'78 KZ1000 makeover

the MK11's have dif crank and cam sprockets than a KZ.
u will need to use the KZ cam sprockets on the MK11 cams, or use the KZ cams and sprockets.
I have a MK11 crank and kz cam's. i had to use a MK11 cam chain (longer), and MK11 sprockets.
I'm not sure if the MK11, and KZ cams are the same profile? You can measure the lobe height and then subtract the base circles width, to get the actual lift of each cam.
if there is a dif. it wont be much. some guys use GPZ cams to gain lift. gpz cams have no tack gear though.

I wasn't sure if the MKII cams were different either Mark, but if Leon say's they're a little hotter, I'm gonna believe him If I got some late model GpZ cams, I'd run those, but a cam swap is fast and easy with the engine in the frame so I can do that anytime. I'm curious to see how much of a difference the MKII cams are compared to the Kz pieces.....I'm sure it's not much though.

remember too that the MKII were playing with smog capture and tailpipe readings for the first times, and may NOT be the "hot" ticket....i believe a lot of the numbers released that claimed HP improvements from the 1000 yrs were often more carb.or sprocket or even rear wheel sizes, and elec ignitions, as opposed to cam or intake profiles...

dont crucify me on this one guys,...and i do have the supplements and manuals for all z-1 through 81 in there various forms so i can check those grinds/#'s sunday ....


the many hop ups in the day,write ups ,rarely showed folks swapping cams ....it was the 29's,headers,pop up pistons,porting and buying cams,dyna,valves......


i know you know this already


i just dont think the MKII cam offer any improvement other than more work in the other direction than to assemble and shake down riding....imho...

Larry will "know"

I honestly thought the MKII cams were the same as the Kz1K cams, and I didn't care if I got them or not. I was just going to stick my stock cams back in. That was until Leon said they're a little hotter. I will definately measure before they go in, and I have plenty of time until I get to that point. Hell, for all I know, the head is a Kz head that someone was selling as a MKII, I don't even know if there is a difference between the two :laugh:

i know your not claiming the "ticket"
i am just waking up here,not ever to preach , but have last yr read and bought to read everything i could find on my MKII and "think" at the time i was surprised (sad that i did not have tricker cams :huh: )to find that the bigger crank requiring different cam sprockets was as far as the valve train improved...and the smog routes and considerations needed tricks to keep it at pace with a 77-78 kz1000A...

i could be wrong though....

I got my "new" head yesterday. There were a few things the seller failed to mention.......like 4 valve cover bolt holes have heli-coils..... or that one of those holes actually cracked a chunck off the head:

Some gorilla sonsabitch cranked on these vavle cover bolts many a time :whistle: But the last owner also tapped and plugged the smog ports, so I can use my A2 valve cover

I will say, the previous owner did want to take care of this head, and spent time and money keeping it servicable. The chambers, ports and valves were clean and free of carbon build up

The head is pretty clean all over too. It'll still need a trip to the deburring shop so it will match the rest of my engine. Now I just need to measure the cams to see if they're any different than my stockers.

Now, for the Coup-De-Gras :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

In my living room when I got home was a box wrapped in what I can only describe as standard Canadian issued packing tape. Inside that box was the crown jewel of my front end

Here are my custom triple's, courtesy of irishwill

Here is the top of the upper clamp

The bottom of the upper triple

You can see on the front where irishwill put 2 different gauge mounting locations. The angled ones like the stock mount, and the bottom ones for a flat angle.

The front of the lower clamp. I LOVE the look of the 3 bolt lowers :woohoo:

The bottom of the lower triple