Fuel injection on a 1977 KZ1000?

You haven't scared me off. I work at a nuke plant and we are in a middle of a refuel, working 6 days a week 12 hour a day grave yard shift, so I don't have a lot of time to write. I have been reading the posts though. You all have given me some great ideas. I will be piecing this project together with a GPZ throttle body and injectors, MegaSquirt and piece the remaining parts together here and there. I just want a bike I can get on and ride. I have been fighting these carbs for too long now, so it's time for them to go. I will be performing 99% of the work myself. I keep thinking, just sell the stupid thing and buy a cruiser, but I can't lower myself to do that. I have to much of my sweat and blood into restoring this old Kaw just the way I want it besides, I want my son to ride this bike ten years from now, he's 16. I’m almost complete will my restoration of a 1980 Husqvarna 390, so when that's complete, it's time to tear into the old Kaw and get it ready for spring. I live in the middle of Missouri and there is some good mechanics locally if I need there assistance. I won’t be dyno testing it, it will be trial and error.

Thanks for the help and keep the suggestions coming.

Boostable wrote: Damn you guys are old!! Gonna need to ad a senior section to the site soon!!

LOL.. just kidding of course, but couldn't resist!

That's it...that's the last time we talk to you...you whippersnapper you :woohoo:

Gary - K7GLD wrote:

steell wrote: You have me beat by a few years, I'm only 60 but drawing 100% disability, and I am doing it because it's fun and interesting. I've been involved with MegaSquirt since the very first group buy of the bare circuit board almost ten years ago. In the early days you had to be knowledgeable in electronics and mechanics, it's advanced so far it's now a virtual bolt on in simple situations. Invest the time required to read the MegaManual and you'll know more about electronic fuel injection than 98% of the mechanics out there.

Price is dependent on the individual, doing things cheaply is part of the fun for me, so $50 for GPz1100 throttle bodies, $20 for a fuel pump off a late 80's Ford F150 in a junkyard, and $10 for various sensors scavenged from the same junkyard. Less than $500 total (way less), even including $140 for a MegaSquirt 1 kit or $250 for it assembled.

While I am incapacitated I am collecting parts for my next project, a fuel injected KZ750 twin :laugh:

THAT sounds a lot more to my liking - as far as price goes - what can you tell us about the end result - were there worthwhile gains, or was it just a fun project to obtain a novel sort of bike?

Others have injected ZX11s with excellent results, 10% more power with an increase in fuel mileage and driveability. The first one to do it (that I'm aware of) was a guy called ZX10BUD in California, he used an entire Hayabusa EFI system on a ZZR1200 motor in a ZX11.

There's video, pics, and lot's of info on KZ efi conversions at www.cyclemadness.com/cmforum/index.php?board=16.0

There's video, pics, and lot's of info on KZ efi conversions at www.cyclemadness.com/cmforum/index.php?board=16.0

Great info and commentary - unfortunately, being an "old geezer" as pointed out earlier, I barely have available lifespan remaining to ride the bike, let alone what appears to be an ongoing debugging, refining, and development project - so you EFI guys will just have to wave as you ride on by! :laugh:

You all haven't run me off. I just put the bike aside for a few years and will start with the fuel injection installation as soon as I can put the parts togther. Still looking for a throttle body from a GPz1100. Thank for all the info.Off to do some shopping. I'll let everyone know how it works out.

I've considered swapping to fuel injection on a few applications, one being my CJ5 Jeep where extreme of road angles can give carbs some nightmares although the Motorcraft 2100 style carb has proved capable of a steady idle in situations I would never willingly repeat. While there are benefits to EFI over carbs it's funny how back in the day I could ride quite reliably with carbs, never felt they were a problem in the same way points ignition wasn't an issue either and yet now it seems that common, current thinking is that all these things should be tossed at the first opportunity.

I don't personally feel that throttle body injection provides a huge benefit over a set of carbs, but I'd be interested to see a system using the Kawasaki injectors, but with a better control system, there's a reason so many GPz1100's were fitted with carbs the first time they had a problem once the warranty had expired. The whole reliability of electrical and electronic components has changed so much since the 1980's that using some modern components could really make a difference. It's an interesting topic, albeit not something I'll be trying myself. How about using four of the Triumph Bonneville throttle bodies that are made to look like carbs or something similar or build injectors into the bodies of existing CV carbs that will fit a KZ1000?

Welcome back Larry,
Not that I am looking to derail an old thread but to me it sounds like you have dirty old carbs with clogged circuits.
26 mm carbs on a 77 kz1000 may not be ball buster fast like some of the others but when they are clean and tuned they work great and are "very" reliable.

Wire George can make them brand new for less then 400 bucks

http://www.wgcarbs.com./index.php/carburetor-rebuilding

Just my 2 cents
JD

Shoot I could clean a set of carbs for darn near free.
But if I wanted more performance I would consider EFI first before any other carb type (having to buy and rebuild 28s, 29s, or RS/CR carb purchase) you come out to the same or way less with a set of throttle bodies and a controller

I don't know about free but yes you can do it your self for a lot less
For me it is a matter of economics but if I had the bread I think I would rather have WG do the next set.

This is the Winter of rebuilding carbs for me, I'm doing a set of 24's and a set of 26's
Both were froze up when I started and the 26's were painted :sick:
Beyond the free labor and cleaners I will need all the gaskets, O-rings and a can of carb dip
Then I still will be taking them to the local Suzuki/ Honda shop,( a very cool old school bunch of guys) to
have them sonic cleaned,
No idea what that is going to cost but it shouldn't be too bad.

I'm into it and don't regret doing them but I don't wish to have do it again any time soon.

I know that FI can be very dependable and if I ever find a Harley that I want to fix up it will have fuel injection
but I am not convinced that retro fitting F I a system on a 77 kz1000 is the simplest,cheapest, efficient/reliable way to go
if he wants to ride much this year.

Welcome to my nightmare :laugh:

Considering the thread is 4+ years old Im not sure it will ever ride. Still to note, the first thing that needs done is valve clearances, then carb work.

Simplest way to get riding? Nope. Most reliable, best fuel economy and power? Absolutely. Tunable to a wide array of displacements cam swaps and tunes, yup.

Did I miss it, why did it take so long?
Steve

Agreed, valves first!