GPZ1100 neutral selection problem

Hi, I have a GPZ1100 1983 Unitrack motor with a problem. The engine was refurbished but because the gears looked good I neglected to check if all was ok.
My problem is trying to get neutral while the engine is running, it keeps going from first to second even with engine running at a stand still. The only way I can get it into neutral is with the engine off, but even then it searches between neutral & second.
I know these gearboxes have a positive neutral but mine doesn't appear to be working,
my questions are

• why would anyone disable it OR is it possible that this mechanism is jammed???.
• If the positive neutral was disabled why am I finding it hard to select neutral with the engine running (maybe clutch is dragging, although it doesn't feel like it)

Also could some one explain how the positive neutral works i.e. how do the ball bearings prevent going direct to second at a stand still. Thankyou in advance

I would start by looking into the neutral positioning lever and spring. 
See the external shift mechanism section in the 81-83 KZ1000/1100 base manual starting on pg 6-29. 
If you remove the cover and start poking around, there's a warning note that says: 
Do not pull the shift rod out more than 40mm. so don't do that. ha ha.

#13236 & #92081A
www.partzilla.com/catalog/kawasaki/motor...ear-change-mechanism

 

The neutral lockout is the same on all Z1 through to GPZ1100.
The 3 ball bearings are centrifugally activated with them being thrown out of engagement when the output shaft ( and rear wheel) is spinning which then allows 2nd and above to be selected. 
The only way 2nd and above can be selected is with the output shaft spinning ,  when the bearings have been removed or they are stuck in their outermost position.
It's a common mod to remove the bearings to allow all gears to be selected at standstill especially for racing etc where a 2nd or 3rd gear bump start may be needed etc when there is no starter motor fitted or kickstart fitted..
Neutral is selected on mid travel of a normal shift and takes very little movement of the gear lever so is easily overshot if the balls have been removed and bike is stationary.
On my latest build i have myself removed the balls to allow for 2nd gear bump starts etc in the event of starter motor failure.

 

Thankyou for your reply, I have a new neutral locator and it goes into the indent as the drum rotates  

Zed1015 is going into neutral once the bearings are removed hard with engine running and on idle, if not I might need to look at my clutch as it might be dragging? I really do not want to remove/ disassemble the motor to fit the neutral lock bearings. You mentioned that the bearings might be stuck, is that possible? if so is there a away to loosen them? 
The gears/ dogs look good and the shafts/ gears didn't look like someone took them apart.
Thankyou for your input

The balls can only stick in the outer position if the slots they run in are gummed up with old oil residue and sludge.
It isn't a common problem but not unknown.
Getting in to neutral needs very little rotation of the drum and is easily over shot into 2nd if the balls are removed.
A dragging clutch will make it harder to make the sensitive shift into neutral.
 

Again thankyou, after a lot of thought I'm certain the balls have been removed (gears are definately not gummed up). I won't pull the motor out to fix this and put up with a vague neutral. As Martin stated I'll recheck the neutral selection lever just to make sure all is ok while I have the side-cover off.

Bozo wrote:

Thankyou for your reply, I have a new neutral locator and it goes into the indent as the drum rotates

 

Thanks for posting the image.  I noticed what appears to be an o-ring just inside the clutch push-rod opening, which led me to a cmsnl KZ1100 transmission part detail:

images.cmsnl.com/img/partslists/kawasaki...ar093162105_8690.gif

Huh, there it is 670B1508

In 2015 I replaced the broken push rod with an APE hardened steel version (NLA) without the o-ring.     



 

Daveo, glad it helped, shame about my positive neutral bearings not fitted by previous owner. Apart from that my engine is 100%   

zed1015 wrote:

The balls can only stick in the outer position if the slots they run in are gummed up with old oil residue and sludge.
It isn't a common problem but not unknown.
Getting in to neutral needs very little rotation of the drum and is easily over shot into 2nd if the balls are removed.
A dragging clutch will make it harder to make the sensitive shift into neutral.

 

Probably the reason why this engine won't shift above neutral:





.
 

Everything behind the front bevel gear case looks in order, except that pesky o-ring is missing from this motor too...
I suppose the output shaft has to be disassembled to free up those three little balls, unless there's a chance of accessing and freeing them up with the oil pan removed.  Can't imagine they're missing in this case since the engine has not been opened before.
The the clutch components check out, but several fibers were stuck to adjacent steels by dried oil, and had to be pried apart.
The crankshaft seems in good shape, though the rod movement feels restricted somewhat by thick old oil that nevertheless is clean.

daveo wrote:

Everything behind the front bevel gear case looks in order, except that pesky o-ring is missing from this motor too...
I suppose the output shaft has to be disassembled to free up those three little balls, unless there's a chance of accessing and freeing them up with the oil pan removed.  Can't imagine they're missing in this case since the engine has not been opened before.
The the clutch components check out, but several fibers were stuck to adjacent steels by dried oil, and had to be pried apart.
The crankshaft seems in good shape, though the rod movement feels restricted somewhat by thick old oil that nevertheless is clean

There's nothing wrong with the gearbox or lockout bearings if you can only get 1st and neutral at standstill.