Obscure 77 kz1000 Tach Question.

There's a real nice 77 1000A1 on ebay right now with 7000km on it that has a 9000 tach. Of course possibly has been replaced, but the motorcycle is literally brand new looking. However over the years I always thought all KZ1000s were 8500 tach. My 79 and 80s are for sure.

I have three sets of tachometers for my two 1977 KZ1000A1's. Don't have a clue if they are original or not but all three are 9000 redline.

Mcdroid wrote:

I have three sets of tachometers for my two 1977 KZ1000A1's. Don't have a clue if they are original or not but all three are 9000 redline.

FSM for 77~79 KZ1000 has pic G65 on page 116 showing 9000 rpm redline on 1977 tach fitted to 1977 KZ1000-A1 (see image below).

No tach faces shown for 1978 or 1979 models, A or D.

All models show maximum horsepower @ 8000 rpm.

Good Fortune!

[Click on image to enlarge view.]

canyondancer wrote:

I own Z-resto and i've met a lot of folks that swear they have original gauges.....but they don't.
The KZ1000's didn't rev as high as a 900 did so Kawasaki lowered the redline 500 rpm. In other words....no matter what year it was...or when it was built,....all KZ1000's were sold with an 8.5 redline tach.
Bob
Z-Resto

been attached to this bike since it was 6 months old,still has the origional 9000rpm tach on it from day one

Correction....i believe all the KZ1000's built here in the US at Omaha had 9k tachs. All the domestic ones built in Japan and the Z1R had 8.5k tachs.
Sorry for the confusion.....as i always recommend the 8.5k tach for KZ1000 restorations because the 1000's red line is lower than the 900.

I looked at my gauge stash and i have a NOS tach from a 77 KZ1000 and it's 9k.

canyondancer wrote:

Correction....i believe all the KZ1000's built here in the US at Omaha had 9k tachs. All the domestic ones built in Japan and the Z1R had 8.5k tachs.
Sorry for the confusion.....as i always recommend the 8.5k tach for KZ1000 restorations because the 1000's red line is lower than the 900.

I looked at my gauge stash and i have a NOS tach from a 77 KZ1000 and it's 9k.

they werent built in omaha,it was lincoln ne. :laugh:

I have discovered that the 77's had the 9000 rpm tach and the 78's and later had the 8500 rpm tach. Why Ma Kaw did this is open to speculation. Whether it was a decision based on mechanical issues or marketing, or politics, who knows?