Kawasaki Zephyr 750, any input??

[13thenewblack13]

So i'm probably picking up a zephyr 750 this coming weekend, and i was wondering what you guys had to say about it. If you've owned or currently own one, chime in! a specific question i had was about something that happened with this bike. The owner had to get a replacement valve cover as the cam chain snapped and broke it. He said he bought a new cover online and got the problem fixed. I just wanted to know if this is something that just happens, or if its an issue to look out for as it may have worse implications.

Thanks!

 

[hillsy]

Can't say I've owned a Zephyr, but I've had a few Kawa fours over the years and they are generally pretty robust. There's not a lot of aftermarket for the Zephyr's as they were quickly overshadowed by the ZRX's at the time and they stopped production after a few short years.

A broken camchain that has smashed the cam cover is a bit of a worry. I'd suspect there would have been some valve to piston contact in there as well - best to ask if the top end was re-built because if it wasn't, then it will probably need it sooner rather than later.

Other than that, just go by the general wear and tear to assess the bike.

 

[Swagger]

Sounds like the bike hasn't had the required regular maintenance, like adjusting the cam chain.
If it's running well and he's got papers for the repairs AND a valid title....... $500 max due to history.

 

[13thenewblack13]

yeah i'm sure the top end has not been rebuilt. He just replaced the parts and did the adjustments. he's asking $1000 for it. It sucks cuz the zephyrs are hard to come by around here and i really like it. Is it for sure i'll have to do top end work?

 

[surplus 6]

why not through away the 750 lump and fit KZ1000J or GPZ1100 motor in (not sure if they're called that in usa?). they fit the frame - as they don't have kick start so smaller cases 8)

 

[surplus 6]

http://www.zephyr-zone.com/

 

[13thenewblack13]

yeah i was reading on other forums, people suggest unless you want a bike for parts or to do a bunch of motor work, to just walk away... sucks :-\ I found one like it a few hours away but its only a 550, i was really hoping for a 750 but those zephyrs are kind of hard to find, at least around here

 

[Charlie-R]

The 750 Zephyr lump is basically a bored out Z650 engine. They should be pretty much bulletproof.

The Zephyr runs a multi-link Hyvo camchain which is stronger than the single row ones fitted to the early Z650's (later 650F models also ran a Hyvo). I am not even aware of a single row chain breaking, let alone a Hyvo. I have worked in the bike industry since the 80's

The 650 lumps were known for their auto camchain adjuster problems. That would have been fixed by the time the Zephyr appeared though unless someone retro fitted an earlier type.

If that camchain has broken, you need to find the reason. Maybe it was just a badly riveted up joining link fitted by a P.O. that let go. There is the potential for an awful lot of collateral damage from the chain letting go though, even without valve damage. If it smashed the top cover - where did all the debris go ? Has he had the bottom off to check for smashed links or alloy debris ?

Walk away from it, or be prepared to source another motor. All the Z750-4's are pretty much the same engine from that time period. They are all grown from the Z650 lump.

 

[13thenewblack13]

The 750 Zephyr lump is basically a bored out Z650 engine. They should be pretty much bulletproof.

The Zephyr runs a multi-link Hyvo camchain which is stronger than the single row ones fitted to the early Z650's (later 650F models also ran a Hyvo). I am not even aware of a single row chain breaking, let alone a Hyvo. I have worked in the bike industry since the 80's

The 650 lumps were known for their auto camchain adjuster problems. That would have been fixed by the time the Zephyr appeared though unless someone retro fitted an earlier type.

If that camchain has broken, you need to find the reason. Maybe it was just a badly riveted up joining link fitted by a P.O. that let go. There is the potential for an awful lot of collateral damage from the chain letting go though, even without valve damage. If it smashed the top cover - where did all the debris go ? Has he had the bottom off to check for smashed links or alloy debris ?

Walk away from it, or be prepared to source another motor. All the Z750-4's are pretty much the same engine from that time period. They are all grown from the Z650 lump.

Thanks for all the insight and advice, i'm just going to move on and look for something else. The only thing the guy is doing is replacing the valve cover, i'm sure he doesn't want to do anything else so i'm not even going to bring it up to him. I found an XS650 i like but i was hoping for something newer this time around :/