REAR WHEEL SLACK

I have some left and right slack in my rear wheel on my 1977 kz650. Is there a way to take this slack out or is it a sign of a bad bearing? Everything seems to be tight as far as shaft and all. Bike has 17k miles on it.  Appreciate any opinions on this. 

I'm not sure what you mean by "slack".  What moves?  Ed

It sounds like he's got side to side movement. If you're certain the correct rear hub components are installed in the correct order & the rear axle is tightened, then I would think the problem has to be the bearings. I would remove the rear wheel to investigate.

It is easy to forget to install a spacer, or even a chain tensioner (yes, I really did.)  As martin_csr pointed out, it is also quite easy to install them in the wrong spot or even mis-oriented. 

Is this a new problem? Has something been done to the bike recently?

You didn't mention which model 650 you have, but here is the parts diagram for the 650B1. Notice that there are four spacers.

www.kawasaki.com/Parts/PartsDiagram/144021/1977/KZ650-B1

What I mean is from behind bike you can move tire and wheel left and right. The brake hub does not move at all just the actual wheel. Everything looks tight but have not checked it yet. Im not shure if bike had work. It looks like it had tires put on it. So it could have been done a long time ago. Since bike has sat a long time also. It does not have enough slack in it to rub on the brake hub edge but it gets close. The bike is a 77B1 model.

Sounds like wheel bearing issues.  All Balls sells wheel bearings for good prices.

The axle fits in the swingarm and is fixed in place by the axle nut.  There should be a spacer and maybe two on the axle.  It sounds to me like something is missing.

The axle bearings carry no lateral load.  Their sole purpose is to allow wheel rotation around the axle, which is fixed in place.  Put your bike on the center stand with the rear wheel off the ground.  Grasp the wheel and try to lift it upwards.  If you can move the wheel relative to the axle then your bearings are worn.  But if there is no movement then your bearings are fine.

I'd replace the 30+ year old bearings front and rear. While you're in there you can see if something's missing.
Steve

If I understand correctly, the bike is new to you and you don't know it's service history. If that is the case, you absolutely need to remove the rear wheel an brake assembly and carefully inspect everything in there. You also need to replace the brake shoes no matter how good they look. The glue on them gets brittle with age and that can allow the lining material to come off the shoes without warning, causing the rear wheel to lock up. That can be deadly.
With an old machine, it is foolish to assume that anything is in good shape. If a side cover or turn indicator falls off while you are riding, you might not even notice. Wheel bearings, brakes and such are a completely different matter.

I agree thanks Guys!!!

And please check if your spokes come loose too,(sound check, ting,ting....).

Took the wheel off this morning. Turned out to be the brake side bearing that was gone. appreciate all the advice!