KZ750 instruments

Under good ole Jimmy Carter the Federal Government, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), mandated that speedometers would have 85 mph as their highest indicated speed; (see NHTSA regulation: 49 CFR 571.127 "Standard No. 127 Speedometers and Odometers" effective September 1, 1979). This was reversed effective March 25, 1982 – thanks to Ronald Reagan.

I'm sure that at least most new models after 1982 got speedometers calibrated above 85 mph. Unfortunately, some cars & bikes still had the 85 mph crap much later than 1982. I had a 1989 Chevy Silverado pickup that still had the 85 mph speedo.

For details of the mandate see bottom of page 908 S4.1.3 in the following link:
books.google.com/books?id=tqY8AAAAIAAJ&p...s%2085%20mph&f=false

650ed wrote:
I'm sure that at least most new models after 1982 got speedometers calibrated above 85 mph. Unfortunately, some cars & bikes still had the 85 mph crap much later than 1982. I had a 1989 Chevy Silverado pickup that still had the 85 mph speedo.

I guess they'll have been using up what they had left in their parts bin.

What I'm really looking for is a speedo and revcounter that between them incorporates the three warning lights (or even two) plus a fuel gauge.

Loudhvx has for sale on here a cluster from a kz550 where the lights are in the revcounter, which I thought helped because then I could fit any 140 mph speedo but then realised I lose the volt meter (that's in my revcounter) so I'd need a speedo with build in volt meter or I'd always be paranoid the bike wasn't charging.

One step forward, two back!

koolaid_kid wrote:

QNman wrote:

koolaid_kid wrote: I agree, I would not surrender, you just need to do more investigation. Those 85 mph clocks are nothing but annoying, IMHO.
For example, in 83 in the states they sold a model called the 750 LTD. More of a laid back model like your CSR. Seems to have round clocks, which is what I suspect you currently have. But I could not find any direct down pictures of the clocks.

I have an '83 H4 (LTD). Still only goes to 85.

Perhaps they realized the limitations of cruiser riders. :ohmy:
I'm joking, of course.
That is odd; my 83 ZX750 (GPz) goes to 150 and my 83 GS1100E goes to 140.
Do you think someone changed out the speedometer, or it just came that way from the factory?

I have no reason to believe it has been changed; I think, as mentioned above, this is just a "leftover" from the stupid-ass Carter mandate. An '83 that was probably manufactured in late 1982.

I'm pretty sure the 85 mph speedos were used from 1980-83.
Search ebbaayy for 1980 & 1983 speedometers. All of them that I saw were 85 mph... KZ, CB, XS models etc..