TOPIC:

First off, I apologize if this has been covered, i did some searching and didnt find anything exactly like my problem.

Second, this is my first time owning a KZ or a bike of any kind for that matter, so this is all a learning experience for me.

I bought an 82 KZ 440 that was not running for $300. Ive done quite a lot of TLC work already --- new tires, float bowls, battery, had the carbs jetted out and new floats put in, took off the air box (saved it of course) and put on nicer looking individual air cleaners on each carb, ground off all the paint from the fuel tank, patched the pinholes, re-primered it, put a new petcock, tank cap, fuel line, and in line filter on it. Ive got it running however it was hard to get it to start, and when it did start, it ran very poorly or had a real high (3000 rpm) idle and would eventually die, Yes, i made sure the petcock was in the on position.

Now -- where things started getting screwy -- i noticed the ground wire was frayed pretty bad so i replaced that hoping it would help the starting issue. I also replaced the spark plugs which were black/burnt on th ends when i took the old ones out. I also found a salvaged igniton coil and wires on ebay for about 8 bucks so i bought that as well and threw it on there. Now i cant get the motor to start at all with either my old ignition coil or the new one! The starter motor sounds fine, but i cant get the engine to turn over. Im also noticing that there are 2 unpugged wires coming out of the main harness on the right hand side of the bike (if facing forward). One of them is yellow ith a thin black stripe, the other is white with a thin blue stripe. Ive looked all over the bike and cant find where they go to, and i cant remember ever unplugging them.

SO-- im guessing i have multiple issues with my electrical system here and am kinda lost/stuck. Anyone have a clue on what these 2 wires might be to, and why im suddenly getting no spark after putting in brand new plugs? The plug wires are unique on these things so its not like a simple replacement.

I can take pictures if needed. Thank you in advance for any help!!!

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here is the wiring diagram from my manual. I am in the same boat as you with no spark, except you had spark. From the diagram, it seems yellow/black comes from the negative battery terminal, and all over the place, including every light and your ignitor.
White/blue All I see in the book is blue with white stripe, and this appears to go to the headlight switch, turn signal switch, and turn signal control unit, your fuse box and that appears to be it.

Keep us updated, and if I figure out my no spark, I will pass it to you as well.

*And please take a picture (I am working on an 1980 440, and the wiring appears to be mostly the same(except for points vs CDI) so perhaps seeing exactly where your wires are would help me see them to help you.)

As previously mentioned neither of those wires should be related to your non-starting issue.

Get a factory service manual if you do not already have one - you can find them online. Check kz400.com.

"It revs high and then dies" - check your rubber intake manifolds for cracks and leaks. If they are original they probably need replaced. Once you do have it started you can test this by spraying carb cleaner or other flammable spray around the intakes while the bike is running. If the bike revs up then you have leaks.

Test the two coils. You can find testing procedures in the factory service manual. Personally I'm not comfortable with 30+ year old coils, I would not buy a used one when you can get a new Emgo coil that works just fine for $40.

Clean the carbs - again. There was a saying on the old kz400.com forums that you needed to clean the carbs 3 times before they were truly clean. I can verify that that may be true - I had to clean my first pair 3 times. When you take the carbs apart pay special attention to the rubber diaphragms in the top of the carbs. Be very careful when removing them. After you have them removed hold them up to the light to see if there are any pinholes or larger obvious holes or tears. If there are any holes you will have to replace them. You will probably not be able to find NOS replacements and if you do they are made from the same 30+ year old rubber of the pieces you currently have. There is a place that makes replacements that I've heard good things about: I believe it is JDM industries. Check the fuel height in the carbs using the "clear tube" method. And sync the carbs - that will save you a lot of grief when trying to diagnose running issues.

You'll need more than one new pair of spark plugs. Buy a box (10 in a pack maybe?) of them. New clean spark plugs cure a lot of ills.

Check and adjust valves. It is pretty simple to do.

Check the compression. The bike should be warmed up to do that but you can do a cold check to get a rough idea. If you do not have a compression gauge you may be able to borrow one from an auto parts store like Auto Zone, Napa, etc.

You mentioned removing the airbox for pod filters. I would recommend putting that airbox back in place at least until you get it running and then you can start experimenting. If you do decide to go with pod filters, cheap pod filters (Emgo) are not the answer - go with K&N or Uni filters.

One problem with a cheap $300 non-running bike is that it is non-running for a reason, even if that reason is just that carbs are gummed up - otherwise if it started up it would be a running bike. The second problem (that you're already experiencing) is that parts and $$ add up quickly when turning a neglected bike that needs some TLC into a runner. New battery, inner tubes and tires are a given but things like brake pads, brake shoes, new cables (throttle, tach, speedo, clutch), intake manifolds, carb to airbox boots, carb diaphragms, petcock gaskets, several sets of spark plugs, coil and wires, points and condenser (not in your case), fork seals, maybe mufflers, perhaps shocks, etc usually all need replaced or at least some attention. Not to mention the additional specialty tools needed. That may not be a big deal for some people or you, I bought an old bike because I wanted to work on one, but for someone just looking for a rider it can be frustrating and false economy.

First off, thanks for the detailed reply. Ill grab one of those manuals.

I had replaced the intake boots with new ones as the old ones were pretty dry rotted and making a bad seal. One of the bolts that holds them tight to the engine block snapped off, so it doesnt have a really tight seal. I had a feeling that would cause problems and I cant belive i forgot about that during my original post.

Ill see if i can find one of those emgo coils on line as well, i wasnt comfortable with the old one either but spent some time rummaging the internet and wasnt finding anything that looked compatable. Ill check that out, i think that could be a big help too.

Ill get those carbs torn back apart once i get this electrical issue fixed.

I have extra spark plugs so that will be fine, ill use as needed. Checking valves and compression i hadnt even thought of yet (im getting tunnel vision on this electrical issue, i know), so thank you for introducing that as well. Good call on the Airbox as well, i took it off just because it took up so much room and doesnt look the greatest, but it doesnt sound like were ready for that yet.

I hear ya on the $300 non runner - but i bought for the same reason --- i wanted to learn as i go working on it. As frustrating as it can be at times, its still a fun experience, and in the end once its all done ill have a lot of knowledge to take away from it and the pride of saying yeah, i built this thing. Thanks again for your insight, its exactly what i needed!

Thanks for that diagram -- very helpful, ill check it out. Ill see if i can grab some pictures this weekend too.

any news on the spark issue yet? I have not had any updates, just a bunch of negative test... Let us know if you figured it out, bud.

Thanks and good luck

I do not know if this will help you at all, but I found that my spark issue was related to losing almost 2 volts between the battery and the coil. For testing purposes, I ran a wire from the positive terminal straight to the coil (only while in the on position) and attempted to start. I got a big back fire (from all the starter fluid over the past few days, I assume.) However, a great sign, as backfires need spark. Then I tested and saw spark in my plugs.

I am not sure if that will help you at all, but I hope you figure it out. I am working on fixing mine the right way. Good luck.