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Hi all, I have a 1982 KZ550LTD that I've saved from the grave. I got it running now, but it doesn't run good. It runs pretty smooth and sounds pretty good to me, but I've never heard what this bike is supposed to sound like, so to an expert it might sound like crap. My main problems at this point are that the engine has no power and at around 6,000 rpm, It runs really rough and pops out the exhaust pipes on occasion. Also, it will only get up to 6,000 rpm tops. I can twist the throttle more, but no increase in rpms. As for my power issue. I can barely get it moving from a stop and can barely get up hills. I had to actually get off and push once. It has a little power in the lower rpms but still not nearly as much as it should.

What I've done so far, basically not much, I've PORed the gas tank so it wouldn't leak anymore and cleaned the carbs. Really that's about it, but I'm not sure what I should try next. Is it an ignition timing problem? Is it firing way too late possibly?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Check/adjust the valve clearances
Do a compression check
Do a complete tune up including making sure the timing advancer is working.

Sounds like the timing advancer is stuck in the retarded position, but you need to do all the above anyway.

I Agree with Steve but wanted to know... does the bike have the stock airbox/pipes?

Yes, I have the stock airbox on it and exhaust pipes. The left pipe has a rust hole in it where the 2 pipes turn into one. I have a parts bike that I'm gonna take the pipe off of and put on the one I have running.

I took the cover off to check the points and timing advancer...I found that I have electronic ignition. I marked the plate and took it off to inspect the advancer. One of the "arms?" of the advancer was sticking a bit so I lubed up the pivot points and moved them a bunch of times and now they work pretty well. Are they even functional since there is electronic ignition on it? Or are they just remnants of when the bike may have had points on it if it ever did have them?

Anyways, After I put the plate back on I lined up the marks I made and fired it up. It still has the same symptoms. I loosened the screws and adjusted the plate this way and that to see if anything would change. Nothing changed. Then I remembered reading here that you should spray some lube on the exhaust tubes to see if certain cylinders weren't firing. Sure enough that's what was going on. My 2 outer cylinders weren't firing. The lube smoked off the 2 inner pipes, and just dripped down the outer 2. I looked into it more, and found that one of the coils had a bad connection. I cleaned it up, and I could get it over 6,000 rpm and it has a lot more power. I can even get up hills without getting off and pushing now.
Like I said, I'm not an expert. This is the first bike I'm ever reviving from the dead and I've never heard a living one before so to me when it was running on 2 cylinders it sounded good...but now that I hear it running on all 4 it sounds much better.
I still have an occasional pop out the tail pipe, and a little sputtering here and there. I'll try adjusting the valves and making sure the timing chain tensioner is working or adjusting properly.
Thanks a lot guys!

We had confidence in you

Good to hear it's going better, but don't quit yet

Thanks, I'm just waiting on a service manual to come in the mail. That way I'll have the specs and most all the info I need.
Thanks again.

Pin, The two outer cylinders are not firing. In the future, use a spray bottle of water as you won't have to clean up afterwards... the two outer cylinder fire from ONE COIL... The first thing you need to do to troubleshoot your problem is figure out which component in your ignition isn't working. I would swap the coils. One coil, fed by the green ignition wire, is the 2/3 coil. This one seems to be working. The other coil, fed by the black wire, is the 1/4 coil and appears to be not working. To test, take the 2/3 coil and swap it for the 1/4 coil. Leave the wires feeding the coils as they are and the plug wires. You ONLY want to verify the operation of the coils. If the problem MOVES to the 2/3 cylinders (spray bottle of water test), then you have a bad coil. if the problem DOESN'T move, then you likely have either a loose wire/bad connection going from the pickup coils through the ignitor to the 1/4 coil OR a bad pickup coil or bad igniter. We can test for this stuff once you have done the coil swap. Suggest you start a new post in the electrical section with the results.

Down here in Argentina we just spit on the headers...
If it vaporizes fast, it´s firing!

The coil swap is a good trick, my Z550 had the same problem once and it was the fastest way to make sure what was going on.

Cheers.

Post edited by: kawadruida, at: 2006/09/05 11:46