KZ900 Streetfighter

While I'm waiting to barrow a spring compressor to finish putting the head together, I'm cleaning up the carbs. It wasn't all that complicated to disassemble and it makes the cleaning that much easier; looking at getting a 50lb bag of soda media to dump into the blast cabinet (something I should have done for the rest of the parts ). I have been thinking about using KG Industries coatings on a number of parts for this build but didn't pull the trigger on doing the cases with it, but I might try it on the carbs this time around. I have read some great things about the 2400 series and just reading their descrip makes me want to put it on everything I can!
Tearing into the carbs I find all the pilots are 117.5's but all the main jets are 122.5's suggesting that someone along the line rejetted for the exhaust and intake (cheapy pod filters at the time). Three of the float valve seats are stamped 2.3 BUT, one is stamped 2.0 and is definitely newer. Two jet needles are corroded and pitted pretty badly. I could find a couple to replace them but with the cam I plan on running in conjunction with the Kerker and funky breadbox aircleaner, I may need to rejet again. So the question in my mind is, do I stick with what I have and find some replacement needles, or do I get a jet kit which has replacement needles, pilots and mains and allows for real tuning? And then I ask, is a "stage 1 - 3" type kit going to be the ticket or should I look into something on the next level? I hate to ask questions that have been covered before but without finding anything that refers specifically to jetting VM26 carbs with a Andrews 2X cam, I would very greatly appreciate any advice or pointing in the right direction.

She's really cleaning up alot I like the colour combos that you're using on this one. For my shock mount, I think I'm going with something along the lines of yours. My buddy took a look over all your build thread, and he was really impressed with the quality of your work (he's a fabricator for an air craft refurbishing company). Again, great work

DoubleZed........what brand of battery are you using?
I see it laying down....looking for some ideas to use on my project but having a hard time finding a location for the original battery.
your bike looking good

Sorry for the late reply, just been busy with other projects, not a whole lot to report on the KZ build right now other than cleaning up the intake/exhaust ports to smooth out the transition from the runner to the valve seat per some suggestions by my brother. Not the first time doing that sort of work, I was going to leave it alone, but when he looked at it I knew I would end up with a pile of shavings :huh: lol Now just trying to decide if I should use the valve seals from the Athena kit or if I should lay down the money for some that I know for a fact are viton...
Spdygon, the battery is a TMS Super MF'er lol Basically, one of the lower cost AGM batteries on Amazon (I think that's where it came from) for about $70. I just read through your build earlier today and saw you asked about batteries lol! Yes you can lay them on their side and not worry, I left it in my battery tray for months and could crank the bike over and over again. No mess. Just don't let them die!! If they get pulled down while cranking, STOP! Put it on the charger and wait a bit.... Hmm maybe I should put mine on the trickle charge as well right now :ohmy:
If you want to know any thing else about the shock mount just let me know, 650mod. Now that it is installed and the bike is sitting on the ground again, I can take some pics if you (or anyone else) wants. I'll be getting some pictures tomorrow of the (little) progress.

DoubleZed, if you could take a few more pictures of it installed and finished, that would be awesome! The welder I'm working with was absolutely impressed with your fab work- he really likes the ideas that you're using and how you put things together to finish things up.

I think I'm going to end up using the same mount system that you are- it seems to be the simplest way to mount it up right now. Thanks!

Thanks again 650. The mount is pretty simple, but I had originally planned a steel mount that directly attached to the mounting eye of the shock that would be welded to the same two transverse tubes to the front and back. That was simple, but there was no way to adjust height with shims. Thinking back, it was probably unnecessary to adjust it that way anyhow. I still like how it turned out and I kept the steel one, just in case.... :S
Obligatory assembly shot

lower

upper


underneath


right-side-on

Used the torch to massage a relief for the reservoir. The cap just barely touched before.

Going along with the momentum, I slipped the chain on to feel like I had accomplished something, and to check proximity between the chain and the lower transverse brace. In the event I need to make a roller, it will attach to the inside of the rear set bosses. With an inch of deflection in the chain, there was room to spare:

A little flash makes the metallic in the swinger paint pop. Chain doesn't really ride on the slider much. Enough slack?

One of my favorite shots of the day:

Plenty of space between the 180-55 tire....

...And slightly less between the frame
I don't think an o-ring chain would slip past without trouble. But it might be so close that it would just steadily chip paint. I think the 13mm offset sprocket would have resolved this.
Some of the earlier pics have a set of "clubman" bars I made. However, paranoia got the best of me and I didn't want one of the bars to bust off So I slipped a set of drag bars on that my dad picked up a few years ago for this bike, along with a couple other drag-specific items like forks with a brace and dual disks, wide rim with Hoosier slick, extended swinger, these bars

To attach them I intended to build the risers on the mill at work, but without it I just didn't have the motivation to make them with files, hacksaw, and grinding burrs. Luckily enough, I saw a set of 86' Virago risers that looked like they would fit in the little space left by the instrument cluster. For $15, I think its a winner!

I'll leave with these couple shots:

oops, two more:


Happy New Years!

Thanks for the pictures! When the bike is standing on both wheels vertically, how much ground clearance do you have to the suspension pivot block? Just wondering so I have an idea if my suspension ride height will give me enough clearance.

Sweet work, she's really starting to clean up

The lowest part of the knuckle (to the bottom of the middle grease-cert) was 5 3/16". Without the cert, its right at 5 1/2". I can tell you that with the exhaust, I can get my foot under the lowest part at the oil pan, perhaps 3" or so. I hope to measure it by next week, since the head is going together now; just checking the valve lash and probably making an order to Z1 for some shims. I think I'll be the guinea pig with the Athena valve seals, since there isn't much info about them. If they leak, it will suck and I will be kicking myself, but at least everyone will know.... :whistle:

Athena valve stem seals.
I've built quite a few engines with Athena gasket sets and seals and they've been just fine.
As with any seals put plenty of lube on the valve stem and seal and rotate the valve as the stem goes through the seal to avoid tearing the lip.
Make sure there are no sharp edges on the valve tip remaining from any stem grinding etc.
The common cause of premature seal failure is damage caused by incorrect assembly practice.

Thanks for that Zed1015, I have read some of your build threads and they are awesome, very inspirational. I think I have one or two of them bookmarked lol. I use plenty of assembly lube on the valve train components and ,as you said, carefully slip those valves in.
I guess every body makes mistakes now and then, like what I just did a few minutes ago. ( I hope this is excusable :ohmy: ) While checking the valve lash, I neglected to remove the intake cam after checking it and just set the exhaust cam in and torqued it down. (You see where this is going right?) After rotating it a half, I stopped and gulped real hard. :sick: You guessed it. Now I'm looking for a new intake valve..... I'm not supposed to be making rookie mistakes like this lol!