KZ200 Stalling

So, of course with my very first riding season drawing to a close, the bike decides it needs a break. I'm posting this in electrical because I have a feeling that that is the gremlin I'm dealing with… but I'm really not sure.

I was having an issue with the clutch cable snapping (repeatedly), so I replaced the clutch with the one from my parts bike and now the clutch is happy. A few short test rides (5-10min) and I got the clutch adjusted perfectly and the cable is still intact.

Celebratory ride from dad's garage to home resulted in the bike seemingly overheating about 1/3 of the way home (~4km). Stopped, let it cool for about 15/20min, made it another 2km and let it cool again. Limped another 2km and then gave up and called dad's truck to come get us.

I spoke with the guy that I bought the bike from (he built this and another bike from three bikes and he's been super helpful) and he thought perhaps it was the ignition coil causing overheating. The coil is available from Kawi to the tune of $130 - which is a lot to spend if you're not SURE that's the problem (the coil tests fine on the ohmmeter).

At this point, I can get the bike to fire up if I simultaneously feather the throttle. If I maintain throttle, it will stay running for a short while. When I release the throttle, the RPMs drop to below 1k and the bike stalls out.

So far, I have:

• Checked oil level
• Cleaned Fuel lines/replaced fuel filter
• Tested with coil from parts bike (same result)
• Checked air filter
• Checked spark plug/wires

I haven't touched anything in terms of adjusting idle speed or richening/leaning it out, so anything there should be exactly as it was beforehand.

Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences they could share that might give me some insight so that maybe I can fix my baby this weekend and get back on the road before the nasty Canadian snow hits the ground?
Any info is helpful, I'll try anything, I'm desperate to get back in the saddle… otherwise I may just end up sitting on my kitchen floor with my helmet on saying 'vroom vroom' like a crazy person.

Thanks in advance!

Did the bike sit unused for an extended period immediately before the overheating incident, or had it been running fine on a regular basis and then the problem just appeared? Ed

If you can make it run by playing with the throttle, then it's not the coil.

This sounds like a fuel delivery issue. If you are using a see-through car fuel filter, with a paper element, I that may be the issue. They have a way of just not flowing after a short time. Try bypassing it with a pipe temporarily.

Here's a factory manual in case you don't have one, or want to print out certain pages to prevent your hardcopy from getting greasy.
I'm not sure which year it covers, but much of the info will be the same.
home.comcast.net/~loudgpz/Kz200fsm.pdf

Might result from a stuck ignition timing advancer that's in need of lubing (weight arm pivots).

Could also result from insufficient valve clearance.

Good Fortune!

Here's another service manual link.
Scroll down to the Trouble Shooting pages (almost at the bottom, just before photo of the tools), and find the section about "Over-Heating."

Clink on each separate page to enlarge the page.

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.164610...5236331&l=b7a818679d

Good Fortune!

650ed wrote: Did the bike sit unused for an extended period immediately before the overheating incident, or had it been running fine on a regular basis and then the problem just appeared?

I've been running it daily since I got it, it was down for about a week while I worked out the clutch/cable… prior to me, the guy I bought it from was riding it at least every other day. I had had the bike overheat on me a couple times prior (on really hot days) but, yeah, this problem just randomly popped up…

loudhvx wrote: If you are using a see-through car fuel filter, with a paper element, I that may be the issue. They have a way of just not flowing after a short time. Try bypassing it with a pipe temporarily.

The filter that was on it when the problem started has been replaced with something a lot like this one: i01.i.aliimg.com/img/pb/769/842/514/514842769_467.jpg

Patton wrote: Might result from a stuck ignition timing advancer that's in need of lubing (weight arm pivots).

Could also result from insufficient valve clearance.

Thanks I'll see if I can figure out how to check this out

Thanks for the manuals

How do you know it is overheating, what are the symptoms? What does it do, stall not restart, no power? I'd be checking the valve Clearances, Compression test, and an oil change to an appropriate motorcycle oil or Delo 15-40. Do you have the Stock Air Filter and Housing in place, or a Pod style of air filter? Bike could be running lean, check the Wet Fuel Level in the Carb using the Clear Tube Test, if low, I'd remove and clean the Carb and then re-adjust the float for proper fuel level.
Ignition timing and advance can be checked with a timing light.

I think that filter should be ok.

Not to be a smartass, but I've seen it many times... is there a chance you are almost out of gas?
I've gone to help people fix a "carb issue" many times and just adding gas fixed the issue. One guy called me twice in a month for the problem of running out of gas. The second time, I brought a can of gas with me.

Motor Head wrote: How do you know it is overheating, what are the symptoms? What does it do, stall not restart, no power? I'd be checking the valve Clearances, Compression test, and an oil change to an appropriate motorcycle oil or Delo 15-40. Do you have the Stock Air Filter and Housing in place, or a Pod style of air filter? Bike could be running lean, check the Wet Fuel Level in the Carb using the Clear Tube Test, if low, I'd remove and clean the Carb and then re-adjust the float for proper fuel level.
Ignition timing and advance can be checked with a timing light.

I'm thinking that it's overheating, mostly because it will run for 4km, stall, not restart, cool and then restart and run for another 2km before repeating the process (I had an old volvo that did the same thing).
Valve clearances & Timing are on the agenda today; did an oil change when I did the clutch replacement (running Castrol SAE 10w40 motorcycle oil). I have the stock air filter/housing. Carb was cleaned and float adjusted last night, that got it running better, but it still stalls out once it warms.

loudhvx wrote: I think that filter should be ok.

Not to be a smartass, but I've seen it many times... is there a chance you are almost out of gas?
I've gone to help people fix a "carb issue" many times and just adding gas fixed the issue. One guy called me twice in a month for the problem of running out of gas. The second time, I brought a can of gas with me.

LOL yeah, no offense taken 'cause I've seen people do the same thing. Nope, she was parked with pretty much a full tank when the clutch work began.


I noticed last night that the spark plugs are black (like... black like my soul, black). I know that there are several issues that could cause that, so that's why valve clearances/timing/etc is on today's agenda

My bf seems to think that the engine is knocking, though he says that he can't tell the difference between a 'knock' and a 'slap' (descriptions per the troubleshooting section of the manual) so if anyone has better descriptors for those that would be kickass.

Side note - thanks for all the awesome advice guys, this is super helpful

Make sure the fuel line isn't kinked. I once had a similar problem when my bike would run a couple miles and then stall. I would let it sit a while and it would start right up, run a couple miles and stall again. It turned out to be a kinked (collapsed) fuel line that would only permit a trickle of fuel to enter the carbs. So once the fuel in the carb bowls was used up the engine would stall. Letting it sit for a while let the trickle of fuel to refill the carb bowls and the pattern would begin again. If fixed the fuel line and yippeee, no more problem. Ed

Cool beans, will double check that as well, thanks

So, today we checked valve clearances - they were tight so they've been moved back to within spec. Checked the timing, and that's where it gets weird.

The light would flash consistently for a short while, and was within the gap between the check-lines... but then the light would pause and flash with an irregular rhythm and during the irregular flashes, the check-lines were nowhere near the check point. Then flashing would return to normal and again the lines were right around that check point.

I'm thinking this means I should order a new coil?