jrhendryx

371 vin starting digits were for the '75 xs500b. it should also have spoke wheels if they are the originals.

absolutely gorgeous....

that was my question as well. I was hoping that there would be a less expensive alternative out there that would allow me to do the gearbox work myself. All of the aftermarket sprockets for the final drive chain are the wrong sizes, so I would have had to get one specially made to fit what I want...

Unfortunately I dont have the extra cash lying around to pay for a custom set of sprockets and a new chain to finish it all out. I had taken the steps to contact a few online places that manufacture racing sprockets specially, but they were all looking for around 400-500 per set not including the chain. No dice

I also posted this on another site, and I have been hearing a lot of chatter that it could be something as simple as the carburetors not being balanced properly.... I dont understand how that could be the case, given the color of smoke that it is putting off.... it would be nice to have it just be a carb issue, but I suppose that I have to check compression first to make sure.

but if i need to clean and lap the valves, wont I have to remove the whole head anyway so that I can remove the valves themselves? oh, and the cover has no gasket from the parts breakdowns that I can see.

interesting.... i think that i would rather just replace the seals the old fashioned way... this bike has a two part head like my xs500. I am wondering if I will actually have to replace the head gasket afterall, or if I can just do the repairs I need to do by removing the top portion of the cylinder head (valve cover maybe?)

good lookin bike except the seat though.

dont really have a choice but to replace the valve seals it sounds like... new to do list: 1) learn how to lap valves 2) get head gasket / valve seals 3) find time to remove engine 4) get a factory service manual. will i need a valve spring compressor? any special tools i should get?

exactly... started up just fine this time, but began running rough as it warmed up. specs say redline is at 9.5k on this bike and it wont rev past 6k cold, or past 4k warm. is also idling around 800 and adjusting idle screw has no affect.

so here is an update... I replaced the plugs today and then disassembled the carbs, using a carb cleaner bucket and dipping basket I re-cleaned all the parts. They were pretty much spotless, the pictures below are from before i used any cleaners on them... no deposits of any kind that I could see. It only will run with the choke on, and will not rev above 6k. Right side is blowing blue white smoke once the engine starts to warm up, and really wants to die off when this starts happening. the last picture in the series is the oily liquid that is dripping (or misting when the engine is running) out of a pinhole in the right side exhaust. could the right side just be running super rich? so, I am assuming that my next three steps are as follows 1. Make sure carbs are properly adjusted 2. Remove engine and cylinder heads. check to see if oil is leaking in from the top end. 3. While heads are removed, check cylinder walls to see if there appears to be damage to cylinders from bad pistons/rings... am I missing something? Thanks for the help thus far.

Alright, that makes sense. I saw all of that smoke and shut it down because I was afraid I was going to damage something. Battery is brand new. Carbs are coming back off tomorrow to be broken down all the way and cleaned in the carb cleaning bucket/strainer I got this evening. as for the other servicing, i am probably going to have to have a shop do it since I dont have a timing light... perhaps I should go get one.

this seat came on my bike... it doesnt quite fit square, so i am not sure where the previous owner came up with it.

I could pull the plug again and check, but it was black. not super dark, and no deposits, but it wasnt ashy grey either. i wonder if I can pull the head without pulling the engine.... there is quite a bit of wiggle room between the frame and engine.

I know that this isnt a Yamaha bike, but you guys (and gals) are always very helpful, and I would really like to get this sorted out so that my wife can start riding this bike. Well, I have changed all of the fluids (except brake) on the 81 kz305 I just bought my wife, but have ran into a problem. Here is some back story: The bike was "running fine" before it was parked around this time last year. The bike has not been started since then, and had barely been touched. I brought it home, removed the old fuel from the (lined) gas tank, removed and cleaned the carbs with compressed air (pulled the bowl off and removed the jets to blow them out), changed the oil and filter and added the amount of 10-40 that it calls for on the side, added a new battery, topped it off with premium fuel, and tried to start it. It didnt want to start at first, but I kept at it and finally got it to start after bumping it once or twice. I rode it about 200 yards up and down my apartment lot and it died, and there was quite a bit of blueish white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes (mostly right side, but some left). I pulled both plugs and checked for spark. Both spark, but I dont have any way to check gap. The left plug was dry and had been blackened, but not with any buildup and no smell of oil or gasoline. Right side was soaked and smelled strongly of gasoline. Oil (or perhaps uncombusted gas mixed with the soot inside the pipes) was dripping out of the right hand exhaust fitting where it joins the header pipe. What does this sound like to you? I am worried that it might be a bad piston ring letting oil by on the right side but am hoping that I am wrong. Could this be happening just because it is running super rich on the right side? Sorry for the novel, and I appreciate any help you all can provide. Thanks!

thanks for all of the help, i did find one devoted directly to the kz twins like the one i just got her. it looks perfect, but its been sitting for a while. i should have it up and running by the time she passes her tests!

haha, not me, just her though she did say she wanted to get a yamaha like me because the name had a better ring to it!

Hey all, I know that quite a few of you own bikes other than your yamahas, and was wondering if any of you know a good forum (hopefully as helpful and friendly as this one) for kawasaki. Recently purchased a '81 kz 305a for my wife to start out on. Thanks!

ebay would be a place to start, just be careful with it..... another option is what I did, just go to a local bike shop and have them build you one! much less expensive. yamaha dealers also carry these.

doubtful i checked it just as the manual says, cold, on center stand, with it sitting on the threads (not screwed in). also, when I replaced the oil, i did use 20-50 instead of 20-40, since that was all I could find, and it only calls for 10-30 if you live in cold climates. I replaced the 3.4 qts (3.2L) that it calls for when changing the filter, and after the engine had cooled, it read 1/2 a quart low on the stick. I filled it to the "full" line, and that was when I began experiencing problems. I stuck a straw down the measuring hole and drew out some oil back down to the 1/2 qt low area, and its back to running fine. Odd.......

question for the masses... Is it possible that the measuring lines on the oil dipstick for my bike to be incorrect? Prior to changing the oil, the level on the dipstick was about right at the bottom line, which I assumed was a quart low. After changing the oil and filter, it was half way between the top and bottom lines (1/2 qt low)..... I topped it off to the full line, and now the engine seems to be working quite a bit harder. Is it possible that I was a dipstick and just misread the other dipstick, or could it actually be inaccurate? Any suggestions as to how to remove oil from the engine without draining the whole thing again? Perhaps I could take it out via a hose through the measuring hole? hopefully this wasnt too vague...

it has a 17 tooth front sprocket, which is as large as ive found that will fit. i can get them custom made though. just spendy that way.

looking at the transmission breakdown i have, it appears as though it is possible to replace gears individually. would it be possible to replace just 5th gear to get a taller gearing if I could find the aftermarket replacement? I have looked into switching out sprockets, but can only find custom made ones that will only drop 3 teeth in the back, and I cant go any larger in the front. It seems to me that switching out 5th gear alone would give me the best of both worlds.... short gearing for snappy around town response, and a taller, more relaxed pacing for when I want to get on the highway or take a long easy ride. any ideas? here is the parts breakdown - the local dealer parts guy told me that most of these older bikes have 5th gear as a fused part of the axle itself... that doesnt seem to be what I see here. they look as thought they can be removed. *edit* 5th gear is #19 and 5th gear pinion is #7

I will get it for you on Monday. Am out of town.

dont know if its the same for your bike as it is for my '75, but assuming yours is carbureted, replacing the filter with a non-stock one with change the air-flow to the engine and might make it perform differently. if you choose to go with a filter that you have to oil, be sure to be careful with that filter oil as it will likely gunk up your engine if you use too much of it. My experience from using a K&N filter on my truck is that you let in more dirty air (larger pores from what I could figure out) that doesnt much help the engine if you dont alter the exhaust as well. stick to OEM style in my opinion.