Switching from ball bearings to tapered roller bearings is so easy even I could (and did) do it and it is IMHO well worth doing. Get an All-Balls kit from Z1E. Properly tuned stock forks work well enough on the street unless you plan to do funny things. The stock rear shocks were never good, but there are plenty of aftermarket options that will improve your bike's handling. I like my Hagons. Are you experiencing a handling issue that you are trying to correct or just trying to make the bike look different? In addition to replacing steering stem bearings a great many handling issues can be solved by changing fork oil and putting in the correct amount of the correct weight/type fork oil, installing quality shocks, installing quality tires, and ensuring the swingarm bushings are not worn and if so replacing them. Ed

Beautiful! That exhaust system is really sweet!! I would recommend getting a stock front fender if the previous owner didn't supply one. I will improve the looks of the front end, improve fork rigidity, and keep the bike and you clean.

Here are some tips that you may find helpful:

MANUAL

You really should consider buying the Kawasaki Factory Service Manual for your bike. The factory service manual provides instructions on the various maintenance procedures and schedules for your bike, procedures for diagnosing problems, proper torque values for the various fasteners (VERY IMPORTANT), and insight into how each system on your bike works even if you are not repairing that system. Studying the manual before you attempt performing service on your bike will impart an understanding of the system you are working on which will increase the odds of success.

The manuals usually are readily available for most models on eBay and other sources; but be sure to get one that has your specific year and model in it as there are differences between the various KZ650 models. I do not recommend Clymers, Haynes, or other aftermarket manuals as I have seen instances where they provide inaccurate advice. You may decide to use those to supplement the factory manual, but in my opinion they are not a suitable substitute. If you have trouble finding one for your model ask us to help.

TOOLS

Before reaching for that Phillips screwdriver to do a repair or maintenance PLEASE do yourself a big favor and visit the following link. It explains the fact that Phillips screwdriver tips will wreck the crosshead screws (they are not Phillips - they are JIS screws) on your KZ650 and tells how to easily deal with this issue so it will not be a problem.

kzrider.com/forum/21-tools/532335-budget...ewdriver-tips#532335

Before reaching for that wrench or ratchet consider the following. The bolts are steel, but your engine and front forks are aluminum. The bolts are much tougher than the aluminum and if over tightened will strip the aluminum threads. Although these can be repaired, preventing damage by applying proper torque will save you grief, time, and money. Tightening fasteners properly requires torque wrenches. Various vendors, including Snap-on, CDI, Sears, etc., market torque wrenches. The two most popular types are the bar type and micrometer type. Either will work, but the micrometer type is a bit easier to use, especially if you are tightening several fasteners with the same torque – such as cylinder head covers. You will need a torque wrench calibrated in INCH POUNDS for many of the bolts. You will also need a torque wrench calibrated in FOOT POUNDS for the larger bolts. Don't try to use the foot pounds wrench on the smaller bolts as it will not be sensitive enough at low torque settings to provide accurate torque. There are many fasteners that require low torque. These include such things as 6mm oil pan bolts, cylinder head cover bolts, etc. for which the torque in 61-78 inch pounds. These low torque bolts require a wrench that is accurate at low settings and this wrench should be graduated in inch pounds. In addition, there are numerous high torque fasteners such as the front axle nuts (51 – 65 foot pounds) or swing arm pivot shaft nuts (58 – 87 foot pounds). These require a wrench that is accurate at higher settings; this wrench should be graduated in foot pounds. Using the proper torque wrenches to correctly tighten fasteners will help prevent damage and contribute to a safe bike. The Kawasaki Service Manual will list the various torque specs for the bolts. I suggest you get the manual before buying the torque wrenches so you can decide which wrenches best meet the torque specs.

Consider buying a can of Kroil penetrating oil and use it to soak stubborn fasteners for a couple days before trying to loosen them. Remember, the original screws and bolts were installed on your bike when Jimmy Carter was President, so many of them may be hard to remove.

OIL
The ingredients in oils have changed over the years. For example, today's Castrol GTX oil (and pretty much all other AUTOMOBILE oil) is not the same as it was in the 1980's. Back then it worked great in KZ bikes. But, things have changed. Early AUTOMOBILE oils contained zinc phosphorus compounds (ZDDP) to protect engines from metal to metal contact. This was good for engines, but it was found to be destructive to catalytic converters. Consequently, in AUTOMOBILE oils ZDDP was virtually eliminated and replaced with different chemistry generically referred to as "Friction Modifiers." These work fine and offer good protection for normal AUTOMOBILE engines. However, today's AUTOMOBILE oil "Friction Modifiers" are destructive to wet clutches. KZ bikes (and many other brands) have wet clutches. As a result of these oil chemistry changes a distinction needed to be made between those oils which are suitable for wet clutches and those which are not. That distinction was documented by the Japanese Engine Oil Standards Implementation Panel (JASO). JASO developed a number of different oil specifications for different applications. The specifications that apply to 4 stroke motorcycles fall under the "4T Specifications." Within the 4T specifications the JASO MA class oils are specifically formulated for 4 stroke motorcycles with wet clutches.

There are synthetic, semi-synthetic, and non-synthetic oils that meet the JASO-MA standard and any of them will work ok. However, using oils that are not designated as meeting the JASO-MA standard are destructive to KZ clutches.

Good luck with your bike; I hope you plan to keep it stock as it look great as is. Ed

Im REALLY thinking about pulling my 1981 KZ1000LTD apart, going through the motor and crankcase, and getting some powder coating done to the frame and swingarm. I dont want to believe it but im thinking my motor is going to need some top end work done to it. Honing, rings, and valve job. So heres a list of stuff i think i might need for the teardown/reassembly for the motor.

1- Money :woohoo:
2- complete gasket kit from Z1E
3- Plastic ziplock bags
4- zip ties
5- lots of carb cleaner (for grime and deposites)
6- other parts as i go along and find out what needs replaced (obviously)

Anything im missing? Any good ideas on where i should get gaskets and stuff (never used them from Z1E before). Im not thinking im going to go Cafe, Bobber, street fighter or anything like that... but i might get crazy and decide differently later on. Im happy with how my bike looks now but i know i was skimpy on alot of stuff when i got it running in the first place. Im also scared because time flys when your having fun so winter might be over before i know it and i wont have a badass bike to ride :laugh:

Post your thoughts and whatnot below.

Thanks guys,
KT

the side with the wide bearing was already deep enough to slide the narrow bearing in,so i only had to bore one bearing hole deeper.
i machined the same amount from each side,to narrow it to fit the frame.
i machine the bushings to adapt the kz pivot bolt to the r6 center bushing with an integrated dust cap.

similar to a top hat.
[attachment:1]C:\fakepath\benhurmx'szx9tokzswingarmconversion (11).JPG[/attachment]

leon

More pics of the swingarm. You had me scared utill I measured. Looks like if I shave 1/4" of each side of the pivot area it will fit. I hope with removing that much that there will be enough inside metal to bore the bearing area out further to hold the bearings.


I roughly measured my kz and it's looking like 9.3" width. Because the swingarm indents right after the pivot its looks like the rest of the swingarm will clear unless someone seems something I don't.

More pics of the swingarm. You had me scared utill I measured. Looks like if I shave 1/4" of each side of the pivot area it will fit. I hope with removing that much that there will be enough inside metal to bore the bearing area out further to hold the bearings.


I roughly measured my kz and it's looking like 9.3" width. Because the swingarm indents right after the pivot its looks like the rest of the swingarm will clear unless someone seems something I don't.

531blackbanshee wrote:

Hollywoodmx wrote:

531blackbanshee wrote: how wide is the pivot of your r1 swingarm?
i am doing an r6 swingarm conversion right now for chonus and i had to mill .3515 off of each side to get it narrow enough to fit it into a kz 1000,plus bore the bearing bore out deeper to move the bearings in to narrow it.


leon

25.9cm outside to outside exactly. What was yours? Also the R1 pivot axle seems a lot wider than the the kz pivot whole, but I haven't pulled the KZ one yet. Did you have to modify the axle? Does it look the same as the one in my pic?

whew :ohmy: thats wide.i bet the legs are too wide to even fit between the chassis rails.

25.9cm=10.19685 inches.

most kz 1000 frames are in the 9 1/4 (23.495cm)to 9 5/16 (23.652cm) area.

so unless you are planning to do some major frame mods you may want to look for a swingarm off of a r6 or zx636 the 600's seem to be closer to our old kz's width.

have you looked at the airtech fairings ?

www.airtech-streamlining.com/vintage/Dunstall.htm

leon

Ah shit. Well I am committed now. I already bought the R1 wheels. I will cut the swingarm if I have to, to make it fit. I will look at it this weekend to get a better idea. I will also post more measurements tonight. I actually had a good idea on modifying the swingarm previously but figured I had enough on my plate. I guess now I can explore it.

I looked at airtech and have bought from them before.

Hollywoodmx wrote:

531blackbanshee wrote: how wide is the pivot of your r1 swingarm?
i am doing an r6 swingarm conversion right now for chonus and i had to mill .3515 off of each side to get it narrow enough to fit it into a kz 1000,plus bore the bearing bore out deeper to move the bearings in to narrow it.


leon

25.9cm outside to outside exactly. What was yours? Also the R1 pivot axle seems a lot wider than the the kz pivot whole, but I haven't pulled the KZ one yet. Did you have to modify the axle? Does it look the same as the one in my pic?

whew :ohmy: thats wide.i bet the legs are too wide to even fit between the chassis rails.

25.9cm=10.19685 inches.

most kz 1000 frames are in the 9 1/4 (23.495cm)to 9 5/16 (23.652cm) area.

so unless you are planning to do some major frame mods you may want to look for a swingarm off of a r6 or zx636 the 600's seem to be closer to our old kz's width.

have you looked at the airtech fairings ?

www.airtech-streamlining.com/vintage/Dunstall.htm

leon

531blackbanshee wrote: how wide is the pivot of your r1 swingarm?
i am doing an r6 swingarm conversion right now for chonus and i had to mill .3515 off of each side to get it narrow enough to fit it into a kz 1000,plus bore the bearing bore out deeper to move the bearings in to narrow it.


leon

25.9cm outside to outside exactly. What was yours? Also the R1 pivot axle seems a lot wider than the the kz pivot whole, but I haven't pulled the KZ one yet. Did you have to modify the axle? Does it look the same as the one in my pic?

steell wrote: I looked for a long time for GPz1100 adjusters, but finally gave up.

84-86 GPz900 swing arm has four needle bearings and two spacers, and that's enough parts to do two GPz750 swing arm conversions, although you still need to make a spacer. I used 3 or 4 propane torches to heat up the swing arm around the bearings, then gently tapped them out, no damage to anything.

Thanks for the heads up on which kit I need. Is the 1100 the only one that has the large axle as far as you know?
Wayne