a 79 kz1000e bottom end is stock (new rings). I have kerker pipe and k&n filter. While the bike was apart (valve guide came almost completely out of head.) I re-ringed it and had the head ported and polished. The guy who did the port job says my stock carbs are to small. He has a set from a ninja 1000 and that they would really wake this bike up. Problem is they won't fit my air box. So are the carbs worth the tuning issues u get with pods or should i just get a dynojet kit for the stock carbs?

the KZ1000st is a heavy bike (600 lbs.),stick with the stock carbs,she will be a dog at lower rpm otherwise

Hey... just put your bike back together, and see how it runs with the stock set-up (later you may have to re-jet).

I'm thinking this guy is just hypeing up his work... like otakar says - he probably just ported (mildly) & polished the head, which won't require larger carbs!

I know he didn't change the valves. And yes the port job is mild, but more than just smoothing out the casting. The reason he claims I should put the other carbs on is because the early Z1's (900's) had bigger and better carbs and more performance. He claims when they added emissions stuff to the bikes they "choked" the larger motors (1000's), and since the old smooth bores cost a fortune these days the later carbs are cheaper and an up grade from the stock carb.(not better than the smooth bores, just better than the vm's) Supposedly he's done this before with great results. They cam from a zx1000a (maybe that's not a ninja.)

tlewis wrote:

I know he didn't change the valves. And yes the port job is mild, but more than just smoothing out the casting. The reason he claims I should put the other carbs on is because the early Z1's (900's) had bigger and better carbs and more performance. He claims when they added emissions stuff to the bikes they "choked" the larger motors (1000's), and since the old smooth bores cost a fortune these days the later carbs are cheaper and an up grade from the stock carb.(not better than the smooth bores, just better than the vm's) Supposedly he's done this before with great results. They cam from a zx1000a (maybe that's not a ninja.)

the '79-'80 KZ1000's came with VM28 Mikunis,same size as the early Z1's.
your "mechanic" is blowing smoke,the zx carbs are a different spacing and will not work

I guess it's stock carbs then, probably a jet kit 2.

I have a couple of ST's and they both have been slightly modified. They came stock with 28mm pumpers. I rebuild carbs for a living now,just my 2 cents worth, Stick with the 28's. They are more than adequate to handle the minor modifications you have described. I know there will be some debate on the performance/tunability of these pumpers, but thats O.K., when done properly they can't be beat. Note: I run 29's 33's and old school 28's on my machines, and although there are differences, unless you are heavily modified, I doubt seriously you will experience much difference in the performance. These old carbs can be tweaked to do amazing things.
Spyder :evil:

I guess it's stock carbs then, probably a jet kit 2.

Hey, I'm not putting down the guy's work... and yes, the early 900's came with 28mm VM's and pulled strong as hell with them. If you can find a set, get them - but first try to tune the set you've got... I think you'll be surprised!

Good Luck