Dual disc options on z1 900

Am I correct in my findings that there are no other KZ brake calipers that are a direct swap with the Z1? I had a spare KZ1000 caliper laying around and the mounting bracket is different. I'm doing a dual disc front brake conversion and it seems my options are to find another z1 caliper (and right hand bracket) or swap the lower fork legs. Has anyone else encountered this? I may end up swapping fork legs b/c z1 calipers=hard to find, expensive, and rebuild kits go for $80+ per side instead of $30 per side.

will kz calipers mount to z1 brackets?
as much junk as ive got laying around i should find out! :laugh:

The Z1 Caliper is unique to the Z1. The bolt spacing on the mount is different from the KZ calipers. The caliper bracket is not symmetrical - so you need a RH side bracket or modify the LH bracket

Jeff.Saunders wrote:

The Z1 Caliper is unique to the Z1. The bolt spacing on the mount is different from the KZ calipers. The caliper bracket is not symmetrical - so you need a RH side bracket or modify the LH bracket

Thanks, Jeff. That is what I thought and I appreciate the confirmation. This may be a stupid question, but how would I modify the LH bracket to make it a RH bracket? I really don't want to pay the $100 plus for the stupid bracket from Z1E.

Buckeye73z1 wrote:

Jeff.Saunders wrote:

The Z1 Caliper is unique to the Z1. The bolt spacing on the mount is different from the KZ calipers. The caliper bracket is not symmetrical - so you need a RH side bracket or modify the LH bracket

Thanks, Jeff. That is what I thought and I appreciate the confirmation. This may be a stupid question, but how would I modify the LH bracket to make it a RH bracket? I really don't want to pay the $100 plus for the stupid bracket from Z1E.

uhh hmmm, uh u do know that ... ah nevermind :blink:

i think jeff has a brother that works for z1 enterprises,maybe he can get you a discount! :woohoo:

Let me just clarify that I have no problem with Z1E. I just don't want to pay $100 for a bracket (which they can legitimately charge because it is damn near non existent) because I'm too damn stubborn to swap out my lower forks or too hard headed to accept my single disc set up. I know I stuck my foot in my mouth big time on that last comment, but I did not mean it the way it came across on a re-read. My apologies for any insult (implied or stated) from my "speak first, think second" mentality.

I think the bracket is darned expensive as well... I wish we had a source for a cheaper version. The darned exchange rate for the Yen to Dollar is pushing prices up significantly - around 50% increase in price in the past 2 years - and that's with us reducing our margins to help defray the expense. Even worse, the shipping costs from Japan have jumped 25% as well - so that just adds to the pain.

When you look at the bracket, you will see an offset on it. I know people who have machined one side and spaced the other with washers. It's not a simple reversing of the bracket, but it is something that's doable if you are comfortable modifying brakes...

The flip side of this, the additional weight of a second disk rotor and caliper is considerable. You are adding over 10lb of unsprung weight. This extra unsprung weight will transfer more shock up through the handlebars.
Usually you'll want to upgrade the front springs - or at least go with 15w fork oil rather than 10w.

Your braking would be a little stronger - but you are not going to stop quicker in an emergency - the front tire is the limiting factor there.

Buckeye73z1 wrote:

...I know I stuck my foot in my mouth big time on that last comment, but I did not mean it the way it came across on a re-read. My apologies for any insult (implied or stated) from my "speak first, think second" mentality.

Some of the finest folks you'll ever have the pleasure of dealing with.

Good Fortune!

Jeff, I'm not intimate with Z1 legs, But, I have done 2 dual disc conversions, 1 a kz1000 A1 (77), the other a KZ650 B2.(78) Both using the 4 bolt 11 5/8 rotors. both with the (more or less "center" mount "sliders".) On the '1000, I swapped legs side to side for "trailing", calipers, & simply reversed carriors within calipers. Unfortunaltly I have no recollection of where I sourced the 2nd caliper ( from years of pack-ratting) & It could well have been a R/H caliper, as my bleeds are off-set,& both are in the "up" position....For the 650, I "E bayed" what was sold as "kz 650/900/1000,"77" " & has bleed & hose orifices parallel (inboard /outboard of each other) & was as I recieved it for a l/h, "trailing" caliper..Again reversing carrior, & removing the internal "seat" for what was a steel brake line. All were direct bolt ons. My major concern, was that I had thought that since r/h calipers from Ma Kaw were for LTD/CSR's whch used smaller disc's that my swept areas's would be off... fortunatly in my case, no probs...perhaps the legs from LTD/CSR's had different mount points,I DON'T KNOW... luck G

Gane, in the kz calipers, the LH & RH sides are much more available. Any of the double disk kz650/1000 setups through 1980 are easy to swap between bikes. I've not attempted a LH to RH KZ caliper swap - I suspect it is easier than the Z1 swap.

Where you have to be careful - some calipers (KZ650 and some KZ1000) use 38mm pistons. The single disk and some dual disk 1000's use 42mm pistons. Some of the early LTD 1000 models came out of the factory with one 38mm & one 42mm piston... Because of this, you need to match the master cylinder piston diameter to the caliper piston combinations. 1/2" master - single disk. 14mm = double disk with 38mm caliper pistons. 5/8" master - double disk with 42mm pistons.

Kawasaki changed the position of the bleed nipple on the calipers when they turned the forks around and installed the calipers on the rear of the forks. THis can make it difficult to reverse calipers as you can't bleed the brakes without dismounting the caliper. Kawasaki in their wisdom had this problem on the KZ900B LTD model - the calipers were behind the forks, but the bleed nipple ended up at the 3 o'clock position - making is a problem to bleed.

Jeff, Thks, I've mine sorted, I tried to delete my post, as it apprently has nothing to do w/Z1's but to no avail...sorry, my bad G