Kz440 Redemption

Greetings from Canada!

Right after I got my motorcycle license, I picked up this old KZ440 LTD D4 belt drive and quickly fell in love with it. Basically, it's my first bike, and really came at an interesting point in life where the freedom to ride was immensely appreciated. I put about 50km on the bike as the new proud owner of a used bike and was succinctly left on the side of the road with a dead bike. So, in the process of repairing, I discovered a few things that needed attention. Basically the whole bike! I've been working on it as best I could for a couple months now but things are starting to take shape. So I don't lose the memories somewhere, and so that you all can enjoy and speak into my work on it, I figured I should share!

Mechanically, if any of you can help in the diagnosis of this clip, I would greatly appreciate it as I have what I beleive to be the same noise going on from what I believe is the clearance (or lack there of) on my intake and exhaust valves?


The picture is not my bike (didn't take a good pic for some odd reason before I began disassembly).




I will continue to post updates! More pictures to come

Excessive valve noise would typically be caused by too much clearance allowing the camshaft lobe to slam into the follower.

It is hard tell for sure on the 25 cent speaker in my iPad, but that noise could be comming from a leaky exhaust gasket.

Not my bike but a very very close example of it.

Thanks for your thoughts Texas! If it were just leaky exhaust gaskets, I assume that replacing the gaskets would solve that issue? Those parts have been on my list already so that wouldn't be too far of a stretch.

Jbosh wrote: The picture is not my bike (didn't take a good pic for some odd reason before I began disassembly).

That was your first mistake. You took a step off a cliff when the bike was
dismantled before the mechanics were taken care of.
You need to start by performing all routine maintenance such as valve lash
and ignition tune up.


.

Sorry for my ignorance here Rex but what do you mean by ignition tune up? As for maintenance, to date, I immediately changed the oil and filter (levels were low and the oil plug was in poor repair and not magnetic), purged and cleaned the carbs following a disassembly which turned up gelled components from old gas, and discovered that the battery was also in poor repair and needing replacement. After these things were done, I remounted everything for a trial startup which went fantastic aside from the engine noise. The bike sounded more confident than before that work I listed. It was not a well maintained bike as I've found. I do have a manual for it now thanks to a friend and am using the routine maintenance checklist as an instigator for priority work. But I'll be honest, as a new guy, I am afraid of adjusting something engine wise and buggering it up. The manual should take care of this though. How'd you get more confident to work on your engine? I don't want to be another one of those members here that posts about all these problems and never shows a finished product after it all. I want a well done finished bike when all is said and done. All that has been disassembled has been labelled in detail before removal to streamline the reassembly.

Many thanks

We all have to start somewhere and it sounds like you're on the right track. Hard to tell from a video what a noise might be.
for sure valve adjustment and new exhaust gaskets, ignition timimg would be top of the check list and as you cover these and other maintenance item the noise may disappear.

You will probably find kz400.com a good place to check out for manuals and tech tips and if in doubt about anything ask here
good luck

I don't see that you mentioned it, what year is the bike? I don't have enough experience with the 440s from just looking. If it is 82+ then there will be no ignition maintenance as it has an electronic ignition - at least it came from the factory like that. You probably should take off the timing cover and check to be sure.

I'm pretty sure he has an 81 44ltd D. I have the same bike. The 440s seem to really be popular lately.

The 81s have electric ignition as well. Good luck with the bike. They are really fun.

As far as getting the courage to dig into the engine, you just have to do your research and dive in!

www.kz400.com/WorkshopManFrameset-5.html

Kz400 has a slew of information regarding our bikes. I downloaded the manual as have been reading it at work. I am trying to figure out what went wrong with my 440, and am afraid I might need to remove and examine the top end, I have never done before.

dom2570 wrote: www.kz400.com/WorkshopManFrameset-5.html

Kz400 has a slew of information regarding our bikes. I downloaded the manual as have been reading it at work. I am trying to figure out what went wrong with my 440, and am afraid I might need to remove and examine the top end. Some I have never done before.

I never did it before I did it the first time either... LOL.... I think we've ALL been there!!

Hey guys, she is an 82 but manufactured in 81 as I discovered on the wiring loom. Digger, it is an electric start. Thanks for that info! Is this one of the smallest belt drives kawi has made?