I think I know the answer to this but I'd like some suggestions. I'm ready to fit the arm to the bike. I have three bushings made of different thicknesses and some shims if needed. I'm looking at two makes of O ring chains, DID or RK. The difference in price is about $20. I figure 98 link will be enough but I won't order until I have it on and splice a short section to the chain I have now for the actual count.
Which would you buy, DID or the cheaper RK? If one is made in CHINA, it will be SHT canned.
Steve

650ed wrote: If you had a 72 mph speed wobble something is still wrong with the bike and the damper is only masking the problem. I guarantee you that the bike didn't have a speed wobble when it left the showroom floor. #1 suspect would be tires, but bad shocks; worn swing arm bushings; bad steering stem bearings; wheel bearings; untrue rim; etc. are also possibilities. I highly recommend you identify and correct the problem. My KZ650 had a wobble at 90 mph and after replacing all bearings, bushings, shocks, etc. it turned out to be a bad tire (Michelin Macadam) even though both tires looked perfect. After replacing the tires the bike is now as solid as a rock up to top speed (120 mph). Ed

Before the first wobble, all the items you mentioned had maybe 400 miles on them from new. AB bearings everywhere except the swinger which is a NOS set. I trued the wheels myself then had them OK'd by a few buddies at Trophys. Followed the directions on kz400.com to the T to rebuild and fill the forks. I pressed the new top and bottom AB races on but I didn't re-torque the stem after putting some miles on them.

BUT now I have an old (New) problem!..FFS!! Practically the exact same spot as the last, Tuesday morn on my way to work, ROD KNOCK!!.my first thought...WTF!?! Wasn't hot outside at all. Oil was slightly more than half on the window. Since the first time around, used GTX 10/40 for start up. Rode maybe 50 miles, drained refilled with another round of GTX, put about 600 miles, then switched over to RP 10/4. Put another 1k miles, then another oil change of RP. Wondering if riding the bike 15 miles with the counterwieghts 180 out on the new con. bearings had an effect? But the was about 2k miles ago? Not gonna fuck around this time, on the hunt for a crank with cons attached.

ed

azman857 wrote: I might be completely off the mark here but instead of being a breather maybe it's an oil return from the breather? Like the breather vents to a large can where the oil seperates from the vapers and returns to the crankcse.
Just a thought...

That may be. My thinking at this stage was that it was unlikely to be part of a "conventional" breather system as surely as the oil heated and was sloshed around it would make its way up the pipe.

Have been wondering if it was meant to be some kind of return for an oil cooling system.

As mentioned this came off a bike that was formally a drag machine but was really just a roller when I got it and was mostly apart, with the whole top end off. It hasn't been run since probably the early 90s. The bike had a clubfoot swingarm, super long rearset pegs, and some frame-bracing. The engine had a number of drag related mods too, like the starter motor and mechanism had been pulled, head has some porting, what looks to be an aftermarket shift drum, welded crank, etc.

I've stripped everything down, added more bracing to the frame, swapped the swinger for a Zepher 1100 unit with Works shocks, zx7 front end and mags and now I'm re-assembling.

Engine-wise, I'm going with 1075 with Wisco pistons on this guy and some slightly more aggressive cams, a set of 29mm smoothbores and I have a Yoshi 4-1 pipe from the 70s that may or may not be genuine, as I can find no marking on it at all, though if it is a copy, it's a very good one..

Here's a pic of the chassis as it stands now. (please excuse the pic - need to take some better ones).

Someone here on KZR said these were good/decent shocks. paraphrasing.
Kawasaki KZ650 KZ650LTD KZ650CSR 13.25" CHROME SHOCKS

Another option is to get the shocks from a HD Sportster. HD guys would get lower shocks & sell the stockers on eebbaayy for cheap. mint, like new, or vg cond wasn't uncommon. You'll have to swap out the bushings. easy. and spread out the lower shock mounts on the swing arm. or grind down the shocks 2-4 mm. The sportys might rub the chain guard a tad. nothing significant. a quick search. there could be more & possibly cheaper.
Sportster Shocks OEM Harley-Davidson Shocks From 2000 XL883 . a fairly common comment from the description. "I bought the bike new, rode a few hundred miles and replaced these with an aftermarket set.". or get a good used set for real cheap.

I test fit a set of sportys on my 650 a few years ago. I have no idea how they'd fit the 550.

clayfmx wrote: Yep just a matter of knocking the old races out and pressing the new ones in. After taking the swingarm off it looks like I'll be replacing the bearings there too. Lots of rust and doesn't appear to have been greased in a long time. Anyone have a technique For pulling out the swingarm bearings? Worst case scenario I'll just run them down the street to the Kawi shop and have them pull them for me.

just get a good drift and beat the crap out of it...

Yep just a matter of knocking the old races out and pressing the new ones in. After taking the swingarm off it looks like I'll be replacing the bearings there too. Lots of rust and doesn't appear to have been greased in a long time. Anyone have a technique For pulling out the swingarm bearings? Worst case scenario I'll just run them down the street to the Kawi shop and have them pull them for me.

davido wrote: Thanks Brett,yes its a long list and I still havent quite reached that point when I can bolt things up,knowing that I dont need to unbolt them again but that day will come. (Hopefully when the wheels and swingarm are back from the powdercoaters).
Anyway,today,I finished work earlier than I expected,so I went to the workshop and got a new plate cut for the clutch. I used the same method as with the footrest hangers and it worked out just peachy. (I didnt have the camera with me, so, photos to follow).
Now I have to figure out how to put some profiling in it without bollocksing it up,like I did witht the last one. I dont have access to,or knowledge of how to work a milling machine,so I have to use what I have. A router table,various hand held routers and a couple of bench presses.
Im not working tomorrow so Ill have a crack at it then.Tonight is for thinking!

P.s. Thanks Jon (Kawaholic) for the spacing advice,I think Ive sussed it out now.

No problem David, the fact that you put out such quality work and have so much thought put into it shows, and even more impressive without a mill and doing it by hand instead and using tools you do have access to! The new clutch plate looks great and as always top notch work

I would suggest keeping the other as a backup, looks great regardless and never know when you might need a spare at least temporarily to help!

Keep it coming, really enjoying following your build and rooting for you to wrap up in your timeline, glad that worked out for a shop and storage for you buddy :woohoo:

Brett

If you had a 72 mph speed wobble something is still wrong with the bike and the damper is only masking the problem. I guarantee you that the bike didn't have a speed wobble when it left the showroom floor. #1 suspect would be tires, but bad shocks; worn swing arm bushings; bad steering stem bearings; wheel bearings; untrue rim; etc. are also possibilities. I highly recommend you identify and correct the problem. My KZ650 had a wobble at 90 mph and after replacing all bearings, bushings, shocks, etc. it turned out to be a bad tire (Michelin Macadam) even though both tires looked perfect. After replacing the tires the bike is now as solid as a rock up to top speed (120 mph). Ed

Thanks Brett,yes its a long list and I still havent quite reached that point when I can bolt things up,knowing that I dont need to unbolt them again but that day will come. (Hopefully when the wheels and swingarm are back from the powdercoaters).
Anyway,today,I finished work earlier than I expected,so I went to the workshop and got a new plate cut for the clutch. I used the same method as with the footrest hangers and it worked out just peachy. (I didnt have the camera with me, so, photos to follow).
Now I have to figure out how to put some profiling in it without bollocksing it up,like I did witht the last one. I dont have access to,or knowledge of how to work a milling machine,so I have to use what I have. A router table,various hand held routers and a couple of bench presses.
Im not working tomorrow so Ill have a crack at it then.Tonight is for thinking!

P.s. Thanks Jon (Kawaholic) for the spacing advice,I think Ive sussed it out now.

I'll measure my bushings when I get home. I screwed up one drilling it so the 16mm hole is sloppy. Do you still have your old one/ I may be interested in it to cut and make a new bushing out of it. :whistle:
Steve