that lathe looks pristine! What material did you use for the bushings in the bearings? it think the OEM sleeve is case hardened steel. Did you trim down the old sleeve to fit in between the bushings you turned for the swingarm? it needs a sleeve all the way through the pivot to keep the frame from pinching the swingarm when its torqued down. looking good so far, I will be following your progress.

I have two separate posts for the hard to solve problems I encountered. First, Len's rear wheel could move side to side almost 1/4" when I got the bike. How he had been riding it like that, I can't figure out...

Removed the worn out swing arm bushings, but the hard steel sleeve was worn out too, and it is obsolete. With an NOS sleeve from evil-bay and replacement bushing, parts would have been about $275 Canadian dollars! Holy S@#T!!!!!
I like using bearings in the swing arm, but no complete kit exists for this bike, but I have a lathe, so $20 in parts and a few hours later...









Now back on two wheels...



The other big problem is the 14 mm rear master cylinder. I can't find a rebuild kit for this!!! I tried honing the bore and re-assembling with the old parts, but it is still leaking...

I think I'll have to retro-fit a later model master cylinder. I have a decent Z1 (note: I refer to all the big KZ's - Z1, Z900, KZ1000's - built prior to 1981 as "Z1's") master cylinder that fits in the bike, but it is 5/8" bore. I'm going to try a late GPz1100 part and locate a remote reservoir on the bike somewhere, but until the parts arrive, the rear brakes are on "hold"....

Still, I think it looks better than when I started?

Next up, paint three of the four headers with extreme temp. stainless colored paint (I managed to save the chrome on one pipe and both Jardine silencers, so that is what Len and I agreed I would do with the rest of the exhaust), Install the carbs and a used throttle switch and cable assembly from a 2006 Honda ST1100, A new Chinese reproduction Honda Nighthawk 700 front master cylinder is on order for the front brakes, and then properly tune the carbs with new intake manifolds, a re-furbished air box, and intake air tubes softened with wintergreen oil and alcohol...

Hey there,

Ok, got the measurements back from the wrecker, and I don't know why I thought the D4 axle would fit the KZ1000, but as you said Martin, the axle is 20mm, and the D4 is 16mm.

I called the local bearing place and asked if they made bearings I need in the 16mm ID that would fit the kz1000, he said no, but suggested making a bush for the bearings bringing the ID from 20mm to 16mm. Can anyone see a reason this would be no good or dangerous? I would have to sleeve everything, even the caliper.

Other option is for a complete conversion of a KZ1000 swingarm, with everything, swingarm back, making any mods as required to get it to fit. I have sent a few emails to wreckers in the states and had zero replies, anyone know of a wrecker with one of there sitting out the back? Any advice on swingarm swaps? Still looking for disc rear, would KZ750 work as well as the kz1000?



Cheers.

SmokyOwl wrote: I'm am certain that it's the tire, it being new AND with a different tread, because it only occurred after the change of tires. Never had a problem before, riding a lot faster and much longer duration going to a different work site last year. I'm guessing letting out a little air should help, but right now I'm pretty sure it's at the recommended tire pressure so I'll probably only let out about 3psi, I'm only dealing with the problem for about 1/2 mile so it's not THAT huge a deal for commuting to work, but there is a good curve in it. The new deep tread allows more flex in the treads than the more worn tire did so the tiny grooves in the road I think would affect it more than a worn tire with shallower treads.

As far as the clot, definitely not joking about it. I have an appointment with the doc tomorrow morning about my sprained ankle and hopefully I'll remember to bring it up to him. Of course I'm no doc either, might not be a clot, could be anything, but something is definitely off in my right arm. Wish it was my left arm so I could maintain speed while trying to wave back the blood flow.

I'd be willing to bet the new tires are superior and sending road energy right into your worn steering head bearings.
9 times out of 10 your head shake, (at any variable speed) ...is from one of three things, loose or damaged head bearings, worn tires or worn/bad bearing in the swing arm pivot.

Johnno wrote: Thanks! Everything is in varying stages of completion, and there is always more to do, but it finally feels like it is coming together.

The zx9r disc does have the same bolt pattern as the street bob wheel, but there are two issues:

1. The center of the zx9r disc is larger than the shoulder cut in the street bob hub, so you have to self-center the disc. This isn't a show stopper, but just takes a little more care to align the disc.
2. However, the zx9r disc has an offset, where the harley wheel is set up to have a zero offset disc. With the offset, it pushes the front wheel off center, so they are basically unusable in this application.

I'll probably end up using the harley disc that came with the wheel (ugly, but functional and I already have it) or looking for some zx10r discs at the junkyard, I hear they have no offset.

Johnno,

It appears you are using the standard mid width hub which should be 5" from brake rotor mount surface to brake rotor mounting surface. I found this ended up being too wide with ZRX/ZX9 rotor offset. The Narrow Glide hub is 4" and I had to turn two spacers that are 1/4" (.250") wide to set the rotor spacing and centering the wheel. The 77-84 narrow glide hub also has a wider center ring that matches the ZRX/ZX brake rotor center hole ID. The only catch to this is it uses taper roller bearings that are 45mm OD. So I had to machine the bearing bores to fit a 47mm roller bearing that had a 25mm ID to fit the ZRX/ZX axle. You also have to cut a simple inside bearing spacer. So if you have a lathe and are willing, pick up a 77-84 narrow glide hub off EBay and relace you wheel.

www.kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/539557...200r-build?start=280

I hope this helps as I know the want for fat tires and modern spokes.

Cory

Welcome aboard! Nice bike! Here are some tips that you may find helpful:

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 home made modified bits with the authentic JIS bits, and picture 6 shows a comparison between Philips and JIS bit tips.

PICTURE 1

PICTURE 2

PICTURE 3

PICTURE 4

PICTURE 5

PICTURE 6


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 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 engine components 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 is destructive to KZ clutches.

Good luck with your bike. Ed

Welcome aboard! Nice bike! Here are some tips that you may find helpful:

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 home made modified bits with the authentic JIS bits, and picture 6 shows a comparison between Philips and JIS bit tips.

PICTURE 1

PICTURE 2

PICTURE 3

PICTURE 4

PICTURE 5

PICTURE 6


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 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 engine components 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 is destructive to KZ clutches.

Good luck with your bike. Ed

For improving riding skills, I recommend - www.amazon.com/Stayin-Safe-Science-Ridin...rsion*=1&*entries*=0

Some tires do have a hard time with rain groves, at least that's what I hear. (We don't have them around here.) It wouldn't hurt to check steering stem bearing adjustment, swing arm bearings and tire pressure to be certain none of them are contributing to the problem.

I am not a physician, but I really do not think you should fart around with a blood clot. In addition to a heart attack, a loose clot can cause a paralytic stroke or even death.

Done, and it worked out well.

The swing arm pivot rotates easily and I have no measureable radial or end play.

On to the next problem - rebuilding the rear master cylinder!

Hi timbox take look through this The guy's name is Rolf Witthöft he won the German Enduro championship in 1978 in the over 750cc class it was bored to 701cc .Sorry the article is in German but there are a bunch of pic's to look at '
www.winni-scheibe.com/ta_portraits/rolfw.htm

I had started a 77 for off road I had XR500r front forks on it and the single shock with swing arm the rear suspension was fairly easy to a adapt to the KZ .But it was stolen before I could finish it .
I have a 76 and a friend just gave me a 90's Yamaha WR250 so my 76 is going to be made over to a adventure touring bike .
Here is a couple of things for you . I run GM HEI ignition , a early HEI dis. 4 prong ignition module .with the KZ 750 electronic pickup plate and mechanical advancer
also a 4.3 V6 HEI dual output coil , and NGK resistor Iridium plugs . You don't have to run a screw on cap with these plugs . I got 20 more miles to a tank when I went to the Iridium plugs .
things to note with using the GM module .
1 cut off the plastic pin on back of module ,it must be then mounted on a small aluminum plate using CPU heat sink paste with a good ground to the plate .
2 if the bike doesn't start a first just swap the wires from the pickup from one prong to the other on the module.
My bike runs great .I have a 4 plug head on it now but am only using 2 now , a machine shop teacher at a tec school helped me put the 2nd in .was an easy mod .
Well got to go If you have any ? just ask .Paul

just go to google images to look at the 4 pin GM HEI module wiring diagram . note these modules will run anything with a magnetic pick up and mechanical advance . Will replace early Kawi 4 cyl ignition boxes also