NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
- fitscott
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 05:06
Hey Ron, What problems did you have with it or what did you not like?
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- Patton
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 05:45 - 26 Mar 2014 03:56fitscott wrote: Hey Ron, What problems did you have with it or what did you not like?
Read'em and weep! :lol:
www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/593181-no...-78-z1r-turbo#626447
www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/592094-19...ased?start=20#615871
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/59...e-observation#614670
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/58...78-z1-r-turbo#585503
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/56...ales-log-book#563014
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/53...g-to-look-for#539279
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/46...ers-out-there#464638
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/43...call?start=60#435168
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/35...d-information#351069
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/32...-last-weekend#324833
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/23...cally-updated#239621
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/21...-78-z1r-turbo#212117
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/21...-78-z1r-turbo#212076
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/18...-turbocharged#183075
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/18...-turbocharged#183064
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/18...1r-here-in-cl#182990
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/18...1r-here-in-cl#182365
www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/103008-440-turbo#103170
www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/102043-z1r-turbo#102075
www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/593181-no...urbo?start=20#626609
Good Fortune!

1973 Z1
KZ900 LTD
KZ900 LTD
Last edit: 26 Mar 2014 03:56 by Patton.
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- mtkawboy
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 08:12
The owner mentioned to me that the way he had the decals & emblems on the side cover wasn't correct but its the way he wanted it. It didn't make sense to me but no one asked me my opinion. He said that once you remove the Harley Bendix carb that the rideability is much better. id just like to ride one myself and see.
78-KZ1000/1105, 80 KZ1000, 82 Kawasaki GPZ750, 95 Harley Fatboy, 80 Suzuki GS1100ET, 81 GS1100E parts bike, 83 GS1100SD Katana/1394,78 Yamaha XT500, 81 Yamaha XS650, 78 Yamaha XS650E, 48 Whizzer model J motorbike, 71 Honda CT70H, 71 Honda CT70, 81 IT 250 Yamaha,82 Honda XL100S owned
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- 650ed
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 09:22
How was he able to compare rideability between the different carbs if the bike has zero miles? Did he test it with the odometer disconnected or is he basing that comparison on someone else's experience? Ed
1977 KZ650-C1 Original Owner - Stock (with additional invisible FIAMM horn)
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- Street Fighter LTD
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 09:38I can tell you all this from personal experience650ed wrote: How was he able to compare rideability between the different carbs if the bike has zero miles? Did he test it with the odometer disconnected or is he basing that comparison on someone else's experience? Ed
My kit supplied carb from many years ago was fair to good for driveability I think it was a Kiehin ( Forgive the spelling ). But when I couldn't find gaskets for it any longer I went back to Mr Turbo and purchased a 42 flatslide Mikuni carb and it is great !! Biggest negative for my turbo bike is that its very cold blooded and needs to be warmed up properly before it will simmer down and purr
With lower than stock compression I could ride all year on shit fuel if needed from home to California , then just put good fuel in it and grab a fist full of throttle and win races
Dave
Original owner 78 1000 LTD
Mr Turbo Race Kit, MTC 1075 Turbo pistons by PitStop Performance , Falicon Ultra Lite Super Crank, APE everything. Les Holt @ PDM's Billet Goodies . Frame by Chuck Kurzawa @ Logghe Chassis . Deep sump 5qt oil pan. RIP Bill Hahn
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- fitscott
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 12:31
Thanks Dave and thanks Patton for the info. I'm very curious about Turbo driveability but didn't realize I was asking such a loaded question- Scott
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- les holt
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 16:09 - 25 Mar 2014 16:10
Watch this!
www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=60291462308...video_comment_tagged
We were on our way home from a bike rally, 60 plus miles from my home, bike isn't 2 days old with the turbo and listen to the idle, the throttle response, I do a burnout, roll up and idle!!! I'll ride this thing anywhere you want to go! Now, as for cold natured? BAD, really bad. It'll start and stay running with help from the throttle but it wont sit and idle for no one until it's warm.
Oh, did you notice it's foot shifted? I'll jump a stock busa in a heartbeat!! Since that pass I've upped the boost from 8# to 18# and took 4 teeth off the back.
Turbos are easy to ride, until boost says other wise. To call all turbo kaws bad is just uninformed and or uneducated. They had their learning curves when they came out and quite a few people still base their opinions on those factors but with the better technology carbs we have today, they are a tamed down dinosaurs with a subtle hint of pissed off under the skin.
Said it many a time, I ride, come on down and lets play!!
Oh, another adventure of mine besides my frequent rides to work or just out and about!!
www.cycleworld.com/2013/09/04/2013-cycle...-concours-bike-show/
Turbos are very streetable and have been for years, don't let someones bad experiences sway you away from them. Automakers didn't!!
Les Holt
PDM Custom Fabrications
www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=60291462308...video_comment_tagged
We were on our way home from a bike rally, 60 plus miles from my home, bike isn't 2 days old with the turbo and listen to the idle, the throttle response, I do a burnout, roll up and idle!!! I'll ride this thing anywhere you want to go! Now, as for cold natured? BAD, really bad. It'll start and stay running with help from the throttle but it wont sit and idle for no one until it's warm.
Oh, did you notice it's foot shifted? I'll jump a stock busa in a heartbeat!! Since that pass I've upped the boost from 8# to 18# and took 4 teeth off the back.
Turbos are easy to ride, until boost says other wise. To call all turbo kaws bad is just uninformed and or uneducated. They had their learning curves when they came out and quite a few people still base their opinions on those factors but with the better technology carbs we have today, they are a tamed down dinosaurs with a subtle hint of pissed off under the skin.
Said it many a time, I ride, come on down and lets play!!
Oh, another adventure of mine besides my frequent rides to work or just out and about!!
www.cycleworld.com/2013/09/04/2013-cycle...-concours-bike-show/
Turbos are very streetable and have been for years, don't let someones bad experiences sway you away from them. Automakers didn't!!
Les Holt
PDM Custom Fabrications
www.facebook.com/PdmCustomFabrication
76 kz 900 turbo
77 LTD 1000 turbo
2 78 Z1R's
72 H2
kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/491552...one-followed-me-home
accelerate.presspublisher.us/issue/issue-6-2012/article/ltd
www.cycleworld.com/2013/09/04/2013-cycle...-concours-bike-show/
76 kz 900 turbo
77 LTD 1000 turbo
2 78 Z1R's
72 H2
kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/491552...one-followed-me-home
accelerate.presspublisher.us/issue/issue-6-2012/article/ltd
www.cycleworld.com/2013/09/04/2013-cycle...-concours-bike-show/
Last edit: 25 Mar 2014 16:10 by les holt.
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- mtkawboy
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 16:26 - 25 Mar 2014 16:30
He owns a turbo v-max and a turbo CBX Honda 6 cyl so id guess from that, I really don't know. I just met the guy Saturday. Ralph when I took the pictures I had no idea what was correct & what wasn't, I hadn't seen one since they were new in the show rooms
78-KZ1000/1105, 80 KZ1000, 82 Kawasaki GPZ750, 95 Harley Fatboy, 80 Suzuki GS1100ET, 81 GS1100E parts bike, 83 GS1100SD Katana/1394,78 Yamaha XT500, 81 Yamaha XS650, 78 Yamaha XS650E, 48 Whizzer model J motorbike, 71 Honda CT70H, 71 Honda CT70, 81 IT 250 Yamaha,82 Honda XL100S owned
Last edit: 25 Mar 2014 16:30 by mtkawboy.
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 16:42Patton wrote:fitscott wrote: Hey Ron, What problems did you have with it or what did you not like?
Read'em and weep! :lol:
www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/593181-no...-78-z1r-turbo#626447
www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/592094-19...ased?start=20#615871
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/59...e-observation#614670
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/58...78-z1-r-turbo#585503
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/56...ales-log-book#563014
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/53...g-to-look-for#539279
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/46...ers-out-there#464638
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/43...call?start=60#435168
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/35...d-information#351069
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/32...-last-weekend#324833
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/23...cally-updated#239621
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/21...-78-z1r-turbo#212117
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/21...-78-z1r-turbo#212076
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/18...-turbocharged#183075
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/18...-turbocharged#183064
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/18...1r-here-in-cl#182990
www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/18...1r-here-in-cl#182365
www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/103008-440-turbo#103170
www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/102043-z1r-turbo#102075
Good Fortune!
Damm Patton
Well you proved to me one thing.
That Ron really is consistent in his anti Z1R Turbo beliefs.
Im Happy to say Les and I have had great experiences running Street and Strip KZ 1000 motors for years
Original owner 78 1000 LTD
Mr Turbo Race Kit, MTC 1075 Turbo pistons by PitStop Performance , Falicon Ultra Lite Super Crank, APE everything. Les Holt @ PDM's Billet Goodies . Frame by Chuck Kurzawa @ Logghe Chassis . Deep sump 5qt oil pan. RIP Bill Hahn
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- les holt
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 17:01 - 25 Mar 2014 17:07
Dave! you got to get your ass down in my neck of the woods! We have one of the best county's next to me in Indiana to ride in. They have over 30 covered bridges on some good ole back roads that lend themselves to some good pics! I'll bet I could get Ramtought63, going out on a limb but i'd bet bluej58 and a few others could make an appearance as well. What say you?? I have 1 guest room and a whole lot of room for camping!! Only thing short is gas stations!! got to plan around those. lol
Guys, send me a PM if you'd like to hook up in some way.
Les Holt
Guys, send me a PM if you'd like to hook up in some way.
Les Holt
www.facebook.com/PdmCustomFabrication
76 kz 900 turbo
77 LTD 1000 turbo
2 78 Z1R's
72 H2
kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/491552...one-followed-me-home
accelerate.presspublisher.us/issue/issue-6-2012/article/ltd
www.cycleworld.com/2013/09/04/2013-cycle...-concours-bike-show/
76 kz 900 turbo
77 LTD 1000 turbo
2 78 Z1R's
72 H2
kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/491552...one-followed-me-home
accelerate.presspublisher.us/issue/issue-6-2012/article/ltd
www.cycleworld.com/2013/09/04/2013-cycle...-concours-bike-show/
Last edit: 25 Mar 2014 17:07 by Patton.
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 17:42les holt wrote: Dave! you got to get your ass down in my neck of the woods! We have one of the best county's next to me in Indiana to ride in. They have over 30 covered bridges on some good ole back roads that lend themselves to some good pics! I'll bet I could get Ramtought63, going out on a limb but i'd bet bluej58 and a few others could make an appearance as well. What say you?? I have 1 guest room and a whole lot of room for camping!! Only thing short is gas stations!! got to plan around those. lol
Guys, send me a PM if you'd like to hook up in some way.
Les Holt
Les
You know Im in.

Just need to get mine and your Honey Doos caught up and Family matters completed.
When we do it, We can swap bikes for a ride like discussed and add to our fun .
This can be our Midwest Mini Rally as I cant see having the time or money to go al the way to Colorado.
Dave
Original owner 78 1000 LTD
Mr Turbo Race Kit, MTC 1075 Turbo pistons by PitStop Performance , Falicon Ultra Lite Super Crank, APE everything. Les Holt @ PDM's Billet Goodies . Frame by Chuck Kurzawa @ Logghe Chassis . Deep sump 5qt oil pan. RIP Bill Hahn
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- RonKZ650
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Re: NOS never titled 78 Z1R Turbo
25 Mar 2014 20:29
I bought mine with only 800 miles on it, it was good as new in looks, however if you look at that paint job, it is really pretty fricking awful. It's really kind of sad they took a new 1978 Z1R and painted it all up the way they did. That was my first observation, so cosmetics are a personal thing so opinions vary. Put the bad paint aside, you have a nice Z1R, and some came not repainted from what I've read, but I've personally known 15 or more of these just in Denver and all were this black Moly job and they only made 600? So I've known first hand one in 40 of the production run, which I find rather difficult to believe, but maybe they all congregated to denver, don't know.
There was no documentation to help with working on the system, so you are on your own. There are wires running to big transistors mounted on brackets with termination methods really crude, just like they took the factory harness and hacked it up, stripped wires, wrapped around screw heads, then tightened with wire and insulation hanging out to the sides, like someone does by adding goofball fairing or whatever, so strike two, but I could have lived with hacked wiring looking like done by a 6th grader. The big deal was the way it ran. They didn't come with any of the carbs mentioned. They came with a Zenith carb. Zenith better stay with TVs. Carb was only good at full throttle. No cruising, no easy commute. Impossible. No documentation, they had jetting system no one knew or would divulge the info on, had things if disassembled were impossible to reassemble correctly for the most part. Well get it assembled correctly it would run strong, but no manners, no fun, if you're not full throttle, just down right disgusting. Expect to foul plugs every ride unless full throttle. No provision to drain gas from the carb, so expect gas to go stale and varnish in 30 days if not ridden. I can let other motorcycles sit acouple months, but not this one.
Last complaint is probably just Z1R, not turbo specific, but walk by that thing in the garage, brush against the turn signals with 0.1LB of force and they get out of alignment and loosen internally. Disassemble to tighten the internals up, then there is the nice blue head pipe thing to constantly look at.
Otherwise it was a good bike.
There was no documentation to help with working on the system, so you are on your own. There are wires running to big transistors mounted on brackets with termination methods really crude, just like they took the factory harness and hacked it up, stripped wires, wrapped around screw heads, then tightened with wire and insulation hanging out to the sides, like someone does by adding goofball fairing or whatever, so strike two, but I could have lived with hacked wiring looking like done by a 6th grader. The big deal was the way it ran. They didn't come with any of the carbs mentioned. They came with a Zenith carb. Zenith better stay with TVs. Carb was only good at full throttle. No cruising, no easy commute. Impossible. No documentation, they had jetting system no one knew or would divulge the info on, had things if disassembled were impossible to reassemble correctly for the most part. Well get it assembled correctly it would run strong, but no manners, no fun, if you're not full throttle, just down right disgusting. Expect to foul plugs every ride unless full throttle. No provision to drain gas from the carb, so expect gas to go stale and varnish in 30 days if not ridden. I can let other motorcycles sit acouple months, but not this one.
Last complaint is probably just Z1R, not turbo specific, but walk by that thing in the garage, brush against the turn signals with 0.1LB of force and they get out of alignment and loosen internally. Disassemble to tighten the internals up, then there is the nice blue head pipe thing to constantly look at.
Otherwise it was a good bike.
321,000 miles on KZ's that I can remember. Not going to see any more.
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