How did you find your KZ1000?

WGCARBS.com

SIRIUSCONINC.com

z1enterprises.com

[brettbolt]

The question that comes to my mind is -- if all it really needs is a stator, then why doesnt the guy just buy one so he can sell the bike for more $$$ ?

I've heard that some sellers remove an electrical part so you cant start the bike and see all the smoke coming out, or the bike doesn't run for some other (much more expensive) reason!

If I go look at it, I'll bring a freshly charged battery and try to fire it up on the spot. I'll call the guy tonight.

[chance]

It LOOKS like a pretty decent bike. I noticed the stator cover and Ing. cover are black tells me he may have tryed to fix it so maybe its a regulator or something easy .. Good luck Man. Hope it works in your favor you derserve a break..Out Chance

[brettbolt]

Just called the seller. He's had it for two months. Said he's 'done some work' on the battery and wiring. To start it he says he jumpers the starter solenoid with pliers, so it could just be a bad solenoid, or a wire connection mistake.

He said the bike runs good -- no smoke, no oil leaks. The previous owner said it had good compression, so I'll bring my gauge to verify since its second hand info. Can anyone here tell me the socket size I'll need to pull the plugs, and the size of the plug threads so I bring the right compression gauge fitting? Thanks.

By the way, according to California DMV, its a 1982 KZ1000, not a 1980 like the ad says.

Also, its been off the road (un-registered) since 2001. But he does have the title certificate.

Here are larger pics he just sent me. More rust than I thought. How much do you think I should offer for it? Or should I keep looking?

http://www.naturalgfx.com/kz1000front.jpg
http://www.naturalgfx.com/kz1000back.jpg
http://www.naturalgfx.com/kz1000left.jpg
http://www.naturalgfx.com/kz1000right.jpg

[RoyBean]

I wouldn't expect to find big compression numbers after sitting that long.

I don't think that is an original seat. Looks like it belongs on a earlier bike.

I would buy it for what ever i could get it for.

The stator might not be bad. I wish i had room for another bike. Roy

[wiredgeorge]

If the battery is charging, you can figure this out after it is running by putting a multimeter on the battery. At idle you should see about 12VDC and at 4.5K rpm, you should see about 14.5 VDC.

The need to arc across the solenoid says the starter is working but the voltage that triggers the solenoid is not. The power comes off your fuse box to the igntion switch to the kill switch to the start button and then when the start button is pushed, contacts goes through that button to a BLACK wire that comes back to the solenoid and tells the solenoid switch to shut allowing power across from the battery connected pole to the starter wire connected pole. While this issue sounds complicated, it is a relatively easy issue to diagnose and fix.

[brettbolt]

I wouldn't expect to find big compression numbers after sitting that long.

It sounds like he has been running the engine now and then. If I go look at it, I'm thinking that they should be at least 120.

If the battery is charging, you can figure this out after it is running by putting a multimeter on the battery. At idle you should see about 12VDC and at 4.5K rpm, you should see about 14.5 VDC.

The need to arc across the solenoid says the starter is working but the voltage that triggers the solenoid is not. The power comes off your fuse box to the igntion switch to the kill switch to the start button and then when the start button is pushed, contacts goes through that button to a BLACK wire that comes back to the solenoid and tells the solenoid switch to shut allowing power across from the battery connected pole to the starter wire connected pole. While this issue sounds complicated, it is a relatively easy issue to diagnose and fix.

Will bring my voltmeter and check the charging issue. I am very comfortable diagnosing and fixing electrical problems. When I got my KZ650, it was a completely miswired mess. I pretty much disconnected everything and rewired it according to the schematic.

My biggest worry is that if I find out the compression is really bad, or oil leaks through the gaskets, or anything else requiring complete disassembly.

[wiredgeorge]

I almost hate to say it but it sounds like you would benefit from buying and rebuilding a bike with a blown engine. Trust me, it ain't rocket science and once you rebuild a KZ engine, you can do it in your sleep! The hardest thing to do is to learn to use tools properly and know which tool to use so if you have general mechanical experience, you practically have it licked!

[brettbolt]

I almost hate to say it but it sounds like you would benefit from buying and rebuilding a bike with a blown engine. Trust me, it ain't rocket science and once you rebuild a KZ engine, you can do it in your sleep! The hardest thing to do is to learn to use tools properly and know which tool to use so if you have general mechanical experience, you practically have it licked!

I would definitely benefit -- the pistons and crankcase are the only parts of a motorcycle that I have never worked on.

However, I now own the equivalent of a blown engine. One of my Honda CB700SCs has a broken starter chain, and I have to do a complete disassembly to get access to it. It will be a great learning experience and I can replace the rings while I'm at it.

Anyway, I'm excited. Tomorrow I'll probably have my first KZ1000. 

[brettbolt]

Well I got the 82 KZ1000 today for $700.

The compression tested very good. The bike has only 13,383 miles!  

It needs mostly electrical work (my specialty). Has some melted wiring and a bad start button. The seller had recently taken apart the carbs, and he couldn't get it to start while I was there.

And as RoyBean already noticed in an earlier post, the seat doesn't seem like its the right one for the bike.

I've been driving all day. I just got back and I'm quite tired. More later.

Brett

[RoyBean]

That will make a great bike. If that is a LtD seat it will bring good money. Roy

[chance]

The back fender looks bent upward.. Seems like a good Buy. Good luck to ya hope it all goes your way...

[brettbolt]

...
I don't think that is an original seat. Looks like it belongs on a earlier bike.
...

That will make a great bike. If that is a LtD seat it will bring good money. Roy

You have sharp eyes, Roy. What do you think the seat is worth if I sell it and replace it with the correct one?

There is nearly a 1 inch gap between the back bottom of the seat and the motorcycle frame. (And both the motorcycle frame and the seat are not bent)

According to the VIN number, the bike is a 1982 KZ1000-K2 LTD. I couldn't find any markings on the seat to identify which bike its for. Can anyone tell from the photo below?

[RoyBean]

I would sat theat seat came off a 77 to 80 ltD. Roy

[brettbolt]

Roy,

Do the 77-80 KZ1000 LTD seats have a higher passenger section (by about 1 inch)? If so, that would explain it.

[RoyBean]

Here is a LTD seat.