Author Topic: 80 KZ1000 named Kaw Pie. (Read 23487 times)

Don R · « **Reply #100 on:** July 26, 2018, 06:19:07 PM »

After a conversation about old bikes one of my union brothers shared a few of my bike pictures with a guy he knew. It turned out the guy once owned this very kz1000. I doubt there's another one with this paint. He got hurt on it, breaking a leg and knee, getting several pins and being laid up for quite a while. He kept the bike for years after and I'd assume that's when it got this paint. When he saw the picture he told my friend "you're making me cry". Apparently he passed away since then and I just heard the story. I would have loved to talk to him about it when it was possible. These old bikes sometimes touch a few lives along the way.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #101 on:** July 30, 2018, 02:18:39 AM »

Get a Ouija board Don!

Ha ha, the guy who owned my '77 KZ1000 turned it into a drag bike after taking it off the road 30 years ago, sadly he gave/sold all the OEM parts that are no longer on it, so while I appreciate all the engine work that makes this thing such a beast, I'm still a little annoyed that I have to go looking for all that stuff again..........

Terry's Zed Engine by terry prendergast, on Flickr

Don R · « **Reply #102 on:** August 26, 2021, 03:17:50 PM »

I've been riding the KZ recently and even though It got fresh gas it's running like crap. #2 seems to spark a few times and then peters out. That's a new one on me. The battery is charged up, I guess I need to start by checking voltage. On occasion it leaks if I leave the fuel on so I don't do that but it seems OK at this moment. No center stand, I'd like to park it level and see what happens. It has a V&H header.
Hideous Accell yellow plug wires so I'll find some new black ones for it.

Don R · « **Reply #103 on:** August 26, 2021, 03:25:23 PM »

I re-read some of this and even I'm confused. I didn't even know what I had traded for. It's an 83 kz1100 Spectre. Still in the shed doing nothing. No papers.
The KZ1000 has confusing letters (P) on the title but it's really an LTD. (B) I would prefer to sell it to make room for cb750 performance stuff.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #104 on:** August 27, 2021, 05:22:49 AM »

I saw your FB post Don (no, I'm not stalking you, honest!) I was interested that someone had disabled the accelerator pump, why would you do that? Pull your plugs and see if you've got a good spark, I actually like those hideous yellow plug wires, but one might be bad by now, what ignition does it have? Both Kawasaki's and Suzuki's of the era had their own home grown electronic ignitions, which sadly, were rubbish. My last GS1000 gave me all sorts of problems until I installed a NOS Martek ignition with new Dyna 3 Ohm coils, and the difference was night and day. I needed some money so sold it shortly afterwards, and of course, I'm kicking myself now.

DSCN0659 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

seanbarney41 · « **Reply #105 on:** August 27, 2021, 08:23:04 AM »

Terry, i run a set of vm28ss pumper carbs with the pumps disabled on my kz650 big bore. The parts to rebuild the pump are scarce, expensive, and dont hold up to ethanol gasoline...just swap float bowls with non pumper mikunis and jet to suit.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #106 on:** August 27, 2021, 06:17:45 PM »

Thanks Sean, I haven't played with Mikuni VM carbs for years. I think my Suzuki GS1000S had 33mm ones, but I put some 34mm CV's off a late model "E" on it to reduce the heavy throttle, and it really improved the fuel economy too.

I bought used 33mm smoothbores for my 1100cc Z1-B and 40mm flatslides for the 1428cc engine, I've had 33mm smoothbores on my GS1000 drag bike engine and of course the HSR42mm carb on my 1200 Sporty, and they work very well.

Don R · « **Reply #107 on:** September 17, 2021, 11:40:06 AM »

If I was planning on keeping this it would be a Z1 clone, Brown and Orange paint with a non stepped seat and 4-4's.
It has spark but good? I'm not sure. I remember my brother working on H1 and H2's, they had various ignitions and you didn't know which until you looked in there.
The answer on my Honda's has always been throw (money, as little as possible) and parts at it until it got happy. I tried 3 different sets of carbs to cure bad points once.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #108 on:** September 17, 2021, 04:21:45 PM »

Ha ha, we've all done that Don! My first F2 was a gem, had been lovingly maintained by the PO, so I incorrectly assumed that my second one (that had been used, abused, crashed, set on fire, left out in the rain etc) would be just as good to me. I restored it and it looked beautiful, but always ran like a pig until I finally replaced the carbs and the starter motor, and all of a sudden, it was a magnificent bike to ride! And then I sold it.......

Don R · « **Reply #109 on:** September 30, 2021, 10:55:20 AM »

I drug home a set of carbs thinking they were PD's. They are in fact Mikuni's Z12 00 they have 4 accelerator pumps and appear to be 26mm.
The internet says 1976 Z1 900 oddly, the same 26mm as cb750A.
I'm not too wild about the 1980 carbs on my kz1000 maybe a rebuild and swap?

The mikuni sticky above says they aren't the best performing 900 carbs.

MauiK3 · « **Reply #110 on:** September 30, 2021, 02:28:21 PM »

I’m sure glad I only have 3 two wheeled machines. Way too many decisions when there is a small fleet to consider. I’ll probably never sell the Z1 after it’s done and I’ve ridden it some unless someone offers really crazy money. By the time it’s done I’ll have too much sweat in it.
Of course if I had the room there might be a CBX and a few other important bikes in the mix.

seanbarney41 · « **Reply #111 on:** September 30, 2021, 02:56:52 PM »

Don 76 Z/KZ 900 had 26mm Mikuni's but no accelerator pump...accel pump came later for kz1000. I have a set of these too but have never tried rebuilding them as everyone prefers the 28mm version. Rebuilding the pump portion is expensive and apparently the rubber parts don't last long left to sit with ethanol. The float bowls can be replaced with earlier Mikuni vm series bowls to eliminatre the pump and then jetted to suit.

What carbs are on your 1980 Don? I have always found Mikuni VM's to be easy to work on and straight forward to tune...not as easy as roundtops but infinitely more tuning options.

Don R · « **Reply #112 on:** October 15, 2021, 09:58:58 PM »

The 80 has it's stock carbs with no accelerator pump. Jetted by a respected kawisaki drag racer. I still had to put the stock airbox back on it to get it running right.

Don R · « **Reply #113 on:** October 15, 2021, 09:59:58 PM »

the bike

Don R · « **Reply #114 on:** October 15, 2021, 10:03:58 PM »

Another, still learning the picture deal.

Don R · « **Reply #115 on:** August 23, 2022, 11:52:09 AM »

I pulled the leaky carbs off the Kaw pie. OMG what a pain. I see why guys use pods on these things. Not me, I enjoy aggravation, we'll see how well my BP meds are working.
The bowl used to eliminate the pumper had a split overflow tube, had a hose over it and was epoxied on the bottom. My brother gave me a set of earlier kz1000 Mikuni carbs, I borrowed a bowl off those. If they weren't so lacquered up, I'd just swap on that rack.

Don R · « **Reply #116 on:** August 23, 2022, 01:07:08 PM »

It seems to be the fuel tees between the bowls leaking the most. Oh my.

Terry in Australia · « **Reply #117 on:** August 23, 2022, 01:42:03 PM »

Yep, leaking T’s are common on our old bikes Don, not to mention just general wear and tear. I was ‘rapt yesterday, I installed new Mikuni RS34’s on my hotrod 1100cc Kawasaki Z1-B back a few months ago and I’m glad I did, after close to 6 months without a start it fired up immediately on the button (too much compression to kick start) and settled into a happy idle, while the crappt old fuel coursed through its veins. It’s got half a tank of stale fuel in it so I’ll dump it out and replace with some 98 plus a cup of acetone and some fuel system cleaner just in case some boogers have settled in my float bowls.

No leaks or drips though, (well, not from the carbs, I think the clutch pushrod tube seal might need some love as there were some oil drips under it) so that made me happy. Some warmer weather would make me happier still, I want to be riding the big beast this year.

Don R · « **Reply #118 on:** August 23, 2022, 06:04:05 PM »

It's begging for the 29 smoothbores but they belong to the 71 Hot rod.

Don R · « **Reply #119 on:** August 28, 2022, 11:56:30 AM »

I need to replace the fuel tees with the new brass ones that are on the way. I need it running soon, are there any shortcuts to replace the tees in a KZ1000 Mikuni carb rack?

Kelly E · « **Reply #120 on:** August 28, 2022, 12:55:25 PM »

Not that I can see, at least on the VM26SS carbs on our 77' KZ 1000 LTD.

Don R · « **Reply #121 on:** August 28, 2022, 01:02:58 PM »

I removed the mounting plate screws and unbolted the end carb throttle linkages, then I was able to cheat the tees out of place. Apparently, they are plastic over carb metal. My new ones are brass with o rings. They should be here tomorrow.
Thanks for the quick reply.

Kelly E · « **Reply #122 on:** August 28, 2022, 01:20:20 PM »

We might need those brass tees too.

Don R · « **Reply #123 on:** August 30, 2022, 05:34:19 PM »

I ordered the wrong tees, I got two of the ones for a single center carb feed and they're too wide for a dual feed carb rack. This means I can't ride it into the swap meet this week. dangit.
I did pull the carb rack far apart so the end carbs can come off. The tees turned out to be aluminum, hopefully good enough quality so they don't corrode.

Don R · « **Reply #124 on:** September 01, 2022, 01:52:46 PM »

The Kaw Pie doesn't want to run this week. My set of backup 26mm mikuni carbs are frozen tight, they are soaking in a soup of penetrating oil and carb cleaner.

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Author Topic: 80 KZ1000 named Kaw Pie. (Read 23487 times)