1975 KZ400

Spitfire151

Been Around the Block
Hey all,
I am looking at maybe picking up a second bike to do a restor/very slight brat mod to. It is as the title said, a KZ400 from 1975. The tank is a bit rusty inside, the carbs need work, and there is the standard oil leak that most KZs seem to have. However, the owner has the airbox off and forgot to put it back on when he tore down the carbs in the Spring. He doesn't really ride it at all and when I test drove it, you needed the choke on to run the thing. I did not get a real good test ride bc it was cold, dark, and the choke was making the throttle grabby. He also has shorty mufflers on with no baffles I believe. The tach is gone, and I can tell it will need some wiring and a turn signal relay and new tires. Battery is good, side covers are pretty good, tank has no dents but someone removed the badges and bondoed the holes =(.

Currently I have a 1981 KZ440 cafe'd and love it. I'm looking for a bike that I may need to learn some things on (such as carbs, de-rusting a tank). Also, my current bike will need a starter clutch/rebuild soon so I will have to tackle that this Winter.

The owner is asking $775 and I think I can work on that. Let me know your thoughts, attached are two pics.
 

Attachments

  • 3E73L53N65I15Kc5X2cb24ce09008751415ab.jpg
    3E73L53N65I15Kc5X2cb24ce09008751415ab.jpg
    43.6 KB · Views: 1,355
  • 3Kb3Gd3J75L35Ef5Ffcb2a2484813441a124b.jpg
    3Kb3Gd3J75L35Ef5Ffcb2a2484813441a124b.jpg
    45.5 KB · Views: 1,437
Looks like a good starting point for a project! That seat looks like it's in really good shape. You could probably sell that off for a few bucks if you're going to make it a brat.
 
That was my thought too, along with some the accessories. I'd keep those side covers though, I dig the little chrome 'intakes'. I'm mainly concerned with the choke/airbox situation. Also the pipes are in rough order, one is quite rusty and the other has an underside dent. All things I'm willing to take on but back to the point, with the airbox off, the carbs are sucking in...anything so am I looking at a ticking time bomb with the engine?
 
Wouldn't I need to re-jet? I've never done any heavy mechanical bike work so this would be my first crack at doing anything carb related.
 
Spitfire151 said:
Wouldn't I need to re-jet? I've never done any heavy mechanical bike work so this would be my first crack at doing anything carb related.

Well it looks like it's time to buy a manual and some tools and start learning.
CV carbs require 'special' attention when run without the factory air box.
VM or 'slide' carbs are more forgiving and easier to get tuned in.
You will need to change boots and run a splitter on the cable to make it work.
 
I do have the Clymer manual for my 440 which also covers this 400 I'm mostly concerned with that engine being a time bomb, has anyone had such an experience/history with a bike who ran with no air filter, reinstalled it or pods and later had issues (not from the pods themselves, I know KZs can get grumpy w/ them)?
 
The KZ400 is an awesome bike, I love mine. I purchased mine from an old lady that let it sit in a garage for $750 with 10k miles and in pretty bad shape. Your bike might only look like its worth $500 but at least its a better deal than mine. After a few months of work I got the bike where I wanted it, and I have pictures for everything I have done, including engine rebuild, clutch replacement and carb rejetting (which was way easier than people told me it would be). The last pic is replacing the clutch (which is also fairly easy and fast). If you need help along the way with this bike, feel free to contact me and I will do what I can to help you out. Cheers!
 

Attachments

  • Before.jpg
    Before.jpg
    123.3 KB · Views: 786
  • After.jpg
    After.jpg
    346 KB · Views: 313
  • IMAG0517.jpg
    IMAG0517.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 326
Back
Top Bottom