Taking an engine out

I don't know about KZ's specifically, but a trick that works for other bikes is to lay some blankets on the floor for padding. Then lay the bike on its side, remove mounting bolts and wiggle the frame off the engine.
 
Regardless of your method, do it carefully. I was able to slip the engine out of my GR650 by myself without laying the bike down, but i payed for it for the rest of the weekend and I've been called a "monster" by people I work with because i swap transmissions without a jack (but they're only Mazdas, I don't see the problem...). I wouldn't do that on my CB750.

Your best bet is to find a manual, watch some YouTube, read as many build threads here as possible (Jimbonaut just walked us through an engine removal on his CB750) pick up a box of beer and grab an assistant.
 
I third laying the bike on its side and literally removing the frame from the engine. It's a lot easier to wrestle a frame around than it is 150 lbs of engine. Leave 2 engine mount bolts, loose, in place until its horizontal, then remove the 2 bolts/mounts and shimmy the frame up and away.
 
It's tight and awkward on my kz550, owners manual has the jist of it. The 550 falls into the frame so it sucks by oneself. I scratched the frame doing it solo, got it in with a buddy with no scratches....slow and steady. Mine can only come out the left side of the frame. I had a milk crate with a slab of wood even with the frame to "walk" it on to, someday I may invest in a motorcycle jack, probably work great for this kind of stuff. Good luck.
 
In my experience, each bike has its own way of having the motor leave the frame. Generally the shop manual will tell you which side and what method to use. Some come out the right or left, some top first some bottom, some with a twist and lean, Check the manual.
 
As Jewbacca mentioned, for heavy motors, it's often easiest to lay the bike on its side with the motor on a tire or two and lift the frame off. That's a common technique with big triples and fours. Twins can usually be lifted out but they are not easy to hold and move around and you have to be careful of your fingers and back.
 
Here's how i removed engine from my 1975 kz400: add the jack under the engine, loosen all mounting bolts, lift engine a bit and then wiggle it out of the frame with help from another person.
 
Back
Top Bottom