'82 1000 LTD 15/32 to high for two up?

My '82 1000 LTD has the stock 15/39 gearing. We plan on doing quite a bit of 2 up. We weigh 370 (I am working on my 240) and may carry 30lbs of baggage on rare ocassions.

The gearing feels to low. It pulls us just fine but cruising is quite buzzy @ 70.

I see several other 1000 bikes had the 15/33 (A, B, D, & G) so I see no reason why mine shouldn't handle it but I am sure Kawasaki had their reasons.

Does anyone have a torque curve for this motor?

Will 15/32 be to much for the old girl to pull? She runs real well but that is a 18% change in the final drive.

Why in the world did Kaw go to such a low gear for this bike?

15/39 was OEM?... :blink: whoa, didn't know that for most of the earlier KZ large fours where 15/35 configurations....

Pending load (carrying weights), 15/33 would cruise but would loose on accelerations/passing/up hill if that's your thing.... 15/35 would be a good starting point I'd think but truly depends on your riding style as well, desired accelerations, gas mileage etc...

Just my crap 2 cents worth...

I bought the bike to be a little laid back. The last bike I had was a big bore FZ1 and I got into way to much trouble, especially for being mid 30s and 4 kids.

With that said I don't want to kill the performance either. I have had the bike 2 days, been cleaning and checking, and have ridden it twice. My only other vintage bike was an XS1100, it was much more smooth, of course it was shaft drive.

My goal is to have a good cruiser with good fuel mileage. Not looking to win any races but don't want to be left in the last town either.

RPMs @ 70 w/ various gearing

15/39 - 4371
15/35 - 3922
15/32 - 3586

The roads I ride are generally 55 mph so 70 is a good compromise with law enforcement. The wife doesn't care much for interstates but it does happen.

May want to try Gearing commander to give you a feel oif speed/rpm ranges in your setups...

www.gearingcommander.com/

39 down to 33... is a pretty good jump... I'd find a happy medium but that's me... :blush:

Old Man Rock wrote:

15/39 was OEM?... :blink: whoa, didn't know that for most of the earlier KZ large fours where 15/35 configurations....

Pending load (carrying weights), 15/33 would cruise but would loose on accelerations/passing/up hill if that's your thing.... 15/35 would be a good starting point I'd think but truly depends on your riding style as well, desired accelerations, gas mileage etc...

Just my crap 2 cents worth...

The transmission ratio was different on the "J" motors from the earlier motors.

15:33 (2.2:1) is very nice on the highway but it is a Bitch in first gear from a dead stop. I have that ratio on my 1150 motor and I have to slip the clutch quite a bit from a stop just with me on it and I am 190. You have to look at the final/total gear ratio on the bike. Your final ratio will be about 2.2:1 and that will not be able to hawl much weight at slow RPM. The other bikes in the "J" series ran a 41:15 sprocket ratio. I would not go any smaller than a 35 or 36 on the rear if you plan on riding two people with bags. You will burn up your clutch in any city riding. The cam shafts on your bike are matched to the gear ratio that is on it.

Big fan of Gearing Commander.....been playing with it all morning waiting on the weeds to dry out so I can cut "grass".

I have been trying to search old threads and many with the earlier bikes went from the stock 33 to 35 for more performance but none that I have found stated how the 33 rode.

Maybe I'll just order both and see.

Maybe someone with a stock '79 LTD will chime in. Thier stock gearing would be a 15/33.

psrumors wrote:

Big fan of Gearing Commander.....been playing with it all morning waiting on the weeds to dry out so I can cut "grass".

I have been trying to search old threads and many with the earlier bikes went from the stock 33 to 35 for more performance but none that I have found stated how the 33 rode.

Maybe I'll just order both and see.

Maybe someone with a stock '79 LTD will chime in. Thier stock gearing would be a 15/33.

You stated that your bike is an 82. That is a "J" motor and completely different transmission from 1973-1980 motors. You will not be able to handle those gears. You will go threw a clutch per reason.

otakar wrote:

Old Man Rock wrote:

15/39 was OEM?... :blink: whoa, didn't know that for most of the earlier KZ large fours where 15/35 configurations....

Pending load (carrying weights), 15/33 would cruise but would loose on accelerations/passing/up hill if that's your thing.... 15/35 would be a good starting point I'd think but truly depends on your riding style as well, desired accelerations, gas mileage etc...

Just my crap 2 cents worth...

The transmission ratio was different on the "J" motors from the earlier motors.

15:33 (2.2:1) is very nice on the highway but it is a Bitch in first gear from a dead stop. I have that ratio on my 1150 motor and I have to slip the clutch quite a bit from a stop just with me on it and I am 190. You have to look at the final/total gear ratio on the bike. Your final ratio will be about 2.2:1 and that will not be able to hawl much weight at slow RPM. The other bikes in the "J" series ran a 41:15 sprocket ratio. I would not go any smaller than a 35 or 36 on the rear if you plan on riding two people with bags. You will burn up your clutch in any city riding. The cam shafts on your bike are matched to the gear ratio that is on it.

Very good point. I knew I was missing something. I had not thought about the gear ratios in the various motors being different.

It looks as if Kaw tried their best to keep final drive ratios at 4.6 on these bike.

With that said I'll go with a 37 and call it a day.

37 would be about the max that I would go also if I was going to ride two people with bags. That way you should also be able to stay with a stock length chain.. If you plan on replacing the chain anyways because of ware, than convert to a good 530 set up and stay in the same ratio. This will remove quite a few pounds of flywheel mass from your final ratio and will help quite a bit in efficiency and chain noise. Many of us have done this conversion and all the final Kawasaki Police bikes ran a 530 setup with that motor.

EDIT

Make sure that you get a good "O" ring chain like a Tsubaki, to get good chain and sprocket life.

The PO just put a new 620 O ring chain and sprockets on <400 miles.

I hate to ditch them but have been looking at the 530 conversion as any reduced weight is a +. If only I could drop about 40lbs.

You mean a 630 that he put on it, don't you? Than just hold off until the chain wares out. If he put on an "O" ring chain than it will last you quite a few miles. In the realm of about 12,000+/- if he put on a solid roller chain than it will give you about 6000+/-. Make sure that you use a very good chain lube. Many of us have gone to "chain wax" and it seams to extend chain life by quite a bit.

In the last couple pages of my thread on this link, I talk about by gear ratio and sprocket conversions.

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...it=20&limitstart=460