z550

Try pushing the bike and see if they engine will turn over without the starter motor (6th gear is easiest - don't forget about the positive neutral finder).

It's not hard to remove the starter motor if you want to check:
- Remove sprocket cover (and gear lever) on left side of bike
- Remove starter motor cover (on top of gearbox)
- Remove 4 bolts securing starter motor and slide out.

Don't forget the starter motor uses the engine as a ground.

I wouldn't be suprised if the engine has cold siezed if it's been sitting around this long.

pos neutral finder ....was at

and whats cold siezed

take the spark plugs out and put a few drops of oil in each cylinder. wait a while for the oil to soak in then try starting it.

MRSTABBY said:

pos neutral finder ....was at

and whats cold siezed

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The positive nuetral finder is supposed to stop the shifter from travelling too far and overshooting nuetral when trying to shift out of gear when the bikes not moving.

Cold seized means that the engine parts have stuck together due to remaining stationary for so long.

cheers guys

are their any probs to look out for as this is the oldest bike i have owned
also my first kawa

so far its so easy to get at everything just seems to be in the rite place and accsesable


cheers for all the help

Have you established whether the engine has seized by trying to push it in gear? If the engine has not seized has the battery enough charge to turn the starter over? If it is neither of these it could be the starter clutch, My bike was sitting a lond time and although it started at first after a while it made a noise but didn't quite kick the engine over, this was the starter clutch. The parts are not expensive ( about £30 ) but you really need to remove thengine and turn it upside down to replace.

Have you tried bump starting it? if that worls and there's plenty of life in your battery it is probably the starter clutch - it's a fault endemic to the 55o's

so far i changed the starter motor and all seemed good it now turns but it wont fire up att she does is pop and bang from time to time with the odd flame spurt out the exhaust ..

i have cleaned out the carbs fut fresh fuel in and new plugs .. any ideas..

it also has some daft vacume system that goes from the air box to the cam cover can i throw this away as im plamming on running individual filters on the carbs ..

cheers chris

Did You Check The Coils For Any Cracks.sounds Like A Stupid Question, But I Had A Customer Come In With What Sounds Kinda Like The Same Problem,we Checked The Coils,sure Enough There Was A Very Small Crack In One,just A Shot.THE OTHER TUBE YOUR TALKING ABOUT IS FOR THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM.CONECT FROM ONE TO THE OTHER TO ELIMINATE,WHEN YOU GO TO POD FILTERS,YOUR GOING TO NOTICE WHEN YOU GET IN STRONG CROSSWINDS YOU WILL HAVE TO START TO FEATHER THE THROTTLE BECAUSE YOU WILL BE RUNNING LEAN ON 1 CYLINDER.I ONLY PUT THE PODS ON FOR SHOWS,WHEN I RIDE I PUT THE AIR BOX BACK ON WITH A SINGLE K&N IN THE BOX.THE ORIGINAL BOX WITH A 4 INTO 1 EXHAUST,AND JETS YOU WILL GET THE MOST PERFORMANCE OUT OF IT WITHOUT DOING A BUNCH OF MODS TO IT,JUST MY TWO CENTS,I HAVE 9 KZS OLDEST A 76 KZ440 MAD MAX CLONE,NEWEST 80KZ750.

I've pod filters on my 82 750. I'll be putting the old airbox back on this spring.

the coils seem ok and their is spark getting to trhe plugs ..

i live in scotland so i think the emition thing is gonna get junked

any idea how big to go with the jets ,i also have a harris exhaust system for the bike but cant do much just know as the engine is out of the frame and im just about to change to a mono shock and fit a usd front end .

Mr Stabbed bikes shooting!

Hi,there, well it seems like we both have the same bike, in the same state and in the same country - so where in scotland are you.I live in glasgow but am not originally from there.

The problem with your bike just may be as simple as having the ht leads on the wrong way - have you checked, because mine were actually marked wrong.
I have swithed to individual filters, because they were cheap and the flexible rubbers on it were expensive to repace. The guy had it before me cut through them to get the airbox out, then removed tank and seat, at that point he appears to have left it, for 5 years!!
have you found anywhere that does second hand spares, I may need forks.
Also have you found out what jet size you need to go to and the circlip setting. Any info we can share can only help as i want mine to get it's first mot this nillenium before spring.

im up near aberdeen .. as for the jetting i seem to remember reading somewhere that a good start is go up by 10% as a start

I'm near glasgow, and am having trouble getting it together. When I tried to remove the engine to fit the new starter clutch it was transpired the engine fixing bolts where corroded in place as it had been taken for a ride along the beach before being put in storage for 6 years. I had to use a grinder to get it out then pay to have the remainder of the bolts machined out. I am till waiting for some spares - the back brake assembly. I did strip the bike back to the frame a repaint it, I then repainted the tank and side panels a metallic blue. I set up my own warm room in the garage ad although it's the first time I have used spray paint it lokks good. I have an email address for a chap in Leeds who is breaking two 550 ltd's so if you need any spares let me know and I'll give you his email address. I;ll post some pictures when I get it all together.

if you need a front and back end mine is up for grabs as im fitting newer stuff in its place .. and im on the lookout for a new petrol tand as mine has a small accident with a cigaret and has gone a funny shape

MRSTABBY said:

if you need a front and back end mine is up for grabs as im fitting newer stuff in its place .. and im on the lookout for a new petrol tand as mine has a small accident with a cigaret and has gone a funny shape

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I know it's not funny about your tank, but it is! :mrgreen:

Thanks for the laugh, hope the two of you can meet up and exchange parts to get your bike running.

it was funny as the resulting fireball made me jump back and i cracked three ribs on bike engine that was behind me at ythe time. while my mate was doing the funky chicken trying to put his leg out .. the missis just stood laughing at us ..

MRSTABBY said:

it was funny as the resulting fireball made me jump back and i cracked three ribs on bike engine that was behind me at ythe time. while my mate was doing the funky chicken trying to put his leg out .. the missis just stood laughing at us ..

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Now that's good stuff right there.

May need the forks, will wait till I get her running and see what the mot blokes say as money is scarce. Cheers