TOPIC:

Hello,
I'm a new owner of a KZ750R1 (GPz750) that I bought on ebay for $550. The bike is in decent shape. Red in color and looks good 20 feet away.

One problem I have is hard starting. The previous owner was told by a dealership that the bike needs a valve adjustment. I've heard of starter clutch issues and there are some noises in that area. The bike will start afetr a lot of cranking (maybe). I'm not a mechanical person so I'll have to take it in somewhere for repairs. Would it be best to see if a Kawasaki shop can fix it or find a private bike shop? Plus any guess on the cost of the fix?

I also need to replace the turn signals. Any recommendations on a good place to find some? Thanks for help I can get.

Oh yes, I did own a 82 KZ750E3 about 24 years ago that I loved. Currently also own an 92 Concours which I will sell as soon as the Gpz750 is done.

Thanks,

Jim Stocks
Woodbridge, VA

Welcome aboard!
Good looking bike (I LOVE them Gpz's!!!!!).
No idea as to $$ for fix....got to know whats wrong, first......
But keep the posts coming! ALOT of great help/people here.

hey I almost bid on that bike!! but my ball and chain almost had a heart attack when i bought mine, I kinda like her and would like to keep her around for a little longer:P good luck and have fun took me almost 3 months to get mine road worthy still waiting for some parts though witch should help my idle problems...

Welcome to KZr Jim!

I'd suggest performing a compression and a leak down test first to at least find out what you're working with, then go from there.

For replacement parts, the Classified forum here is a good shot, as well as scanning eBay.
If you check on buykawasaki.com under your bikes listing, it has part diagrams and part numbers listed for the parts you're looking for.
Then you can either buy one of the cross-reference CD's from eBay, ask a willing member here who has the CD to check for you, or just run through the other models on the Kawi website to see what other model Kawis use the same part numbers.
This way you aren't limiting yourself to searching for parts that fit just your bike, since those parts may fit quite a few other models as well.

Hey,
Thanks for the replys. THis bike does run. I saw it start yesterday when I bought it and I started it again today. Seems to be a hit or miss getting it running.

The carbs were rebuild last year, new spark plugs installed and and it has a new battery. I'll need to buy new turn signals, clean some rust off and adjust the rear brake pedal, The main thing may be the starter clutch since that where the issues may start. Maybe by end of summer I can start riding it.

Jim

Nice GPz...I was watching those 3 GPz's the whole time they were on the block. When it was all over but the shouting, I thought you got a sweet deal on the 750. It does look really clean and mean! This forum is a great resource to start. You might pick up a Factory Service Manual to assist your mechanical quest before you take it to a "stealership" for service (apologies to any franchise owners in here ). Ebay is your friend for repair/spare parts...I regularly see them listed for your bike. Ask other bikers in your area about shops and you might find a good one to consult with or ultimately hire. Good Luck!

I was wondering, could the Starter Clutch or a Valve adjustment be the cause of the hard starting of my engine? Would it be better to have a dealership fix it or try to find a private bike to do this?

Any KZ Riders in Northern VA?

It could easily be the Valves, they are supposed to be adjusted regularly and many riders ignore them.
They slowly tighten up over the life of the bike. If they get too tight the bike acts like the carbs need cleaned. If it were the starter clutch, I would expect a whole lot of grinding noises but the bike would start if once it spun. I have never adjusted the valves on a Gpz, but it is usualy pretty easy. (Buy a Clymers manual)
Here is a pretty good website showing the procedure.
Dan's Online Motorcycle Repair
I am just getting my first KZ, does anybody know if these are shims or screws? (I know you all know, but I'm trying not to look too stupid)

Post edited by: Phred, at: 2006/05/23 18:30