I wouldnt worry too much about lightening that frontend till you get a little longer swingarm,its amazing what a differance a few extra lbs has on your outlook of things especially when she starts to come under some boost leaving a light! :woohoo:

i have a 200 on my orange bike -- used a 5/8th offset on it that is 530 pitch - gsxr rear wheel that is close to 6" wide.none o ring chain the o ring chain is wider so you dont want to use one of them.you will need to notch the frame or heat it and flatten it where the chain rubs you will see where as you build this . also you will need to grind some of the inside of the cover.i put 2 little washers on all the bolts to space it out close to 1/8". when you look at the bike it looks stock. i had no problem with the clutch rod ?? i have a wide swingarm also so you have room to move around but my wheel is in the center no offset. i will take some pics when i get home. very easy to do.

I've recently been lusting after a slightly cafe styled z650- I would really like spoked wheels which are only present on the early models which are way to expensive for me to afford. However I have seen KZ650 CSRs with wire wheels at a reasonable price... So the question is, does anyone know how different these bikes are compared to the usual Bs and Cs etc.

The rear wheel is noticable smaller- so will having the rear wheel re-spoked with a larger 18" rim and putting on new handlebars do the job, or will there be a hundred little differences between the two that make this a complicated project?

For example, am I being pretty stupid in hoping that the front and rear suspension setup of the CSR is the same as a 'regular' Z650? Or am I going to find things like the swingarm is a totally different item to standard and that the whole thing will not be as simple as just sending the rear hub off to be re-stitched with a larger rim?

Oh, I will also be looking to upgrade to a re-styled rear seat etc- obviously this is another major difference! I'm only looking at cosmetic things really- but if I will struggle to find mechanical parts for the CSR that would be nice to know (again, I'm kinda presuming that 95% of the parts are shared with early 80s Z650s).

Any info/advice would be greatly recieved.

Thanks

I'm really glad you're ok! Speed wobbles can be caused by a number of factors; I list some below. I suggest you try very hard to find the cause because if it happens again you may not be so lucky (for example if you were braking because of an obstacle you would not be able to speed back up). The following items should be checked to ensure they are in good shape:

Tires - even tires that look good may create a problem (this happened to me - speed wobbles at 90+ mph). Make sure the tires have plenty of tread life left, are properly inflated, balanced, and properly seated on the rim (check the lines around the bead to be sure they are consistent with the rim).

Steering stem bearings - make sure they are not too loose or tight, if they feel at all notchy when turning the handlebars replace them (I highly recommend tapered roller bearings).

Swingarm bushings/bearings - These should have zero detectable play. Unhook shocks and from the very back end see if you can twist the swingarm at all - if you can feel play replace the bushings or bearings.

Rear shocks - Worn shocks can cause serious handling issues - if your rear suspension has any pogo effect or twitchiness when going over uneven road surface (especially noticeable in turns) you should replace (or if possible rebuild) the shocks with quality units.

Front forks - Ensure the fork oil is fresh and of the correct weight for you bike. Use quality fork oil (I know, some folks use other fluids, but I don't recommend it. Fork oil is made specifically for forks so you know it works - other stuff may or may not, so why not just use the correct stuff). Measure the fork springs and see if they are withing the service limit as described in the Kawasaki Service Manual - if not, replace them. Your front forks should move up and down smoothly but should not be mushy.

Make sure your brake rotors run true, if they are warped replace them.

Make sure your rims run true, if they are bent replace them.

Also, keep in mind that because speed wobbles are caused by different factors there is no single way to recover from them that always works. In your case accelerating helped (this might indicate a front fork issue), but sometimes accelerating makes the wobble worse (as it did with the wobble I had). In any case please check out the various potential causes. I was lucky that in my case I could easily recreate the problem (although NOT fun) by speeding up to 90 mph because it happened every time, so once I found the problem I could test that my fix worked. I don't suggest you try that with the wobble you had because there's no good way to gently recreate it, so you could get hurt. Be careful. Ed

Hey KT, yeah a tankslapper will wake you up.

I had a 100mph getoff from a tankslapper about 20 years ago. I was lucky to walk away from it, though not unscathed. My knees were ground down to the knee caps. The entire face and chin guard of my helmet was ground down. That would have been my face if I wasn't wearing a full-face helmet.

I did a lot of research into tankslappers after that. From reading a couple motorcycle constructor books I gathered that it is often caused by the back wheel, specifically the back tire. The wider the tire, the worse the problem. But the biggest factor for the tire is if it was worn down. The flat surface of a worn rear tire leads to tankslapper. After repairing the bike and replacing the rear tire (which was very worn) I haven't had the tankslapper recur. I replace the tires very regularly now.

Often, slowing down quickly during a tankslapper makes it worse. This is because the front end lowers and the steering angle steepens. That's why speed testing a bike should be done very gradually, so backing off quickly won't be necessary. When I was in the middle of the tankslapper, I had already accelerated so quickly into the speed of the tankslapper, I couldn't back out of it gradually. If I hadn't accelerated so quickly, I may have only had a minor wobble that I could have backed out of. By the time I thought of doing anything, I was already on the ground. The bike just shoots out from under you like it was attached to a brick wall by a cable.

Another exacerbating factor is weight on the handle bars. Tankslapper is a resonating oscillation. This means it happens because the frequency of the handlebars swinging back and forth matches the frequency of the rear (or front) wheel wobble. By reducing the weight (actually the rotational inertia) of the front, the idea is to get the frequency of the front higher than the highest speed obtainable by the bike.

I think a common mistake people make when first putting a bike back on the road is that they concentrate too much on the motor, when they should really be concentrating on the chassis... tires and wheels and brakes, then followed closely by steering bearings, swingarm bearings, fork seals and bushings, and rear shocks, plus any misalignment corrections from previous crashes etc. After the chassis is solid, then work on the motor.

A steering damper will reduce the severity of tankslapper slightly, but that is not what is designed for. Even so, I added them later to all of my bikes, just for a piece of mind, plus it does reduce the headshake from bumpy roads etc.

stephenzone wrote: pic of my triple
71 h1 500 frame, 72 750 engine, bill wirges swing arm, tracey body,all controls off the rear pegs.kz 1000 front end with 18 rear rim laced onto front. custom make chambers with denco stingers

beautiful bike. that Tracy body looks awesome.

pic of my triple
71 h1 500 frame, 72 750 engine, bill wirges swing arm, tracey body,all controls off the rear pegs.kz 1000 front end with 18 rear rim laced onto front. custom make chambers with denco stingers

hiyall friends!

i've some further problems with eric!
i'm sure i won't be the last to ask these questions.

eric isn't running correctly. i asked for a quote
to balance my carbs and find why my
plugs are still running black, dry and sooty.
too rich mixture. the mechanic said 'diagnostic
work is expensive, carb balancing is very
technical!' i said i will have a think about
it and quickly left. i then ordered a morgan
carbtune 4 cyls. also a gunson colortune.

i read the carbtune leaflet, set the carbs up with
them and started eric up. #1 was off the scale.
corrected this. #2,3 at 22, just had to tweak
#4. the bike sounded great and stopped popping!
technically challanging not! one down, one
to go.

the engine is running rich. has anyone used
the single colortune kit to analyse air/fuel mixture please?
i set up #1 and it showed yellow on idle, this went
to bunson blue using the throttle. #2,3 were showing
bunson blue on idle, not yellow? #4 was showing blue/white
which is too lean. each spark plug differs in color.
i find the color chart confusing. is there an easier
way to understand using this colortune please?
it mentions 3 tests and i've got lost in
trying to adjust all the mixtures correctly?
i'm a timing rookie!

the final fueling problem i've is the safest
resting position for the carbs overflow tubes.
the workshop manual advises that each pipe
is inserted in the airbox holes. any surplus
fuel gets squirted into the bottom of the airbox.
the squirted fuel then collects in the airbox
and in my opinion 'is dangerous!'
i mentioned my concern to a bike mechanic
and he advised 'dont put the overflows into
the airbox at all, just clip them all together
and let them live in the top of the swingarm.
any surplus fuel will fall to the floor and is safe to do
so. is this correct kzr's?

q) why did mr kawasaki design the overflow
to fit into the airbox and cause a dangerous
fuel puddle! i don't understand this?

many thanks for your cummulative
advice. 'do it once, do it right!'

regards

angel

Welcome aboard! Here are some tips:

Many newbies and not so newbies run into the same problems or issues with their bikes which could be easily avoided with a little preparation. Here are a couple recommendations that I hope you will find useful.

Before riding your KZ you should take a little time to become familiar with it. Simple things like checking the oil, tire pressures, etc. are explained in the Kawasaki Owner’s Manual. If you bike didn’t come with one (they normally are in a little holder on the bottom of the seat) you can usually find one on eBay – be sure to get one for your exact year/model.

If you plan to maintain your bike yourself rather than rely on a shop for all maintenance, you really should buy the Kawasaki Factory Service Manual for your bike. It will save you time, money, and frustration by enabling you do perform tasks correctly the first time without damaging anything. No one has ever regretted buying one of these. The factory service manual provides instructions on the various maintenance procedures and schedules for your bike, procedures for diagnosing and correcting 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. Some tasks that can adversely affect the safety of the bike, such as installing the front axle, are not intuitively obvious and are nearly always done wrong unless the manual or someone who has read the manual is consulted. 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 and safety.

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 for help.

If you plan to do your own maintenance you will need some tools that you may not currently own. Kawasaki uses numerous steel screws and bolts many of which are threaded into the aluminum engine. 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. I have found that it takes 2 different scale torque wrenches to properly torque most if not all the fasteners on the KZ650. 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 crosshead screws on the Kawasaki that look like "Phillips” screws are not Phillips; they are Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS). Using a Phillips screwdriver tip on these will damage the screw heads. JIS screwdriver bits are available, but if you don’t want to spend money on them you can make a suitable substitute from Phillips screwdriver bits. You just need to grind the tip of the Phillips bit a little then test the bit in a screw then grind a little more as necessary until the bit fits the screw properly. When properly ground the bit should be able to easily stay in the screw without help. If you need more explanation, just ask – pictures are available.

Good luck with your “new” bike, and be sure to ask any questions here as there are lots of knowledgeable folks on this site. Ed