Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

That which allegedly killed the cat, apparently. I was snuffling round on ebay last night seeing if I could find any interesting bits for the Mk II, when I came across the transmission cover for a Z1000ST. It looked as though it contained the entire front end of the shaft drive bevel gears, abd got me wondering if an ST engine could easily be converted to chain drive.

I don't have one, nor am I looking to find one, I'm just curious (and lazy - I could probably find out for myself by comparing part numbers). Does anyone know ? (I'm probably looking at you, Gos)

Cheers,
Brian

I have never done this conversion but I reckon it would be a piece of piss. The engine cases and mounts were identical between the normal chain-drive models and the ST models - and yes, that massive extension on the front trans cover does hold the front gear of the drive shaft.

I would think that the conversion would be as simple as this - split the cases of the ST, take out the entire transmission and clutch - replace with standard chain-drive transmission and clutch - assemble cases - bingo . I don't think you could do the job by just swapping out the output shaft in the gearbox to a chain-drive style, I know the clutch hub assembly is different and I think the gear ratios in the shaft drive gearbox are all different to the chain-drive gearbox.

Or - just buy a MkII

Thanks Gos, once again you are the fount of all old-Z knowledge The world has moved on since I wrote this, and having got all enthused at the Barry Sheene meeting, I'm going racing again on an el cheapo ZXR. that being the case, my wife's complete intolerance for multiple bikes means that one will have to go, so I'm getting rid of the Mk II - yet another chapter in my life history of stillborn project bikes ...

Cheers,
Brian