Rear sprocket carriers

[Jerry]

I feel a bit embarrassed asking this, but are the rear sprocket carriers and cush drive different from 900 to 1000, i.e. from drum to disc?

[Garn 1]

Jerry. they are different. The rear disc 1000 has a cush-drive with a smaller effective diameter than that of the 900 drum brakes. the 900A4 is the same as the Z1 series. The only exception is the Kz900 LTD, which ,of course, has the disc rear brake.
RegardZ.

[Jerry]

Thanks Garn

[Jeff Saunders]

Jerry. they are different. The rear disc 1000 has a cush-drive with a smaller effective diameter than that of the 900 drum brakes. the 900A4 is the same as the Z1 series. The only exception is the Kz900 LTD, which ,of course, has the disc rear brake.
RegardZ.

HI Garn, the 73 / 74 era Z1 sprocket carriers are a little different from the later Z1 & KZ900 sprocket carriers. When Kawasaki switched from the non o-ring chain to o-ring chain, they introduced a boss on the back of the front sprocket and a spacer on the sprocket carrier to give the new, wider o-ring chain clearance from the transmission cover. After a while Kawasaki modified the sprocket carrier to eliminate the rear hub spacer. If you measure carefully, you can tell the difference between an early and later sprocket cover.