KZ1000 Fours '77-'78 with Mechanical Slide Mikuni VM26 and VM28 Carbs

This is the KZ1000 first gen carburetor. These VM26 Mikuni carbs came in a variety of variations. They also have a VM28 on the '78 KZ1000D1 Z1R. These bikes were produced both in Japan and imported to the US and made in the US for the US market. This in itself add variety as the US versions use different slides, jet needles, and the parts that secure the jet needles, and more. It is imperative to ID these carbs correctly. Also, they ALL will physically fit one another. This makes it very common to have a set from another model and even includes various race carbs like 29mm,33mm smoothbores, 34mm Mikuni Flatslides, and sometimes even GS750-850-and GS1000 carbs. If you properly ID the carbs before servicing, the issues will be almost non existent. I have seen a few nightmare carbs that have combinations of various versions too. I have spent a long time getting these carbs strait and have rebuilt a huge amount of them, and it is RARE for them to be virgin.

These two years come in three major differences if you don't count US made/Japan import differences.

Pictured below is a rare early KZ1000 '77 (299) that is similar to the previous KZ900 '76 (Z12) set. Then pictures of a typical '77-'78 KZ1000B LTD or '77 KZ1000A. These sets have two breather line nipples, one on the #2 carb and the other on the #4. These are simply open breather lines. Also there is a skinny picture that shows the third nipple on the #3 carb which is a vacuum line for the vacuum operated petcock. The third nipple was only found on three models in '78, KZ1000A, KZ1000A2A, and KZ1000C1A. This makes this the second rarest set after the superseded 299's.

'77 KZ1000A1-------------------------------------------------299 and 1024
'77 KZ1000B1 LTD---------------------------------------1055
'78 KZ1000A2-----------------------------------------------1025
'78 KZ1000A2A---------------------------------------------1023
'78 KZ1000B2 LTD---------------------------------------1017
'78 KZ1000C1 Police--------------------------------------299 and 1024
'78 KZ1000C1A Police----------------------------------1025
'78 KZ1000D1 Z1R--------(VM28)---------------------1040

KZ1000-77-299 Rare Early KZ1000 '77 Mikuni VM26 (299)