Swap kz1000j guages onto 81 GPZ

Is it possible to swap the KZ1000J guages onto a 81 GPZ 1100. I dod not like the bulk guages on the 81 GPZ. I am hoping that the KZ guages will work. Anyone done anything like this before? Or does anyoneknow if they are compatible? would it be a straight forward swap?

I don't know, but at Partzilla the meter brackets look different. However, in the Fr Forks diagrams there are 2 upper triples listed for the 81 1000J & one of those part numbers is the same as the 81 GPz 1100. The drawings look the same for the J & GPz.

So I would go to eebbaayy to see if there are any fork triple trees to compare & compare them to yours. Since the meters attach to the upper triple, they might interchange if the triples are the same. Hopefully it's that simple.

I have no idea how the headlight & fairing would figure in to the fitment.

Here are a few. You'll have to figure out what's what.
44039-1035 ................ 44039-1052

82 upper triple ................... 1982 KZ1100

"KZ1100B1 '81 upper fork holder (I think)"

The 81 KZ1000J has electric gauges, if the 81 GPZ has mechanical gauges, you can still install them , but you will need the electric cables to install them. Hope this helps.

Don't know for sure but I'm pretty sure it can be done. You would have to compare the wiring diagrams of both . I can tell you I didn't like the 81 gauge cluster and swapped for the smaller much nicer looking 82 GPZ gauges with a bit of modifying of the pins on the wiring connector

Seems to me the pod 81 gpz clocks and milometer cluster are the rare part, the combined instrument pod a lot easier to find...particularly if you go for the less poplar kz models.

The oversize instruments was to deflect windblast pre 82 gpz, to me the bit I'd want to keep. I remember seeing one as a teenager, compared to my puny 125cc....I though what sort of a headcase would have that crazy muscle bike...I has a long way to go then.

Electronic tacho is just taking a -ve from from any one the coils, the mechanical cable speedo is the same for all 19" front wheels.

As above, if you can get smart and rewire from the block connector it is neater and saves chopping up wiring harnesses.



This is my trusty old 'blue point' tool on a dodgy gpz750 regulator/rectifier block connector. The terminals can be withdrawn if you push the tang in, that's what this tool does. A little screwdriver does the same.

Terminal pin extractors are handy. I have a pair of them from CycleTerminal.com --- they're very nice.

Both bike models have a mechanical speedometer & electronic tach. pretty sure. I was thinking the hard part would be physically installing them, since the GPz is so different from most KZ gauges.

If the J model stuff is hard to come by, you could look into the meter assy from a late model KZ Police bike or ZR1100 or ZRex. What's neato about them is that they don't have the wimpy 85mph speedos.

Speedometer Meter Assy for Kawasaki ZRX 400 1200
I don't know anything about these meters --- the quality may not be that great.

Thank you guys for all of the input. BARNEY, I really like your idea with the 82 GPZ cluster. that is a neat set-up. Please tell me more about how you wired it. I can look for guages on Ebay.

Thanks Martin. That's another solution