20 Most Recent 1981 kawasaki Z 550 F Questions & Answers

Ign module cud hav issues..its on flywheel and a blackbox. U gittngas to those cylindrs..float cud b stuc on those carbs. Buy a clymer rpairbook..the best

Talk to kawasaki, as good a place as any to start!

hi,this might help,it sounds like one of your carb floats is stuck,this will allow the carbs to keep filling with fuel and ultimately overflow through that rubber hose,if it is only one then it is a simple fix(hopefully),get a long screwdriver and give each of the carb bowls a good healthy tap (with the handle end)hope fully this wil free it up and the fuel should stop running out,if it doesnt then you may have to pull the carbs out and clean the needle valves and reset the float levels...cheers

the fork oil should be added before you put the cap on the tubes.

have a look at the carbs...they sound like they could need cleaning out...if its been stood up a while petrol goes off in them & makes the jets up . take tem to bits & clean them...see if that helps

Sounds like a hard short between the main fuse and auxiliary fuses. disconnect the positive battery terminal and measure it with an ohm meter (red probe on positive battery lead, black probe on frame)

most bikes fire in the order of 1,3,4,2 so with 1 coil it should split to 2 plugs. check the lead length to which plug it should go to ie 1-3 & 2-4. hope this helps

If the carbs are leaking fuel then the float pins inside are not sealing ad the weight of the fuel in the tank is pushing out. your bike should not have a pump. it should be gravity fed. if your bike sat for a long time and you did not drain the carbs before putting it in storage the fuel goes stale and creates a varnish like residue inside the carbs. unfortunately the only way to clean it is to disassemble and clean them. not something a casual rider should attempt. it is something that should be left to a mechanic. removing them from the bike could save you some money, but not much. taking the bike in to a bike shop is your best bet if you have never done carburator work before. the mech can clean, reassemble and sync. usuall cost around 300-350 parts and labor at a good shop. I used to run a motorcycle service department. if you can do it yourself great. just dont get in over your head. it is harder for someone to pick up where you left off working from a bag full of peices the to be the one who took it apart and remember where everything goes. good luck

try the manual here, you will need to register but its free....

http://www.repairmanualclub.com/motomanuals/index.php?dlid=1341

try here http://www.manualz.info/

hope this helped

what you what to do is clean your grounds if you can take off the wireing and clean evrey thing one by one

Hi .... Is this the twin or the four cylinder ? I'd suspect a condensor/points on the twin. Wiring, without seeing it, I'd can't comment on ................. a manual, multimeter & a bit of time would sort it out.

Hi and welcome to FixYa,

Offhand a couple of possibilities considering it is a 1981 model:

• check the usual, if it is not cranking, either weak battery or starter relay/solenoid. Another to consider is the starter motor or more specifically the carbon brushes;
• ignition switch - check if the coils are getting +12 even when cranking;
• CDI - check if the electronic ignition is getting +12 even when cranking;
• if it is still a point type ignition, check the contact points, gap, dwell and the condenser;
  
• compression test - worn out rings and/or intake valves would cause low compression making the bike hard if not impossible to start.
  

Good luck and Thank you for using FixYa. Happy New Year.

Check your fuses haven't blown and the plugs are all pushed in tight. You may have a scorched plug failing that but that only really comes from using a booster.....a nail file can cure that though. Is your starter motor working? If not attempt to bump start it, but make sure it's in 2nd gear.

It's probably your side stand switch.

IT,S SOUNDS TO ME THAT THE ENGINE COULD BE SIEZED UP OR LOCKED , REMOVE SPARK PLUGS PUT BIKE IN GEAR AND PUSH THE BIKE SLOWLY WITH A LENGTH OF WOODEN DOWL OF THE OF THE RIGHT SIZE DOWN THE PLUG HOLE IF THE DOWL MOVES UP AND DOWN THEN THE PISTONS ARE MOVING FREELY IN THE BORE.
ALSO DISCONECT MAIN CABLE TO STARTER MOTOR DOES THE ARCING STOP? IF SO STARTER BUTTON COULD BE STUCK ON INTERNALLY AS IF YOU WERE PRESSING OR THE STARTER MOTOR HAS AN INTERNAL SHORT TO EARTH, WHILE THE CABLE IS OFF THE STARTER TAKE A LENGTH OF CABLE FROM THE BATT POSITIVE {MAKE SURE THE BIKES IN NEUTRAL} AND TOUCH MAIN STARTER POSTIVE DOES IT TURN THE ENGINE? IF SO THEN YOU HAVE A CABLE ON BIKE GOING DOWN TO EARTH THIS WILL CAUSE YOUR ARCING ,WIRING WITH AGE WILL BECOME BRITTLE AND CRACK AND TRACK DOWN TO EARTH .. I HOPE THIS HAS BEEN USEFUL GOOD LUCK { FROM AN AUTO ELECTRICIAN ]

Hi,,,no adjustment the tensioner is automatic.

Your clutch may be out of adjustment or worn. With the bike not running try putting it in 1st gear while rocking it forwards and backwards. If it goes into 1st gear easilly, check your clutch for wear or proper adjustment.

Hi. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. You might have done some damage to the motor.
Please check your oil (LEVEL) and by all means change it too. The oil lubrecates parts like crank shaft, bearings and valves cams etc... All moving parts need oil.