Kz 400 ignition advancer

I was thinking this is why my bike has no kahunas at high rpm's, it just sputters and drops off and hit's on 1 cylinder. How do you check to see if the advancer is moving freely? I know it's a stupid question, but can't seem to find it in the manual. Thanks guy's, Jim

oldkaws4ever wrote:

... How do you check to see if the advancer is moving freely? ...

On the Z1 and KZ900 (and probably other models also), using a strobe-type timing light, watch the advancer move back and forth while changing the rpm.

Grab hold of it with your fingers, twist it, then let go and watch it snap back to it's original position. If it does that smoothly then it's good.


By the way, a sticking advancer won't make the engine miss, it will just reduce power above 4k rpm or so.

A bad plug, plug cap, or plug wire, on the other hand, can make the engine miss at higher revs and load.

Thats when it starts to run like crap right around 4000 and above. The right pipe gets warm but not hot, and the plug is black with a gas smell.