Z1OwnersClub GB

So bought a 1976 KZ900 from a seller in USA to import to the UK. Was buying from a dealer and was supposedly a runner that he had been riding all summer. Ok trusting soul that I am took him at his word.......

So arrived in the UK 8 weeks later in February. Looked good but didn't run, fired but wouldn't start, hmmm....
Fuel not getting through, ok carbs off, they looked like the bike had not run for quite a while, but he had sent a video of it running with him on it and he had only had it 3 months according to the title dates???

Cleaned carbs fully. Spark was weak too so checked points, way out so adjusted them and fitted new condensers, got them set up.

Now it started but rough, made sure carbs were set properly and balanced them using Morgan vacuum balancer, really long way out on one cylinder, but did it eventually, but getting worried....

Still running rough, used a colour tune to see what was happening, 1 cylinder needed the airscrew out 3 turns to run properly, more worried now....

Did a compression test,
1.80
2.70
3.60
4.90,
oh crap.... Wasn’t smoking so thought better check valve clearances, there was only 2 in tolerance! One of them had virtually zero clearance! So order up some new shims thinking and hoping this was the reason for the low compression and poor running. Thought I’ll get them correct and look at taking the head off to do decoke and valve grinding in the winter.



Got the shims and changed them, what a pita I need a better tool than the basic one offered everywhere. So I finished fitting them and turned the bike over by hand to check all was ok before putting the cam cover on and I noticed a couple of valves gaps looked to big, checked and sure enough they were….
Great, sticking valves, so head off!



Good job I did though, what I found was it was massively coked up and 2 bent exhaust valves! The cam shells were also going through to the backing as well.
I really don't know how it ran at all.

So what started as getting a 900 to ride for the summer that I knew would probably need a bit of work has become ANOTHER project. All parts to fix are on route, Kawasaki valves and shell bearings, gaskets and a valve guide that was worn as well. Here is some pics of it as was when it arrived and now

Well, at least it sounds like you chased the problem down. Good luck with the works. You should get great satisfaction when all sorted.

Best colour for a Z900 and will be a nice bike when all done. The stories of woe are all too common with imported Z's. I to had "sort " my B2 German import although it ran and looked very decent. I'm wondering if anyone has been lucky enough to just get on and ride something purchased from overseas ( ? ) or are we just expecting to be taken for another type of ride.

Stripping head back It's a bit of a mess really. Going to vapour blast it.

Just a thought - as it's so coked up it would be worth checking out the carb jet sizes. The Yanks have a habit of up-sizing the jets at any opportunity to cure all ills !