IGNITER for KZ550 LTD

Can I use an igniter from a kz750 on 550? That's what the junkyard guy sold to me, Saying it would work. It does work, however, my bike has been diagnosed as running on two cylinders. I'm pretty sure I have a bad coil as they said 2 and 3 cylinders were not running.

CAN I USE A KZ750 Igniter on a KZ550? Somebody else told me it wouldn't work because they have different timings because they are different engines.

However I just found out from

www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/vintage...ter-part-number.html

that there are many interchangeable parts kawasaki made to make production easier. What is the case???

Some of the igniters have different plugs. If the plug is the same than yes it will work and is 100% interchangeable.

If your careful, using a pin extractor on the connector to make something mate up will work. Some connectors use 1/4" male and female pins/sockets and can be removed using a small jewelers screwdrivers.

Most conectors have a locking tab on the pins that needs to be depressed to be able to remove it.

The bikes with mechanical advance (as yours is) have the timing determined by the advancer, not the igniter, so you can use an igniter from pretty much any KZ with mechanical advance.

I have a KZ550C 1981. Cool so I now know the igniters are interchangeable. What year frame are we talking and for what specific bikes. Thanks for the knowledge that the advancer determines the timing. I wish I knew what an advancer was and mechanical advance.

I heard parts from this era are semi interchangeable. I need pulse coils for my KZ550C. Can I swap from others models and maybe just switch out the plate?

The following is a list of Kawasaki models with pulsing coils that interchange with your bike.

KZ550-A1 (1980)
KZ550-A2 (1981)
KZ550-A3 (1982)
KZ550-A4 (1983)
KZ550-C1 (LTD) (1980)
KZ550-C2 (LTD) (1981)
KZ550-C3 (LTD) (1982)
KZ550-C4 (LTD) (1983)
KZ550-D1 (GPz) (1981)
KZ550-F1 (Spectre) (1983)
KZ550-H1 (GPz) (1982)
KZ550-H2 (GPz) (1983)
KZ550-M1 (LTD Shaft) (1983)

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationThey are also interchangeable with units from 700,750,1000,1100 bikes from1981 to about 1983. As was mentioned before you may have to swap plugs but that's it. Some of the bikes used a single six pin connector along with the mini for pin and some used a four pin connector along with the mini four pin. The wires are all the same. Igniters with #s 21119-1017/1020/1040/1429 are all direct replacement igniters with 3s 21119-1030/1041/1356 you will have to swap the large connector on. You will just pull the pins out of yours and the one you get and reuse your old plug. I believe that your bike has one large four pin with the mini four pin. If you get an igniter from say a 82 KZ1000 you will have to use your large four pin because the 1000 has a six pin with two blank positions. Here is a very nice direct replacement igniter on eBay.

I did notice on the 550 there is an anomaly. some have male pins and some have female pins in the large plug. If yours has the female pins than everything I have said applies. If yours has male pins than it will be a bit more difficult. The one in the eBay auction I posted has the Male pins.

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationotakar wrote:

They are also interchangeable with units from 700,750,1000,1100 bikes from1981 to about 1983. As was mentioned before you may have to swap plugs but that's it. Some of the bikes used a single six pin connector along with the mini for pin and some used a four pin connector along with the mini four pin. The wires are all the same. Igniters with #s 21119-1017/1020/1040/1429 are all direct replacement igniters with 3s 21119-1030/1041/1356 you will have to swap the large connector on. You will just pull the pins out of yours and the one you get and reuse your old plug. I believe that your bike has one large four pin with the mini four pin. If you get an igniter from say a 82 KZ1000 you will have to use your large four pin because the 1000 has a six pin with two blank positions. Here is a very nice direct replacement igniter on eBay.

That looks like the one. I've never come across any with a female connector on the igniter. The reg/rec does have a female, though, which looks similar. As Otakar said, you may have to do some splicing. Just keep the wire colors consistent and wire thickness too. Some will have a thick black wire and a thin black wire. the thick one is ground, and the thin one goes to the pulsers.

There is a manual in my signature which will describe the advancer. Most of the bikes in the manual have mechanical advance, either with points or electronic ignition. The supplement toward the end will cover the electronic-advance models.