TOPIC:

I have a 1979 kz650sr. when the bike is warmed up it starts right up and runs out fine all works well. If I need to crank it for more than a couple seconds the starter motor runs fine but the engine quits turning and it sounds like it is skiping or grinding or something.The gear on the starter looks good, and the gear that it meshes with looks good.I dont have a service manual yet,it is on order. I am very new to the world of motorcycles and any help would be appreciated. THANKS BILLY.

Hey Billy,
I have an 81 kz750. It does not have a kick start like yours. You are dealing with a starter clutch issue. It is probably located in the crank case on the secondary shaft. Thats where mine is. I'm having the same exact symptoms. There known to go on these bikes. I am using Rotella oil. 10/40. Rotella Is a cleaning oil. It gets inside all the gears which make up the secondary shaft, and cleans any dirt or gunk that has formed as a coating on each mechanical part. After using this for the first time, it became real dirty, fast. The starter clutch started firing up on first attempts and only got better with each oil change. I have also been popping the clutch in second to start it from cold. If I were you, I would just use your kick start, while trying the rotella. I think it will start working for you. The other option is splitting the case and replacing parts which are not that cheap. It is alot of work and there are guys who have done this with detailed write-ups, but for someone with little experience in this area, like myself, I wouldn't attempt it. I've heard of guys buying a motor for 400.00, and swapping it with there own to avoid the headache. good luck with it and I hope I was some help. You can buy Rotella at Pep Boys or Any auto store. Let me know how it works for you.


John

You don't have to split the case to change the starter clutch, you can change it by going through the bottom, and there's an article in the Filebase under the KZ Information tab at the top of any page on KZR that tells you how to do it.

and you can get a rebuild kit at z1

steell wrote:

You don't have to split the case to change the starter clutch, you can change it by going through the bottom, and there's an article in the Filebase under the KZ Information tab at the top of any page on KZR that tells you how to do it.

Yep!
Simply said..., remove oil,..remove engine,...turn it upside-down...remove oil-pan,...remove both side-cover's ( yes,.. clutch-cover to..), disassemble clutch, use special-tool(info wphb)to block clutch-housing(basket) etc..etc...
It's best to use the WPHB. The clutch-shaft is removable.
( also known as the secondary-shaft ).

And there are those (younger and smaller than me) that
have changed the starter clutch without removing the
engine from the frame. They lay down on the floor and
drop the pan so they can change it from the bottom.

Me, I'd pull the motor and flip it upside down.

THANKS for the help I really apperciate it. next weekend i am on it .I will let you all know how it goes again thanks. billy

I have checked out there site and i cant find one. do you know the part # or how much they are? are there any other places to get one? dealer?

Thanks for the info. How long do you think it would take to do? Just wondering because I would do it if it was a reasonable amount of work. I did try the Rotella and it is working though.

I am going to try the rotella first i will let ya know.