New to bikes, Having issues with starting 83 KZ750

Just recently became a bike owner (first time for me) of a 1983 KZ750 and it ran fine 3 or four times. I went to ride it yesterday and at first it would turn over but wouldnt start. I kept trying but im afraid after too many attempts the it started to slow down until now nothing happens when i try to either kickstart or self start the bike. Any tips or advice on where to start troubleshooting would be awesome. I would like to be able to fix this myself (and with your help) before i take it in to a bike shop.

A good place to start is by doing maintenance. Purchase the factory Kawasaki manual for your bike, not a Clymers or similar, and then go through all the basic steps. Valve adjustment,new spark plugs, air filter cleaning, etc. Checking the petcock is another good thing since it's quite common for them to go bad after 35+ years.

Once you get the bike started I'd check the charging system to make sure the battery is up to snuff. And taking your battery to a shop that can load test it is a good idea too.

Avid wrote: Just recently became a bike owner (first time for me) of a 1983 KZ750 and it ran fine 3 or four times. I went to ride it yesterday and at first it would turn over but wouldnt start. I kept trying but im afraid after too many attempts the it started to slow down until now nothing happens when i try to either kickstart or self start the bike. Any tips or advice on where to start troubleshooting would be awesome. I would like to be able to fix this myself (and with your help) before i take it in to a bike shop.

Sounds like it could be charging system related, with either a defective rectifier or regulator. This would result in the battery not being charged as you ride the bike. Another possibility is a bad battery with defective cells that will not accept the charge.

Checking those components would be a good start. Battery first.

I agree with 650dude, especially the battery. I would charge it with a good motorcycle charger, then load test it. I use a Ctek US 0.8 smart charger & VC97 digital multimeter.

High beam test (engine off). Charge the battery with a good motorcycle charger. It should be at least 12.6 VDC, but a good battery will be higher. Turn the ignition switch to ON but do not start the engine & turn on the headlight high beam (engine off) >> the voltage should drop. A good battery will drop to about 12.2 VDC. If it drops below 12.0 VDC, the battery probably needs replacing. If it drops below 11.0 VDC, the battery is probably shot. These are the numbers I use >> there may be a battery voltage chart on the internet. The Care and Feeding of your Pet Battery
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