1983 Kawasaki KZ 550 LTD woes

[oldyam80sg]

A guy at work purchased the bike this year and I cleaned the carbs and now a new issue-The bike having been ridden mostly every day this summer will not start when it is cold.New battery installed by me-I'm thinking because you can jump start it,the voltage regulator is shot and not allowing battery to charge.Would that be a correct assumption?

[motoman]

A guy at work purchased the bike this year and I cleaned the carbs and now a new issue-The bike having been ridden mostly every day this summer will not start when it is cold.New battery installed by me-I'm thinking because you can jump start it,the voltage regulator is shot and not allowing battery to charge.Would that be a correct assumption?

More likely a voltage drop thru the kill switch or ignition switch, or a voltage drop thru ALL grunding locations. Posible regulator, but that's like having the 'cart before the horse'. With a volt meter, check voltage at battery with key on first. Key on, then check voltages at other primary locations. Those NEED to be the same as battery voltage with key on. If they are not, obvious vltage drop at prime locations or grounding locations.

[Bonz]

It is charging fine by the way it started when warm outside and was ridden all summer without issue, IMO.

What does "will not start when it is cold" mean?
I.E. won't crank at all, cranks weakly and then loses power so it won't crank anymore?

And the carbs are probably ok, per se, since it does start and run once jumped and ran all summer.

I sure agree with Motoman to check voltages, however I would make sure the new battery is ok and putting out the proper current to start the bike.

[oldyam80sg]

#1-It is not my bike-it is a guy i work with-he tells me the bike wont start because its cold right? I said no Lou that doesn't have anything to do with it,my XS 1100 starts anytime whether it is 5 degrees out,it starts,and so do snowmobiles and quads,weather has nothing to do with it.He says it cranks slowly,doesn't start and he leaves it and comes home and the bike starts.So I go to his place where he keeps the bike outside,pull in the clutch and bike cranks somewhat fast but doesn't start.Put it on jump with his battery pack and bike starts.Remove cables,rev the engine bike runs,go down the block,come back and shut off bike,go to start it again and cranks slowly.The bike sat in a heated basement for 15 years.My XS 400 went through regulators/rectifiers the 2 times i had it.If it is the grounds why cant it start after riding it?It starts maybe 2 times after jumping it ,then dies and wont crank.To me ,the battery is not charging.When i put a multimeter on the battery,voltage was 12.2 volts

[motoman]

#1-It is not my bike-it is a guy i work with-he tells me the bike wont start because its cold right? I said no Lou that doesn't have anything to do with it,my XS 1100 starts anytime whether it is 5 degrees out,it starts,and so do snowmobiles and quads,weather has nothing to do with it.He says it cranks slowly,doesn't start and he leaves it and comes home and the bike starts.So I go to his place where he keeps the bike outside,pull in the clutch and bike cranks somewhat fast but doesn't start.Put it on jump with his battery pack and bike starts.Remove cables,rev the engine bike runs,go down the block,come back and shut off bike,go to start it again and cranks slowly.The bike sat in a heated basement for 15 years.My XS 400 went through regulators/rectifiers the 2 times i had it.If it is the grounds why cant it start after riding it?It starts maybe 2 times after jumping it ,then dies and wont crank.To me ,the battery is not charging.When i put a multimeter on the battery,voltage was 12.2 volts

Is that 12.2volts with key on or off? Makes a huge difference. At this point from your VAGUE description still, bike very possibly has poor electrical connections. Jump starting for the extra boost helps those connections reach a more positive connection/contact. Better get out the volt meter and start going through connections. The five plug-ins behind the fuse panel would be a good place to start. If it has the OEM fuse panel, get rid of it in favor of a blade fuse panel. There's write-ups and pics here on forum how to do that.

[oldyam80sg]

Wait-Its not my bike and I diagnosed it for maybe 10 minutes-I took every possible within reach electrical component and looked very briefly at it.I'm just trying to help get this started-I cant just go work on it.12.2 with key on.I'm not about to start replacing things-the guy is very cheap and wont pay,he is one of those people who think you add gas and check oil; and it runs.

[motoman]

Wait-Its not my bike and I diagnosed it for maybe 10 minutes-I took every possible within reach electrical component and looked very briefly at it.I'm just trying to help get this started-I cant just go work on it.12.2 with key on.I'm not about to start replacing things-the guy is very cheap and wont pay,he is one of those people who think you add gas and check oil; and it runs.

Again, get a volt meter and start doin' some current checking! Just 'looking' at electrical connections won't 'cut it'. BTW, 'key on' IS needed for voltage checks at ignition switch, then thru ALL other connectors. Key on battery voltage NEEDS to reflect that SAME voltage at ALL other electrical connectors.

[Bonz]

I get it, it's not your bike. What suggestion seems to be the best one to try based on what you have seen from your friends bike? If your friend wants a running bike, something has to give. He is not reasonable in his belief of add gas and oil, that is a given. Probably has the original tires on it too!

[oldyam80sg]

Well last night i called him and told him since he never has time he needs to find time and start looking and taking apart things to see why it wont start when you push the button.He called me about an hour later to say that the fuse box is covered in a gel like substance and the fuses look good but should they be that way,I tell him NO and continue cleaning.I think a previous owner covered the fuses in Vaseline to protect them as his girlfriend says that is what it looks like.

[Bonz]

Good for you, getting him to take a look for the issues. The vaseline is being used as a terminal/connection protectant, like di-electric grease. But I don't know how a thick coating would affect resistance?

[oldyam80sg]

He showed me a pic-Vaseline sitting for 15 years is not a pretty site.Kind of yellowish in appearance.All of the round fuses are covered in this goop.You might get an oily mess if you ever had to change them

[Bonz]

For sure a mess, yuck! Who knows what the stuff in its current form will do to conductivity. You got him on the right track.

I have a huge soft spot for the mid-size in-line 4 cyls from the early-mid 80's. Had a 550 Nighthawk and there wasn't much from a performance standpoint it left me wanting for. The handling of the bike was as much of the fun as the engine.

[oldyam80sg]

My first bike ever was a Kawasaki KZ 400- for the very short time I had it until I sold it-Had a blast with that bike!

[Bonz]

With my current small bike being a CX500, it is just a tad on the slow side but it's so true that riding a smaller slow bike fast is more grins than riding a bigger fast bike slow.

[motoman]

With my current small bike being a CX500, it is just a tad on the slow side but it's so true that riding a smaller slow bike fast is more grins than riding a bigger fast bike slow.

You, being at 6'11", makes it an under tree toy for ya'. A quarter-scale would be bout-right for me in comparison!