TOPIC:

nightmare. My 1982 KZ1100 A2 has been giving me fits since I bought it last year. If it is not one thing it is another that needs tending to.

Now, it quit charging the battery. I suspecting the alternator. I was riding down the road and hit a crack in the pavement and the lights went dim. I will get the manual out Saturday and check out the stator and rectifier. I sure would like to ride the bike for a week without addressing something or another. The engine sure runs sweet now, but since I did the engine work, the odometer quit, the battery died, and two days after putting in a new battery, the charging system died. The speedo started reading 5mph slow too. Geeezzzz.....chris3:S

coppertales, lights going out over a bump... much more likely caused by a poor/intemitant connection(s).

Until you get your manual you can still do the following basics:

1) Check ALL connectors, clean and add dielectric grease.
2) Check the ground wire and connections from battery to engine.
3) Check the fuse box, clean all contacts even if they LOOK good, be prepared to swap out the old fuse box entirely.
4) Check ignition switch for cracks and breaks, be prepared to replace.

This approach worked for me. With any luck you may solve the problem before the manual arrives... that would be cool.

Best of success.

PS
Could you add your loaction to your signature... as you know it's considered real friendly.

Sometimes these old girls likes to give grief...just like the young girls. Hitting a crack in the road and having electrical issues kind of says to me that the wires and connectors needs a little attention. I believe if you just fix one thing on these oldies then a relative of the problem will be soon knocking on your door looking for a place to stay. I'm not saying YOU here but sometimes I wonder about people who get 25+ year old bikes and just get them running and then complain that they are chasing problems all over the bikes. I was taught to pretty much strip down a bike to it's undies and then build her back up again checking out everything. Has worked well so far! Especially with the electrical gremlins. But even doing that these girls will still bite ya. Just had a 77'KZ650B smoke the wiring harness that I'm sure my brother went completely through. Crapola happens! I'm also thinking if you want a "turnkey" "no worries" machine maybe a 25+ cougar is not your target. I've more than once thought of dumping the whole herd into a nice shiny new latest and greatest machine.....only to come to my senses and started wrenching again on the dinosaurs.

The insulation may be wearing thin around where the wire bundle goes up toward the headlight. You might have to slit it back to look for overheated wiring,and marginal splicing wrapped in electrical tape.

If you still have the stock fuse holder with the glass fuses, consider replacing it with the blade style found in automobiles(I have a 82 GPZ1100 B2 and am going to replace mine). The website www.whitehorsegear.com sells a compact fuse block for $34.95(2007 catalog price). Part #N-FUSB.

The manufacturers website is www.bluesea.com part #5025

I'm slowly working on geting my bike back on the road by upgrading the stock coils to ones by dyna www.dynaonline.com Are you still using the stock ignition system? If so look at the Dyna S as it replaces the ignitor completely. I am replacing plastic snap together connectors to weatherpack style found under the hood of most newer cars.

The website www.wgcarbs has a relay modification many people have done making their bikes easier to start and run.

Pm me for more info.

Thanks guys. I guess I am griping because the other two KZ1100Ds have been pretty trouble free. One I have had for 14 years and the other 2 years. Ignition switch might be an area to look at. When the speedo was acting up I could get it back by wiggling the key. Number one bike has a loose ignition switch. Been jiggling the key for years on that one. At least one bike, the number two bike, is running just great and has for the last year. I think I will just finish the assembly of the number one bike, down for a ring and valve job, and put it on the road so I can spend more time chasing gremlins in the red bike, aka number 3 bike. Another problem with the red bike I forgot about was the oil pressure light does not work. The bulb is good. I have a replacement oil press switch coming off ebay. My wife keeps telling me to sell all three bikes and buy a new one because I am getting too old to work on these old bikes, yeah, right. Been riding these old 4 cylinders for too long, 35 years to let go.....chris3

coppertales, remember the ignition switch is just over $40 USD. For an example see here:


www.z1enterprises.com/detail.aspx?ID=374

I had to change mine early on and it was only a mount-plug-&-play effort.

Best of success.

PS
Where are you at?

I am in Fort Worth......ordered from you guys many times. I will be playing troubleshooter this weekend. It is too hot out to work on the bikes after work..chris2

Uhhhhh... I don't work for Z1.

Just seems like it sometimes.