Welcome aboard -

Here are some tips that you may find helpful. If nothing else be sure to read the advice about JIS vs Phillips screws.

Many newbies and not so newbies run into or issues with their bikes which could be easily avoided with a little preparation or information. 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.


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

WARNING! Do not even try to use Phillips screwdrivers on the Kawasaki cross head screws. Despite their appearance they are not Phillips screws. They are Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) screws. The tips of Phillips screwdrivers are too long & pointed to allow the 4 blades of the screwdriver to properly engage the screws, so when you apply force the screw head slots will deform and look like crap. The fact is that Phillips screws were deliberately designed to have the screwdriver bit "cam out." This was done to prevent production line assembly from over-tightening, stripping, or breaking the screws. JIS screws do not have this problem. A proper fitting JIS bit can tighten a JIS screw to and beyond the torque spec without camming out. Here's the good news - you can easily modify standard Phillips screwdriver tips to fit the JIS screws.

I have ground down the tips of DeWalt #2 and DeWalt #3 Phillips to make them fit JIS screws. The large crosshead screws on the cases take modified #3 bits (or genuine #3 JIS bits). To modify the DeWalt bits you need to grind the very tip a little, then test fit, then grind a little more and test fit, etc. until the bit no longer "rocks" back and forth in the screwhead. Picture 1 below shows how a DeWalt #3 bit fits the case screws of my KZ650 after being ground properly. The #2 DeWalt bits can be modified the same way to fit smaller JIS screws. Pictures 2 and 3 below shows DeWalt #2 and #3 modified bits.

I did find a place that sells authentic JIS bits. They don't list the #3 bit, but if you contact them they can provide the #3 JIS bits even though they are not listed on the website. These folks were very easy to work with, and the authentic bits do work great. Here's their site:

www.rjrcooltools.com/shop_item_detail.cfm?subcat_ID=89

Pictures 4 & 5 below show a comparison between my homemade modified bits with the authentic JIS bits.

PICTURE 1


PICTURE 2


PICTURE 3


PICTURE 4


PICTURE 5


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. Kroil can be bought online, at guns shows, and at some other venues.


MOTOR OIL
The ingredients in oils have changed over the years. For example, today's Castrol GTX (and pretty much all 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. Zinc and phosphorus additives (ZDDP), important to protect engine components from metal to metal contact, has been reduced since it’s been found to shorten catalytic converter life. Today’s auto oils contain about ½ the ZDDP they used to and different additives have been developed as substitutes. Unfortunately, some of these newer additives, in particular molybdenum disulfide, don’t get along with the wet clutches in our bikes. Newer oils, especially those labeled “Energy Conserving” (EC), which have a high quantity of friction reducing additives, should be avoided. These oils work fine in automobiles but there are better choices for motorcycles.

KZ bikes need oil which is suitable for wet clutches. That distinction was defined by the Japanese Engine Oil Standards Implementation Panel (JASO), and can be noted by oils that meet the "4T” (4 cycle) specification, MA (wet clutch) classification. These oils, which include various synthetic, semi-synthetic, and non-synthetic oils, are sold as specific motorcycle oils. Another type of oil which works well in our bikes is diesel engine oil. These oils are governed by the API (American Petroleum Institute) CI-4/CJ-4 spec and don’t contain clutch-damaging EC additives. You can even purchase Shell Rotella oil which holds a “JASO-MA” certification assuring it will get along well with your wet clutch. All of these newer oils have a reduced ZDDP level too (about 1/3 less than before instead of ½ like the auto oils) but the substitute additives get along better with our bikes needs than automotive oil. Oils that do not hold the JASO-MA rating have either failed the wet clutch test or have not been tested for use in engines with wet clutches. Good luck with the bike! Ed

Well, Im finally getting it assembled. Frame, swingarm, and all of the small parts were stripped and powder coated satin black. Im doing every bolt and nut new. Im using mostly stainless hardware. As you see, It is stretched out 13" from stock. Myrtle West jackshaft swingarm from a GSXR 1000. It has air in arm for my air shifter. I had brackets welded to the arm to keep the twin shock setup instead of a mono shock. Made caliper stay from aluminum as alot of other things have been lightened to accommodate the added weight of the arm, 10.5" rim and 300 tire. 5 spoke front early GPZ305 rim sent to Pauls Chrome to be chromed and looks almost identical to the Rear Weld Racing rim. Gonna get started on the motor next. Have to get with my motor buddy for some help on that. So, what do ya guys think so far?

I've owned my 1977 KZ650-C1 since it was new (April, 1977); my bike is stock for the most part. It has more than 60,000 miles on it and has never needed any engine work or other serious repairs. I did replace the steering stem bearings with tapered roller bearings and the swing arm bushings, but that was not really a big deal. The original shocks were never great and they wore out rather quickly, but again replacing them with better shocks (I have Hagons) is not big deal. If the bike in question is stock, has not sat unused or neglected for an extended period, and has received normal maintenance it should be fine. If, however, the previous owner has made changes to the bike it may be unreliable. I suggest you take it for a ride and see how it performs. Ed

JWKZ750 wrote: So i passed on the 1979 and got a 77 which doesnt have the emission stuff the 79 does.

It looks like you got a nice bike. I like those aftermarket Lester mags. A cool period upgrade. By the way, my very first bike was a '77 Kz650.

I also thought I'd note that the '77 Kz650 (B1) is a bit different from all of the later 650s in a number of ways. Here are some changes from the '77 B1 to the '78 B2 from kz650.info

www.kz650.info/kz650files/adobe/KZ650_History.pdf

The front brake caliper was reversed to the back of the fork leg and the front master cylinder was changed from a round item to a triangular one. The charging system was changed from a three-phase system to a two phase and the regulator and rectifier was now a combined unit. The cam chain tensioner was changed to an automatic unit and a hazard switch was added to the left-hand switchgear. Needle roller bearings were now used in the swing arm instead of the previous model bushes and slight modifications were made to the carburetors to improve low speed operation. The fuel tap was replaced with a diaphragm type unit. There were also slight detail changes to the outer engine cases to incorporate the new lower case Kawasaki logo. The front footrests were now rubber mounted to combat vibration and the front forks were slightly modified.

Will Call the first them tomorow. Any thing else from Denmark while we are at it.?
Pasties? Red hot dogs? Smörrebröds? Ugly duckling? Or a mermaid?
/A

So, fast forward to now, I decided to take the bike apart. It was smoking on start-up and knocking a bit so I tore it down to parade rest. Engine out and down to frame. Powder coated the frame, swing arm and battery box. Changed out to chrome front fender. Rebuilt the engine. New rings, hone ecg. New seals in the head and lapped the valves. Engine is back in and tank is drying. Working on the wiring now. Still need a seat. I think I'm going to go with custom build on it. Some pics for you.

Alright guys, I just purchased 100 needle bearing internal races and 4140 DOM tubing. In the industry we frequently used the races to repair shafts that ran needle bearings and with the strength of the 4140, I can make a sleeve that's both durable and cost effective. I'll be doing some proving this out for a while but I'm highly confident this will provide a replacement for these shafts. When I make the first ones, I'll post up pics and progress.

Les Holt
PDM Custom Fabrications

Are you sure that the ID is 16mm? Looking for needle bearing inner sleeves, I see a lot of 17 ID x 22 OD, but not any in 16mm ID.

Any chance it's english? Seems unlikely, but 5/8" ID and 7/8" OD would be 15.875 x 22.225 mm.

www.astbearings.com/catalog.html?page=product&id=IR17X22X23
simplybearings.co.uk/shop/Bearings-Needl.../c3_29_35/index.html
www.skf.com/us/products/bearings-units-h...2X23&unit=metricUnit

turboguzzi wrote: Guess wear of the swinagarm pivot sleeve is a common issues and so is the fact that for many older models (like my 1980 750E) these are no longer available.

So I'm assuming you already know that the part number is 42036-1012, and the same part was used on all KZ650 and KZ750-4 dual-shock models starting in 1978?

It's really lame that these are no longer available.

So here is the best I could come up with. The needle bearings in the swingarm are the same part for both the KZ650, KZ750-4 and KZ1000 starting in 1978. I think the pivot shaft length is also the same between these bikes. On the other hand, it looks like the pivot bolt is different between the KZ650/750 and the KZ1000. So my guess is that the KZ1000 shaft has a larger ID, but maybe you can make this work?

www.z1enterprises.com/swingarm-bearing-kit-z1-kz900.html

Alternately, it looks like the same needle bearing P/N was used up until the mid-90s on smaller bikes. See the list here:

www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/kawasaki/KP-92046-1115.html

So maybe one of those has a similar ID and OD, but a different length and could be adapted. But I have no idea how you might find out the length for each model. And many of those have pivot shafts that are now obsolete.

I also couldn't find anything for the 650 or 750 on japan.webike.net, but I may have missed it. But here are two sets for the Z1.
japan.webike.net/products/1356150.html
japan.webike.net/products/22888137.html

If you do have to make your own, you could follow the 3-piece example where they use a simple spacer in the center and two smaller bearing sleeves. Then at least you'd be making and hardening a smaller part. Or if you found a shaft from another model that had the correct OD and ID, but the wrong length, you could chop that up and go the 3-piece route.