Sprockets: 1975 KZ 400

Damn Craigslist...

I just dragged home another project. It's a '75 KZ400, non-running but complete, 29k miles, little rough around the edges but all there (as in toolkit and owners manual still under the seat, original key in the ignition). Seat's been recovered, got a neato chrome 2-into-1 header and accel coil, newish tires and chain, rebuilt carbs. Guy who sold it to me says it needs the carbs synched (something I'll farm out). Needs fork seals, and really needs paint.

Best part? $400.

I learned to ride on my buddies 440LTD. Always liked that bike. Stoked to have a standard version of it.

I'm going to get it running this week, hopefully start riding it to school for the next month or so. This winter it'll get a mild cafe chop (clubman bars, solo seat, fork gaiters, the like) and some new paint. I'm stoked.

Anyone have any fond (or not so fond) experiences or memories of these?

Where are the PICS?

Nice find. I had a 74 KZ400, it was my first bike (and first bike project) and I loved it to death. I'm hoping to find another someday.

My friend had one for a few weeks, they sound awesome with unrestrictive mufflers...actually I haven't heard one with stock mufflers so I'm not sure how big of difference there is. The 2-1 should sound nice.

No need to farm out the carb sync. just take them off, clean them out good and set the slide height so they are both equal by putting a 1/8 or other small drill bit under the slide and setting the slide height by that. That will get you close enough to have it running. Here is a procedure for a sohc/4 honda but it should be close to what you need.

SOHC4 FAQ said: I need to sync my carbs but have no vaccum meter. How do I bench-sync? When I rebuild a set of carbs, I always bench sync them before I re-intall them. Basically, I use a 1/8" drill bit as a gage. Here's how you do it: * Adjust the idle screw (the main one) until the 1 carb outside of it is open enough to just let the 1/8" drill bit through. * Then adjust the _sync_ screws on the other 3 carbs until the drill bit just fits them as well. * You'll probably want to close the idle screw before you bolt them back on the bike, 1/8" openeing is pretty big. * This isn't a perfect sync, as there are other things that will affect the airflow to a given cylinder, but it will get you pretty close.

My kid's first bike was a KZ 440. I sold it to a friend for his wife to learn on and it's been under five women since. I should have kept it to have around if someone showed up and didn't have a bike. Here use this, can't kill it.

Carbs: Make sure you clean the jets well. You may think they're fine, but once on the bike all it does is idle, then you get to do it again. Do it three times on the bench, way easier.

Dan

You just now picked this up...wasn't it advertised like three weeks ago?

In any case...cool! If I could get some thing to run, we could ride together sometime ;).

Clem

check out www.kzrider.com good forum tons of good info also.pretty sure you can find a FSM on there also.For cheap parts try www.z1enterprises.com .I'm currently upside down in a '78 Kz650 with a '82 KZ750 motor swap.It's almost done waiting for one more part to show up then I'm good to go.

Here's a couple of pics of mine. This is when I brought it home. http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/grinch77/picssss004.jpg http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/grinch77/picssss003.jpg

This is right before the swap repainted the frame and cleaned some stuff up. http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e102/grinch77/Picture028-1.jpg

Clem: Ha! You're talking to me about picking something up long after you first realized you want it? (COME GET THE MOPED!)

grinch: thanks for the links...I knew about kzrider.com and the Kaw Twins Forum, but the z1enterprises link looks like a good source.

Sorry man...truck's been full of trash since closing on the new place.

No...I was surprised that it didn't sell like the day after it got posted. IF...if...it's the same one I called about, I figured it wouldn't last the weekend after it was posted...so I wrote it off.

Trying to score the cheapo rear drive Celica as we speak!

Clem

We picked up a 77-KZ400 in May for the missus to ride. Cleaned it up and looks good. Runs like a top and just turned 11k. It's down right now while I try to find a front caliper. Great riding smaller bike, but more than adequate for just driving and having fun. I was going to sell it in Spring, but I think I'm going to chop, lower and stretch. Sort of like a recumbent bike, but motorized. If you can get it to run, put a 1/2 pint of denatured alcohol in the tank along with the gas. As it runs through, it will do a good job of de-gumming the carbs.