New KZ Owner Needs Help

guys-

thanks for the tip..

the paint is dupont jet black with house of kolor silver flake mini.. there really is a lot of flake the paint just not showing up too well in the pic. i am going to go a lot heavier once everything gets repainted..

do the 550's have a rough spot at mid rpm range or is it something i should investigate?? runs awesome at low and high rpms but when the throttle is pegged there is a brief second of hesitation mid rpm range..

thanks

could you please tell me what size are your rear shocks? or what modifications you did to the rear end because i want to drop my KZ about that low and cut the back off, similar to what your bike looks like. thanks norcalKZ

-David DeVille

Deville-

I will have to measure them and get back to you on the actual length. I think they are off like a Honda rebel or something like that, I just picked them up at the local cycle salvage for about $20.. I also cut the top shock mount and positioned it differently for more of a drop.. for the front I loosened the triple clamps and slid the forks all the way up until they are touching the bars.. the bike is alot lower than stock, although it may not look it in the pics.

I'll measure when I get around to touching the bike next and let you know!

Thanks again..

Hey guys-

apologize for the super long delay and updates on the bike. Ive been super busy full time college student (finish my bachelors next spring), I got picked up by a fire department so I have been busy with that and just with life in general. I just haven't had any time to work on the bike.

I just got back from a large fire and made a little moolah, and I just want to finish the bike so I think im going to take it to a local motorcycle shop and just pay them to finish the bike for me (minus the body and paint which I will finish).

I was just wiring up the turn signals and rear license plate bracket to figure which wire goes where (because my dad decided to pull the lights and not label them). I didn't fully finish wiring the lights (I just twisted the wires together and elec taped them) and everything is fully functional. the only problem I am having is that once I engage the turn signal switch, the lights just stay lit and do not actually flash. The lights are NOT led's so I don't think that I would need a resistor or anything. anybody have any suggestions? also I noticed two wires disconnected in the headlight housing which I will post pics of, if anyone has any idea on any of these issues it would be greatly appreciated!1!
P.S. I just bought two new tires today (Shinko 777 whitewalls for both front and back), and if I cant figure out the problem I will just pay the motorcycle shop to finish the wiring when they are mounting the wheels and tires.

If your battery is not fully charged the lights may not blink unless you switch to an electronic flasher. Ed

thanks for the quick reply ed.

I know for a fact that the battery in the bike is garbage, I did however have the bike hooked up to a 12v power source which was able to provide enough power to crank the starter over (although the tank is currently not on the bike).

I do not have the running light wires connected to the front marker lights (because I do not want to utilize the running lights up front), do you think this could cause the problem? I figured if I didn't hook up the wiring for the running lights, it wouldn't make a difference.

Not having all the lights connected might be the problem. You could switch to an electronic flasher to see if that helps. I use a Tridon/Stant 552 2 prong flasher; they're available at nearly any auto parts place, and they are not very expensive. Mine was a direct fit.

Be careful hooking the bike up to a 12v source. If it is a battery charger or another vehicle whose engine is running there is a good chance it will blow out your bike's electrical system Ed

Thanks for the quick replies Ed.

I was hoping to not have to run the front lights as running lights as well. I have to look into the stock flasher relay as I have not checked if it is good or bad yet, I know a few things took a crap while it was sitting.

This relay that you are using, what does it do exactly? And what is the benefit of running this one over the stock one?

I have also looked on the forums and I guess the stock flasher is a silver unit??

Thanks for all the tips, advice and help everyone!

The Tridon/Stant 552 flasher is the unit that causes the turn signals to flash. Like the original (at least on my KZ650), it is a little silver can with 2 prongs for the wiring connectors. The image below shows it. The advantage it has over the original is that it does not rely on a given level of resistance to operate, so it gives a steady pulse even with a weak battery, LED lights, etc. Ed

Thanks for the advice, I do not remember hearing any relay clicking while I engaged the signals so it could possibly be the flasher unit. It probably needs replacing after some 30 odd years anyway (the bike is a 1981). Where is the location of the flasher unit? I haven't really been tinkering with the bike much to have located it yet.

Thanks ed!

The flashers are probably behind the left side cover. There should be an electro cover as well.

1981 KZ650-CSR (H1). Left side -->> electro cover removed.
The hazard flasher is marked w an "H" ; the turn signal unit is to the right of it. Not sure if your bike is the same --- I only saw a turn signal flasher in the 550 diagrams & yours may be oriented differently.

Thanks Martin!

I called one of the local auto parts stores in town and they have plenty in stock so I'm making my way over there before i head to school I will keep you guys updated after I do the swap.

Thanks for the support