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1978 kz650

mottyl

mottyl

Forum Mentor
There is one for sale near me. If I go look at it on the weekend anything I should be watching out for. I am ok with the basics but if anyone has any specific knowledge it would be appreciated.

Thanks
Chris
 
KZ 650 - 750 in line fours beware if the starter clutch! If it slipps it is a total terror changing it -- inside the middle lower part of the engine- not under the stator like most.
everything else is pretty standard U.J.M. stuff.
 
Agreed on the starter clutch - the 650 was the first Kawa with it internal.
It was also the first plain bearing Kawa multi so evidence of regular oil changes would be nice...I can show you a crank which very obviously had not had regular changes....
 
Has shim under buckets/followers. You must remove the cams to adjust the valves.
 
Thanks for the replies. It was for sale last year but he wanted a pretty steep price. Now it's at 1900 which is still expensive but there is not a lot of older bikes in this small town I now live in.

Chris
 
I seem to recall they were known to be pretty gutless. Lots of people tried to make baby Z-1's out of them and got the look right but were not content with the power. They are, however, good all around UJM's and reliable transport. Just don't expect 3rd. gear power wheelies.
streetfighters
 
streetfighters said:
I seem to recall they were known to be pretty gutless. Lots of people tried to make baby Z-1's out of them and got the look right but were not content with the power. They are, however, good all around UJM's and reliable transport. Just don't expect 3rd. gear power wheelies.
streetfighters
Click to expand...

For the era they're not too bad - around 52hp at the wheel for a good one.
I'm currently building one for a customer as a pre 82 roadrace bike. I went looking for a set of 750 cams as they're a bit better and got offered a 750 top end so that's gone on. Z1 carbs on a worked head too.
It'll be a nice pair with his Z1 racebike...the Z1 for our permanent circuits and the 650/750 for street circuits.
 
streetfighters said:
I seem to recall they were known to be pretty gutless. Lots of people tried to make baby Z-1's out of them and got the look right but were not content with the power. They are, however, good all around UJM's and reliable transport. Just don't expect 3rd. gear power wheelies.
streetfighters
Click to expand...
Totally disagree . my kz 650 ran mid 12 second 1/4 mile times with only basic mods . i beat every 750 out there and some 1000 cc bikes.
 
Overall they are a good bike. Lighter and more nimble than the Z1/KZ900/KZ1000. You do need to keep the engine buzzing to stay in the power band. A great little bike for the backroads, but a little underpowered for riding with a passenger.

As others mentioned, make sure the starter clutch works perfectly - otherwise you have to split the cases to fix. Having said that, the early KZ650's have a kick starter, so it's not a massive issue on those bikes.

Because they have shim under buckets, the valve clearance is often neglected. It's not unusual to find them with no clearance and running poorly - but that's a fairly quick fix in most cases - just pull the cams and change the shims out.

While they may look like a mini Z1, they are a radically different engine. THey have a primary chain, the crank is a plain bearing crank with the engine running 50+ lb of oil pressure.

The KZ650, KZ700 and KZ750 fours have a ton of parts that will interchange - so it's not a difficult thing to 1) find parts, and 2) upgrade to a 750 cylinder with later GPZ 750 cams to perk the bike up.

$2000 would be absolute top dollar for one of these. It's fairly easy to find them for $1000-$1200 in very nice condition. There was one local on the Rochester craigslist for $800 recently.
 
Owned 2 from new. The first I wrapped around a tree in a forest preserve. The second was a blast. Got thrown off the dragstrip for doing almost a 1/4 mile wheelie. I just could not keep the wheel down on launch. So the last time I just rode it out. Boy was I in trouble. Had a blast. Traded it in on a Z1R. Sure wish I hadn't let my buddy ride the Z1R...
Curt
 
C-1's--77's (late)
C-2's--78's
C-3's--79's

It has what looks like '77 'B' models paint job, but I think that was by owners choice, so it's been repainted. Looks decent, check the steering stem for mfg date, 6/77 or 7/77 or later, would make it a C-2, same months of '78 would be a genuine C-3. If it runs as well as it looks, my sense of the value would be somewhat more than the $1200 you're thinking of trying, extra $200 or $300 in the back pocket, maybe, wondering why cylinders 2 and 3 appear to be running hotter than the rest. Doesn't have original exhaust, and the replacement shocks don't look like anything special. Make sure the chain and rear sprocket have limited wear, but other than that, looks OK. Good luck!!
 
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FWIW - The 650 was a great town bike. Shorter in wheelbase but plenty peppy. My KZ-750 was based on the 650 and was also a great town bike. The GS (which I also owned) was better on the highway because it was heavier and had a longer wheelbase. For a decent price I would not hesitate to collect a 650, preferably not a step-seat, but that is just me.
 
Well I went there without money in my pocket so I could think about it instead of just dragging it home.

It is fairly stock. The pipes are from a LTD model because he could not find any stock ones that were not rusted out. Chain and sprocket are as close to excellent as you can get, charges at 14 volts, still has points for ignition, tires are still good although I did not check the dates on them.
Swingarm bearings and headset bearings had no discernable play. It did seem a little cold blooded but the temp this am was around 0 degrees C.


We did not discuss dollars but he said it was negotiatable. I think it would make a decent summer commuter. Might have to give him a call back tomorrow.

Chris

ps. it was built 3/78
 
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