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Kz440 no start

3K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  davidr1963 
#1 ·
So I'm having a problem with a bike me and a buddy picked up fixed it up for 300 into it for about 1000 including purchase.

Been struggling to get it running. We had it going at one point using lithium battery but would cut out and not start after 2 blocks. then started to get harder and harder to start, figure it was the battery.

Switched over the battery to lead acid battery, way more cranking power available. Itll pop off but as I try and start with it it progressively get worse and saturates the spark plugs.

I've done static timing with a light and a multimeter, I'm getting fuel as I'm feeding it with a spray bottle as a test and letting the tank attempt to feed itself. No air filters on currently tried setting air fuel at every half turn upto 2.5 turns. spark at both plugs.

What am I missing here? Any suggestions from the hive mind of the internet would be much appreciated. Its driving me nuts.

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#3 ·
By westheweld: .... No air filters on currently ....

Do you have the stock airbox? If so, install the airbox with a new air filter to see if it will perform better.
The KZ440 has CV carburetors which function best with a stable air intake environment that the stock airbox provides. Even with the individual pod filters the carburetors can be difficult to tune, so without any air filters at all, it's going to be more difficult.

...
 
#5 ·
From your topic post I was assuming it would start & idle, but then run poorly under load. If the jetting is off, it's probably lean. just guessing since the filters flow more air. You'll need to figure out if the carburetors were tuned for the individual pod filters. I seem to recall someone here was able to set up his 440 for the filters, but I forget who. larger jets & maybe he raised the jet needles??? I don't recall exactly.


 
#6 ·
From your topic post I was assuming it would start & idle, but then run poorly under load. If the jetting is off, it's probably lean. just guessing since the filters flow more air. You'll need to figure out if the carburetors were tuned for the individual pod filters. I seem to recall someone here was able to set up his 440 for the filters, but I forget who. larger jets & maybe he raised the jet needles??? I don't recall exactly.

I did this on my kz550c....bike has never run better in the 2 years Ive had it.
 
#7 ·
His motorcycle has CV carburetors, so tuning for individual pod filters can be more of a chore than on a 550C which should have TK22 mechanical slide carburetors. But someone else was able to get his 440 going w pods, so apparently it can be done.
 
#8 ·
Ah yes, I see. I always forget that the 550 is a 4 cylinder and the 440 is a 2 cylinder setup. I wonder why they did that since the 550 fires 2 cylinders at a time:1/4 and 2/3. Why not just make it a 2 cylinder as well? These are the things that I wonder about in life....
 
#9 ·
Each coil fires twice per cycle so at (or near) tdc each revolution. One of the sparks is redundant as it’s at the end of the exhaust cycle.
Each pair of cylinders fits at 360 degree intervals, 180 degrees opposed to the other pair.
It just allows the bike to have two coils rather than four.
 
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