TOPIC:

For the diode, any of the 1N400x series should work. They are all 1 amp, just different peak reverse voltages, But you wouln't need high voltage.

So look for any of the following:
1N4001, 1N4002, 1N4003, 1N4004, 1N4005,

1N4001 and 1N4002 are probably the most commonly available.
If you get it on ebay, make sure it's actually from a decent manufacturer. "On Semiconductor" is a good brand. As with anything, there are counterfeit parts out there, so I would get it from a supplier like Digikey in the U.S., but I'm sure there must be other suppliers in Europe.

Thanks! I'm still trying to figure out how to mount a switch securely without drilling into the frame. I may end up using the automatic stand thing from Scirocco just to get through the MOT.

So, I'm going back and forward on the exhaust. Both should be fine for the MOT so the decision is down to optics and performance. The performance thing isn't a big deal, it's not going to be a bike geared towards that. That being said, it would have some bearing on my decision if I were to see a noticeable difference with the Eagle Classic (which will be pretty close to the Vance & Hines) over the stock 650B exhaust.
Can anyone with a bit of knowledge/experience here tell me whether performance will even be an issue in this case?

A member just posted a bike for sale... notice anything you need? 1984 KZ700

Thanks. Not sure he'd want to pull it off the bike, though

Got a new plate and spring for the side stand so it automatically retracts. Quick fix for the MOT so I don't rush anything and end up making a mess of the frame. I did see a picture of a 750 from Germany that had a switch mounted behind the footrest , that's probably the way I'll go.

After four weeks of waiting my exhaust arrived today. Seems SpeedPro have swapped suppliers for their Eagle exhausts. They used to get Vance & Hines systems approved for street use, then just slap their logo on it. It seems they are now using Delkevic! So I now have a street approved Delkevic with the megaphone silencer. Basically cost me the same as a new system from Delkevic plus the cost of the noise tests so I guess it’s OK, can’t help feeling I would have preferred the V & H though. Still, the bike is ready for testing once more and there won't be any drama with the exhaust. And it still looks really good

I started her up and was happy to hear that the megaphone is a bit deeper than the straight muffler - makes it a bit more of a growl and less of a scream at high revs. Should be easier on the ears. If not, the middle of the two baffles can be wrapped to quieten things down a bit.

I like it...

So, after a couple of months dealing with German bureaucracy I have finally got my bike registered!
The guy at the testing station still wasn't too happy with the noise levels, but he let it go through anyway as the silencer is approved for street use - he just said I may have problems if I ever get stopped by the cops.
I decided to wrap the inner baffle and see if that helped with the noise. It did and the bike even seemed to pull a bit better down low. At WOT, however, it was awful. It just wouldn't pull. After a test run I ended up with some of the fibreglass wrap hanging out the end of the exhaust - I guess I restricted the flow a bit too much
I pulled all the wrap out and went for my first proper ride. The noise is fine. I could be an a**hole and open up the throttle in town, but if I just ride normally it's absolutely fine (no heads turned when riding through the small towns around here).
The bike runs well and it was a lot of fun to just cruise around on. I'm calling this one finished now

That’s a fine looking Kz... enjoy it!

Congrats on finally finishing. The bike is beautiful.

I agree, that is a very good looking bike! Well done!

Now that I can finally ride my bike, I've noticed a pretty bad flat spot at about 5500-7500 rpm (very little power and not running smoothly). I started the diagnosis here: kzrider.com/forum/3-carburetor/613898-81...arb-tuning-questions
Since then I've done a few more tests and am pretty sure I need some new secondary main jets. I'll order some 130's and see if it gets better or worse (have the stock 125's in now). It should be an improvement as it is probably running a bit leaner due to the exhaust. I did the following today:
- Checked the idle screw settings with the colortune plug. This hadn't been done since I put the new exhaust on.
- Put in new plugs
- Replaced the air filter

The idle settings were pretty good except number three - it was a bit too rich. This was the screw that ended up being 4 turns out. I'm pretty sure the idle circuit was a bit blocked and it has probably freed up a bit (now it's only 3 turns out). I will check the plugs again after running on the idle circuit for a bit and see if I need to do some fine-tuning.

Other than rechecking the float levels I won't do anything else until the jets get here.