KZ 550

Discussion in 'Motorbike Technical Discussion' started by Shaky Jake, Oct 18, 2006.

  1. Shaky Jake

    Shaky Jake Guest

    My KZ 550, "82 model, is a bit noisey at idle. I believe it has a
    loose timing chain.

    Got a manual and it describes the spring loaded adjuster to take the
    slack out of the timing chain.

    Anybody know anything about these that I should know?

    I'm going to do a preliminary removal of the cap on this thing and see
    what it is there is to see.

    Jake
     
    Shaky Jake, Oct 18, 2006
    #1
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  2. Shaky Jake

    Shaky Jake Guest

    I will use my mechnic's stethescope to determine the source of the
    noise, if it
    is the primary chain then I'll be a bit more confident of this machine
    which is still
    a stranger to me.

    I also have a petcock handle that won't turn. The previous owner said
    it was leaking
    and that he cured the leak with an O ring that was too large.

    The leak stopped but it added too much friction to turn the handle.

    The Kawasaki dealer quoted me $174 for a new petcock. Are petcocks
    solid gold
    or are they just gold plated?

    I think that motorcycle dealers make car dealers look good.

    Jake
     
    Shaky Jake, Oct 18, 2006
    #2
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  3. Shaky Jake

    B-12 Guest

    When the internal rubber parts in a petcock dry out, the handle becomes
    impossible to turn. I loosen up the screws on the front of the petcock
    and let it leak a little so the gasoline will soften the rubber and it
    will turn a lot easier. Then I tighten the screws and the petcock works
    fine.
    You can easily get the right o-ring. You don't need the whole petcock,
    don't let the morons behind the parts counter bullshit you.

    I needed the rubber petcock parts for my KLR, so I looked them up
    online and called two local Kawasaki dealers asking for the parts. They
    couldn't figure out whether they had them, or how to order them,
    because Kawasaki has a whole bunch of dash numbers for the generic
    parts.

    They've literally bought *millions* of rubber grommets and o-rings for
    those petcocks, but
    they can't get them into the customers' hands because of (1) their
    moronic employees, and (2) their cumbersome parts inventory system.

    The various dash number petcocks will have slight differences to fit
    various gas tanks, but the internal rubber parts are the same.

    I went ahead and ordered the parts online from www.partsfish.com and
    got them within a week, but it cost me $10 special handling.

    Kawasaki has always been incredibly greedy on parts. One guy told me
    that he broke his Ninja tail light in a crash and Kawasaki wanted $200
    for the lens. So he glued all the piece back together and it looked
    like shit because he didn't know where to look for aftermarket lenses.

    My KLR tipped over and I needed a turn signal, so I went to the
    Kawasaki dealer and asked for a new signal. I told him to get me a
    manual while he was at it. He came back with a $45 signal and a $40
    manual. I told him that it looked like he wasn't going to do any
    business with me and walked away.

    I went to aftermarket and got a replacement turn signal for $15. The
    manual cost $2.00 on ebay.
     
    B-12, Oct 18, 2006
    #3
  4. Shaky Jake

    B-12 Guest

    The difference between the petcocks often isn't internal, it's
    external. Different style Kawasakis have different length main and
    reserve standpipes for different tanks, so Kawasaki had to stock
    hundreds of different petcocks.

    But, since they came from the same supplier, they had the same internal
    rubber parts.
    Yes, I know how it works. I wound up with a 92055-1111 o-ring that
    seals the side of the selector lever and a 43049-1017 4-holed packing
    that allows fuel to flow from the main, reserve, or prime positions.

    But the idiots at two Kawasaki delerships couldn't find the parts. And,
    I expected that the parts guys would know that there are
    interchangeable rubber parts used on dozens of models, but they didn't,
    they were defeated at the computer screen. They should be able to find
    a generic cross reference list in their database somewhere.
     
    B-12, Oct 18, 2006
    #4
  5. Shaky Jake

    B-12 Guest

    The parts counter guy of many years ago had a far easier job. The
    motorcycles were simpler and there were a lot fewer models and the
    parts guys seemed to realize that a lot of parts were interchangeable
    between models.

    And, the local multiple brand dealership had an attic filled with
    anything I could imagine.

    The little store front motorcycle shops could never afford to stock so
    many parts.
    The North Hollywood Suzuki dealer that I loved to hate was pouring
    money into his airplanes. He didn't want to stock street bikes, he
    wanted to sell dirt bikes, even after the dirtbike craze was drying up
    and everybody was joining street bike clubs.
    It seems reasonable to me that if the distributors are going to import
    mass produced street machinery, they would stock sufficient parts to
    keep them running during their service life.

    OTOH, how could the Japanese manufacturers have known that their
    products were so durable they would still be running 20 years later?

    But, the average new motorcycle rider only rides 5000 miles a year,
    keeps his machine for 5 years, riding it less and less every year,
    before he disposes of it.

    That sort of rider never runs into the problems that we gearheads and
    the impecunious commuting rider encounter.
     
    B-12, Oct 19, 2006
    #5
  6. Yes. They stick and seize.
    Bugger all. RTFM.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Oct 19, 2006
    #6
  7. Unless there is something fundamentally different between US and UK
    dealers, this is utter bullshit.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Oct 19, 2006
    #7
  8. More bullshit.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Oct 19, 2006
    #8
  9. Well, while there are bike dealers who love bikes, that doesn't mean
    they're necessarily good businessmen. And some bike dealers I've
    encountered, who regard them as a fun commodity but no more, are very
    good businessmen and know what customer service means in terms of *more*
    business.

    So your sweeping statement is, I'm afraid, bullshit. Live with the
    shame.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Oct 20, 2006
    #9
  10. Shaky Jake

    messenger1 Guest

    Having many times (unsuccessfully) tried to source and cross reference
    parts for 3 different old Kawasaki's here at our local dealership (KZ750,
    GPz900, GPz550) I have learned that many parts that are identical do NOT
    have the same Kawy part number. The head parts guy here is a very
    knowledgeable and helpful individual (sorry he's no moron) who has raced and
    owned a ton of old Kawy's, and even he agrees kawy's numbering system needs
    refinement. Case in point, I was looking for a replacement alternator for my
    GPz900 (1985) and he looked it up, used whatever cross reference they have
    available and then told me it was proprietary to that bike according to
    kawy's parts fiche. I took a chance (for 900.00/dealer vs. used/50.00!) and
    bought a used one from a ZL900(1986) off ebay and lo and behold, even though
    Kawy's parts numbers are different, the actual units are identical right
    down to the manufacturers parts numbers on them. All this to ask (sorry to
    the OP for the hijack) does no one make some kind of cross reference system
    similar to what auto wreckers use??

    Tom B
    1984 KZ750/1105 street fighter
    1985 GPz900
    1984 GPz550
    2006 Duc S2R1000
     
    messenger1, Oct 21, 2006
    #10
  11. True.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Oct 21, 2006
    #11
  12. Shaky Jake

    John Johnson Guest

    [snip]
    AFAIK, there is no such cross-reference system.

    --
    Later,
    John



    'indiana' is a 'nolnn' and 'hoosier' is a 'solkk'. Indiana doesn't solkk.
     
    John Johnson, Oct 21, 2006
    #12
  13. Shaky Jake

    messenger1 Guest

    fwiw Mark, Dave the parts guy also explained to me, that a 1 digit number
    difference could be as inconsequential as a paint and finish code or as
    important as a minute measurement difference. The real pisser about the
    Kawy parts system is the fact that although many items are indeed
    interchangeable and share the same part number, the prices don't reflect
    this! I dropped my GPz in a parking lot (new tank bag, didn't lift my leg
    high enough to clear me bad) and broke the rear turn sig. Dave looked up the
    GPz part and it was about 75.00. Got the usual, 20+ year old bike, not a lot
    of parts left blah blah blah. I cross referenced one from a newer ZX10
    (forget which year) on partsfish for about 1/2 that list price!

    Tom B
     
    messenger1, Oct 21, 2006
    #13

  14. This is indeed the way it works.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Oct 21, 2006
    #14
  15. There isn't. I tried looking for one some years ago, and even started
    trying to set up such a site, but it weas just too much hassle.

    There are other things - I mean, BMW fuel filters fit Ducatis and vice
    versa. I even remember that the original headlight (rectangular) in the
    old Guzzi Le Mans Mark Two was the same unit as fitted to a Fiat 127.
     
    The Older Gentleman, Oct 21, 2006
    #15
  16. Ding
     
    The Older Gentleman, Oct 24, 2006
    #16
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